A Defense of Code Geass's Euphemia Moment
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.ค. 2024
- It's been a long time coming - the most divisive scene in Code Geass has a lot of detractors, it's fair share of snubs, it walks into the club and gets laughed at for wearing goofy shoes. Someone needed to come to its (partial) defense, and that means a heavy look at characters, themes, dramatic inspiration, an analysis of the scene itself, and its foreshadowing.
0:00 - Introduction
1:20 - Recap / Scene Analysis
6:37 - Issues at Hand & Thesis Statement
10:35 - Defense of Lelouch's Command
13:36 - Code Geass as Tragedy
18:22 - Suspense or Shock?
19:56 - Where the Moment Falls Flat
22:02 - Conclusion
#CodeGeass #Euphemia #ReplayValue
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Music:
Across the Borderline - Code Geass OST
Pessimistic Time - Code Geass OST
Innocent Days - Code Geass OST
Impermanence we Feel - Akito OST
Discord - Octopath Traveler OST
Aura - Code Geass OST
Invisible Sound - Code Geass OST
Beautiful Emperor - Code Geass OST
Sorrowful Stone - Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood OST
Feel Ambivalents - Code Geass OST
With You... - Code Geass OST
Thumbnail Art & Logo: Drawplex - ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
I always thought that it made sense his geass "broke" at this exact moment.... C.C says that the geass is a reflection of what is inside of someone's heart and if you think about it, when Lelouch got his geass he had only one thing in mind "destroy Britannia" BUT when he shakes hands with Euphie, he chooses to "work with Britannia". In other words, Lelouch is betraying his geass (and his heart) at this moment.
Also Charles had a full geass but he could still deactivate it at will which means it's possible to keep control of it even at its full power and Charles (as far as we know) always worked to accomplish his goal, he never stopped unlike Lelouch.
Maybe to keep control of your geass you must stay 100% focused on your goal and if you have doubts or change your mind the geass overpowers (or curses) you.
Moreover, the word "geass" comes from "geas" and it's quite intersting to read about it:
"In Irish mythology:
A geas can be compared with a curse or, paradoxically, a gift. If someone under a geas violates the associated taboo, the infractor will suffer dishonor or even death. On the other hand, the observing of one's geas is believed to bring power"
So if you betray your "geas" bad things happen...
I think people forget that the geass is a magical/mystical thing, it's not the same as a gun that misfires at the worst possible moment for example.
That sound right! C2 also lost control because she is tired of just being loved.
Couldn't have been said better.
That would have been a much better explanation if they had presented it that way
@@brandonn6099 I think the writers were a bit afraid of saying it because if you think about it, it's pretty dumb.
If C.C had said "hey, if you change your mind about destroying Britannia, your geass will break, that's how it works sorry" BEFORE the 'accident' then it would have never happened, but if she had said it AFTER she would have looked like a huge c*nt for not warning Lelouch properly.
The way they did it makes it look like a stupid accident (at the worst possible time) but at least you can't really blame C.C or Lelouch for it.
Also the wiki says:
"However, overuse and/or mental instability can lead to an affliction known as "runaway Geass" that causes the user to become unable to control their Geass, making it become permanently active. "
which works I guess... but this brings the problem of why would C.C not warn Lelouch about it... probably better to not talk about it lol
This is also in line with the lore around the concept of a Geass. Having actions you can't commit without suffering physical or mental consequences.
Fun fact:
"Euphemia" = "Ευφημία" in greek which literally translates to "good reputation"
Exactly the opposite of what happens to her after the incident
@Trip Gil I thought of it as a euphemism for royalty - a pretty face for a corrupt leadership.
OMG
Trip Gil i see what you did there. Even though it was obvious
Irony hurts
Χριστός!!
"I will give you the power of a king. But you will walk a path of solitude."
He broke the deal right there with Euphy.
He betrayed himself when he shook her hand, his sub-conscious was like OH HELL NAW!
XerShade Factsss
@@Xershade ^ Gets it. I can't believe how often I had to explain. HE MADE A DEAL! If you break it your geass will break you right back.
@@The00airknight but it happens with every geass user (except Charles for Plot revelation). Am I wrong?
@@The-Beyonder
Even charles brother broke his deal. And Charles lied. Even though his goal was to end lies, he was lying to lelouche all along. Even he was betrayed by geass.
Charles brother lied. Deal broken (got wrekt.)
Charles lied. Deal broken. Got wrekt.
Can't explain in full detail due to spoilers. But you get the general idea. (honestly though someone in this already knows everything.
Mao couldn't do what CC asked. Got wrekt.
Rolo got wrekt for overusing it.
Lol I never even realised this scene was hated by some. It's literally one of, if not my favourite moment in the show.
Same. Same. Same.
I didn't know people hated this scene either. I thought it was such a good plot twist that completely changed the ending of season 1.
It's the scene that makes this show what it is.
I didn't know people LIKED this scene, and this video kind of makes me laugh. But I do see his points, and his alternate take would've certainly been a better shot scene.
Euphemia suddenly killing the japanese because LOL EDGY SHOCK VALUE really bothered me the first time I watched this show a few years ago.
Euphemia randomly resisting Lelouch's geass was also ridiculous because literally nobody has ever even hesitated, let alone literally broke the geass.
It wasn't that it was convenient, it's that it felt like a shock value, unearned moment of slaughter to break out of a corner the authors had written themselves into. That being said, this video didn't even cover this particular complaint at all because he just sees the tragedy as a good thing for the story, which is fine as all of this is opinion anyway. I have my feelings, he has his, and you have yours lol.
@@servantrider7044 I see
I never had a problem with this scene. His "joke" was reflective of his darker humor, and is absolutely the most outrageous order he could have thought to give a person like Euphemia. Coincidences happen in real life and sometimes it's at the worst time. The series didn't pull this on it's viewers an absurd amount of times, and I think it earned the moment. It would have made for quite the dull ending if something didn't change, and I think the show is better for it.
yeah exactly what happend was the worst case possable and its clear that he would think about what something like that would cause.
That's exactly what I was thinking about. Things like that (worst timing, 'convenience moment') happen in real life as well. As long as it makes sense and moments like that do not happen too often in a story, where is the problem?
The joke was poorly thought out. The dialogue didn't feel natural. And it just felt forced to create drama. It doesn't work.
@@CKarasu13 you're right, Lelouch should be infallible even when his guard is down.
Ckarasu Thats your opinion.
"I love Code Geass despite its flaws"
*lists the 2nd OP*
Me: laughter
Wtf.. why do people hate the second OP? That song is hype as fuck, and it fit the show's much darker tone than 'colors'.
Most of the imagery used for the 2nd opening was recycled from the first one, and the song didnt give the same feel as the 1st opening, so it feel short in comparison to the first one, that basically is the signature op from code geass. Although i do agree its not that bad
@@maw5771 The 2nd OP is better, change my mind
@@maw5771 the biggest complaints I've heard is the song itself. Haven't seen anybody complain about the recycled footage. Although sunrise; at the time, was notorious for cutting corners for the sake of budget.
@@SamGarcia half of the animation is recycled which automatically loses points without even considering the song which most people consider worse but even if you rate it equal to the first it doesn't balance out the recycled animation
I would like to add that when Lelouch lost control of the Geass, he was specifically thinking about a hypothetical Geass command - that makes it much more likely that he would lose control and trigger it at that moment.
JoeTheGhost yea deff, that’s what i was thinking to, he was already subconsciously imagining a command which could have triggered that sudden geass activation, some people might miss over that little detail.
@@awaismoughal8819 I think alluding to this explanation along with a little better dialog to make the command appear more.. "natural" would have helped people accept this scene better.
