This Review Contains Minor Spoilers for Cross Ange
This Review Contains Many, Many NSFW Images
If I have to give Cross Ange props for anything, it’s certainly interesting. No matter what you have to say about it, it’s not really a show that fades into the background. No matter if it claims fame or infamy, a work that stays in the general consciousness is a cut above the rest. With how many shows, movies, books, and games fall off the radar after being published, Cross Ange’s (in)famy speaks volumes about how engaging it is for viewers as a whole. And in my book, no matter my personal views on it, that’s something to celebrate in its own right.
Now that the participation award is out of the way, let’s get down to the review.
Cross Ange is definitely among the most unique mecha I’ve watched. While Macross leans heavily into idol, romance, and drama elements, while Evangelion is the mecha anime and is still lauded as being a deconstructionist masterpiece, while Turn A Gundam is a much more slow and optimistic mecha anime than most, Cross Ange still manages to bring something quite unique to the table.
Cross Ange follows Angelise Misurugi, the eldest daughter and heir to the throne of the Misurugi Empire. The world of Cross Ange is populated by humans who can utilize a power called mana. Thanks to this power, their world knows no strife. However, there also exist Norma, a group of women who are born without mana and shunned by society as soulless monsters. On the day of her coronation, it’s discovered that Ange herself is a norma. She’s subsequently arrested and sent to Arzenal, an island where the norma are sent to train to fight creatures known as DRAGONS (they’re literally just dragons).
Oh, and there is a metric ton of fanservice.
With that out the way, you’re probably wondering about the pictures. You needn’t mind those. I’m just using them to emulate the fanservice in the show. Consider it an investigation: I believe if you find the pictures distracting, you probably won’t like the fanservice as employed in Cross Ange. If you don’t seem to mind or even take pleasure in these pictures, chances are you’re fine with the fanservice in Cross Ange.
As a general rule of thumb, when I’m reviewing things, I tend to start with the positives. However, the fanservice is so ubiquitous with Cross Ange that doing anything other than immediately discussing it will feel like beating around the bush. Given how prevalent the fanservice is, it can be what either makes or breaks this show. Unfortunately for me, it breaks it.
And in case you’re unaware, let me stress that I’m not exaggerating — the fanservice can neither be ignored or escaped from. From the unnecessarily revealing flight suits, to the camera angles, to the penchant for nudity, there’s no way one is going to simply ignore the fanservice. This is compounded by the fact that there is fanservice of some sort featured in every episode, no matter how seemingly ill-fitting. If you’re not a fan of fanservice, then you won’t like this show.
And yes, I acknowledge that there are other aspects of this show besides fanservice, but the fanservice can be a bit overpowering; trumping all other aspects to the detriment of the show. An example of this occurs early on where we see Ange is grossly mistreated at the hands of her superiors at Arzenal. The first episode ends with Jill giving Ange a rough medical examination that causes her to scream hysterically. In the second episode, Ange is molested by another one of her superiors, Zola. What should be (and still is, objectively) horrifying moments are undercut by the fanservice. While the scene with Jill cuts away, it’s not before the camera gets a chance to ogle Ange’s curves. While the scene with Zola is admittedly handled better, it still just feels exploitive, somehow. I’d like to make it clear that I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with fanservice, but it does have its problems. The fanservice in Cross Ange’s, problem is it snuffs out other aspects of the show. Ange’s treatment in the first episode is one example of that.
Serious moments are made less impactful by the fact that the showrunners feel the need to shove T&A in our faces every few minutes. What could be tense mecha battles are robbed of weight when the camera is shoved towards a character’s bust. The relief we might feel at seeing a character survive a great fall turns into exasperation as the show uses it as an excuse to show off the garterbelt they're sporting. At times, it doesn’t feel like the show respects its characters; seeing them as simply things to ogle at. Again, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad if the show didn’t try to be as serious as it is. At times, it feels like the show has a particularly nasty identity crisis. It tries to take itself seriously while failing to resist the urge to flash panties or the like.
