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[yullanasol]

That would be a perfect AU

One of the few good things the AU brought us is more art like this beauty there ~ Lelouch chilling while listening to Nunnally's happy talk, Shirley being all cute and shy, Suzaku and Kallen bonding, nah give me this AU sunrise instead of feeding incels with their lame fanasies o/

[yullanasol]

Kallen's character poem from the Complete Best "If you had said I love you, I'd even follow you to hell, you knew that, didn't you ?"

It's time for the BIGGEST KALLEN/LELOUCH EVIDENCE amongst their sea of positive side material they got after the end of the anime; Kallen's poem and the infamous AISHITERU assumption. Let's put things back into their context; Code Geass R2 had come to an end, with the ending we all know; Various official statements confirmed Lelouch's death, despite some cultists trying to advocate for his survival and the only question left out was about shipping. That's where side material came to an help; Indeed, with Character's official profile being released, staff interview end statements, character songs and stuff like information from the Newtype booklet, we managed to get some answer; Some ship were kind of sunk (in the romantic sense) while other had questions marks and hints; But for Kallen and Lelouch, while various of those side stuff had been pretty positive (see the other posts for the various information) there was still the issue of the missing gumline (Click here to learn about the story of Kallen's gumline.) And that's where the Character poem dropped, and dropped like a fucking BOMB. Or more like, Kallen's poem caused a flameware which led many to flee the fandom, some translators even chose to not share their work because of that, it really went insane (and the others characters poem took weeks before being shared because everyone was just fighting over Kallen's poem) So here we go.

All of the poem are dedicated to Lelouch, Kallen's poem was no exception, here is the translation : Extolling the Brave Chivalry of Youth* Until I met you, I was only merely plastered with thorns. I wanted to change this truth. I seethingly and recklessly acted. But then, I didn’t believe that anything would come out of it.  When my brother was gone, I heard the sound of the heavy doors closing behind me. I cannot allow it. I will fight to the bitter end. I decided that I would not go back. Then, someday, I would have died like my brother. Until the very end, Kouzuki Kallen would not abide by authority. That bit of willpower I was carrying with me, it slipped away from me, and I can feel it faintly. At that moment, I envisioned you as the star at the break of dawn, inviting me.  If I would think that this is for you, my body would feel light. Whatever struggles there were, the pain would go away. I would be the first to come rushing to your battlefield, raging like a lioness, crushing your enemies. I would stand being muddied so that I could create a path for you.  Looking back, it's mysterious. Even though I should have loathed and rebelled against Britannia's tyranny. Without knowing it, I held personal devotion only for you.  Lelouch, that parting kiss, even if it was a lie, if you had said, "I love you," ** I would even follow you to hell. You knew that, didn't you? It's not like you. You're good at manipulating people just by your words. Really, it's not like you to be kind. Is that why you told me to 'live on'? I fell in love with you*** not just because of that kindness.

Before I add all of the translators word about this poem we can first off conclude it's a very nice poem and a very sad one; It gives us some very interesting insights about what was going in Kallen's head and why she fell in love so bad with Lelouch, for he didn't just gave her hope, he gave her life. She never planned or hoped to survive, but he changed that and little by little her loyalties shifted to the point where she was devoted only to him (because he represented even more than what she dared to believe. Now for the shipping part of the poem, it lies within this part : Lelouch, that parting kiss, even if it was a lie, if you had said, "I love you," ** I would even follow you to hell. You knew that, didn't you? Kallen's missing gumline was : "If you say I love you (Aishiteru) I'll never forgive you" Kallen's poem line is : "If you had said I love you (Aishiteru), I'd even follow you to hell" As you can see, both are very similar and the poem is clearly a modified version of her gumline; In the first case Kallen assumes he might tell her Aishiteru (which is a HUGE word but i'll talk about it later) and she threatens to not forgive him if that's the case (the missing gumline was probably meant to happen in Turn 22, had Lelouch not stayed silent and if they had a last confrontation it would have certainly been the best moment for such a line, but since they went the silent route...) and in the second case she tells him what would have happened if he had said her Aishiteru. So far it doesn't prove anything BUT that's where the importance of Aishiteru comes to line. Aishiteru is very taboo. In Japan you don't talk much about your feelings, the most common way of talking about love is using "suki" which is very similar to our "like/love" and even suki can be something huge for them, they mostly show their love through actions (like a certain someone in the show) To explain Aishiteru i'll copy paste you some comments of the translators or japanese native which talked about this poem. "Kallen uses the word 'aishiteru' here. It is a word that carries strong weight in Japanese and is not simply used to express love. You may say 'suki' and mean love, but 'aishiteru' is used between two intimate lovers" By Blottyparchment (who translated this one and most of the character poem and plenty of other Code Geass material)

The last comment is basically the reason Kallen's poem sparked a war between the english and the japanese fandom; Cause while in the english one people were trying to pretend Kallen was basically saying she would have fallen for a lie, in the japanese one, because...it's their language and they know it lol, the debate was about to know if she was delusional or not. As this user said :

Now that we have etablished the importance of the Aishiteru we need to take the whole verse into account; Indeed in Kallen's poem she said "Even if it was a lie, if you had said I love you, I would even follow you to hell, you knew that didn't you ?" So Now we have the issue of the lie; Does Kallen mean she thinks the Aishiteru might have been a lie (she should have used suki in this case, cause Aishiteru is too big of an assumption anyway) and does she mean Lelouch knew that if he lied to her or told her he loved her, she'd have died with him ? That's where, once again, the japanese language explains the flamewar. As I told you, it's only in the english fandom that people were arguing about the whole meaning of the line, in the japanese one the question was if she was delusional or not. I'll quote once again some of the various translators that talked about this poem :

"In Japanese focus for a sentence is always about what is last said, not like in English where it is what is said at the start that usually dictates the flow. So in this case, following Japanese, the "even if it was a lie" line is actually inconsequential to the "You knew that, didn't you?" line. She is saying: "You knew that if you had said 'I Love You' I'd have followed you to hell, that is why you said nothing." The "Even if it was a lie" from my point of view, is actually there to reinforce just how paramount her love for him was."

