Aquarion Evol

(From left to right:Kagura, Mikono, Amata, Zessica, and Mykage)


________ Union!
GO! Aquarion!

The sequel to Shoji Kawamori's orgasm-powered mecha series Genesis of Aquarion, which started airing on 8 January 2012 as part of the Winter 2012 Anime lineup.

Please note that if you have not seen the preceding series, Genesis of Aquarion, then huge spoilers follow.

Twelve thousand years ago, Apollo, Sirius and Touma realized the need to set aside their differences and form Aquarion together for the last time in a Heroic Sacrifice to save Vega, the world they all live in, from total collapse. Before doing so, however, Apollo promises his lover, Silvia, that they would meet again in 12,000 years.

Fast forward to 12,000 years later: Vega is once more at the mercy of unknown enemies, this time the "Abductors" from the enigmatic world of Altair. DEAVA, the organization which fought Touma and his Shadow Angels twelve millennia ago, has since evolved into Neo DEAVA, hosting Holy Angel Academy, an Academy of Adventure with a strict policy of separate education for Element Users, teenagers with special powers -- a Military School for males, and a Church Militant for females. With a new threat to humanity looming on the horizon, Neo DEAVA sends its best boys and girls to fight them using the Aquaria, a pair of Humongous Mecha, each formed from three Vectors -- Type-M for males, Type-F for Females. Into the scene comes Amata Sora, a boy working at a movie theater, and Mikono Suzushiro, a girl he meets there. When an Abductor attack puts Mikono in danger, Amata is forced to unleash his Element power -- flight induced by emotion -- and, unwittingly levitating into the cockpit of a Vector-Z, breaks the long-standing taboo between male-female Unions and revives the legend of Aquarion. As Vega braces itself for a showdown with Altair, more secrets regarding both worlds, its denizens, and even the Aquarion itself slowly unfold...

Tropes used in Aquarion Evol include:
  • Academy of Adventure: Holy Angel Academy, Neo DEAVA's official front.
  • Accidental Pervert:
    • Andy and Amata dig their way through the barrier and into the female side of the Academy, only to get an upskirt of Mikono. Amata's powers go haywire and starts flying around with Mikono's ass on his face. Andy lampshades on the implausibility of the situation.
    • Jin somehow wound up in the girls' locker room in Episode 10.
  • Adaptation Distillation: Done in-series with "Skies of Aquaria," a supposedly trashy B-movie Amata kept playing on the movie theater he works in about the events of 12,000 years past, which is justifiable, considering the massive time gap. To summarize how much peoples' perception of those events have changed: Apollo is now known as "Apollon" and has become a Long-Haired Pretty Boy (probably alluding to his original incarnation, Apollonius), Sylvia as "Sylvie," and the Aquarion as the "Aquaria" (revealed to be a deliberate move by DEAVA to hide its true name), with no word yet as to modern perceptions on all the other players in the previous war. What they got right: Apollo's cross-shaped scar, red hair, his Heroic Sacrifice, and his parting promise with Silvia to meet her again after 12,000 years.
  • Alien Abduction: Apparently the modus operandi of the Abductors.
  • All of the Other Reindeer: Avoiding a major case of this is a reason Amata keeps his levitation powers secret by wearing boots inlaid with pockets with which he can place weights.
  • Anti-Villain: Majority of Altair's Human Aliens has noble reasons for the abductions, namely a method to regenerate their dying race with "Rare Igunas," women with the potential to become the "True Eve." Unfortunately for them Mykage has his own agenda, and that doesn't include their scramble for survival.
  • Art Evolution: This show clearly has a different character designer than its predecessor.
  • Ascended Extra: Sazanka and Malloy.
  • Avenging the Villain: On Episode 9, three of Jin's henchmen tried this. Not only do they fail but Jin isn't even dead.
  • Barbie Doll Anatomy: Just like 12,000 years ago, this still applies during combining sequences.
  • Bare Your Midriff: Zessica and Paper bag-chan
  • Beach Episode: Episode 17, though of the lakeside variety.
