Predictions for the upcoming episodes

[nayami.livejournal.com]

Who's up for a speculation post? This one targets the final chunk of episodes, possibly including the pizza episode. Although I've seen several spoilers floating around, for the sake of semi-valid speculation, I'm only going to be concentrating on the spoilers that come from the Animage/NewType magazines, although I have nothing against the 2chan spoilers. Their contradictions just hurt my brain lately. The points for this entire discussion come from GameFAQs.




Stage 21: The School Festival Announcement!

1. Lelouch enjoys himself in the school festival while making preparations for a battle plan to be attempted by the Black Knights. In the midst of that, Ougi, Villetta, Cecile and Euphie arrive at the school festival as well.At the Haunted House, Ougi and Villetta accidentally bump into Kallen, who has been dressed up as a monster, while Cecile meets Lelouch there. And then, Euphie, in the middle of looking for Suzaku because she has something to tell him, unexpectedly runs into a certain someone. A long-awaited reunion is achieved.

Stage 22: The Bloodstained Euphie

1. Euphemia announces the establishment of a Special Administration / Governing Zone, a place where everyone can live as equals. She rapidly gains support among the Japanese who rejoice over the loss of Britannian rule. Upon seeing this, Lelouch, as Zero, attempts an independent course of action, but...

2. The establishment of the Special Administration / Governing Zone as proposed by Euphemia has been decided. The Elevens are overjoyed. Zero, in Gawain, makes his entrance at the memorial ceremony. Lelouch confronts Euphie as both Zero and her brother. At that moment, something happens! (Literal trans: That happened!)

3. With the preparations for Euphie's proposed "Special Zone" underway, voices among the Elevens and the Black Knight members calling out to join the Special Zone are heard in increasing numbers with each passing day. In the midst of that, the day where the "Special Zone" will finally be made a reality arrives. The memorial ceremony is held in a stadium in a grand fashion, with Euphie and co. in attendance. Euphie had previously invited Lelouch to attend the ceremony as well, but there are no signs of his coming. And then, as the memorial ceremony is about to end...

Stage 23: With Sorrow, At Least

1. The Special Zone is embroiled in chaos after a sudden, shocking event. At that, Zero, attempting to receive further support from the Japanese, moves to gain a hold of the place.

2. The memorial ceremony has turned into a tragedy. Using the chaos to their advantage, the Order of the Black Knights launch an all-out attack against the Tokyo settlement. Upon rushing into the hall from which Euphie is to be saved, Suzaku...

3. With an unexpected occurence, the Special Zone descends into unprecedented chaos. Meanwhile, Lelouch silently gazes upon the Japanese, who are angered at Britannia's actions. In the midst of that, Kaguya appears in front of the Japanese, and, as the new guiding hand of Japan, nominates Zero. Lelouch, appearing in front of the Japanese called upon by Kaguya, announces their independence from Britannia as well as the start of a United States of Japan.

4. "I no longer have a choice but to continue on..." The "I" used here is "Ore", which means the speaker is a guy.

Miscellaneous:

1. Stage 24: The Collapsing Stage / The Stage Collapses

2. Stage 25: Zero

3. Episodes 24 and 25 will be aired sometime in April, but probably not the week after episode 23, since they mention a brief time gap.

4. A LuluNana photo caption reads: "Did Nunnally truly not see who killed her mother? One can't help but wonder..."

5. Lelouch sleeps 3 hours a day, and spends an hour each day playing online chess.

6. Sayoko's VA mentions that Sayoko's background will be revealed soon. Also, it is implied that she has a connection with Diethard.

7. The description for V.V. in Animedia April asks "Has V.V. given someone a Geass as well?!" Note the use of the past tense in "given".

8. Arthur is 3 years old.


And randomly, my favorite lines from the GameFAQs discussion because they so funny.
*I'm whiting this out just so the speculation point of this post remains in the forefront.*

- In reference to the Nunnally thing: "I'd personally start disliking her if this happens, even if it would be an excellent plot twist. I mean, Lulu went through all this for her when he could've JUST ASKED NUNNALLY!!"
- In reference to the preview for ep. 21: "C.C.:.........I need a bigger plate ;_;"
- "What's with all of the Cornelia hate? Sure she's not getting much in the way of screen time. I blame her agent, of course. She seems to be likable enough."
- In reference to Lelouch being in the sequel: "Not even Sunrise & Okouchi are stupid enough to Shinn this series, when it pretty much revolves around Lelouch's dream."
- In response to something comparing FMP's Mao to CG's Mao: "Naked Mao = DO NOT WANT"

And this is just awesome:
- "Stage 25: Zero should be a documentary by Diethard. If it isn't, I demand to see one in the 2nd season. If they ever need to resort to recap eps again (I hope not, considering they have 6 months to prepare for the sequel), they should totally make it in the form of a Diethard Documentary. Except all the facts are distorted and even more highly-dramatized due to his unhealthy love for Zero.

'Here we see Zero letting Suzaku -- who is a traitorous dog of Britannia by the way -- beat up his mech because obviously Zero is above doing petty things like bullying the weak. Such grace! Such magnamity! Zero, I will follow you wherever you gooooooooo!11!!1!!'

Diethard Reid Presents: There's Something About Zero."


Okayyy now that all the "facts" are done with, do I still have any room for a post? The main thing I wanted to take all amongst all this mess is episode 22. What happens with Euphie? What does Zero do? What's Suzaku going to run into?

Instead of jumping into my feeling about the whole thing, I'd rather have some people toss out their own ideas and then give my predictions through responses. Although this spoiler only lists the magazine-provided spoiler, any spoiler is free game to use in the discussion. Just say where you got it for the sake of us all having something to examine ourselves.

And congrats to anyone who can make sense of this thing. Dang LJ for not having more cut options.

Comments

[thomasvye.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what she wants really, but I still think Lelouch should think very closely about what she did to Mao and consider what he's got himself into.

To be honest, I was hoping Schneizel would be a bit more of a bastard than this. But perhaps he's just a much better actor than Clovis. XD I hope so. :P (Couldn't be worse...lol!)

[halevy.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what she wants really, but I still think Lelouch should think very closely about what she did to Mao and consider what he's got himself into.

So it's like, "Don't abuse the power of Geass" because it'll lead to self-destruction?

Wait, that leaves me to wonder, if Mao hadn't turned out to be that insane, would C.C. have left him with the Geass? I never heard anything about a contract with Mao - perhaps it backfired on her and Lelouch is her opportunity? Of course, we still don't know what she wants and why she wants.

Is there any definitive reason she chose to give Lelouch Geass? I recall her stating he had a purpose but that can apply to anyone, even if Lelouch wanted to take on something of a grand scale.

As for Schneizel, I kind of hope he's like a sweet-talking bastard. Girls dig that stuff. If he is a better actor than Clovis (but I think he was that great of one XD) then that could lead to some scary stuff.

I also remember Nunnally saying Lelouch could never beat Schneizel in chess. (Correct me if I'm wrong.) AN OMEN, MUCH?

[zalem.livejournal.com]

I don't think she said he couldn't beat Schneizel in chess, I think it was that Schneizel was Lulu's most difficult opponent. She was comparing Mao to Schneizel at the time (though she didn't realize that the person Lulu was "playing" with was Mao). So I think that just forshadows that Schneizel is going to be one difficult bastard to deal with. Though he does seem like a pretty nice guy so far.

[thomasvye.livejournal.com]

So it's like, "Don't abuse the power of Geass" because it'll lead to self-destruction?

More like she screwed Mao over horribly and she might decide to do that to Lelouch too.

Wait, that leaves me to wonder, if Mao hadn't turned out to be that insane, would C.C. have left him with the Geass? I never heard anything about a contract with Mao - perhaps it backfired on her and Lelouch is her opportunity? Of course, we still don't know what she wants and why she wants.

I think Mao became insane *because* of CC.

As for Schneizel, I kind of hope he's like a sweet-talking bastard. Girls dig that stuff.

Ah, sadly I do! XD *sigh* I always seem to fall for the villainous ones. They just have too much charisma! XD

I also remember Nunnally saying Lelouch could never beat Schneizel in chess. (Correct me if I'm wrong.) AN OMEN, MUCH?

I surely hope so. :) That should make things more interesting.

[halevy.livejournal.com]

I think Mao became insane *because* of CC.

Nothing says, "I love you!" more than making your loved one compact on a one way trip to Australia.

Anyway, so this makes me believe Mao was a test for C.C.(?) and he turned out to be the bad choice. But this is just my speculation. As far as we know, the only humans with Geass are Lelouch and Mao. Unless this girl V.V. has given someone Geass. (Wait, then does that mean C.C. and V.V. want the same thing? O.o?!)

I wish I could follow the series in a nice flow like the rest of you but I'm always watching it in parts. SCREW YOU COLLEGE. *throws a table*

[thomasvye.livejournal.com]

All those years Mao listened to her voice as his only support from the constant sound of people's thoughts. But she didn't really care about him at all. Poor Mao. The discarded test case.

(CC survived a direct shot to the head - who knows what being chopped up with a chainsaw would have done. Possibly nothing!)

I think it's possible CC and VV want exactly the same thing (and are competitors), or they want something totally opposite and are antagonists. But I don't know. If VV can give Geass, I think it probably she has.