Another :

"Yes, the line did say that "lie" thing. But adding "you knew that, didn't you" and all the untranslated parts of the poem and the canon story, it does hints that it wouldn't be a lie. The "You knew that, didn't you?" indicates that Lelouch knew that his answer(the Aishiteru) would have dragged her with him. And then follows the part in which Kallen says that it was quite unlike Lelouch not to have taken advantage of that situation and manipulate her. "It was uncharacteristically gentle/kind of you." "Is that why you have told me to live on?" "I didn't fall for your gentleness." <- this line was a denial."

And this one from a japanese native that summarizes what we read above :

The talk about this poem were endless between 2chan, Animesuki, NarutoForums, Livejournal and so on, and the shipping war went terribly vicious around that, but it doesn't change the fact that amongst the various positive Kallen/Lelouch stuff that implied a Lelouch >>> Kallen side as well (Mutual Kiss/ Kallen thanking him for his love/ His little wish for her/ Kallen understanding his feelings) This one is the biggest one cause Kallen basically tells us he didn't told her what she wanted to hear because he knew how much she loved him and didn't want to drag her with him. Eventually, the first translator was so harassed about the poem and there was so much bashing under her post that she chose to reupload it and shortened her translation notes to try to not trigger hate. You can read the original post here on her blog (and the comments as well, if you are brave enough. (I mean some are just hating on Kallen so much that they blame her for having a poem about Lelouch when all the poems are about ...him. ) Seriously lol. Shipping is serious buisness but anyway, I loved most of the poems (Kallen, C.C. and Nunnally' s are my favorite) and it was insane witnessing all this mess back then.

That's about it for this poem; now, from my point of view as a non japanese native and a fan of Geass when I read it i went crazy over the return of the missing gumline and I understood it as Kallen giving us the answer as to why Lelouch didn't took her with him. This poem + the fact he kissed her back + the fact he had a little wish for her only + he fact his happiest memories in ashford involved dating her + the fact he paused on her kiss in his last flashback; I think it all speaks for itself.

I'm done with this post now, I hope those who will read it will react well to that, will learn some stuff or will just revive some nice memories. All Hail Code Geass and Happy Birthday to Kallen o/ I'm done with this post now, I hope those who will read it will react well to that, will learn some stuff or will just revive some nice memories. All Hail Code Geass and Happy Birthday to Kallen o/ Also just like little wish line, the gumline last minute erasure, the character song and the NT booklet, Kallen's poem is yet another (the biggest in fact) of the positive Lelouch >> Kallen stuff that came out after R2. In comparaison, Shirley got a "maybe" and C.C. was shot down as a lover and mentioned as an equal, so it's pretty huge, even if at the same time, the show gave plenty of hints about all of those relationship. So don't hesitate to share, reblog, translate, whatever, it's way too sad that some harassers managed to motivate amazing translaters to not share their work more.

[yullanasol]

Code Geass Complete Best Regret Message // Nunnally & Kallen // Canon

The Complete Best Regret messages, also known as character poems, are message left from various characters to Lelouch, after his death through Zero Requiem. Those are available within the Complete Best OST Which gathers some of the best OST of the show.

They offer us a nice last view of their thoughts and feelings directed to Lelouch, after his tragic end. Each of the letter are written and illustrated with a rough sketch of the character in their predominant color, and the first page of the booklet is a very nice sketch of Lelouch.

Each of the message have a title taken after a Code Geass opening or ending, Let's start with Nunnally.

Nunnally Lamperouge / vi Britannia - Mozaiku Kakera (Mosaic Shards) // Ending 2

I have been thinking about the many things that you have given me.

They can’t be counted on my fingers, for each and every one that I count, a stone is left. Lining them up, the stones can be pieced together into a mosaic. But, I will not do that. I don’t want to. (1) I will continue to count them piece by piece, always remembering their shape, their color and their touch. (2)

Even these dreams, that kindness, our rendezvous, those lies, mistakes…. Even that voice, the warmth in those hands that grasped mine, even the loneliness, the twistedness, the pain in my chest. Even that silence. Even those eyes.

Everything, I will hold dear.

Even if you had not given me many things, I could not give you anything in return. You gave me everything and you ended up leaving.

In those happy days, we did not even say “Thank you” nor “I’m sorry” between us. Those words would only invoke sadness. Your heart would grow far away. Just like that, you were myself, and I was you.

However, that day, the words you have told me still remains in my ears. You didn’t even let me reply. That’s why, while hearing your voice ringing in my ear, I will answer you from the bottom of my heart.

I love you too. (3)

(1) Lit.: I do not want to bring them (stones) together. (2) Lit.: One by one, I will continue to count them; their shape, color, and touch, I will continue to feel throughout. (1) Broken up into two sentences in the original Japanese: Aishiteru. Anata wo. (I love. You.) Translation by Blottyparchment.

Kallen Kozuki / Stadtfeld - Yuukyou Seishunka (Extolling the Brave Chivalry of Youth) // Ending 1

Until I met you, I was only merely plastered with thorns. I wanted to change this truth. I seethingly and recklessly acted. But then, I didn’t believe that anything would come out of it.

When my brother was gone, I heard the sound of the heavy doors closing behind me. I cannot allow it. I will fight to the bitter end. I decided that I would not go back. Then, someday, I would have died like my brother.

