Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi is the first princess of the noble Misurugi Empire. The kingdom has seen great power and prosperity due to the advancement of the revolutionary technology known as "Mana," an abstract bending of light that has reduced the world's problems of war and pollution to a timeless peace.
However, not all are blessed with the ability to wield Mana. Those who cannot are labeled "Norma," outcasts of society who are considered a threat to civilization and live under constant persecution, and Angelise herself is one of many who want the Norma exterminated. But as Angelise's sixteenth birthday commences, it is discovered in a shocking revelation that she is actually a Norma. Chaos ensues, the public is outraged, and the once adored princess is exiled to Arzenal: a remote military base where Normas are forced into conscription.
Now, the former royal must adapt to a harsh and vastly different lifestyle; piloting mechanical robots known as "Paramail" to fend off large, devastating beasts referred to as DRAGONs. However, a sinister truth about these savage creatures threatens to change everything.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Nyron
Cross Ange is a travesty. It's a horrible, stupid, illogical trainwreck of a show with shoddy production values that relies almost entirely on pandering to the lowest forms of human life and waving shallow moments of shock value all over the screen. The series has a narcissistic sense of self-awareness, and in each episode you can nearly hear a subtle narration by the director and other Sunrise execs laughing at how much of a moron you are for watching this garbage that they've put in front of you. "Ha, I bet those glass-eyed imbeciles are getting bored, let's put in another lesbian threesome." "No, not yet. Onlyafter we show the loli whipping someone again."
That said, it's one of the best things I've seen out of this studio in years. With a big "Fuck you, Sunrise.", let's go into this.
Cross Ange is a lot of different things. Cross Ange is a magical princess show about knights and dragons. Cross Ange is a prison drama. Cross Ange is Mean Girls. Cross Ange is borderline yuri hentai. Cross Ange is Gundam Seed. Cross Ange is a catharsis for the type of person who has a Fetlife account. Cross Ange is what would happen if you made a Princess Peach anime starring Ronda Rousey. Cross Ange is proof that not only will Mizuki Nana play any role, but that she is also good at it. Cross Ange is anime madlibs where your only word choices are "lesbians", "dragons" and "kill".
The actual premise of the story is that a pampered princess named Angelise, a thoroughly awful person, is thrown out of her castle and put in an all-ladies jail when it's found out that she's a fraud. She's then forced to pilot a Gundam and fight dragons, because. And then she's bullied, molested or beaten up a lot, until she finally becomes "Ange", the greatest main character to ever appear in a Sunrise mecha show. Then the story becomes about rebellion, alternate timelines and dimensions, fighting god, virtual realities, and uhhhhh... Yeah. The story progresses through a flurry of ridiculous plot twists, comically evil villainous acts, and lesbian sex scenes. It's certainly not boring, but you will hate yourself for watching it. One of my favorite things about this series is what they do with the episode previews, where the characters break the 4th wall and banter about how ridiculous all this shit is.
My other favorite thing is that there are dragons in this show. But they're not dragons, they're DRAGONs, and they're called that because they're DRAGONs and not because they're dragons.
But really, the legitimate thing you're watching this for is Ange. Ange is amazing. She's logical, pessimistic, she cheats, she'll insult you and everything you stand for, disarm you and then shoot you through the face, twice. She's so out of the norm for an anime protagonist I can barely deal. She doesn't want harmony, she wants destruction. She wants to demolish everything that's wronged her. She's not a victim. The show is called "Cross Ange" because she's cross about 90% of the time. She is the one who knocks.
The rest of the cast is surprisingly good too. Cross Ange does a competent job at giving you multifaceted, developing characters to feel things about, even if those feelings are mostly hatred and/or pity. The other central females are almost all emotionally damaged in some way or another, and are in contrast to Ange, very fragile people. I thought this was very interesting, because not only is Ange a strong, domineering, unbreakable character on her own, but those qualities shine even more when you slowly see the deep-seated problems with everyone around her.
This series only has like two male characters. One of them is Kira Yamato from Gundam Seed, except that he's completely useless and a stooge 90% of the time. If you're ever worried about Ange being overshadowed or saved by her boyfriend, don't worry, he's the bottom in the relationship. This was also refreshing. Except for near the end where he actually starts doing things, that was lame and subverted a lot of the good things about his character and the show as a whole.
The other major male character is the central villain, Fetus-kun, who is also the most self-aware jab at otaku I've ever seen. The whole premise of his character is that he's his own OC, and is looking for the perfect waifu. It's insulting and hilarious at the same time, just like the rest of the series.
Animation-wise, Ange looks pretty okay at its best, and pretty bad at its worst. Gundam Unicorn this is not. The character and mech designs are also pretty bland, making the series not seem like anything relevant when looked at out-of-context.
The audio's good. Nothing to write home about. You get a bunch of Mizuki Nana and stuff. I can't recall much of the BGM at all even though I watch this series week by week. The recurring insert song sung by Ange is pretty memorable.
Cross Ange is a big damn spectacle with one of the best female leads in any anime. It's ridiculous and stupid, and even Sunrise probably hates you for watching it, so that means you should.
L0G0S
The last episode came, many people watched it and at the end one thought was strongly resonating in their brain: "Why did we underestimate this anime so much?". The beginning of this anime may be the biggest hoax in the anime history. Not only it made no sense, but it was like in the middle of night while you were sleeping someone blew up your roof, killed your family and then told you that it was your fault and you should be punished. No sense right? Still, slowly but surely this anime showed that it was a lot more than that. Sometimes surprisingby the deep philosophical understanding of the human nature, and sometimes using its main card, the fighting, the best way possible. Many could say the entire premise of this anime was to not judge a book by its cover. No mater how ugly it may be, what is inside could be worth thousands of time more than a book with a cover that shines like gold. Anyway, lets do it the normal way:
Story - 9, The story of this anime centers around a girl, Ange a royal princess, who at her coming of age ceremony is shown to be a Norma, a person not considered human in a society where everyone is using mana to control everything around them, thus making life easier. Everything falls into chaos, many sad things happen around her and after that she is sent to Arsenal, no, not the team, but a place where all Norma are disposed of, or so was believed. A lot of whining, hundreds of screams, enough to make you wish she was killed right on the spot. After a few episodes no one would wish the same thing. Not only because her character became a lot more interesting, but because the purpose of Arsenal is becoming clearer.The story becomes more and more complex as time passes so it should be impossible for someone to try to present the story in only a few words. There are betrayals, there is love, there is friendship, sadness,quite a lot of yuri, and we have an awesome antagonist who appears at the right moment. Still, its not like everything was perfect. There are a few blanks in the story, blanks that not only were not explained but it felt like a railway was missing some parts. For better or worse, we were made to forget about this and move on. I don't know if that part is to be explained in a movie, ova or maybe a second season, but it certainly needs one to explain a few missing parts without going back to the plot of the first season. Its the best ending for this anime and I really do not wish for everything to repeat in the same world as before.
Now, after the story comes the art.
Art - 9, Sometimes I wonder, how should we describe art? Some anime have such an ugly art that it would not be a surprise of everyone to hate that anime, but instead there are fans saying it receives a ten just because they feel like it fits. Sadly, I do not have the same opinion. Art is about beauty, about fluidity, about complexity, about impact. This anime excels at most, but some may say they could be even better just because .. . Anyway, every characters, robot, dragon looked awesome. Especially the dragons which didn't try to fit in the same criteria we were used to. Each battle was like a movie. They can make you forget to blink or breath. The only problem was its too fast pace. They moved to fast from one place to another and because of this it became tiresome to try to take in everything and instead were are left with the decision to only concentrate only on a few things forgetting about the rest.
Sound - 10, extremely enjoyable. The bgm is very important, but its true role is to make you feel attracted to the story, which this one did. If a bgm attracts to much attention, be it good or bad, then it failed in its purpose. Some forget about this and rate it poorly or better only based on this. The ost, op, ed and especially the seyuu's are the most important. And all of them are doing their job perfectly.
Characters - 10, Vivid, strong, beautifully. Each and everyone of them had what you could call charm. Their personalities, feelings, point of view were attractive mostly because there are so many that its impossible to not see at least one that shared your emotions and state of mind. I can say that in my opinion this anime strongest point were the characters.
Enjoyment - 9, there is not much to say about this. It was a gem found in the garbage. If you can watch it with an open mind you will not only not regret doing it but you are also going to remember it as one of the most surprising anime in the entire history.
Overall - 9, The story was not perfect, this is clear. A story that is short but also complex can hardly manage what Cross Ange did. Its divergent points were not only large in numbers, but also had its own characters which had to do their job in a way that wouldn't hinder the progress of the story. I'm going to re-watch it later this year for sure. Until then I can only recommend it to anyone who loves anime.
JustMayonnaise
This is possibly one of the most underrated animes from the fall season. You can read my overall + my final thoughts/notes at the very bottom of the review if you're feeling lazy and just want some quick feedback on the anime. I can't lie the first 5 episodes was extremely hard to get through for many which lead to the anime being dropped early on, and also given a poor rating due to its evaluation being solely based off of these first 5 episodes. It is now one of the animes I look forward to watching every week, almost as much as "Your Lie inApril".
Anyways, on with the review!