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension: Andy and Mix in Episode 9.
  • Big Brother Instinct: Cayenne's relationship to Mikono. At his most extreme, he does whatever he can to keep her self-esteem so low she stays at home where it's safe. For this reason he immediately disliked Amata for apparently bringing her outside, not realizing (until she tells him in Episode 4) that she's willing to get hurt alongside her brother and Amata.
  • Birds of a Feather:
    • Amata and Mikono. They both share similar backgrounds, causing them both to become shy and withdrawn. They even bond over their self-proclaimed uselessness. Though they are both nice people and genuinely want to change for the better.

Mikono: See, we're a useless pair!

    • Jin reminds Yunoha how she was when she first transfers and tries to befriend him.
  • Bishonen:
    • Selling pictures of Shrade is a big moneymaker on the girls' side of Neo DEAVA.
    • When Kagura sneaks away to explore Neo Kowloon, two girls immediately ignore their initial shock to gush over his good looks.
    • Amata's looks didn't go unnoticed by the girls, as evidenced in Episode 8.
  • Blind Idiot Translation: To match the Hong Kong motifs of Neo Kowloon, the current Aquarion's attacks have English translations that go beyond the actual meaning in either Chinese or Japanese.
    • Flying Love Attack's kanji literally mean "To Touch Love, Soaring Strike"
    • DOGEZA orz's kanji literally mean "Kowtowing Ruler"
    • Mugen Atack's kanji literally mean "Infinite Punch" (also the translation for the original Aquarion's Mugen Punch)
    • Moonlight Requiem's kanji literally mean "Song for Funeral Rights in the Moonlight"
    • Subliminal Punch's kanji literally mean "Phantom Flickering Punch"
    • No Guard Attack's kanji literally mean "Evil Investigating Punch"
    • Absolute Clam's kanji literally mean "Absolute Sealing"
  • Boy Meets Girl: Amata meets Mikono at a movie theater.
    • Meet Cute: Afterwards, they go on a little date as Amata talks about the movie.
  • Bridal Carry:
    • Kagura does this to an unconscious Mikono in Episode 5.
    • Amata does this to Mikono in Episode 12. And the fact that they were both floating in the air makes it even more sweeter.
    • In Episode 13, Jin does this with Yunoha in an attempt to bring her to Altair.
      • Kagura does this to Mikono again in Episode 13, but this time it's mixed with a little Victory Dance, as Kagura celebrates his short-lived capture of Mikono.
  • Bring Him to Me: Played with. Mikage is after the Golden Wings of the Sun, Solar Wing, but he doesn't seem to be aware of the fact that since Episode 1, all signs have pointed to Amata being this.
  • Brown Note: Shrade's element power allows him to manipulate people's emotions or physically disable them with his music.
  • Buried Alive: Zen actually uses this AS TRAINING!!!!!
  • Call a Smeerp a Rabbit: Apparently, nearly every cute animal in that world is a cat. Including Mikono's Head Pet Shu-Shu, Yunoha (or at least the frog doll carried by the actual girl), and even what's obviously a pig with a mustache. Amata has lampshaded this twice.
  • Cast of Snowflakes
  • Cerebus Syndrome: Hits HARD in episode 14.
  • Childless Dystopia: Altair.
  • Church Militant: Neo DEAVA's training regimen for females apparently involves them engaging in ecclesiastical activities.
    • First Church of Mecha: They apparently worship Aquarion, the temple has a huge statue of the mecha where the altair should be.
  • Clothing Damage: In Episode 8, Jin's upgraded Radius Gnis fires missiles that, while apparently causing no physical damage to the Aquarion, actually slowly depletes Zessica, Mikono and Amata's spirit levels, tearing their Vector suits in the process. Then Zessica notices that the less clothing she has, the greater her sensitivity to the missiles and thus increasing her evasive capability. She starts stripping more of her suit, and encourages Amata and Mikono to strip more of their outfits while she mows down Radius Gnis with Aquarion Spada.