Until the very end, Kouzuki Kallen would not abide by authority. That bit of willpower I was carrying with me, it slipped away from me, and I can feel it faintly. At that moment, I envisioned you as the star at the break of dawn, inviting me.

If I would think that this is for you, my body would feel light. Whatever struggles there were, the pain would go away. I would be the first to come rushing to your battlefield, raging like a lioness, crushing your enemies. I would stand being muddied so that I could create a path for you.

Looking back, it’s mysterious. Even though I should have loathed and rebelled against Britannia’s tyranny. Without knowing it, I held personal devotion only for you.

Lelouch, that parting kiss, even if it was a lie, if you had said, “I love you,” (1)(2) I would even follow you to hell. You knew that, didn’t you?

It’s not like you. You’re good at manipulating people just by your words. Really, it’s not like you to be kind. Is that why you told me to 'live on’? I fell in love with you (3) not just because of that kindness.

(1) Kallen uses the word 'aishiteru' here. It is a word that carries strong weight in Japanese and is not simply used to express love. You may say 'suki' and mean love, but 'aishiteru' is used between two intimate lovers, and within the show, only between Lelouch and Nunnally. (2) In japanese you emphasize on the end of a line; the "Even if it was a lie" is there to show how great her love for him was, the "wakatteta deshou" means Kallen was quite sure the "Aishiteru" would have come, had he not been kind with her. (3)The love here is 'suki ni naru' Translation by Blottyparchment & Lie

Hope you enjoyed.

[yullanasol]

NewType 50 Questions: Lelouch

What It Is: apparently a semi-regular NewType Romance feature? Questions asked of Lelouch and answered in-character, from a February 2007 issue. (Obviously pre-R2 in many respects.) I nabbed a copy through Tenso earlier this year.

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Masked Men's History, Naked Memory original photo memorial shared memories -- Zero and Lelouch: Student Council Album -- (writer: 加納 新太 | Kanou Arata)

G: Hey, President Rivalz. …oh, what’s that? K: It’s an album of Lelouch’s and Zero’s photos. R: Kallen told us before, didn’t she. About Zero and…Lelouch. G: Oh, yeah… R: About the hero Zero, and the Emperor Lelouch, and the Lelouch we knew. R: But to us they’re intertwined. So I thought that maybe you guys would think it’s a bad idea to collect these pictures in the one place. G: I see…I’m actually a little interested myself. K: See, it’s fine so show us already! G: Okay, okay. Shall we look at them one by one – ?

G = Gino; K = Kallen; R = Rivalz. Info + translations under the cut.

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Ah, the canonical C.C., not the moe waifu that fandom (and Re;surreaction) made of her.

Also, a small correction to Suzaku's poem translation. He says there that only in the beginning and at the end there were no lies between him and Lelouch, but the school days when they both lied to each other and wore masks were the happiest. This is in line with one of the anime's themes about masks and Jungian personas (at this point I'm more likely to believe that the original Code Geass takes place in the same universe as Persona or Xenogears, rather than the AU that newer entries in the franchise belong to)

Code Geass Complete Best Regret Message // Suzaku & C.C. // Canon

To know more about the Regret message, check the first post about those right here

Suzaku Kururugi - World End // Opening 5

The Emperor intended to end the world through supernatural powers. It is ironic that we, who stopped him, let the world end in another form.

Lelouch, can you hear me in the World of C?

A new world rises from the ruins of the world we destroyed. (1) The stagnant world comes to a stop, and here is the world that continues to change. The world we obtained at the cost of our lives.

It’s a mystery. I myself have become a villain to bring about peace. I did it for Japan’s sake. Protecting Nunnally. That is something you would do.

It’s a strange thing. If there were no lies between us from the first moment up to the last, our days at school would have been the happiest.

I can no longer cry, no longer laugh and yet, I think that the time will come when nobody will quarrel nor will they cry and scream. But it’s not that simple. (2) Somewhere, someone is lamenting, no doubt. Because of that, the conflicts will continue.

I think it’s fine like that. To want to stop the crying. For that sake, you fight, that is, for a gentle world.(3) And because you are crude, you call it a “Rebellion”.

Lelouch, do the winds from the ever changing world reach you too?

(1) The exact Japanese line is: From the ruins of the world we destroyed, a new world is born. (2) The exact line in Japanese says something like, ‘It won’t do’ or 'It cannot be so’. (3) Exact line: For that sake, you fight. That is, a gentle world.)

Translation by Blottyparchment.

C.C. - Waga Routashi Aku no Hana (My Beautifully Elegant Flower of Evil) // Ending 4

From the entire beginning, I should have warned you. That the power of the king would isolate you. You will lose your friends, become different from your childhood friend, and you will be betrayed by your subordinates.

Your parents will vanish from your sight, your siblings will disappear like dew.

Yes, it’s terribly burdensome. And pitiful.

Now, your sole companion is solitude. There is nobody who will embrace you, who has been smeared in blood. Rocks have been pelted at you by many, and as retribution, you trampled over them. At that time, nobody noticed that the shriek that was secretly welling up inside your heart.

Yes, it’s pitiful. Seeing that visage, my wounds often throbbed. Now, I think you to be dear because you are miserable. As the pain kept stabbing your tender heart, why does this feeling of solitude gradually heal?

The whole world is pelting rocks at you, showering you with insults. That is something the I have experienced from this world.

Without realizing, you have shared me in my solitude. Without knowing, you shouldered my sins.

It’s as if you are a poisonous amaryllis blooming from the ground. Only I know of its elegance.

Translation by Blottyparchment.

Hope you enjoyed.

