Code Geass R2 — Episode 1
Surprise! I bet you totally didn’t expect me to blog Code Geass, especially considering that awful parody video I made which should best be left to rot in the depths of hell, my MySpace account and the fact that I used to own code-geass.com.
That said, the fact that I’m a huge Kallen fanboy has absolutely nothing to do with why I have decided to blog R2.
OP Sequence
Summary
Season 2 starts off with a fast-paced bang that manages to give airtime to most of the major characters that we have come to love/hate.
At the end of the first season, Lelouch faced off his former friend Suzaku and the confrontation ended inconclusively. Due to his (Zero’s) absence from the front line during the critical moment of the Black Knights’ insurgency, the Order was eventually crushed, with most of its senior members captured. (Kallen escaped, though.) Zero himself was announced to have died. Due to the failed revolt, Elevens are now mistreated even more badly than before.
Since then, Lelouch’s memories have been sealed off, presumably by C.C., and he has returned to his regular life as a Britannia student in Area 11.
Interestingly, Villetta (the platinum blonde Knightmare pilot) is now a gym teacher at Ashford Academy, placing her right in the comedic relief section of the Geass cast, although that is probably going to change soon.
And I must have missed a few memos, but out of nowhere, Lelouch now has a younger brother called Rollo. Whatever happened to Nunnally?
In the first episode, Lelouch and Rollo go to a high-rolling casino where Lelouch intends to challenge rich Britannian nobilities to chess as usual. Unknown to him, the remnants of the Black Knights are betting all their remaining strength on a plan to reunite with him and bring back his memories as Zero.
A secret royal military unit meanwhile has kept Lelouch under constant surveillance to lay an ambush and wipe out the Black Knights when they make a move.
The episode ends in (predictable) bloodshed, and Lelouch regains his memories in a déjà vu sequence that feels just like the first episode of the last season. Still, C.C. fans can rejoice.
Kallen and the rest of the Black Knights are once again under the command of Zero. (It seems that they all know his real identity now.)
Opinions
I think it’s a pretty good start. The feel is a bit too similar to the start of the first season, but I’m sure the story will diverge soon considering the difference between then and now, content-wise. The fact that Lelouch regains his lost memories in the first episode suggests that the comedic aspect of the show will probably be short-lived as compared to before.
At this point, Code Geass is pretty hard to screw up. Even if we are served more of the same, the well-established characters will probably pull the series through to the end. That said, I really do hope that Sunrise tries something different. Looking back, the most awesome shows from Sunrise are always the ones that try to be different from Gundam, while the rest suffer from the burdens of their past (“staying loyal to the franchise”) and are inevitably overshadowed by their similar predecessors.
I mean seriously, Sunrise. Let’s be creative and go all out! Make Kallen the main character! Kthx bye.
Screencaps
Now if you would excuse me, I have to write a one-page report on postwar Japan’s new constitution… in Japanese.
April 6th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
CC is LOVE!!!!
April 6th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
thanx for blogging it. I liked how the episode ended just like the first season’s first episode. The deja vu feeling was nice. C.C. is the best and its great that she gets plenty of screentime at the outset of the series. Also, Lelouch’s dad having a geass can’t be a good sign.
Can’t wait for the rest!
April 6th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Yeah the OP is making me think that Kallen will be the one to betray Lelouch.
April 6th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
The new OP is by Orange Range lol. Doesn’t really sound like them though.
April 6th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Kallen’s BOOBS.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:32 am
No love for Macross Frontier, they chose to air next to Code Geass.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:33 am
are you gonna TL it for Menclave again?
April 7th, 2008 at 12:36 am
I’ve been waiting forever!!! finally season 2 has arrived! but what i don’t get is why C.C sealed off lelouch’s memories for only one ep…oh well, guess i’ll just have to watch the episode…can’t wait for them to sub it! thanks for posting this review! ^_^
April 7th, 2008 at 1:30 am
u should change ur caption for “Hurray for racial stereotypes!” into “GN Drive spotted”. That hell look like a GN Drive. And somehow, the mass suicide was copied from season 1… Booo..