  • Combining Mecha: True to its predecessor, the Aquarion is still this (coupled with orgasm-inducing combination sequences).
    • Vector-Z: Amata, Andy, Mix
    • Vector-X: Mikono, Cayenne, Zessica, Andy
    • Vector-Y: Mikono, Cayenne, Zessica, Yunoha, Shrade
  • Continuity Nod: Episode 16 has the main characters looking through a window the past, where they see the events from the first series, such as Apollo and Silvia's love, and the original Aquarion sacrificing itself to save the world.
  • Cypher Language: There are two alien alphabets [dead link] , one for Neo-DEAVA and one for Altair, that are substitution codes for English with glyphs that strongly resemble their corresponding English letters; you can pretty much squint your eyes and read them without too much difficulty.
  • Dark and Troubled Past:
    • There's a reason Donar Dantes, the Drill Sergeant Nasty instructor of the male side of Neo DEAVA, is initially reluctant to allow mixed Unions for fear of a repeat of the "Aquarion Disaster" nine years ago. He was the main pilot of the Aquarion on that day (with two females, one of which is his lover, in tow) during its first sortie against the Abductors, when Donar and his lover's feelings went so high Aquarion went berserk and Mykage appeared to take his lover away, costing Donar both his arms (now replaced with metal prosthetics) in the process.
    • Same goes for Shrade, whose Element powers accidentally made his parents kill each other. Word of his powers quickly spread, and important figures were often conned into attending his concerts so they would kill each other. He didn't learn how to fully control his abilities until Crea personally recruited him.
  • Double Entendre: The Anime.
  • Dying Declaration of Love: In episode 21 Zessica grabs Amata and kisses him to activate his powers, letting him escape right as Mikage seemingly kills her with a Cherubim Soldier.
  • Dysfunction Junction: Neo DEAVA pretty much became this after Amata punches a hole through the Berlin, allowing boys and girls to mingle. This is lampshaded by Suomi in Episode 10, complaining that student discipline has been tanking.
  • Eccentric Mentor: High Chairman Zen Fudou is seemingly channeling the spirit of Gen Fudou, complete with strange lessons for the boys and girls of Neo DEAVA. Placing rings on their left forearms which literally shock them whenever their romantic feelings go too high will certainty not be the last of his many weird ideas.
  • Empathy Pet: Mikono has Shu-Shu, her Head Pet. She talks to it like she would to another human, and it even makes heart shapes with its wings in Episode 3, showing that Mikono has indeed accepted Amata's apology.
  • The Empath: Cayenne's currently known Element power is apparently psychic vision onto other people, usually Mikono.
  • Endangered Species: Turns out Altair has zero population growth rate--with Jin as the Last of His Kind--and is thus scrambling to find suitable humans to repopulate the entire race.
  • Enemy Civil War:
    • Episode 11 focuses on a battle between a bunch of Altair mooks and Kagura, now fully under Mykage's thrall. Retaking the Mithra Gnis, he manages to survive a detachment of mooks and three shots from a Wave Motion Gun before Mykage reopens a portal to Vega which Izumo ordered closed as a precautionary measure.
    • While Mykage and Izumo appear to be allied on the surface, the truth is that Mykage could care less about what happens to Altair, as the only thing he wants is to reawaken the original Aquarion. As a result, he and Izumo constantly clash over what to do.
  • Evil Redhead: Kagura
  • Evolving Credits
    • Starting Episode 3, the ending sequence (that for the combined Episodes 1 and 2 is like a movie credits) features stylized artwork by character designer Chinatsu Kurahara of Amata, Mikono, Cayenne (Episode 4 onwards), Shrade (Episode 6 onwards), MIX, Andy, Zessica, Yunoha (Episode 7 onwards), Jin (Episode 13 onwards), and Kagura.
    • To a lesser extent, the opening sequence has this in the major characters pose, where Yunoha's doll was added hiding behind Andy for Episode 7, before the actual girl shows up for Episode 8.