[yullanasol]

A Collection of Code Geass Season 1 Informations from Various Sources and Interviews // Canon

I've reunited in there all of the various information I couldn't fit into full fleshed out post and only kept the one with sources (that mostly came for Celiss Galvea Geass legacy), that were mentionned in various corner of the web, so there might be some missing as I don't want to share rumors/unconfirmed material. You'll be able to find the same similar Collection for R2 right there.

The title “Code Geass” was a fairly last-minute decision (the tentative title was “Lelouch of the Rebellion”) The production team were in a panic over the lack of a proper title; “We need a title to design the title logo!” etc. (ura de net geass!)

An 8 hour meeting was held to determine C.C.’s name and real identity. Supposedly none of the participants ate or drank throughout the whole thing (Okouchi: “Give me something to eat!”) According to Yoshino, whenever he thought the meeting was about to come to an end, someone would start up again and the meeting would continue with no end in sight. XD . (ura de net geass)

The hero wasn't meant to be an anti hero like Lelouch, but an ace pilot, just like in most anime from SUNRISE (Taniguchi/Okouchi Interview)

At first Lelouch had white hair, Shirley had blue hair and the Ashford uniform was red, that's why some old school scans show the characters with those colors.

Kallen's first name was Akira, then Kallen (Mutuality Artbook)

C.C. had a name during the creation phase, it was Sera, but nothing says it stayed the same, in Stage 11, Jun Fukuyama, Lelouch's voice actor actually spoke her real name but they decided to cut his voice during the montage. (Mutuality Artbook + DVD commentary) Yukana's voice work profile also used to say the name of her character in Geass was "Sera/Cera."

There was a classement of the boobies size of the girls of the anime which went out in a magazine and you'd be glad to learn that Milly has the biggest boobs of them all ; Lelouch's mother is a close second and Kallen takes the third spot. (Newtype)

Lelouch's line in Stage 14 when he erases Shirley's memories "if there is another life…" was supposed to end up like that "…let us be lovers" but it was eventually cut out. (Shirley gave the full line in the best phrase award session stage 14 to 25 of the first DVD of season 1)

When asked about a possible romance between Lelouch and C.C.,(During S1) Taniguchi said that for that to happen, Lelouch would need to see C.C. as a human being, for he was currently seeing her as some kind of alien (That's why he was about to take a blood sample in Stage 11) (Newtype interview)

About romance, Taniguchi said there would be romantic devellopment for Lelouch in season 2 and that it was left out of season 1 to focus more on Lelouch's goals (destroy Britannia, happy world for Nunnally) and him setting up his rebellion to avoid complicating matters (pash ! interview )

Kallen's story was moved to R2 when it was announced they'd be getting a season 2, that's why she became less present within the second half of season 1 (Fake Okouchi interview)

Suzaku isn't a virgin and is said to be experienced, but we don't know who the lucky girl was ; We know his first love was an older woman, that's probably why he had some form of relationship with Cecile, even if she'll be more of a big sister than a lady mama for him eventually. (Commentary DVD of Turn 19)

Zero was meant to kiss Kallen at the end of the first season to give her courage and determination after being shaken up; she was meant to remember the scene during a fight, but the kiss was removed because Season 2 was coming and a lot of arrangments had to be made around Stage 20 (Megami Magazine /Fake Okouchi)

Kallen doesnt know how to cook, if she tries to make bread, it will turn into ashes; (Kallen's character information given to her seiyuu, Ami Koshimizu)

Jeremiah was meant to die at the beginning of season 1 but he had so much popularity within the staff (and in 2ch) that they chose to bring him back to life. Twice. (Taniguchi interview)

Zero was one of the first character to be created, Okouchi wanted a masked man because a Sunrise anime without a masked man didn't seemed right (Taniguchi x Okhawa Interview)

In case the sequel wasn’t greenlighted (they already received the OK for it back in December 2007 at least), they had an alternative route prepared for the story to take, one which would have ended the story in episode 23. It would have been a non-conclusive ending though; according to Taniguchi it was more of a “psychological” ending for Lelouch like the Evangelion Ending (Taniguchi Interview)

Kawaguchi said Lelouch had Euphemia phone number on his phone because they certainly exchanged their numbers when they met on the deserted Island. (Ura de net Geass)

Mao’s repetitive clapping didn’t exist in the scripting stages; Taniguchi was the one who later added it to make him “more annoying”. (Ura de Net Geass)

Originally, Toudou was supposed to join Lelouch’s side much earlier. They talked about the Diethard and Toudou shot in the ED. All were baffled by it; Conclusion: “Only Taniguchi knows.” (Ura de Net Geass)

Stage 19 was written by Yoshino ; supposedly he requested to do it, saying “Oh well, if (Okouchi) wants me to write a script, I might as well do the island arc.” (he’s more or less the fanservice supervisor for this show) According to him (and the Newtype Taniguchi + Fu-kuyama interview), this was how Lelouch’s trap was supposed to work: Lelouch successfully digs a proper hole –> However, a boar appears behind him –> Lelouch tries to Geass it: “Lelouch Vi Britannia orders you to SIT!” –> Geass doesn’t work on animals –> Lulu Quality Tragedy ; However, Taniguchi changed it all, telling Yoshino: “Well, in the first place, Lelouch isn’t capable of digging such a hole…” (Ura de net Geass)

The reason why the writers made Kallen stand on Gawain’s shoulder instead of getting into the two-seater cockpit with Lelouch in Stage 19: “There’s no way Kallen will hand over the 2nd-pilot position to anyone else once she’s in there.” Good point. (Ura de Net Geass)

