#Code Geass episode 42

[codegeassfacts]

Lelouch is dead at the end of R2, and really, really dead // Canon

I know that with the AU revival and the Code theorist afficionados, a lot of people still try to pretend Lelouch's survival was up to interpretation, but that's not the truth of the original anime, and since this blog is dedicated to the canon anime, I thought it might be wise to write an article about that with canon quote; There are some great article which have been written on the internet, but in a lof of cases, some informations were missing, so I gathered everything, added what missed and added a Link at the end for a great Reddit post which will also debunk the Code theory.

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First off, you have to know that before the airing of the final episode, Taniguchi asked the viewers to rewatch the first episode of the anime.

While we didn't knew why, it was actually because of Lelouch's very iconic line : "Only those who are prepared to be killed should kill."

'Continue' vol 42, (October 2008)

Ichiro Okouchi, "Lelouch dead!? Was it a good one or a bad one!?"

- Still, isn't it possible that defeating the wise ruler Schneizel, the person who was supposed to have brought order to the world, might lead to some [viewers] interpreting it as a Bad End?

Okouchi: That's true. There are probably a lot of people who think of it as a Bad End, a tragedy, considering the protagonist's, Lelouch's end as well. However, Lelouch says in the first episode: "Only those prepared to be shot are allowed to pull the trigger themselves." If you were to think of that as his pride, then I think his getting shot (killed) in the end was a logical end. Of course, I understand that not all of the viewers will accept this ending. There were people who wanted a happier ending, after all.

- Was there a dispute among the staff members regarding the ending?

Okouchi: No. It was decided fairly naturally. During the "Code Geass" script meetings, there are many cases in which there were a number of disputes, but there were barely any when it came to the scripts for (the previous series's) episode 25 and the final episode. I think everyone felt the same when it came to the end of the character that is Lelouch.

- Why were you so bold as to choose this ending when the viewers might see it as a Bad End?

Okouchi: Bold... yes, we were so bold as to chose this ending. Perhaps the show that is "Code Geass" ending up this way was decided the moment Director Taniguchi and I teamed up. I suppose you can call it our sense of aesthetics, or perhaps a part of our psychological makeup.

- I see. So Lelouch's decision was also your, Mr. Okouchi's, and Director Taniguchi's decision.

Okouchi: Which is why I think of both our and Lelouch's decision as Happy Ends. I believe that there will be better things in the tomorrow awaiting Nunnally, Kallen and the rest who have been left behind. And surely Lelouch, who was able to make this into a reality, can only be happy [about this].***

****(Once again, as Okouchi will confirm over and over in interviews and tweet you can find in this post, that Lelouch's death was Vlanned both by him and Taniguchi)

- Some unresolved mysteries still remain.

Okouchi: From the very beginning, [I/we] never planned on explaining everything. In fact, if you ask me, I think we might have overdone the explanations. While it's undeniable that Lelouch's story has ended with a full stop, the other characters' stories are still on-going, and it's not like the world [of Code Geass] itself has come to an end either. [I/we] didn't want to end it by closing it up for good."[1]

Animage 10 (Oct 2008), 11 (Nov 2008)

- Animage: The ending's outcome turned out as such, but do you think Lelouch was happy?

Okouchi: I think that this (work) was not a bad end, but a good end. This already appeared in Lelouch and C.C.'s conversation in Stage 7 of S1, but people who are 'just' living their lives are uninteresting. Lelouch saved his beloved sister and made the kind world that he envisioned, a reality. His life was not in vain. That's why, Lelouch was smiling in the end."

Okouchi: (...) That end is to Lelouch and to Suzaku both the punishment and the salvation at the same time. It's also connected to the words Lelouch said at the beginning: "Utte ii no wa utareru kakugo no aru yatsu dake da." The person who gave the punishment was punished themselves and if you want to get the salvation, give the salvation first. Of course it's also the same with Lelouch's decision to accepts the geass (wish), because he geassed many people, as he himself has said in the show. [He refers to the last episode when Lelouch says what the people of the world wish for]

- Animage: So you accept the end of the show? 

Fukuyama: I think that before he reached that final scene, Lelouch had many possibilities to choose from. But he understood very well what he had done and had to pay the price for that. Suzaku chooses to live as Zero and was awarded the opportunity to pay for his sins by this choice. And Lelouch got his salvation by choosing not the happiness of living on but to sacrifice his own life to create the situation for the world to move forward. If you think about his character, I don't think he would still be himself, if he chose other end. 

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On the subject of Interviews I'll add some of Taniguchi's words about the matter, cause the guy never ever implied that Lelouch could be alive (even though he seems to have forgotten Internet never lose it's memory, given how to tried to justify Resurrection)

--Was the final episode something you thought of from the very beginning?

Taniguchi: Yes. The ending was decided upon beforehand. Although it was eventually cut, I actually had [Okouchi] write a script for episode 1, one which began with the scene of Suzaku attempting to kill Lelouch. I'm talking about episode 1 of the previous series, not R2.

"Of course, I understand that not all of the viewers will accept this ending. There were people who wanted a happier ending, after all."

While I think of this as a good ending, I want to let the viewers think for themselves****

*** The argument about viewers choosing for themselves was NEVER ABOUT LELOUCH'S FATE, it was always about if the ending was a good or a happy ending; I was surprises to see it used over and over again since the revival AU because after the and of the show, despite this line being firtly mistranslated, as soon as the right translation came out, it seemed to settle things for good. But wrong informations always spread like wildfyre in the end.

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On Nunnally's visions when touching Lelouch's hand that would be a proof he has a Code :

Mook Animedia (28 January 2009, p.89-90)

Q: "How did Nunnally manage to realize Lelouch true intention, when she touched his hand at the end?" Staff member K: "The way Nunnally can tell that someone is lying, just like she was able to tell that Lohmeyer was lying to her, is that she can feel the hand of the person she is talking to is sweating or lightly trembling. It's nothing like Geass or some special ability like that." Staff member Y: "Yes. So, she simply came to conclusion [Lelouch was lying] by herself, because of this ability." Staff member K: "She is Marianne's daughter and Lelouch's little sister. Two months have passed since that defeat of Schneizel and for this two months she's been wondering constantly about what had happened, like "why it happened?" and so on. So when she touched Lelouch's hand at the end she felt that he is calm, she put the two and two together and realized the truth. Of course, we know that in anime, it's hard to explain things like that, but yeah, please accept it like this kind of "romantic"(*) idea" we had." [3]

(*) the word "roman" is used here. It means something one finds beautiful in general

My own Words : Basically she didn't saw the image that were flashed, those were only for us to understand that she understood, she just understood about his lie; no vision whatsoever (anyway those were really different from Code bearer vision so I never understood how such a far fatched argument could be used)

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C.C.'s Character profile :

Animage 10 (Oct 2008)

Floating text: "C.C. - Her wish was to die as a human, but after spending time with Lelouch, C.C. also wished for tomorrow. She made up her mind to ensure the tomorrow of the world that Lelouch had left."

C.C.'s profile on GeassNet

"..Knowing that Lelouch does not hate her for giving him the Geass, she is now able to show her true feelings. With the realization of "Zero Requiem", her time with Lelouch, who was able to forgive and accept her, came to an end, but the memories created with him has, without doubt, saved her from eternal loneliness."[1]

My own Words : If C.C. isn't with Lelouch, no cart driver theory is possible, this really leave no room to interpretation, her time with Lelouch came to an end, it's not her time with the demon emVeror, simply with Lelouch.

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Ichiro Okouchi Geass memories on Twitter :

"Before I started writing the story of a person called Lelouch, I confirmed with Taniguchi-director something. That thing was that the end of Lelouch will be death."

"At least he is aware of his sins and pays for them with his death."

"This man called Lelouch will pay for his sins by his death. The story follows him till he finally make this decision."

"Probably this Lelouch we see in the first episode of the series wouldn't choose death. He would try something to avoid it. He couldn't die, for Nunnally as well. But we see him changed in the last episode."  

Editor analysis: These tweets confirm that there was no disagreement between the creators when it came to the death of Lelouch (see Notes below). They also confirm that his death was decided on from the very start of the production process, even before the writing had started. And finally, these tweets are truly very explicit, the word "death" here can really not be interpreted as "death for a minute or so".

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The Official Guide Book

The "Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 The Complete Official Guide Book Art book"[8] repeatedly states that Lelouch is dead:

"Lelouch, who gathered not just his sister's but the sins of all of his kin, tells Suzaku that he wants him to kill him. And, atoning for his sin of killing his father by becoming Zero and devoting himself to world peace. That is Suzaku's wish. Pierced by Suzaku's sword, Lelouch dies with a satisfied smile on his face. The curtains are lowered upon the history of one boy who performed the perfect 'evil' to the end." [9][10]

"For those two who bear the heavy sin known as killing their fathers, they share the belief that they can forgive each other by imposing the greatest punishments on themselves. Death for Lelouch who wishes for a tomorrow with his sister, life for Suzaku who wishes to atone for his sins through death. Suzaku, who accepts the weight of Zero's mask, gives his gratitude to Lelouch. For the fact that he can atone for his sins. For the results of fulfilling his own wish." [11]

"In the end, Nunnally isn't even allowed to bear her brother's sins. Until right before her brother dies, she seems to want to hate him for that. Upon realizing the truth behind her brother's actions, Nunnally clings to her brother's corpse and wails. And then, she succeeds her brother's will and starts walking together with Suzaku, who has become Zero, down the road as a ruler who creates peace. Because that alone is the one and only thing she can do for her brother." [12]

From the time line chart: "Emperor Lelouch, during the parade before executing the rebels in Japan, is attacked by Zero and perishes."

Turn 25: "However, Suzaku, masquerading as Zero who is thought to have died in the war before, appears and stabs Lelouch to death with a sword in front of the crowd." [13]

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The New Epilogue (ZR Blu-ray)

The official blu-ray release contains the "Zero Requiem movie" which recaps R2. This ZR movie is the same as R2, but has a 50sec new epilogue. The old epilogue with C.C. on the hay cart scene is dropped and replaced by a new epilogue where C.C. narrates to the audience while beautiful art scrolls past in the background.

