CROSS ANGE Rondo of Angel and Dragon

Episode 18

Whatever other lingering problems Cross Ange may still have, a lack of internal logic is definitely not one of them. Although episode 18 proved to be every bit as interesting as could reasonably have been expected, it also plays out exactly and logically as an extension of previously-established character traits and events.

Many of the Norma (or Norma-allied) characters besides Ange and Tusk get at least some attention, but the episode most prominently features Jill, aka Alektra, and serves as her most in-depth character study to date. With Libertus now underway, she has become a complete zealot to her cause of destroying this world and Embryo (though which order she would prioritize those is unclear), albeit a coldly pragmatic one. You will see no lunatic behavior from her, just no regard for anyone's feelings or worth beyond being a tool to serve her purposes; on that point she is quite clear and even includes herself, although she also clearly expects to be the one in charge and the driving force behind it. A brief flashback suggests that she may have had a more personal relationship with Embryo at some point and been betrayed (which would account for her harsh attitude towards Ange and Tusk being together), and she also makes clear one point that has been vaguely suggested for quite a while now: because of their like status as fallen princesses, she does see Ange as her stand-in, the person who will finish what she was not able to do herself. None of this is really a surprise, and one of the most interesting things the series does with it is to show that her harsh, utilitarian attitude isn't effectively inspirational or even fully agreed with by her peers. The people with here on the Aurora aren't blind; they see her progressing off the deep end, too. That is not something that you would commonly see in a series like this. Most importantly, her attitude is the worst possible approach to take with the fiercely independent Ange, who is not about to be used as a tool or coerced into talking her new friends into being used as a sacrificial distraction in a planned raid on Misurugi, and that leads to them coming to blows.

Amongst other characters who see some key development, Emma has become a despondent lush over her betrayal by her fellow “humans,” while Rosalie's efforts to become an admired senpai aren't (in the episode's most amusing scene) panning out too well. Hilda also shows that her onetime claims to have been a lesbian just as a means to an end were as fake as they seemed at the time that she made them, as she aggressively shows that she has taken quite the interest in Ange as a potential lover rather than just friend – though not to the point of forcing anything. (That provides the episode's chief fan service content.) And Ange's attitude and choice of how she expresses her priorities continue to be a delight.

The main problem with the episode – and it isn't a big one – is that the character modeling is unusually rough over the episode's first few minutes. That is corrected by the time the Jill/Ange fight scenes come around late in the episode, and both they and especially some brief mecha action towards the end show some good animation. The next episode also looks especially juicy, with the preview showing Ange back in formal dresses and Sylvia finally popping up again.

All of this doesn't prevent the plot from strongly progressing, either. Ange gets to explain the Big Picture to the Arzenal survivors, some reunions are had, and strife breaks out which encourages her to strike out on her own rather than following Jill's plan. And again, the most important thing is that all of these flow naturally from what has come before.

Rating: B

CROSS ANGE Rondo of Angel and Dragon is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.