According to Tanaka, right after the airing of Stage 22, three of his friends rang him up asking “What the hell was that? I need to know what happens next!” etc...; According to Kawaguchi, “some of the viewers may have been satisfied with the handshake in episode 22, but actually, a lot more people would have been upset…” (Ura de net Geass)

After episode 23, the production team received letters from fans saying “Okouchi is so evil”, “Dark Okouchi” etc, and he didn't liked that (Ura de Net Geass)

Discarded Season 1 plotlines :

Kallen's father was first hinted as being someone important by Okouchi, when he claimed his occupation couldn't be revealed back in March 2007 (Okouchi 28 questions interview from Animage)

Suzaku was meant to have an unrequited love, and it was hinted as being an important subplot back in the day ; The hints strongly pointed at Nunnally. (Fake Okouchi)

Suzaku was meant to be linked to Geass, that's why he reacted to C.C. and to the ruins in Kamine Island, in relation to his superhuman abilities; He didn't had a Geass though (perfect Stage Mook Interview)

Cecile's seiyuu said her character had a "painful sibling relationship" in the past, and she was allowed to reveal that because it wasn't going to appear anymore within the show. Cecile's relationship to Suzaku was basically discarded) A scene with Suzaku was also seemingly cut out from Stage 20 (Magazine preview back in S1.) * What happened to Naoto (Kallen's brother) ; The writers considered bringing him back but then couldn't find a place and decided to let him stay dead (Audio commentary Stage 4 + perfect Stage mook interview)

That's about it for the various miscellanous information I could find for the first season; Now that I have gotten several of those magazines, expect more full blown articles from those whenever I'll have more time.

Hope you enjoyed.

[yullanasol]

Characters’ monologues from Graphic Ashford Artbook

All monologue bits including Kallen’s, (several of) Lelouch’s, Suzaku’s, Milly’s, Nunnally’s, and Shirley’s, also a bit of ‘conversation’ between Lelouch and Suzaku. This is a quite old publication. Set in the middle of first season.

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[yullanasol]

Let's honor Shirlulu for a bit cause if Kallen was screwed in the alternative version (The movie verse and Resurrection basically erased her relationship with Lelouch while enhancing C.C. and Lelouch) she still got the upper hand in the anime canon version, with her scenes and side material; Shirley on the other hand was SCREWED in both version ; in the first one she is brainwashed in S1 and killed in R2, and in the alternative, while she is kept alive, she is merely turned as some Lelouch's stalker (they even dared to say she was his girlfriend while they were devellopping Lelouch/CC) who lives only to bring Lelouch's body (yeah cause a student can move the body of a deceased emperor) to C.C.;

She basically stalked Lelouch, and stayed alive to give Lelouch to C.C.. Ah and they even gave her song, Masquerade, to C.C. in the Remade/recap movies.

Total disrespect to her fans but well, they don't buy enough merchandising so screw her I guess ? Another reason why the AU is bullshit and only some shippers and normies regard it as enjoyable.

Shirley deserved better, she had a lot for her in the anime and Lelouch also had a lot for her.

[yullanasol]

Talking a bit about Kallen's story arc

I came across a comment on Reddit not long ago (in case you don’t know, it’s a nest of C.C. fanboys) saying that Kallen was overrated since she had nothing beyond her relationship with Lelouch and the episode with her mom. It is not the first time I have read an opinion like that, although, fortunately, it is not very frequent.

Actually, Kallen does have a character arc. It’s just that it’s developed in a very subtle way. And by that I mean that I didn’t realize what it was the second or third time I watched Code Geass, but much later. This is because the series doesn’t tell you directly, they show it to you. I understood it better after reading Kallen’s poem. Everything she says there is in the series. But they don’t explain it to you with words like in the poem. The same thing happened to me with Euphemia’s little story arc (yes, she has one of her own).

At its core, Kallen’s story arc is about transitioning from a reckless and immature girl who finds herself adrift to a selfless heroine with a purpose that transcends her. It is a coming-age story in all its definition. In that sense, it is essentially similar to the Lelouch arc as the rebellion brings out the best version of themselves. This is compassion, empathy, altruism. It’s not very noticeable because Kallen isn’t Machiavellian like Lelouch is, although she is just as pragmatic. One of the best samples you have of Kallen’s development is in the penultimate episode of the first season.

In the early episodes, Kallen is deeply concerned with protecting her identity to the point that she does not hesitate to take risky actions that include killing others. But, in this penultimate episode, when the members of the Student Council refuse to obey the Black Knights thinking that they would harm them, Kallen unmasks herself before them to calm them down and ask them to trust them. Kallen prioritized the safety of her friends over her secret. The thing is that she had already done it before. By Zero. Kallen comes out of her Guren to ask Suzaku to let Zero go in episode 18 of the first season. She again places more importance on the safety of her leader than her identity. The difference between the two moments is that she calmly makes the decision to reveal herself in episode 24. That was not her last option as it was in episode 18.

You’d think there wouldn’t be any further development for Kallen in season two. But it’s not true and, personally and based on Kallen’s poem, I like to see her relationship with Lelouch as a temptation for her (temptation in the sense that it can lead her astray). Characters in visual media are often built on two pillars: what they want versus what they need, and up until that point, Kallen hadn’t had to choose because the choice was so clear. That is, she had not faced a challenge. By the end, however, she must choose between the boy she loves and doing the right thing, and though Lelouch helps her choose the latter by keeping quiet about her feelings, Kallen decides of her own free will to do the right thing and, by extension, embrace her identity, her values and her brother’s dream. Not caring that Lelouch has returned the kiss. Also in this second season Kallen is consolidated as the best Knightmare pilot of the series. Her most badass moments are here (and there are still people who have the nerve to say that she was relegated to the background; sorry, man, you’re talking about C.C.).

