Talkback: Code Geass

[Funkatron]

I'm utterly shocked there isn't a talkback for this show, since its easily one of the better, if not the best shows out this season. Made by Sunrise, whom you know for making Gundam and character designs by Clamp (This is NOT a Clamp show, whioch most people mistake it for). It basically has all the good stuff of Gundam (politcal agendas, some slight angst) with less of the things that get old. Its all earth based with mechas called Knightmare Frames that ride on rollerblade :p. Though most of the action takes place with the relationships than the actual mecha battles...which is actually a good thing.

Basic premise is: The Empire of Britania is taking over the world one country at a time and Japan is thier next conquest. Using Mechs called Knightmare Frames, they pretty much run over the Japan Self defense forces and declare the country thier territory. Japan is renamed Area 11 and the citizens are now simply known as Elevens.

Seven years later, a student in Area Eleven known as Lelouch Lamperouge gets caught in the middle of some Japanese rebels and the Britainian army. The rebels are have stolen something from the government whioch turns out to be a strange girl who gives Lelouche some wierd power known as Geass. Along with his newfound power and his leet tactical skills (from playing chess) he basically guides the rebelion to overthrowing the Britanian rule, which he has a personal grudge against.

I like the fact the main character isn't some leet mech pilot: he's a strategist first and actually lets his power goes to his head a bit. I also love his alter ego which appears later on. I definately recomend this anime, especially for those Gundam fans.

[Ryan227]

I was wondering why there wasn't a talkback for this too. Hmm I've only seen up to about episode five but it's a very good show. When I first heard about it I really thought the title was supposed to be Code Gears :sweat: I love the character designs and the characters themselves as well. I also really liked the first opening (I heard there was a second opening now). A lot of really suprising things that I didn't expect to happen happened, I mean a character I really liked died in like the 3rd episode! My favorite character is Suzaku, he's a goody, goody but I like that...

[Classic Speedy]

It's on my to-watch list, don't worry. Right now I'm swamped in watching DVDs I got for Christmas, though.

[Kagetsu]

It sounds like it could be interesting now that I like Eureka 7, but I can't find anything in my netflix about it. Could it be that new?

[GWOtaku]

Hmm I'll have to check this out...an ANN article on fall/winter season shows didn't make it sound very good, but then again it wouldn't be the first time they've talked something down more than it deserves.

[Tash]

You're not going to find it on Netflix. It's still airing in Japan.

Isn't this that series that most people ignored until they found out about the product placement, then watched it to see the Pizza Hut logos for themselves, then ended up liking it?

[Funkatron]

It sounds like it could be interesting now that I like Eureka 7, but I can't find anything in my netflix about it. Could it be that new?

Its currently only at episode 11 in Japan. Bandai could easily be in the running for licensing it (Since its a Sunrise show)..if they aren't afraid of mecha shows nowadays. PM me for more info.

Hmm I'll have to check this out...an ANN article on fall/winter season shows didn't make it sound very good, but then again it wouldn't be the first time they've talked something down more than it deserves.

Yeah, a lot of people were bashing ANN for it's misrepresentation of the show. Its actually really good, better than I expected.


Hmm I'll have to check this out...an ANN article on fall/winter season shows didn't make it sound very good, but then again it wouldn't be the first time they've talked something down more than it deserves.

Yup. Blatant Pizza Hut plugs FTW

[Malex]

A friend recommended it to me after finding out that I was a huge Death Note fan. He made it seem like it was Death Note with Japanese Nationalism or something like that. After watching the first episode I understood why he recommended it to me. This show really reminds me of the good parts of Gundam with a nice twist of strategy and egoism that reminds me of Death Note. I even joke around about C.C.'s Pizza Hut pizza addiction is just like Ryuk and his apples.

I really like this series, but I am just too impatient in waiting for the next episode.

[silverwings]

This show is the best one you aren't watching.

I felt that the ANN preview (which was based on the first episode alone) really missed the point. Frankly, I don't find the Nationalism to be bad or overbearing at all. *shrugs*

The mecha fights are outstanding, and I love that the main character is NOT a pilot. Nor does he have the uber mecha. :D I don't want to boil it down to Gundam+clamp=WIN.... but, yeah... :anime:

Finally got caught up this weekend, and the show just keeps getting more and more awesome. :D

[Classic Speedy]

Watched seven episodes. It's a pretty darn good show so far. I really like Britannia's ruthlessness, all the backstage politics (like the Japanese prime minister putting on a brave act for the cameras but really being "in bed" with the British in episode 1), Lelouch's mind control technique (and how he can only use it once per person), and the perfect mix of both military and lighter school-based scenes, much like Full Metal Panic. Top notch animation, too.