C.C.'s narration: "A young man dies. He had the power to change the world, to create a new order. The world feared him, hated him. But, I know he died with a smile on his face. Only those who have realized their dream will truly understand that feeling of utter contentment. So, this is not a tragedy. And whenever I feel sad or cry at night, I sing a song. A song of man's making. Zero Requiem!" [14]

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Miraculous Birthday picture drama

And let's not forget about the Miraculous Birthday where Lelouch appears and spend a final day with everyone in Ashford through C's world, before disappearing at the very end, which would be quite complicated if the man was still alive.

You can watch it here .

And Finally a very interesting analysis and debunk of the Code theory done by a redditor; if you need more food for thoughts after all of this. You can click right there

Rest in peace, Lelouch.

[daegupaksu]

 Please ignore this if you want as I want to put a list of animes I watched so far. Or you can see through this for you to have a new show to watch. It’s not a recommendation, just a list.

Last update: 23/06/2024

Animes watched (Finished)

1. Code Geass (2 seasons) - action, supernatural, drama

2. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection (OVA) - action, supernatural, drama

3. Cardcaptor Sakura (3 seasons, 2 OVAs) - adventure, fantasy, school life

4. Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card – adventure, fantasy, school life

5. Toward the Terra (2007) - Sci-fi, action, drama

6. Hetalia (5 seasons?) – comedy, history(?)

7. Kobato - Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance

8. La Corda D’oro (2 seasons) - Otome, music, school life

9. La Corda D’oro: Blue Sky - Otome, music, school life

10. Yumeiro Patissiere (2 seasons) – culinary, otome (?), school-life

11. Vampire Knight (2 seasons) – Romance, otome(?), supernatural

12. Brothers’ Conflict – Otome, slice of life, comedy

13. Sengoku Nightblood- isekai, otome, historical, adventure, supernatural

14. Ikemen Sengoku: Bromance across time - spin-off, comedy, history

15. Libra of Nil Admirari – otome, adventure, fantasy

16. Meiji Tokyo Renka – isekai, otome, historical (?), slice of life

17. Shokugeki no Souma (5 seasons) – culinary, adventure, school-life

18. Spy X Family (2 seasons) – Adventure, comedy

19. Ouran High School Host Club – Comedy, school-life, otome(?)

20. Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama – romance, comedy, school-life

21. Special A – school-life, romance (?), comedy

22. Clannad: After School – romance, drama

23.Magic-Kyun! Renaissance – adventure, fantasy, otome

24. The Royal Tutor (1 season, 1 OVA) – Comedy, Royalty setting, slice of life

25. Danganronpa – Horror, supernatural, school-life(?)

26. Hibike! Euphonium (3 seasons, 2 OVAs) – Music, school-life

27. Fruits Basket (2019) (3 seasons) – Romance, slice of life, comedy(?)

28. Rokuhoudou: Yotsuiro Biyori – culinary, slice of life

29. Koi to Yobu ni wa Kimochi Warui – romance, slice of life, comedy

30. Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of life (2 seasons) – music, school-life

31. Bonjour♪Sweet Love Patisserie – otome, culinary, school-life

32. Sugar Apple Fairytale (2 parts) – culinary, otome(?), fantasy, adventure

33. Kamigami no Asobi – isekai, otome, fantasy

34. Izakaya Nobu – culinary, isekai, slice of life

35. Skip beat! – romance(?), music, slice of life

36. Cells at Work! (2 seasons) – education, comedy

37. Cells at Work!: BLACK – education, comedy(?)

38. Campfire cooking in another world with my absurd skill – isekai, culinary, adventure, fantasy

39. Runway de Waratte - Fashion, friendship, working life

40. My happy marriage - Romance, supernatural

41. Blue orchestra – Music, school-life

42. Restaurant to another world - culinary, fantasy

43. Sailor Moon Crystal (3 seasons) - Fantasy, Adventure

44. The Apothecary Diaries - Historical, Medical, Mystery

45. Dr. Elise - Reincarnation, Medical, romance, Royalty setting

46. The 7th Time Loop - Reincarnation, Romance, Royalty setting

47. The Raven of the Inner Palace – Mystery, supernatural, historical

48. Vampire Dormitory – Genderbending, supernatural, romance, otome

49. The Case Files of Jeweler Richard - Drama, Mystery, potential BL

50. 100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of Dreams – isekai, otome, adventure, fantasy

51. Arte – Rennaissance setting, art, work life, slice of life

On-going Animes (> 5 episodes watched)

1. Kamisama Kiss - otome(?), romance, comedy, supernatural

2. Hakuouki – otome, historical

3. Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits – culinary, isekai, otome(?), fantasy

4. Bibliophile Princess – otome, romance, royalty setting

5. Earl and the Fairy - Fantasy, romance (?)

6. Butlers: A millennium century story - mystery, drama

7. A condition called love – romance, slice of life, school life

8. Wotakoi – romance, comedy, working life

[legion1227]

74 shows I watched this year: Ranked from least favorite to Most

74. Resident Evil (2/5)                    (Lance Reddick Wesker is only good thing)

73. Mike (2.5/5)                             (Poorly paced)

72. Shenmue (3/5)                         (Decent animation, middling plot)

71. Murderville (3/5)                       (Peaked with Conan o Brien episode)

70. Wednesday (3/5)                      (All the guys in the show suck)

69. Haikyu!! (Seasons 1-2) (3/5)       (Cute, but not for me)

68. Ms. Marvel (3/5)                       (Liked first half more)

67. The Walking Dead (Season 11: Parts 2 & 3) (3/5)     (Decent final ep)

66. Doom Patrol (Seasons 1-3) (3/5)              (Great cast)

65. Assassination Classroom (Season 2) (3/5)    (Season 1 was better)

64. Bel-Air (3.5/5)                                  (started fine, lost steam)

63. Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight (3.5/5) (great to have Jack Black back)

62. Euphoria (Season 2) (3.5/5)     (Enjoyable schlock)

61. Violet Evergarden (3.5/5)         ( Amazing animation, likable main lead)

60. The Orville (Seasons 1-3) (3.5/5)        (season 3 elevated the show)

59. The Righteous Gemstones (Seasons 1-2) (3.5/5)   (chaotically endearing)

58. Book of Boba Fett (3.5/5)              (Should’ve focused more on Boba)

57. Tekken: Bloodline (3.5/5)            (other characters needed more screentime)

56. The Proud Family (Seasons 1-2) (3.5/5)    (Penny is my favorite character)

55. Schitt's Creek (Seasons 5-6) (3.5/5)    (Not the funniest, but I love the family)

54. Reacher (3.5/5)              (Strong first half, kinda falls apart 2nd half)

53. Insecure (Season 1-3)       (Issa and her friends are an intriguing bunch)

52. Disenchantment (Season 4) (3.5/5)     (luci, bean, and elfo, fun trio)

51. Handmaid's Tale (Season 5) (3.5/5)   (its very good, almost great)

50. South Park (Season 25) (3.5/5)    (wayyyyyy too short for a season)

49. The Last Kingdom (Season 1-2)    (Dreymon as Uhtred is a good main lead)

48. Moon Knight (3.5/5)        (oscar isaac is amazing in the role as moon knight)

47. Re: Zero (Season 1-2) (3.5/5) (fun cast and action sets)

46. Baki (Season 1-3) (3.5/5)      (over the top action fest thats a roaring time)

45. Black Mirror (Season 1-5) (3.5/5)    (mixed bag but mostly good episodes)

44. Code Geass (Season 1-2) (3.5/5)    (lelouch is a good anti-hero) 

43. Whose line is it anyway (CW seasons 1-7) (3.5/5) (bit predictable but still hilarious)

42. Love, Death, and Robots (Season 3) (4/5) (best season they had yet)

41. Archer (Season 13) (4/5)  (RIP Jessica Walter, still managed a solid season w/o her)

40. Zootopia+ (4/5)   (episodes that are as gratifying as the movie)

39. Baymax (4/5)      (Baymax helping others is just so cute) 

38. Baki Hanma (4/5)   (more focused than other seasons)

37. Rick and Morty (Season 6)  (4/5) (Big step up from season 5)

36. Avenue 5 (Season 1)  (4/5)   (Uproariously funny)

35. Legend of Korra (Seasons 1-4)       (4/5)  (besides season 2, its incredible)

34. Scrubs (seasons 1-4)  (4/5)  (carried by great character work)

33. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Seasons 1-6) (4/5) (last 2 seasons weak, iconic tho)

32. Jeen-yuhs (4/5)           (the kanye fall of is so damn depressing)

31. Stranger Things (Season 4) (4/5) (another solid season for the show)

30. Vikings: Valhalla (4/5)   (savagery at its finest)

29. She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (4/5)   (Jen Walters and cameos are dope)

28. What We Do in the Shadows (Season 4) (4/5)  (season 3 was better)

27. The Witcher (Season 2) (4/5)    (better than season 1)

26. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (Stone Ocean) (4/5)   (beautiful ending)

25. One Piece (Whole Cake Island & Wano Arcs) (4/5) (peak storytelling)

24. Tales of The Jedi (4/5)   (love what they did with Ahsoka and Dooku)

23. Atlanta (Seasons 1-3) (4/5)     (Prefer seasons 1 & 2 over 3 just a bit

22. House of the Dragon (4/5) (confusing names, but compelling family drama)

21. Dexter (Seasons 1-4) (4/5)   (Serial killer drama at its finest)

20. Blindspotting (4/5)  (4/5)     (lack of Diggs and Casal is felt, still great tho)

19. Obi-Wan Kenobi (4/5)   (return of mcgregor and Christensen was lovely)

18. The Sandman (4/5)   (Excellent cast with clever ways of dealing w/ enemies)

17. Umbrella Academy (Season 3) (4/5) (great but hate what they did with Allison)

16. Big Nate (4/5)  (loved reading the books growing up, cute show)

15. Arcane (4/5)    (one of the best video game adaptations)

14. Demon Slayer (Season 2) (4/5) (love way more season 1)

13. Chainsaw Man (4/5) (animation and characters are fascinating)

12. Cuphead (Season 1-3) (4/5) (an even BETTER video game adaptiation)

11. Regular Show (Season 1-8) (4/5)  (wild, ride of a show from start to end)

10. The Boys Presents: Diabolical (4.5/5) (superb snack to quell Boys hunger)

9. Mob Psycho 100 (Season 3) (4.5/5) (beautiful sendoff to amazing people)

8. Smiling Friends (4.5/5)   (funniest show I’ve watched in a long time)

7. Peacemaker (4.5/5)    (funny, but has better action and drama)

6. Harley Quinn (Season 3) (4.5/5)  (top tier character arcs

5. Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (4.5/5) (wayyyy funnier than I thought it would be)

