Re: Code Geass Seasons 1 and R2 1-13
Jul. 9th, 2008 10:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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ipsius, I have decided to respond to every episode of Code Geass from now on, starting with episode 14. This post will be dedicated to Season 1 and R2 1-13 as a whole because I haven't the patience to go through it all separately. Spoilers abound, flailing, fangirling, etc.
I'm filtering this to people whom I know watch Code Geass because I don't want curious eyes to peer into 38 episodes worth of spoilers.
I don't think I can possible list all the things I love about Code Geass. The storytelling is spectacular. The character development is superb. The facial expressions, voice acting, music, everything is– is– UGH.
1. Storytelling
Incomparable as they may seem, two of the reasons I love both Gossip Girl and Code Geass are the same: the stories are character-driven and contain movement. Characters I'll talk about later. Movement. Movement (which has everything to do with characters, so perhaps I'm doing this in the wrong order). The problem with series like Bleach or Hunter x Hunter is that 180 chapters into the story, you get the sense that everything is the same as it always was and always will be. In Gossip Girl or Code Geass, everything can change in an instant. Code Geass does it better than Gossip Girl because the characters' problems are much less petty and much more psychotic, filling the story with foreshadowing and irony. Examples:
In the first episode of Season 1, Suzaku defends Lelouch, saying he will never harm a civilian.
In the first episode of Season 2, Suzaku swears that he will kill Lelouch.
HOLY. FUCK. HOW. THAT. GETS. TO. ME. Suzaku and Lelouch were hardcore best friends. ("Hey, Suzaku, wanna blow yourself up to save Nunnally?" "Okay." "This plan would not have worked if I didn't trust Suzaku.") Even in the most recent episode, Lelouch put his trust in Suzaku like he has so many times in the past, despite knowing that Suzaku is his enemy. Never mind that it kind of failed. They are my sailboat for this fandom, and I wish they could get along again.
And offing Euphemia right at the moment when everything was going to end and be perfect? This show wields martyrdom like no one else, and with the audience knowing that Euphemia was sincere and that Lelouch loved Euphie, there's nowhere to turn but heartache when the people slander Euphemia, when Lelouch uses that to his advantage, and when Suzaku swears revenge on Zero.
The show manipulates my feelings like no other. I spend so much time these days lying on the couch, thinking about Code Geass and sighing every so often as I contemplate the characters' pasts and futures. It's kind of cathartic, this fake depression. So much better than real depression.
2. Characters
I'm only going to rant about the characters I love. Notice how it's nearly all of them. Notice that. (I feel as though Nunnally ought to be on this list, but.)
Lelouch - I adore this boy. I didn't at first, but Lelouch is so well-developed, so humanized a psycho, that it's impossible for me not to love him. He's such a loser–a loser who is an idealist, who loves his sister and his friends, who can hide his emotions but who cannot stop them, who trusts his best friend and archenemy with his life, who fails at running, who is awkward with the girl he likes, who is a closet sexual offender, who is a strategic genius, whose ego is so far through the roof that he can wear a mask and a cape and gesticulate dramatically without feeling the least bit embarrassed because HAHAHA THAT IS SO EMBARRASSING, who is a complete psychopath power-trippin' left and right, who will stop at nothing to attain his ultimate goal (although he may not like what comes in his way), but who is often just a helpless boy caught up in his own mistakes without anyone he can fully trust. And his facial expressions? WIN.
"JAPANESE IS OUR HEART!" Whatever you say, Lelouch. (FAKER!) I bet this show would mean so much more if I were Japanese.
Suzaku - Suzaku was the first character I really liked in the series. From the moment the show first wielded the Golden Sword of Martyrdom and shot the guy who said, "I won't harm a civilian" I was in love. He's the Good Guy, who follows the rules and saves lives, and he's part antagonist. This show is so messed up. He's also Lelouch's shinyuu, which UGH. AUGH. WHY CAN'T THEY ALL JUST BE FRIENDS. I hate it when Suzaku is sad. After Euphie died, I stopped liking Suzaku for a while because he was way too sad for me. Geez. I'm glad Lelouch used his Geass on him, suicidal son of a bitch. Another part that got to me: him selling Lelouch for a promotion. I can seeipsius doing that, but I expected better from Suzaku.