When you think about it also, Geass grants you the power to achieve your greatest desires. Lelouch's greatest desire was to destroy Britannia and create a peaceful world for Nunally. The geass exists to grant his desire, so whether he wanted to or not it was going to activate that EXACT moment, it's not unnatural at all, his sub-conscious was waiting for him to actively say something it could use to grant his desires. Mao's desire was C2, she became the only person he could ever be with and not suffer. C2 desired love, that never turned off either. Theory lines up.
Right? It was made pretty clear that Geasses were basically Faustian pacts that you will eventually lose control of - "absolute power corrupts absolutely" made manifest - and it never struck me as "out of the blue". Hell, hadn't we had like three to four episodes of a guy that had to wear Cyclops-style specs to stop his Geass?
@@CatogMedia Those didn't stop it. They were just a fashion choice. Also it's not even the power corrupting the person. The power is formed from a desire and that desire WILL be carried out regardless of if the person wants it too or not.
The bit about "looking into her eyes at just that moment" doesn't seem like an example of contrived timing to me. Looking into a person's eyes while talking is polite and he didn't know his geass was about to randomly activate.
Except he was well-aware that his geass was starting to activate on its own; earlier there was a scene involving a bigoted old man that made Lelouch realize it was starting to activate on its own, and it terrified him.
Plus, it may be polite to look at a person, but because he was aware of the geass randomly activating, he spent the whole conversation up to that point either wearing the Zero mask or looking away from her.
@@matthewmuir8884 I feel like all of that was because he was in Zero mode
Focused on the objective and analytical
Then he agreed with euphy and understood that the war was basically over
So he let his guard down and took off Zero mask deactivated the focused I must achieve my mission goal attitude
And went back to normal student council club personality they had in the previous episode together at the pizza tragedy event at school
The fact that it activated at this time is contrived
I personally think it wasn’t his intention at all.
Why else would he go full OMGPANIC in vain to cancel it somehow after he realized it happened without him willing it to and that he could no longer control when it was active? If he had known that it would do so at that very moment, he would not have been so careless like that, but alas, the author of the story had to put that knife of a twist in because everything was going too well.
The real tragedy is that if Lelouch instead resorted to just restraining her right then and there and putting her in solitary confinement for an extended period of time against all odds, Jeremiah could have just come and undone that unintentional fckup of an accidental Geass usage - and all the carnage wouldn’t have necessarily happened.
@@awwabdelgrasso6885its not, the Geass chose to do it at this time specifically because he was looking at her when talking.
That scene where she's firing a machine gun was kinda funny looking
It's definitely gif worthy
It instantly became a gif, back when code geass came out
GIF worthy just like that one scene with table-kun
MAMA LUIGI ah yes, nina x table
Izanagi I still ship it
It became a gif and a meme in 2008. She was entitled the euphienator
When I first watched this scene back in early 2015, I was absolutely shocked by how a simple joke could be interpreted as an actual command for Lelouch's Geass to activate inside Euphemia and the consequences it created. Seeing the sweet and innocent Euphemia go on a rampage because of the Geass command was very heartbreaking for me, especially when Lelouch, out of complete guilt, decided to end it all an episode later by shooting Euphemia on the spot.
I'm sure Lelouch learned to be more careful with what he says when he looked other people in the face after this incident.
Until that point, I have never considered how dangerous the Geass actually is. It's a power so treacherous that can destroy even the user.
@@feliperisseto9113 It caused me to think that should I ever get such a power (wihich I wont real workd doesnt have magic) I would order all my loves ones to never betray me as I see no harm in that command and then couldnt give them any other.
@@feliperisseto9113 exactly bro.....
This was the only episode where I didn't click next the second the ed ended, and also the only episode that forced me to think about life for five minutes.
Truly the most shocking scene in code geass.
Exactly
It was heartbreaking but, we all knew Lulu was never going yo achieve his goal easily. Arc words from the start "the only ones who should kill are those prepared to be killed". anyone with storytelling knowledge knew there was only one way to end it for Lulu so it had to fail. it was just a matter of how.
Yeah, but for me the most shoking scene was the end of the show...Very, very, very shooking..
same, i stopped watching for a week after this scene
it's the stupidest scene in code geass, you must be a weird person if that forced you think about life, it's just badly written scene
This is always the hardest part of the show for me to watch, I understand the criticism against but for me it always felt like it had been built up to and hinted at (especially on rewatches) but its such a challenge to watch just because of how likable Euphy was, she wanted nothing more than for everyone to be happy and to be able to freely spend time with Lelouch and Nunnaly let that is taken away from her...
This is probably one of the best tragedies in anime, I cant help but spend so much time wondering just what things would have been like if it worked out and how happier their lives may have been. By far the saddest part being how history will remember Euphemia as the exact opposite of what she was, being a evil genocidal lunatic rather than the kind and gentle person she was.
I watched this yesterday for the first time. Just looking at how unthinkably horrific it would be to give an order like that to a person like Euphy.
These orders would be human in comparison:
1 - Suicide by cracking skull open.
2 - never communicate with anyone you love.
3 - Full memory Wipe - blank.
4 - kill all your friends and loved ones.
5 - You must cut off your hands and feet, (any transplant or prosthetics would trigger her to repeat the order)
Sorry some of those were very dark.
But arguably if Euphy had those choices + kill all the Japanese.
I imagine she might choose all 5 of my examples before the one she actually got 😓
All of that was just to really show how unbelievably loathsome and entirely unachievable her assigned goal is.
Firstly, Euphy has to go against nearly all of what makes up herself (you see brief resistance).
Her personality, conscience, beliefs, moral code, subconscious feelings, values, ++
Just the concept of having all that makes you, you, being overruled. It makes me think of how victims of s.assult or similar situations where a person is made into a passive player in there own life and such experiences break people.
Watching Euphy massacre the crowds of people made my heart hurt, I could just imagine her screaming in utter agony at what she was doing but had no power to stop.......
Berserk red moon was less depressing.
Accident or not, if he flayed her alive like a Bolton, her suffering would have been less.
Zeros more compass now only responds to what will benifit him.
If he had to watch his sister be slowly tortured for weeks without being able to communicate.
Then he might have a remote understanding of what happened to Euphy.
Didn't expect to be this angry over this tragic death 😔
Lelouch is warned prior to this scene that his geass is getting stronger and that he may lose control if he’s not careful but he almost seems to brush it off. This moment comes as a rude and horrific awakening born entirely of Lelouch’s negligence. I honestly didn’t know this scene was so criticized because for years I always thought it was absolutely brilliant.
Except he wasn't negligent; he was downright terrified of it activating on its own and took measures against it, like looking away from Euphemia during the whole conversation up until the moment the plot needed him to turn around.
@@matthewmuir8884 Being that up until that point in the story CC was the only character he’d let his guard down around, it’s only natural that he’d forget about his geass after finally letting his guard down for only the second time up to that point in the story in front of Euphi. Their dynamic establishes early on that they had some sort of connection but he continued to be wary, so in that moment for just a bit he forgets about the fact that he’s Zero and forgets about his geass which leads him to make a gross mistake that forces him back onto the path he had been ready to abandon.
@@matthewmuir8884 he was looking away in shame of Euphemia being right in her arguments. He wasn't trying to avoid using the geass.
@@matthewmuir8884Uh no? He doesn't know wtf would happen that time.
This scene needed to be defended? I thought it was absolutely brilliant. Horrifying, but horrifying in its brilliance. It probably helps that I was goofing on the series in general, yet still undeniably enjoying aspects of it, so my bar of standards might not be super high. But man, what a moment. What a moment to turn the head, a series-defining one.
Uh, yeah? The scene was so fucking convenient in order to set up the result that I’ve cringed every time I saw it.
@@Mrbluefire95 how was it convenient?
Wasn't it already stated that his geass was going out of control because he used it too much?
suresh kumar shukla He looked her right in the eye right as his Geass went out of control and right as he made the joke. All three conditions happened in that tiny ass time frame.
This isn’t hard to understand.
