Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu No Rondo ep 23 [Hyperventilates]

This week’s episode of Cross Ange definitely has set up fever. Everyone ends up having important conversations and turning over new leafs, making promises, and we all know that everything is about to blow up after this week. I really enjoyed what they did and it was incredibly pleasant to not have to see Embryo as frequently as before. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still there, but he’s like a nagging background voice. I have to say that Embryo’s type of character is usually my favorite so they’re doing wonderfully at making him into an unlikable rapist with no redeeming qualities.

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What’s important to talk about this week is what everything does. First off, Ange has rejoined the Norma and they’ve all come together for the final movement of Libertus. The DRAGONs want to free Aura, Libertus wants to kill Embryo, and Ange just wants to stop Embryo from ruining the world with his sick perversions. Even Emma has stopped drinking and truly become an ally for them, showing an incredible 180 from the narcissistic typical Norma to become someone who really cares about the fate of the world. We also get the most satisfying conclusion for the ‘is this real’ Tusk being alive storyline, as Embryo has no clue how he survived. Maybe it will end up being a plotpoint later for us, but it seems for now we’re all clear and Momoka and Tusk are genuinely still alive.

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Can we talk about something amazing? Hilda admits her feelings for Ange and in a turn of absolutely surprise, Ange kisses Hilda and tells her she will still need her in the new world. I have made pretty consistent jokes about wanting Ange Tusk and Hilda to all end up together, but Ange clearly loves Tusk and makes it obvious she cares about Hilda too. Given Hilda’s life and how everyone has thrown her away, I could just see in her eyes how much it meant to her to not be discarded because Ange loves someone else. I don’t think the show is trying to be anything but the truth, I don’t think Ange could just forget Hilda and how much she means to her anymore than she could fit Tusk. That being said, I’m afraid that. . .

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This is totally a death flag for Hilda. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely hope Hilda lives. I think that her comraderie with Ange is amazing and she is a wonderful character! But so far Tusk and Momoka have filled their death flags and killing them again would be a cheap shot. If either of those two die it will just be poor execution on the writers’ parts. But who hasn’t died now that still fulfills the relationship criteria with the main character? Hilda. I hope I am wrong because I love her to death, but I have a terrible feeling about all of this.

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Still, that’s not even cutting the tip of the iceberg. So much more is happening than all of this. Ersha is now helping on board the ship and trying to atone, but you know who else ends up with development? First, Sylvia. When they’re attacking the Misurugi empire we see Sylvia run into Ange, who flat out shoots by her hands and kills a man beside her to make a point. She tells her the doctor told her long ago her wounds were healed and tells Sylvia to get up and walk by herself. In a stunning turn, Sylvia actually does this and begins to run off. This is the first time Sylvia has shown her own personality and done her own things. She even remembers what Riza told her about Julio killing their father and I actually. . am hoping Sylvia will prove herself? We can see even after everything she did, Ange still loves her and wants her to fight and live of her own accord.

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Even more amazing was Salia’s chapter. Not because of Salia, Salia is still being a bit insufferable and I find her current actions a little disgusting. No, Ange confronts JILL and tells her what Salia has done while also telling her she can’t blame her for not telling anyone about Embryo raping her. Jill takes all of this to heart and in an amazing final cutscene, we see her interrupting the battle between Ange and Salia to confront her, telling Salia she is disappointed in her with that famous smirk. I can’t get over it. Jill and Salia both were plot elements I only HOPED would be able to come back, and I’m seeing it now. This show is constantly proving to me that I can count on it for something very key, the ability to redeem people. Except Chris, I still hate Chris.

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Guys, there is something very important we need to discuss as well. More than anything, this episode really showed the character who has grown the most: Ange. Ange has from the first episode gone from someone none of us could stand in the slightest to a sympathetic, kind, slightly rough around the edges super amazing team player. Basically, Ange may still be angry and may still be harsh, but now she says what she wants and helps everyone. She values people again and wants things. . .and she makes me want to cry. I love you Ange, seriously. She even tells Hilda, ‘so what if we’re both women!?’. If this show manages to plummet in consistency and grace in the next two episodes, it will still have one thing:

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Ange is one of the best, if not the best, protagonist of a show in terms of development. This show has shown without fail, you can be redeemed. Simply,

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“Fight. Fight, and survive.”

Oki

This Post Has 9 Comments

  1. Chris Marshall March 15, 2015

    So its fan-speculation that Tusk survived by throwing the bombs around him as a cover to retreat and Momoko somehow regained consciousness before she fell, set up a barrier of mana to protect her from the explosion, which in turn leads both of them to met up with each other….I guess that’s true to some regards. At this point I can only just scoff as I look back and see the people that actually dropped this show….ironically a lot of them dropped it right before the Beach episode (which is where the show really started to pick up with character development)

    1. Oki March 15, 2015

      If they can’t handle Ange at her bitch, they don’t deserve her at her rapist crushing lesbian prince boyfriend threesome heroine of badass.

