hontou ni
27Mar/0720

Crown jewel of SUNRISE works – Code Geass 22

Spoiler warning: If you have not seen Code Geass 22 and intend to do so this lifetime, I beseech you, from the bottom of my tanuki hide, AVOID all CG 22 discussions. As my gahmen (government) always implicitly say, "It's for your own good." XD

Despite having seen relatively few of their works, I consider myself a SUNRISE fan. Some productions I enjoyed include Cowboy Bebop, Infinite Ryvius, SCRYED, Gundam SEED and Mai HiME. Especially Mai HiME. I still remember having conferred Mai HiME 24 the title of "crown jewel of SUNRISE's works". However with CG 22, that changed. Her Royal Awesomeness, MH XXIV, just had to abdicated for the grand tragedy that is His Epic-ness, CG XXII.

A ruthless SUNRISE is SUNRISE at her very best. Unlike many productions where death or shocking moments are dispensed needlessly to induce a cheap tear/gasp or two, SUNRISE's deaths/tragedies are deeply affecting and for some cases, soul-rending. She has the uncanny ability to convincingly mutate the purest/most honourable of intentions by binding it with the cruelest of fate to bring forth that most horrific outcome. CG 22 encapsulates all that I love about SUNRISE as a storyteller. One moment, we are strolling through hopeful fields of sibling communion to rebuild Japan, the next we are swimming in a bloody carnage with Lelouch 'baying' for Euphie's blood. SUNRISE's skill to credibly bring together such dichotomous elements and deliver that incredible tale is alone worthy my worship.

As a veteran movie-goer who often spoils the end/whodunit to my wife, midway through Hollywood thrillers, I'm simply lost as to where CG can go next. Here's some thoughts/speculations about the key characters and their future.

Lelouch - Those whose head can absolutely override the heart scares me, since taken to the extreme, a mind without emotions can lead to the logical acts of inhumanity. So I was glad for the tears Lelouch shed in the final moments of Ep 22. But given the crushing weight of his unforgivable sin against Euphie/ the Japanese, how much more of his heart does he need to close so as to achieve this lofty goals w/o the yoke of his past? Would he too, in order to cast of his sin, seal his humanity only to sink deeper and deviate from his original path? This is really but the prelude to his demonhood and I suspect his only salvation is Nunnaly's death by geass.

Suzaku - The champion of justice that has now fallen with his noble princess to be branded as demonic executioners of the Japanese. How would he forgive himself his role of drawing kinsmen to the slaughter? What of his ideals now that his object of faith, the emissary of peace that is the lovely Euphemia, has shattered the very basis of his love/support for her? My heart goes out to Suzaku. With the moderates all dead in that stadium, the remaining unsympathetic Japanese would see him as the vilest traitor. Seppuku was never such an attractive option....

C.C. - She was unmoved by the mass murders, believing it to be an extreme measure employed in Lelouch's grand scheme. Again, such unfeeling unsettles me. In fact, she had exhibited more emotions on the suspicions that Lelouch's powers were haywiring. Without a doubt, C.C serves only herself and her enigmatic goals. What evils has she seen that she was able to waive the horrors of this holocaust? And what of her deepening liaison with Suzaku? Would he be the next Geass candidate as Lelouch relegates to Mao-ism? I'm still holding fast to that outrageous hope of seeing a C.C. X Suzaku pairing. It'd be great to see Lelouch's harem defect to Suzaku just for dramatic impact especially when Lelouch has already lost 2 sisters to Suzaku's charms.

Euphemia - She WILL attempt suicide in ep 23. But surely she will not die. What then would she live for? Can Suzuku forgive her? On what basis? Would we have Scrapped Princess 2 then? Would Zefiris now have C.C. hawtness with SUNRISE treatment?

Though I have many questions, there is but one burning desire - to watch the ep 23 and the rest of greatness that is Code Geass. Thursdays have never seemed so faraway....

Related posts:

  1. Code Geass R2 Ep 2
  2. Code Geass R2 01-02 – Judeo-Christian inspiration?
  3. Towards Happily Ever After in Code Geass R2

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Comments (20) Trackbacks (0)
  1. Skh
    March 27th, 2007 - 02:30

    C.C. only have feeling for pizzas.

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  2. Lupus
    March 27th, 2007 - 02:48

    1.
    Skh
    Comment by Skh | 2007/03/27 at 02:30:09

    C.C. only have feeling for pizzas.

