Board Thread:New on ALDNOAH.ZERO Wiki/@comment-5858837-20150218002754/@comment-4905541-20151103104241

Just my additional info for any who might've missed it, but it really is a depressing NTR ending for even me who wanted just either Inaho or Slaine to have had a happy ending (with either princesses in Slaine's case). The guys responsible for making the entire series were definitely good at presenting subtle cues which many would miss if they didn't engage themselves in watching the story and the characters (like Inaho's true personality).

Exactly like many have been talking about, I hate that Klancain ending. If you watched the ending where the 1st Earth-placed Aldnoah Reactor was being activated, it was plainly shown to all our faces that Asseylum had a wedding ring on her finger and when Klancain asked her why she was knowledgeable about Earth, she paused for a second and answered that it was from a "friend" and that they were pleasant "memories" which blatantly tells us "fck Inaho/Slaine X Asseylum".

Now I'm not ignorant enough to not understand it was political marriage. However, I do agree with the people saying it was uncalled for. From what I can tell, it's just a stupid case of the makers of the series trying to avoid being too "gundam-ish". You see, Asseylum could have just taken control as the Empress and announced the truth to her assassination (about Saazbaum alone being the wirepuller and Slaine knowing *disclosed selectively*) and the fact that it was an imposter that was partnered with Slaine prior to her succession to the throne.

This is a classic Relena Peacecraft thing which in truth was the "lone princess now empress" route ending to the same conflict that the production crew just appears to have wanted to diverge from and so we get this mess.

They used her act of standing up from the wheelchair to signify her "rising to the throne" and her "true identity as Asseylum" (because she isn't like her sister who can't actually walk with gravity), this in itself is a subtle but strong hint and action which politicians in real life use (we humans can subconsciously pick up these gestures) and as we all saw, the Orbital Knights on all sides noticed it and were easily surprised. The fact of Saazbaum's->Slaine's betrayal and assassination attempt at her alone would've given the other knights the excuse to come under her wing with the way she worded things.

Instead, we are given the poor excuse that Asseylum was stupid to go back into the method of Versian Klancain > Terran Slaine accompanied with a stupid single line from some unnamed count saying something along the lines that Slaine was a filthy lying dog after all (which would've been the same reaction gained with my theoretic scenario above). Things could've been played in my scenario, where Asseylum would instead state how the EU and her handful of supporters worked hard behind and on the scenes despite the many sacrifices and betrayals between Versians (to other Versians) to foster peace and coexist by protecting the princess the whole time (credits to war hero Inaho). They were already "indirectly" or secretly working together hand-in-hand despite the difference in race/planet, they just needed the excuse to realize that.

Also, by the time Slaine and the conspirators had control of Moon Base, it was clearly shown that the goal moved on from Saazbaum's revenge to a change in the way things are run in Mars/Vers. They wanted to prosper from poverty by returning to Earth (sadly regardless of the methods as the hostilities have already been done), and it would've been easy to walk under the single Empress' banner now if she called for peace using methods above. In the end, it was shown that only Barouhcruz and Harklight were the only counts left who betrayed the peace order because the rest were "Give me a break. The princess is the one we follow Terran boy!". Shows how much an Empress' words still weighs to even conspirators or maybe because there weren't many after all (Saazbaum said moon base and a number of their conspirators which could just be their relay station for information control/blackout. It didn't necessarily mean all 37 O.K. clans wanted war but just numerous of them.).

In the end, Klancain seemed to me like just an excuse for plot stupidity, Asseylum never got her Inaho, Inaho never became anything more than a one-eyed unnamed war hero, and Slaine never got a possibly new life under a new name (which IMO would've been happy ending anyway if he happened to realize to reciprocate Lemrina's feelings for him).

The only solace I found in that fcked up ending was that now, best-girl Kaizuka Yuki had her brother all to herself (let her be a bro-con in an imaginary twist for all I care). Inko, Rayet, and that other girl will be extras to an imaginary possible harem in that depopulated Earth anyway. Funny enough, I think Capt. Magbaredge had more chemistry with Inaho while it was shown in the ending that her XO was "eyeing" Marito. lol :D

A little correction on my part, it seems that it's (Inaho X Asseylum) legit on Urobuchi's part (and partly on my theory) as he discussed during a Suisei no Gargantia event/topic. He said as quoted on the 2nd cour page:  虚淵氏「アルドノアのラストは俺のせいじゃねぇーからっ」「原案ではイナホと姫は恋仲になり姫がスレインに 連れ去られて1話が終わる話だった 」. This translates as Aldnoah's ending wasn't his fault. In the original work, Inaho and Asseylum become lovers on the ending but Slaine takes the princess/kidnaps her (probably after escaping from prison, Yay!). Urobuchi stated that EP13's ending where Asseylum was taken by Slaine from Inaho was part of that (story) which IMO sounds more legit and alludes to a sequel provided the ending did go the way Urobuchi stated as the "original" (which is probably why they drastically changed it).