Aquarion Evol

[Shinji103]

Well hooray, that episode actually turned out to be (almost) exactly NOT the mind-grating frustration-fest that I was fearing. Cayenne's jack@$$ meter, while still high, actually goes down a couple notches, and we don't have some overdone "Wring it into Amata's brain" lecture on the gender seperation. I'm always up for good surprises, and this episode was one.

Unfortunately, while the OP is nice, it recycles quite a bit of scenes from episode 1, and they don't really quite fit.

Spoiler

Not really much in the way of development of course, being only episode 3, but we do find out the eyepatch dude is on the campus grounds (though he doesn't do anything), and Cayenne is Mikono's brother.

I'm glad they didn't stretch out the skirt issue with Amata and Mikono for long, though Amata probably should have chosen a better time to apologize than int he middle of a simulation, and thus failing the simulation battle completely with the whole student body was watching. ^^b Then again, it's not like he'll have any other time to apologize at all, so....

And more thankfully, the Neo Diva leadership has actually already decided to employ the Aquarion in combat as needed, instead of giving us Amata a hard time and trying to seal it up again and again before finally realizing that they need it. (though the Aquarion didn't actually appear or have anything to do this episode.

What's got me revved up is next week's episode though; it seems we may already be getting the Aquarion Evol back in action, but even more importantly Mikono is already hopping into the cockpit next episode. (though maybe just in simulation)

I'm so glad Kawamori and the staff decided not to make an annoying deal out of the whole gender segregation issue, though obviously the wall is still there. But it's not like it's being annoyingly drilled into our heads, and really, at this point the only character who seems to be annoying in the segregation issue is MIX with her strict "Men are ugly!" standoffing.

And another agonizing week-long wait for the next episode.... >.>

[DuelGundam2099]

Well it looks like my fears with the series having bad music hasn't happened (yet) AND this is one of the few times where the ending theme was GOOD. Even the original series did not have that. The digging puns were also hilarious, Andy is basically Kamina done right. *dodges bricks* Don't lie, TTGL got better after he was killed off.

On another note, does Jin resemble L from Death Note to anyone else?

[Zeonista]

I wasn't that much of a fan of the first series, although it would probably have helped if I had finished the final third of the episodes. It did have its good parts, and Aquarion Evol is set on replicating them for the most part. The production level is excellent, with a lot of work put into it. While not a must-see-now level of show, it's worth watching.

[Shinji103]

The digging puns were also hilarious, Andy is basically Kamina done right. *dodges bricks* Don't lie, TTGL got better after he was killed off.

I was definitely impressed with Andy's character. I completely expected him to be the clumsy comic relief, but we actually see him displaying really high athletic skills in episode 3.

I'm calling it now; Andy and Mix will be a couple. It's actually the perfect pairing; she's a strict man-hater with a lot of pride who gets on peoples' cases, and Andy is the light-hearted, easy-to-get-along-with guy who's determined to hit on the girls. Opposites attract as they say, and this would make a great opposites relationship.

EDIT: Y'know, I just remembered something that occured to me when I saw the OP, right at 1:28 (depending on your episode source).....

Are we sure the "mysterious girl" isn't going to be the commander/person in charge? Maybe the person the commander was talking to on the phone in episode one, who ordered him obver the phone to send out the girls to fight alongside the guys?

It's just the pose she strikes in front of the screen in the command center in the OP, it feels like a person in charge, and the way her appearance is timed just after the instructors' instead of with the pilots or other characters. (she's also on the main website's top page with the rest of the top characters of the show, so she's definitely a significant character) After all, it would be repetitive if the "lurker" guy acting behind the scenes turned out to be the Diva commander again; that happened in the first series with Fudou, so it would recycling an old trick for Kawamori to do the same thing again. The OP also portrays eyepatch guy more as Mykage/Touma's counterpart, but Izumo is the Abductors' supreme commander and not Mykage.

Just one more theory to contemplate. ^^b

[Destiny_Gundam]

I'm calling it now; Andy and Mix will be a couple. It's actually the perfect pairing; she's a strict man-hater with a lot of pride who gets on peoples' cases, and Andy is the light-hearted, easy-to-get-along-with guy who's determined to hit on the girls. Opposites attract as they say, and this would make a great opposites relationship.