Story: 7
The setting of the anime is that of a dystopia, it follows a Princess (Ange) who is stripped of all her rights after being revealed that she is a norma (which are like unwanted humans due to their inability to use "mana"). This is one of the weaker points of the anime, although the story isn't bad, it wasn't done correctly for to be anything too special. Don't get me wrong, the story isn't boring in anyway and is fairly interesting, just not above and beyond (hence the 7).
A plus for the anime would be the unexpected twist and turns they have which sometimes really caught me by surprise, they often leave you wondering what may happen in the future. Overall its a decent story, but nothing too amazing.
Art: 7
Honestly the art is pretty good the characters, background, "ragna-mail", and pretty much everything looks like it was done quite well. The animation is quite fluid and well done, and I honestly have nothing to complain about in this section. The art isn't exceptionally beautiful but it's pretty good, although you can notice the budget slipping in some scenes, but overall the art for all the characters + most of the animation is very crisp.
Sound: 9
One of the reasons why you SHOULD watch this anime. The sound track that they have is amazing in my opinion, both their OST and their opening/ending songs. Their use of music is on point for most of the anime, although there were a couple of times I felt that the music could have been used more effectively. I read one of the other reviews saying how the anime's OST + openings/endings were bad, please don't listen to them and give it a chance BECAUSE THE OST IS AMAZING!
Character: 9
Yeah so Ange is possibly one of the most BAD ASS female leads I've seen in a while. She is extremely strong willed and self-righteous and that is the part I love about her. I REALLY like characters that can look strong enough to take on the entire world yet can look really weak and docile the next. The character developments and the revealing of a characters true nature/past is really well done in the anime, although some of the characters story could have had some improvements (cough Embryo).
Enjoyment: 9
I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed watching this anime, some parts could of had some minor tweeks, but it was a great anime to watch. To those who are able to watch all 25 episodes of this anime at once, I'm really jealous because you won't feel the pain I had to wait for this every week. :'(
Overall: 8
I'll repeat this again, I love a strong female lead that can take on the entire world, but in the next second can be really docile, weak and in need of protection and support. Cross Ange is a mecha anime that is really well made, if you look over a few of the poor things that they have done. I promise all you mecha fans that you will thoroughly enjoy the animes OST, great animation, interesting characters and their unique background story (PREPARE A TISSUE BOX WHEN THEY'RE REVEALING SOME OF THE CHARACTERS BACKGROUND). They do quite a few plot twist and a bit of romance in the anime, however little that romance may be. But with respect to the lifestyle transition Ange has been forced to live in, the romance does feels really 'cute'.
NOTE/FINAL THOUGHTS:
-Please understand that this anime DOES contain mature content.
-This anime is definitely one you should give a chance to (please at least give it until episode 6).
-Review may be slightly biased due to my love for mecha animes.
PROS:
+Has an amazing OST. Really love their opening and endings + their music choice.
+Ange is possibly one of the best female leads I've seen in a while.
+Highly recommended for those who enjoy the following genres: Dystopia ,Ecchi, Mecha
+The anime has enough plot twist to constantly surprise you & keep you interested.
CONS:
-Personally I really dislike it when something isn't suppose to happens, not going to say who but when someone is suppose to die, they really should die.
-You may sometimes notice in the animation where the anime was being "efficient" with their budget.
-Although their OST is really good, their timing for their background music could use a little work.
-The pacing of the anime is quite good for most of the anime, but some parts could have been slowed down.
Kergen
Disclaimer: This review is my own opinion, take it for what its worth. I will be breaking this down into the stages MAL uses for rankings as there is a lot to cover with this one. As normal I will do my best not to spoil and keep it to the broad strokes. In addition I will worn you now. Watching this with friends is a no no. YES it is a bit risque, YES there are some very confronting things about this show, but that is not what I am talking about. There are a lot of girls in this one, to the pointwear there are like 4 male characters. And this mas of girls is hot and I mean HOT. I am telling you this now because I will not be held responsible for starting waifu war 4. Why 4? Simple! Because we all know waifu war 3 started when HuniePop was released, get with the times people. Que theme music aaaaaand GO!
Cross Ange: Tenshi to so on and so forth is an action, sci-fie, ecchi... ish anime that dose a splendid job of just about everything. It was a masterfully crafted peace from start to finish with only a small handful of what one might call "glaring" flows to it, but I don't want to scare you off it so I will leave them until later, like right at the end. For now, I must gush like the fan boy I am.
This was without question one of the best things I have watched in at least a year. I was in love with this anime right from the first episode. It was fast paces but was not afraid to slow down the tiniest amount when it wanted you to feel things. It plays with the full gambit of emotions. Love, hate, sorrow and a hole bunch of others I cant seem to name coz well... I'm a guy, but trust me they are there and in spades. Not going to lie, there was a point in time this show jerked a tear out of my eye. Other times I was literally laughing out loud, right before being angry for the same reason. It was like a roller coaster of emotion, not a crazy one but from episode to episode it definitely gets you. Some of the time the feelings are not the sort you should have for animated girls but hey, that's never stopped us before am I right internet? The big kicker to it all though is that its all about the basics of human nature. The need to be in control or how we don't relay function alone. The fact that they tell the story with fuck off robots is just gravy. Ok that may have been a bit of spoils but if you haven't gotten that from the first two eps your likely watching this anime for the wrong reasons. 10 for 10 on enjoyment. Moving on...
This first thing that hit me about this anime was the outstanding use of colour. I am a devout follower of the high and mighty "Lord Vivid Colours" and I can say without a doubt this anime would pleas him. The pallet was vast, all the colours and not just a splash on a brown back drop modern day FSP style. What starts as a peaceful setting drenched in bright pinks, yellows, blues and whites gos down a darker path as the mood of the show changes. The are quickly replaced by blacks, grays and reds but stay with me I am not taking back what I said earlier. It takes an episode or two but the colours return in full force as the disposition of the characters improve and the reality of the world sets in. When the mood is good the colours are bright. When it is bad the pallet changes to reflect it. It is as much a part of the story as anything else and it helps immensely with the fast pacing of the show that there are visual ques like this to help keep the viewer on track. On a less ranty note the art over all was very well done with a lot of sharp lines and easily identifiable shapes, nothing just blended into the back ground. Each peace of furniture and the people on screen were easily recognizable but it very rarely felt cluttered. The distinct lack of copy and paste throughout the show was also very refreshing. 10/10 art team, well done.
Next down on the list of numbers is the characters. Good ol' characters. You know what? There are lots of them and they are good. Not what you might call amazing but considering the pace of the show (fast as hell), I think they have done really well. Almost everyone has at leas a minor bit of character development no matter how short there life span may be or how close to the main story they are. And on the off chance they don't get developed they are acknowledged strongly enough that you know they are real. No single character feels phoned in and aside from the occasional mob there is no mas melding of opinion, people are always butting heads over something. There are plenty of twists in the development of the main toon pile as well and most of the time it is a bit of a surprise. I say surprise and mean it but occasionally there are some ill timed or even impossible shifts in mood. This is another factor the dev team seemingly utilized in the telling of the story that mostly worked in there favor... mostly. As I mentioned before in my disclaimer there is a lot of girls in this one and it IS a touch ecchi so there was bound to be a good amount of.... let us say lesbianism going around. This is not entirely forced though. On many occasions it is in fact used to make a point about the world they are living in or to legitimately build character. Some times it works quite well as a point puter acrosser, but other times it falls short, and then there are times when it is just strait up fan service. It was unavoidable but it is also mostly good..... 8/10 characters let us move on.
SOUND! Not a lot to say on this one. I am not one to pay much attention to the sound in anime, or anything really. Due to my work I have a gift for hearing when something is wrong but that is about it. With that being said I didn't hear anything wrong as fare as the soundtrack went in this one. The action pacing of it did mean there was always some sort of music going so a lot the background was drowned out but the fight noises were responsive and seemed different enough that they didn't just meld into explosion. Normally this sort of thing would only warrant a 6 or 7 from me but in this case its a solid 8 from the theme music. It just fits. I don't know what the words are in English, I didn't have that sub file, but it sounded right. So 8/10.
Now the hard sell. Story. I say hard for what seems like a number of reasons, but relay its just one. I found it SUPER hard to pick up and follow over all. It seemed to take forever for the story to kick in and then it would piss off for an episode or two and come back. The hole thing was just so fast paced that each episode up until the last third felt like individual events that some how strung together. It was a simple mater to pick up on the "foreshadowing" for me but I cant say if that's because it was obvious or just my veteran status picking up the right bits. I know I have already told you how much I loved the different methods used to tell the story and I do stand by what I said. But telling a story well doesn't make it a good story. The problem being that this IS a good story. It is deep and full of emotion, conflict and real issues that face the human race, though it is a tad embellished (meh its anime). They just over paced it. It felt like they had something truly great in the works.... and then they gave it to Michael Bay. All being said there were no plot holes for me to dig out and the last 8 or so episodes saved it hard. I will be re watching this one down the line, probably after its dubbed, just to see if I can follow it a bit better. It dose have a somewhat "Blade Runner" feel to it in that I think I would understand more the second time around. So right now I am going with a soft 6. It was a good story when I could find it and it was told brilliantly and in interesting ways. But I can say it irked me how long it took to kick in and was defiantly not my favorite thing about this show.