@@Mrbluefire95 i don't know. Why was it bad that it happened at that time , even though it was stated earlier that geass can go out of control?
As for looking into eyes , no shit dude , many people look into people's eyes while talking.
As for the joke , he said this extreme joke about killing Japanese because he wanted euphy to understand that how powerful it is. It can literally make her do the thing that she won't even think of doing.
Dude , you can hate this scene , but trust me , it is one of the better scenes of Code Geass.
Remember that scene in R2 where it was a condition or something that only zero can leave the country. And because of the pure genius Leouch is he asked everyone to wear zero's costume to fullfil the requirement.
NOW THAT'S BULLSHIT.
suresh kumar shukla You’re completely ignoring the point here and separating the conditions as an argument.
They all happened AT THE SAME TIME. Stop reaching here. The scene is convenient and contrived as fuck. Even the guy who made this video agrees, despite still defending it.
I beleive that Lelouch's order wasn't random, but one of the many possible solutions he had thought about and discarded.
Daniel Michel He’s full of prideful wrath he need a devil he may not intended to force her with subconsciously he wanted her to be
That’s what I thought too or else he would have joked about killing Britannia’s not Japanese
Excuse me, sir, the term is "Euphiecaust"
THE EUPHINATOR
The Japanese were euphienated
She committed Euphiecide
@@crackberry7902 What are you talking about? Lelouch was the one who killed her.
@@blackknightjack3850 on the Japanese ... *Genocide*
Seeing Kallens ass every fight in the Guren was my favorite part of the show, truly a masterpiece.
Seth Werner indeed brother
Definitely.
I see there's a meeting of cultured men here. Let me join you, brethren.
mASSterpiece*
Waifu-material right there, I tell you
I quite like the Euphemia moment from an artistic perspective. To me its a representation of just how dangerous and unfair the Geass can be, how one wrong move could be tragic and how using the Geass is a "cheat" method and almost evil in nature, its a curse.
No matter how good Lelouch's plan is, every time he uses the Geass he is doing something against nature and destroying peoples lives, this is a reminder of that.
In the first season people started seeing Zero as a great guy, not knowing about the darkness in his power, but from this point on they come to understand that the miracles that Zero creates arent like "works of god" but more like "works of a demon".
It's not even unfair or dangerous. The geass is formed to grant your desire when you acquire it. Lelouche was actively betraying it and his deepest desires at that moment so it makes sense that his sub-conscious went "OH HELL NO!" and after that it stayed active or 'Out of control.' so he could justify what had happened. It's like with Mao how his geass became permanent so he could stay with C2, or how C2's stayed active because even though she was fed up with it, deep down she didn't want to let go of the love people were giving her. Everyone who has ever lost control, has had something happen to threaten their desires when it did.
An artistic perspective is irrelevant. It's a horrible scene, probably one of the worst in anime history.
@@marktwazi3258 boohoo a tragedy happened in an anime
@@marktwazi3258 - a random SAO fan
@@marktwazi3258 Bruh Anime is a form of entertainment which is an art and every art is subjective. So saying it is irrelevant is utter bullshit
I hated lelouch for this, but later on forgiven him after that masterpiece ending. Hes one of my all time favorite anime characters, along with ichigo and number 1 troll king Aizen taichoooo
You hated him for a complete an utter accident? Also, what’s your profile picture?
@@papaofthejohns5882
Ya I know it was outta control but the bastard laughed it off later, I was so pissed LOL. Hes my favorite protagonist of all animes tho after that ending so it's all good.
Also, my pfp is adult Isaac from golden sun dark dawn :)
Same! I LOVED Euphemia and was horrified by her tragic end. I blamed it on Lelouch but forgave after all the great stuff he did
@@WeyardWiz if you think he just laughed it off then you have no understanding of his character
I'm on this episode rn, and I'm acc pissed off, cos I get it, it was a mistake but the way he then proceeds to act like she genuinely went berserk on her own is what's pissing me off. He's basically killed the Japanese but he's using this moment to start an Adolf Hitler speech to use this incident to gain new followers ahaha nah mean? But I've got 3 more episodes to go, let's hope I feel better after that
It’s a tragedy, that was the most tragic thing that could happen
HOW DARE YOU REMIND ME OF THIS SCENE RIGHT WHEN MY HEART HAS JUST GOT OVER EUPHY'S PASSING 8 YEARS AFTER SEEING IT
Lol for real!
The timing is convenient, but not THAT convenient, there're way more convenient scenes in CG. And it's such an iconic and cruel plot twist that it compensates the convenience by a large margin. Any writer would be tempted to do it.
>any writer would be tempted to do it
Except a good one
@@jeff-ee3ul What a dumb comment . I know plenty of really good writers not only Japanese but from all backgrounds where they would go with some stuff even if they seem a bit cheap or forced because they have so much impact that nobody would really even complain about it. I am surprised this video even exists because there are very very few people that even complain about this scene.
@@jeff-ee3ul That _is_ a good moment.
@@HPblu3 Actually, it's a pretty maligned moment. It's just not the worst, and it's not a meme. But yeah, it's not great writing. And arguably the result is less interesting than letting her live. If only because it makes Suzaku far LESS interesting as he devolves as a character, as well as some other dumb season 2 stuff being impacted by this. It's just not good writing.
@@HPblu3 That is the piont though, I good writer should be able to create emotional moments without sacrificing the narrative.
I love cg, it is my favorite show, and even loved this scene but saying it is flawless destroys devalues all the other great scenes in the show.
"The soft reset to keep the school setting" I actully like the school part of the show. It gave the show the balance between darker and lighter aspects I like so much. One episode is about winning a battle in china, the next episode is just having fun at the school with the shenanigans of the student councel president and that ninja lady and the next episode is about cyborg orange.
Its just nice to have some lighthearded fun in between all that dramatic stuff.
the only thing i don’t like about the school part is the fact that teachers are never shown and the school council president has free rein i know it would add unnecessary characters but still it’s annoying
@@michaelabraham2705 Weeeell, Milly Ashford is the granddaughter of the headmaster and her family made the school since it's called Ashford Academy.
It really humanized Lelouch and made him a deeper character IMO. And of course, gave us the Shirley arc which IMO is one of the best arcs in the series (still heartbreaking with each rewatch).
@@michaelabraham2705 The only teacher I remember seeing is Villetta when she worked there to watch over Lelouch. Not even a real teacher. I think there were a few more adults there too for that reason but no one notable.
"Amped up to 11 because of the Euphemia moment." I see what you did there.
I think you made a lot of great points but what bothered me was the dialogue leading up to the moment. The "kill all of the Japanese" seems like it's out of nowhere. I think you tried to address this issue by saying that Lelouch was simply flaunting his power to describe that he won, but it doesn't explain why he chose such a phrase. I love you're re-imagining of the scene but I think if you tweak the dialogue to also fit the phrase people would have been much less upset. I'm not an author so I won't even try to characterize or add personality but something along these lines:
Euphy: I don't think you could have made me kill you, I don't think I could kill anyone its against my nature
Lelouch: Your nature doesn't play into it, my power allows me to force people to commit atrocities that you couldn't imagine (sad resigned regretful)
Euphy: What do you mean?
Lelouch: I could tell you to throw everything away, to ruin everything you stand for and what you've tried to achieve here. (turns and looks her in the eye)
I could tell you to kill every Japanese person here and you would do it without--
And then it would play out from there. The way it's presented in the show the phrase itself just seems so shoehorned in and I think thats what generates discomfort for most viewers.
I believe that those words were chosen because they were the words the absolute furthest from something Euphemia would do in that moment, and Lelouch intended to use them as an example for a longer explanation we would obviously never get.
That's fair enough, but I honestly don't find that much difference in your proposed rewording, and the actual line. Either way, it's just an off-the-wall thing he tossed out at total random, the point is that it was out of nowhere. It was a terrible accident etc etc.