C.C. - I love her long, straight, light green hair, but mostly, I find her really funny. Her obsession with Pizza Hut and pizza in general makes me want to support Pizza Hut. Man, I wish they had Cheese-kun here. I'll have to visit Pizza Hut the next time I go to Japan. Her "oh, it's you," when she discovers she's talking to Lelouch during the first school festival was priceless. :) But I had to love her when, after Lelouch lost control of his Geass and killed Euphie, she held him and said, "I told you I'd never leave you," because in that moment, Lelouch was completely helpless, and C.C. was the only one who could ease his suffering.
Kallen - "We're not Elevens! We're Japanese!" This girl has heart. She's the ace of the Black Knights! She can kick ass! But what I love most about her is how loyal she is to Zero. In the first season, she trusts him completely. She doesn't need to know who he was; she believes in him. So many times, she declares, "I'll protect Zero!" Some faith can be viewed as stupid, but I view it as powerful. In the season finale, I was slightly disappointed in her disappointment at Zero's identity, but it was to be expected. I was proud of her when she continued her devotion in R2. I'm guessing either she or C.C. will be Lelouch's next love interest, but I'm rooting for her (though a happy ending is impossible). Plus, I would so be Kallen if I were a character in Code Geass. (Is there a rating community for this?)
Shirley - "She reminds me of Orihime." "Their roles are the same. She's basically just there to have a crush on the protagonist." "And to discover his iden–" "..." "..." "...Thanks." A conversation betweenipsius and myself after I'd just watched episode 12 of Season 1. I spoke too soon. Episode 13 of Season 1 and episodes 12 and 13 of R2 show that she is much more than the girl with the crush. She's the one who understands and loves Lelouch unconditionally. She may have doubts or fears, but in the end, she loves him, and it. just. guh. stop that. Geh, so cute and funny, that girl. ("Even though you're a failure as a person... No, because you are a failure as a person, I need to straighten you out!")
Xingke - To paraphraseipsius, he has strategic brilliance and heroism but NO TIME. AUGH, ANGST. I love it when Tianzi waves and cries, "Xingke!" SO FREAKING ADORABLE. Who cares if it's like pedophilia? XINGKE AND TIANZI OTP FOR THE WIN.
Milly - Milly is a special kind of awesome. The kind that likes to know people's secrets but doesn't like to tell them. (Not just Kallen's but Lelouch's, too.) The kind that plans grand events like giant pizzas and "Cupid's Day" with hats. The kind that maybe has a little crush on Lelouch. Who doesn't? :)
Tamaki - Hypocritical jerk he may be, but somehow, I like that the series starts with him being so suspicious of Zero, yet he ends up being one of his most loyal followers, screaming that Zero will come save the condemned Black Knights when the Four Swords insist that Zero is dead and that they've been abandoned. He's obnoxious and self-important, but he has his good points, and his dream of being a bureaucrat is pretty cool. :)
Lloyd - Omedetou! I love Lloyd's catchphrases. Aha! He's so pleasantly offbeat, but what I like about him is not just that he's strange but that he is so aikawarazu, or unchanging. A character used that word to describe Lloyd, and it was so astute that the two are now inseparable in my mind.
Kaguya - This girl is fazed by nothing. Despite her youth and wealthy upbringing, she is, in the first season, the least selfish member of the Kyoto Group and becomes yet another who is greatly loyal to Zero. She calls him her husband and responds to his popularity with women by saying, "A true hero enjoys physical pleasures!" Haha, what is she, fourteen? She's pretty kickass, never afraid to speak up for what she believes, a source of strength when everything else seems dim.
I spell them all according to the official spellings, but I still say "shitsu," "nanaly," "ka-ren," "ri-val," and "mirei" because I do not like the English pronunciations. What is this "Rivalz"? Seriously.
3. Facial expressions
I seldom am able to name favorite facial expressions for a fandom based on criteria other than "pretty" or "funny." Code Geass' facial expressions are powerful.
The first expression to strike me was Lelouch's look of horror at the end of the first episode. I went back and rewatched those seconds because the feeling evoked was so poignant. It marked both his first kill and his first use of the Geass, both of which must have horrified him.
The second expression was the mad grin that immediately follows this look of horror, as Lelouch realizes how powerful he was. It is a decisive moment for Lelouch, when he chooses to utilize his power to crush Britannia, and the audience knows from the evil look and the chilling "dakara" that the Geass is a double-edged sword. The contrast between the two expressions only makes it stronger.
Other poignant but less powerful expressions in the first episode include Suzaku's Good Guy Smile earlier in the episode, when he says, "I won't hurt a civilian." It's just a smile, but it contains so much resolve. It is a battle between Suzaku's morality and the dozens of soldiers behind him, and he makes his choice with that smile. Another is Lelouch's scared look in that same scene, a.k.a. pre-psycho helpless Lelouch. That's a look that never resurfaces after the mad grin.
Late in the season comes another of Lelouch's most striking expressions, although it's only focused on his eye. When in Episode 22, Lelouch commands the Black Knights to kill Euphemia, his voice is unforgiving, but in the last seconds of the episode, tears fall from his equally unforgiving Geassed eye. If someone isn't paying attention, it can be easily missed.
Suzaku's default expression changes from Season 1 to R2. In Season 1, he frequently wears a kind smile, but it is replaced by a grim seriousness in R2, due to the grief caused by losing both Euphemia and, in a way, Lelouch.
More recently, Milly's expression during her first weather forecast is one of both confidence and humility, as if she is happy with where she is, but she is looking toward the future, knowing that there is much for her to learn and to experience. Perhaps I'm picking at straws and you don't get the same vibes from these expressions as I do, but they speak volumes to me, in an amazing, beautiful way.
4. Everything else
I love how Lelouch's voice switches between a youthful and relatable voice and a chilling and authoritative voice. Unfortunately, Johnny Yong Bosch ain't got nothing on this. Tianzi has the most adorable voice. I love how shiny, pretty, and horribly unrealistic the eyes are. I love ALI PROJECT. <33333 I am not fond of all the fan service in R2, but it's good enough that I'll put up with it. Guren Type 2 and Lancelot were my OTP, but now they're both modified. Damn. I love how Rolo looks like such a damsel in the opening. I love how Lelouch makes symbolism with chess pieces and origami. It's so deliberate, it's hilarious. I love how without Nunnally, Lelouch has nothing or less than nothing. I love how everything has to get ruined the moment it seems to be going well.
Am I finally done with this post? I think I may be ... for now. I joined 15 Code Geass fanlistings today. Expect more ranting in the futures because I am so addicted to this show. <3
Oh btw, link me to all your Code Geass entries so that I can respond to them now. ;) ;)
ipsius, I have decided to respond to every episode of Code Geass from now on, starting with episode 14. This post will be dedicated to Season 1 and R2 1-13 as a whole because I haven't the patience to go through it all separately. Spoilers abound, flailing, fangirling, etc.I'm filtering this to people whom I know watch Code Geass because I don't want curious eyes to peer into 38 episodes worth of spoilers.
I don't think I can possible list all the things I love about Code Geass. The storytelling is spectacular. The character development is superb. The facial expressions, voice acting, music, everything is– is– UGH.
1. Storytelling
Incomparable as they may seem, two of the reasons I love both Gossip Girl and Code Geass are the same: the stories are character-driven and contain movement. Characters I'll talk about later. Movement. Movement (which has everything to do with characters, so perhaps I'm doing this in the wrong order). The problem with series like Bleach or Hunter x Hunter is that 180 chapters into the story, you get the sense that everything is the same as it always was and always will be. In Gossip Girl or Code Geass, everything can change in an instant. Code Geass does it better than Gossip Girl because the characters' problems are much less petty and much more psychotic, filling the story with foreshadowing and irony. Examples:
In the first episode of Season 1, Suzaku defends Lelouch, saying he will never harm a civilian.
In the first episode of Season 2, Suzaku swears that he will kill Lelouch.
HOLY. FUCK. HOW. THAT. GETS. TO. ME. Suzaku and Lelouch were hardcore best friends. ("Hey, Suzaku, wanna blow yourself up to save Nunnally?" "Okay." "This plan would not have worked if I didn't trust Suzaku.") Even in the most recent episode, Lelouch put his trust in Suzaku like he has so many times in the past, despite knowing that Suzaku is his enemy. Never mind that it kind of failed. They are my sailboat for this fandom, and I wish they could get along again.
And offing Euphemia right at the moment when everything was going to end and be perfect? This show wields martyrdom like no one else, and with the audience knowing that Euphemia was sincere and that Lelouch loved Euphie, there's nowhere to turn but heartache when the people slander Euphemia, when Lelouch uses that to his advantage, and when Suzaku swears revenge on Zero.
The show manipulates my feelings like no other. I spend so much time these days lying on the couch, thinking about Code Geass and sighing every so often as I contemplate the characters' pasts and futures. It's kind of cathartic, this fake depression. So much better than real depression.
2. Characters
I'm only going to rant about the characters I love. Notice how it's nearly all of them. Notice that. (I feel as though Nunnally ought to be on this list, but.)
Lelouch - I adore this boy. I didn't at first, but Lelouch is so well-developed, so humanized a psycho, that it's impossible for me not to love him. He's such a loser–a loser who is an idealist, who loves his sister and his friends, who can hide his emotions but who cannot stop them, who trusts his best friend and archenemy with his life, who fails at running, who is awkward with the girl he likes, who is a closet sexual offender, who is a strategic genius, whose ego is so far through the roof that he can wear a mask and a cape and gesticulate dramatically without feeling the least bit embarrassed because HAHAHA THAT IS SO EMBARRASSING, who is a complete psychopath power-trippin' left and right, who will stop at nothing to attain his ultimate goal (although he may not like what comes in his way), but who is often just a helpless boy caught up in his own mistakes without anyone he can fully trust. And his facial expressions? WIN.
"JAPANESE IS OUR HEART!" Whatever you say, Lelouch. (FAKER!) I bet this show would mean so much more if I were Japanese.
Suzaku - Suzaku was the first character I really liked in the series. From the moment the show first wielded the Golden Sword of Martyrdom and shot the guy who said, "I won't harm a civilian" I was in love. He's the Good Guy, who follows the rules and saves lives, and he's part antagonist. This show is so messed up. He's also Lelouch's shinyuu, which UGH. AUGH. WHY CAN'T THEY ALL JUST BE FRIENDS. I hate it when Suzaku is sad. After Euphie died, I stopped liking Suzaku for a while because he was way too sad for me. Geez. I'm glad Lelouch used his Geass on him, suicidal son of a bitch. Another part that got to me: him selling Lelouch for a promotion. I can see
ipsius doing that, but I expected better from Suzaku.C.C. - I love her long, straight, light green hair, but mostly, I find her really funny. Her obsession with Pizza Hut and pizza in general makes me want to support Pizza Hut. Man, I wish they had Cheese-kun here. I'll have to visit Pizza Hut the next time I go to Japan. Her "oh, it's you," when she discovers she's talking to Lelouch during the first school festival was priceless. :) But I had to love her when, after Lelouch lost control of his Geass and killed Euphie, she held him and said, "I told you I'd never leave you," because in that moment, Lelouch was completely helpless, and C.C. was the only one who could ease his suffering.
Kallen - "We're not Elevens! We're Japanese!" This girl has heart. She's the ace of the Black Knights! She can kick ass! But what I love most about her is how loyal she is to Zero. In the first season, she trusts him completely. She doesn't need to know who he was; she believes in him. So many times, she declares, "I'll protect Zero!" Some faith can be viewed as stupid, but I view it as powerful. In the season finale, I was slightly disappointed in her disappointment at Zero's identity, but it was to be expected. I was proud of her when she continued her devotion in R2. I'm guessing either she or C.C. will be Lelouch's next love interest, but I'm rooting for her (though a happy ending is impossible). Plus, I would so be Kallen if I were a character in Code Geass. (Is there a rating community for this?)
Shirley - "She reminds me of Orihime." "Their roles are the same. She's basically just there to have a crush on the protagonist." "And to discover his iden–" "..." "..." "...Thanks." A conversation between
ipsius and myself after I'd just watched episode 12 of Season 1. I spoke too soon. Episode 13 of Season 1 and episodes 12 and 13 of R2 show that she is much more than the girl with the crush. She's the one who understands and loves Lelouch unconditionally. She may have doubts or fears, but in the end, she loves him, and it. just. guh. stop that. Geh, so cute and funny, that girl. ("Even though you're a failure as a person... No, because you are a failure as a person, I need to straighten you out!")Xingke - To paraphrase
ipsius, he has strategic brilliance and heroism but NO TIME. AUGH, ANGST. I love it when Tianzi waves and cries, "Xingke!" SO FREAKING ADORABLE. Who cares if it's like pedophilia? XINGKE AND TIANZI OTP FOR THE WIN.Milly - Milly is a special kind of awesome. The kind that likes to know people's secrets but doesn't like to tell them. (Not just Kallen's but Lelouch's, too.) The kind that plans grand events like giant pizzas and "Cupid's Day" with hats. The kind that maybe has a little crush on Lelouch. Who doesn't? :)
Tamaki - Hypocritical jerk he may be, but somehow, I like that the series starts with him being so suspicious of Zero, yet he ends up being one of his most loyal followers, screaming that Zero will come save the condemned Black Knights when the Four Swords insist that Zero is dead and that they've been abandoned. He's obnoxious and self-important, but he has his good points, and his dream of being a bureaucrat is pretty cool. :)
Lloyd - Omedetou! I love Lloyd's catchphrases. Aha! He's so pleasantly offbeat, but what I like about him is not just that he's strange but that he is so aikawarazu, or unchanging. A character used that word to describe Lloyd, and it was so astute that the two are now inseparable in my mind.