So to cap it all off. Right from the start this show goes hard. Balls to the wall. It's speed setting goes from about 8 up to 11+. It throws things at you constantly in what I assume is an attempt to keep you from following the story 100% but keep you entertained enough to keep watching, and it dos it SO well. All is grand with this show and I would say to all seasoned anime watchers to get on it. On the flip side though, if you are new to the sport of anime watching I would let this one rest till you have a winter or two under your belts. I have been at this game for almost twenty years (that's right I started animes when I was 7), and it took me a bit to latch on to this. I mean, I may just be a dumb ass. Stranger things have been proven true. But as a rule of thumb I find I pick up on things in anime quit well. I stand by the Masterpiece ratting I have given and defy any who think otherwise, but that's what the Internets are for and as I said, personal opinion.
I have been Kergen and you have been reading this review. CONGRATS and go forth to bigger and better anime.
agentwash6
I can say with great confidence that Cross Ange is one of the trashiest, garbage series I have watched in quite a while. Its ridiculous amounts of over the top fan service and emphasis on shock and awe scenes are legitimate lunacy. However, after the travesty that is the first few episodes a compelling story begins to rise from the muck that is Cross Ange and give people a legitmate reason to keep watching besides the fanservice and some some good mecha action. The story begins by introducing us to our main heroine Ange, who lives in a world where magic is a used daily,and those without magic are a persecuted group of people called the Norma. Ange is pretty unlikable for the first few episodes, as she clings to the fact that Normas are inferior, despite the fact that she is revealed to be a Norma herself, apparently not realizing that not using Mana once in your life is a tell tale symptom. From there she is shipped off to a Norma prison island and told that she has to fight DRAGONs to save humanity, why in all caps? Apparently Sunrise thought it looked cool. From there Ange is introduced to the other Norma, who are all young girls, and the fanservice begins, and it's literary ridiculous. There's some weird rapey scenes, lesbian three ways to keep the plot moving, and Ange is naked for about 60 percent of her on screen time, a trend continues as the series moves on. The first few episodes will test if you are ready for this series, from going for over the top shock affect on issues such as racism, lots of nudity, and little girls getting lopped in half by giant dragons. It is as ridiculous as it sounds, and it sometimes hilarious to watch the over the top nature, and the series seems pretty self aware of just how trashy and bad it is. The cast of side characters initially aren't very important to the plot or are given much attention, besides the leader Salia and the head lesbian Hilda. There is also a guy named Tusk who lives on an island and rescues Ange at some point, and all of their conversations consist of him accidentally bury his head in her crotch or something like that, than Ange shouts "baka" and beats the crap out of him. That is basically a summary of that episode. However Tusk shows some interesting characteristics as well as brings up some mysteries about the world of Mana.
The story starts to pick up near the end of the first half, when the narritive shifts from the island back to the mainland, where we are given a lot more depth into Hilda's character that makes her much more likable and understandable, and we once again see how ingrained the fear of the norma is in the people who use Mana. However a large battle breaks out on the Norma battle island, and during this battle we are introduced to the main villain Embryo, whose main attack as well as the other special mechas is powered by song. I wish I was making some of this up, but it seems like Sunrise started throwing crap at a wall until it stuck. The story starts to get more and more interesting after this point, and has some twists and shows us how exactly the earth has ended up in this state and the true nature of the DRAGONs, and some honestly genuine twist regarding the cast of characters and how they have been manipulated by the great Embryo, and seeing how he played off the weaknesses of each girl makes him a cool character to watch. They start throwing a lot of science jargon around during the end that feels like it could be replaced with a recording of Jesse Pinkman saying, "science bitch" over and over as it seems like they are just sputtering straight nonsense. Also there is a ridiculous deus ex machina near the end that left in tears as it tried to explain how a frying pain stopped a bullet and can also apparently save you from falling into a ravine and getting hit by an exploding car, its like they suddenly realized these characters are integral to the plot and has never heard of the no take back rule. But in all honesty, the second half is a vast improvement and has an interesting plot that can suck you in.
The characters are very diverse, with most falling in the categories of being Ange, wanting to bone Ange, or strongly disliking Ange because they want to be her. Ange falls in the being Ange category, and starts off pretty dislikable, but quickly turns into the chosen one who pilots the special mech with great skill and cares deeply for her comrades and friends. Tusk falls into the wanting to bone her category, and is a skilled fighter and nice guy who helps out the Norma and is considered to be Ange's knight, which as a side effect grants invulnerability. Salia is the leader and falls into the hate us because they ain't us category, and is initially a fairly competent leader who keeps a steady head, but is insecure due to the fact that she was not chosen and Ange was. Hilda wants to bone Ange and starts off unlikable, but as she learn more about her and she softens up she is a fairly likable character who goes through some nice development. Embryo wasnt to bone Ange, is the ridiculous Op bad guy with a justified God Complex, and is actually interesting to watch how he toys with others and manipulates them to accomplish his will. i was also impressed with the later development of some of the other side characters, as it really shows what's going through their heads and proves they are more than just boobs and ass.
Overall Cross Ange is a train wreck, but is one that you can;t turn away from. It's over the top scenes can make it hilarious, and it seems aware of this fact which is honestly pretty funny. the fan service is up to ridiculous levels, and I would advise if you choose to watch this series do it in a sealed room because if someone walks in on you during some of the more fanservicey scenes you are going to have some explaining to do. The plot really gets going as the show completes it's run, but you have to put up with the trash that is the first few episodes and be able to take a ready helping of fan service. Cross Ange is definitely an experience, and one i would recommend giving a try, even if you can hear cackling Sunrise execs counting their money as you watch the literal crap they put out that somehow turned out to be pretty good. Nest year we'll probably have a mecha series featuring fully naked girls fighting GRIFFINs in space while trying to bring down two gods in a separate dimension, with a healthy dose of lesbian three ways, but that goes without saying.
fettes11
I wrote this (as a joke) when I was on 500mg of caffeine during a study session break. Oh yeah, it spoils the whole thing but that doesn't really matter with this show. This is for those who are rewatching and want a deeper understanding of this masterpiece. Fan service in Cross Ange is integral part of the plot. (for those who don’t know, fan service means naked girls, and the plot of the show is that Princess Ange is sent to prison because she can’t use magic and is viewed as hated by God) Yes, there is a graphic rape scene in the firstepisode. Yes, there is prison lesbianism. Yes, there is a beach episode where the characters have to use their breasts to transport eggs (which break) to win credits for food. Yes, there is a sports episode between the rival main characters where they bet the fate of the world on who is better at golf, tennis and baseball. Yes, the main male character repeatedly trips over and ends up with his mouth on Angie's crotch. Yes, there is a flying submarine. Yes, the villain, who is literally God, spanks his lieutenants for disobedience. Yes, the dragons use the main male character's semen (Tusk) to breed more dragons. Yes, God makes Angie strip naked and uses his powers to make her orgasm involuntarily. Nevertheless, if you can get past all of that, you will see that Cross Ange is a scathing critique of the Old Testament and Trinitarianism on the level of "Thus spoke Zarathustra", "Candide, Ou L'Optimisme" and "Le Myth de Sisyphe".
The anime can be divided into two parts, the first concerns the inherent corruption of man, no matter his situation in life. In the futuristic paradise, religious beliefs and non-conformity are used to justify barbarism, while in the hellish prison, the inmates who have internalized these beliefs, torment each other because of hunger, loneliness and their constant fear of death. What you think of as "fan service" is intended to emphasize Angie's loss of status. The rape scene is the culmination of her fall from grace and expulsion from Eden. Her skimpy outfit is symbolic of the spiritual death that she has experienced. While in prison, Angie and her "co-workers" who are tasked with killing dragons for as of yet unexplained reasons, do not get along, to put it lightly. Angie's refusal to accept her loss of privilege results in the death of a 12-year old loli. She and the other inmates experience rejection, grief, jealousy, unrequited love, vindictiveness and ultimately vindication. Over time, Angie comes to accept her new station in life, and literally "creates her own Garden" (see, Candide). She convinces the other inmates to stop hunting dragons. This troubles the humans of the world, as their leaders understand that the dragons' life force is necessary to allow their paradise to function. They decide to destroy the false paradise the "normies" have created to ensure their own will survive. God is forced to intervene to prevent the collapse of the world.
At this point, the anime becomes concerned with the inherent corruption of God and the question of the necessity of Christ. The paradise He creates (and has created many times before), is always flawed. In this iteration, Angie, a "normie" who cannot use "magic", is seen as an error in His creation by its inhabitants. Despite being "omnipotent", every paradise He creates cannot escape the existence of a hell. Generally, the Christian God is thought to have three properties that make him different than man. Omnipotence, omniscience and omnibenevolence. God cannot be omnipotent if every world he creates is flawed, he cannot be omniscient if he has to use experimentation to create a perfect world and he cannot be omnibenevolent if he is willing to create worlds in which suffering and Hell exist ("Is this the best of all worlds?" (see, Candide, Voltaire and Essais de Théodicée sur la bonté de Dieu, Leibnitz). Cross Ange answers the problem of the existence of evil by placing it squarely on God's shoulders. Angie, aware of the impending invasion, initially refuses to accept her fate and escapes to another Eden populated by a lone man, Tusk. She lives there for a while but remains clothed and ashamed of her sexuality (cf. Genesis 1:25). Ultimately, understanding the necessity of her sacrifice (see, The Last Temptation of Christ, Kazantakis, 1955), she accepts her role and returns to the mainland to be executed. Here she faces the hatred of the mob, including her former friends who throw mud at her (cf. Matthew 27: 29-31) and she is scourged (John, 19:1). Unlike Christ however, Angie decides not to sacrifice herself for the sake of such a corrupt world and escapes by means of a divine song. While this may sound strange, music and song have been considered magical by humanity as long as religion has existed (see The Cultural Functions of Music, David, Hans, U. Penn Press). The robot suits used to fight the dragons can only reach their full potential when specific songs are sung. Even God must sing to either create or destroy the world, indicating that either music predates Him or is co-eternal with him (cf. John 1: 1-2).