Personally I find it’s just matter of fact too convenient for the story and it’s down to ones own personal suspension of disbelief to accept it. Personally by that time I was enthralled and it made to difference to me. Generally the example was contextual and within character so what was precisely said passes
I think this rewording really would improve it!
The only way I could justify this moment was either:
A) He subconsciously wanted to give an order like that(since it was exactly what he needed)
or
B) He intentionally gave the order shoving his morality wayyyyyy down the gutter for that moment(again for the advantage it would gain him).
Ever find yourself in a scenario where you could do something real dirty and come out above? Well, essentially this with the dirtiness and reward skyrocketed. It is a second long decision, and you just need to be the bad guy long enough to pull the trigger.
*This was the moment when I knew that the shit is bout to go down and it was so heart-breaking to watch it and in the end, what tragic end Euphemia met. The writer just had to give us this heart-wrenching moment after that bitter-sweer reconciliation on Lelouch & Euphemia.*
What I really hate about this moment is actually exactly how Shakespearean it is.
The moment everything starts going well in a tragedy is the moment it becomes predictable.
You don't know what will go wrong, but you know it's the most frustrating gutpunch the author could think of and the entire cast will suffer for the sins of the protagonist.
I think a diablo ex machina can work to humble a character when things are looking up but victory is not quite apparent.
But the moment a series like Code Geass starts going too well, a groaning starts building up inside me as I just wait for everything to come crashing down.
I always thought that it activated at that point because it was subconsciously aligned with what he wanted, and ended up giving him exactly what he needed in order to continue with his goals. So even though it activated against his will, it still granted his original wish, albeit with way more collateral damage.
kinda shorted what the video was explaining
"the second op" lmao
the second op was the best one change my mind
@@kingkyle9349 World End
Is it jinn's kaidoku funou? I love it.
@@kingkyle9349 How could I change your mind about the OP now? It's clearly rendered you deaf.
So i'm not crazy? Other people dislike op 2? Wew, i'm glad i'm not crazy.
I loved Euphemia's moment! I didn't know it had criticism >_
Because back when it first came out people complained that it was "deus ex machina". Some people consider a "deus ex machina" a weak method of forwarding the plot.
@@PhantomGeass It's not a Deus ex Machina; a Deus ex Machina comes out of nowhere to resolve the central conflicts. This was the inverse; this was a Diabolus ex Machina: something that comes out of left field to extend the conflict and otherwise make things worse for the protagonist.
when I first watched the scene when I was young I didnt have a problem with it, but as I rewatched it a few years later it felt like it was made so the story can be more darker but was forced....i was suprised that this was really a big criticism in the community
Matthew St. Cyr
It didn’t come out of nowhere though. It was pretty obviously being built up that He would lose control of his powers.
@@wschippr1 Yes; that was being built up, but that doesn't change that this solution came out of left field to keep the conflict going.
"Uh; how do we keep the revolution going?" "...I know; have it that Lelouch says the exact worst thing he could possibly say and at that exact moment, his Geass activates in front of the worst possible person he could say that line to."
The scene is horrendously contrived by making it that the conflict resumes and things worsen for the protagonist solely by complete coincidence and out-of-character stupidity (he didn't think to cover his eye or continue looking away from her just in case; two options he had been shown doing previously, including earlier in the conversation. That is out-of-character stupidity), and the scene exists solely to force the conflict to resume where it left of and make things worse for the protagonist. That is Diabolus ex Machina.
This scene was the most important scene of code geass because for lelouch this was the moment because of which he knew he could not go back he knew he was going to have to spill more blood and betray more people if he needed to win
I love this moment because this is when Lelouch realized that by virtue of his power (the power that is destined to isolate him) he may be able to make a happy ending for others, but he will never be a part of that ending. This is brought to its climax in the R2 finale.
@@luckoftheirish5662 I could not agree more
I would leave as is. The writers got the emotion they wanted, out of me.
If there's one complaint I have in this series, it's the poor execution of Jeremiah which could've been mediated by foreshadowing.
Curiously enough, they did add some foreshadowing about Jeremiah in the DVD extras and in the recap movie.
Could you elaborate what you mean? If I recall correctly Jeremiah was originally into to be a minor introductory villain and was meant to be killed off early on, but there was such a positive reaction from the Fans that they brought Jeremiah back from the dead and given much stronger more prominence in R2. Personally I really like Jeremiah, but him joining Lelouch did seem to come out of nowhere.
@@InquisitorThomas well, like you said, it came out of nowhere. It can, however, be easily fixed by dropping hints and foreshadowing about his "loyalty" to Marriane. In fact, we'd probably cheer when we see Jeremiah connect the dots instead of feeling like the story cheated us. Jeremiah is a great character, but they screwed it by cheating the audience.
@@kristoffer2250 I personally don't understand why a story has to justify or hint every single thing explicitly like that. Code geass has a gigantic cast as it is will different motivations and drives which obviously can't be explored. Jeremiahs loyalty towards Britannia has been made clear throughout if it was made clear that he was specifically loyal to Marriane then the audience would of seen him switching sides a long time ago which then would turn it from out of nowhere to predictable in an instant. It's like AOT if they made it clear early on that u know who were titans from super specific hints the surprises wouldn't be half as good. Same with this scene in this video.
Thats because Jeremiah wasn't planned to return, he was supposed to be killed by the Guren at Narita but he ended up as such a popular character that they ended up bringing him back
This happened twice
Generally, people only call twists clever when they can point out the associated foreshadowing. And they call them cheap when they miss the foreshadowing, or if there's no foreshadowing in the first place.
That's why I like your idea to go for suspense instead of shock. Just change C2s foreshadowing to something more explicit and urgent ("Not again! He's become like Mao!")
I had no idea people felt the timing was contrived. They do everything they can to justify it naturally. (Literally hours of time for a window, here. His uncontrolled geass would have no effect until the first moment he gives an explicit command, without wearing his helmet. Zero would absolutely order her around, but Lelouch wouldn't. Not at that point.)
100% agree that the geass-blocking contacts are a cop-out, though. His mistake here was letting his guard down, and abandoning his warpath ("removing the mask.") The proper punishment in a heavy handed tragedy like this should be to deny him ever removing the mask again around anyone.
I think as is the scene plays more as suspense then shock, no savy viewer should actually think we're getting a Happy ending now 5 episodes form the finale, and if you remember the Mao stuff there's nothing else CC could possibly mean.
@@Kuudere-Kun Agreed. Personally, I followed and enjoyed the episode as is. But the fact there's a disagreement means there's room for improvement.
It's not about foreshadowing, but about behind-scene logic. If it's logical, it's ok. If it's plot device, it breaks immersion.
@@vrnvorona You do realize half of the Code Geass plot in early seasons is basically plot device and plot convenience? Suzaku surviving being shot by his superior and by pure coincidence being recovered by Earl of Pudding and by other convenient coincidence he turns out to be very compatible with the latest tech experimental Knightmare which puts Suzaku in the perfect spot as Zero's Nemesis. Kallen by pure chance attending to the same school that Lelouch lives in which serves as his chance to get in touch with a local resistance group. The entire premise is set on a culmination of various plot devices.
