クロスアンジュ 天使と竜の輪舞〈ロンド〉 / Cross Ange, Rondo of Angel and Dragon

Meet Angelise.

Before we get into today's review let me give you my humble opinion on the two nerd dissappointments of the year:

1. Mortal Kombat 11, pricy, micro transactions and lack of new meaningful content and/or gameplay.

2.Avengers Endgame, predictable, childish, horrible fake science framework and covered in deux ex machina "creativity".

Now, let's move on with our lives to a place that never fails to entertain: The world of Animé! Despite the fact we usually cover classic (old)  Animé, we sometimes listen to the younger generations and take a look at what's going on in more recent decades from the 21st century. Today's entry was a recommendation by Gubaba, a wise man that knows his Animé, and even though it isn't a 2019 release, it's a 2014 release that makes it pretty new in my book: クロスアンジュ 天使と竜の輪舞〈ロンド AKA Cross Ange, Rondo of Angel and Dragon, also known as simply Cross Ange is a Japanese mecha anime television series that follows the "you can't judge a book by its cover" premise.

When dragons attack...

...a dedicated team of women goes beyond the call of duty.

Background.

The anime series was produced by Sunrise with Fukuda Mitsuo (producer) and Ashino Yoshiharu (director). The script was adapted by Katelyn Barr who worked as the ADR and also voiced a minor character in the series.  Cross Ange aired between October 5, 2014 and March 29, 2015 on Tokyo MX, MBS, TVA, BS11.

The first opening theme is "Kindan no Resistance" (禁断のレジスタンス Kindan no Rejisutansu, lit. "Forbidden Resistance") by Nana Mizuki (she also voices Ange), and the first ending theme is "Rinrei" (凛麗, lit. "Cold Beauty") by Eri Kitamura. The second opening theme is "Shinjitsu no Mokushiroku" (真実の黙示録, lit. "Apocalypse of Truth" or "Revelations of Reality") by Yoko Takahashi, and the second ending theme is "Shūmatsu no Love Song" (終末のラブソング Shūmatsu no Rabu Songu, lit. "Love Song of the End") by Mizuki. The insert song featured in episodes five, nine, and twenty-two is "Necessary" also performed by Nana Mizuki. 

The series was licensed by Sentai Filmworks for a digital and home media release in North America (get the blu ray box, it's excellent). Madman Entertainment also licensed the series for streaming in Australia and New Zealand. The series was picked up by Crunchyroll for streaming in North America and other select parts of the world.

Former soon-to-be princess.

Fomer soon-to-be favorite pilot.

Plot.

Through the development of groundbreaking information transfer and material generation technology called "Mana", various problems, such as pollution and war have disappeared, and days of peace have arrived in the world. However, the people who receive the benefit of the Mana live in a false peace. Those who cannot use the Mana, referred to by the derogatory term "Norma", who are seen as an opposition to structures of society, live in oppression. Because this is the norm, the people who use Mana do not question it. The first princess of the Misurugi Empire, Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi, was convinced of the belief of exterminating the Norma. But when she turned 16, and was baptized, her elder brother Julio, exposed her as a Norma to the public. Angelise, who is bewildered by the revelation that she herself was a Norma all along, turns into a target of hate of the people in the blink of an eye. Ange is exiled to Arzenal, an isolated military base where Norma are conscripted into service, and then starts her new life as a Norma soldier. As she struggles to adjust to her new identity, Ange's now stormy life takes one surprising turn after another and she embarks on her quest to correct the world she lives in. 

Naked duty.

Naked catch!

Review.

Before a wise men suggested I should watch this Animé I had no idea about it. Obviously, I haven't followed a "new" Animé since Inu Yasha, and that is nineteen years ago! Since I call myself a "seasoned" fan I'm only into Animé from before the 21st century. The 70s, 80s & 90s provided me with enough series and OVAs to watch for a lifetime. Moreover, I'm still tracking a lot of "rare" Animé I've only heard of through friends or seen in mags and in old VHS tapes. Yes, I'm THAT years old.

Anyway, Cross Ange has a lot of elements that can instantly turn an old fart into a fan. Despite what you've heard about it, the series offers a very interesting story with a lot of interesting characters and hidden plots and/or revelations that allowed me to understand why this Animé is named Cross Ange, and ultimately, why a lot more people should be watching it from start to finish.

Dangerous Red head.

Family friendly characters.

Cross Ange could be classified as many things.  It could be a magical princess show about knights and dragons, it could be a prison drama, it could be a mean girls show, and it most certainly could be a borderline yuri hentai. However, one thing Cross Ange is not, it's a colecction of random fanservice with no plot whatsoever. And believe you me, I've seen that kind of Animé too.