  • Expy:
    • Kagura, the first major enemy, looks and acts a lot like Apollo.
    • Sazanka is a tanned Ranka Lee (straight off another Kawamori anime) with braids and dark hair, down to sharing the same voice actress. She even makes Ranka's famous hand gesture at the end of the opening.
    • Zessica has a passing resemblance with Nanael from Queen's Blade, except with green hair and without wings.
    • Alicia resembles Lacus Clyne and has the same voice actress.
  • First Church of Mecha: Within the next 12,000 years since the original Aquarion saved the world, this godlike Humongous Mecha has since apparently inspired a religion devoted to its veneration as The Messiah, as evidenced by Neo DEAVA's training regimen for its female cadets.
  • Forbidden Fruit: Neo-DEAVA bans their students from falling in love with each other due to the "Aquarion Disaster."
  • Freudian Excuse:
    • MIX's hatred for men and holes stems from her father's affair with a woman he met at a hole-in-the-wall bathhouse.
    • Mikono's low self-esteem and cowardice also comes from her father.
  • The Gadfly: Zessica seems to enjoy flirting with Amata just to see him float.
  • Gender Bender: Whatever it is that caused "The Curse of Eve" not only killed all the women of Altair, but any women from Vega that don't die when brought to Altair will transform in mind and body into men. We see evidence of this with Mix in episode 19, and it's confirmed in 20, and was also starting to affect Zessica and Yunoha.
  • Gendercide: Altair's female population was wiped out by a mysterious disease. Before that the female birth rate took a sudden nosedive.
  • Green-Eyed Monster:
    • Mikono is not pleased about how Zessica can also make Amata float.

Mikono: I thought that I was the only one...

    • Later in the series, Zessica starts to show shades of this when Amata gives Mikono a lot more attention, particularly when she bends a large metal structure well out of shape with her powers.
  • The Good, the Bad, and The Evil: Neo DEAVA, Altair (Izumo/Jin) and Mykage. Kagura was initially on Altair's side, but Mykage used his new obsession with Mikono to turn him into his pawn.
  • Head Pet: See that thing in Mikono's hair that looks like a cute hair accessory? It is actually Mikono's "cat," Shu-Shu. When it's not too busy being a cute hair accessory, it usually resides on her shoulder.
  • Heel Face Turn: Jin in Episode 13. Unfortunately, Mykage saw to it that he will have to pay for his defection with his life.
  • Heroic BSOD
    • Everybody suffers this in Episode 14 after a number of Neo DEAVA students, including Jin, are killed during Kagura's rampage.
    • Played for Laughs in Episode 17 by Andy, after MIX slaps him for his... rather suggestive confession.
    • Played for Drama in Episode 18 by Andy, after MIX gets captured by Izumo and his men whilst saving Zessica.
  • Heterosexual Life Partners: Amata and Andy, as well as Cayenne and Shrade.
  • Het Is Ew: MIX was constantly preaching to other girls about how "filthy" men are and that the only combinations which are "pure" are those amongst girls-only trios. Not so much once she finally makes a Union with Andy, who manages to defrost her.
  • Holding Hands: Amata initiates this with Mikono while they're watching "Skies of Aquaria" in Episode 12.
  • Homage: Solarion: a Romance is a Victorian novel by Edgard Fawcett about an intelligent dog who falls in love with the girlfriend of his master, the scientist who created him. The name should have been just an uncanny coincidence but for the Plot Twist in episode 23.
  • Hot Mom: Amata's mother, who is revealed to be Alicia.
  • Human Aliens: The denizens of Altair. Arguably, the humans of Vega--its Earth-like setting notwithstanding--also count.
  • Humongous Mecha
  • I Know Your True Name: Amata's only way to break the Guize Stones that keep Vector-X and Vector-Y from forming a Union with his Vector-Z is to pronounce the "forbidden name"--Aquarion.
  • Ill Guy: A weak constitution is said to what keeps Shrade off the battlefield despite his useful ability to manipulate brainwaves with music.
