Episode 21 Discussion

[nayami.livejournal.com]

All righty, back for our weekly episode response. The thing I really like about this one is although half of it could be regarded as sheer crack, there is more than a healthy amount of foreshadowing. People who do not realize this episode is going to get dark fast are not paying attention. Sunrise can indeed do subtle for those willing to listen.



I really got a kick out of Lelouch and Suzaku getting chewed out for missing school since this is something most animes ignore in favor of their saving the world plotlines. Lelouch looked like he was seriously considering geassing that teacher. As this episode begins with telling our characters not to be stupid, the rest of the episodes shows they weren't exactly listening. We have Lelouch on the school roof, doing his Zero thing, and then *surprised* when Millay shows up out of nowhere with her "pinchi." Lelouch, you do not do your super secret plotting on the school roof IN THE MIDDLE OF A FESTIVAL. I was really hoping for Millay to scream out Lulu when she ran up. That would teach him. And let's not forget how dumbass also thinks it's cool to chill with Euphemia on the school steps in the middle of a televised festival. I don't care if he thinks they can't be seen. They should go INSIDE! Strategy, Lelouch. Sense!

Cut to Ougi and Villeta cuteness, which is nearly obscured by Ougi considering using Refrain on Villetta to find out about Zero. WTF? Me thinks its time for a new commander. Then, there's Kallen who's still fixated on shiving a bitch, Suzaku to be specific. This of course leads into the hey let's throw everybody with a secret/secret identity into the same room at the same time and see who cracks first. Shirley, give up on trying to become part of the plot. It's just not your time.

Now while all this hilarious dorkery is ensuing, we have C.C. giving us our *HINTHINT* moment of the day. She chastises Lelouch for using geass too recklessly, the reason why he can't use geass to get out of the situation. I find this funny since she's constantly telling him to geass problem people, although I don't know if she really means it. She might just want him to stop bitching. Our other hinthint moment comes with the shot of carving girl, reminding us of Lelouch's earlier experiments. Not to mention Lelouch's whole back-and-forth between being tense about being seen about not having time for these sort of frivolities and his appreciation of the chance to relax. Calm before the storm indeed. Oh and back to C.C. for one minute, isn't she just adorable in her Ashford uniform with her widdle plate? I love how she's totally willing to sabotage everything just for pizza, and Lelouch is practically at wit's end with her. The loss of her beloved pizza was so melodramatic.

Then there's Euphie. Dear sweet naive Euphie. Who, as many have said, has the worst notion of disguise possible. Does that hat ever cover her hair buns? The Britannians bring on the incest vibes, with Schneizel flirting up an embarrassed Cornelia who just really wants to find Euphemia, and of course Nunnally and Euphemia's wuv for Lelouch. Can we argue that this love is the catalyst for everything that can and will go wrong? Lelouch is clearly angry at Euphemia for taking away Suzaku from Nunnally. I also personally think he's jealous but that is entirely too messed up for me to take on in this review. Euphemia believes that her Special Zone will help her beloved brother and bring a smile to her precious Suzaku. I find it funny that whenever Lelouch and Euphemia are alone, they always have to bring up Suzaku for something. And it is Lelouch's love for his mother and his peaceful life and the need to avenge both that cause Euphemia's plan to threaten him on such a level. Oh I forgot about Shirley, whose blossoming love for Lelouch leads to a jealous urge to get him away from another girl and effectively ends up blowing Euphie's cover right before Euphemia can preview her plan with Lelouch. Conclusion: love sucks in Geass.

And wow, Euphie, you managed to score a 100 on both the betrayal scale and the adding another to Lelouch's long list of losing everything important to him. Bravo, girl.

Plus the Marianne/Ganymede connection and yay Termi-Orange. So who's up for some killing next episode?


ETA: Thanks to sinspire for clearing up the Ougi Refrain part.

Comments

[verity-isle.livejournal.com]

Conclusion: love sucks in Geass.

I read this, and my mind went "Geez, and we mock the boy so much for being asexual. Who can blame him?" Perhaps having his sisters insisting he pick one of them for the night affected his hormones somehow. Although if he is indeed sexual and just gathers up all the girls in a harem, that'd solve a lot of problems. MARRY EM, BOY

For all the dorkiness of putting a fishbowl over his head, Lulu's idea of a disguise works better than Euphie's, though not by much. He's lived in hiding all these years and the same haircut PLUS no plastic surgery and the same name? XD The boy doesn't have common sense, dammit. Nanaly probably has more, considering it was probably her who dragged them to their house. And on the subject of C.C....didn't she just suggest he Geass them, and then mocked him for getting his just desserts, having used the Geass for the sake of love? She doesn't mind reckless use it seems.`I didn't find her loss of pizza funny, though...the episode as a whole is too sombre to register as funny.