And Pizza Hut advertisements round out the package. :D

[Funkatron]

Watched seven episodes. It's a pretty darn good show so far. I really like Britannia's ruthlessness, all the backstage politics (like the Japanese prime minister putting on a brave act for the cameras but really being "in bed" with the British in episode 1), Lelouch's mind control technique (and how he can only use it once per person), and the perfect mix of both military and lighter school-based scenes, much like Full Metal Panic. Top notch animation, too.

And Pizza Hut advertisements round out the package. :D

Prime Minister? He's one of the Emperor's sons

[Classic Speedy]

Prime Minister? He's one of the Emperor's sons Oh. Guess I misunderstood. Well at any rate, it was interesting.

[The Weed Of Cri]

Code Geass is an awesome show which, so far, is only available in the U.S. through fansubs. I suspect it will be licensed for American DVD soon, since it's got a great pedigree (Sunrise animation, CLAMP character design, etc.). From what I've seen of it (Eps. #1-4), it's got a very retro feel to it, storywise, with the kind of backfill-heavy alternate universe that's full of politics and intruige (think Mobile Suit Gundam - the original, or Armored Trooper Votoms).

[Juu-kuchi]

After delaying for so long I finally started watching some Code Geass.

It is AWESOME, and because I find it to be such that's why this thread's resurrected.

[Funkatron]

After delaying for so long I finally started watching some Code Geass.

It is AWESOME, and because I find it to be such that's why this thread's resurrected.


They just aired ep 23 and might take a bit of a break before sontinuing the season near mid/end of summer. so far so awesome

[Weatherman]

I guess I just don't get it, or maybe I'm too old to be moved much by stories set in high school. I'm just not digging it very much, but Pizza Hut Supports the Revolution, as my anime club has dubbed it, does had an odd attraction.

[Dark]

Geass jumped the shark pretty hard in the middle, but the last two episodes saved it completely. Great show.

[GWOtaku]

Watched the first episode and I'm pretty interested, it's rather interesting so long as I ignore the drastically overzealous analogy of the setting. Britannia Empire? Nope, no real world commentary on 20th century colonialism here AT ALL. Anyhow, It was rather freaky the way "Lelouch" made all those soldiers shoot themselves at the end, makes me wonder just what kind of powers our protagonist as picked up here...and of course I'm wondering about the identity of the green-haired girl and doubting that she's dead. I doubt the best friend's death too.

I'll have more to say when I see more, this has to be pretty solid given the positive reviews and the fact that it got renewed for more episodes.

[FlyByNite77]

I'll put some spoiler tags in since some people aren't thru with the series.

Loved the series, I will admit at times I was worried about a little too much levity entering into the show, but the last few episodes of the series(season?) totally took away any problems/worries I had and it ends on such a friggin awesome cliffhanger.

From what I understand there's actually two different manga's and one is focused on Lelouch and the other is called Suzaku of the Counter-Attack and focuses on him so it's possible they could switch focus with the series in the future which I hope to hell doesn't happen because Lelouch is one of the greatest teenage characters introduced into anime. Count of Monte Cristo influence FTW... heh

At a couple times I thought the series was moving towards Code Harem and then it seemed like Lelouch was lessening and then BOOM we get Euphie geassed and the death and then everything else. I'm eagerly awaiting the summer and see what happens between the Zero/Suzaku upcoming battle and the United States of Japan ;)

[HellCat]

So wait, England is a bunch of world conquering racists in this?....That makes me a saaaaaad HellCat :crying:

[Vallen Valiant]

So wait, England is a bunch of world conquering racists in this?....That makes me a saaaaaad HellCat :crying:
Mean as it might be, I thought the British are already used to this stereotype appearing on screen?:sweat:

Come on, there has already been hundreds of movies using the same motives. Desensitization should have kicked in by now.:p

[GWOtaku]