  • Improbable Age: Crea Drosera, Chairwoman of Neo-DEAVA (and Zen's partner) is (apparently) only a child with an absurdly high IQ of 300. Interestingly, when Zessica asks exactly how old Crea is, Donar deliberately dodges the question.
  • In the Blood: Cayenne and his younger sister Mikono belong to an influential family of Element Users. Mikono hasn't (apparently) developed any powers, and has to rely on Cayenne to protect her every time the Abductors attack--at least until she meets Amata.
  • Indirect Kiss: In Episode 11, Zessica drinks from Amata's juice box; when she realizes the implications of it, she hastily drinks out of Mikono's juice box too.
  • Interrupted Declaration of Love: In Episode 11, Amata attempts to ask Mikono if they can date once the Abductors invasion is over (as there will be no need for the ban on relationships), but Mikono seeing Kagura in Amata's reflection interrupts his confession.
    • Averted in Episode 16 Zessica's initial labored confession to Amata is drowned out by missile fire while they are in a mock battle. But after he and Mikono ask what she says, she screams it out again for everyone to hear.
  • Ironic Hell:
    • Of the school detention variety. In Episode 9, as punishment for refusing to perform a Union during a simulation battle (with Mikono), MIX and Andy were confined to a room where they had to do things which are, in context, the opposite of their powers--Andy has to put corks on bottles, while MIX has to punch holes on reams of animation papers.
    • Mix hates men, so of course she would be the one who is forcefully taken to Altair, a planet filled with men -- and turned into a guy.
  • Killed Off for Real: Jin at the end of Episode 13.
  • Logic Bomb: During his first mock exercise, instead of actually fighting the Abductors, Amata instead bows down in front of the camera to apologize to Mikono for accidentally looking up her skirt earlier. The AI enemies are so utterly confused by his actions that the staff are forced to shut down the simulation before the system crashes.
  • Love Triangle: Amata and Mikono have feelings for each other. To Mikono's jealousy, Zessica flirts with Amata, in spite of Mikono's feelings for him, because she thinks it's funny when he floats. Until it becomes apparent that Zessica is starting to develop feelings for Amata too.
    • Love Dodecahedron: Kagura takes an interest in Mikono and is determined to make her his "wench." Mikono is fearful of Kagura, but in spite of her feelings for Amata, she also finds herself attracted to him. This might have to do with the fact that Kagura may be the reincarnation of Apollo/Apollon and Mikono of Sylvia/Sylvie.
  • Lovable Sex Maniac: Andy really loves girls--in fact, he uses his innate ability to detect weak spot in enclosures to dig a tunnel through the great wall that divides the male and female sides of the Academy.
  • Love Makes the Aquarion Go Berserk: The "Aquarion Disaster" nine years ago supposedly happened due to Donar's affections for a female copilot. For whatever reason this caused Aquarion to run wild and Mykage taking the girl away. She held onto him so tight both Donar's arms were ripped off.
    • Episode 16 has Aquarion going berserk after Zessica confesses to Amata her unrequited love for him, causing it to go berserk and do a dimensional mugen punch.
  • Magic Music: Shrade's Element ability is manipulating brainwaves with music from his piano, as well as sensing the "music" in people and surroundings. He can use it to mentally stun people or drive its listeners into a genocidal frenzy--including (unintentionally) his own parents.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Mykage, who pulls the strings behind friends and foes alike for the sake of his true objective locate and seize the original Aquarion.
  • Mars Needs Women: Altair's true purpose for the "abductions." Altair itself is even a red planet like Mars.
  • Meaningful Name: The massive wall that separates the male and female sections of the Academy is called the "Berlin."
  • Mecha-Mooks: Abductors' mechas are remote-controlled, unless it's personal and/or the pilot is Kagura.
  • Meteor Move: The "Flying Love Attack" is a variation of Type B, with the Aquarion ramming Kagura's Mithra Gnis into an asteroid.