[halevy.livejournal.com]

It's a Geass giveaway sweepstakes.

[nayami.livejournal.com]

C.C. did in fact drive Mao insane by giving him the Geass, which he lost control of. If you are referring to her tossing him to the side, I would say that worsened his condition since he was alone with his growing problem, but Mao was probably doomed the second he lost the ability to control the Geass. Nobody can stay sane with everyone's voice in their mind at all times.

[thomasvye.livejournal.com]

Very true.

But the right thing to do, having created him, would have been to either support him or destroy him immediately. Not abandon him for x amount of years to go crazier and crazier.

I think the show's creators probably want Lelouch and CC to remain a partnership, looking in from the outside. But from within the world of the story, if I was Lelouch, I would have taken quite a serious scare from the plight of Mao. After all, Lelouch has been an abandoned pawn in someone else's game before.

[nayami.livejournal.com]

I don't think C.C. has those sort of feelings anymore. It really seems that people are just pawns to her. Much more so than the way Lelouch regards the people he uses. Once Mao "broke," she had to go find a new and better toy. It's vicious, but it fits the perspective of one who's been removed from humanity. C.C. says "the power of the king will make you isolated" or something like that. I think it could refer to how Geass slowly makes people lose their touch with reality and feelings because they come to see themselves as *above* the rest of the world. With all the creators' mumbling about Lelouch going more evil, this is what I think they could be referring to. But I still hope they do it in a way that he's not wholly gone.

Lelouch does have some second thoughts. That's why he says he won't let Geass win over him. He knows he needs C.C. to complete his objective. He needs her power so he's willing to take the chance of being "the next toy." I'm sure Lelouch is fully aware of how C.C. dropped Mao. I think that's part of the reason he mocks him for it. Lelouch realized a while back he's more or less screwed when it comes to C.C. since he can't kill her or Geass her. I think he's going with the "might as well make the best of what I have" with her now.

[thomasvye.livejournal.com]

Oh no, totally; I think what I'm trying to express without bashing in any way is that I don't really like CC anymore. I really rather enjoyed her personality up to the Mao incident but it really changed my perception of her.

(But Vye, you loves the villains! Why should yopu care? Isn't she just amusing, in the other way villains always are? Well...it's just that I empathised extremely strongly with Mao on an emotional level. I've spoken about it briefly before, but though I obviously can't read minds, I am extremely phobic and oversensitive about chaotic noise; that library scene really upset me. The thought of never being able to get away from the noise...so yes. I unashamedly admit it's an emotional reaction in this case. Heart over head.)

Where Lelouch has an advantage over Mao is that he has a genuine network of solid friends around him, and his sister of course. With no one but CC in the world, Mao was sunk. But it's not like that for Lelouch. He has done a deal with the devil though, metaphorically speaking, and CC will call it in one day.

[nayami.livejournal.com]

It's completely different for me since what intrigues me about C.C. is that she is such a detached bitch right now. And she doesn't do it because it's her personality but more because she no longer has a genuine reason to care.

I never developed a strong attachment with Mao, aside from pitying him, because I admit the clapping and the voice they gave him grated against my nerves every time. It's like every time I would start to care about his plight, he would speak or clap and then I'd be wishing for his death. Oddly enough, I love fanart of him as a kitty or him, Lelouch and C.C. I think it's because it's silent and still.

That's true. Lelouch does have his loved ones to back him up. But they might also be his undoing as everyone who C.C. communicates seems to know everything that's going on with him. I am anticipating when C.C. calls in her favor. I want it to be something far-reaching and with devastating impact.

[thomasvye.livejournal.com]

Lol, poor Mao! You can't blame someone with no friends for having no social skills! XDDD Clapping was probably really cute when he was six, but no one ever told him to grow out of it!

[nayami.livejournal.com]

You know, that's a good point. I think I'll keep that in mind when I go off on my Mao hate. This way I can just compare to him to Sai in a very messed up way and be more lenient. XD

[nayami.livejournal.com]

The subs have her refer to Lelouch when he first sees the crash as "I found you, my..." I think one of the mangas finish the sentence with "black knight." But we all know that their continuum and the regular anime are highly questionable. We also know she's been studying Lelouch since he was with Suzaku as a child. She was also willing to get shot for him in the beginning. I'm going to say she specifically wants him. It might have to do with him having Britannian blood since past interviews hinted at some connection between Britannia and Geass. Schneizel was studying it after all. So was Clovis.

I also believe it has been heavily hinted at that people either learn how to contain the Geass or it destroys them. I don't see Lelouch's Geass as being as messed up for him as Mao's because it's more of an external thing, but I could be wrong.