By Erika Suarez

Things become awkward between Hiro and Ichigo after the mock battle, and she loses focus during a mission fighting against lower class Klaxosaurs with her team. The parasites get outnumbered by their enemies and Hiro is put in a frustrating position when the APE staff refuses to let him pilot Sterlizia. Mitsuru confidently steps in to prove himself higher than Hiro by riding Strelizia, and his heedless behavior nearly gets him killed.

By Erika Suarez

Episode one lays out the mechanics of the piloted mecha suits and provides a deeper understanding how they’re used. The mecha crew we got a glimpse of in the previous episode was properly introduced. Hiro doesn't recall any memory of piloting Strelizia and only remembers the special "kiss" he had with Zero-Two. Fan Service crept up on us but is something expected from Studio Trigger and succeeds in maintaining.