It'll be Chloe/Pierre all over again.

[DuelGundam2099]

Lets just hope whoever is this series's Chloe actually gets screen time.

[the Gatekeeper]

my fears with the series having bad music

fears of bad music? it's Yoko Kanno, impossible. Anyways, the show is so far worlds better then original (educated hater here; I've seen the entire original series). I'm glad they didn't show that all guy gattai in episode 3. Speaking of which, I really hope Mikono and Cayenne don't just turn out to be like Silvia and Sirius. Just as well: did anyone else notice that while the character designs heve become more streamlined (and less human-like, more anime), the mecha designs (at least the humanoid ones) are now clunkier and movement of said mechs are varitably (no thats not a real word) awkward; I'm looking forward to the mecha designs becoming less clunky. All in all, the show has accomplished more story-wise in these past 3 episodes than the original did in almost it's entire run (except for the last three episodes) and while "flaws" in the designs exist, they are few (the mechs) and do not ruin the enjoyment of Aquarion EVOL. I'm really looking forward to this show.

[DuelGundam2099]

fears of bad music? it's Yoko Kanno, impossible.

I've encountered some music from her I didn't like, impossible for me it is not.

[nacho-wan]

On another note, does Jin resemble L from Death Note to anyone else?

I could swear this anime is filled with characters from previous series. Aside from the the look-alikes from the first Aquarion, I thought I saw Michael from Macross Frontier (the piano guy); the nun reminds me of a similar character (albeit with a longer dress) and others I couldn't point out without rewatching the full episode.

So far, I think most people here and on blogs are giving too much flak to this series. Most anime nowadays is nonsensical, echi or harem stuff. This series certainly plays to this audience (Zessica custome is the mayor offender). I have faith that Kawamori and crew will give us an entertaining and hot blooded mecha anime.

[Garret Masterson]

Hi guys I'm new here! I've been a fan of Aquarion eversince the first season so I'm really excited with Aquarion evol. I'm rewatching the first series now just to jog my memory.

Spoiler

It seems to me that new series will show the two different alternate dimensions of the first season and the ova hence there will be 2 reincarnations of Appollinus who will be fighting for one girl. Also I have a hunch one (or both) of the parallel worlds is dying.

[Laevatein]

Episode 4:

OMFG

Spoiler

AWESOME FUDO

MUGEN PUNCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!!!!

Aquarion. NEVER CHANGE!!!

[Shinji103]

BEST

EPISODE

OF

AQUARION EVOL.

And it will remain so for the rest of the series.

Why?

Spoiler

Mikono joins in for Sousei Gattai not as a for somebody else but as an actual pilot AND the Wall of Segregation is annihilated in the same episode.

The downside is, though that

Spoiler

Kawamori ended up just recycling Fudou's introduction to Diva for eyepatch guy here, with just different characters. (mysterious guy shows up in the first few episodes, shows up at Diva/Neo Diva, takes command) It feels kinda dumb that Kawamori just reused the same thing.

[Destiny_Gundam]

You're forgetting

Spoiler

the Mugen Punch making its glorious return.

Also, lol at Fudo Zen.

[Shinji103]

You're forgetting

Spoiler

the Mugen Punch making its glorious return.

Also, lol at Fudo Zen.

Mugen Punch?

OH, right. The Mugen Punch. I forgot about it due to the blinding awesomeness of the other two big parts of the episode.

[Shinji103]

So this episode's title was much more literal than even I had thought from last week's preview: "Wall ~ conquer oneself"

Unfortunately, that makes for even worse premonitions about next week's episode:

"The Order to Forbid Love Relations."

So the Wall gets taken down only for romance to be banned anyway?! Geez Kawamori, you make such an awesome episode and then you give us a doom predictor like that.

EDIT: *faceslap* Okay, going back over the episode, I noticed that the order to forbid love was already given by eyepatch guy at the end, which I guess it was those ring-things everybody is wearing on their arms in the preview are for.........I am so disappointed in you, Kawamori. Do "killjoy" and "Omg, how dumb is that!" mean much?