4. Barry (Season 3) (4.5/5)  (balance of comedy and drama is masterful) 

3. Attack on Titan (Season 4 part 2) (4.5/5) (only 1 subpar episode)

2. The Boys (Season 3) (4.5/5)      (the best season with the best episode)

1. Better Call Saul (Season 6) (5/5)       (literal PERFECTION) 

[zephyrthejester]

Code Geass Deadblog: Episodes 45-46

Holy shit! ANSWERS! ACTUAL FREAKING ANSWERS, AT LONG FREAKING LAST. IT'S TIME, IT HAPPENED, ACTUAL AAAANSSWEEEERSSS

Starting off, I kicked myself for not seeing the possibility that Marianne would come back into play. She's been talking to C.C. all this time, and even accounting for that C.C.'s current amnesia, there'd be no reason to think she still couldn't. In a stunning twist, it was revealed that Marianne and C.C. had forged a contract once; Marianne's Geass must have been extraordinarily powerful, because she puppeteered Anya's body from beyond the grave and got close to C.C. Close enough to enter her mindspace and have a hearty conversation with her, which restored her memories.

Even more shocking, we next had a stunning turn of events with Suzaku and Schneizel. In full view of Gino, Lloyd, Cecile, Kanon, and Cornelia... Suzaku resolved that his ideals up until now were naive. The ends do, in fact, justify the means. And to that cause, he and Schneizel conspired to assassinate the Emperor! How in the everloving fuck does Suzaku manage to walk around with those massive balls of his? I guess this is what happens when the fallen paladin squashes out every last spark of Lawful Good in his heart. Schneizel's point of view was that the Emperor has completely failed to uphold his duty as an Emperor, placed himself before others. Man. I feel really bad for thinking Schneizel was a snake! I didn't dare trust him, but at this point I'm really sure he's genuinely a good dude who wants good things.

Suzaku intercepted the Emperor at the mouth of the cave on Kamine Island, but Bismarck intercepted his blow upon the Emperor... Not that he could have killed him, anyway. So, turns out the Knight of One had a Geass of his own, kept hidden under that sewn-shut left eye of his. You'd think I'd have seen that coming...

Lelouch arrived on the Island then. He had gone wild with his Geass, sending a huge swathe of the Britannian forces into chaos, fighting each other indiscriminately. Marianne (as Anya) and C.C. used it as the perfect cover to infiltrate the scene. And Lelouch... well, he confronted his father in the Sword of Akasha just as he was beginning Ragnarok. There was a creepy intertwining pillar of human bodies writhing around there, which was super creepy, and I still have no freaking idea what that was supposed to be. But anyhoo, Lelouch claimed a victory by rigging the exit to explode behind him, sealing both himself and his father in the alternate realm!

From there, Lelouch and Charles began to speak about the nature of lying, which tied into a conversation held between Marianne, Suzaku, and C.C. At long last, we learned what "C's World" is: A collective consciousness of humanity's memories. It was at this point where I realized that, yeah, Mao is probably dead. Whoops. I was convinced that was a dart gun C.C. fired into his neck...Oh well. C's World sounds like a place that's a one way trip, if you catch my meaning.

Evidently, Charles wants to get all of humanity into C's World so that there could be no barriers, no masks, between people, and therefore conflict would end. So in other words, it's literally Human Instrumentality, but with a lot less sexual metaphors. Anyhoo, Marianne's ghost thingy slipped out of Anya's body and went into the Sword of Akasha to meet with Charles and her son, and things got really spicy from there.

Marianne was able to personally explain the mystery of her death: It was at the hands of V.V., who killed her because Charles' love for her was threatening to lead him astray from completing the Contract between them. In Marianne's dying moments on those stairs, her Geass activated for the first time, and she just so happened to be looking one Anya Alstreim in the eyes. Anya, then a child, was cowering behind a pillar and just so happened to be there at the wrong time. Marianne's power turned out to be the power to transfer her consciousness into another person, and from that day on Marianne lived in poor Anya's body, and eventually worked out that she can telepathically communicate with C.C.

C.C. learning the truth of what happened is what caused her to give up her leadership of the Geass society to V.V. and disappear. Charles, meanwhile, swiftly learned of V.V.'s murderous deception and that planted the seed of a future betrayal right then and there... Dear lord, man. V.V. was truly an absolute scumbag. Forged an identity and relationship out of ridding the world of lies and breaking down barriers, then murdered his brother's dearly beloved and tried to cover it up. How disgusting.

Then, in a shocking twist, it was revealed that the Emperor kinda sorta had good intentions for Lelouch and Nunnaly all along??? Sent them to Japan to not make them potential targets for V.V. Oh, and he used his Geass to make Nunnaly convinced she was blind, just to ensure she couldn't have been a witness. Yeah, no, sorry, I'm 100% sure this was the show pulling this out of its ass. I guarantee you the Emperor wasn't meant to be sympathetic early on, and I personally do NOT want to feel any sympathy for this monster. He's done plenty of stuff that's inexcusable, among them his big goals. Like... Why couldn't Charles have let Nunnaly be "blind" at first, then once the heat died down a few weeks later, reversed it and also meddled with her memories to leave no evidence? Everyone thought it was psychosomatic, anyway! Her recovering her sight would have been believable!!

With that reveal neatly wrapped up, Suzaku and C.C. entered the Sword of Akasha thanks to Code powers, and stuff. Don't ask me how... With all the pieces in place, with Marianne fully supporting Charles' plans and Suzaku having his one question answered... Charles raised his hand, channeled C.C.'s Code, and began Ragnarok.

Then Lelouch did the most Lelouch thing he's ever done and used his Geass on God. To not stop the march of time. To not let the world grow stagnant, and ungrowing. To let the world remain in chaos! Because that's the world Nunnaly wanted. And it wasn’t a command... It was a request.

With that, the swirling towers of human bodies that was rising to God fell to pieces, and those who attempted to kill God similarly disappeared... Charles and Marianne vanished into dust, while C.C. looked on and realized that all along, they only loved themselves. Well, damn. Turns out Code Geass' story was a metaphor for toxic familial relationships all along. Sometimes, yes, father and mother do NOT know best. Also, humanity’s consciousness uniting to wipe someone out of existence gave me huge Elder Scrolls vibes, which was nice. There’s a “Brass Tower” joke with the Thought Elevator somewhere...

One month later, and Tokyo had been mostly rebuilt. The world's eyes turned upon the imperial palace over in Britannia, where the Emperor was due to make a speech. YOU KNOW WHO WALKED OUT? YOU KNOW WHO WALKED OUT AND SAT ON THE FREAKING THRONE? Lelouch vi Britannia... 99th Emperor of the Britannian Empire. And at his side, standing proud, was Suzaku Kururugi... The newly dubbed Knight of Zero.

I've never facepalmed so hard. The Knight of Zero. The Knight... of Zero. The Knight of Zero. Jesus christ I am convinced this entire show was conceived just so they could do this one thing. Jesus. The Knight of Zero, you guys. He's the Knight of Zero now. Literally, and metaphorically.

And that's where the episode ended... With the world watching in stunned shock (notably, the Black Knights and poor, poor, poor Rivalz, whose mind exploded), and Lelouch using his Geass upon Odysseus and dozens and dozens of important nobles in the hall to make them view him as their Emperor.

Good lord. There are four episodes left!? If I didn't know any better, I would think this was the finale! The big bad thwarted and killed, the "hero" sitting on the throne, ability to achieve his goal at his fingertips... But no, there's a lot left unresolved. What's next for C.C.? What will the Black Knights do? What is Schneizel scheming!? And why is Suzaku loyally serving Lelouch? These are questions I can't wait to see answers to.

Boy. When Code Geass goes in, it goes in hard.

Other Thoughts:

Um. One of Odysseus’ lines HEAVILY implied that Nunnaly was alive. So holy shit, that’s a thing. What. I am not sure how to feel about that.

Marianne was caught in the act of trying to doodle on Suzaku's face with a permanent marker while he was unconscious, which secured her spot as the best character in the show. Shame she turned out to be a massive asshole, dethroning her and returning the title to Cheese-kun.

I encountered the famous "Notto diso shitto agen" frame of the Emperor, and it was glorious. I now completely understand the context, and that pleases me greatly.

So what's up with Anya? Does she have any memories at all? Was Marianne more of a passive host or was she in full control the entire time? Gods, imagine how fucked up it would be to one day witness a murder while you're a kid, then suddenly wake up on some random island while the world is nearly ending and you're a teen suddenly.

C.C. was wearing her old straightjacket at the very end. Which is super weird. Who finds those comfortable?

Beyond "What's next?" the only question I still really have is "What's C.C.'s name?" Though, truth be told, I'm not expecting an answer to that at this point.

[dancingkirby]

Contents of Sunlightheartstudio's Yugiowned! GX 2, Parts A and B (To the best of Kirby's memory)

Like I mentioned earlier, I'm not sure about the order of a lot of these...particularly about which skits belong to which part. (I do know that Part B had several of those weird longer anime crossover things.) It's a bit like playing the Clefairy Says minigame, except I have to remember a combination of like fifty arrows and I haven’t actually seen the blackboard in over a decade! Warnings as before: Language and sexual references.

Also: SHS posted a preview beforehand, which contained at least one clip that didn't make it into the actual video. This was one featuring O'Brien and "Where the Hood At." I think I can guess why it was cut.