April 7th, 2008 at 1:33 am
i am in love…………………. with u – thanks for the summmary ! living in the uk – have no access to code geass…. ahhh much love from a C.C. fangirl x
April 7th, 2008 at 1:38 am
“Make Kallen the main character! Kthx bye.”
AGREED.
April 7th, 2008 at 3:02 am
I think you missed another of Kallen’s fanservice shot. There is certainly more shots than in the last season.
What is with Rollo anyway?
And I think you also realised that Lancelot gains a Throne Eins pack with a High Mega cannon.
April 7th, 2008 at 3:44 am
Rollo=Nunally+Sex Change
April 7th, 2008 at 3:51 am
@Hei: Yeah, that sounds stupid, but it’s exactly what I’d expect of Sunrise. The only explanation that makes sense at the moment, I didn’t really think of that. Thanks!
April 7th, 2008 at 6:20 am
NO. I THINK ROLLO IS THE KING SPY TO KEEP WATCH ON LELOUCH. I MEAN HE WAS RIDING THE VINCENT REMEMBER IN THE OPENING.OH AND DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE OR WHEN THERE IS THE SUBBED OF THE EPISODE 1.
April 7th, 2008 at 8:55 am
Watching the sub as i type, though did i see the King with a Geass eye in the openning credits?? Also, is it me or does the animation of Lelouch make him look… younger?
April 7th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Yea,the OP sounds Like High and Mighty Colors,but the credits said orange range,Considering i looped Orange range -Ikenai Taiyou at least 3000+ times,this song doesnt even sound like they sang it….
April 7th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Season 2 looks Mad Awesome!
Does anyone know who is subbing this series?
If Menclave is subbing it I don’t mind waiting!
April 7th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Nunnaly’s kidnapped
Rollo is probably going to murder someone soon
Kallen is going to ditch Zero and have wild sex with Suzaku :3
April 7th, 2008 at 11:31 am
0.0
no Macross?? NOOOO!!! no more sleek (jet fighter based)mecha!!!
*melts*
on the other hand…too much fan service in the first episode, it’s gonna go downhill from here (for sure)
April 7th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
to be honest, the scene after Lelouch met CC is nothing but cliched, typical style of dumb villain that talks too much.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I personally think that Rollo will betray Lelouch and then die helping him ahaha a fitting end for a shota character.
One of the parts I’m looking forward to th most is when Lelouch reveals his identity to Ougi/Tamaki/Toudou/etc. I can just imagine there reaction xD.
April 7th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
OMG, this episode was not that great …
April 7th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
HAHA + HAHA
April 7th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
So, we don´t know what happened to Nunally, we don´t know who shoot who from the clifhanger from the first season. Roro is the brother to Lelouch? He doesn´t have a brother.
Who created the false memories? Was it Suzaku´s geass?
I wanted some answers, not a fucking recap of the first episode of Code Geass Season One. Hopefully I´ll receive some answers soon, otherwise I´m going to get really pissed of.
And yay for Gundam Intro…
April 7th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Wow, I was hoping you’d be a little harder on CG after you bashed the hell out of G00.
Personally I found this episode to be rather dull. If I wanted to rewatch the first episode of season one I would have >.>
April 8th, 2008 at 2:55 am
Hate the new OP, the one they made for the two episode final was much better.
It appears to be very obvious. Lelouch and most of Ashford Academy was geassed by VV to have their memories altered, Rollo was planted as a spy, with Viletta probably acting as support.
Lelouch was supposed to be used to draw out the remaining members of the Black Knights which in a way succeeded.
Nunally is probably back with the Emperor’s huge harem, sipping tea as a royal hostage.
The Chinese must have intervened in the the Kaminejima incident, else they would not be treated like they are now.
April 8th, 2008 at 4:40 am
Random memory loss is such an obnoxious plot device sometimes. And why is he telling everyone who he is this time. Purple flames?
Pretty underwhelmed so far.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:41 am
I love how the ambassador from China is gay.