This probably wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t like this every single episode. The fanservice gets quite obligatory; there were times I could practically hear the sigh of the showrunners as they inexplicably added fanservice to an episode that didn’t need it. I’d characterize the fanservice as obtrusive and unnecessary.
I should make it clear that I don’t harbor an innate hatred for faservice. There were times when I legitimately enjoyed the fanservice (even if those moments still felt unwarranted). One of my favorite episodes is episode 8, the obligatory “beach episode.” The fanservice actually seemed warranted and the episode was a riot, to boot. It seemed like the show, for once, was aware of just how ridiculous it was. There’s Ange being her trademark “epic stoic” self then donning a ridiculous mascot suit. There’s serious music playing while the cast does mundane tasks. There’s a hostage crisis being underway while Ange and co. are still donning their bathing suits. All the while, there's a setup for a serious conflict next episode. This episode feels very self-aware in a way that others don’t. It leans fully into its ridiculousness and nothing feels sacrificed by the more silly elements (such as fanservice) being highlighted.
In general, while annoying, the fanservice can make you hot. The characters are drawn pleasingly enough and one is sure to have a favorite.
Continuing with the positives, I do enjoy the more tense moments. The show can actually be effective in its serious moments. It can leave you at the edge of your seat and make you feel for the characters. We really get to empathise with Ange due to seeing firsthand how she’s treated. We are placed in the shoes of the Norma. Thanks to their experiences, we see just how dismal the world of Cross Ange is. It’s really telling that I found Hilda nothing but an insufferable bully at first, but thanks to showing snippets of her history and inner depths, I came to really appreciate her. I was really shocked at how competent this show was at somber moments. In a comment I made in the rewatch thread, I said, “the show might even be, dare I say it, good?” And even after all of the moaning and groaning of my review. I stand by that. Cross Ange contains elements of a good show. There were times when I really enjoyed it. It just seems like the show is afraid to go more than ten minutes without flashing
in your face. But don’t leave thinking my only gripe is with the fanservice, there are other elements of this show that are lacking.
For one, the characters can be hit or miss. Standouts are definitely the villains who embody the ridiculousness I loved about the beach episode. Julio and later Embryo make no attempt to hide their evilness. They’re very, very one-dimensional, but this allows the actors to chew the scenery and allow the viewers to just easily enjoy watching them as nothing more than one-note villains. How in the world can you take a villain named Embryo seriously? I will say I enjoy the interpretation of Embryo as a critique of “otaku waifu” culture.
I also enjoyed Ange’s progression...or at least, aspects of it. I could easily track her transformation from a privileged and whiny princess who hated Norma to a stoic, grumpy soldier who used a prickly exterior to shield the broken pieces of her former self. She still hated Norma, she just acknowledged her hatred would extend to herself. I liked seeing her have to grow out of this. I will say that while I enjoyed understanding why she acts the way she does, it doesn’t make it any more pleasant to watch. This reaches a head later in the series where she tries to hold a peaceful princess as hostage because...well, she’s edgy thanks to her trauma. It technically makes sense if you think hard about it, but it’s still annoying.
What doesn’t make as much sense is Ange’s development later on. I honestly cannot confidently tell you what I was supposed to make of Ange’s character at the end. One episode she talks about how much she loves this world despite its shortcomings, then the next (with no apparent catalyst for a change of heart, mind you), she basically says “fuck this world and the humans that inhabit it.”
I also didn’t like how overpowered Ange could feel. There’s not much reason why she’s better than practically every seasoned pilot so early on.
Characters like Salia and Chris are extremely annoying because their reason for betraying the heroes seem flimsy at best and absolutely juvenile at worst. It was made more frustrating by the fact that they never get their comeuppance despite their horrible behavior.