YUGIOWNED GX 2: Parts A and B

PART A

Intro: DBZ dub theme/Digimon dub theme/Shuffle

Family Guy Clip: Fat sex: Samejima and Tome

I Touch Myself: Rei and Judai

Chapel of Love/Unknown audio clip: Manjoume and Asuka

Family Guy Clip: Prison showers: Asuka, Judai, Sho, and Hayato

Under My Skin: Bloo-D

Family Guy Clip: Evil Evil Monkey: SAL

Woody Woodpecker laugh clip: Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird

What’s New, Pussycat?: Pharaoh*

Don’t’cha: Tome, Episode 42

All-Star (“Get your game on”): Judai

Thriller: Duel Zombies

Girlfriend: Rei and Judai

Simpsons Clip: Tennis innuendo: Asuka and Ayanokouji

Achy Breaky Heart: Hell Kaiser

Family Guy Clip: “Whose leg do you have to hump to get a dry martini around here?”: Pharaoh

I Touch Myself (Weird Al version): Manjoume and Asuka, Episode 47**

Batman: Darkness Fubuki

Dinosaur King: Kenzan

Knock on Wood 1979 (“It’s like thunder”): Manjoume***

“I Think I’m a Clone Now”: Trueman

“Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend”: Johan

Simpsons Clip: Stupid sexy Flanders!: Judai and Fubuki

James Bond theme: Amon, Episode 113

If You Were Gay: Judai and Manjoume

South Park Clip: Fingerbang: Judai

NGE Abridged: Judai, Asuka, and Rei, Episode 161

Sailor Moon dub theme: Elemental Hero Mariner

Rasengan: ???

Fair Weather Rising Hallelujah/Phoenix Wright Objection: Fire dragon

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Clip: NWP: O’Brien

Precious Time, Glory Days/Phoenix Wright Objection: ‘Burning’ is misspelled

Unknown song: Hell Kaiser

Unknown source: Gotcha: Judai

Cruel Angel’s Thesis: Various characters

Code Geass opening: Various characters

PART B

Back in Black: Manjoume

Cold as Ice: White Asuka and Fubuki, Episode 93 and/or 94

Macho Man: Kagemaru

Jay and Silent Bob clip: Cock-Knocker: Napoleon and Chronos, Episode 69

Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Johan

Beetleborgs theme: Manjoume with Beetron deck

300 Clip: “THIS!  IS!  SPARTA!”: Brron and Haou

Family Guy Clip: James Woods: Judai and Johan

Sonic drowning theme: Asuka, Episode 114

Born to be Wild: Judai and Saiou

F Your Sister: Manjoume and Fubuki

(Title card saying, “Asuka has pretty much had it with Manjoume at this point.”)

Austin Powers Clip: I’ll never have sex with you: White Asuka and Manjoume****

I Just Can’t Wait to be King: Haou

Star Wars Clip: “No, I am your father”: DD and Edo

American Idol Clip: Fubuki, Episode 60

It’s in Your Eyes: Yubel Judai

Unknown source: “Huge boobs”: Misawa and Asuka, Episode 60*****

More fire lyrics: Flame Wingman

Yugioh Abridged Clip: “Card games on motorbikes”: Judai and Saiou/ “Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)”: 5D’s S1 intro.

“THIS!  IS!  SPARTA!” remix with Pokemon cries and “Yugioh time, motherfucker!”

Voltron Clip: VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon

Credits: Unknown song******

Family Guy Clip: Marvin Astley (Buckroll): Fubuki, Death Note, Naruto, at least one other anime.*******

Teardrop/Death Note/Cobra and Rick

Unknown audio clip/DA NAAAAA sound effect: Megaman/Ojama Yellow’s butt?

NOTES

* Made well before the John Mulaney sketch existed.

** Thought it'd be worth noting that this was one of my favorite clips in the whole series. The way the facial expressions synced up with the music, the camera zooming in and out at the words "touch myself," and the fact that Weird Al's voice sounds vaguely similar to Manjoume's...hilarious!

*** Too bad "Thunder" by Imagine Dragons wasn't a thing at that time.

**** I remember thinking at the time, "But those characters DID have sex at the end of the movie! Us Valentineshippers still have hope!"

***** For the life of me, I couldn't find the source for this on Google, even though I remember all the words.

****** I wish I knew what this song was. It was pretty.

******* This was popular enough to be its own video at one point.

[waffle--kun-blog]

Answer them all (*ﾟ▽ﾟ*) this is what I'm gonna tell you when you reblog an ask thing, always.

WHAT

BUT

AAAAAAAAAAAH

WHY DO YOU DO THIS AGHSJDFKG

1. Who was the last person you held hands with? My girlfriend.. I’M STARTING TO ANSWER AND I’M GLARING AT YOU EMILIA2. Are you outgoing or shy? Aaahh outgoing!!3. Who are you looking forward to seeing? My girlfriend AND my cup of coffee tomorrow morning~4. Are you easy to get along with? ..I hope I am!5. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you? Yes..6. What kind of people are you attracted to? … Uhm.. next question all right~7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now? I.. hope so..8. Who from the opposite gender is on your mind? All of my friends right now, I’m talking to them! And my girlfriend, always9. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable? … Yes,  but eehhrr I know I probably shouldn’t, so.. I try to act normally…10. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with? Stella probably!!11. What does the most recent text that you sent say? “What?” AHAH12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now? Neptune, Saturn, Venus by Sleeping At Last, Forest Fires by Axel Flovent, and.. uhm… I know it’s four songs, but I wouldn’t know which one could be the fifth!13. Do you like it when people play with your hair? I’d say yes!14. Do you believe in luck and miracles? Y E S15. What good thing happened this summer? I got in a relationship with the person who is my girlfriend right now!16. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Yes!17. Do you think there is life on other planets? OF COURSE WHAT YES YES18. Do you still talk to your first crush? Nooooo ahah it’s been way too many years!! But I recently talked to her once because she casually found my number again!19. Do you like bubble baths? Mmhhh.. I can tell you that I like bubbles and I like baths!20. Do you like your neighbors? Yes, they’re really kind, especially the ones who live in front of us!21. What are your bad habits? I wouldn’t know.. I procrastinate? ahsdjfgk22. Where would you like to travel? The entire universe~23. Do you have trust issues? Nonononono24. Favorite part of your daily routine? Talking to others and looking up at the sky.25. What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with? .. I wouldn’t know..26. What do you do when you wake up? I immediately try to remember my dreams!27. Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker? Oh I’m actually okay with the way I am, luckily!28. Who are you most comfortable around? Kind of all of my friends, but mostly my girlfriend.29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up? Yes.30. Do you ever want to get married? I’M WAITING FOR THAT31. Is your hair long enough for a pony tail? NOOO AHAHAHAH32. Which celebrities would you have a threesome with? … what…….33. Spell your name with your chin. CHRFJDGZB NO ALL RIGHT34. Do you play sports? What sports? Can overthinking be considered a sport because ahsdjfkg35. Would you rather live without TV or music? Without TV, I actually don’t watch it often.. I’d never want to live without music!36. Have you ever liked someone and never told them? Uhmm.. no..37. What do you say during awkward silences? I think I often say something that comes to my mind like “That cloud looks like a horse”, or I simply ask “how are you?”38. Describe your dream girl/guy? Neeeext question~39. What are your favorite stores to shop in? There are very interesting shops here about Harry Potter and other fantasy series and just fantasy things in general, they even sell swords and fairy statues, they’re so magical.. oh and old fashioned shops that sell particular types of food and other things that you wouldn’t normally find, there’s one here in Italy called “Castroni” and I love it! 40. What do you want to do after high school? I’m already there, ahah! I wanted to study philosophy and here I am~41. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance? Yes.42. If your being extremely quiet what does it mean? I wouldn’t know really! Maybe I’m really sad or wondering if planets have feelings.43. Do you smile at strangers? Yes and it makes me happy for some reason! I just hope they don’t find me creepy44. Trip to outer space or bottom of the ocean? AH. AAAH AH OUTER SPACE O U T ER SPACE O U T E R S P A C E OU T ER SP-45. What makes you get out of bed in the morning? The fear that I’ll miss the train asdfghhjk46. What are you paranoid about? ….47. Have you ever been high? Noooo48. Have you ever been drunk? NOOOOOOOOOO49. Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about? I ATE ALL THE COOKIES FROM THE PACKAGE AND MY MOTHER STILL DOESN’T KNOW50. What was the colour of the last hoodie you wore? Grey.51. Ever wished you were someone else? Maybe not..52. One thing you wish you could change about yourself? .. I wish I didn’t have such a hard time making decisions sometimes.53. Favourite makeup brand? AHAHAH I DON’T KNOW I’ll let you know though!!54. Favourite store? Read the question 39~55. Favourite blog? All of my friends’ blogs!56. Favourite colour? Periwinkle YOU GUYS DON’T CALL IT INDIGO APPARENTLY AH57. Favourite food? Chocolate and antything sweet!58. Last thing you ate? Boiled eggs and carrots.59. First thing you ate this morning? I didn’t really “eat” anything, I only had coffee!60. Ever won a competition? For what? Uhm.. maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.. I don’t remember ahah!61. Been suspended/expelled? For what? Never ever sh62. Been arrested? For what? NOOOO WHAT63. Ever been in love? I don’t know.. I don’t know what true love feels like, or if I do but I don’t realize it, maybe yes.. 64. Tell us the story of your first kiss? Oh I had just gotten in a relationship with my ex girlfriend, and I kissed her when I told her how I felt about her and she said she felt the same way.65. Are you hungry right now? Not really! Or maybe a little bit!66. Do you like your tumblr friends more than your real friends? I LIKE EVERYONE STOP67. Facebook or Twitter? Twitter!68. Twitter or Tumblr? TUMBLR SADLY69. Are you watching tv right now? Nope~70. Names of your bestfriends? SSSHH71. Craving something? What? The mineral…BACK AT IT AGAIN WITH 2013 MEMES72. What colour are your towels? Mostly white!72. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two pillows.73. Do you sleep with stuffed animals? Yes ahah they’ll always be on my bed!74. How many stuffed animals do you think you have? Mmhhh.. maybe 20 or so..75. Favourite animal? Horses, cats and birds!76. What colour is your underwear? NO. ASDHFJGK. NO.77. Chocolate or Vanilla? Both!78. Favourite ice cream flavour? Everything that involves chocolate and cream!79. What colour shirt are you wearing? Dark blue.80. What colour pants? Black 81. Favourite tv show? Does Code Geass count? ahsjdfkg82. Favourite movie? A movie I couldn’t tell in English, but the Italian title is “Al di la’ dei sogni”.. and .. uhmm.. I need to think about this, I think there are a lot of them but I wouldn’t be able to make a list now!83. Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2? I never watched them!!84. Mean Girls or 21 Jump Street? I never watched these either ahsjdfkg85. Favourite character from Mean Girls? AAH I DON’T KNOW I’M SORRY86. Favourite character from Finding Nemo? I couldn’t tell! I’d need to rewatch it, but maybe Dory!87. First person you talked to today? Stella, SAY HIIIIIIIIII88. Last person you talked to today? My girlfriend for now!89. Name a person you hate? myfather I don’t hate anyone.