That part officially shot down the "most awesome episode of the series" title. I wouldn't really mind it so much. If it weren't so freaking dumb. The wall is gone. The segregation is gone. Exactly what does a ban on romance accomplish at this point???

Shoulda known......

[Destiny_Gundam]

I don't see why this bothers you so much. Knowing any man named Fudo, his declaration is probably leading so some great big deep message of some sort.

Besides, Neo Deva is an academy for training robot pilots to save the world. If they're too busy screwing around it would affect their studies and so measures are going to be taken.

Also the incident with Donnar has a big influence. They don't want something like that happening again so they took steps to prevent that.

It's not like Kawamori is trying to send the message that love is bad, or men and women should be segregated or anything.

[Shinji103]

I don't see why this bothers you so much. Knowing any man named Fudo, his declaration is probably leading so some great big deep message of some sort.

It's the fact that this is being tried at all at this point. After all this, trying to screw with love and gender-mingling outside of the cockpit is extremely moot.

Besides, Neo Deva is an academy for training robot pilots to save the world. If they're too busy screwing around it would affect their studies and so measures are going to be taken.

I think we both know that this is over-justifying the ban; they're not all going to be suddenly abandoing their duties to protect mankind just to get in the opposite gender's pants. The old Diva did just fine without walls, segregation, or electrifying arm-rings of neutering. (undoubtedly what the rings they're wearing on their arms in the episode 5 preview do)

Also the incident with Donnar has a big influence. They don't want something like that happening again so they took steps to prevent that.

As I've said before, this makes no sense; the moment they accepted the need to use Aquarion and started allowing males and females to combine again, this whole point became completely moot; they already "risked" it just by putting Mikono in the cockpit this episode. Fudou also "risked it" from the start by suddenly breaking the seal when none of the pilots or even the command staff were ready for it. At this point, trying to prevent the danger was tossed out the train window two stations back.

It's not like Kawamori is trying to send the message that love is bad, or men and women should be segregated or anything.

No, he just had Fudou do a BS ban that's going to get really old, really fast. Just wait until next episode; it won't be so fun watching characters get zapped by their "love collar" armbands every time they blush at somebody. How do I know that's what the armband rings (which everybody in the episode 5 preview are wearing) are for?
1. The rings were never there before
2. Every character (except Amata for some reason) is wearing them
2. This comes right after the wall is busted but the ban is highlighted by Fudou
3. The ring started doing a zap-attack warmup when Sazanka started blushing red like a tomato in the preview
People said Ikuto gush-nosebleeding every time a girl was "compromised" in front of him in Nagasarete Airantou was annoying. This won't be much better. In fact, it'll be worse.

I don't see this lasting long; the "comedy" (what little there is of it) of people getting bug-zapped for getting near the light, err, I mean love :p, is going to evaporate quickly. Not to mention if the rings were some long-term plot point or whatnot they'd have been mentioned or something on the main page.
It still doesn't quite change the fact that it's dumb, though.

Speaking of Donnar, quite interestingly he was partnered with two girls for that Sousei Gattai nine years ago. Seems he may have been quite the player. ^^b

[Destiny_Gundam]

I think we both know that this is over-justifying the ban; they're not all going to be suddenly abandoing their duties to protect mankind just to get in the opposite gender's pants. The old Diva did just fine without walls, segregation, or electrifying arm-rings of neutering. (undoubtedly what the rings they're wearing on their arms in the episode 5 preview do)

The old Diva was also much smaller and it was easier to keep track of all the members. Plus you'll remember they were still an extremely disfunctional bunch.

[Mickeymac92]

Looks like I dodged a bullet by going through this thread. Really doesn't sound like my cup of tea. Like, at all. Like, I would've thrown my monitor out the window had I actually watched it, kinda...not...cup of...tea. Yeah.-_-

[Shinji103]

The old Diva was also much smaller and it was easier to keep track of all the members. Plus you'll remember they were still an extremely disfunctional bunch.

You missed my point; kept-track-of or not, there wasn't any ban on relationships yet they weren't sleeping with each other left and right.

And this group of Elements doesn't have its own share of issues? ^^b