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 not a user of Mana (something like the force). She's then forced to pilot a Ragna-Mail (transforming mecha from flying bike to winged robot) and fight dragons, because of reasons we won't find out until half the series has passed. And then she's bullied, molested, and raped until she decides to let go of her royal past and become simply "Ange", the greatest dragon killer pilot Arzenal has ever seen. Then the story becomes about rebellion, alternate timelines and dimensions, fighting god, virtual realities, and some clever fanservice. As the story progresses, we witness plot twists, evil villainous acts, and lesbian sex scenes. It's certainly not boring, but you'll need to pass the fifth episode mark in order to fully enjoy this little gem.

The Villkiss.

And her brave pilot.

For reasons I won't reveal, Arsenal is frequently attacked by giant Dragons from another dimension. But these dragons are not actual dragons, they're D.R.A.G.O.N.s, and they're called that because the name stands for Dimensional Rift Attuned Gargantuan Organic Neototypes. Ahhh!, the Japanese never dissappoint with their gratuitious English.

But really, the one character that steals the show 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 doesn't want harmony, she wants destruction. She wants to demolish everything that's wronged her. She's not a victim.

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. 

Sometimes you'll fight naked.

Sometimes you'll have fun naked.

This series only has like two male characters. One of them is Tusk a completely useless man in a world of empowered women. 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. Moreover, the only thing I didn't like about Cross Ange is how the "teenage first love" story develops between Tusk and Ange. I found it annoying, and ridiculously childish, considering all these characters have been  through, it's plain idiotic to see them afraid of a good old fuck when you're horny.

The other major male character is the central villain, Embryo, 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. And boy is he powerful!

The supporting cast, Jill, Salia, Hilda, Ersha, Vivian, Momoka and others I won't spoil here, play their part. Captain Jill hides a secret or two, but she's the boss until a revelation. Salia hates Ange. Hilda wants to fuck Ange. Ersha is like the mother of the girls, Vivian has a secret and Momoka is Ange's former servant from when she was royalty, and is the only character that can use Mana in Arzenal because she's not a Norma.

Hilda.

Vivian.

Moving on to a more general opinion, I'd say this series nails a lot of interesting concepts that for some reason still resonate strongly in our society. The first one that comes to mind is racial discrimination. If you have  the power to use Mana, you're an evolved human, or as the series puts it, you're a human. If you're born defective, you're a "norma", less than human, an aberration of nature that has to be taken away from the perfect society. Interstingly enough, Normas are only women! so they're take away to Arzenal and treated like garbage until they die fighting dragons. The cool thing is, "Mana" is not quite a power humans have but more of an illusion that we're in control. Does that sound too real for you? I for one, think we live comfortable lives where nothing really harmful ever happens, and yet we're never aware of our real "Normas" dying in poor countries, or working for a dollar a month to get you, your new shoes half-priced at the shopping mall. Moreover, Normas are the only kind of people destined to fight wars and protect the world. So, just like our brave soldiers, they have to fight, and die for the rich fat bastards that own the world, and still want more. In addition, how can you tell you're on the right side? Ange is faced with this question not once, but many times, as the series progresses into wider, more darker territories.

Revelations and broken hearts also play an important role in Cross Ange. There are episodes, and moments where you can really feel the pain  some characters have to go through but, I want you to see this Animé, so I won't dig any deeper.

This isn't what it lookslike.

This isn't what it lookslike 2.

Animation-wise, it depends on what you like or on what you're used to. Personally, I think the character designs, mecha designs and locations are superb. Each character has unique features (Ange even calls Salia "small tits") and the mecha are more than OK in my book. I'm a big Macross & mecha Animé fan in general so I really dug the 3D battles and fast transformation sequences. Plus, you could feel when the Ragna-Mail shaked while firing their giant machine guns.

The audio's good enough for me. Since I'm mostly a fan of old Animé (Macross sequels  being the only "new" animé I'm eager to watch) I found the background music really good. It had this medieval touch I think was consistent for a series with dragons. Mizuki Nana sings two or three songs, and they're not bad. Especially, when it's Ange singing a capela. Moreover, music plays an important role as the series progresses towards its grand finale, so being a Macross fan, truly allowed me to enjoy that too.

Embryo, the son of a bitch.

Ange's team.

Now, if you google Cross Ange for reviews, you'll find a lot, and I mean A LOT, of bad reviews calling this show a sexploitation show covered in violence and brutality, and that we should all run away from it. Nonsense! Unless, you're one of those fucking turds signing off the internet to avoid Avengers' spoilers, this series has a few graphic moments here and there but believe me, they're justified. These days a lot of people download stream Animé episodes skipping the important, and looking for the key scenes only. And after they've only seen five minutes, they run to their computers/smartphones to bash the Animé because they couldn't get the plot in less than ten minutes. Cross Ange requires your attention, and demands you watch the 25 episodes because, only then will you find what you were looking for in the first place: Quality entertainment.