90. Name a person you love? My mother!

91. Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now? Myself, all the time92. In a fight with someone? Uhm.. if you mean if I’m a fight at the moment.. no, I think.. 93. How many sweatpants do you have? Maybe just one or two!94. How many sweaters/hoodies do you have? EEEEEH. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH I LOVE HOODIES AND SWEATERS SO.. 100000000000000000000095. Last movie you watched? Does an X-Files episode count?? 96. Favourite actress? I wouldn’t know..97. Favourite actor? Nnnhhhh… I don’t know, I’m sorry!98. Do you tan a lot? Kind of, yes!99. Have any pets? A cat and a parrot and I love them so much aahh100. How are you feeling? ..I’m fine… coUGH101. Do you type fast? yeeeeEEEESS AND I’M STILL SURPRISED THAT I MAKE A LOT OF TYPOS102. Do you regret anything from your past? Yes, and no..103. Can you spell well? Ahah probably! 104. Do you miss anyone from your past? Yes.105. Ever been to a bonfire party? What is it?? 106. Ever broken someone’s heart? .. I wish I could say no… but..107. Have you ever been on a horse? I went to horseback riding for years!108. What should you be doing? STUDYING. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH109. Is something irritating you right now? … Irritating me… nothing! I just don’t really get “irritated”.110. Have you ever liked someone so much it hurt? .. Eeeh..111. Do you have trust issues? Mh? Didn’t you already ask this? MMH112. Who was the last person you cried in front of? I don’t remember.. ..113. What was your childhood nickname? Oh I should ask my mother, but I’ve always been called Chris by my friends even back then!114. Have you ever been out of your province/state? Yuup115. Do you play the Wii? It’s a miracle that I’ve had a Nintendo DS ahsdjfgkh116. Are you listening to music right now? No, but I’m going to!117. Do you like chicken noodle soup? OH YES!!!!! YES!118. Do you like Chinese food? Is spring rolls considered Chinese food? I wouldn’t know, but I’d like to try it, I love trying food from other countries!119. Favourite book? It usually changes depending on what I find!120. Are you afraid of the dark? No, I actually like it..121. Are you mean? YES. VERY. I’M GOING TO STEAL ALL YOUR WAFFLES AND EAT THEM ALL BWHAHAHAHAHAH122. Is cheating ever okay? .. I…- … ..is killing people ever okay.. ?123. Can you keep white shoes clean? NOOOO NOT EVEN THE BLACK ONES 124. Do you believe in love at first sight? .. I strongly believe that you need to build a connection with someone to fall in love, but.. love has no logic so I wouldn’t know.. I’ve happened to fall for someone at first sight… I couldn’t compare it to what I feel when I fall for someone after getting to know them though. I do feel that there’s something different. But to me, love takes place between souls and they need to get to know each other somehow. BUT AT THE SAME TIME I BELIEVE IN EVERYTHING125. Do you believe in true love? Of course!126. Are you currently bored? Not really~127. What makes you happy? Philosophy, the universe, waffles, my friends, my girlfriend, my pets, my mother, the sky…128. Would you change your name? Actually, no! 129. What your zodiac sign? Pisces130. Do you like subway? I’ve never been there!131. Your bestfriend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? .. Ah.. ah.. ahah… … uhm.. I.. never knew what to do..132. Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? STELLA ONCE AGAIN SAY HIIIIIIII but wait, didn’t you already ask this? Or is it my impression??133. Favourite lyrics right now? “At first I thought you were a constellation, I made a map of your stars then I had a revelation”134. Can you count to one million? Aahsdjfg noo135. Dumbest lie you ever told? I wouldn’t know! Perhaps “I’m fine” while obviously having a breakdown136. Do you sleep with your doors open or closed? Open, mmh I feel like this says something about people..137. How tall are you? 178 cm, last time I checked.138. Curly or Straight hair? Wait wait what are we talking about??139. Brunette or Blonde? WAIT WAIT WHAT140. Summer or Winter? WINTER AAAHH WINTER WINTER!! I CAN’T STAND SUMMER IT’S TOO HOT141. Night or Day? Night, and the moon and the stars~142. Favourite month? December!143. Are you a vegetarian? Noope144. Dark, milk or white chocolate? Milk and white chocolate because they’re sweeter, but I just really love chocolate in general!145. Tea or Coffee? Both, but maybe coffee.. 146. Was today a good day? … Ahah not really buuuut147. Mars or Snickers? HA! Snickers!148. What’s your favourite quote? The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.149. Do you believe in ghosts? YEEEEEEEEEEEEEES ALSO IN ALIENS150. Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page? ..OH.   “Names of stars and constellations were taking the place of a wonderful dream, where me and my parents were having lunch next to a river. Andromeda, Cassiopea, Centauri, and many other names from space were pronounced by his warm voice.” YOU MAY CALL THIS FATE. It’s a book that my girlfriend gave me because it reminded her of me, there’s one of the main characters who’s in love with stars and he talks about them all the time.

[codegeassfacts]

Ichirou Okouchi Interview in Continue Volume 42 (October 2008)

(This interview was done shortly before the release of the last episode of R2 and was released after the ending; You'll get some information about the making of the anime, the characters, the relationships, the ending, and much more) It's lenghty but definitely worth the read !

A chaotic and shocking final episode. What becomes of the world now?

-----Congratulations on the completion of "Code Geass"!! It was a shocking final episode; did you have a difficult time writing it, Mr. Okouchi?

Okouchi: No. The last episode wasn't difficult at all; in fact, it was the middle parts of R2 that turned out to be rough going. For the final episode, [I'd/we'd] already decided on the ending when writing the script for the first episode of the previous series. Episode 1, Episode 25 (Episode 1 and the final episode of the previous series) and episode 25 of R2 -- these episodes did not deviate much from our original plans.

-----When did you submit the script for the final episode?

Okouchi: In May, 2008.

-----So it was pretty smooth sailing.

Okouchi: That's true. Still, it takes quite a bit of time animating what's in the scripts for "Code Geass", so I wanted to have finished writing [the scripts] earlier, to be honest.

-----How did you feel right after the completion of the scripts?

Okouchi: I wasn't really aware of it, but I suppose I was sentimental about it in my own way. The sub-series compositionist, Mr. Yoshida, told me "This is the first time I've read a lyrical script from you, Mr. Okouchi." It's not about the contents, though; the flow of the writing -- the stage direction had a lyrical touch to it. Where I'd usually write "And Lelouch turned around.", I wrote in the style of "Lelouch turns around. His face is brimming with melancholy." instead. Suzaku, wearing Zero's mask, shows up in the middle of Lelouch's parade... the succession of scenes in that climax was written in a lyrical manner.

-----I'd like to ask some questions about the shocking end: in the climax of the second half of the series, the person standing in Lelouch's way was his brother, Schneizel. Under normal circumstances, without there being a war, [Schneizel] would have been a wise ruler, wouldn't he?

Okouchi: Had Lelouch only not existed, I think that, in Schneizel's lifetime, at the very least, there would be an end to war. However, he does not have "emotions", or rather, he has nothing possessing him. This is why he is incapable of creating a "tomorrow".

-----Still, isn't it possible that defeating the wise ruler Schneizel, the person who was supposed to have brought order to the world, might lead to some [viewers] interpreting it as a Bad End?

Okouchi: That's true. There are probably a lot of people who think of it as a Bad End, a tragedy, considering the protagonist's, Lelouch's end as well. However, Lelouch says in the first episode: "Only those prepared to be shot are allowed to pull the trigger themselves." If you were to think of that as his pride, then I think his getting shot (killed) in the end was a logical end. Of course, I understand that not all of the viewers will accept this ending. There were people who wanted a happier ending, after all.

-----Was there a dispute among the staff members regarding the ending?

Okouchi: No. It was decided fairly naturally. During the "Code Geass" script meetings, there are many cases in which there were a number of disputes, but there were barely any when it came to the scripts for (the previous series's) episode 25 and the final episode. I think everyone felt the same when it came to the end of the character that is Lelouch.

-----Why were you so bold as to choose this ending when the viewers might see it as a Bad End?

Okouchi: Bold... yes, we were so bold as to chose this ending. Perhaps the show that is "Code Geass" ending up this way was decided the moment Director Taniguchi and I teamed up. I suppose you can call it our sense of aesthetics, or perhaps a part of our psychological makeup.

-----Would it be possible for you to elaborate on this?

Okouchi: In the intial planning stages, "Code Geass" was being developed as a show meant to be aired in an evening slot. The contents [of the show back then] were completely different as they are now; it was more of a regular mecha show, and the protagonist was an exceptional pilot.

-----However, the time slot shifted from an evening slot to a late-night one.

Okouchi: That's right. At that point, we already had the structure of the series [completed], and the script for the first episode had also been written. Which is why even with the time slot change being final, "This show is plenty interesting, it'll do fine in a late-night slot", "We've already come this far, let's just go ahead with what we have" had been the general consensus. While it was certainly true that we didn't have much time, I was against it. There are shows and strategies more fitting for late night slots, and when I expressed this, I found that Director Taniguchi felt the same way. Even though it was difficult, and there was no guarantee of it being a success, [I/we] decided to create a different project more suitable for a late-night slot.

-----At that time, Lelouch and the Geass...

Okouchi: Did not exist. However, the things we'd already discussed regarding the project and the results of our research did not go to waste, of course.

-----This reminds me of Lelouch's line in the final episodes of "R2": "It may be difficult, but even so, I want a better tomorrow."