So wait, England is a bunch of world conquering racists in this?....That makes me a saaaaaad HellCat :( I'm afraid its a more extreme version of SEED Destiny depicting the White House briefing room behind the EA President. Well Geass isn't quite the same, there's no parliament to be seen (not yet anyway), but its painfully obvious where the Empire's flag comes from. The dehumanization of Japanese people and the fierce nationalism of Britannia (apparently to them Britannian citizens are the only people worth knowing) make for a very black & white scenario where Japan's sovereignty and identity is being destroyed by a punch of hyper-patriotic, evil imperialists that have no problem with killing "Elevens" (Japanese people) on a whim. The rebels are of course labeled as terrorists by the Empire (terrorists as freedom fighters, blah blah). They could have easily designed a more original flag, but they didn't. There's no subtlety to it at all, they're basically smashing us over the head with anti-west rhetoric.

Of course, I'm just saying what's obvious from the first episode. I'm expecting that the series will get into a good story and won't rely on transparent analogies to carry the story to make it seem somehow edgy and relevant. There's definitely good plot here, which is why I'm interested and am going to keep watching for now. The general setting however isn't very deep, and its obvious to me that this was done intentionally for the sake of making a point.

[MeggieMay]

So wait, England is a bunch of world conquering racists in this?....That makes me a saaaaaad HellCat :crying:Well I hear that one of the last show this director made as a director/creator was Gasaraki (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=264), which was all about world conquering racist Americans. It seems this guy has issues with English speaking caucasians in general and is very nationalistic/pro Japan.

Which makes the Pizza Hut stuff all the more amusing to me, seeing there is nothing more American than Pizza Hut (it began in Wichita, Kansas) :evil:. Just how Pizza Hut actually exists in a alternative future where the English took over the U.S. makes my mind boggle. There are some serious logic issues going on here, IMO :sweat:

[Rob_TF]

Well I hear that one of the last show this director made as a director/creator was Gasaraki (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=264), which was all about world conquering racist Americans. It seems this guy has issues with English speaking caucasians in general and is very nationalistic/pro Japan.

Um, the director of Code Geass is Goro Taniguchi, whose previous works include Planetes, S-cry-ed and Infinite Ryvius. He did not work on Gasaraki.

[Kou Kinkaide]

Well I hear that one of the last show this director made as a director/creator was Gasaraki (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=264), which was all about world conquering racist Americans. It seems this guy has issues with English speaking caucasians in general and is very nationalistic/pro Japan.

Which makes the Pizza Hut stuff all the more amusing to me, seeing there is nothing more American than Pizza Hut (it began in Wichita, Kansas) :evil:. Just how Pizza Hut actually exists in a alternative future where the English took over the U.S. makes my mind boggle. There are some serious logic issues going on here, IMO :sweat:

It's obvious.
Everybody loves Pizza Hut, even your racist citizens and haressed slaves.

[Conan-san]

I guess you can only take crap weather and crap television for so long before you snap.

[HellCat]

I'd be first to admit this country has done some terrible things. Still, Geass' base concept leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I'd feel that way about any country painting another in a cheap light. Far from the worst insult ever but still...ouch.

[Vallen Valiant]

I'd be first to admit this country has done some terrible things. Still, Geass' base concept leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I'd feel that way about any country painting another in a cheap light. Far from the worst insult ever but still...ouch.
You can blame the Italians if you like.:p

According to the history taught within the Code Geass universe, the earliest split in timeline from our own begain when the Romans failed to conquer the British Isles due to a powerful king rising up against them, and the King became the ancestor of the Britannia royal family. So it's all the Italian's fault.:D

[The Weed Of Cri]

So wait, England is a bunch of world conquering racists in this?....That makes me a saaaaaad HellCat :crying:

Wow. If one bad depiction of your homeland depresses you, you're lucky you're not an American. The way we're depicted would make you suicidal. Everybody hates America, including a disturbing percentage of Americans. But when Kim Jong-Mentally-Il and the mad mullahs in Iran become nuclear powers and start rattling their sabers in the rest of the world's face, who ya gonna call?

[FlyByNite77]

Yea I think the Code Geass alternate history is presented on a DVD extra, It also says that the calendar system in Code Geass is based on the failed invasion by Caesar... so since that occurred in 54-55 BC our time, that probably means any year in Code Geass would need 55 added to it so Code Geass is taking place in the 2070's probably in our time.