At the height of her Nihilism, Ange contemplates suicide and the meaning of her existence. She is only stopped when Tusk appears, and she becomes aware of the depths of her love for him and her fellow inmates. She accepts that there is no intrinsic meaning in the universe but by embracing those close to her she can create her own meaning in the world, however absurd it may be. Unlike Adam and Eve who are cast out of the Garden into the wilderness. Ange and Tusk go willingly and defiantly.
During the climax, God overpowers Ange and attempts to rape her, but is prevented when she begins to sing a song which the entire world can hear. Her allies are able to locate her and come to her aid. During the final swordfight God is handily defeating Tusk, until he reveals that Ange is no longer a virgin. God, shocked that he has been cucked lets his guard down (see, Galatians 5:20) and is killed by a magic sword (cf. The Spear of Destiny).
After killing God, the heroes find their own meaning in life and open a coffee shop in the land of the dragons and the remaining humans struggle to exist in their former paradise.
The true brilliance of Cross Ange is finally revealed when you realize that it has a trilinear plot. First, there is the narrative, which is entertaining enough as it is, who doesn't love lesbians piloting giant robots fighting dragons. Second, as explained earlier, is its allegorical message derived from a pastiche of biblical and literary references that only the Japanese could come up with. And lastly by combining those references with tits and polyamory, it transcends being an allegorical commentary on the relationship between God and man and the eternal search for meaning and offers a contemporary critique of the current state of the anime industry, mocking those who praise NGE and FMA as brilliant works of art just because they contain inscrutable references whiles also lamenting that modern anime requires fan service, without which no merchandise could be sold.
Take note that this anime was produced by Sunrise which made Cowboy Bebop, Code Geass and Gundam. This is not an amateur work, they know exactly what they are doing. Cross Ange is the combination of their rage against modern fan service and their contempt for byzantine plotlines.
I hope this changes your opinion of Cross Ange and that you see that fan service can be used to elevate anime into true existential art on par with Crime and Punishment, L'étranger or even the greatest book of all time, the God Delusion.
(As an aside, even fan service such as the spanking of Salia by God and the ever present lesbianism are references to Proverbs 13:24 (He that spareth the rod hateth his son) and Ezekiel 16:22,58, Ezekiel 22:11, Ezekiel 33:26 (illicit sex is an abomination), but in the interest of concision and brevity I will leave a further exploration of this work for another time. )
HaGaoFongZhao
Came to watch thinking it'd be like infinite stratos, stayed because of the story. Let's cut to the chase. ignore the ecchi, ignore the asspulls, ignore the budget on the animation, and you have an amazing anime. The plot was well thought out and good job to the writers. Never have I watched an anime where the characters seem to have more than one dimensional thinking and actually developed like decent human beings. Story? 10/10 Loved the unique storyline. It put a real twist on mecha series. Art? 9/10 I thought the art was amazing at times. Animation was also great with fluid motions. Only downfall was some budgetedanimation where background trees, buildings, and people looked like potatoes but all is well. Some action scenes were cookie cutted from episode to episode but what mecha doesn't do that??
Character? 11/10 (if only)
I thought the characters were amazing. Each one had their own story. Each one had their own personality. They weren't stuck with one attitude. It actually felt like they had human minds with human emotions. Development was overall fantastic.
Vizic
I initially got into Cross Ange because of the fanservice and Yuri themes, episode one took me by surprise. It had me hating the main character and enjoying some of the negative things happening to her. However that feeling blew over and soon I started feeling bad for her and enjoying watching her grow, become stronger, and overtake the many obstacles she's had thrown at her. The show also started getting into some of the other main characters, letting a little focus off of Ange, this was also fantastic as the other characters (some you may find yourself hating at first) turn out to bejust as broken as Ange is. This story leads you on some really big emotional rollercoasters, I found myself crying at some scenes before laughing at the next and enjoy the entire experience throughout. This anime can be pretty confusing if you don't pay close attention to detail, but I found myself completely immersed in the story and loving all of the main Characters by the end. Which brings me to my next point, the final episode is very well done and leaves you feeling good. Even though the characters have suffered loss, have been broken down emotionally and physically, and have no doubt been changed, this ending gives you the feeling of "all is right" in the world. I've always dreaded endings of anime's because I typically dislike how many of them leave unanswered questions, I typically like to see a "wrap up" episode that goes after the "final battle" or what-have-you just to leave you on a more warm note as you wrap up the story, but this anime does not need it because it does such a good job on its own over the last few episodes.
This anime will easily hold one of my top 10 anime's spots for quite a long time and the main character Ange is now easily one of my all time favorite characters. Please give this anime a chance, if you enjoy some fan service paired with an amazing story and characters you'll fall in love with then this is a great choice!
ZachM
I haven't written a review in a long while. Mainly due to the fact that MAL got rid of the "Not Helpful" option for reviews, but I digress. Watching this fucking show enraged me so much that I couldn't hold back from throwing all of my pure, unadulterated hatred at it by writing a review. So sit back and enjoy my review of this shitty Sunrise show from 2014 called Cross Ange. Hope I'm not too rusty. [There's spoilers all over this review] I went into this with whatever can be considered less than no expectations. Really I can't even remember why I wanted to watch itin the first place. Maybe it was that I heard the main character was kind of a bitch (she is), or that I wanted to get my monthly dose of bad fanservice mecha series, fuck if I know. Now despite all that, I watched the first 3 episodes, and was pleasantly surprised. It set up this princess girl Angelise as an idealistic prim and proper dunce who would kill a child if it wasn't like the rest of them, only to tear down everything she believed in, and make her change her ways. Violently forced away from her utopian world, and taken to the unfriendly Arzenal. She was beaten, harassed, defiled, and left with nothing but her self left in the world. With nothing left to believe in, she decided that she indeed would change. She cut her hair and turned into Ange, a straight up bitch who takes no shit from nobody. Now whether you believe that to be good character development or not, it's something at the very least. And it's more than I'd seen in a long while from a protagonist. There was actual change there, and I respected it for happening.
Continuing on now, there's a bunch of lesbian sex scenes, ass shots in the mechs, censored tits and whatnot, blah blah blah, and then Ange wants to go back home. Because her bratty bitch of an Imouto calls for help. She doesn't go back alone though, along with her comes Hilda, fiery redheaded twin tails girl. Another bitch who takes no shit from nobody, but has a goal of her own. She wants to get back home to see her mom who she was separated from years before. They both set their differences aside and set out together, then go their separate ways. When both of them realize that they were fools for even thinking of going back, they get captured, beaten, mocked, nearly die, and then go back to Arzenal. I don't know whether or not that whole sequence was like some kind of social commentary on how society becomes moronic and conforms to whatever they're told to no matter how stupid it is, or like how we insult and degrade those who aren't the same as us, I don't know. I feel like the show was accidentally making sense. Anyway, Hilda and Ange are thrown in a jail cell for a week together for deserting Arzenal. Now, these two really hated each other. But being confined in this tight space together for a long period of time would make them have to connect with each other to make sense of all that has happened. They had both gone home, and befell similar consequences, and they were able to flesh themselves out with each other in that jail cell. I'll sit here and say that was the best scene in the entire show. Then, they go and make a promise to each other that they'll destroy this awful world, this world that has wronged them for so long. And then episode 11 ends. And so ends everything good about this series.
I'll be honest. I loved the first 11 episodes. I really did. Sure there were tons of things that were just all over the place, but I found a way to really like it. Every character put on screen had some kind of genuine motivation to them, and they felt like real characters for once. They all developed in some ways, no matter how subtly, and it was very interesting to watch. They even began touching upon a possible relationship between Hilda and Ange, which would've been very very interesting, due to how they originally acted towards one another, and how they're lives had intertwined since. But alas, everything I could've wanted to happen, just, well...didn't. And there's one man to blame for it.
Tusk.
Tusk, I wanted him dead the entire show. This guy, this fucking guy. He comes in early on and helps Ange out of a jam, and I'd hoped I'd seen the last of him, but knew that couldn't be the case because he was so prominent in the Opening. I knew that he would drag this show down. There was no doubt in my mind. And low and behold, he did. The basis of his character can be summed up in few words. He's a guy (there's only really 2 in the whole fucking show), he falls in love with Ange after meeting her once, he inexplicably falls on her crotch 1534289069 times, and...nevermind that's it. He comes in as this living, breathing, infectious pile of generic blandness that single handedly destroys everything good in this show. Ange had new found morals, a new found goal, and was bound to turn into a regular ol anti hero we could all get on board with. But no, Tusk comes in and ruins everything. If you remove him from the show entirely, it wouldn't make a single difference. If you just replace everything he did, with Hilda doing the same, or Ange just being alone, it would've made the show much better. Rather than delve deeper into this budding relationship between Hilda and Ange, they throw Hilda away for a while in order to "strengthen the bond" between Tusk and Ange. Every time he was on screen I was filled with anger. He could not be more generic, and I've grown to absolutely disdain generic male characters in anime. There was no effort made towards making him into a decent character. If he wasn't so generic I probably wouldn't mind as much.