Lelouch: i can make people obey me
Euphemia: youre so silly
Lelouch: hahaha if i said to you 'kill all japanese', you would do it
*geass activates*
Lelouch and Euphemia: oh
I've never had an issue with this scene to be frankly honest. The scene as you mentioned is the point of no return for Zero and S1 as a whole. The Special Zone represents the allure of a false victory, settling for the half-measure because it's easy and comfortable rather than continuing down the path of war that Lelouch set out for himself. It makes sense that at the moment where Zero is tempted to give up his convictions, that his curse would force him onwards, and it feels wholly intentional. I will say that I don't agree with the idea that the writers had written themselves into a corner here, as it kind of implies that this moment wasn't intended, or that there was some mistake or oversight that they had to try and write their way out of. Euphemia was always set up to be essentially the Brittania aligned version of Nunnally, a representation of a pure, innocent, wide-eyed girl who deserved none of the hatred the world forced upon her, and was an instrumental emotional crutch for many of the Brittanian characters. Killing her here, and in the way that it did was some fantastic knife-twisting for the Audience, and continues the general theme that Code Geass has about the casualties of war. The losses that Lelouch suffers over the course of the series gradually grow closer and closer to him, starting faintly when he incidentally causes Shirley's father to die, to the more personal but less permanent moment of Shirley losing her memories, and then to the loss of a loved one that Lelouch has a direct hand in killing with Euphemia.
As to the timing, I never really found that to be an issue. We see dramatic timing used in a lot of media, and since this scene did have set up, especially since this comes pretty hot off the heels of the Mao incident, which is literally all about the dangers of losing your control of Geass and how it pushes people away from you, it works out pretty well. Sure, as in your example you could have changed the framing to make it more dramatic, but the angle they used kind of increases the shock value since it's portrayed exactly as it's meant, as a throw-away line that has dramatic consequences. The wording may be on the nose, but it represents the exact opposite of everything Euphemia stands for, and is literally the exact opposite of everything she's trying to do at the exact moment when they're discussing his power. After all, what more ridiculous command could you give to a woman establishing a safe haven to reinstate an oppressed people's autonomy than telling her to kill the people she just gathered to save?
Honestly, I really like this scene, it's tragic, it's dramatic, and it leads perfectly into the end of S1. And let's be honest, the real issue in Code Geass has nothing to do with Euphemia's death and everything to do with the reset at the beginning of S2, Which I would say IS an example of the writers pushing themselves into a corner, because Lelouch's rebellion had grown too quickly and instead of carrying on the rebellion past the point of no return in light of the Euphemia incident, instead they chose to soft-reset the story so they could use the school setting for more light hearted hijinx. So much of what makes S2 so contrived is having to deal with the reset, and not only is it just a massive blue-balling for the audience after Lelouch and Suzaku's confrontation, but we don't even get to see the resolution of that moment until after we've had to deal with Lelouch retreading the beginning of the series, but with Rolo instead of Rival next to him.
Bottle Capster The main problem is mostly a Suspension of Disbelief issue. In which the rest of the story hinges. Rather than this shouldn’t or should’ve happen. I personally just wanted it to be more earned.
@@RuneRelations How is there a suspension of belief issue when his geass going out of control is foreshadowed several times? Lelouch was going against everything he fought for and something had to happen. I had more of a suspension of disbelief issue with Lelouch agreeing to Euphemia's garbage plan in the first place.
sean_cameron It is of the timing and the way it’s presented in the show not the Geass going out control and the tragedy. It’s the reason agree with the person in the video about the scene being played for suspense not shock. The Geass going out of control beforehand or the audience knowing it’s activated would make what happens next more palatable.
It’s probably better a on a second watch because your looking for it, but feels like a extremely bad luck on the first.
To address what you stated about the beginning of S2, it was not really the fault of the writers for how that played out. The original plan for the story was to have it reach 50 episodes for the first season, however, Sunrise Studios rejected that proposal and decided to change the time block that CG would be airing on. That meant that they had to create some sort of context for the possible new viewers. Sunrise was, at every moment, trying to crash CG because they believed it would flop, but thankfully, despite the changes, it still achieved what it was trying to convey. We may never know what the original storyline would have been if not for this minor setback.
@@RuneRelations the scene was never meant to be palatable
I really like the idea that Lelouch's contract with C.C. prevents him from ever truly attaining happiness alongside others. If the show actually made that a core part of the narrative I think a lot of the show's problems would be solved.
It wouldn't be too hard to show this effect just enough to be noticeable yet still subtle either. Imagine them showing this to us with things like:
Nunnaly coming down with a cold on the day he makes the contract. It would give the show an opportunity to show us how much Lelouch cares about her, while also foreshadowing that this is the end of the simple kinds of happiness that he took for granted.
Shirley getting the news that here father died (as a result of Lelouch's actions) just as she tried to get him to go on a date was already so close to this. They could have tweaked it by making Lelouch actually interested in the date despite his other commitments. This would have made clear the feelings for Shirley that he does a little too good of a job hiding in addition to again showing that any happiness he attains through other people is doomed thanks to his curse of solitude.
If the show does a good enough job of this, then anyone who picks up on it will then be in suspense at all times, waiting for his chances of normal happiness to be dashed by supernatural levels of coincidence.
You could even *slightly* improve the soft-reset with this theme as well if you have that be a catalyst for him overcoming Charles's Geass. Even if it's a lie, the life he lives while under the Geass is happy. Even something as simple as him remembering "The power of the king will condemn you to a life of solitude" before breaking his father's Geass would thematically change the whole scene. Even if it's based on lies, his curse for happiness with others to be forever out of his reach wouldn't allow him to be living a normal, happy, school life.
The only point I disagree with is the one on Shirley. I genuinely got the feeling that Lelouch didn't care for Shirley at all in a romantic way or perhaps even in a close friendship type of way. Sort of how Light from Death Note didn't care for Misa, I believe Lelouch kind of saw Shirley as somehow more childish than the others and thus wasn't inclined to show such emotion.
@@minorears5205 Maybe I was reading into it A LITTLE too much, but he definitely cares about her in one way or another because you can see it affect him whenever anything happens to her.
Minor Ears did you even watch the show? He freaks the heck out when something happens to her. If he were like Light, he would have killed her and certainly wouldn’t have cried so hysterically when she died and then went on a hell bent revenge on Rolo
@@kitkat7074 He's not a psychopath like Light. That doesn't have to mean he's in love. Pretty sure you don't need to be in love, to care if someone you see every day, has something tragic happen to them because of YOUR CHOICES.
@@animalobsessed1 I never said that he was in love, did you even read my comment?
Take that, BestGuyEver. Great video, couldn't have put it better myself. I think your suspenseful direction of the scene would alleviate a lot of the criticism this scene gets.
The hottest take of this video is that OP 2 is worse than OP 3.
I think we can all agree that 1, 4 & 5 are the only ones that this show ever needed and OP 2 & 3 were mistakes greater than any of Code Geass's other faux pas.
Worlds end is the best code geass op. This isn’t an opinion it’s objective fact proven by science
Brian Lowe Best OP is Colors, then World End
@@ReplayValue you guys are insane OP2 and 3 are amazing (even if they ran out of budget to do a proper animation for 3)
still cant believe they did my girl Euphy so dirty, rip, I was more upset about her death than Shirley who was just blindly in love
Yeah; Euphemia and Shirley both has a lot of potential that ultimately got wasted, with both of them getting stuffed in the fridge.
tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StuffedIntoTheFridge
Hardly anyone liked Shirley lol. She's kind've like the Sakura of Code Geass. She's just blindly in love with a main character and tags along while contributing virtually nothing.
@@DemonEyeHelix That's kind-of my point; the Shirley character could've contributed so much more. So much wasted potential, only to get stuffed into the fridge in season 2.
I dislike them both but I dislike Euphy the least. She's this idealist who thinks everyone should get along but at least, as a monarch, she's doing something about it. Shirley's an airhead. I can't believe people got upset about her death
@@DemonEyeHelix whoa there. At least Sakura went on to become a medical ninja and was taken under tsunade's wing. Being in the medical field is a big deal
I didn't even know people hated this scene. I loved the entirety of it and it was one of my all time favorite scenes
People love to hate on something popular
One thing I always took from this scene is Lelouch's Nature to Rebel against his Father. Even though he surrendered to Eufi, he is still the same person who wanted revenge against Britannia over the liberation of Japan, and so the timing of his Geass activing was always, to me anyway, Lelouch's subconcious activating his Geass because he secretly wanted to keep on fighting. As for the Contact Lens, yeah I have absoultely no idea why that played out the way that it did. Other than what I said, I agree completly.
the only thing I think of with that is that the secret society with geass was experimenting for decades and came up with a means to work around some geass as Lelouch needed direct eye contact to activate the geass. it obviously wouldn't work with Mao as he didn't need to have his target look at him or Rolo. Months late to the party, but that caught my attention. The only thing I wonder if after he activated both eyes could he control it or did he need the contact lens then too. cause they never say if he did then.