The one thing I wonder is then are the main inhabitants of Brittania (or atleast the UK region we know today that would be the "headquarters of the empire") actually Celts?

The Celts were the main inhabitants of Britain and the region when Caesar invaded so if they managed to overpower the Roman empire and form a kingdom is it not a Celtic Kingdom? The Anglo-Saxon's didn't begin any major incursions of Britain until the 300 or 400's I think. So then if Britain had already formed into a significant nation by that time and if this line of succession in the Brittanian Empire can indeed be traced back to that first King perhaps they also repelled the Anglo-Saxon invasions which killed around 50% of the Celtic population in the process.

So then that would make this world empire in Code Geass actually the "Irish"? ;)

[Vallen Valiant]

Yea I think the Code Geass alternate history is presented on a DVD extra, It also says that the calendar system in Code Geass is based on the failed invasion by Caesar... so since that occurred in 54-55 BC our time, that probably means any year in Code Geass would need 55 added to it so Code Geass is taking place in the 2070's probably in our time.

The one thing I wonder is then are the main inhabitants of Britannia (or at least the UK region we know today that would be the "headquarters of the empire") actually Celts?

The Celts were the main inhabitants of Britain and the region when Caesar invaded so if they managed to overpower the Roman empire and form a kingdom is it not a Celtic Kingdom? The Anglo-Saxon's didn't begin any major incursions of Britain until the 300 or 400's I think. So then if Britain had already formed into a significant nation by that time and if this line of succession in the Brittanian Empire can indeed be traced back to that first King perhaps they also repelled the Anglo-Saxon invasions which killed around 50% of the Celtic population in the process.

So then that would make this world empire in Code Geass actually the "Irish"? ;)
BUWHAHAHAAAAAAA!!!!
Man, you are the first person to point this out in the last six months!:D
Yep, it sounds like Britannia might be the Irish Empire instead.:anime:
(I will be reposting your info on other threads if you don't mind.)

[MeggieMay]

Um, the director of Code Geass is Goro Taniguchi, whose previous works include Planetes, S-cry-ed and Infinite Ryvius. He did not work on Gasaraki.:loud screech sound: I KNEW I should have left that more vague than I did :(. However, Goro did work on Gasaraki, according to ANN - he was a assistant director on it

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=3109

Staff in:
After War Gundam X (TV) (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=1241) : Storyboard, Episode Director
Code Geass - Lelouch of the Rebellion (TV) (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6704) : Director, Storyboard (OP1, OP2, ep 1), Opening Animation, Original story :<:
Earthian (OAV) (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=142) : Production Coordination
Gasaraki (TV) (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=264) : Assistant director :<:
(snip)Now, I was still wrong. I actually knew I was fuzzy on who did what last night but I was having a hard time working out just who I had read had worked on both shows. All I had remembered was someone making a comment at another board about some of the people working on both of the shows and that they tended to like to make the "bad guys" non Japanese/usually American and that this time they had just moved on to the U.K. (the poster who made the comment made it in a humors way) :sweat:. Of course this is ANN I'm using as a source and they could be wrong on who worked on what. However, the original comment wasn't quoting ANN - the person said they had watched Gasaraki and knew the link from that.

As to the timeline split in the series - I hadn't heard it happened that far back (I've not been following the show that closely). Something else that the person who brought up that this would be a Celtic Kingdom - you may need to do more history checking on that because I don't think it would be a kingdom of the Irish but of the Britons or the Welsh. The country now known as England was originally inhabited by the Briton, who I think were closer to being related to the Welsh than the Irish (maybe Hellcat knows more, seeing this would be domestic history for them (<sarcasm>like most of us stayed awake in school during history class </sarcasm> ;) )) :sweat:. Here are some Wiki pages to help start looking into the historical background

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wales
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brythons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A1l_Riata
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland

The main thing is that if this split happened at the time Rome invaded the British Isles and they didn't win, then several other things may not have happened. First, the before mentioned invasions of the Anglo Saxson's but also the invasions by the Vikings of all of northern Europe that pre-date that (the Anglo Saxson's are French Vikings, IIRC from watching The History of Britain TV show). Most people who have a English (as in United Kingdom) or Northern European background have some Norse blood because of all of the raping and pillaging that went on during the Viking invasions.