  • Mid-Season Upgrade: Episode 14 for the students and 17 for the Aquarion.
  • Military School: Neo DEAVA's approach towards training males is basically this, complete with a Drill Sergeant Nasty instructor.
  • Moment Killer:
    • Kagura. You just had to follow your nose, didn't you?
    • Shu-Shu. Although as of Episode 12, Amata seems to have grown immune to Shu-Shu and his moment killer ways. Kagura, not so much...
  • Mood Whiplash: The rest of Episode 5 is basically the kids of Neo-DEAVA getting (comically) electrocuted with their love-detecting collars (most notably Andy and Sazanka). It ends with Mikono, who is already with high emotions thanks to Amata's sweet words, being shocked unconscious by the collar after Kagura shows up, licks her hand, and tells her she "stinks deliciously."
  • Ms. Fanservice: Zessica. Just look at her outfit.
  • Muggle Born of Mages: Mikono hails from a family of Element Users, yet has no apparent Element powers as of present.
  • Multiform Balance:
  • Mundane Made Awesome:
    • Amata apologizing to Mikono using the Aquarion to pull off an "orz."
    • Punching a hole through the Berlin with a Mugen Attack that orbited the planet twice after defeating Jin.
    • DONUTS!
    • Andy is very passionate about digging holes, and even goes into great detail about how digging has advanced human society.
  • Mythology Gag: There was a movie Amata kept playing on the movie theater he works in about the events of twelve millennia past. The world essentially forgot about it, but the theme song stayed incredibly popular, enough to bring tears to Mikono's eyes.
  • Nice Guy: Amata, although he is the main character.
  • Nice Girl: Mikono.
  • No Communities Were Harmed: Neo Kowloon, the city near Neo DEAVA's headquarters, is pretty much a dead ringer for Hong Kong.
    • Neo DEAVA itself has a design that resembles cultures from Middle East. Some character designs are even influenced by this.
  • No Sense of Personal Space: Kagura can and will walk up to any woman just to stiff her.
  • The Nose Knows: Kagura seems to have great smelling ability. In Episode 1, Kagura was able to smell Mikono even though they were both in seperate cockpits. In Episode 5, Kagura finds Mikono smack in the middle of bustling Neo Kowloon just by following her scent.
  • Not What It Looks Like: In Episode 7, Mikono is convinced that something happened between Amata and Zessica after witnessing them "running away in each other's arms" the night before. In reality, they were running away in fear of what appeared to be a ghost, which turned out to be Yunoha.
  • Oh Crap
    • The staff of the Neo DEAVA Academy collectively shit their pants whenever Amata does something unusual--when he utters "Aquarion" (a name supposedly unknown to anyone outside the Academy's higher-ups), breaks the taboo (and the Guize Stones) prohibiting cross gender Unions, and punches a hole right through the Berlin.
    • Probably the only way to describe Mikono's expression when she sees Kagura in Amata's reflection in Episode 11.
    • The first time Fudo has a legitimately angry and serious expression on his face is when Mykage apparently killed Jin, which leads us to...
    • The moment that end of Episode 14 where Kagura suddenly bursts out of the ground next to the protagonists.
  • OOC Is Serious Business: Fudo, being a badass reincarnated member of the original cast who's fully aware of his past life, always seems to know how to lead his men to victory with a calm smile on his face. He even responds to Mykage's threats with a teasing smirk. So when he frowns, you know that shit's hit the fan. Case-in-point, the first time he frowns is when Mikage kills Jin.
  • One-Gender Race: Altair's Human Aliens used to have a functional two-gender race (just like Vega), until the female birth rate suddenly stopped, and then a mysterious disease wiped out what few females Altair has left. To this end they start scrambling to find Reaiglers, women qualified to become their new "Eve" (though on occasion males get captured, too) who can repopulate Altair.
  • One-Gender School: Played with--Neo DEAVA Academy is definitely a co-ed school, but has separate facilities for its male and female student bodies, down to having their own Aquaria units. They are even separated by a giant wall called the "Berlin." This is ultimately subverted at the end of Episode 4, when Zen changes Neo-DEAVA's educational system to co-ed after Amata punches a hole through the "Berlin"... except romantic relationships are strictly forbidden.
