What does it take to end a war? Well, if both sides wish for peace and set aside their hatred... No. Warfare is nothing but a means of negotiation between states. Wars break out even when there is no hatred. Territory, resources, or interests that you are determined to own. Ideology, religion, pride. Wars are fought over those objectives all the time. Meaning that when those objectives are met, the war will end. That, or the war will end when the human cost outweighs the gains. Anger and hatred are only tools to tilt a war in your favor. I'm not interested in those emotions. So I wouldn't hate anyone just because they're Martian.
ΛLDNOΛH.ZERO is a Mecha, Sci-fi, Action, Thriller created by Gen Urobuchi and from the studio A-1 Pictures and TROYCA. The director is Ei Aoki who previously directed Fate/Zero which I posted about some time ago. It's very much of a polarizing anime that is like a Zack Snyder movie. (Watchmen and Sucker Punch are 2 of my all time favorite 10/10 movies) Thanks to all the action, battles, technology and music the anime became a considerable hit which I'm very glad about. But if ΛLDNOΛH.ZERO was just a good time I wouldn't talk about it. I believe in entertainment that begin with delight but end with wisdom. Basically Marvel is just meh.
If you are wondering what's with the picture, that's the fictional character who utter the opening quote. If you are already familiar with the great Urobutcher you should already be asking if this is some deconstruction anime. Let me assure that ΛLDNOΛH.ZERO isn't just that but also a gigantic cosmic middle finger on the mecha genre itself. Think what if Deadpool was a deep intellectual, thought provoking, philosophical movie that became an anti-superhero movie instead of just making fun of superhero movie.
What got me in
I'm one of those people who find a fracture in everything and I complain a lot. I could wake up a in some Utopia with super high tech and I'd still complain. I've gotten sick with many mecha anime and a lot had to do with the protagonists. Those suckers always get on my nerves. I'm not a fan of the Luke Skywalker type. When I first heard about ΛLDNOΛH.ZERO I heard several things (especially about the protagonist) that was presented in a negative light. On me that had an opposite effect as those were the qualities I admire and look forward to see.
Human beings aren't known for remaining calm and rational.
- Kaizuka Inaho
If this sounds like it's coming from someone in a high ground looking disappointing about the humanity; you are hearing it right. Inaho lives like he's the only exception for the above rule in the know universe. It's not something he shove in people's faces. It's just his actions. They are NEVER not calm and not irrational. No exceptions.
For me Kaizuka Inaho was the only person in the anime I could really connect with and he was the perfect character for a deconstruction anime like ΛLDNOΛH.ZERO which subvert and invert established tropes while building itself to become it's own thing.
In 1972, the Apollo 17 mission to the moon discovered an alien Hypergate that allowed for instantaneous transport to Mars. A massive effort to colonize Mars soon followed, and the first explorers and settlers quickly discovered Lost Technology there dubbed "Aldnoah" that allowed them to become self-sufficient. Eventually, they declared independence as the Holy VERS Empire, named after their expedition's leader Rayregalia Vers Rayvers, and even formed a religion (if you could call it that) based around the technology found on Mars. In 1999, a war broke out between the Holy VERS Empire and United Earth, ending with a Pyrrhic Victory for VERS after the Hypergate on the moon overloaded and blew the celestial body in half, cutting off all access to Mars and causing massive destruction across the Earth thanks to major population centers being heavily damaged by environmental shifts and the falling shards of the moon.It is now 2014, fifteen years after the devastating events of "Heaven's Fall." The VERS soldiers who were left behind after the Hypergate's destruction now live in the remains of the moon and massive space stations in orbit between Earth and the moon, forming themselves into 37 clans. Only recently has space travel advanced to the point where travel between Earth and Mars is practical, and tensions remain extremely high between Earth and the Holy VERS Empire.
That's the basic premise. Yes, this is an alternative history. If you are wondering what the ZERO in ΛLDNOΛH.ZERO means, it doesn't mean a number. It means a lack of something. But before that let's see the common trope. Normally the protagonist faces a great threat but comes to poses some great power (which at times could only be used my the protagonist) and face the enemies like some Red Baron. In the title; Zero means just Zero...... not having any god damn protagonist perks. None. Zilch. ZERO.
The enemies start wiping out Earth's military as if it was a game. In fact, the enemy pilots consider an invasion of Earth as a competition among themselves to show off who's the best. Because of the previous historical events, even the schools have military training. Our protagonist Kaizuka Inaho pilots one of the training bots from the school. A bottom level mech vs almost divine and incomprehensible power.
That to me is one of the most touching and most important aspects of the anime. It's a story of a kid who's calm, rational and beyond drama thinking with his head to beat an overwhelming force. Many battles play with science and even ends up being tangential learning experiences.
The Music
The Music helps greatly to make the series as awesome as it is. Hiroyuki Sawano which I mentioned in a previous article composed the music an there is 2 hours 27 minutes and 44 seconds of it.One of the first things that got me to notice ΛLDNOΛH.ZERO was the following track.
It only hit me how profound the naming was after watching a part of the anime. There is an ending these named: aLIEz and those 5 letter having put together at the same place has more meaning, impact and worth to me than multiple Oscar winning movies combined with all their hard work and achievements. I know that I'm making a strong claim comparing 5 letters to a several Oscar winners combined.
But that's the entire point of art; to summarize a life's worth experiences in a single product so that many wouldn't have to make mistakes of their own to learn from mistakes. I'll drop you a hint and let you ponder why.
Alpha.Omega.Things that are not absolute truths.
Her is the genius musician/almost philosopher behind most of the things related to music including playing some of the instruments and writing the amazing words that make up the songs.
Flaws
As an over critical person looking for flaws at everything, I see 2.5 main problems with ΛLDNOΛH.ZERO
Lack of proper budget is one. By the end of the absolutist amazing and explosive first episode I was screaming for more production budget. A lot could have been made better.
Also there were parts where things like physics wasn't given enough attention. The main things regarding the high stakes battles were well done. But smaller instances could have been much polished.
They could have also gone more brutal psychologically. It felt like the creators pulled their punches despite making Saving Private Ryan look like kindergarten material both psychologically and philosophically. The only time I thought Urobutcher went 100% was Madoka Magica Movie Trilogy. Strategy/battle tactics wise both Death Note and Code Geass did better though their protagonists were kind of what was subverted by the character of Inaho.
Fun Fact
Natsuki Hanae who voiced Kaizuka Inaho in the Japanese version also voiced Kaneki Ken in Tokyo Ghoul which you'd also find very interesting specially if you liked ΛLDNOΛH.ZERO Both of them are on the top of my favorites list.
Most Importantly: How to watch
This is highly important. If you want to get the absolute best viewing experience, follow this guide. There are 24 episodes each ~23-24 minutes long made into 2 seasons. Binge watch the first season in a single sitting. After that don't touch anything for few days. Please just leave the series for few days. Then go binge the remaining 12 episodes.
Following the above guide is essential for the maximum impact. Even the most prominent war movies would pale in comparison when it comes to depth, science and exhilarating action. The series would work better if you are already familiar with the genre. I ask you not to overlook the subtle things just because of the explosive battles which the series is,full of.
I also love how the creators took a massive brave step with a character like Inaho who I could very much relate to and confronting the viewers with a character that is optimal for the situation but disappointing (for the mainstream) as a protagonist of a medium of entertainment.
Keep the discussion going in the comments below and don't forget to resteem.