[FlyByNite77]

BUWHAHAHAAAAAAA!!!!
Man, you are the first person to point this out in the last six months!:D
Yep, it sounds like Britannia might be the Irish Empire instead.:anime:
(I will be reposting your info on other threads if you don't mind.)


Heh no problem just something I was speculating on when I was looking at the alternate history angle of Code Geass. I'm stretching it a bit calling it the Irish Empire I guess more fitting would be Celtic Empire. The Celts in Ireland and Britain had skirmishes between them so they're not entirely the same, but when the Anglo-Saxons invasion of Britain began, large portions of the British Celts fled to Scotland and Ireland and the populations intermingled.

Also the Celts in both countries at that time were known to hold high revere for the Druids with the Druids often associating with the rulers so it could explain some of things in Code Geass (gonna spoiler this out)

For instance the Emperor is said to be seeking those ancient ruins so that could be a Druid connection and possibly be why only the royal family and those close to it even know about them. It would be interesting to see if in a future season if we find out that Stonehenge is indeed one of those special places that they had already found out (probably the first one)

[silverwings]

Huh. I just assumed that the split timeline happened during the Civil War - i.e. we lost. *shrugs*

For those who find the nationalism disturbing, would it be any more so if this was on some alien planet with no relation to our own? (Meaning, invading country X takes over country Y and Y forms rebellion to fight back)

[HellCat]

Huh. I just assumed that the split timeline happened during the Civil War - i.e. we lost. *shrugs*

For those who find the nationalism disturbing, would it be any more so if this was on some alien planet with no relation to our own? (Meaning, invading country X takes over country Y and Y forms rebellion to fight back)

For me, it's the context. We're very much dealing with real countries in this example and with countries that are known to be very critical with foreigners, such as the bulk of Asia, it can come off as an insult. I'm not saying a country can't be portrayed in an extremist light for the purpose of fiction, but an example such as this where England is subjegating the nation the show is produced in and going to some pretty extreme lengths (renaming the country and it's citizens), it does make you wonder about the world views of the staff. What would the reaction be if I reversed the idea and created an AU where a xenophobic Japan had conquered most of Europe?

[Funkatron]

I just love the fact that if you pay attention to maps of thr world in the show, America is already in Britania's clutches. This could mean one of 3 things:


US was one of Britania's recent conquests.
Colonies lost the Revelutionary war
Colonies never revolted and America was always a part of the Empire

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Just finished watching 23. What a way to put the season on hiatus. This show really is intense, and I love the characters and plot. Can't wait to see more.

Particularly with the way Lelouch has gotten so messed up in the past couple of episodes, it should be really interesting to see how everything unfolds.


For me, it's the context. We're very much dealing with real countries in this example and with countries that are known to be very critical with foreigners, such as the bulk of Asia, it can come off as an insult.

The most recent episode also criticized Japanese peoples attitude towards foreigners as well. This isn't a jaded or nationalistic view of things.

In fact, Code Geass seems very much anti-nationalism to me.

[GWOtaku]

Well, in spite of the criticism I have to say, episode 2 was rather awesome. I like how chess gets brought into his planning, the action was well paced, and this subplot with the best friend has potential--ha, I knew he wasn't dead. The ending was amazing too....

LeLouch is royalty and has a legitimate claim to the throne? Whoa.

[Dark]

I just love the fact that if you pay attention to maps of thr world in the show, America is already in Britania's clutches. This could mean one of 3 things:


US was one of Britania's recent conquests.
Colonies lost the Revelutionary war
Colonies never revolted and America was always a part of the Empire

Well, they could just be very strong allies, Lke NATO, so that when one declares war the other immediately declares war and can be used as a launching point. Maybe a reversal of the US/British relationship of today is a bad example, but more like Canada/Britain? Also, I don't think the presense of Pizza Hut is out of place. We've seen no hint that Britainia intentionally influences the economies of occupied nations, just politically.

[Baseball]

I saw the first few episodes when it started airing, but it didn't interest me that much and I put it off. This weekend, I caught up all at once from episode 4 to episode 23. All I can say is...

Holy moly. This show is incredible. For any of you SEED fans, remember the period in Destiny around episode 28 where they seem to kick up the awesome for a good ten or so episodes? Code Geass is like that the entire way through. I am so pumped for the next episode, and I love it.

