Two cents

[spaleween.livejournal.com]

First off, I like this anime because it involves war, political intrigue, friendship, and betrayal. Then I was miffed at the stereotypical characters--bad protagonist, heroic antagonist/best friend/greatest enemy, sexy and mysterious girl with mystical powers, helpless sister, megalomaniac king.

And then, as other LJ people have mentioned, they're not stereotypical after all. They're not completely good/bad people...most of them anyway.

There were two things I hated: (1) the Pizza Hut product placement, but this has already been beaten and murdered in other posts so I won't do it, and (2) the god-awful deus ex machina.

There were plenty of deus ex machina in Code Geass (read: V.V.), but what annoyed me most was when Euphie dropped out of nowhere and into Suzaku's arms. Somebody explain to me why a princess would drop out of nowhere? Ah, *forehead smack* convenient plot device...of course.

Many people don't like Euphie because she's a Lacus clone. I initially agree. But when she became a killing doll, I liked it. She became one of Lelouch's many accidental pawns in that last-8-minute chess game of his. This confirms Euphie's purpose in the series: convenient momental plot device.

Now Nina. Everyone is creeped out. But I like it that there's a one-sided-stalker-worship-dirty-love going on with Nina. She never really had anyone care for her before, and here comes this radiant glowing princess that values Nina's life so much that she's willing to exchange her life for hers. Nina is so awestruck because no one ever does this for her before that she entrusts her never-ending and never-wavering loyalty and devotion to her. Someone actually treasured her, in Nina's view. So the girl who was never appreciated before becomes obssessed with the radiant princess because she's afraid no one would appreciate her life again. I kinda understand it.

Suzaku. Agree with the initial Kira-clone impression. Agree with the later omg-he's-actually-two-dimensional-because-of-that-patricide impression. I truly appreciate characters who are not one-dimensional. I don't like perfect characters. I like it that he's a contradictory character. I like it that he's trying to convince himself of doing the right thing, justifying himself of his father's murder. He's haunted by all the bad things he did, but he still weaves the illusion onto himself that "this is for the good". He has a mask, just like Lelouch's Zero, but Suzaku's mask is harder to remove as it's from childhood. I agree that he keeps repressing all that emotion. Once, he managed to let a bit out in front of Lelouch, but that's just a bit. His guilt is slowly eating him and he doesn't notice it. Euphie was, once again--convenient plot device--, the trigger to release all that pent-up emotion since childhood. He doesn't care anymore. He doesn't care that Nunnally is in danger. He doesn't care that Japan is in complete chaos. He doesn't care that Lelouch is his best friend. He doesn't care. All he cares about is killing this guy, riddle him with bullets and make sure he's DEAD.

I haven't read Suzaku of the Counterattack, you see.
A favor? Would anyone mind doing a character sketch of Suzaku? I really want to understand him more.

Comments

2/2 (I think so, too)

[rainbow-cnxn.livejournal.com]

As for Suzaku, I think that sapphira_angel's ship manifesto for Suzaku/Lelouch (http://community.livejournal.com/ship_manifesto/183946.html#cutid1) does a fantastic job of analyzing Suzaku's character (and his relationship with Lelouch). The funny thing is that I don't even ship Suzaku/Lelouch, but I think that her character sketches are right on.

I'd just like to add that I don't think that all hope of reconciliation is lost for these two boys. Lelouch has always been willing to accept Suzaku back ever since they were 10, and I think that having killed Suzaku's lover (in an emotional but probably not physical sense) weighs heavily on his conscience. Lelouch went a little psycho at the end of episode 25, but a lot of things have recently happened--he killed a beloved sister and first love, he found out that his other sister had nothing to do with Marianne's death, he lost his little sister who means the world to him, and his best friend is raging mad, disavowing his existence, and pointing a gun at him. I'd be surprised if anyone made it through that without cracking.

As for Suzaku, he is pissed. And understandably so. His best friend just killed a girl in which he had invested everything good about him--his dreams, hopes, modesty, sense of justice... But I don't think that those things are something you apportion and lose. Despite his deep-seated flaws, there is a good man inside Suzaku, and that man did not die at the end of episode 25. He simply snapped. But that's not the end. I think it will take him longer to come down from his rage than it will take Lelouch, but I think that it will eventually happen. Suzaku has begun to come to terms with himself by the end of season one. I don't think that that will be permanently reversed. He may try to shut himself into a shell, but I don't think he can, anymore. Nor does it particularly seem like he's willing to. By keeping himself open, he lets his rage fuel him. The boy may have a shit-ton of rage, but I think that eventually it will simmer down to a more manageable level. That is, at least in my opinion. The way I see it, Suzaku's development in the second season has two avenues--1) lose his mind permanently, or 2) deal with himself. Personally, I hope for the latter. Part of that is that I have a bit of Suzaku-fangirl in me, but I think most of it is that it makes for a better story. I don't want to see a dead-end in character development, and I don't want to see any character (aside from maybe the Emperor) be cast as a straight-up "bad character". We got the Kira similarities. Please don't turn him into Shinn. In short, I think he'll come around.

Re: 2/2 (I think so, too)

[volfield.livejournal.com]

The problem here is that I really suspect they'll only manage to accept each other by the end of R2, covered in blood, etc. You see, Sunrise really enjoys this kind of thing, but it's so old and cliché, do not want ;_; But like you said, it WILL happen... It's bond to happen. Unless some plot twist makes its own way, of course. Actually, I'm keeping my hopes really high... Despise all comparisons, I don't think I've EVER watched a show with this kind of characters. We might get a really good surprise on R2's plot.


Gah. Live Journal, what do you know... If I liked Suzaku, now I'm liking him more.

Re: 2/2 (I think so, too)

[rainbow-cnxn.livejournal.com]

I think it will happen like that, too. But I don't mind so much, so long as it doesn't end in a "...and Kira and AthrunSuzaku and Lelouch became the bestest of buds again, and they all lived happily ever after! The end!"

I'm hoping for something bittersweet. I actually have it in my head that they'd eventually (somehow) reconcile, work together, and succeed in liberating Japan and removing the Emperor...leaving a wide trail of bodies in their wake. And that after the peace and freedom had been won, they will have to answer for their evils--Lelouch for (speculating here) pulling a Light and killing whoever stands in his way, and Suzaku for being a patricide, traitor, and killer of many numbers of loyal Japanese. And so, in my mind, I have them both being executed. There is no "happily ever after"--only joy and grief and broken pasts and new hopes. No, I don't think it would actually happen like this, but whatev.

Anyways. Let's take heart that Sunrise also made Cowboy Bebop. There's always a chance! *crosses fingers*

Re: 2/2 (I think so, too)

[volfield.livejournal.com]

Oh God, YES! Do want that ending (NOT the first one! God, that'd be awful...). Anyway, that was exactly what I was referring to! At first we never though they'd be able to kill Euphie... And they did! I really hope it goes as you described, that would be wonderful.

Eeee! ;_; I loved the ending for Bebop...! I was starting to get the impression that "okay so Faye will end up with Spike, happy ever after, etc" and then BANG! They really got us there, I absolutely adored it... But then I watched Escaflowne... T^T
Do surprise us Sunrise, but do it the right wrong right ARGH! Just surprise us in away we don't hate you. Yes? ♥