Okouchi: I hadn't realized it when I wrote those lines, but it certainly describes our [real life] situation. To go back to the drawing board obviously means a lot of time and effort, and moreover the chances of it failing were high. Even so, I thought it would be better for it to become a better show. To put it in a cool-sounding way, we chose a "tomorrow" we hadn't seen yet over "today". Having completed the scripts and watched the visual product anew, I thought that the mentality of the creators end up reflected in their works. At the same time, I was both surprised and happy to find that the same applies to me.

------I see. So Lelouch's decision was also your, Mr. Okouchi's, and Director Taniguchi's decision.

Okouchi: Which is why I think of both our and Lelouch's decision as Happy Ends. I believe that there will be better things in the tomorrow awaiting Nunnally, Kallen, and the rest who have been left behind. And surely Lelouch, who was able to make this into a reality, can only be happy [about this].

The Tyrant Emperor Lelouch: A Modern Day Hero Figure?

-----How long have you been involved [in the project], starting from the time spent on the evening slot project, and ending with the completion of "Code Geass"?

Okouchi: About 5 years, from the planning itself and up until the airing of the final episode. This year marks the 10th year since my debut as a scriptwriter; this is the longest I've ever been involved in a project, I think, and I doubt I'll ever come across anything like it ever again.

-----In the first episode of "R2", Lelouch declares: "I'm not the one at fault; the world is." In other words, "Code Geass" is the story of the side attempting world domination, isn't it?

Okouchi: It's the opposite of your usual anime set-up, isn't it? A demon king instead of a hero. The leader of Evil instead of the ally of Justice. I think this set-up was made possible thanks to the shift to the late-night slot. If it had been an evening slot, we wouldn't have received the "OK" for this. Although starting with "R2" the show is now being aired in an evening slot, it only came to be because of the results obtained in its late-night slot. The set-up being a complete 180 meant it was something worth doing for me, as a scriptwriter, and it was fun. There being nothing else like it, it's impossible to predict what's going to happen next week. In my opinion, it being an original work was an advantage, and we were able to make the most out of it. If it had been based on a pre-existing work, you'd inevitably find out what's going to happen next.

-----I've heard that Lelouch, the character who was eventually labeled The Tyrant Emperor, was born from the results of careful research. Is this true?

Okouchi: It's true that it came in handy for Lelouch's character, too, but the research was actually done during the planning stages. It's not like we went to Akihabara, or asked the readers of anime magazines what kind of anime they want to watch, though. It was more general; we researched what the younger generations of today are thinking, and what it is they wish for.

-----Can you give some specific examples of what you did?

Okouchi: There [is a / are] magazine(s) in which the lyrics of recent songs are compiled. [I/we] bought [it / those] and checked out which words are often used and what sort of theme was more prevalent. We polled school teachers as well, and that was informative, too. I've heard that Mr. Taniguchi visited schools for research purposes during "Zettai Muteki Raijin-oh", but this was the first time I did it.

----What did you ask about?

Okouchi: Values, mostly. What's "cool" in their eyes? What can they never forgive? Things like their future dreams, and what the teachers feel has changed between now and back then. Having heard their answers, I felt that things have changed since my time. At the same time, I thought that there were things that have not changed much, like the universal feeling of wanting to be acknowledged, and the impatience and the idealistic views the young possess. This show, "Code Geass", embodies the modern spirit, and although the set-up is the complete opposite of your usual anime, that is exactly why, as a story, it has all the right ingredients. Lelouch's enemy is his father, he treasures his family (younger sister), and harbors righteous indignation against the world...... Whenever youths are mentioned in the news, there is a tendency to put the spotlight on only a certain group of the them, like those who are arrogant or violent. In actuality, the ones giving up their seats to the elderly on trains are, more often than not, young people, and not middle-aged men and women.

-----Now that you've mentioned it, Lelouch, too, is kind towards the weak. After all, the reason Shirley fell in love with Lelouch was because she saw him help an elderly [couple] in trouble.

Okouchi: Helping the weak is the characteristic of a hero, and it's an aesthetic value that hasn't depreciated over time. However, I think that setting out in a showy manner, defeating the powerful who are abusing the weak, and being thanked by the weak in return is the "cool" thing in the past, while the heroes of today are "cool" because even when they've saved the weak they simply leave in a cool manner, and don't make a big deal out of it.

Lelouch and Suzaku: The Ultimate Relationship

------In "Code Geass", there exists a powerful, special power known as the Geass: "if you look into your opponent's eyes, you can make him/her carry out your command once and only once." However, Lelouch wasn't over-dependent on it, and overcame his problems using tactics and strategies instead. It didn't become just a superpower show, which made it distinctive from the rest.

Okouchi: If I were to explain this from the perspective of the character settings [we came up with], the power that is the Geass was an unknown power to Lelouch. He had no idea how long the effects could last, so it was dangerous [for him] to be over-reliant on it. Lelouch is a character with a skeptical side to him, you see. He does not consider the idea of fighting with just the Geass as his weapon. On the other hand, explaining this from a creator's point of view, this show has supernatural powers, scheming politics, mecha, school [life], mysteries..... [I/we] wanted to make this a show that can be enjoyed on many different levels, which is why we didn't turn Geass into an invincible power. This is why it has a one-use-per-person limit, and has no effect against enemies in Knightmares.

------Now that you mention it, Lelouch is weak when it comes to mecha battles. A mecha show with a protagonist who isn't a brilliant pilot was a refreshing change.

Okouchi: In the scriptwriting stages, he actually had average skills, but the [other] staff members, beginning with Mr. Taniguchi himself, joined in and it ended up like that. That's what's interesting about the group effort that is anime [productions].

-----Lelouch doesn't undergo the [character] growth most mecha anime protagonists go through. There are no special moves to remember, and it's not like his mech powers up either.

Okouchi: In Lelouch's case, the expansion of the Black Knights serves as [his character growth]. From the very beginning, it has been a fascinating aspect of the show, a small organization expanding with every victory, and various commanders coming to lend a hand like in the Annals of Three Kingdoms or as in the case of Oda Nobunaga. I wanted to introduce this flavour to this show, too. Consider it the pleasure of seeing your deck of cards grow, if you will.

-----I suppose it feels like "Pocket Monsters" or trading card games to today's highschool students.

Okouchi: Something like "I tap Zero's card and hereby summon Staff Officer Diethard's card." (laugh)

-----When watching "Code Geass", one gets the feeling that Lelouch's growth as a character has nothing to do with using the Geass or the strength of his mech, but rather the psychological strength he obtains. Even when he's facing "the deaths of many people", he takes it all in.

Okouchi: "Code Geass" has, in a manner of speaking, all the essentials of a stereotypical story about growing up that has been around forever. A young boy who has nothing obtains a power one day, goes up against the world and ultimately surpasses his father. The decision Lelouch made in the end was one he could make because of what he experienced in the preceding 50 episodes. It was because of his psychological growth, and not his physical growth or the development of his abilities.

-----I think many viewers thought there would be a Geass battle with the Emperor at the end.

Okouchi: This was something we discussed in the early stages, but we didn't want to end the show with mysteries or mysterious powers. The final enemy being real world enemies, Schneizel and Nunnally, and not those related to the Geass, the Emperor and Marianne, had to do with our not wanting to have Lelouch conclude his battle in another dimension. [I/we] wanted [the show] to end with a battle between humans, and Lelouch's decision as a human being.

-----In the final episode, the person Lelouch entrusted his "Zero" mask to was his childhood friend Suzaku. The things their relationship had to go through to get to that point... there were some awful things. Episode 17's "The Taste of Dirt" was especially shocking. Lelouch got down on his knees to plead, and Suzaku stepped on his face. The protagonist gets down on his knees! The protagonist gets his face stepped on!!

Okouchi: In the initial script, Lelouch got down on his knees before Suzaku and that was it. Having read that, Mr. Taniguchi said we should go as far as to have [Suzaku] step on his face.

-----.....Hahaha. What sort of conversations do the both of you, Mr. Taniguchi and Mr. Okouchi, have regarding the scripts?

Okouchi: Mr. Taniguchi is someone who allows you relatively more freedom when writing the first drafts. It goes without saying, though, that before that, we've already talked about and decided upon the necessary elements before hand, like having to explain the world in this number of episodes, or making sure the protagonist's objective is understood [by the viewers]. Once I've written the first draft, it works like what your usual anime shows, in which the director, producer(s), people from the TV station and the distributor all get together for a "scenario discussion". In the case of "Code Geass", what's different is the fact that Mr. Yoshida, the sub-series compositionist, Mr. Morita Shigeru of Special Settings, Mr. Murata Kazuya, assistant director, Mr. Teraoka Kenji of Concept Design were part of the meeting too. In the beginning, Mr. Kimura Takahiro was involved as well.

-----That's quite a number of people. Why is that?

Okouchi: [I/We] wanted to make a multi-layered show, so I wanted to hear opinions seen from differing perspectives, such as directing, animation and script. So I assembled all those I trusted, and asked them to speak their mind freely. I had them read the script, and then tell me, without reservation, their doubts, feelings, opinions and desires.

-----And with that..... Lelouch ended up with his face getting stepped on.

Okouchi: That's right (laugh). At that time, everyone, with their grasp of what "Code Geass" is all about, got really pumped up and excited and things accelerated in the direction of the face-stepping. Finally, even Producer Kawaguchi [joined in and] said we ought to make "The Taste of Dirt" the subtitle for this episode.

-----After that, Lelouch and Suzaku got over their conflict and became accomplices working towards a common goal. Lelouch became the Emperor, and Suzaku, as Knight of Zero, became the Emperor's sword.

Okouchi: It's a relationship you can't describe in a word. To simply call it friendship isn't quite right.

-----It was quite the relationship, after all, what with their shooting at each other with guns and getting down on their knees to beg (laugh)

Okouchi: Exactly. And it's not just about their having mutual interests, either. It's impossible to describe it in a word, but it's a very strong bond. Lelouch as a kid, Lelouch in school, Lelouch as Zero -- only Suzaku sees all of it. Kallen, Nunnally, C.C., even -- none of them sees all of [Lelouch]. Playing together, running away, living, killing each other, even the knowledge of their having killed their own fathers. In terms of revealing who they are, only these two are completely naked. This is probably why the two of them were able to team up in the end.