Summer has never felt so far away.

[Juu-kuchi]

Finally, a definite release date for 24 and 25:
I mentioned yesterday that there will be a one-hour special for CODE GEASS airing on the night of July 28th. That same August issue Newtype has also confirmed that that date will indeed be when the final two episodes of CODE GEASS are airing. For those of you marking your calendars, that’s a Saturday, and I can’t wait to have Gurren Lagann and CODE GEASS together on the same blogging day (even if it’s only once).

[kaine23]

There's a short commerical promoting the Stage 24 & 25 Special out now. Heh, United States of Japan. ^^

[GWOtaku]

Couldn't help noticing the girl student who was, shall we say, head over heels smitten with Euphemia was piloting a mech in the commercial, no doubt with fantasies of revenge. Well, there's one obvious casualty. I don't hold out much hope for the Britannian pilot Jeremiah either, it seems like he's not even himself anymore. Of course he was gone for half the show, so that fact doesn't impact me as much as other potential deaths.

[GWOtaku]

Episodes 24 and 25 are out. I'm half done, thoughts will come soon...

[Kurokawa41]

Half-done...? Care to elaborate? Though, I'd rather you tell me on AIM, it's er... more... accessible, at the moment, yes. (Ahem.)

[GWOtaku]

Half done as in I saw 24 but haven't seen 25, the second half. The episodes aired as a one-hour special in Japan.

[Kurokawa41]

Yeah, I figured, since they kept promoting them together like that, and they aired together.

[GWOtaku]

Holy crap...

I don't know what to say. Still processing everything. Need some time to review it all calmly.

All I can say is, this ended on a cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers. The wait between now and season 2 is going to be devastating. This was one amazing show right up to the end.

[Vallen Valiant]

Couldn't help noticing the girl student who was, shall we say, head over heels smitten with Euphemia was piloting a mech in the commercial, no doubt with fantasies of revenge. Well, there's one obvious casualty. I don't hold out much hope for the Britannian pilot Jeremiah either, it seems like he's not even himself anymore. Of course he was gone for half the show, so that fact doesn't impact me as much as other potential deaths.
Jeremiah was suppose to have died long ago, but his popularity amongst both the production staff and fans had extended his role up to now. He is on borrowed time, so one way or another he shall die soon.

[Kurokawa41]

Mm... I don't think they ever showed the fate of Ougi, did they?

[Juu-kuchi]

Mm... I don't think they ever showed the fate of Ougi, did they? Nope. Just that he was injured. Same with Cornelia. That said, Season 2 has to get here as soon as it can and that all of you must support the rebellion when it releases stateside.

[Kurokawa41]

Willing to bet Cornelia dies. Dunno about Ougi...

[rubberchicken]

I SHALL RESURRECT THIS THREAD FROM THE PITS OF DESPAIR

Anyway, I finally sat down and watched Geass all the way through. Definitely an awesome series for trying to take a realistic view of the situation in a genre that's too often plagued with fantasy idealism, and for not being afraid to kick both its heroes and its villains in the face when they need it.

But that ending... WTF? Sunrise made us wait months for a resolution to the last cliffhanger only to saddle us with another cliffhanger? Argh.

In any case, I've been reading the theories flying around about the direction the next series is going to go. A lot of people seem to think that it's going to do an about-face "Code Geass: Suzaku of Britannia."

While Lelouch did what he felt needed to be done, regardless of how an ethics professor might view them, Suzaku decided to take the high road by improving Britannia from within. That's more than a little naive in a series where Britannians consider Japanese to be second or third-class citizens, but we'll give him credit for wishing (even though, as one man in a much larger army, he could never prevent all of the atrocities and massacres from taking place, no matter how much he tried.) Things take a turn for the better when Euphemia enters the picture and tries to bring about positive change in a similar manner. Sacrifices have to be made, she makes them, and even Lelouch seems to be agreeable to the idea of a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Then there's the tragic accident involving the geas, and everything falls apart. The peace is broken, and Lelouch stops the massacre the only way he can: by killing Euphemia. This essentially rallies the entire Japanese population behind Zero, and in so doing essentially destroys Suzaku's dreams of peaceful resolution.