Kaguya - This girl is fazed by nothing. Despite her youth and wealthy upbringing, she is, in the first season, the least selfish member of the Kyoto Group and becomes yet another who is greatly loyal to Zero. She calls him her husband and responds to his popularity with women by saying, "A true hero enjoys physical pleasures!" Haha, what is she, fourteen? She's pretty kickass, never afraid to speak up for what she believes, a source of strength when everything else seems dim.
I spell them all according to the official spellings, but I still say "shitsu," "nanaly," "ka-ren," "ri-val," and "mirei" because I do not like the English pronunciations. What is this "Rivalz"? Seriously.
3. Facial expressions
I seldom am able to name favorite facial expressions for a fandom based on criteria other than "pretty" or "funny." Code Geass' facial expressions are powerful.
The first expression to strike me was Lelouch's look of horror at the end of the first episode. I went back and rewatched those seconds because the feeling evoked was so poignant. It marked both his first kill and his first use of the Geass, both of which must have horrified him.
The second expression was the mad grin that immediately follows this look of horror, as Lelouch realizes how powerful he was. It is a decisive moment for Lelouch, when he chooses to utilize his power to crush Britannia, and the audience knows from the evil look and the chilling "dakara" that the Geass is a double-edged sword. The contrast between the two expressions only makes it stronger.
Other poignant but less powerful expressions in the first episode include Suzaku's Good Guy Smile earlier in the episode, when he says, "I won't hurt a civilian." It's just a smile, but it contains so much resolve. It is a battle between Suzaku's morality and the dozens of soldiers behind him, and he makes his choice with that smile. Another is Lelouch's scared look in that same scene, a.k.a. pre-psycho helpless Lelouch. That's a look that never resurfaces after the mad grin.
Late in the season comes another of Lelouch's most striking expressions, although it's only focused on his eye. When in Episode 22, Lelouch commands the Black Knights to kill Euphemia, his voice is unforgiving, but in the last seconds of the episode, tears fall from his equally unforgiving Geassed eye. If someone isn't paying attention, it can be easily missed.
Suzaku's default expression changes from Season 1 to R2. In Season 1, he frequently wears a kind smile, but it is replaced by a grim seriousness in R2, due to the grief caused by losing both Euphemia and, in a way, Lelouch.
More recently, Milly's expression during her first weather forecast is one of both confidence and humility, as if she is happy with where she is, but she is looking toward the future, knowing that there is much for her to learn and to experience. Perhaps I'm picking at straws and you don't get the same vibes from these expressions as I do, but they speak volumes to me, in an amazing, beautiful way.
4. Everything else
I love how Lelouch's voice switches between a youthful and relatable voice and a chilling and authoritative voice. Unfortunately, Johnny Yong Bosch ain't got nothing on this. Tianzi has the most adorable voice. I love how shiny, pretty, and horribly unrealistic the eyes are. I love ALI PROJECT. <33333 I am not fond of all the fan service in R2, but it's good enough that I'll put up with it. Guren Type 2 and Lancelot were my OTP, but now they're both modified. Damn. I love how Rolo looks like such a damsel in the opening. I love how Lelouch makes symbolism with chess pieces and origami. It's so deliberate, it's hilarious. I love how without Nunnally, Lelouch has nothing or less than nothing. I love how everything has to get ruined the moment it seems to be going well.
Am I finally done with this post? I think I may be ... for now. I joined 15 Code Geass fanlistings today. Expect more ranting in the futures because I am so addicted to this show. <3
Oh btw, link me to all your Code Geass entries so that I can respond to them now. ;) ;)
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Date: 2008-07-13 07:28 am (UTC)