My main issue with him is the relationship between he and Ange. See, Ange comes off as this strong, independent, fearless girl who can do anything she wants and get anything done. But once she meets Tusk, all of that is thrown out the window. She completely changes her goal, and completely forgets about everything that's happened to her along the way. "Oh I've been beaten and spit on and psychologically damaged and possibly raped and nearly died at the hands of all humans, but I met this one guy so everything is okay now". It shouldn't have gone this way. It could've been something special, but no. Leave it to anime to add generic bullshit to something that was getting interesting only to ruin everything they set up. Fuck. Anyway, later HE DIES. He fucking blows himself up (or at least that's what was implied). All of my prayers were answered. But then, of course, for no explainable reason, he comes back, without even a scratch. Doesn't even tell us how he got back to his house, he must've just teleported there or something I don't fucking know.
And then they have 12 hours of intercourse.
Tusk ruined this show. And, while I may be overstating how good I think the first half was, it still was really captivating, even if for all the wrong reasons. If this had just stayed true and turned into a yuri fanservice mecha series throughout, with Hilda as best girl, than this would've been something I'd hold near and dear. But no. Fucking Tusk. Not only the worst character in this show, but I'd argue one of the worst in anime period. Never have I seen one man bring down an entire show just from his mere existence. Just tragic. I don't know if I'm the only one who feels this, but, whenever a romance happens on screen that I really don't like, it like, genuinely hurts to watch it unfold. Like, you know it's going to happen, and you know you can't do anything to stop it. I don't know man, it was painful. Shows that need no romance and yet have romance thrown into them just to appeal to more of a dumbass audience that appreciates these contrived relationships really irk me. I really wish romance could've just stayed out of it completely to tell you the truth. This originally felt like Akatsuki no Yona without Hak for a while (they both cut their hair too). Though I liked it even more when they isolated Ange as opposed to giving Yona a shoulder to cry on. Ange was left alone, and had she stayed alone, it could've made for better storytelling.
Oh well.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading my review (If this can even be called a review). I was more so venting my steam ranting than trying to make a compelling argument but I hope you had fun reading nonetheless. This felt like by far the most elitist I've sounded in a review, I guess I'm evolving. I'm becoming more and more aware of how bad the anime coming out are, and am starting to lose my faith in the industry as a whole. This show did not help with that. I never drop anime, which leads to me torturing myself with bad shit a lot. And this show just teased me, made me think it was good for a while, only to crumble under itself later. If I ever quit watching anime, I'll look to Cross Ange as the show that really did me in. If that is ever reason enough to tell you not to watch a show, well, then I don't know what is.
Goodnight everybody.
-ShadowClaw-
Oh boy this is going to be quite the controversial review to make, The main reason because of how much the show has really made the people who watched it so divided by those who think its good and those who think its bad. Il try to go into detail as to explain what are the pros and cons of this show and maybe dwell why so many people either hate it or dislike it. The series is either a hit or a miss…it is a hit because it focuses a lot of how society functions especially towards the discrimination of others which are different andhow they threaten the stability and comfort they already have, as well as what it means to find your own since of individuality and since of moral towards around you, especially of the main heroine who developed from a spoiled, rotten and naive individual into a strong, intelligent, wise and caring leader.
But it can also be a miss cause of the highly controversial subjects and the extremities of certain scenes as well plot holes and plot armour some of the characters get.
I don’t know what happened at the studio that produced it but u can practically speculate there was a lot of confusion and divided opinion as to how this show was developed especially towards the beginning of the series.
As a matter of fact if u compare the first 5 or so episodes to the rest of the series, it is like watching two different shows altogether.
The Animation was fantastic at times, especially in the fight scenes but in others the animation looked sloppy and messed up, the soundtrack on the other hand was probably the best thing the show had and the singing of the actors was superb for the most part.
The characters were the second best thing that the series had, as their development throughout the show was something good to see, especially the main heroine as well as few of the side characters, but they are not perfect as there were a few character flaws that were really obvious or just to cliché that sometimes it makes u want to cringe and while the main characters and a few of the side characters did get proper development others were not so lucky in that some of them just simply hid in the background and never got much to say or do at all.
The Sec jokes and fan-service might appeal to those who like it and not so much for those who don’t especially since some of the fanservice and jokes were used were so overused and repetitive that it makes u sick to watch after a while.
thankfully these things dropped as the series went on and were not as much frequent as they were in the beginning.
At the end I would say this show is either a hit or a miss depending on what a person is actually expecting from this show. There is also that old saying that a show is so bad that it is good and this series would defiantly be a perfect example for that.
Bottom line: as an enjoyment I would rate it an 8,,, however as a whole series taken into account actually story writing, plot development, animation and characters, flaws and derps I would rate this a 6.75… as this show really could have been done better…what made it enjoyable despite this was mostly that by the middle of the series the series actually starts to thrive and use it flaws to make it more fun to watch.
jim1914
Cross ange...I started this anime when it was ongoing. That was a big mistake because every single episode was outstanding and always i wanted to see the next one. If i could watch the whole series in a day i would definitely do it. This anime is the absolute ecchi,mecha, sci-fi experience which every fan of this genres would enjoy it the most but let's be more specific Story: well the main character of this anime is a teenage girl named Angelise. She lives in a world that lives by using "mana" Everything is only controlable by this kind of magic. But some girls can't useit and they are known by society as "Norma". They are hated by everyone and all calls them monsters. (Anyway it's not bad to be different but it's something extra ordinary) The police which caught these girls sent them to a secret location known to the 5% of the humaniy as Arzenal. These girls are sentenced to spent their life there and fight the D.R.A.G.O.N.s as they called in some kind of planes-spaceships-unifoms
Art: The art i can say that it's absolutely stunning. Everything is well animated and fascinating
Characters: hmm the characters are at a 98% girls and each of her has her own interesting story
Sound: the sound is the best part of this series with Nana Mizuki singing the opening will keep your ears pleased in every single second
Enjoyment : well I'm not a mecha-science-fiction anime fan but i can say that i really enjoyed this anime series. Do not let the ecchi scenes take you away from the main plot. Of course it will have ecchi scenes cause it's based to a group of girls. If you are interested to something new and awesome you will definitely love this anime and i believe it deserves a 1000+ ranking (but that's only my opinion
takatsukii
Hey guys! This is my very first review so I hope it being long doesn't bother you guys too much but I'll try my best to explain each category and why I absoutely loved this show. I'm not really into mecha, but ironically Code Geass is one of my favorite shows of all time. A few days ago, I stumbled upon Cross Ange and the first thing that caught me was the female lead, no not in a sexual way, what I meant was it's refreshing to see a main female lead, especially in action shows. So I decided to watch (binge watched the wholeday for maximum experience) without really expecting anything, and by the time the show was finished, I just had to write a review.
Now onto the review...
Story: Not the most original concept of stories but the way the plot revolved around its own universe was really thrilling. The world revolved around magic called "Mana" and people who can't use it are discriminated. That's story revolves around Ange, our blonde main female lead, who is the First Princess of her own country and how she copes with the world they are in.
Art: Well, nothing is really special about the art, but it does look great although the quality of the animation isn't very consistent. One thing that's very obivous is the CGI for this show, especially the mecha animations which honestly isn't the best looking, but then it's not just about the mechas, it's more on the story that drove me to look past it.
Sound: Why an 8? The OP is amazing, it's upbeat and thrilling to hear, fitting for an action anime and is sung by Nana Mizuki, also the VA for Ange. Cross Ange has a lot of quality VAs, and I'm not gonna list each and everyone of them, but what captivated me the most are the songs sung by our quality VAs like Yui Horie and Nana Mizuki. The show DOES use singing during the action scenes but you'll understand if you watch why. The EDs were pretty forgettable though.
Character: Oh boy, I don't know whether to hate or love the characters but, mainly Ange's team or "harem" as people like to call it. Ange, the main character, has one of the most amazing developments in any anime I have ever seen and her character was consistent to the very end. She starts out as a bitchy, arrogant princess but she slowly turns into one very fitting of a 'hero'. The supporting charscters are what baffled me because some of them do have great development, like Hilda, I swear she is easily one of the best characters out of the show or any anime at least. However the other characters pretty much zigzagged throughout the show. Like their traits, motives are unexplained and such. But still that's just a minor problem that does not really bother the show unless you like nitpicking.
Enjoyment: Not gonna lie here, this show is one of my favorite shows of all time, and one of the reasons why I enjoyed it is the fanservice. Yes, this show has fanservice dating back even to the very first one. I know this show isn't very well received and a lot have dropped it in 2 episodes only since they saw how shameless the fanservice was or what a "trainwreck" this will be, however, I was not deterred by the early fanservice, and I loved the yuri antics throughout, yes YURI. So, why is fanservice a good factor for the enjoyment? Because it's shameless! It doesn't hide this or that and isn't afraid to show scenes happening and we all know half-assed fanservice is very annoying. But the fanservice alone isn't the only thing that captivated me, the way the story presented all throughout, the hardships of Ange and her team to the very end is what made this show memorable and lovable.