    2. Jay-ar Buño (@nisrakizta) March 16, 2015

      Actually tusk wore fire proof vest.. it was explained at the end of credits in the episode where has tusk returned.. see it for your self

      1. Oki March 17, 2015

        Fire proof vest doesn’t explain how C-4 didn’t blow off his face.

  2. Vange Chandran March 16, 2015

    You’re completely right about Hilda’s death flag. I think the flags have been consistently going up in every episode since we first noticed her crush on Ange. Which REALLY SUCKS, considering she’s probably my favorite character. Ugh I hope she doesn’t die… But if she doesn’t die, I wonder who Ange will choose. Tusk or Hilda? Of course, it’s not like she completely *has* to choose, but I’m not sure if love would get divided equally in a threesome..

    lol

    I try my best not to wish bad things on characters, but Salia and Chris are just ridiculous. I almost want them to die (and I feel terrible about it but what’s wrong with them, seriously). I feel like Chris represents the real-world struggle of losing a friend to her boyfriend hahaha. Doesn’t always happen, but it does happen often.

    Salia’s best line in this episode:
    “Hey Ange, what do you think Embryo-sama’s new world will be like?”
    “…”
    “A world without you in it!!”

    *slow clap for Salia*

    1. Oki March 16, 2015

      To be honest I think the show basically has said “She’d go with both” and that’s why I like it. Tusk she’s already shown she is willing to shut down if he says the wrong thing and Hilda’s her most trusted confidante. Don’t worry though if Hilda dies I’m going to make an AMV for that pairing and then draw it and then make AUs and cry. But if she does, I hope her mother will see her and cry and say she was her only real daughter and she is sorry. RIP

      I guess I’m willing to forgive Salia more because it’s clear Embryo is a crazy rapist and Salia loved Jill and felt so abandoned. so I can get that. Chris has been terrible since. . .forever. She’s been bitter since what, episode 10? Salia at least used to be good. . .Chris has always kind of been terrible.

  3. Sunny Dong March 21, 2015

    Hi, Oki. First of all, thank you for your passion. I’ve only binged the existing episodes in the last two days, and read you reviews along the way, and I’m really happy to see such a passionate fan sharing a piece of her opinion.

    Secondly, since the new episode airs this weekend, and I’m pretty sure there’s a Rosalie/Chris making up plot, I want to take some time to defend Chris, who is actually one of my favourite girls. Not saying much cuz I FRIGGING LOVE ALL OF THEM, but Chris has captured my attention for quite some time now.

    What made me love Chris early in the series is actually her plain and soft existence coupled with some subtle passive aggressive tendencies(I love the contrast), which actually made me enjoyed her input in the early bullying plot. And of course later, we learned that the mean girls are actually not the mean, and they truly cares about each other. This is especially true with Chris, as in the beach episode she is sensitive to notice changes in Hilda and strives to win for the sake of her friends.

    The important thing about Chris’ character, is that she is reserved, sensitive, yet really devoted to friendship, and she silently puts up a lot of hardship without anyone asking, just to show her support for friends. This is important in understanding her reaction to Hilda’s ‘betrayal’, as she is shown a lot more hurt and angrier than Rosalie, and later in bed, desperately asking Rosalie not to leave her like how Zola and Hilda did. Not unlike Salia, she is filled with baggage and complexes that she tries to bury, and this is what I think triggered her betrayal.

    What I think happened, judging by what Embryo told Chris right after he revived her, is that Embryo goaded Chris into resenting her friends lack of sensitivity. Sure, the sense of neglect Chris talked about are trivial, and understandable, since both Hilda and Rosalie are pretty active and Chris is never the one to complain. But when someone as persuasive as Embryo, it’s not hard for me to imagine that he targeted Chris’ insecurities and amplified some of her resentment which I believe even Chris didn’t know she had.

    To conclude my lengthy character study, both Chris’ introversion and Rosalie’s inability to pick up subtle emotional cues have contributed to a gap in their bond, which Embryo manipulated to the full extend. Although this is really no one’s fault, this is a classic case of miscommunication on both sides, and all we need now is to have Chris and Rosalie pour their heart out to each other in a near-death situation, and realize they still love each other, and hopefully manage to GET OUT ALIVE!! CUZ THAT’S VERY IMPORTANT!!

    I don’t know if how much you will agree with me, if at all. But Chris, in my opinion, is a subtly handled character with a lot of things people can relate to, so I do wish you can show some understanding, even if you dislike her. And besides, there’s always one thing we can agree on: IT’S ALL FUCKING EMBRYO’S FAULT, AND HE NEEDS TO DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

  4. hanaotomiya March 22, 2015

    Guys I think that Jill actually has a few death flags with the way things are going…

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