Trivia.


What Could Have Been: 

 

• In the Blu Ray extras, it's revealed that there were plans for Momoka to betray Ange and be revealed as being in on Julio's plan when they returned to Misurugi, however it was felt that there should at least be one pure-hearted character in the show.

• According to the staff, Zola was supposed to die during the defense of Arzenal, however Michiko Neya had other plans so she couldn't stay long for the show.
• Ange was supposed to have been The Captain of the First Troop, though that would have made her overshadow everyone even more, so they decided at first with Hilda, but went with Salia.
• The second half of episode 14 was supposed to be a flashback episode where it depicts both of Tusk's parents and both would have been voiced by Miyano and Mizuki.
• Salamandinay was supposed to show up on episode 7, however they had to delay it because Eri Kitamura at the time was trying to promote her album so they made it a Salia episode.
• Ersha was originally going to have a somewhat darker complexion at first (as her design was based upon an unknown Indian woman). But was changed at the last minute.
•  The Design Works book also reveals that several other characters were to look different from their finalized counterparts. Some of these changes were minor, like Salia and Momoka having different hair colors and styles or Emma having a different outfit. Others drastic, like Tusk having a more disheveled look, or a clean-shaven, older-looking Jurai.
• The end of the series would have had Aura returning to her human form. But the idea was nixed by Fukuda, who thought it went against the story.

 

Fly high Ange!

They may be Normas, but they're clean.

Creator Backlash:

• Creative Producer Mitsuo Fukuda has apologized for episode 13's opening.
• Though not a full backlash, he's wondering why Tusk's death was censored when the rest of the deaths in episode 21 wasn't even censored.
• There's also the criticism Fukuda made when Sumire Uesaka was asked on a radio show about Momoka's fate is that she only said that "I would really like to think she was still alive." It wasn't even much of a spoiler comment but then he went on a rant and temporarily locked his Twitter account. Which then convinced some fans that Momoka would survive. They were right.

Enforced Method Acting:

• According to Nana Mizuki, she was pinching Toshihiko Seki's hand when Ange stabbed Embryo's hand in episode 20.
• According to Mamoru Miyano, he was slapping Mizuki's stomach for the crotch diving scenes.

Fan Nickname:

• The Japanese fandom's nickname for Tusk is "Kirito", because he looks like Kira Yamato but acts like Rito Yuuki.
• Also "Super Kira," owing to Mamoru Miyano's other notable role.
• Tuskete on the other side.
• Tusk F. Yamato for another. Not only does Tusk look like Kira, but he is also voiced by Mamoru Miyano who voiced another Gundam protagonist named Setsuna F. Seiei. 
• On the English side for some, Fluttershy for Ersha. Out of strange coincidence, Ersha looks almost indentical to a humanized Fluttershy, merely lacking the yellow turtleneck.
• Angelise for Ange, pre-Characterization Marches On where she rejected Normas and wishes to eradicate all of them. Some also use Hitlerina.
• Stripper vision guy for Embryo, thanks the opening where he stares at Ange who's running and somehow strips her clothes. Alternatively, he also garnered "Fetus-kun", in relation to his name.
• Twitter bird for the bird that latches on Embryo in his first scene since the bird looks like the same logo from the Twitter website.
• Top Meido for Momoka.

Love.

Censorship (not in the Blu Ray edition)

 

He Also Did:

 

• Director Yoshiharu Ashino, who also did D.Gray-Man Hallow, Tweeny Witches, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox and served as an animation director for Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.
• Para-Mail designer Junichi Akutsu served as Mechanical designer for Code Geass, GEAR Fighter Dendoh and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
• Dragon designer Kazutaka Miyatake served as mechanical and conceptual designer for many anime, including Eureka Seven, Gunbuster, Aura Battler Dunbine and the Macross and Dirty Pair series.
• Character designer and key animator Sayaka Ono was an animator on several other Sunrise shows through animation subcontractor Nakamura Productions^* , including Code Geass, Idolmaster: Xenoglossia and Zegapain.

I Knew It!:

• Fans correctly guessed that the Toshihiko Seki-voiced Embryo would get to sing.
• Absolutely nobody was fooled by Tusk and Momoka's deaths in Episode 21 and had already guessed they survived due to Never Found the Body. Sure enough, one episode later they show up no worse for wear.
• Quite a few fans correctly guessed that Emily Neves and Austin Tindle would play Ange and Tusk for the English dub.

Strong women.

Strong dragons.

Overall, 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.  

Here's opening #1:

Here's opening #2:

Here's ending #1:

Here's ending #2:

  

"Kindan No Resistance" official videoclip:

A great cover of "Rinrei": 

A fan singing the second opening: