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Chiibi
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You're welcome. (I saw your post in 'Current' thread so
 )
Tamaki is bae ♥ *gasp* You've gotta read them; they'll take you on epic adventures; definitely my favorite series; don't let the "for kids" thing fool you; they are a "everyone can enjoy these" series. |
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Akane the Catgirl
Posts: 1091 Location: LA, Baby! |
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Akane Recaps Code Madness Episode One: White People Blow Sh*t Up As Usual
Here we are! In October of 2006, over ten years ago from today, this episode of Code Geass premiered to the intrigue of both the mecha community and anime fans in general. It would go on to become one of the standout anime of 2006 (alongside Haruhi Suzumiya and others), and this episode gives a good clue why. This episode establishes everything you need to know and more, with a dollop of what-the-f**k on the side. What are we waiting for? Let's begin! *** The series begins with a series of evocative images. There's a glimpse of a woman's golden eye, sunflowers, Mount Fuji in the distance, and cicadas. Amidst the buzzing, we see two youngs boys playing together. All the while, the mysterious young woman just watches sadly. Suddenly, the cicadas fly away, and we hear the woman speak: "The date was August Ten in the year 2010 of the imperial calendar. The Holy Britannian Empire had just declared war upon Japan. The far east island nation had held fast to it's neutrality, and now Britannia looms as the world's only superpower. Rights to Japan's underground resources became a hotly disputed issue, straining the already deep-rooted diplomatic tensions between the two sides. In the deciding battle for the mainland, Britannian forces introduced into combat the humanoid autonomous armored knight known as the Knightmare Frame. The enemy's forces were far greater than anticipated, and the Knightmares obliterated the Japanese life of defense and the mainland with little effort. Japan became a dominion of the empire. The country was stripped of it's freedom, it's rights, and it's name. Area 11. The defeated and once proud nation of Japan was rechristened with a mere number." As the mysterious woman exposits all this, the viewer sees images of Britannia invading Japan with their big robots and tanks and everyone being miserable and such. We cut to the two children from before, sitting amongst the ruins of the battlegrounds. Suddenly, one of the boys speaks up with angered determination. "I swear...I swear, Suzaku, so help me...I will one day obliterate Britannia!" 
[They grow up so fast...] Opening time! The song in question is "Colors" by FLOW. The song is catchy, but the visuals are very very meh. Interestingly enough, you can interpret the lyrics as being about Lelouch and his first meeting with C.C.. But we'll get to that soon enough! The episode truly begins seven years later, with a...car chase. I see we're starting off on the right foot after all! More specfically, a Britannian army helicopter is pursuing a stolen truck with something very important I'm sure. Meanwhile, we cut to a chess room, where a news report on a terrorist bombing is playing. A game is going on when our now teenaged main character and some guy walks in. 
[Have you ever met a man so beautiful you started crying?] Meet Lelouch "Lamperouge" vi Britannia, sexily voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch. You may have noticed from my past posts that I have an...interesting attraction to this character design AND this voice. But trust me, Lulu is a great character. He's certainly one of the most interesting protagonists in anime, in my opinion. Anyway, Lelouch is off skipping class so he can play chess with adults who constantly condescend to him. His school friend Rivalz (silent Z and voiced by Brian Beacock), is amazed by the set in front of him, declaring it impossible for Lelouch to win. There's only twenty minutes left until his and Rivalz' next class, but Lulu declares he only needs less than ten to win. We cut back to Ashford Academy, where our hero goes to school. A group of girls (who I will introduce individually in later episodes) are discussing the wherabouts of our protagonist. The three are all members of the student council, with the blonde being the president, and the redhead and the girl in glasses are members. The redheaded one expresses concern over her crush's gambling habits, while the blonde lightly teases her friend over said crush. Meanwhile, the truck chase continues, with the male driver (named Nagata) complaining about their plan derailing. At the same time, Lelouch, who thoroughly crushed his blue blooded opponent and won big monies, walks outside to see the end of a news report on the terrorist attack. Said report is interrupted by an important message by a man named Prince Clovis (voiced by Sam Riegel), who is in charge of Area 11. Much to Lelouch and the redheaded female truck driver's irritation, Prince Clovis affectedly calls for a moment of silence for all who died in the terrorist attack. Lelouch himself does not participate because f**k that guy, mourning does nothing. 