  • Opposites Attract: Andy is a Lovable Sex Maniac who can find weak spots in structures. MIX is a Straw Feminist who can cover weak spots in structures. Clearly these two have nothing in common, but for some reason they make an oddly effective pair.
  • Parental Abandonment: Amata's Parents. Alicia was abducted to Vega and seems to be stuck in some sort of stasis. Izumo is implied to be to his father or at least knew Alicia while she was alive. Shrade is this as well, only with shades of Self-Made Orphan.
  • Personality Powers:
  • Person of Mass Destruction: Shrade's element power allows him to manipulate people's emotions with his music. He essentially has the power to put entire crowds of people into an uncontrollable, homicidal rage.
  • Poor Communication Kills: Amata and Mikono often get into misunderstandings that lead Mikono to give Amata the cold shoulder until Amata fixes things or the truth comes to light. This is usually Played for Laughs until Episode 7. During the second battle against Jin, Amata was bothered because of yet another misunderstanding, causing his spirit levels to drop significantly, nearly spelling defeat for him had it not been for Yunoha's intervention.
  • Power Floats: Amata's Element is levitation amplified by emotion.
  • Psychic Powers
    • Amata: Levitation and Flight
    • Mikono: Connection
    • Zessica: Distortion
    • Cayenne: Telepathic Vision
    • Shrade: Brainwave-Altering Music
    • Andy: Creating Holes
    • Mix: Spatial Augmentation
    • Yunoha: Invisibility
    • Kagura: Reversal
    • Jin: Isolation
    • Malloy: Fragility
    • Sazanka: Decay
  • Redheaded Hero: Amata.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni:
  • Redemption Equals Death: For refusing to go along with Mykage's schemes, Jin is Killed Off for Real at the end of Episode 13.
  • Running Gag
    • It seems that events always conspire to prevent Andy from performing a Union with a female pilot. This is Lampshaded by him when he is ordered to swap out of the Vector-Z for Amata. Then come Episode 9, just when he finally has a chance (with MIX and Mikono), he gets knocked out of the sky and had to be replaced with Amata.
    • Zessica teasing Amata to the point when he floats, and Shu-Shu biting Amata if he gets too close to Mikono.
  • Scarily Competent Tracker: Kagura.
  • Self-Made Orphan: Shrade, though unintentional, having accidentally made his parents kill each other while he was playing his piano.
  • Sensitive Guy and Manly Man:
    • Amata and Andy. The former is a shy, reasonable boy who can show courage when fighting or protecting Mikono. The latter is an energetic young man who takes his digging career seriously.
    • Shrade and Cayenne. The former is a mysterious piano player who's calm even when he's mentally torturing someone. The latter is a Hot-Blooded, Knight Templar Big Brother who will do anything to keep his sister out of harm's way.
  • Shout-Out
    • The anime likes reusing music from the first series, such as various background pieces. In Episode 8, they replaced the regular Theme Music Power-Up with "Go Tight!".
    • The scenes in Episode 8 where Amata, Mikono, and Zessica are tearing their flight suits apart are reminiscent of the climactic scene of Gunbuster's finale.
    • Sazanka is shown performing Ranka's trademark Kira pose in the opening credits. Also doubles as an Actor Allusion, as both are voiced by Megumi Nakajima.
    • There's even a shoutout to Macross with the pineapple pizza appearing the episode before the one where Jin is Killed Off for Real
      • Considering the fact that the series is directed by the same man responsible for Macross Frontier, the Macross references shouldn't be surprising.
    • Andy W. Hol. 'Nuff said.
  • Ship Tease
    • There's some Belligerent Sexual Tension between Donar and Suomi, but hints abound that they're getting close to each other, such as when they hold hands as they cheer the two Aquarions' victory over Kagura at the end of Episode 13 before backing away in embarrassment.
