Code Geass Episode 1: Discussion!

[gods-debris.livejournal.com]

Sorry for posting this so early. I just know I will not have time all day on Thursday (well, technically where I am it is Thursday...). This isn't the normal for me--I'm your standard stay-at-home girlfriend at the moment--so this won't happen frequently. I'm so excited for this! I hope a lot of people participate. I'll check the comments Thursday night if I can talk my mother into letting me borrow her computer. :)

For those of you who haven't gotten the episode yet, check out the information I posted here. Anyways, onward!



Code Geass Episode 1: The Day The Evil God Was Born
We are reminded once again what happened to Japan and the power of Britannia—how they were able to invade and take over Japan with their new weapons called Knightmares, and how Japan was stripped of its culture and name; and renamed Area 11.



Once again we're thrown into the world of Code Geass with a melancholy Suzaku and a vengeful Lelouch!


How can you say no to that face?! (Lelouch's)

Lelouch always seems to carry himself in a different way from others. He's confident, charismatic and seems to know exactly what to say as far as speeches go. I feel we really get a taste for his character when Rival asks him why he moved his King first in the game of chess he had between the noble: "If the king doesn't move then his subjects won't follow."

While Rival and Lelouch are on their way back to school they're almost run over by Kallen who is part of the terrorist group against Britannia. I always somewhat felt that for a terrorist group they were awfully generous to swerve so they didn't hit them. I always imagined that a terrorist group on a mission would have no time to be merciful to those who got in the way of their plan, but it left a nice opening for Lelouch to run to the rescue and get caught up in the action.



You know, did Rival not see Lelouch climb onto the truck? Did he not see him fall into the opening on the top? Did he not see the truck drive away? If he saw all that, why does he stand around shortly after yelling for him and reminding him that they have to get back to school? C'mon, Rival. I know you're not that stupid!


There is so much win in these pictures... Anyone else happy for Spinzaku?

It's nice to see Lloyd doing what he does best which is sticking his nose into everybody's business while looking for data. I imagine him doing crazy silly things while yelling, "FOR SCIENCE!" In the end they didn't have a pilot for Lancelot... so what happened to the previous pilot they had lined up? Did I miss something?

Suzaku and Lelouch meet up again, but under interesting terms. Suzaku is now part of the Britannian army! It's nice to see that Suzaku is still putting others before him (covering Lelouch's face with his air mask when C.C.'s capsule opens up). Suzaku even ends up taking a bullet for Lelouch because he refuses to shoot him.



Also, you know, I love Shirley but there are times she can be pretty annoying. Could she have picked a better time to call? I guess it can't be expected to silence your phone when you are trying to dodge being caught. I like it because it's the human error. It makes Lelouch seem more human.



When Lelouch receives his power and uses it for the first time he seems surprised by his own actions. One of the many themes throughout this series is lies and the lies people tell. Lelouch tells us from that day on he's been lying to himself. I wonder what Lelouch is telling us this.



Lelouch, it's good to have you back.

Comments

Re: SPOILERS - Part 2

[nayami.livejournal.com]

It makes me think he believes you need a really amazing power to change things.

I really like this because it shows the development Lelouch and the rest will go through during the series, learning that ordinary people are just as capable of shaping their own destiny as those gifted with power. This is ultimately what the aftermath of ZR is about, and it takes a long time for Lelouch to learn that and actually have faith in the normal, his sister included.

It's also interesting how Lelouch this time is reading Hamlet, the tale of a prince who wishes to revenge is father, who was killed with the possible complicity of his mother.

Drat, I meant to put this in my notes. Kudos for you for catching it for us all. I love the subtlety with that scene, seeing as Lelouch basically has the Hamlet scenario, just in its inversion -- avenging his mother who he believes was killed in complicity with his father.

I find rather disgusting how Britannians are portrayed as so very racistics. Not only they massacred the people in the ghetto but they even insulted the honorary Britannians who were siding with them and aiding them.

It's important to notice that only nobility and military, those with power, are shown to be violently racist, with the exception of Nina who may have her reasons. The rest of the Britannian culture is relatively indifferent, as shown in the scene where they flock around the crash but make no overtures to help in any way. You get the feeling Britannia is a very callous culture, possibility because of the constant emphasis on superiority.

Re: SPOILERS - Part 2

[jjblue1.livejournal.com]

I really like this because it shows the development Lelouch and the rest will go through during the series, learning that ordinary people are just as capable of shaping their own destiny as those gifted with power. This is ultimately what the aftermath of ZR is about, and it takes a long time for Lelouch to learn that and actually have faith in the normal, his sister included.

Same here though I kind of understand Lelouch for feeling so powerless and negative.

Drat, I meant to put this in my notes. Kudos for you for catching it for us all. I love the subtlety with that scene, seeing as Lelouch basically has the Hamlet scenario, just in its inversion -- avenging his mother who he believes was killed in complicity with his father.

^_____________^ I've been curious to discover if he was reading the Divina Commedia again (I was having fun compating this episode with the one of R2) so I decided I had to check it and yes, Lelouch reading Hamlet fit very well. I'm amazed by how CG took care of little details like this one.

It's important to notice that only nobility and military, those with power, are shown to be violently racist, with the exception of Nina who may have her reasons. The rest of the Britannian culture is relatively indifferent, as shown in the scene where they flock around the crash but make no overtures to help in any way. You get the feeling Britannia is a very callous culture, possibility because of the constant emphasis on superiority.

Well, there are also the boys who harrass Suzaku ruining his shirts at school and the boys who bug an Eleven while Lelouch and Kallen are watching.
What impressed me is not the violence per se but how the people seem to find normal to despise Japanese.
When Suzaku inscribed at Ashford even the non violent students kept him far and even Rivalz told Shirley not to be too direct with Suzaku (although he pointed out Suzaku shouldn't be called an Eleven but a Honorary Britannian... a thing, Nina pointed out, that doesn't really make a difference between him and an Eleven).
It's true Suzaku had been suspected of murdering Clovis but still prejudices around Suzaku won't stop that easily.