["Look at how sad I am! I am very sad! Be sad for those dead people! Prince out."] The camera stops rolling, and Clovis goes back to partying as usual. Everyone at said party compliments his performance likes this is some Oscar-bait movie. A certain reporter snarks about Clovis when suddenly, a Britannian general runs in, bringing news of the truck-jacking. The prince responds me deploying two Knightmares to pursue the stolen truck. Meanwhile, Lelouch and Rivalz are heading to class when the latter asks why Lelouch started with the king during that chess game earlier. "If the king doesn't lead," he says. "How can he expect his subordinates to follow?" Okay, so I attended an after-school chess club in grade school, but I haven't really kept up with it and have since forgotten the basics of the game, so forgive me if I don't comment much on how accurately this show depicts said game. Rivalz wonders if Lelouch wants to be a head honcho of a major corporation when the two are nearly hit by the stolen truck, causing it to turn the wrong way and crash. The general (named Bartley) expresses concern over the contents of the stolen truck falling into the wrong hands. Lelouch, compelled by fate or magic or some other supernatural force, goes to the scene of the accident while everyone else is content to just take pictures and comment, leaving poor Rivalz to drag their motorbike back to school. While the female truck driver is unscathed, the same cannot be said for Nagata. Just as Lelouch calls out to them, he hears a familiar mysterious female voice. Before he can do anything else, the truck starts back up and Lelouch falls inside the cargo hold. The Britannian army continues to hunt down the stolen truck. The redheaded female driver (...I will get to her) takes charge and heads down to the cargo hold. Lelouch recognizes the inordinately beautiful teenage girl, who then proceeds to get in HER giant robot and is awesome. "You fellas know full well what this bad*ss mother can do!" she says like the boss she is. 
Meet Kallen Stadtfeld Kozuki, voiced by Karen Strassman. She is the best. I'll go into her more throughout the first season recaps, but she really is one of the better female leads. (Which is why I really hate what they did to her next season.) Kallen engages in battle with a Crispin Freeman-sounding character (I'll get to him in a later recap), forcing her to separate from her compatriot. Meanwhile, Lelouch, who is still stuck inside the cargo hold, can't get any reception. As he plans an escape route, we cut to a Liam O'Brien sounding mad scientist (GODDAMIT, SHOW, I CAN'T INTRODUCE EVERYONE) teasing the general over his failure to stop the hijacking. The general claims the stolen cargo is poison gas, but we all know the truth. After commerical breaks, we cut to the Britannians getting ready to raid Shinjuku, where the stolen truck is heading to. Nagata, now bleeding rapidly, drives the truck through a hole in the tracks. Unfortunately for him, an Honorary Britannian soldier has noticed them and reports the sight to his superiors. What the soldier doesn't report is Lelouch's prescence, instead choosing to attack him under the belief he's working with the terrorists. Lulu is quick to explain that no, he's not one of the terrorists, then confronts the soldier over him siding with Britannia. That's when the soldier reveals himself to be Lelouch's childhood friend, Suzaku. 
This here is the OTHER main character, Suzaku Kururugi, voiced by Yuri Lowenthal. As far as the fanbase goes, you either love him or hate him. I don't remember reacting much to him the first time, so let's see what I think about him my second go-around. Anyway, Lelouch expresses shock that Suzaku is supporting the very regime that marginalized his very people. Suddenly, the pod containing the "poison gas" opens up, revealing a beautiful, mysterious green-haired woman. Meanwhile, Kallen is hiding and reporting her status to an unnamed superior. Nagata, as we see, is slowly dying from his wounds. Lelouch and Suzaku are bamboozled quite over the existence of the mysterious girl when both are caught by a Britannian squadron. Suzaku questions his commander over just what the hell is going on, then refuses to kill Lelouch when ordered to. Of course, he is rewarded for his troubles with a bullet to the shoulder. The scene ends with Nagata pressing the self-destruct button on the truck and dying because why not add more insanity to a show filled with it? We cut back to a Britannian airship, where everyone is losing their collective sh*t over the truck explosion. Clovis responds by ordering Shinjuku be razed to the ground, just to make sure there are no witnesses. Sure enough, the army heads in and starts killing everybody and anybody. Elsewhere, Lelouch and the mysterious girl make a run for it, the former slightly panicking and blaming the girl for this whole mess. Unfortunately for them, they run right back into the same squadron that shot Suzaku. Even worse, Lelouch gets a phone call from Shirley, painting a big red target on him for the soldiers to happily execute. In that empty warehouse, Lelouch is dragged out to be killed and the girl taken aside. Before he can be riddled with holes, the girl jumps in front of him, claiming he mustn't die and getting a bullet through the head as a result. Lelouch ponders over his upcoming death (thinking about a certain load I'll discuss later), when the seemingly deceased girl's hand takes his and- through a trippy sequence- offers him a contract that he accepts. 
[Hmm...perhaps I should take a few pointers from this mysterious person...] Suddenly, Lelouch gets up, one hand covering his left eye. He eggs on the commander and his squadron, asking him why they aren't getting the killing some random bystander thing over with. "What's wrong?" he asks. "Why not shoot? Your opponent is just a schoolboy. Or have you finally realized? The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed!" And then, he uncovers his eye, revealing a strange V-shaped sigil within his iris. "I, Lelouch vi Britannia command you, now all of you, die!" And they do. Gleefully. The commander orders his men to fire into their necks, ending their lives just as they had ended that of the innocent Shinjuku civilians. For a moment, Lelouch looks horrified at what sort of power he now possesses. "That was the turning point," he narrates. "Since that day, I've lived a lie- the lie of living. My name too was a lie. My personal history, a lie. Nothing but lies. I was sick to death of a world that couldn't be changed. But even in my lies, I refuse to give up in despair. But now, this incredible power...it's mine." He too smiles. "Well then." he says with a near sadistic determination. And the episode ends right there. Thus begins the tale of a young man and his quest for vengeance. *** That was f**king insane. Now that I think about it, this episode best represents the entire series; just an escalating series of incidents culminating in pure madness. This is one of the best first episodes I've seen, up there with Kill la Kill and Death Note in terms of good impressions. This is going to be a wild ride, both for better and for worse. Hang on to your seats, folks, because this is only the beginning of one of the most batsh*t crazy shows you'll ever watch. What's Nunnally Doing? She's somewhere else, for now at least. NEXT TIME: Busy busy busy! More recaps coming your way! |
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louis6578
 Posts: 1861 |
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Yes, Akane-senpai. I had more than a few questions, but once you finish your Code Geass analysis, or at least season one...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q-9EotzBZU Just wondering how much you agree with this guy about. I personally still love Code Geass, think Lelouch is a great character, though admittedly I never cared much about Suzaku or Kallen (and do think that Kallen's freakout when she finds out who Zero is was.... dumb).
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11352 |
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It's impossible to start with your king, since it can only move one space and all the spaces around it are occupied at the start of the game.  Even if it were, since the game is over if you lose the king, putting it out front is usually folly, unless you've set up a defense.
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Chiibi
Posts: 4829 |
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Akane.....I'm sure you've been asked this before....but do you ever watch anime subbed? o_o
I'd say you're missing out if not. I strongly prefer both Japanese seiyuu of Tamaki and Lelouch; they just don't sound sophisticated or aristocratic enough in the dubs and that's an important trait of their characters, imho. (I'm anti-Kallen, pro-C.C. myself Suzaku is just "meh".)
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louis6578
Posts: 1861 |
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Totally disagree, I've seen it in both versions and think JYB's Lelouch is amazing enough to warrant a dub watch. At the very least, both versions are well acted and have their pros and cons. I especially challenge sub vs dub fans to compare the scene where Lelouch screams at Rolo after Nunnally's "death" in both versions. Kallen is a terrible character whose place in the story feels unnecessarily focused on. CC is great. Suzaku isn't as annoying as I feel he should be, but he seriously is one of the dumbest primary characters in any anime this side of Fushigi Yuugi. Seriously. I think a huge part of what kills Code Geass' Death Note-like appeal is that... one can see the argument to root for either Light or L, but one cannot really see an argument to root for Suzaku over Lelouch (unless you just sincerely hate Lelouch for some reason). Lelouch is objectively right 90% of the time. |
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Akane the Catgirl
Posts: 1091 Location: LA, Baby! |
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What interesting responses! My, my, this is actually kind of embarrassing. I'm not used to all this attention.
Personally, Code Geass is a lot like SAO in that how much you can enjoy the series depends on how willing you are to forgive some of it's greater flaws. Unlike the latter, I can easily forgive the former anime since it embraces it's loonier nature and doesn't seem to care what anyone thinks. My main issues with the series in general are simple: too many characters with no idea how to use them, a few plot twists that make no sense even by the show's standards, and a ton of otaku pandering, especially in the inferior second season. Yes, I am quite aware that chess is not represented accurately in this anime. I just don't remember much about how the actual game works, so no comments from me. As for the subs vs. dubs, I generally choose dubs due to sensory issues. The closest I've been to watching a subbed anime was watching the streams for New Danganronpa V3 translated live. (On a side note, it's a solid cast with great performances all around. I think I may have become a fan of Ryohei Kimura through his portrayal of Kaito Momota.) Looks like I'm the only one out of the three amigos who likes Kallen. I'll see if it changes, but I do remember having a fondness for the episode featuring her poor mother. I'm not much for shipping, though. Heck, I made a rule prohibiting shipping wars. |
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Chiibi
Posts: 4829 |
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Dude, unless your range is like AMAZING (and I don't think Bosch's is that much) you should not be cast as Lelouch if you're playing Ichigo. 
That doesn't work for me. No way. The elegance is missing. It's as miscast as Ed playing Tamaki. Just nope. |
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louis6578
Posts: 1861 |
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I feel like the "elegance" is one of those "Japanese to English" differences that doesn't really matter to the character. If you listen to the sub of Cowboy Bebop, Faye has a cutesier voice rather than a womanly, mature one. This works for the Japanese, but to the English, it would sound silly. Besides, wouldn't Lelouch talking in too much of an aristocratic manner give away his origins to anyone suspicious? |
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Chiibi
Posts: 4829 |
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Mmm, you could have a point there. I guess it would be hard to find a voice actor like that in America.....unless...........
You made him British. :'DDDD (The Black Butler dub totally works for me lol) .............what, are you saying Lelouch is the only aristocrat in the area who could be Zero?
The more I think about it, the more brilliant it would have been to give him a British accent. They shoulda done that. WHY DIDN'T THEY DO THAT. |
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louis6578
Posts: 1861 |
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I dunno. It's the same people who dubbed Hellsing. Probably the same reason they didn't give the characters in Monster German accents. It would sound AMAZING if done right, but GOD AWFUL if done terribly. There is no middle ground. |
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Chiibi
Posts: 4829 |
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Eh well, leaving that aside.....
Kallen's one of those characters for me that is like "I'm not sure why I don't like you.....but I don't like you". I can't really put my finger on it.....just like Kaname from Vampire Knight. Hate him. Why? I dunno. :/
Nina is the most unlikable character in CG....and probably one of the most unlikable chars in anime history. |
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louis6578
Posts: 1861 |
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Kallen has no place being advertised as a main character. Between her, Lelouch, Suzaku, CC, and Nunnally, she's the only one who isn't really a focus of Lelouch's main character arc. Lelouch is motivated by revenge and a need to bring about World Peace for his sister, Suzaku and Lelouch were childhood friends and are on opposing sides of this war, plus Lelouch's alter-ego could be argued to be Suzaku's archenemy for the majority of the series, CC kickstarted Lelouch's rise to power by giving him his Geass. What is Kallen by comparison? One of Lelouch's soldiers who wouldn't really get as much focus if she were gender flipped. Not to mention that a lot of her decisions are stupider than they should have been. Ditching Lelouch because "ZERO WAS JUST USING US" was beyond stupid (and one of only three or four times in the whole run where I didn't just ignore the stupidity or laugh at it), her tsundere antics with Lelouch are pretty weak compared to his relationship with CC, and I'm not shipping either one. I'm just saying that while CC and Lelouch's relationship works platonically and romantically, Lelouch's relationship of loyalty and trust with Kallen really falls flat if you take it as anything but romantic. I mean... running out on him when he needed her most because of who Zero turned out to be means that her loyalty, romantic feelings aside, was flimsy. Come R2, where she seems to be jealous of CC all the time, and you can see why she really came back. Lelouch's sweet, handsome, anorexic booteh. Speaking of romance, can I just say that none of the romances in Code Geass are remotely engaging or interesting. Euphemia is so adorable that I was too busy watching the counter ticking down to her inevitable death which would obviously push Suzaku into a Knight Templar sort of archetype. Ohgi and Viletta is BEYOND awful, and I can't think of a single official couple that I liked, individually or as a couple. Still, I rated Code Geass "Excellent" for a reason. I love the show and I can forgive a lot of its flaws. I just typed this to let everyone know that I'm aware of many of them. |
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Chiibi
Posts: 4829 |
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Lol KallenxLulu is total crap for me. I've always been Team C.C. for Lu. (their banter is too great). I found EuphiexSuzaku to be rather sweet and I really liked the little princess and her guard in R2.
But we ALL know best ship is Orange-kun x Oranges. 
By the way, what do they call "Orange-kun" in the dubbed version? "Mr. Orange"? That's even funnier.
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louis6578
Posts: 1861 |
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"Orange-boy." Nice to see that you haven't even watched the parts of the dub where I thought it got good. ^^ Regardless, I recommend comparing and contrasting the climax of R1, Lelouch yelling at Rolo, and the Zero Requiem sub and dub. I think you'll find they're pretty similar in quality. Hell, I like the "SUZAKU!" "LELOUCH!!!" scream way better in English, at least on JYB's part. Like, if you typically dislike dubs, I don't think this would change your mind, since a lot of the minor roles sound pretty meh. Nunnally especially sounds less like a little girl and more like a chain smoker. Either way, Lelouch, Suzaku, CC, Kallen, Jerimiah, Charles, Lloyd, Rolo, and most of the other important characters sound pretty good. Like most dubs, it just takes a little bit for it to find its footing. Gurren Lagann had the same sort of problem, where the dub started off okay and got better over time. |
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