    • As of Episode 10, Jin and Yunoha. It ultimately goes nowhere when Jin is Killed Off for Real at the end of Episode 13.
  • Something Else Also Rises: Quite literally. Any intense emotion can trigger his levitation abilities (such as a zombie movie), but Fan Service is so far the most common factor, so in a way he starts starts flying around every time he pops a boner. Hilarity Ensues.
  • Stripperific: Zessica.
  • Super Prototype: Kagura's Mithra Gnis
  • Super Robot
  • Surprisingly Good English: Once you get past the incredibly distorted font used, most of the text on written materials is in English, and not half bad at that. See here for an example.
  • Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Izumo and Mykage's alliance boils down to this, with the former becoming increasingly wary of the latter's manipulations, particularly of the feral Kagura. It comes to a head at Episode 11, after Mykage frees Kagura, now fully under his thrall, to retake Mithra Gnis and continue chasing after Mikono.
  • Telescoping Robot: The Mugen Punch returns as the Mugen Attack.
  • Testosterone Poisoning: a very literal example. All Rare Iguras (WOMEN) abducted to Altair suffers this. Those that are powerful enough to ACTUALLY survive get mentally and physically transformed into MEN. Yunoha's turning was particularly funny. Due to the testosterone flooding her system, she couldn't stop talking in a stereotypical macho way.
  • Theme Music Power-Up: The new OP serves as this. It's even sung by the same group as the last one.
  • Theme Tune Cameo: The lyrics of Genesis of Aquarion are usually quoted here. Jin is a repeat offender, quoting the lyrics of the second OP in the fourth episode, and of the first OP in episode 14 just after his funeral. Mykage also quoted the first verse of the first OP in ep 15.
  • Twice Shy: Amata and Mikono.
  • Unresolved Sexual Tension: Amata and Mikono. They obviously like each other. But repeated Moment Killers, and Neo Deava's ban on love keeps them from having a Relationship Upgrade. Even when Amata tries to evade this in Episode 11 by asking her if they could go out after the Abductors are defeated, he is interrupted by Mikono seeing Kagura in Amata's reflection.
  • Villainous Crush:
    • Kagura is getting interested in Mikono, saying that he's finally found himself a good "wench." There's also been a flashforward of sorts showing a sad-looking Mikono dressed in black together with Kagura at what Cayenne describes in his strange visions as a "wedding in mourning clothes."
    • Also, when Jin infiltrates the academy, he picks up a crush on Yunoha. It redeems him... and proves to be his undoing.
  • Visual Pun: On Neo-DEAVA's very first first co-ed class (after Amata punches a hole through the "Berlin" with a "Mugen Attack"), nascent sexual tension between several males and females were so steamy, so to speak, Mix's glasses got mist.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: As said in the Mars Needs Women, Altair isn't looking invade Vega. Rather, they are looking for their new "Eve."
  • Wham! Episode: Episode 13... full stop. Just when Jin finally discovered The Powers of Love, Friendship and Trust (courtesy of Yunoha and the rest of her friends), Mykage kills him off for daring to defy him and Kagura, now his Unwitting Pawn. Even the unflappable Zen Fudo was shocked. And It Got Worse -- as the next episode preview shows, Jin isn't the only casualty.
  • What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic: Literally everything Zen says, such as equating donuts to the shape of the universe and the meaning of life.
  • Wild Child: Kagura
  • The Worf Barrage: Mugen Punch becomes this after its first use.
  • Yaoi Fangirl: Sazanka is described as one on her character profile. This is especially shown in Episode 5, where she starts seeing something beyond Shrade's simple friendly overtures and Cayenne's awkward responses, accidentally electrocuting herself twice with the love-detecting collar in the process. In Episode 10, she guesses whether Jin is a top or a bottom when he transfers into the class, even wondering if he is a top that just LOOKS like a bottom.
  • You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Mikono has purple hair and Zessica has green hair.
  • Zettai Ryouiki: Mikono is a grade-A.
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