I would like in the remote future to both write an individual analysis of Kallen as well as an analysis of her (misconstrued) relationship with Lelouch. On my Code Geass Facebook page I do it in Spanish and I use this space to address the international community. Now I am watching Code Geass again with a good channel of reactions on YouTube (since 2020 I have imposed the tradition of watching Code Geass once a year and with them I will fulfill my purpose for this 2023…) . I will see what new things I will discover now. I discovered what I have just told you on my return visit last year.

Fans only complain about her fanservice, spit on her relationship with Lelouch, accuse her of things she never did, and judge her harshly. They never take Kallen seriously. I want to be the first to do it, if no one with good analytical skills does it.

[yullanasol]

All the times Kallen blushed

The blush in Code Geass is quite subtle, but it’s still visible and without fear of being wrong, Karen-chan is the character who has blushed the most in the series. These are all the moments that I remember when she blushed. Did I miss any? Can you tell me. From left to right: episodes 3, 5, 6, 7, 18 of the first season; episodes 2, 3, 5, 9 twice, the Picture Drama 7.19 (it’s a flashback to something that happened at some point in the first season) and the 13th episode of the first season. Blushed 6 times by daddy Lelouch, 1 time by Suzaku, 1 time by Shirley and her wild imagination, 1 time by C.C., 1 time by Xingke and the eunuchs, 1 time by the boys from Ashford Academy, and 1 time by the student council (and she, in turn, made the boys on the student council blush). Kallen blushing is a mod! :3

[yullanasol]

No, Kallen is not underused in R2 and has more involvement than you remember. (And CC does not have as much participation as you think)

I keep coming across tons of complaints coming from Kallen haters (who are just obsessed CC fans) that Kallen Kozuki barely had any part in R2 and that she was reduced to an object of fanservice (hell, someone even wrote it in a TvTropes article).

Excuse me, are you telling me that all you remember about Kallen in season two are those awkward close-ups? Dude, in the first season she develops as a character. True, but, if you look closely, her participation in both seasons is quite balanced.

She has a certain prominence in the first ten episodes of season one, especially in episodes 3 and 9 that are dedicated to her (the first introduces her as Lelouch's classmate who leads a double life and the second addresses her relationship with her mother and through that it Okouchi and Taniguchi tell us about the precarious conditions in which Elevens live). In episode 10 Kallen receives her Knightmare and has her epic fight against Jeremiah. Also in episode 13 Kallen gets some attention because she is reflecting on the consequences of her actions (most people only remember that this was a turning point for Lelouch, but it was also a turning point for Kallen).

After she withdraws from the main focus (in fact, episode 15 is the only one in the entire series in which Kallen does not appear; of the rest, only Sunrise gives us a few brief and humble cameos so that we do not forget that she is there), until episode 18 and 19 arrive, where she manages to stand out (in the first it is because Kallen is named captain of Squad Zero, something she feels very proud of; in the second it is because she is transported to Kaminejima Island with Lelouch, Euphemia and Suzaku and has a great dialogue with the latter).

Kallen is left behind again, we are given a few moments that alternate between the funny and the thoughtful until the last two episodes in which she regains her relevance (in episode 24 she has a fight with Suzaku and reveals herself to the Student Council and in the episode 25 Ohgi tells her about her brother's dream, something that will be important in her narrative arc, and, of course, she gets involved in the final confrontation between Suzaku and Zero, where she discovers the identity of the latter).

In R2 it is the same and now what is going to develop is her relationship with Lelouch, but she also establishes herself as the best Knightmare pilot and will influence to a certain extent Lelouch (mainly), Suzaku and Gino.

In the first ten episodes she has a strong presence. Specifically, the episodes where Kallen shines the most are episode 1 In which she is incognito on a mission to rescue Lelouch (everyone remembers the bunny suit, but no one remembers why she was dressed like that), in the next (episode 2) she has her confrontation with Lelouch, as well as renews her loyalty to him, in episode 6, in which her Knightmare receives updates and she faces off against Anya and Gino; in the 7th, where Kallen pulls Lelouch out of the dark pit where he is and tries to give him motivation, and the 9th, where, in addition to that moment when Lelouch asks her to return to Ashford Academy with him, she escorts and protects Zero during the horrible wedding between Odysseus and Tianzi (her best moment is when she shows compassion to Nina, even though she insults her). Well, in episode 5 she is around Ashford looking for CC while she is disguised as Tabatacchi.

In episode 10, Kallen once again gives another spectacular fight against Xing-Ke and is captured by him, something that reveals how special she has become for Lelouch since he gives the order to rescue her, although the Black Knights have a high probability of lose.

Even in prison, Kallen has important moments that relate to her conflict and the narrative arcs of other characters. Kallen discovers Lelouch through her conversations with Nunnally, thanks to her Suzaku reaches another turning point in his narrative arc since he is about to break his principles, her "enmity" with Luciano Bradley is born and she has a conversation with Gino that he will remember in the future.

And, again, in episodes 18 and 19 Kallen returns to the center of attention (in the first one she returns with the Black Knights, but before that she gives us two epic battles: one is the defeat of Luciano Bradley and the other is her third or fourth fight with Suzaku, I don't remember if they fought in the sixth episode of R2; in the second, Kallen is willing to give her life for Lelouch during the betrayal of the Black Knights and there we have the sacrifice and the most heartbreakingly beautiful line from the series: "Kallen, you have to live").

Then Kallen discreetly retires and from episode 22 onwards returns to the spotlight (her presence is more or less considerable: she has her conversation with Lelouch in which she tries to decipher his motivations, she has her kiss with him, she has her fight with CC and then her fight with Suzaku, later she has her moment of lucidity during the failed execution of the rebels in which she finally understands Lelouch's suicide plan and, of course, Kallen is the one who narrates the epilogue of the series).