Overall: Every show has its flaws and Cross Ange is no different, but of course nothing is perfect. This show easily gets a 9 because it knows what it is and it doesn't hide that fact. If you enjoy a good story with great character interaction with fanservice thrown here and there, then you're in for a thrilling ride. If you are one of those people that tend to nitpick each and every small detail of flaws or mistake and expect a lot, then don't bother. However, I do highly suggest you give this show a chance.
loonix200
This is my second review, after I've watched the last episode, I will say everything fairly with reasons for my views. Cross Ange is one of those anime that 'HAD' potential to be a mind-breaker but the staff didn't realize that and ruined it with ecchi moments, unnecessary romance,etc.. Here's why: Plot/Story (10): The plot is the best part of the series. Once you've passed through the first 6-7 episodes, the show starts revealing the history. I know you might feel that the first few episodes were disappointing, but 'I' think they just meant to make you understand each character properly. For example, Hilda's character ismeant to be that bully that shows you how the 'New-comer' isn't accepted by all. Every episode revealed bits and pieces of story, You never find out anything until just the perfect moment and you're left amazed. In other words, it adopted a great way of presenting the story. Yes, the first 6 episodes or so, are a bit disappointing but trust me, it gets better and better until your mind explodes. I can take in whatever the first 6 episodes offer without much problem.
Characters (9): Voice Acting is an important factor for any character. The Voice Acting is here, is as beautiful as needed, you can feel their emotions just like other great anime. The characters are represented nicely, for example "Hilda" being the bully at first who turns her friend. Chris is the 'left-out' type, Jill is the smart commander that always know what to do. Salia feels herself left out too while Vivian is simply "I'm cool no matter what" type. You may find Ange to be a bit aggressive, but that is no legit reason to rate it badly, it's part of the story and the anime shouldn't be rated bad considering the behavior of a character. Now for the bad part: The lesbian content in the anime is too high, some people find it unbearable. Of course, I have no problem 'ignoring' it, but that isn't the case with everyone. So this is the point where I deduct a point from my rating. I did find that ecchi scenes completely unnecessary. If you take out those parts you are left with a perfect masterpiece that deserves 10/10, but unfortunately as the staff tried to push that 'stuff' into the show, it damaged the anime badly. Ange, the main character, was a princess once. She treated Norma like they're not humans. In other words, she hated them just like every other 'human'. I find this great that in a SINGLE day, she is converted from a pampered Princess into her worst nightmare, it happens all of a sudden. Everything was normal in the morning and at the same night, she had lost her mother, father, her identity, her freedom and everything else. Ange finds herself in despair, not accepting the fact that she's a Norma, the same 'creatures' that she found pathetic once, and always disobeys her orders. As time passes by, she starts accepting the fact and loses herself completely, knowing that it's all blood shedding in her life until she dies. Then she meets Tusk, who gives her hope of 'humanity' among Normas, however, she still wants to escape. When she escapes, she finds out that every 'human' including her remaining family members want her dead. She realized that the humans are not actually humans, she then develops a friendly relation with other Normas, determined to destroy the Human world. He then develops a deep relation with Tusk and there you go, till you reach the final episodes, Ange is transformed from a Princess to a Killing tool and then to a caring and daring, bold girl.
Artwork (9): To me, the artwork looks at its best. It's not perfect of course, but it's as good as required. I never saw any flaw in the main characters, I can allow a little relaxation in the background or supporting characters. The mechas(robots) are nicely polished (Pun not intended), and the colors are also beautiful. Yes, the dressing and the uniforms may be somewhat pushing the show towards sexual stuff, but overall, they're not always pushing you into that.
Soundtrack (10): I wouldn't be surprised to see great soundtrack supporting the great plot. The music is amazing. As a vital part of the story, they have inserted those "Endless songs"(It has alternate names) that provoke a sense of excitement every time you hear one. The Opening and Ending songs are nothing below amazing. Trust me when I say this, you have to get the OST for this.
Enjoyment (10): There was too much hype, at least for me when I was just near the end of an episode. They always left you on a cliff-hanger and that made the next episode even more interesting. I do like many other anime, but this anime, for some reason gave me the most excitement and enjoyment. You just couldn't wait a whole week for the next episode.
Conclusion (10/10): There's something I'd like to mention here: I think I'm not the only one who rates many shows 8+. I think the reason behind it is that we bring all our emotions into it. When I hear the ending song of Cross Ange and all those characters pass by, I can't help but think about their dark past and their hard times. I think everyone needs to bring some feelings into such anime. Please, don't always expect action. Try to connect the personality of each character with your emotions. I'm sure it will help you a lot to love all that you've ever hated. Overall, the ONLY thing that I found "BAD" in the anime was the insertion of ecchi scenes/ lesbian romance or whatever you call it, into a mecha based anime. It left a bad impact on people otherwise I'm ready to bet on the fact that if the haters ignore these facts, they will rate the series 8+ for everything else it has to offers. Even the show itself, after it comes out of the '6' episodes, makes you realize that while there will still be a few ecchi moments, that isn't the sole thing it has to offer. Otherwise, Everything else is great. I rate it 9/10 for such an amazing work. I expect another season if they can manage without more nudity and lesbian scenes... Thank you for reading this far!
audioxtc
It’s hard to describe shows like Cross Ange. A serious show you shouldn’t take too serious, an emotional comedy, or an action filled drama. Whatever genre you want to put it in, it can most likely fit; however, it will also contain elements of exactly the opposite genre. This is to say that I can’t pin Cross Ange down with a spoiler free summary other than hot girls fly mecha’s to fight dragons. Now yes, that is an appealing description in my eyes, but the show has much more to offer. There’s a lot I liked about this series, and a few minor things I didn’t.The story wasn’t always coherent but it was consistently entertaining. Characters were unique and have personalities that are easy to sympathize with. The design never felt off or cheap, and though I’m sure cgi was used, it was never extremely apparent...that is to say, the animation was done well. And last is the music. The soundtrack was one of my favorite aspects of the series, it really brought the scenes together…I just wish it had an available OST.
What makes this series unique is its take on society. Going in, Cross Ange looked similar to Evangelion or Darling in the Franxx, but with scantily clad women. They are alike in how they approach different characters of various status’ in society (aka Norma’s vs Humans), but that's about it. In this world, there are 3 groups in which the population is separated (as referenced by the dragon folk): true humans, Norma’s, and fake humans - True humans are from the dragon world, Humans are people that can use mana, and Norma's cannot use mana. For some reason, Norma’s aren’t looked at as actual human beings in the eyes of the Mana Users of normal society, but they literally are one in the same aside from their abilities. This divide is where the backstory begins and is the start of the series’ general plot, I’ll take a deeper look into Ange’s journey later since she is the main focus. The story is basically about a Princess (turned commoner), living in a corrupt society that persecutes Norma's. There's also some dragon warfare and time/space theory sprinkled in. It’s the rift between the privileged and the Normas that created the current regime of Misurugi, the city that is the series' starting location. Eventually, we are taken to an island where Norma’s are sent to live out the rest of their lives in obscurity and are forced into fighting dragons.
The reason this series is able to convey it's story so well is the wonderful cast of characters. Most of them bring depth, making every event feel more real and personable. To be honest, I didn't expect a series like this to have much to say, but after finishing it I couldn't have been more wrong. Most of the protagonists are like-able to a degree, but the best character in my opinion is none other than our star… Lady Angelise (or Ange), Princess of Misurugi. Ange is not an easy character to describe with a single personality trait, mostly because of the endless trials she's forced to endure. When faced with the challenges and loss that Ange eventually goes through, it's easier to understand why she behaves the way she does. Fortunately her good nature remains whether it's apparent or not. Right at the start, we see Ange's underlying kind soul and noble intentions, with how graceful she handles her loss at, what appears to be, lacrosse but with hover vehicles. It's not 5 minutes after though that we're exposed to her villainous side, as she talks down to an innocent child just for being a Norma, which again is just a human without mana abilities. The child is eventually taken away from the mother to presumably be eradicated, and of course there is no empathy from Princess Ange during all of this (quite the opposite in fact). I struggled to understand what the problem was with Norma’s, considering their only flaw is not being able to manipulate mana. This is the point though. The show makes it clear that this society's beliefs are meant to sound ridiculous, especially applied to an innocent child.
