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REVIEW: Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon Blu-Ray 1

It's really hard for me to reconcile "bigotry and prejudice can turn normal, productive members of society into mere cogs within an unjust machine" with "here's a sexy scene wherein a 16 year old girl gets a body cavity search." Pick a tone, Yoshiharu Ashino.

"Sexy scene"? Even if you're blind you can't miss that what's actually happening is a violent homosexual rape.

Emily Neves did sing the insert song, at least in episode 12. You're right in that it isn't really "dubbed" since it was sang in the original language. I actually wasn't sure when I first heard it. Only found out when she mentioned on Twitter that she sang in Cross Ange.

CrowLia wrote:

I don't mean to sound rude, but was there no one else willing to review this show other than Theron? I mean no offense to him, but he already covered the show in the daily streaming, and given how controversial the series is, it would've been interesting to see a review by someone who would actually address that making it a "cavity exploration" does not make it any less "problematic" than if it were actual rape. I like reading different points of view, especially when it comes to such divisive series, to me that's more interesting than reading the same person about the same series repeatedly

I can only assume it was because he did the daily streams that he was chosen.

IMO Cross Ange director played us like a fiddle, he made some controversy that gave him some headlines (which is important nowadays in a cluttered environment of new titles) which in the end did not affect the story he wanted to tell.

First, the elephant in the room, the first episode scene. The fact that it's shot like a prison exploitation movie speaks somewhat negatively to the director's intension for the show. In my personal view, most violent media that explore persecution of a group well do so in a way that's more bloody and grim than sensationalist. Cross Ange, to me, crosses a line from grim and sobering to attempting to make the audience feel aroused by the actions due to the camera. The camera during the scene focused on the breasts and butt rather than the faces of the victims and perpetrators or whole body shots. This focus seems off to me if the show was trying to be serious though this may be a case of trying to have a cake and eat it at the same time.

Frankly I feel that people who create anime like this should have been smothered at birth, except that without this so called "creation" there wouldn't be a chance to discuss something this horrific.

Izanagi009 wrote:

First, the elephant in the room, the first episode scene. The fact that it's shot like a prison exploitation movie speaks somewhat negatively to the director's intension for the show. In my personal view, most violent media that explore persecution of a group well do so in a way that's more bloody and grim than sensationalist. Cross Ange, to me, crosses a line from grim and sobering to attempting to make the audience feel aroused by the actions due to the camera. The camera during the scene focused on the breasts and butt rather than the faces of the victims and perpetrators or whole body shots. This focus seems off to me if the show was trying to be serious though this may be a case of trying to have a cake and eat it at the same time.

I have seen this kind of complaint many times, so I did specifically look for that when I rewatched that scene. While I can see where the complaints are coming from, I still don't personally find that scene titillating - and I definitely can't say that about many other scenes in the first half. (Consensual lesbian sex = yay!) My eye was only on the aspects you're talking about when I forced myself to look at it that way, as I am normally more invested in the story and characterization implications of what was going on: how she was being symbolically stripped of everything, how it was an ultimate indignity intended to break down who she was and make her realize that she wasn't on top of the proverbial food chain anymore, and so forth. Now, the fact that an especially edgy way was chosen to do it is certainly something that is fair to complain about, which is why I used terms like "crass" and "potentially objectionable" in the review and don't just dismiss those complaints out of hand, as some defenders of the series do. However, that doesn't mean that I agree with those complaints.

And kinda on this subject, one point I forgot to bring up in the review is that this series is unusual among fan service series in that nearly every scene in it which could be classified as fan service (yes, even the scene where Ange is walking around in the torn uniform) also has another distinct purpose. There's almost no prurient content in the first half of the series that is 100% gratuitous.

Regardless, I do kind of see where you are coming from with the fanservice but the stuff with Tusk seems off to me especially in the second half.