In reality, and I take no pleasure in saying this, it's CC who has almost nothing to do in R2. In the first episode of this season she returns Lelouch's memories (implying that she knew that Lelouch was going to be captured and his memory was going to be manipulated, since what she did then was break Charles' seal: we quickly see the first kiss she gave him in that strobe tunnel) and then what?

It would only highlight three moments and it is not because she does the big thing, but because they are more or less relevant: in episode 5, CC was wandering around Ashford's territories, but beyond being a source of comic relief and telling Lelouch that Villetta and Ohgi were lovers she didn't do much; then we have that very brief moment when CC and Anya had a connection in episode 11, which was foreshadowing that Marianne was in Anya's body and she had been communicating with CC the whole time and lastly, the episode 14 in which CC approves of a grieving Lelouch wanting to massacre the Geass Cult, even if that's a terrible idea in every way.

Right after, in episode 15, the series gives us insight into her past, her motivations, her death wish, and hints at her affiliation with Charles. CC subsequently loses her memories and does not have a major scene that concerns the main story or her own narrative arc. Except for that scene in episode 16 where she motivates Lelouch to meet Suzaku (and in that same dialogue she specifies her true desire: she wanted to have friends).

And that's how things are until episode 21 arrives in which they confirm what had already been revealed in episode 15 and it realize us the horrible truth through that conversation with Suzaku: CC was using and hiding things from Lelouch all along this time to promote her own interests, at the expense of forcing him to live an immortal life and was an active supporter of Lelouch's enemy's mad plan, "the Connection to Ragnarök".

Does CC regret it? Does she take responsibility for her actions? No, all that remains is her dialogue with Lelouch in which she encourages him to continue the Zero Requiem and, finally, her dialogue with Kallen in episode 24 in which she reveals to us and Kallen what her reason for fighting is (it is the only time in which CC is involved in the main plot of the series and her role is secondary and those scenes don't make any difference, I mean, they are situations that we could do without and the plot would remain the same; considering that the CC plot is self-contained, it makes sense).

Ah! Of course, CC is the last character to speak and signs off the series with a monologue in which she acknowledges that she was wrong about Geass not isolating you, reflecting the change she has gone through (after all, the Zero Requiem was the greatest act of love towards humanity on the part of Lelouch). And that's it! And no one complains about this or points it out as a negative point of the character (very few fans of CC, precisely those who do not idealize her).

In short, her involvement decreases compared to the first season (there she has a fair share, neither greater nor less). And she could have had a greater participation in the plot.

I think this is due to she was one of the last characters to be created (in case you don't know, the reason CC exists is because Okouchi and Taniguchi didn't know how to give Geass to Lelouch; hence they created a character who could do it), so the creators didn't know what to do with her next and, since CC was never connected to the main plot of the rebellion until very late, she didn't have a place in the second season.

I also have a theory that CC was destined to go down a darker path (after all, she did a lot of questionable things), but the creators decided not to explore or delve into it for fear of her fans (that's something that It is already public knowledge), so they tried to whiten her image.

The real stars of the show are Lelouch and Suzaku, in that order (CC and Kallen come later).

Some lament saying that they would like to know more about Kallen and I would too, but I think Okouchi and Taniguchi managed well with what they could (they had to handle many characters, each with their own thing, and this was a criticism against R2) . And, as far as we know, there were plans that were scrapped for Kallen's family, not for her directly.

And, well, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is still the standard for model female characters for any anime, despite the fact that its narrative arcs are excessively simple. We can be okay with this.

Final thoughts? I think fans only remember what they want to remember since those complainers remember more of a somewhat important event in an episode than everything that happened in a season.

It should be noted that CC was also the subject of fanservice in R2. There are tight shots of her butt, for example; but, conveniently, no one remembers that (or they just leave it out) much less complain about it.

All the girls in Code Geass are the subject of fanservice, but only Kallen is criticized for it.

For the record, I'm not saying this because I'm a CC hater. It just doesn't seem fair to me that one girl is praised by fans in prejudice of another girl, just because she committed the horrible sins of being the second most important female character and having a romantic relationship with the protagonist most loved by everyone.

Regardless of that, Kallen and CC manage to be good characters (don't complain anymore, Larry).

[yullanasol]

君には君の夢をかなえて欲しいという、小さな願いを (“I want you to fulfill your dreams. This is my little wish.)

Do You know where this line comes from ? It appeared at the end of two different Kallen’s official profile (and I mean official stuff coming from the staff not some journalist words on various magazine or some novel stuff) on the Complete Guidebook from R2 and on Geass*net (which was the official website of the staff, accessible only in Japan) and it’s a phrase Kallen understood from Lelouch when he was killed by Suzaku;

That’s why it appears in the form of a quote by Lelouch himself.

I think, while it’s not the more telling, when it comes to Lelouch’s nature of feelings toward Kallen (because frankly there was more blablant stuff and when you add everything it just gets wild) it’s actually beautiful;

Kallen never lived her own dreams, she fought all along for her brother’s dream, that’s for that she went into battle and was prepared to be killed, and in the end, while she was ready to sacrifice this dream to be with Lelouch (Her poem will never cease to impact me) Lelouch chose to spare her when he had no reason to, he took away her choice in order to make sure she’d come out alive and have a chance to live freely and finally fulfill her dreams.

He gave her everything but the exception of himself, not because he wanted to, but because he had to, because Lelouch, was, till the very end, incredibly selfless with everyone he cared for.