    I agree with this man.

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  3. jpmeyer
    March 27th, 2007 - 07:30

    My personal choice was MH XX. I remember bugging out SO FREAKING HARD while watching that episode raw back in the day.

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  4. crimson
    March 27th, 2007 - 07:38

    poor euphemia-chan :(

    At least, Lelouch knew what cannot be changed after the command was given. His plans strayed due to the untimely corruption of his powers so he had no choice to but ride on the turn of event and choose the most logical (though inhumane) and beneficial path.

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  5. tj han
    March 27th, 2007 - 08:00

    You havent seen PLANETES?? You should. And yues CG 22 is shocking. I almost threw up my dinner.

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  6. Stripey
    March 27th, 2007 - 09:08

    Skh/Lupus: Yeah come to think of it, C.C. exhibited a great deal more lament in Ep 21 when the giant pizza failed to materialise. :P

    jpmeyer: Oh yes, MH XX… indeed, I could not, COULD not believe they off-ed otouto-kun so far from the end and at the hands of imouto-esque chan. The confrontation that followed was awesome yet heart-rending. :)

    crimson: it’s scary how Lelouch so level-headed turned around to salvage the situation in the light of the great tragedy and pandemonium. It’s… it’s almost inhuman… this strength/resolve. :P

    tj han: heh, I’ve been wanting to catch it for the longest time, partly fuelled by Tsubaki and your enthusiasm for it. :) Euphemia’s coy request for the massacre still reverberates in my mind….

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  7. Skane
    March 27th, 2007 - 09:32

    I belong in the group that was laughing wholeheartedly at this development (think the Emperor. “Oh-hohoho! She’s gone and done it now!”). My interest in Euphemia took a sudden 180

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  8. Crusader
    March 27th, 2007 - 11:58

    I was not moved by the slaughter, and the two rip offs of the most iconic picture of the Battle of Shanghai. The only plausible explanation I have to Lulu’s tears is that he lost control of the situation. He’s a fragging control freak that no sane soldier would ever serve. Well he got the war he wanted. Lulu sowed the wind now let him reap the whirlwind. If Suzaku chooses suicide he is a bigger coward than I thought.

    I agree with Skane it was a good laugh in the end how the dear princess proved to be a better commando and commander than Lulu.

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  9. Beowulf Lee
    March 27th, 2007 - 12:49

    In the beginning, C^2 was hot, and that’s all it mattered. Euphie was cute but not much of a match for my green haired, pizza fetished, puppeteer with with as perfect proportions as one can get with lines and color. But now, after Euphie going Higurashi on us, the psycho-moe-loving side of me is making me waver. What future developments may ensue for this inane-plot-wrined-out-of-the-script-writer’s-ass-story? Only Sunrise can tell.

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  10. Zzz...
    March 27th, 2007 - 16:49

    …you know when it comes to revolutions you can have Mao, Lenin, and Robespierre…or you can have Gandhi and Doctor King…

    …most of these men were nominally successful in achieving their goals…but who do you think were better people…and MOST importantly whose ‘liberated’ people kept somewhat to the ideals that freed them…

    …I can’t bring myself to sympathize with Ledouche in this…to late…too late…

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  11. Haesslich
    March 27th, 2007 - 20:32

    … you know, if Lelouche’s harem goes over to Suzaku, that’ll be another re-enactment of SEED where Athrun’s friends and harem go over to Kira’s side? :P

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  12. Nighty
    March 27th, 2007 - 23:18

    I still think Escaflowne and PlanetES are some of ANIME’s Crown Jewels from Sunrise that Stripey really need to go down and watch and while I think they’re better than Code Geass, but I’ll agree somewhat that the recent relevations on Code Geass is good as well. I can’t remember the last episode of an anime non-harem that made me feel like I do not want to watch that EVER AGAIN.

    It’s good, yet depressing.

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  13. Xellos-_^
    March 28th, 2007 - 10:06

    I agree about Escaflowne.

    Sunrise can do great work if the director can keep the toy/model line corporate people off their back. GSD is example of what happen when the director has no spine.