-----Why did you have to push them so far just to get them to team up?

Okouchi: I suppose this is what you call the creator's touch. Not mine, though, mostly Taniguchi's. If I had been the lone creator, this might have become a gentler story. I feel that anime..... group efforts are truly wonderful in the sense that I was able to go places I wouldn't have been able to reach alone. If I only wanted to tell a story there's always the novels option. This is why I'm fascinated by the job that is anime scriptwriter. And the other staff members involved in the script discussions, too -- without them, "Code Geass" would never have become what it is now.

The mystery behind the creation of "Geass Lines"

-----In the previous interview (Continue vol. 33), you, Mr. Okouchi, talked about your being particular when it comes to the dialogue. In R2, there have been many shocking lines as well. For example, there's "I'm going to squeeze out every last usable drop out of you before throwing you out like a tattered rag!".

Okouchi: I didn't write that with any real intention in mind, though. The line came out fairly naturally, there wasn't much thought in it. However, everyone else around me found it very much amusing, while I myself was just in a "Huh?" state of mind. Is it really all that funny?

-----It's a line you don't usually hear, I think. Moreover, I was surprised that tattered rags actually exist in the world of Code Geass.

Okouchi: Lelouch lived in the Kururugi family's storehouse when he was young, so he used a worn-out, tattered rag back then. I'm sure of it (laugh)

-----So, does that mean that the famous quotes in Code Geass weren't actually planned?

Okouchi: No, some lines were calculated, of course. Code Geass was written in the style of an opera, so there was a conscious effort to write over-the-top, theatrical lines. However, I'd call these "Geass lines", rather than "Okouchi lines". I wouldn't be able to write lines like these for other shows. Many of these lines everyone has been kind enough to consider "famous quotes" were lines this show, Code Geass, has given me the opportunity to write.

The bonds obtained at the end of a 5 year journey

-----In the final episode, the lives of the characters after Lelouch's death were shown in the style of an epilogue.

Okouchi: The epilogue, Kallen's monologue and so on were the realization of not only my own "dream" but also that of the rest of the staff members involved [in the project]. When we discussed the script, I asked each of the staff members what they would like to see happen to the characters. When you've been involved in a single project for nearly 2 years, you tend to form attachments and wishes. It goes without saying that we weren't able to fulfill everyone's wishes, but we did try our very best. I thought that would be the best way to end a show that was made possible by way of everyone's efforts.

-----Some unresolved mysteries still remain.

Okouchi: From the very beginning, [I/we] never planned on explaining everything. In fact, if you ask me, I think we might have overdone the explanations. While it's undeniable that Lelouch's story has ended with a full stop, the other characters' stories are still on-going, and it's not like the world [of Code Geass] itself has come to an end either. [I/we] didn't want to end it by closing it up for good.

-----Well then, do you, Mr. Okouchi, have any unfinished work remaining?

Okouchi: Right now, no, I don't.

-----Now that you've finished your work on "Code Geass", which has spanned almost 5 years, what kind of show do you think it's turned out to be, Mr. Okouchi?

Okouchi: Starting with Mr. Taniguchi himself, I think the staff members for Code Geass were a 2-Years-Only Dream Team that can never be assembled again. For example, in the art department, we have CLAMP, Mr. Kimura Takahiro, Ms. Chiba Yuriko, Mr. Nakatani Seiichi, Mr. Yasuda Akira, Mr. Nakada Eiji, Mr. Teraoka Kenji -- usually these people take on whole projects by themselves, and yet we have a number of them here. Mr. Yoshida, the sub-series compositionist, was my junior back in university, which was why I was able to casually ask him for a favour, but under normal circumstances he would be the head series compositionist. I'm thankful to be able to have been part of such an extravagant production.

-----I'll be blunt: Are you thinking of a sequel?

Okouchi: This is a show that's produced great results, so it's certainly true that there have been some suggestions [for a sequel], but for now there are no such plans. As of now (this interview was held September 2008) the final episode still hasn't gone on air yet, so I don't feel like thinking about the future yet. I'd like to think about it once the final episode has aired and I've heard what the fans have to say. I don't intend to deny the commercial side of anime productions, of course, but I'd like to decide only after knowing what the customers think. Which is why for now, I'm eagerly anticipating the airing of the final episode.*

Translation curtesy of Celiss Galvea**

Hope you enjoyed ~

[zephyrthejester]

Code Geass Deadblog: Episode 47

Only one episode covered this time, for a specific reason... Long story short, I’ve changed my mind and I’ll give episodes 48 and 49 the full liveblog treatment, in addition to the finale! More info at the bottom.

To no one's surprise, Lelouch's first action as Emperor of Britannia was to destroy Britannia. Tore down the mausoleum housing Emperors and Empresses past, up-heaved and dismantled all manner of noble cliques and stations... And who was to oppose him? Essentially every important political figure had just fallen under his supreme command in one fell swoop. Everything seemed to be going well, and the rest of the world looked upon Lelouch's actions with favorable eyes. The Black Knights, the sole people who knew Lelouch was once Zero, were caught in a rock and a hard place and didn't really know what the hell to do.

Aaaaaand then Lulu went full tyrant. Squashing out all possible resistance from other nations, and Commanding entire rooms full of soldiers to become his "slaves." His words, not mine! Yeah, I suppose that Lelouch no longer has any reason to make a world for Nunnaly, right? At this point, I guess Lulu decided to kick up his feet, have some fun, and make a world just for himself. Oh, and then he prepared to "spill an ocean of blood" in order to make Euphemia's massacre all but forgotten. Clearing her name, in a very very very twisted, fucked up way.

It was at this point I started sweating nervously. Perhaps the most distressing aspect of this plot was Suzaku, who was totally onboard. It's like... Dude! I know you gave in and decided that ends do justify means, but HOLY SHIT, THESE MEANS ARE HARDCORE, MY DUDE!

Almost to prove that point, Suzaku next proceeded to kick the asses of four former Knights of the Round, who flew in to attack the Imperial Palace, citing their loyalty to the late Charles. Man. This felt like watching the apocalyptic bad ending to a video game. Indeed, the Lancelot Albion, a 9th Generation KnightMare Frame, broke the Knights of the Round like they were toys. Two nameless Knights died in seconds, while Gino was spared (but sent hurtling to the ground below). Suzaku found actual challenge in facing Bismarck, whose Geass power let him... See the future! Wow, a Geass power that actually doesn't do anything to other people? That's a first!

And man, I gotta say, it was supremely cool how Suzaku managed to defeat him. Suzaku gave himself over to Lelouch's command to Live. Suzaku's geass-controlled auto-pilot, therefore, broke the rules. Bismarck couldn't see Suzaku's future because him doing so would make Suzaku die, but... Suzaku couldn't die! In fact, I wonder if Bismarck simply misunderstood how his own Geass works. He said he's only ever used it once before (against Marianne, as a matter of fact). Perhaps it was the case that he didn't so much as see the future, but saw people's intentions. That would definitely make it a bit easier to understand.

Regardless, Suzaku killed him in style and Lelouch took the opportunity to broadcast it to the world... Then followed it up by announcing that Britannia was immediately joining the United Federation of Nations. Therefore, the world would truly be united under one banner. What a baller! The sweet, sweet cherry on top was Lelouch's declaration of where the negotiations would be held... On a certain neutral ground, not controlled by either side... Japan. Specifically, Ashford Academy. BECAUSE OF-FREAKING-COURSE.

Once I saw the massive crowd of people around the Academy, and saw Lelouch's suspicious plan to go there alone with naught but C.C. and a few guards by his side, I recalled Lelouch's promise to spill an ocean of blood. It was at this point I started sweating uncontrollably, flooding my apartment with ankle-deep water. Before a slaughter, though, a little heartbreak: Kallen received Lelouch, and per his will, they took a detour and managed to speak alone. Kallen managed to ask every question she could have wanted to ask. Asked what she is to him. Asked why he told her that she needed to live. Even surprised him with a kiss on the lips... But Lelouch's stone-faced silence was an answer that rang clear. "You mean nothing to me." With finality, they both left with the knowledge they'd never speak to each other like that again.

The negotiations took me by surprise. Kaguya, Tohdoh, and Ohgi spoke to Lelouch with conviction, stating that due to how votes for laws and other such matters were made based on the percentage of population in a nation works, Britannia joining them would mean Lelouch would control the majority of the world's votes-- and therefore, all of it. Lelouch was given a choice between two disadvantageous outcomes to help balance that, but instead, Lelouch posed a whimsical question. What is the most important trait of a ruler? Destruction, he said. The will to destroy everything... even oneself. Uh... Uh-oh.

Naturally, Lelouch promptly declared war on the entire world. Because of course he would. The Lancelot rocketed into the room and held the world's leaders at gunpoint, and Lelouch kindly asked them to begin the democratic voting. What a stand-up guy! Elsewhere, his main forces began moving in on Japan, and Nina, carrying some manner of technology with her, was apprehended by some Geassed citizens. That's PROBABLY for the best. Seriously, has Nina done one good thing this entire show? Stop her before anything starts!

The episode ended with what had to be the most "this show is such ridiculous bullshit, and I love the fuck out of it" moment it has ever had. Schneizel made a move of his own... The flying fortress, the Damocles, three kilometers in size, nuked the Imperial City/Palace with a massively powerful FLEIJA. Not a single trace of the city remained. But you know what the utterly absurd, ridiculous, amazing, and stupid, and stupidly amazing, amazingly stupid cherry on top was? Schneizel paged through to Lelouch and revealed that he had someone with him who he wanted to make the true ruler. Nunnaly. Nunnaly, who promptly declared herself Lelouch and Suzaku's enemy.

I knew exactly who it freaking was the moment Schneizel made the slightest hint that he was talking about someone other than himself. And I immediately launched into a mad cackle, because I knew that the show WOULD be willing to ascend to such levels of cheesy bullshit... Boy. This show really is the best kind of stupid. It really is.

It's so twisted and perfect, it really is. Lelouch had no morals to cling to, did his thing, then went off the point of no return in a grand scheme. Then, the MOMENT he did so, Schneizel pulled the rug out from under him and revealed that-- oh, hey-- Lelouch's moral compass and reason for living is, in fact, still alive. And she just got every reason to freaking loathe him and become his enemy.