I wasn’t surprised by the Euphemia moment, seemed like a natural form of dramatic irony in a very Shakespearean tragedy-esque setup to the anime. Even the inclusion of Britania and royalty are meant to bring to mind the dramatic elements of their old plays
It wasn't natural at all, it was very artificially convenient. Just a very badly written scene.
@@marktwazi3258 "Just a very badly written scene"
-Just finished reading several comments of someone telling off an asshole with actual evidence why it isn't bad writing.
Sure you can say that but I don't think you should make your subjective opinion, objective.
I love this scene. It reinforces the curse of Geass Lelouch underestimated, and shows Lelouch the true price of his Geass. The entire show had foreshadowed this happening so many times, from Euphy’s introduction with the theme that plays during her into, to the many times CiCi advises him to be cautious of overusing the power of Geass, on top of the episode with Mao in it.
As heartbreaking as the Euphy moment was, this was the moment we all knew the series wasn't messing around. That we were going to be on a heartbreaking, but masterful ride for the rest of the series.
I've seen a number of these video essays tackling so many different controversial moments in anime and film and television, but I think this is truly the first one where I agree with almost every last thing the author says. Bravo, well done.
I’ve legit been on a code geass analysis video binge, thanks mate!
Well, this is actually one of the few heartbreaking moments in code geass, especially when lelouch was forced to end everything, to the girl he first fall in love with
I never questioned this scene, but it still broke my heart beyond any expectations because she is my absolute favourite character of all time. Her kindness, her sincerity. They're just amazing. I watched the next two last episodes (of season 1 IIRC) feeling completely empty and detached. Rest in peace, Euphemia. But this series was a masterpiece, and the second season 2. Especially that ending.
Man I was worried about how I'd feel here but you did a knock out job. Fair well-researched defense, looking for themes and lack of inconsistencies in-there-of, considering alternatives, and proposing other less-brought-up critiques being the more prescient issues. My mind's not fully changed but I'm a lot more relaxed on the issue given this reading. I still feel like the characters have no agency in the twist. Unlike Romeo, Lelouche is a prodigy strategist so the fact that the one thing that does him in being a 1 in a million chance feels like a betrayal; his biggest weakness was never the writers just being one step ahead of him so why make it feel that way? This ain't No Game No Life, in Code Geass being a genius mastermind means only ever having to deal in 1 in a hundred chance possibilities (any more and you'd be outplayed due to over-thinking or risk overwhelming the viewer with sequences of planning that go beyond believability).
I would disagree as Lelouch only does well with certainty. In season 1 there is never a single plan he has that relies on a gamble, or any form of chance. He never even works to stack the odds in his favor. He only ever worked within complete certainty. Everything that happens "by chance" in season 1 only works against him. For example, the cat happens to steal his helmet, Suzaku happens to survive being shot and happens to be perfectly placed to get an opportunity to be Lelouch's worst enemy. Someone from the rebellion happens to go to his school and almost blows his cover. Lelouch's class happens to be taken hostage by suicidal rebels. Shirley happens to be perfectly placed to see Lelouch's mask fall off.
The only event in the *entirety* of season 1 that happens out of some form of chance that helps Lelouch is meeting C2 and acquiring Geass, which ends up working against him later. Lelouch has always been hated by fate, and it's always worked against him, and he never has a plan for it, and always has to change plans because of it. All of his plans in season 1 he wins because he gets an advantage in knowledge and knows perfectly how to exploit that. It's not until season 2 that he begins to plan around the twists of fate. Only after fate and hubris screw him royally and force him to learn and be less confident in himself.
The only reason I didn’t question this moment when I was watching it and rewatching it is because of what C.C. says geass is. According to her it’s a reflection of the user so no matter how deep down his desire to be the hero of Japan is its still there and his geass would reflect that. Plus she also says it will isolate him so his geass stopping him from being with the people he loves makes sense to me. I do agree that his geass becoming permanent should have had more effects and should have been another odd stacked against him when trying to rebuild the black knights in season 2. Even though code geass has some flaws I think most of them can be looked past because of how good the show is and I know most people still love the series flaws and all
well his Desire wasnt to be the hero of Japan, for him Japan and it speople was (till close to the end of the show) a Means to an end, his Desire was clear, destroy Britania, and make a world in which Nunnaly Can live happily,
But in that situation he was about to give up his desire, giving up on Destroying Britania and joining with a Member of the Royal family(altough with claim to the throne no longer), He Betrayed his desire, betrayed his Geass and that made it run haywire. and the first thing he says afterwards was a hypothetical Geass command
SGT_Weber that’s true I didn’t think to look at it that way
Euphie is my favorite character in the show... I was so sad when this happened.
I always believed that this scene was one of the strongest scenes in Code Geass simply for showing the depths of Lelouch's pride and ego. He HAS to be the man, that was his main concern here. His original plan was to geass Euphemia into shooting him and becoming an enemy of the Black Knights, thus painting him as the "true messiah" of Japan, after all. Him accepting Euphemia's "peace" is much like how he accepted he couldn't change anything before acquiring the Geass. It goes entirely against his core desire at this point in the series, and he's still seething as he remarks to Euphy about how he could have won. Remember: Lelouch never really set out for the greater good, he was only lashing out at and taking some control back from a world that denied him his choice to live as anything more than a mediocre human. Euphemia once again took away his choice in deciding his own fate, which deeply bothers him and DIRECTLY leads to this tragedy.
This is a bit long, but I thought I should share my personal thoughts on this scene.
See when I first saw the scene, I loved it- I was confused when I talked to people about it and heard how it was hated. I've always felt that the implications made about Geass was that its loneliness was fatalistic, unavoidable by nature, and as such I always assumed that it activated because it was fated to prevent him from breaching that loneliness (I also always felt that the comment was completely in character for Lelouch, who was once again struck down for his arrogance). After all, bad luck or coincidence are often the causers of the greatest tragedy, and the amount of people who have lost down to sheer bad luck, both in history and fiction, are innumerable. And this only further coincides with how Geass is explained in R2, (although again, I feel it has been implied plenty of times throughout R1, both in regards to what happens to Mao, C.C's immortality, and how the Geass is described by C.C).
I'd also just like to add that the allergy so many people have to coincidence (particularly good coincidence more so than bad) is a bad thing for fiction, as it can be more than just getting the author out of a written corner, but can be a greater reflection of life, and a better examination of its principles (which is what good fiction is supposed to do). Luck has its whims and not everything can be predicted. If we can't see how people deal with terrible luck, or how smart people can plan to negate the bad opportunities and wait out the good ones, then it's not a very good reflection of life, now is it?
Absolutely agree. It's a similar situation, and for similar reasons, to dub hatred. It's because people have been burned in the past by unskilled use of it... but to then go on to write off like, the act of translating a story or dubbing it is folly itself. Same with any plot device basically whatsoever; the very site TV Tropes goes out of its way to say Tropes Aren't Bad.
I would say that people are right to dislike coincidence, depending on the situation. If it fits thematically, and doesn't completely negate huge portions of the plot, then it can be acceptable.