Where does Suzaku go now? At the moment he has only one goal - killing Lelouch. But what then? With Japan in open revolt, he's no longer in a position to improve Japanese conditions by working with the Britannians. Any work he does from this point on will involve putting down the rebellion, which will only earn him further resentment and hatred from the people. Not putting down the rebellion will force him to perpetuate the lie that Zero has told them about Euphemia's actions. Blowing the lid off of Zero's secret identity, his power, and the truth behind Euphemia's death is another option. But what happens then? The Japanese people will first despair at having been used, and then will become still angrier at the Britannians - many of them will probably interpret the entire Zero escapade as an elaborate Britannian excuse to crack down on Area 11.

Suzaku really has no future as a "hero" in this story. We sympathize with him for what he's lost, and for what he's going through... but nobody's going to root for him, because he doesn't even have an idea of what he wants!


Meanwhile, although Lelouch still has his "I am a smug, confident ass and that makes me this story's HERO! Bow down and submit, mortals!" look on his face at the end of the final episode, this really marks a major turning point for his character. This actually has nothing to do with his secret identity being found out, or with the large bomb strapped to his chest, or with the fact that CC has the hots for him. It goes back to his conversation with Cornelia, when he finally asks the question he's been dying to ask ever since episode 3. The revolution is going swimmingly, Cornelia is at his nonexistent vengeful mercy, and now she's going to tell him who killed his mom.

Only she doesn't. She doesn't know. Not only that, but it seems like Marianne knew more about her impending doom than anybody else.

Oops.

Lelouch has been able to march on through the good and the bad times in this series because he never looks back. His eye is always on the goal, and his thoughts focus on formulating a strategy to get there - which concerns the present and the future, and not the past. He's hardly without human emotion; we see genuine sadness and regret when he puts the geas on Shirley, when he has the accident with Euphemia, and when Euphemia later dies. But once these instances are behind him, he doesn't dwell on them; there's nothing to be gained by looking back.

But now Cornelia has brought his entire master plan crashing to the ground. This essentially forces him to go back - ALL the way back, to the beginning of the series - and start over... but the situation has changed considerably, mostly due to his own actions. This is the point where he will be forced to face up to what he's done, both good and bad, during the series, and his reaction to that knowledge will show us what kind of man he is. He's not a tragic hero - not yet, at least - but whether the sequel redeems or destroys him is still an open question.

Personally, I'm leaning towards redemption. Admittedly, this is mostly informed by the fact that I like Lelouch as a character, and sympathize with him. The other thing that makes me wonder is the final little "epilogue" with CC. Although at first her thoughts sound like regret for the path Lelouch has taken ("oh, nobody can blame him for wanting a little happiness, but seeking happiness in this way will only bring the rage of others") but the tone of the entire speech changes at the very end, when CC smiles while thinking that one must first know despair and sadness before knowing hope and happiness. To me this seems like a pretty strong foreshadowing of the direction the next season will go. If CC, the closest Code Geass has to an omniscient narrator, suggests that things will get better in the end, then they probably will.

Anyway, other predictions.

Lelouch does not get shot. The Sakuradite going off would eliminate all the characters who drive the story. Obvious.

Karen does not get shot. It would be a waste of her character.

Suzaku probably does get shot, either by Karen or by the lone gunman on the grassy knoll. It probably won't be fatal, but this is likely the only thing that will stop him from killing Lelouch.

No idea how the Lelouch vs. Karen vs. Nanaly throwdown will play out. He can't use the geas on either of them, which eliminates what would be the obvious solution.

Cyber-Jeremiah's hopefully not dead, since he's a bottomless lol mine.

Nina is absolutely not going to set off the nuke, since doing so would eliminate pretty much all the characters except for Lelouch, Suzaku, Karen, and Nanaly.

The seriously-injured characters (Ougi and Cornelia) are probably going to pull through, although Cornelia's looking a little shakier than Ougi. One hopes that Viletta will come around at some point; it looked like she felt a little regret (very little, maybe) at the end.

Japan is in full Fifth of November mode right now, and they're not likely to calm down any time soon. Lelouch's conduct during the battle, however, will probably result in considerable internal strife among the rebels. "Where the hell is Zero?!" should have been the title of the final episode, since that was probably the most commonly-uttered line of dialogue. Even if Karen doesn't go blow his identity (either because Lelouch kills her or manages to talk her out of it), they're not going to trust him again.