Lelouch is cursed by the writers Universe. That's why everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Or he's just a reincarnation of Murphy. And on the subject of incestual vibes : Yes, Euphie, you wuvwuvwuv Suzaku, but since you don't know Nanaly may love or not love him, why did you go into a moment of shokku when she asked you if you still love her Oniisama? ARE YOU PLANNING ON TWO-TIMING HERE WOMAN. Unless it was shock over 'omg why does she feel the need to ask' I still don't understand why the paparazzi didn't go after Lelouch. A Britannian schoolboy/Britannian Princess/Eleven Knight love triangle would make a juicy news cover. Even if Zero would probably bomb their headquarters in a day or two---might be a little too late then, of course.

I've already said my piece for Euphie's Announcement of Naivete elsewhere (although the fact that she still wanted to tell everyone and 'save' the Lamperouges back into the family when he KILLED CLOVIS says something--Lulu's partly at fault for being too soft-hearted and never telling her he's also changed in several ways since then), so moving on to the next topic : the fact that Lelouch once controlled a machine named Ganymede is the funniest joke in the entire Code Geass. Yes, I realize it's named after Jupiter's moon since there's an Io, but the mythological reference! Must be hard on him, piloting his mother's old machine and knowing their days are over. And I wonder if he sucks at Knightmare piloting just because he sucks at PE, or because his 'simulator' is horribly outdated.

[nayami.livejournal.com]

Lelouch is asexual because he doesn't know what the fuck he wants and doesn't have time to sort it out amid his MUST DESTROY BRITANNIA rages. I'd be fucked up too if I had chunks of my family fighting over my ass when I was young and impressionable. A harem really would solve all his problems.

I have to pretend nobody cares about the "dead" Britannian children if I don't want my head to explode with how obvious Lelouch and Nunnally are. I like the fishbowl. ;_; It's a bold fashion statement, dangit! But Lelouch didn't geass them all for the sake of love since Kallen was there as well. Did he recognize Villetta by the way? I've wondered that. He certainly seemed more freaked out about Ougi being there than her.

I think Euphemia is greedy. She wants both Lelouch and Suzaku. And who can really blame her? That's one hot trio. It is a good question why the press didn't chase after Lelouch. Maybe they're not as into scandal as people of our age, except for crazy-ass Diethart of course. Even if Zero would probably bomb their headquarters in a day or two---might be a little too late then, of course. XD

Well, Lelouch is kind of the assboy of the universe so I guess it fits. I think he sucks at PE because the creators enjoy poking fun at him. By all rights, with his upbringing in Japan, he really should have built up some muscle by now. Maybe he doesn't hate piloting the Ganymede because it's some way he can still be close to Marianne. I get the feeling he as very much a momma's boy as a child.

[verity-isle.livejournal.com]

Well, they seem to take the Ashfords' word for it that they're dead, and I don't suppose they announce much news about very young children---Euphie's face was unknown until recently, IIRC---BUT STILL YOU'D THINK. Hey, I like the fishbowl, too. It's dorky. As a Japanese fan used to say, the scariest thing about Code Geass is how the dorkiest things Zero does slowly rationalize themselves as cool and lovable in our eyes Well, that's not me, that's what C.C. said. I suppose she's snarking him over how he refused to Geass Suzaku more usefully like she suggested and USED IT FOR LOVE. Plus, two out of three ain't bad. I don't think he recognized Viletta...it was a dark warehouse both times, and dude, I wouldn't recognize LoliLetta if I were him.

So Euphie is demonstrating her family polygamy skillz? XD It would be funny if Nanaly's ";_; Suzaku" is really "they're doing well, rite? So she's not taking you from me, rite? ;_;"...the most damaging mistake in history, launch!

No, I don't think he hates piloting Ganymede. It's just that he could've been...rather sad about it. The Ganymede is the sign of his mother and his own happy days, when they still had everything. It's a sign of the Ashford's glory days. And it being a useless relic for show now is a sign of how everything's gone. It probably has a lot of sentimental value and yes, like you said, makes him feel closer to his mother. But it's also yet another reminder of his long, long Lost&Found list.

....hmm. I wonder if the contrast between Early!Lelouch and Current!Lelouch is linked to how he didn't have much to lose then, and how he has things to lose now. It'd be ironic if this is what isolates him in the end in more than one way.