The series' most infamous scene, one at the end of episode 1 which created a firestorm of controversy when the series debuted, appeared to show Ange being forcibly violated but has (mercifully) been clarified in both the subtitles and English dub from Sentai Filmworks to have been a less-than-gentle body cavity search.

Interesting. I hadn't heard this, but in retrospect I did think it sounded a bit more like her voice on that one occasion. If that was her then I'll have to up my opinion of her performance a little bit, as it was a good enough singing job that it was hard to tell the difference.

I sang in Cross Ange more than I ever have in anime.

Well, I haven't had a chance to watch it, so thanks for the heads up. I definitely recorded songs both IN JAPANESE and English.

Further explained by Mitsuo Fukuda on Twitter:

spoiler["How did Tusk and Momoka survive?…Of course during the scenario meeting we came up with multiple ideas, but ultimately, if we write it it wouldn't be interesting at all, so we just put it all in the episode preview. Tusk used the Body Replacement Technique (Kawarimi no Jutsu) and an anti-explosive cloak using a fire jutsu (Katon no Jutsu). Momoka used a frying pan and mana to slow her fall.

"Tusk knew where Ange's destination was, so he rendezvoused with Momoka who was stuck in a tree. And they came back to the island on a fishing boat…the end. The director said 'Eh? Is this really ok?', and did oppose this idea, but Higuchi-san, the producers, and I agreed on this development.

"The highlight of this episode is Ange's change of awareness and determination. We've been watching her change since episode one. So Tusk being alive is very important and how he managed to survive is not. There is no drama in that."]

Was this show considered controversial in Japan or is it just ANN/ the US? I don't really see the outrage towards it in many other places

-This super-speed tempo reminds me of Valvrave + ecchi elements, which are nice.

-Princess got beat down and crawls up high. The fact that there are only girls is a grasp of good will, lol.

-Is there any meanings in body check at the last of ep1? Well, I enjoyed it tho. Is this anime yuri?

-Character designs looks so old...

-Wow, it’s original anime (no original manga nor light novel) but this thread got 800 comments, mnn? hun? OMG this is the 5th thread??

-Isn’t this anime great, actually?

-Lesbian element and grotesque element catches your eyes first but in fact story is well-made. Yuri-element is just an attachment.

-I cannot wait to see how funny Rosalie ends up her living.

-nnn?? Seems everyone’s enjoying this anime

-Viewed till Ep3. First time to see such an annoying protagonist like in this anime, lol. Funny. Gonna see till the last episode.

-Princess has had a sheltered upbringing so her humanity is bad. That’s why she was drawn to be hated by characters around her and audience.

-Denied completely, gave up everything and…. adhesion to life aroused. Finally, “Human” Ange got born.

-If she’s a normal protagonist, it’ll be like “I will fight for people died for us!” but in this anime, she is like “I just fight not to die.” It’s unique.

-spoiler[Two more dead girls…] I don’t get surprised whoever dies from now.

-Ange’s disgusting and I like it. I guess the story ends up with “People who can NOT use mana are normal and people who can are like monsters.”

-spoiler[Hilda cannot stay away from Zola... Vivian can appreciate Ange as one human…] I am now able to see characteristics of each girl and it’s interesting.

-Getting bullied by her team mates but she never cares. It’s amazing to see how mentally-strong you are!!

-This story line is so laughable, lol.

-I think we should enjoy this anime as a comedy anime which is coated by seriousness, lol.

-I often see some Gundam things in this anime.

Was this show considered controversial in Japan or is it just ANN/ the US? I don't really see the outrage towards it in many other places

Guile wrote:

Was this show considered controversial in Japan or is it just ANN/ the US? I don't really see the outrage towards it in many other places

Salty fanboys mailed razors and death threats to Salia's VA, but that's the only negative that I've heard from Japanese viewers.

Was this show considered controversial in Japan or is it just ANN/ the US? I don't really see the outrage towards it in many other places

You can't have sex with a woman unless she has signed a contract telling you it's ok to go.