Final Thoughts on Code Geass R2
Is it wrong that I actually want Lelouch to be dead? I agree that there’s stuff pointing to both interpretations, but that was too good of a death scene to waste on him just being alive. Lelouch’s bloody body sliding down to a chained and downright tortured looking Nunally was particularly gruesome yet beautiful in a morbid way. Lelouch allowing himself to be killed is certainly character redemption enough, and I’m not sure that after all he’s been through he would let himself live a peaceful life, but as I’ve said before I find it useless to analyze Geass too much so I’ll just say that it was a pretty good ending for the mess that preceded it. The characters all got their just desserts, and even Orange-kun came out on top. Loli-farmer-wife? Who wouldn’t want that?
All in all I can’t really say that Code Geass has been the best mecha series in a while, or even an overall good story. Too much wasted potential, terrible writing, and just general lack of direction marred the whole production. Truthfully I believe that CG was a victim of its own popularity. All the sudden this 26-episode show turned into a fifty-episode multimedia behemoth, and the writers had to come up with something to fill all that screen time. I do, however, appreciate what CG tried to do, to completely reverse and deconstruct common roles we all accept, perhaps not in a way as radical as Evangelion but in a way that demanded attention. Only in CG could the main character being killed for his crimes at the end be seen as a happy ending. A lot of good porn came out of all this too, so I can at least be happy for that.
Bloodstain = epic. Orange picking oranges = epic.
Code Geass was overrated, but who didn’t know that? Fun either way.
Comment on September 28, 2008 @ 8:50 pm
I’m also inclined to think he’s dead, the more I think about it, but who knows.
And actually, I think the main problem wasn’t a lack of stuff to fill into 50 episodes, but rather the complete opposite: trying to include so many ideas (characters, subplots, arcs) without thinking too much about how to develop them using proper pacing.
Yeah, I do feel there was wasted potential here. R2 could have easily used more episodes for this last couple of arcs at the very least.
Can’t disagree about that last part though…
Comment on September 28, 2008 @ 10:31 pm
Totali that is exactly what I wanted to say.
I’ll make a post on my thoughts aswell. What a fun ending.
“A lot of good porn came out of all this too, so I can at least be happy for that.”
I want a Lulu (lives after the end) X C.C. doujin.
Comment on September 28, 2008 @ 11:56 pm
really, I’m sure the general consensus is that despite CG being completely crap for the past season, we all couldn’t wait to watch it anticipating the fun that sunrise kept delivering. It was like a cheap roller coaster thriller that everyone liked. And it’s now over… /___\
Comment on September 29, 2008 @ 3:02 am
I have a feeling of relief. This may sound pretty silly, but CG felt like a burden to me. While watching anime for me usually is a relax act where I check once a week if any new episodes were released for my few followed shows, Code Geass kept me looking at the stream, RAWs, everything every release time. I was hooked and I hated it, but it was just so silly and good like cheap heroin that left me in a terrible withdrawal for the other days of the week.
Also Suzaku showed his superhuman skills again. God I love that Terminator.
Comment on September 29, 2008 @ 5:42 am
That was tragic. No matter what all those sunrise haters say, if an ending makes you think and reflect over the next preceding days its done its job rather well, a little too well. CG might’ve had a few writing hiccups here and there (that god awful Charles and Marianne revelation) but imo the ending more than made up. It was utterly memorable and flat-out poignant. Now I’m sad to see it go.
G00 will have to have one great opening episode if it hopes to stand an even small chance against episode 25 of R2. Hefty expectations start now.
Comment on September 29, 2008 @ 3:06 pm
Terrible writing? I disagree completely. If the writing was terrible then we would have gotten an ending without any closure and the show would never have been popular in the first place. The writing was excellent, they knew exactly how to get their audience interested and keep them interested until the end, and managed to cap things off without feeling like everything is left incomplete and disappointing. At least, that’s how I felt about it. Might have helped that I steered well clear of all the /a/ nonsense around the show and just enjoyed it on my own terms.
Comment on September 29, 2008 @ 7:49 pm
Terrible writing doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it, and I agreed that the ending was handled well. Something can be bad and I’ll still love it, which is exactly what CG was.
Comment on September 29, 2008 @ 8:05 pm
The author tries to close all ties to war and violence by giving LULU the resolve to uphold the role of evil for the good of humanity…Its also possible that LULU used his geass to make everyone THINK he died. Although I too feel that the ending was hinting toward that option I believe it is more symbolic and deep if Lulu died in a tragically secretive way.
Comment on September 29, 2008 @ 8:54 pm
ALL CODE GEASS HATERS CAN GO DIE. Code Geass was a great anime, whether you think it had flaws or not.
Comment on September 30, 2008 @ 7:06 pm
By the way, critics and haters alike, your a f***king hypocrite if you were able to watch the entire 52 episodes and call it a “horrible”, “stupid”, and “repetetive” anime. Shame on you. If you can call Code Geass these things, then you are so stupid you can’t see a good anime when you see one.
Comment on September 30, 2008 @ 7:17 pm
Your use of quotes is redundant, seeing as how I didn’t actually say any of that. My distaste for censorship is the only reason I let your poorly articulated argument show up.
Comment on October 1, 2008 @ 1:45 pm
I too wished they could of just let lulu die, after all everything had come to an end and his ultimate goal is succeed (though he did promise C.C. that he would make her happy…) but C.C. should suffer eternally and fit her geass curse description. Nunally watches him die, Suzaku is forced to take his role, and after all the pain and suffering that he has brought upon everyone, he should die. Lulu is a tragic hero and he should stay dead. Everyone has their role fulfilled and he even accepted death, so why in the world is he alive with C.C. being an immortal as well? It screws everything out of place. It was a beautiful bittersweet ending turned Hollywood happy ending. =T
Comment on October 8, 2008 @ 1:52 am
Flare: Some people like their happy endings, so let them read that into this one.
Unless a relatively unlikely direct sequel comes out and confirms one or the other, it doesn’t really matter, all options are valid.
Comment on October 10, 2008 @ 3:30 am