In a poetic twist of fate, Ange is soon after exposed as a Norma herself and gets shipped off to live out her days on an island to fight dragons. It’s at the island of misfit Norma’s that Ange’s true personality comes forth. At the start, she’s grieving for her father, mother, and siblings that she lost. The shift from castle to isolated military reserve has also been especially hard on her. But above everything else, it seems she’s having the hardest time accepting the fact that she’s a Norma, which is understandable considering she vilified other Norma’s her entire life. It takes several episodes for her to grasp her new reality, which was drawn out a little long, but I suppose it does show her as having more conviction than hypocrisy. It’s not until later in the series, where we see how the regular humans respond to Norma’s that we fully understand why Ange struggled so much accepting this fact. Ange has such a varied and unpredictable arc. At times it may seem the show is going one way, but ends up veering into something else entirely. Even though Ange has her moments where we think she’s opening up to her teammates and maid that eventually shows up, she never fully parts with her aggressive nature. Even with Tusk, the man she eventually falls in love with, she’s still slightly closed off, but that’s what makes her vulnerable moments so much more endearing. I don’t want to speak too much on just Ange, but the show is named after her after all, and for good reason considering the range of qualities and capabilities she has. As a fighter, she’s brash and quick to act. As a friend, she can be selfish but inevitably will risk it all to protect them. As an opponent, good luck getting any sympathy...just ask the dragons. And as a lover, she lets go of her inhibitions to let her thoughts be known, and it’s her relationship with Tusk that makes the romance side of the series so great. Overall, during her arc, Ange learns the value of life and treasures the ones closest to her. She also learns to let go, which seemed to be her biggest hurdle considering the airtime given to her lack of self-awareness. All of this enables her to move forward without looking back at her old life.
As the story progresses, much is revealed as to the inner workings of society and the true nature of Mana, the energy used by Misurugians to harness telekinesis like abilities. I won’t go through all of the plot here considering each episode has a new revelation of sorts, it would take much too long to go through individually. When Ange is advised that her sister is captured and will be executed by her brother, she of course escapes the island and breaks into the castle to try and rescue her. During this, we see Hildegard Schlievogt (Ange’s longtime enemy of sorts that fights in Group 1/A with her) find her mom that she was taken from. It’s a powerful moment that is the first instance in which we see just how deep the prejudice toward Norma’s are, and how heavy a burden it is to be one. It was heartbreaking to see “Hilde” not only get shut out of her previous life completely by her family, but also get battered by the local police.
The episode moves back to focus on Ange, where it’s revealed her sister entrapped her at her brother’s behest, and tries to kill her with a knife! The scene cuts to the gallows where Ange will soon be hanged for the crime of not having mana abilities…but first she’s publicly whipped by her sister as punishment. I absolutely abhor Ange’s previous friends and family from this scene on, as if I already didn’t hate them. So many crimes are falsely attributed to Ange by said “friends and family”, I suppose because they are too blind to see their own misdeeds. Ange is stripped to a single cloth and forced to face a seething crowd eager to put all of their frustrations on her. It’s almost comical how wrong and evil the citizens of Misurugi are. I thought the show would present at least one redeeming moment for the time spent in the capital, but it was just one evil person after another. I can’t describe just how despicable these people are, the series definitely does a good job of getting us to hate the entire nation and current Earth. It’s just as good though since Ange leaves her Earth to join the dragons, leaving the current leaderless Earth and Empire without mana in a state of war/hostility. It was that much more gratifying seeing the evil sister struggle for survival in the short clip at the end.
Once the character Embryo is revealed to us, the story takes on a much darker setting, and more is revealed about the mechs that most the main characters pilot/drive. I’m not sure what Embryo’s technical role is other than a his false guidance of society, but it’s clear his powers are otherworldly and his mission is not a simple one. Embryo is another example of how drastically the story and plot can change. We go from an action mech battle to a psychological thriller in a matter of minutes. He eventually gains an obsession with Ange and kidnaps her in order to convert her. Her time with him are the darkest moments of the series, although it almost seems like the torture scenes were put in for fan service...assuming you’re into that sort of thing. It was tragic for me though. Embryo uses a mind control ability to make Ange cave to his will. One technique being the power of pleasure, pain, and any other human feeling. The scene where he sits watching as she endures the forced pleasure/pain was intense and is one of the most sinister abilities I’ve ever seen in an anime, but it succeeded in raising the stakes of the series and providing an element of anxiety. As dark as these scenes were, they most certainly raise the bar of quality in how well it pulls you in, out of concern for Ange’s well being. When Embryo is about to sexually assault her, I couldn’t help feel anxious and was on the edge of my seat yelling at the tv, telling Tusk to bang bang skeet skeet and save Ange.
One thing Ange, Embryo, and Salamandinay(the dragon general) all share, is an ability to control a mecha by singing an ancient song to increase it’s power. Villkiss, Ange’s ship, is “alive” in a sense and responds to both her ring and voice. The songs that these pilots sing enable their mecha’s to transform into golden powerhouses built with ancient technology, and make for some pretty fun fight scenes. Much of the story revolves around this premise, putting forth another reason why Cross Ange isn’t your average Mech show. It’s also how Ange is able to gain her freedom and pick a path for her future, since Villkiss is the catalyst that inevitably brings us to the conclusion of the series and the conclusion to Ange and Tusk’s story.
By the end, Ange comes to realize that she is no longer a princess and thus cannot claim to be the savior for humanity. Because of this, she and Tusk decide to leave for the future dragon dimension with her friends in tow. I really appreciate the direction this ending goes. One thing in particular I actually appreciated was how Ange and Tusk’s relationship is addressed. Cross Ange is one of the few shows that actually conclude how the relationship will turn out and make clear what is happening exactly in the moment rather than forcing the audience to assume. Ange reveals, toward the end of the series, that she wants to be more physical with Tusk, which ends up not only increasing their love for one another but giving us, the audience, a clear message of their current relationship status. The episodes following her admission are much more meaningful because of the shows decision to address this. I can honestly say that their relationship ends up so heartwarming, even though there wasn’t a drastic amount of time dedicated to exploring it. The final scenes where Ange is about to be assaulted carries much more meaning because it’s not just her that will be affected, and it also makes his rescue that much more romantic.
I could continue with my analysis of Cross Ange, delving deeper into the possible concepts that might be present. An example of the shows hidden ideology would be metaphors such as the similarity between the treatment of Norma’s to that of WWII prisoners. Considering how long this review already is though, it might be best to observe items like that yourself. It’s not easy putting into words the emotion a show can give you and describe the moments in detail that meant most, but I still enjoy trying. Ange is truly a multifaceted character with a lot to offer. She definitely had me frustrated at times with her behavior, but more often than not I was thrilled by her actions, enthralled in her choices, bereaved by her despair, and intrigued by her romance. She has such a unique look and personality that I don’t believe it can ever be copied. I’m so glad the series had 25 episodes, because I don’t think the story could have been told any other way, especially if it had to be condensed down. I can easily say this was a blast to watch, with many emotional ups and downs. Yes at times, characters behave without logic, but it’s never boring. The ending alone makes up for any potential frustrations you may have had. I love happy endings and like to give credit to shows that allow for their characters to be together and go on living happy lives. Cross Ange definitely falls into this category and deserves recogniton for how the entire story was executed. Although I assume anyone reading to this point has already finished the series, If you haven’t then check it out asap!. If you have but had a different experience, I recommend you give it another shot because, to me, it’s worth it.
DedPanda
Alright, call me a fanboy if you want but I gotta say it: Cross Ange is by far one of the greatest anime from 2014 going into 2015. I mean people may think it is just a yuri fest of ecchiness but here is why you should watch it. Cross Ange is filled with unpredictable plot twists, and I do mean unpredictable, great character progression, a unique story, and quite possibly one of the most interesting anime that pushes the borders of the status quo of anime that I have ever seen. Story - 10 The story is a huge round-up of modern day societal problemsor matters of debate such as discrimination, corrupt governmental system, along with pushing the bounds of how human relationships and sexuality are defined. Taking the ecchi, mecha, supernatural along with other tags and mashing them up into one middle finger to everything you know series is amazing. Plus how the story follows a spoiled princess who loses everything and rises from her nature through experiencing loss and hatred and evolving into pretty much the strongest anti-heroine I've ever seen is awesome.
Art - 10
Obviously the artists from Code Geass had a strong influence over this series, I do believe it is the same company; have to double check but yeah anyways, the art is a plus, the CG is damn near unnoticeable because it blends so well. The color is vibrant and appealed but of course you ecchi fans will hate the blurred bits.
Sound - 10
I downloaded the soundtracks and I love every minute of them. Seriously, it's like Hiroyuki Sawano had sex with Yasaharu Takanashi and gave birth to the Cross Ange soundtrack.
Character - 10
FINALLY a series that is a limited thing in which shows character growth even for the background characters or non-MCs. Everyone changes over time except Tusk but Tusk is a badass so who cares.
Enjoyment - 10
The moment this series gets its BD release, I plan on downloading it or buying it because I loved every minute of it.
Overall - 10
Don't let the tags fool you. Yes there is fan service, yes there is a lot of yuri moments but when you consider the shit that is going on in this series and the obvious mental toll it takes, you'll quickly learn to ignore it and just enjoy this show. For you pervs out there, you'll love the little sex scenes when it comes out uncensored but yeah watch this series. Total plus. It beats that shit Aldnoah tried to pull but failed.
robert788
Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu no Rondo (2014) What a ride from such a hidden gem since here we have mecha, action, adventure, great story progression and plenty of ecchi. The plotline for this is similar to a few shows with the mastermind of evil who had good intentions at one point gone crazy with a people rejected for being different by those living in a false peace. I can honestly say that it is a pretty good show throughout. Aside from plenty of Yuri and dragon girls, we have a pretty great cast to add. The show progresses through the 25 episodes to a greatconclusion that is very satisfying. It gives the good people and those who sought redemption their reward and those side characters that acted horribly an actual fate that is not just forgiveness. This is unusual and I loved it.