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  14. Stripey
    March 29th, 2007 - 09:59

    Skane: LOL! Well, at least it proved that Euphie’s no Lacus clone :) Despite her somewhat bland character design, I like Euphie at lot and cannot begin to imagine how she would carry on with life here on. She’s certainly nowhere as strong as Lacus. I guess 23 will tell :)

    Crusader: Heh, I try to give Lulu the benefit of the doubt that a human heart still beats under those cold methodical ways of his. He screwed up big time and because of his mistake, many including his sister would pay with their lives, hence those tears. :)

    Beowulf Lee: Yeah! Before 22, CG viewers only had eyes for the babelicious C2. Now, I’d expect some cosplayers to do ‘blood-stained Euphie” :) I wonder what SUNRISE’d do to Kallen to ‘up’ her charm :P

    Zzz

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  15. muhootsaver
    March 30th, 2007 - 16:15

    I still haven’t watched ep22 but as I already know what will happen I lost motivation to watch more. To be absolutely honest, I hate this kind of tragic story progress. Though this is a very good way to make things more interesting and make people keep watching the show, I must say, I don’t really feel good about it (but I guess this kind of tragedy was to be expected). And it is funny how C.C. seems to show her emotion the most when it comes to PIZZA.

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  16. greyscalefuzz
    April 1st, 2007 - 00:38

    CG22 is the “This changes everything” episode.

    Dammit… that was my favourite haremette in the series and stupid old Lulu has to go and spoil it all by doing that. If you’ve seen CG23, it’s really sad how the memory of that sweet girl will forever be tainted all because of that unreliable geass.

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  17. crimson
    April 1st, 2007 - 17:52

    its the price of the devil’s contract!

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  18. Stripey
    April 4th, 2007 - 06:48

    muhootsaver: heh, I know what you mean. The well-meaning die and the slimy gets away with it…. :) But I can’t help but marvel how SUNRISE weaved it all together. One moment we are on the threshold of a fledging peace, the next, senseless bloodbath. I’d admit not too many of these grand tragedies in my anime intake though :P

    greyscalefuzz: I can’t believe they off-ed ***** in ep 23! My admiration for SUNRISE hits another new high! :P

    crimson: Loved that line. The Kyoto princess is a really lolicious megami I may add.. XD

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  19. dervish Candela
    June 7th, 2007 - 05:32

    Oh. So, Code Geass ate your brain too. I felt like it was one of the best shows I’ve ever watched, – ’twas just that spectacular. Even if I was constantly irritated by the lack of REAL storyline (character-driven, like it was in Mai-Hime). In fact, Code Geass is one of the best anime simulacres – it has a front illusion of a perfect plot while having NO plot at all (every storyline event comes out “accidentally” – accidental meetings of characters, accidental events, accidental plot devices etc).

    I so liked this series emphasis on PR, even more than on actual tactics. In that sense, I saw the little Euphemia’s massacre coming – the very thing Lelouche needed to take over in PR stalemate. Although I expected it to be a set-up “accident” too. (It would be quite realistic for a change – a single shot would get such an event down quickly).

    Loved secondary and support chars (Karen, Shirley) – they were surprisingly 3D.
    Too bad we won’t probably see any continuation of CC’s flashback storyline.

    Hated Suzaku. Imho the worst case of anti-humanism, absolute inability to hear others and nearly religiously fanatical belief in own righteousness. Obviously, unbased. In fact, this is a textbook case of a criminal mentality: immature and cruel, “the man who’s always right”, as Van Vogt described this type (R.A.Wilson, the New Inquisition). Too bad ALL events which were supposed to improve his stagnant situation (exectution of surrendering enemies, execution of his own teacher) magically don’t happen. Accidentally, again =)

    I’m rooting all for Lelouche x Karen and their little war:D

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  20. Stripey
    June 9th, 2007 - 10:26

    Heh, I actually love the ‘accidental’ aspect of CG and for that matter this trait of SUNRISE productions. Partly because it reflects life. Many history-altering events are outcomes of the wildest accidents. :P Plus it keeps me from guessing what’s gonna happen next :)

    Myself, I guess I’m more sympathetic to Suzaku. He reminds me of myself when I was erm… 14-15 yrs old? XD (Well I was a pure/honourable lawful-good paladin and I didn’t understand why party members loved to steal from me or ‘accidentally’ throw a disintegrate spell in my direction) He’ll learn, that boy. And I’m looking forward to the character development. :)

    I’m torn between rooting for Lelouch X CC or Lelouch X Kaguya. But knowing SUNRISE, I wouldn’t be surprised Kaguya dies as a result of Lulu’s machinations. I just hope she dies pretty maiden w dignity. XD

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