Code Geass — Stage 24 and 25 double-stuft review

They say a family that prays together, stays together.
And one that walks apart just falls apart.
So, together we stand, divided we fall.
United, we form Voltron and take on all. Let’s move.
Yes, the birds left the nest.
I’m all grown up I gotta fly with the rest.(uh huh)
Best of the best is what we strive to be. Yeah).
A legacy is what we trying to lead.
Ya dig?
Now say goodbye to the past.(why?)
The future is here at last.(at last)
The second coming.(yea)
The new beginning.(yea)
The truth is speaking.(uh huh)
You should listen.

After waiting for many months, the final two episodes of season one have aired, and holyshitmotherofpearlDAMN those were two of the most action-packed episodes ever.

 

Brief synopsis of what transpired from episodes 1-23: The Holy Britannian Empire has taken over much of the world, including Japan. What was once Japan is now “Area 11″ and the Japanese are now known as “Elevens.” No, this has nothing to do with the Air Jordan XI. Anyway, what was once Japan is now a distant memory and it is up to Lelouch Lamperouge to cripple the Britannian Empire and create a peaceful world for his sister, Nunally, to live in.

 

By the way, Lelouch was a former prince of the Empire until his father, The Emperor, sent him and his sister to Japan as political hostages after the brutal murder of his mother, Princess Marianne. Lelouch, seeking to avenge his mother’s death, goes on a quest to destroy the Britannian empire from within with the aid of C.C., a mysterious woman who has the power of Geass; Geass is the power to give a command to anyone without their refusal. Lelouch receives this power and uses it to fulfill his quest to defeat Britannia in the guise of “Zero.”

 

Anyway, time to discuss Stage 24. BTW, I will assume anyone reading this review has already been following Code Geass. If not, I’m sorry.

OMG Orange-kun is a cyborg-ish type of thing and he wants his revenge on Zero. If he lets his emotions get out of hand he just might awaken! Oh wait, wrong anime…this isn’t Claymore. -__-

Lelouch continues his attack on Princess Cornelia and their forces. OMG WHY IS THE PLATFOARMS COLLAPSING? OH SHIT, all the operatives got Geassed! At the stroke of midnight, the outlying areas of Tokyo collapse, clearing the way towards the central government compound.

Suzaku wants to pilot the Lancelot to fight Zero but Lloyd is like “LOL NO YOU CANT” but Suzaku punches him in the face and makes him give him the devicer to operate the Lancelot (the devicer almost looks like a USB flash drive…i wouldnt be surprised if it was).

He and Lelouch fight in their respective Knightmare Frames (what the mechas are called…I will abbreviate it as “KF” in later references).

Later on The Order of Black Knights (the rebellion force led by Zero/Lelouch) takes over the Ashford Academy. OH NO, MILLY-CHAN, SHIRLEY-CHAN, Rivalz are in peril. But it’s okay, Zero ensures their safety. Oh yeah, Kallen reveals her true identity to Milly and company, making them all go “wtf?!”

Nina is in a KF herself, after activating an old Ganymede making it battle ready. She is determined to fight to avenge the death of Euphemia, a princess that Nina idolized greatly.

OH SNAP, Suzaku is piloting the Lancelot and is pwning all the Black Knights. HEZ IN THEIR BASE KILLIN THEIR DUDEZ. He makes it to Ashford but Zero is there and OMG ITS A TRAP—the Lancelot is disabled with some wtfh4x forcefield. Zero escapes.

As for Zero’s appearance, he managed to get there after battling Cornelia in her KF. But Darlton, one of her subordinates, attacks her, leaving her badly hurt. Darlton was Geassed (most likely during episode 22) hence why he attacked. Zero thanks Darlton for his services and kills him.

During all this shenanigans, Nunnaly is left alone in the council room after Milly and the others try to sneak out. V.V. enters. He somehow manages to kidnap Nunnaly. Zero/Lelouch finds out and goes on a mission to find her.

And that is it for episode 24. Now on to 25…

Cornelia realizes that Lelouch is Zero. Lelouch uses the Geass to make Cornelia reveal what she knew about the murder of his mother. It turns out that his mother, Marianne, knew she was going to die, and ordered Cornelia to have the palace security to stand down. Cornelia knew nothing more. C.C. then arrives and tells Zero he has to go to Kaminejima island (this is where there is some weird Geass-related temple underneath). But before he can go, Jeremiah returns in his pimped out ship. They engage in battle but Zero crushes Orange-kun’s ship with a collapsing building.

Oh noes, Milly &co were caught and are about to get pwned when Suzaku’s superiors, Lloyd and Cecile, show up. They reattach a replacement arm onto Suzaku’s KF (the Lancelot) and it goes on a pwning spree again. Suzaku eventually encounters Cornelia, still laying injured, and he is told to go to Kaminejima to avenge Euphie. He is also accepted as a true Knight of Britannia.

Ogi, still injured after being shot by Villetta, urges Kallen to go after Zero as he realizes that Zero has kinda lost his mind and that the Black Knights cannot defeat Britannia on their own. Kallen asks for aerial attachments for her KF and she goes out to join the party at Kaminejima. Nina emerges with her ancient Ganymede KF and is carrying a bomb with the potential to destroy all of Tokyo. OMG THEY SET UP US THE BOMB. Everyone is scared shitless as she is insane enough to detonate it.

Lulu and C.C. make it to Kaminejima and are treated to a mind-rape of traumatic imagery. We learn that C.C. is a witch and that she has been targeted for many years. She says that all her enemies have faded with time and that she now stands alone. But Lulu tells her that she is not alone and that he is one with her. Awww.

OMG ORANGE-KUN is back! C.C. goes to take care of him herself and tells Lulu to go into the temple place to save his sister. With a parting kiss, they both go their separate ways. Lulu goes inside and is confronted by Suzaku (damn it!). He shoots Lulu and causes his mask to break off. He and Kallen (who was hiding off to the side) both realize that Zero IS Lelouch. As he bleeds from his head, Lelouch makes one final request to Suzaku: to assist him in helping to find his sister, Nunnally. But Suzaku refuses and both he and Lelouch fire on each other as we hear a loud gunshot.

The wait for the season 1 finale was too long but it was well worth it. These were probably the two most captivating episodes of anime I’ve ever seen back-to-back (moreso than any of Gurren-Lagann and CERTAINLY much more than Bleach) as I was just glued to the screen (figuratively).

Of course, with any season finale, there are the unanswered questions. Will Lelouch or Suzaku live? Why did his mother Marianne die? What about Nunnally? C.C.? Orange-kun? Season 2 is supposedly set for later this fall…I hope it is just as good as season 1 was.

No pics because I was lazy. Just enjoy laughing at the image up top that I found on 4chan.  And those lyrics are from “The Second Coming” by Juelz Santana.