PS Why does everyone have Type Moon gravatars?
April 8th, 2008 at 10:36 am
I think that the first episode of r2 was pretty good (you can watch it subbed on veoh.com) they still havent explained what happened in episodes 24-25 but this show has a thing for keeping ppl guessing…they do leave hints so u can try 2 predict what happened though
I agree Kallen should be the main character. I cant wait for her story…she’s just so cool im glad that their are so many Kallen fans like me
April 8th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Great way to start off the new season!!! It was a really nice episode!!! A lot of unanswer questions…hope we know what happens…
April 8th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Chiga:
Objectively speaking, Code Geass (the first season at least) is a much better show than Gundam 00. R2 hasn’t proven itself otherwise, yet. Neither did I start bashing G00 right from episode one, only when it started to suck.
Moreover, G00 tries so desperately to have itself taken seriously that its gaping failures are wide open to ridicule. Code Geass has a healthy mix of self-ridiculing and serious moments, and it’s not as satisfying a target for the purpose of lampooning.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:07 am
It starts off as missing pieces of the puzzle about what really happened the last time at the end of the 1st season, Lelouch seems to got a taste of his own medicine by getting GEASSized into forgetting that he was the slain Zero. Although the whole plot looks more like a remake of the 1st episode, it does come in okay with the plot used on Lelouch as was meant to lure CC into limelight.
The first season was impressive with it’s good storytelling and rather fluid animating works, let’s hope the 2nd season will live up to the lst one as Code Geass is truly a rarity in today’s japanimations.
April 9th, 2008 at 3:24 am
It looks interesting people have been trying to get me to watch it. I think I will add it to my list.
April 9th, 2008 at 6:41 am
Code Geass is awsome, to bad Suzaki did not get that much of air time. He is the best character
April 9th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Thank god you are translating for R2, because other people are even getting the lyrics wrong… @_@… I smell lolfang =_=
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BmsuJkBAgJY
April 9th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Menclave is working on CG, but I am not the translator.
April 10th, 2008 at 3:41 am
On the forth picture in the OP sequence you should have said some along the lines of gundam virtue! lol
April 12th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
…coz the things on the back fold up into what resembles Virtues cannon
April 13th, 2008 at 10:05 am
@ Caedite
hell no, suzaku is the worst character,, filthy traitor.. kill them traitors.. Can’t wait for the nest episode..
It’s cool how they are so loyal to zero aka lelouche.. yay shirley is back in love with lelouche just like before.. i don’t think that rollo is sent by britannia becoz if u see the trailer of code geass: lost colours then u see rollo with a evil smile joining lulu.. kallen in a bunny suit is a dream come true:P i hope that the second season will even become better then season 1, long live code geass.. if it becomes even better then code geass has definetly become the best series ever..
i have a feeling that lelouche will gain a second geass in his other eye or something, would be cool though..
if i were lelouche i’d try to go for a foursome.. with kallen, C.C. and shirley.. the king has multiple wives and since he’s the 1st prince so can he:P
April 13th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Sugoi, Code Geass is back. But, why suzaku is alive..NOOO.
April 13th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
blog episode 2 for us!!! I want to know what’s going on in the episode because 800 things happened!
April 14th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
yeah took you long enough to blog the second episode, which is a far better one compared to the first.
April 14th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
@raulecruset
I agree!!! Its very hard choosing between the four! XD
April 15th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
totally… I can’t predict what will happen then >.<
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:26 am
Ero anime! Bunny suits! BOOBS!!!
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code geass r2 episode 5May 4th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
[...] R2 ?? episode 2 … April 8th, 2008 at 5:41 am. I love how the ambassador from China is gay. …/websites/www.darkmirage.com-pre/2008/04/06/code-geass-r2-episode-1/Code Geass &ltcode-geass&gtCode geass says: “Code geass R2 – episode 4 Is Out!!!” 5 days ago [...]
October 25th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
i will like to know if code geass r2 its based in english too
December 14th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
i love code geass and it’s so cool!