But I cannot talk about bad characters without delving into the absolute migraine-inducing mess that is Tusk. I’d like to make it clear that I don’t dislike Tusk due to him “ruining” “my yuri show.” I dislike Tusk because he’s as compelling as eating white bread. There’s really not much about him that’s interesting: compared to characters such as Ange and Hilda, he doesn’t seem to offer much. Some have stated that it’s fine because he serves as an emotional anchor to Ange and he proves that all men don’t need to be badasses. I agree that all men don’t need to be badasses and that belief can be damaging, but by fuck, if you’re going that route, make your character be at least kind of interesting. Not to mention, the argument that he’s there to not be a badass falls apart because the writers routinely make him an unflinching badass whenever fighting starts.
Tusk’s introduction is a decent summary of his character. He saves Ange life, and when she comes to, she’s naked. He constantly makes gross passes at her which are supposed to be taken as endearing. Ange is initially cold towards him, but of course, she warms to him and is this close to kissing him when the powers that be dictate that they must part for the time being. Oh, and we can’t forget the recurring “joke” of Tusk or Ange inexplicably finding their face in the other’s crotch. Comedy gold. Truly.
Once the two reveal their mutual affections for one another, it feels unearned. They have barely interacted at this point, yet the writers want us to believe that they’re wholly devoted to one another. I’d be more accepting of this if I had the foggiest notion of what Ange sees in him.
Though, I must acknowledge that Tusk’s character shouldn't shoulder all the blame when the writers themselves seem to have trouble writing him competently. I can’t tell you how many insipid “jokes” surround Tusk inexplicably falling towards Ange’s crotch. There’s another one where he unwillingly has his naked body examined and Ange gets violently jealous with him since he happens to have an erection. The show can have comical moments for sure, but I want to bash my head against a wall whenever it tries its hands at making a “joke.”
The Alternate Earth arc would be a low point due to how much it dragged as well as how dumb it got. By the end, I really wanted to check back in with the rest of the cast. This desire wasn’t helped by the fact that most of AngexTusk’s inexplicable romance along with the annoying “jokes” are shown during this arc. I felt the random sports episode felt really out of place.
I stated “would,” because this arc was topped by episode twenty-two in terms of my least favorite moment in the series. The previous episode ended with both Tusk and Momaka seemingly dead. And not, “seemingly dead” as in they passed out or appeared to fall off a cliff. No, both of them were blown the fuck up. This could serve to give the finale real emotional weight and further drive Ange to take down Embryo. But nope, they show up just fine. No adequate explanation is given for their survival. Given that they both survived and show up an episode later, I question what was the point in “killing them off” in the first place. Exploitative shock, I suppose? Adding insult to injury, this pushes a pretty bad message. Ange was contemplating suicide due to the death of her friends. She isn’t given enough time to fully come to grips with her loss, but she doesn’t need to because they show up just fine, anyway. So I guess if one’s loved ones don’t show up, the best option is to splatter their brains? And again, this just muddies Ange’s development.
It’s a relatively minor thing, but coming from the heart wrenching epilogue of Turn A Gundam, this ending feels a bit rushed. It’s not even stark like the ending of Zeta Gundam which depicts just how unceremoniously a war can end. No, this feels like a poor man’s epilogue, complete with a short slideshow that doesn’t satisfactorily answer my questions. Plus, the final battle itself was a bit lackluster.
I guess the mech design was cool, enough. I’m a sucker for transforming mecha and the motorcycle-like controls were marvel. If there was a model kit of Vilkiss, I’d probably buy it.
I can anticipate an objection. I’m comparing Cross Ange to shows like Zeta Gundam, Turn A Gundam, Evangelion, Macross, etc. Those shows take themselves quite seriously and don’t feature anything like the “fun” fanservice that Cross Ange employs. In short, they seemingly belong to a different category than Cross Ange. That’s a somewhat fair assessment. But fear not, dear reader. In my anime repertoire, I have a show that won’t suffer from false comparison: meet Kill la Kill!