The problem is that deus ex machina usually don't fit thematically, and *do* negate the plot. And when they happen very often in favor of the protagonist, it just makes the entire story feel pointless since the protagonist is clearly going to win no matter how hard they mess up. And this is the case with >90% of deus ex machina because, by definition, it's lazy writing and the type of author that is lazy about the key moments of a narrative work is also going to be lazy about most of the rest of their work.
@@DBZHGWgamer That is true to Deus ex Machinas, but Diabolous ex Machinas are literaly the oposite: they ruin everything. And seeing that all stories are based on conflict, a contrivance *creating* a conflict will, ceter paribus, be superior to a contrivance *concluding* a conflict.
@@nivircescrittore8304 I would still say it depends. Personally I didn't mind the geass acting up in Code Geass, but there are some shows with Diablos ex machina that just feel forced and take me out of the show completely. Ones where it doesn't fit thematically at all and is just a way to extend or create a final boss.
@@DBZHGWgamer Well, of course. My point is that if all other things are equal, a Diabolus ex Machina will be superior to a Deus ex Machina because the plot device itself is superior, but, evidently, all is dependent on execution.
biggest 'bruh' moment in anime history
I loved this scene feeling the shock and horror with Lelouch. Even knowing that there is a second season after this episode, I was actually convinced that Lelouch Euphemia, and Suzaku could finally work together in the future as something would have to ruin Euphemia's plan for peace. So, I did not expect anything to happen. When he activated his Geass without knowing it and saying something that was merely a dark boasting comment to Euphemia, I was thinking: "Funny! At least, he doesn't need to do--Wait! Why are Euphemia's eyes glowing with a red tint?!" The moment perfectly allowed be to experience the moment the same as Lelouch, but feeling adamantly guilty knowing that we somewhat desired for this to happen. I have watched the entire show beginning to end and loved the entire experience and including the teasing extra seeing at the end of the show's finale. In addition, this show is basically a modern Shakespeare without the bloated rambling dialogue and the usage of bizarre metaphors and sayings of the Middle Ages.
i know this is a year later, but like.... zero of all people speaks in nothing but bullkshit metaphors and rambling dialogue
@@garyvincent7397 @Gary Vincent I think if Lelouch spoke normally people would quickly figure out that Zero is Lelouch, unless it is Superman logic where even if he only puts on glasses and does nothing nothing else to hide his identity that people still cannot figure out Lelouch is Zero.
Also, Lelouch puts on a laid back and apathetic persona that is comically your cliché high school anime protagonist. His your personality is calculating, manipulative, and has this guided yet misguided drive to destroy Britannia and kill his father. So, basically Batman willing to kill and slightly psychopathic. The Zero persona is supposed to eye-catching, dramatic, and a "defender of justice". In other words, a cult of personality. Many infamous leaders in history were often flowery and loud with their rhetoric that people rally behind them as it gives them hope, even if what is said contradicts logic.
After re-reading what I wrote a year ago, I don't agree with my past self....and no spelling check. I love the show but not in the way that I worded it. Thanks for pointing out past stupid me.
@@ajflink nah man all good i honesylu love the tragedy of code geass also we all know that lelouche is a drama queen by nature he gets it from charles zi "ALL MEN ARE NOT BORN EQUAL!!!!!!!!" britantia.
@@garyvincent7397 The most disturbing thing about Charles with his "All Mean Are Not Created Equal" speech is rational to some degree and it justifies racism and elitism. It scares me because when I first heard it that I found myself agreeing with him until I thought: "Wait a minute...."
Anyways, I guess it is enjoyable Shakespeare tragedy and Lelouch and Charles love there philosophical rhetoric. Whenever I want to explain Code Geass is not your cliché anime, I show the Clovis assassination scene, that Charles speech, or the scene where Lelouch orders the soldiers to execute themselves with his Geass. Or the scene where Clovis orders the extermination of Elevens to cover up him losing C.C., who I am still convinced is named Cecilia.
@@ajflink whats more fucked up tho, he doeesnt bellieve it, he made THE ENITIRE WORLD SUPER RACIST................. FOR NO REASON
My dude.... This has got to be one of the most in-depth analyses of this show. I've watched the anime quite a bit all those years ago, and I'm pretty confident with my knowledge of the show, but in this video, you made some points I had never even thought about. Absolutely amazing content. This is gold right here. Subbed! Will be watching more of your other videos!
i think what might be your most interesting point is the Geass being a 'curse'. Beyond simply being something that *can* cause misery to the owner, what if it's something more than that? something that has a mind of its own, *choosing* to cause misery to its owner at the worst possible time? the fact that it's a power that has the ability to effectively 'take over' a person, this isn't a shot in the dark even with just the basic knowledge from Season 1.
this converts the scene and timing from 'plot convenience' to something far more sinister. an inherent incomprehensible evil in the Geass power itself that's never overtly stated yet is very clearly shown.
Geass is forced to execute the desires it was created from. In every instance where it's a problem for the user, they were going against their desires. C2 eventually got fed up with her geass causing everyone to pamper her, ha ha nope ON. Mao started getting obsessed with C2, and when it seemed like she was going to leave him, nope she's the only one I can't mind read ON. Lelouche betraying his desires to destroy Britannia, avenge his mother and make a safe world for Nunally, and then as an excuse to not blame him self after the fact ON times a thousand. The only person who didn't lose control in the main series is Charles, and that's because he never betrayed or needed his geass to remain active to fulfil his desires.
@@Xershade It is kinda ironic then how the geass instantly caused a war. A less safe world.
I have always hated the euphemia moment... and that's why I like it. I was only 14-15 when I watch code geass as it was airing week to week. And I had never actually experienced a true diablo ex machina or literary catastrophe before. Sure I had read other tragedies but had always been spoiled on them. So this was my first real moment of tragic shock. And until this point code geass had been mostly a great thrill ride with great drama but mostly low consequences . But for me this moment it the ultimate "shit just got real"moment. There is no going back there is no fixing it and everyone is hurtling toward even more murder. so I also think the reset of season two also makes it weak and is one of the many reasons season 2 is weaker to me. Except the ending!
But I think playing for suspense would give the moment more longevity. I kinda wish they had done it that way.
Great video!
The Euphemia moment was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.
I'm still pissed that I watched this show week to week. met this episode, and finished out the show on the cliffhanger... and there was no confirmed S2 as far as I knew for months... that fucking cliffhanger.
Code Geass is my fav anime of all time and I love when people talk about it. Thank you for making this amazing video!
Great analysis! I think the contact lense is how the Euphemia thing effects Lelouch. He learns (even with the memory wipe) that he has to be more careful and take precautions against his Geass.
In regards to your thought experiment, this is exactly what its like when you re watch the show, your heart the music and instantly remember what is about to happen, it makes the tragedy that much more painful. One of the reasons I liked this show more whenever I rewatch it
In regards to the Dioblos Ex Machina; life falls apart much easier than everything coming together. This scene was great. Terrible but great.
Originally i always felt that Charles and V.V. always had a hand in Lelouch"s Geass going wild, considering they have access to countless Geass artifacts and the Geass Order, I always thought they learned to control other peoples individual Geass and when Lelouch made that joke, Charles and V.V. made their move evidence with Charles laughing at Euphie being Geass'd
So happy to see current content about this show! A great take on a scene that I admittedly didn't like when I first watched it
Your alternate scenario isn't bad. I think it might have helped some folks. For me, the series is based on melodrama as a genre, so the use of such devices is to be expected. We may criticize it, but the way the story was organized is fully compatible with that type of resolution.
As for the contact lenses from S2, I think they used them because of the time slot change. Without that, maybe he could have ended up with an eyepatch or wearing the Zero mask full time.
Regarding your next video, I like the Akito films myself, but viewers should keep in mind they are very, very different in terms of intentions and execution. The staff was new and didn't work on the TV show, so they had other priorities and methods of storytelling. It does have a couple of interesting connections to the original show, but in many ways they're an acquired taste.