What a trip. In fact, the show has become such a trip, I think I’m going to change my plans! Due to the meaty content of the last few episodes, and the inspired turn of events here, I think I want to give the final three episodes the full Liveblog treatment! So I hope you’ll join me for that!

Other Notes:

There was a bit where the show lingered on a three-story staircase in Nina's lab room, and Rivalz arrived at the top with pizza, and then with a camera cut he apparently walked down all those stairs in a flash. Was kinda funny.

Lelouch got himself a snazzy hat. I'm so proud of him.

Tamaki remains MVP. I loved his flip-flopping on Lelouch, between undying buddy to hate. I also loved how he shut up someone who also complained about him; Only Tamaki gets to insult his worst nemesis-buddy!

Schneizel openly stated to Lulu that every single FLEIJA warhead is stocked on the Damocles. Therefore, that is clearly not true.

Gino's fate was left unanswered. Might he swoop in as an unexpected ally later? Suzaku's words did have him questioning his own motives and loyalties, swaying to the side of Lelouch and Britannia... Meanwhile, Anya was spotted chillin' with Schneizel and Cornelia, casually updating her digital diary, so I guess she's her old self still.

[zephyrthejester]

Code Geass Deadblog: Episodes 42-44

So what happened in episodes 42-44?

Episodes 42-44 of Code Geass were the very definition of "shit hitting the fan." Everything escalated to unheard of levels, then promptly went *as badly as possible for everyone.* Dear lord, I was on the edge of my seat for all of it! From my outsider's perspective, I wouldn't be surprised if this group of episodes are the most infamous in the fandom.

To start, Lelouch and Suzaku met at the old Kururugi shrine, and after much anger and rage thrown at the former, Suzaku eventually agreed to protect Nunnaly... But only if Lelouch made his lies into a reality and become an actual knight of justice that would do the right thing. How he found it in himself to tolerate Lelouch in any capacity, I'll never know. Unfortunately, Kannon and an elite squad swooped in and captured Lelouch! Schneizel had been keeping tabs on Suzaku and figured that due to his odd relationship with Zero, following him when he went off alone might lead him to the terrorist.

Lelouch managed to escape due to a clever, previous planting of Geass on Guilford, but the damage was done. Schneizel learned Zero's identity, AND secured undeniable recordings of Zero's own voice admitting that he was the mastermind behind Euphemia's genocide and the possessor of a power called Geass. To make matters worse, Lelouch mistakenly thought the trap was Suzaku's doing, and thus closed his heart and turned his back upon him.

Immediately afterward, the second battle for Tokyo began. The surprise train EMPs shut down all technology and all KnightMares of gen 5 and older, which gave the Black Knights an incredible advantage, but even still the presence of Suzaku, Bismarck, Gino, and Luciano meant it was an uphill battle. And might I add, I found Luciano's KnightMare to be super cool. Its trademark weapon was a set of wrist-mounted claws that could extend out and rotate rapidly around the arm to form a lance! Shame the pilot was such a butt.

The power swiftly returned to the city and the tables turned against the Black Knights, who found themselves fighting an uphill battle. The cherry on top was the incoming news that the Emperor's flagship was en route to Japan... Though Lelouch and Schneizel both cooly rationalized that the Emperor had no business with such boring nothingness as this battle.

Then, briefly, everything was pretty great. Sayoko busted Kallen out of her prison and brought her to the Guren, now upgraded into the Guren SEITAN. It immediately displayed absurd speed and power, killing Luciano, the Knight of Ten, with ease. Then it turned upon the Lancelot... Suzaku. And that's where everything fell apart.

The Lancelot was equipped with Nina's deadly FLEIJA weapon, which held untold potential for destruction. Suzaku soon realized that the Guren was a foe he could not defeat, and the only way to survive was to use the FLEIJA. However, he didn't want to sacrifice the entire city, and resigned to his fate... Oh, yeah, whoops, turns out Lelouch told him to live a while ago. Against his will, Suzaku fired the FLEIJA.

Over 25 million people died. Among them... Guilford (aww maaaan), Lohmeyer (yesss), Asahina (meh), and... Nunnaly.

Oh, shit.

Lelouch broke, and the world fell apart around him. He screamed manic orders to drop everything and search for Nunnaly until Rolo and Orange escorted him back to his quarters, where it wasn't long before he lost it at Rolo and told him exactly what he thought of him and how he was planning to kill him. Rolo, understandably, was hurt. And might I just add, that infernal locket fell to the floor during this and was opened! Face down, dammit.

Meanwhile, a temporary truce was called between Britannia and the Black Knights. Schneizel landed upon the BK's airship and asked for a big council talk. And so it was that Schneizel, Cornelia, Kannon, Tamaki, Tohdoh, Chiba, Diethard, Ohgi, and Villetta all came together... And then Schneizel laid bare the irrefutable truth. Zero was a Britannian Prince, wielder of a Geass power, and had used it on nearly everyone in the room with the sole purpose of obtaining his own goals. Understandably, the Black Knights lost their shit. Because that's what every character did in this series of episodes.

Ohgi proposed a deal, to which Schneizel agreed: Hand over Zero, and Japan will return to its people. Kallen, kept in the dark, was sent to collect Lelouch from his room. She lead him, unwittingly, right into a firing squad, composed of all the big name Black Knights. Kallen moved herself in front of Zero, but Lelouch realized that his time was up. In order to save Kallen, he threw himself under the bus and loudly declared that the worst interpretation of his actions were true, causing Kallen to walk away from him and leave him to be shot. Though, Lelouch did whisper to her that she needed to live, giving her a brief glimpse at his true intentions in those final moments.

Just at the right time, Rolo leapt down in the Shinkiro to block Lelouch from the gunfire. Quite against Lulu’s will, Rolo saved Lelouch's life and flew off and away with him. Rolo... didn't believe what Lelouch said, about hating him, and wanting him to die. After all, Lelouch is a liar, right? He lies to everyone. So clearly he was lying just then, too. Despite Lelouch's screaming protests, Rolo killed himself to see his dear big bro to safety; using his Geass well over a dozen times to secret Lelouch away, far from anyone that could see where he landed.

And that's where I am now: Lelouch with no allies at all, no reasons to live, and only one goal: To go to hell, and drag the Emperor down with him. Hot damn, dude. The Emperor, by the way, is keen on activation a Ragnarok whatchamacall it, which will create a new world. Something tells me he's being literal. Oh yeah, and Suzaku's been standing in the Tokyo crater for a full day and suddenly started cackling madly at the sky, so I'm sure he'll turn out fine! Haha! Ha!

Seriously. Dude. These episodes were ridiculous. So many people dead. Nunnaly, dead. Every single bridge Lelouch has ever had just burnt to ashes. And I know I've said this before, but... I'm really starting to see why people were surprised at the existence of Season 3... 'Cause holy shit, dude. There's no coming back from any of this.

By the way, Lelouch put that heart locket on a small gravesite he left for Rolo, and I'm pretty fucking sure we'll never see what's inside it. GAH. WHY. HOW COULD THEY DO THIS TO ME. THAT'S THE WORST PART OF ALL OF THIS.

Other notes:

Tamaki was MVP. His boisterous love for Zero was hilarious... Until the proof of treason was thrown in his face. Poor guy.

I'm pretty damned sure this show swept the Ohgi/Villetta/Sayoko situation under the rug. Seriously, what the fuck happened after Ohgi and Villetta fell off that cliff? SUDDENLY THEY'RE JUST FINE, APPARENTLY. Also there was a bit where Diethard was blackmailing Ohgi by keeping Villetta prisoner, but that went absolutely nowhere and she escaped on her own and Diethard didn’t even say anything when Ohgi and Villetta showed up for that council. This plotline sucks, big time.

Nina got real emotional when she witnessed the sheer death and destruction caused by her weapon. Good. There are human lives in those projected statistics you worked out, lady!

Xing-ke and Kaguya’s reaction to Zero’s identity is unknown for the moment. Really curious to see how they’ll take it.

I think that’s it. Now to go watch episodes 45-49... Expect another post like this later today!

[zephyrthejester]

It’s time for more Code Geass... In a proper fashion! “Deadblogging” episodes 42-47 inspired me to go back to the old style of Liveblogging for the final three episodes, so here we are with episode 48!

Heh. You know, it’s kinda funny. For like 46 episodes in a row I would have quite liked to see the Britannian capital as a smoking crater. Funny how one episode was all it took to make me hate the sight.

It’s like... I know Schneizel did this right after Lelouch declared himself and his Empire the enemy of the world, but still! I’m pretty sure Schneizel killed a few million civilians here, you know? Erm, wait. Now that I think about it I suppose there’s no evidence that there was a city around/near the Palace at all. I guess I assumed it would be similar to Tokyo and how it had a palace right smack dab in the center of the city.

Oi, wait a tick! Isn’t the Imperial Palace supposed to be that tranquil, lush forest place we saw C.C. and Marianne and everyone hang out in? What’s the deal with this barren desert?

Oh boy, here I go overthinking again. Let’s just move on...

[zephyrthejester]

I dropped the ball.

No, you know what? I didn’t just drop the ball. I spiked that sucker into the frothing fires of Mount Doom is what I did.

Code Geass has been my liveblog project for five freaking months now, and in the last two months I’ve liveblogged, like, five episodes. I let my blog die. And to that, I say: NO MORE!

At this point, I’ve very clearly run out of any and all motivation to liveblog Code Geass. Or to deadblog it! The show is nothing more than a haunting specter weighing on my shoulders! And it needs to GO.

So what I’m gonna freaking do is go binge watch episodes 42-49 right now. Then make one, single post about it. Then I’ll do a full, proper liveblog of episode 50. Then I’ll change my blog’s appearance for the new month and get started on a show I actually want to liveblog, so this blog can live again, and I can go back to doing stuff here every day. Sound good?

Maaaaaaan. I suck. I’m sorry I let you all down so hard. You all deserve so much better from me... So I’mma give you better, once this is over!

Look for the episode 42-49 post in a good few hours, then the start of a new project within 3 days, minimum!!!!