The art of the show has aged superbly for 2014/2015. It is a show that in 20 years time or so will still be easily watchable. Graphically speaking the show is very crisp unless like all anime you pause between frames.
The OP and ED of course changes and are very fun. The ED is the better side of the music. Generally sounds throughout are a great SFX and strong throughout. You do get a few scenes of people needlessly talking but it doesn't go on for too long.
Characters are wide and varied.
Fake humans are generally awful people and get justice.
Normas the people who are outcast by the fake humans are treated abysmally but do develop amazingly.
The real humans are awesome, the girls are extremely cute I love how they look and act. What a dream.
Characters would take too long to go into each of the main cast since many supporting is very much main.
My top girls would be:
1.Vivian
2. Salia
3. Salamandinay
4. Chris
I tend not always to love the actions of the main character like Ange since she is ruthlessly violent towards men whereas the others have more reasons for their brash actions. She is a good girl though. Her sister Sylvia is very easy to dislike but hard when she gets better at times to then like. She does, however, grow throughout the show into a nicer aspect of being.
In terms of enjoyment, I can say I loved it from start to finish. The ecchi side is very much there but doesn't ruin the plot. The show is not a masterpiece but it is definitely a solid 9.
I would suggest everyone who likes a great story and some mecha to watch this. It is truly a hidden gem. It has a great ending to finish off the show entirely.
98T4nk
*May contain minor spoilers Cross Ange is one really good anime that alot of people dropped cuz of the first 4 episodes and i think its not fair to dislike it because of that i hated it as well even though opinions swayed me into thinking that i got around to watching it and i was really interested....it def isn't for everyone its kind of all over the place though. Story- very good to say the least once it hits episodes 5 and onwards it really depends on your preference the early part will make you dislike the main character like to the point where you wannasee her die but she grows on you overtime and you eventually take a liking to her well i did at least. You can read the synopsis on it for the plot of the story, but without spoiling i will say its a journey to say the least. Mecha is a big part in this anime along with the sci-fi aspect alot of fanservice and gruesome scenes, singing is also a big part of the anime its not like its everywhere but its because it has to do story and fits in but it seems kinda dumb to be really honest but that aside a very good story.
Art- it's good but theres times when you can see that the animations seem kinda laggy like it had frame issues but its really rare the first episode has an audio issue idk if its where im watching from but other sites had the same issue with cross anges first episode. Another thing i didnt like about the art style was the delayed speaking animations what i mean is i mentioned singing is a big part already but some of the scenes while there singing the character's mouth isnt moving at the proper time so it looks off but it sounds great. Other than that No complaints. Mecha looks very well done as well. Other then few inconsistencies i thought the art and animation looked good
Sound- Great i liked the first half of the series op and ending not so much the second half but the battle themes are great sometimes. There are moments when a random song doesnt fit into the fight scene like imagine a crazy battle mecha style and then hearing i sad song in the heat of the fight when nothing bad has happend thats what some scenes felt like in cross ange and i wish they removed it while editing the show if they did. Character songs are good some sound angelic honestly why i was so attracted to alot of the scenes and had to rewind if i just wanted to hear it again its that good.
Character- Variety of characters although many dont get through by the end of the series they are likeable for what they are as you get deeper into the anime theres a few characters that will grow on you the main character grew on me and a few side characters and 2 other main characters. But im here to tell you cross ange is one of the best ive seen in its 2014-2015 run to me and anime when it comes to main character development i mean it was like you really noticed it and thats what i really loved a minor spoiler ima throw your way not really about the characters themselves but the main character has about 3 character changes in personality and attitude from beginning to end and a few other characters also had more than 1 character change. Although not all the characters are all that loveable the development you get is an easy 9/10 it was really well done even with the anime cliches with hero and villains.
Enjoyment- 10/10 i dont really watch all that mecha anime to be brutally honest ive seen about 5 and aside from code geass. Cross ange slips into my number two and onto my all time favourite anime list when i look back. Character development is top notch, Good story although the fanservice was overkill sometimes im an ecchi lover so it didnt bother me but its not in the ecchi genre yet it had a ton of fanservice moments, visually looked good not great, Great battle songs & character songs as well as the op and end from the 1-12 ep mark and i really just liked it. It goes 24 episodes nothing really seems rushed besides the last episode i guess.....other than that the pacing is well done it was really great i wish more people would give it a chance.
Overall- 9/10 id say more so an 8.5 but lets not muddy things up here.
Likes/Dislikes- Likes: Music, Art, Story, some of the fanservice, main character and few side characters,
Dislikes- Short pure fight scene, Too much fanservice, Random events, delayed animations (barely any), Petty highschool girl bullying stuff, Disturbing yuri/ecchi fanservice scenes and disturbing sexual fanservice scenes.
Thank you for reading a reuploaded final copy review of my thoughts on the series.
CatPrince
Right well let's get to it, Cross Ange was a trainwreck from a start, it starts off happy like "Oh yay i'm the next heir to the throne of a massive futuristic city!" To "Holy shit I am the most hated human being in the entire city." in just one mere episode. I only decided to watch it because the the site I watch said anime on had tagged it with comedy. The first few episodes were a little weird, some being filler and some having blatant lesbians fucking but I honestly can't say it's bad the art is pretty decent, the soundtrack is pretty amazingand though the story line was a little weird at first it actually slowly got better as time progresses and you learn that some of the characters who were mean to Ange weren't actually half bad in the end.
Embryo is still an asshole though.
ismichi
The plethora of unnecessary fanservice aren't actually as big an issue as some folk will allude to. HOWEVER, if you're uncomfortable being seen watching a highly-fanservice show... you might need to watch by yourself. For those not as comfortable of needless fanservice shots, tho, rest assured that practically in spite of it, it's actually so little the focus that it can be overlooked without much effort. Some cheesy effects to cover nudity is a lot more irksome. Oh, and for the overall theme of the story, it's undeniably forcing viewers to acknowledge that humanity cannot be sugarcoated regardless what you try to do. -- .:STORY:.(8)
There was a cop-out I hate towards the end without any logic or reasoning offered, so I had to deduct a point. Would be a 9 otherwise.
However, the writing overall is rather consistent. And instead of the series being long hurting this, the pacing is truly well-done to where any tonal shifts for the sake of moving the story along or giving a backstory doesn't disrupt the grand scheme of things. At best you'll simply be disinterested in it or know the general idea going ahead so you get impatient.
Despite that, I can't promise that you won't be able to see some things coming. While there are no red herrings at play, I wouldn't be surprised if that's only because they actually took the story seriously and didn't want to risk what all original series normally succumb to (massively ignored plot holes made worse). I appreciate that for a series amongst an increasingly saturated animated market for cheap capitalistic gains as it means I have the chance to actually enjoy it.
And fanservice or not, this is the kind of writing that should be the bare min for ANY series worth animating with the goal of it being worth more than simple feel-good moments. Not everyone will agree, but for me to actually enjoy the series through-out without feeling disappointed by the end... this is proof that it's possible to actually write a dang story.
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.:ART:. (8)
Unfortunately, as with any long series, the art quality becomes questionable around the middle. Despite that, character models aside from Ange's hair sees little-to-no failure; her hair does actually grow some to show time moving, but there's very little consistency and so it becomes much shorter in some scenes. The style itself is quite old-fashioned so it gives the illusion it's a far older series, and the CG they employ is a tad too noticeable even if it's done well (texture differences). Another issue would be the decision to simply ignore animating and have a fairly still image, but that was rare even during the lull in quality, so it shouldn't affect viewers' opinion much.
I'm also put-off by the cheesy light effect to mask any nudity. I much prefer they conveniently cover through other means, such as a better placed arm or more interesting angles to give focus to either other characters or the actual setting. This is mostly just a note of my preference.
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.:SOUND:. (10)
When composing songs that may or may not have another vibe to them... it's vital they work as such. It's also vital that, if it's supposed to be a magical or truly special, it's actually memorable. I've encountered far too many series where this fails, and I'm glad that this series did that quality justice.
As for the OST, nothing seemed amiss overall and sfx and music selection worked well through-out. The VAs did very well, minus a few basic "we need you for a scene or three" roles where they were either newbs or just for background noise. I'm glad that most of the voices actually sounded genuinely human as opposed to the generic animu voice - not that you'd think they're merely normal folk reading lines, but where the VAs actually brought life to their characters.
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.:CHARACTER:. (9)
I think I have only two criticisms, and that relies solely upon Ange.
First, she pulled a 180 in personality after deciding she'll live. Against the rest of the series, this development had no logic behind it because there was no show that she was actually working on it. She simply changed without proof.
Second, there was a short-lived spurt where she felt sexual pleasure by doing something specific (explaining further would be an outright spoiler). That literally stopped after the most blatant moment of it. Never happened again, was never hinted at again. I pretty much forgot about it until trying to remember any major issue with the characters.
So while I might not care for some characters, they at least moved in a direction that made sense for their purpose or were realistic within the setting. It also helps that the majority of those we follow are teens and so they wouldn't all be super mature or logical all of the time like the Nurse or Shopkeeper.
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.:ENJOYMENT:. (10)
There was very little to complain about in my review, and I genuinely enjoyed the experience this series brought. While it's far from a revolutionary story in itself, it's a literal gem amongst the usual "meh" quality of shows that are still being produced.