Bear in mind i’m not talking about romantic love there, even though one can make a full case about how it can work as well, in there, while it’s definitely 愛 (love) it’s love in the purest sense of the word;

While only trolls usually contest Kallen was important to him I thought it was a nice reminder; the fandom has been revived only on the LuluC side because of the alternate reality and a lot of information about Kallen and Lelouch that came out during or after the show were lost (Well the end of the show happened in 2008 after all) within the depths of internet so it takes a bit of digging to get them back.

Now, because Kallen x Lelouch shippers deserve more, because of the bittersweetness they had to endure at the end of R2 and because of Sunrise milking the cash cow 10 years later, I’d like to remind everyone that aside from his big wish for Nunnally (a gentle world) he never had any wish for anyone. So him having a little wish, for Kallen only (of course he wants everyone to live in a happy world, but nowhere in any other profile or scans or interviews you can find something this personal coming from Lelouch, they even quoted him to insist on that “My little wish”), so once again, it’s still something Kallen has in common with Nunnally, who is the very heart of Lelouch’s being in thecanon anime verse. Quite nice, if you ask me.

Hope you enjoy !

[yullanasol]

Fukuyama (Lelouch's VA): Was it intentional that it ended like that... cut to black?

Taniguchi (Code Geass Director): Right. In the last scene, Lelouch walks into the darkness... very symbolic.

[yullanasol]

All of Lelouch's personas are part of his true self. And the acceptance of these personas by the other characters and Lelouch himself is one of the central themes of the second season. One of the reasons I find dynamic between Shirley and Lelouch the most interesting, because for an ordinary good girl to not only accept her boyfriend's dark side, but to decide to go against the whole world to protect his heart and soul, is a very powerful act.

If you’re a shirlulu shipper you’ve most likely heard this “Shirley only loved Lelouch Lamperouge” as used against shirlulu

which is technically true because Shirley never got the chance to know Lelouch vi britannia since she died. But I think a lot of people forget that Shirley wanted to know the real Lelouch so he wouldn’t be fighting the world all by himself

[yullanasol]

I love that Code Geass has details like this that you notice when watching it again.

1x16 | 2x25

[yullanasol]

The LuluShir in Code Geass' Short Story, "Hikari"

As shared by piggyhoho on LJ back in 2008, there was a short Code Geass story in the November '08 issue of Newtype. This short story took place after R2's finale and featured a look into Lelouch's ideal world; which included Lelouch finally asking Shirley out.

The short story, titled "Hikari" ("Light"), was written by Arata Kanoh (加納新太), who wrote a good chunk (if not most) of the Code Geass sound episodes. piggyhoho shared a detailed summary of the full story in the link above, but I went ahead and bought the magazine because I wanted to read the full LuluShir scene.

So, here is the scene where Lelouch asks Shirley out, as well as the ending of the story; featuring matchmaker Suzaku & CC confirming this is what Lelouch would've wanted his ideal world to look like.

Then, Suzaku suddenly looked behind me. He lightly squeezed my left shoulder, gave me a meaningful smile and headed towards the classroom. I was just wondering what was up with him— we’re in the same class after all, so shouldn’t we go together? —when I looked over my shoulder and understood the reason.

“Shirley…”

“Good morning, Lulu.”

Shirley walked forward with light steps, and came to a stop before me.

“Is something wrong?”

I wonder why, when I saw her soft smile, my heart worked itself into a frenzy.

Along with the joy, there was an unexplainable regret.

It was a complex feeling.

It felt like the possibilities that closed-off without choice were weeping from somewhere.*

As we walked down the school halls, Shirley and I made small talk about anything and everything. Things like the weather, homework and 'Don’t tell me you’re going to doze off in class again, Lulu!'. For some reason, such a conversation felt very fulfilling, despite having no urgency to it.

I suddenly remembered something I had kept in my breast pocket. That's right, these must have found their way to me precisely for this very moment.

"Hey, Shirley..."

"Hm? What is it?”

"What do you think of classical music?"

"Huh? Well, not much, really. I've never been particularly interested in it."

"I just happened to have some tickets for a concert, if you'd like to come."

"Huh?! You mean, you want to go with m—me?"

"Yes, I want to go with you."

"I—I mean, but what about Nunna-chan and Rollo...?"

"I only have two tickets," I said. "You aren’t interested?"

Suddenly, Shirley leaned forward and said, "I am! I'm really, really interested in classical music!"

"I'm glad to hear that," I replied. And I meant it, in more ways than one. I didn't think she would refuse, but I could have invited her in a way that would make it impossible for her to turn me down. I was truly glad I didn’t choose to word my invitation that way...

Shirley and I walked shoulder to shoulder down the halls, until we reached the classroom.

Its closed door was right before us.

I looked at the clock. We were right on time. The bell would surely ring one second after we open the door.

Well then, let’s enjoy our boring class to the fullest, shall we?

I looked at Shirley’s smiling face, and she nodded good naturedly.

I opened the classroom door.

Light poured out and wrapped around me.

☆

I see.

Lelouch.

So, this is what you wished for?

You were going to take over the world.

Yet, this is what you hoped that “world” would look like.

Oh, what a modest dream.

No, that’s far from it.

You wanted to have it all, without missing a single thing.

How greedy.

What a selfish, sweet dream.

Well then, your journey is over.

You have been set free from the world.

So.

Just rest inside me.

For the dream will go on forever.

Good night, Lelouch.

* I wasn't sure how to read this particular phrase, and jodanj on Reddit helped me make sense of it. One of the translations they suggested in particular broke my heart in all the right ways: "It feels like hearing, weeping from somewhere, everything that could have happened but didn't." As usual, I did my best to translate everything as accurately (and naturally) as possible, but my Japanese is far from perfect so don't hesitate to let me know if I misread something.