If you aren’t in the know, Kill la Kill can be described as a quasi-monster of the week ecchi action anime. The show often features a stylized/exaggerated artstyle and breakneck cinematography. The ecchi elements come in the form of the clothing that the protagonists and antagonists fight in. Oh, and did forget I mention that the clothing that the main character wears talks? A cursory glance of Kill la Kill would point to it being a show that shouldn’t be taken seriously.
And it shouldn’t at times. With love, I say that Kill la Kill is oftentimes completely ridiculous and the creators know this. They invite the viewers to laugh with them at the absolutely outlandishness of the world and situations. The ecchi elements are tied with the show nicely, so they don’t feel obtrusive. The ecchi elements also are somewhat unique to the show, thus allowing for the argument that there’s specific subtext to them as they appear in Kill la Kill. And, most importantly, Kill la Kill knows to step back and let more serious moments breathe. It might be a wonder to some how a show that seems this silly can tug at you, but a part of this is striking a balance, catching viewers by surprise. When these moments do come, the ecchi elements take a backseat. Plus there’s question of better characterization, but that’s a discussion for another day.
Cross Ange’s fanservice/ecchi elements are mostly run of the mill. There isn’t much care to them; they feel like they were just tossed in and they wouldn’t look that out of place in any other ecchi show. Unlike Kill la Kill, they absolutely do feel obtrusive and are shoved in during otherwise serious moments, robbing these moments of their proper emotional weight. Cross Ange has a painful lack of awareness when it comes to easing off the fanservice. It’s less prominent in some episodes but it’s still there as if the showrunners felt the need to fulfill some quota. And the most damning thing about this comparison is that Cross Ange truly does take itself seriously. You might not notice it if you compare it to, say Gundam, though you absolutely will if you compare it to Kill la Kill. Cross Ange rarely leans into ridiculousness, and nearly everything about it is played straight. It isn’t a show that you’re invited to laugh with, since the plot is so dire despite all the fanservice. This is part of the reason the fanservice feels so intrusive, because its gratuitousness feels so out-of-step with the rest of the show. I’ve heard some say the show is self-aware due to the next episode previews featuring the cast riffing on the show. To me, this isn’t enough. This is relegated to a part of the show most are liable to skip. Even if you don’t I’m forced to ask, “so what?” It doesn’t affect the rest of the show. The characters riff on the show without the show becoming more enjoyable. This self-awareness feels so isolated that it might as well not exist.
I will concede that it’s been a while since I’ve watched Kill la Kill, so I’ve probably gotten some things incorrect, but I think I can recall while I liked Kill la Kill and not Cross Ange despite some similarities.
Overall, while I’ve spent most of this review criticizing Cross Ange, I’d like to clarify that I don’t think it’s a terrible show. I’ve heard some call it a trainwreck, but I wouldn’t quite go that far. It’s more of a mess. Its somewhat splitting hairs, but think about it. You wouldn’t call a dumpster fire or a trainwreck simply “a mess.” At the same time, a messy room isn’t a “disaster” or “train wreck.” And I mean that as an insult as much compliment. A mess isn't good, it’s just not completely unsalvageable. I found I couldn’t enjoy Cross Ange in a so-bad-it's-good manner because it really isn’t that bad. It’s mostly middling or annoying. There are certainly funny moments, but these are usually intentional. The unintentional moments of hilarity don’t crop up often enough to make a viewing experience out of it.
For what it’s worth, Cross Ange is consistent. While things certainly angered me in the second half of the show (such as Tusk and Momaka’s survival and the inexplicable romance between Ange and Tusk), nothing surprised me. You know exactly what you’re in for a few episodes in. That’s more than I can say for some of the other shows I’ve watched. If you like the first few episodes, stick around, if not, this show probably isn’t for you. Cross Ange is a mess; you either find that delightful or annoying.
Due to its myriad of flaws, I fall squarely in the latter camp.
5.3/10
F+
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