I agree. The show is all about creating dramatic moments and being extremely verbose. It plays with extremes and less so subtleties. It's a large part of why I like the show, it's just so in your face. I want to expand on your point.
I don't see an issue with it so much because the entire show is about delivering these types of moments. It is kind of like they are pumping out ice cream, everyone is enjoying it and scooping it up, and then they get a flavor they don't like and the claim the issue is that the show is pumping out ice cream. It's not the ice cream you have a problem with, it is rather a particular flavor.
I could see complaints if the flavor was particularly rare or abhorrent, but dramatic moments due to issues of coincidental timing are pretty normal and common and I think should be expected.
Perhaps the flavor was implemented poorly, which may be the case here, but granted then I think you just have to be specific in stating that the issue isn't with there being ice cream, or the flavor, but that the chocolate ice cream they served spoiled.
The thing is that convenient timing is kind of fundamental to most any narrative, and it is kind of like the mixing on an audio track. If it is done well enough, you won't notice the mixing. If it is done poorly, it is all you notice.
Honestly, CC words were enough actually.
Anything more direct, or getting his eye already geass active would have made the shock very low, as we start anticipating all the wrong things that can happen. And then the worst happens.
This would be a 2 step shock: Knowing bad happens, worst happens.
I liked the full on, all-at-once shock
Most heart breaking moments in anime.
My first waifu ever.
3rd best waifu
@@internetperson3436 after all these years, Cornelia is still my best waifu
I love the point you make about what genre code geass is or at least where it draws inspiration. As a Shakespearean drama this moment fits perfectly in line with the rest of the plot if looked through this lens
I remember I was utterly stunned at that moment. I *felt* the horror and shock and utter contempt that Lelouch would have presumably felt at that moment.
i love your code geass videos
That's good cause I love making 'em
Code geass will always be my favorite anime and this scene never really bothered me but ether way great video.
One of the greatest analyses videos I have ever seen
Found your channel from your R3 video, as a fellow code geass fan you deserve a sub for still making videos about this great series. couldnt help laughing when you asked if it would take you 6 months to make a video about the akito movies since 10 months later it's still up for debate.
great videos keep it up.
Pride, may be the greatest of all sins
but damn it if you didn't cry for Euphie from the beginning of that moment up to her death than you are a heartless person ; ;
“Susaku, you’re Japanese, aren’t you?”
I don't think the timing was all that bad. I'd probably have to rewatch the scene but from what I recall and from what you're showing here, they do a pretty good job hiding his right eye for a good amount of time in that scene. It could have "activated" well before he turned to make the actual command, so long as they didn't show the activated eye (and he hasn't made any other commands while looking at her.)
Further more, I don't think him turning to Euffie as he said it was at _all_ a contrivance, he's giving her an example of his power, giving someone a command that they must obey. Obviously he had no intentions of activating it, but in said example it seems natural he'd look them in the eye as he gave his fake command in part of the explanation for how it works.
Thank you so much for your incredible video and analysis! ❤️
This moment needed defending? Its a personal favorite,moment in anime I thought it was foreshadowed well enough. It was a soul crushing moment back when you didn't even know if there would be a season two. I don't think I'd call anything perfect but this is damn near a perfect anime to me the action suspense the mind games that are played balanced out with great light hearted episodes an fan service that lightens up the mood. Granted there are few flaws but this scene was glorious at how fast it plummeted everything into absolute chaos and would continue to be a haunting reminder of lelouhes greatest mistake,even if accidental, until the end of the show
To be fair, I see the caracther development for Lelouch in other way, when he kill Euphemia it was the first step to cut down every relation with the royal Britannian family, except Nunally off course, I know he kill Clovis without a doubt, but as he said when he killed Euphy, it was his first love; that moment I see it as a no return for Lelouch previous and future actions, before that he could have just step aside without mayor consequences, but when that hapenned his pride is hurt, he lost to himself, to his own power.
I know the timing is kinda off, but the foreshadowing of the Geass losing control where very easy to find. But this arc with Euphemia, is one of the best in the series, for the first time we see Lelouch not knowing what to do, being "defeated" by someone he doesn't even considered to be a threat in first place, and the way it torn apart many character lifes for that one only moment is just brilliant.
When I recomended the series to a fiend she stopped right in this point, and we have a conversation about it, she said that the "why" of her death was out a nowhere.
Really enjoyed the video!
I love your videos, they serve me as inspiration for creating my own anime content. Thanks!!!
Really great video, and the thought experiment totally works for me. It's much easier to have Lelouch unaware that his geass is permanent, but let the audience and CC know while we wait for him to give an inadvertent command. The timing is what I think most people have a problem with in this scene
Both Code Geass seasons are the finest entratainment anime can offer.
Loved it and love to rewatch it every 2-3 years.
Absolutely fantastic!
Ever since reading Bobduh's thoughts on Code Geass in his "Top shows addendum," I have yet to find a sequence of words that so completely conveys the show. He stated that, "Code Geass is dumb fun that is so confident in its own madness that you have to laugh along. It’s probably the best example of a tradition recently upheld by JoJo, where a show can be good, bad, and so bad it’s good all at the same time - its narrative is ludicrous and characters absurd, but it’s so sincere and so good at being entertaining that it sells you on everything by sheer force of personality. Popcorn is an art form, and Geass is a master of its craft - it does everything larger than life, and weaves a convoluted thriller/drama with such a sense of scale and fun that it’s impossible not to get carried along. The glorious, unapologetic summer blockbuster of the anime world." I love, Code Geass, flaws and all. It was one of the first times an anime REALLY gripped me. AoT and Death Note were series I watched at the start of my dive into the medium. I thought they were great and still do, but Code Geass is special. Great video.
It's not a terrible description, but I think it undersells the themates and character beats as also having value. I wouldn't say the characters, let alone Lelouch, are simply absurd. Maybe they are, in terms of their expressions or theatrics, but that's not everything you can say about him or Suzaku.
@@bluespaceman7937 I don't think he meant to claim that they are only absurd, just that that facet exists in the characters and contributes to the "personality" of the show overall. Replay mentioned suspension of disbelief in the video, and I'm thinking along the same lines here. It's not that I think everything functions that way, but the things that do create a more exciting, captivating world that I'll gratefully dive into.
As a Gundam fan, this show has so many many parallels that I notice. You get that Gundam Seed friend's on opposite sides theme. But also, Lelouche is more like Char. So I think of Code Geass as a Gundam show told from the perspective of the Char archetype. Suzaku is basically Amuro/Kira/any Real Robot Genres protagonist. So there's like this meta quality to it. And then they also mix a bunch of highschool/fanservice bullshit in. But as a whole it's just a such a damn entertaining show that I forgive it's flaws.
This might be really unpopular, but I even liked that new movie they put out. They could take it in a wildly different direction of they wanted. It just felt good to have those characters on screen again. I feel like this show and Gundam 00 were the last great mecha shows. Attack on Titan is basically the closest thing to a good mech show for my tastes at this point.
I did think the timing window was a bit ridiculous but I enjoyed the moment for the emotional response it gave me, and I think if it was edited to be the way you suggested in a sort of ticking time bomb of suspense, I would have LOVED it.
7:39 Are we not going to talk about that beautiful transition?! Nice video dude.
This is quite long, as a warning!
Ironically, I was just discussing this in a Code Geass fanpage on Facebook earlier today. Here is a revised version of my comment on the Facebook post:
"As someone who adores Euphie (and cosplays her) I would have loved to see her not die! But I understand the reason why she had to. It was the episode that cemented both Lelouch and Suzaku's goals. If she hadn't died, all of the people who previously died would have died for nothing because Lelouch would never have finished the Zero Requiem. He would have focused on the Specially Administrative Zone and, yes, Japan would be a safer place for the Japanese, but it wouldn't bring about the world peace we know happened after his death."
Added thoughts not posted on Facebook:
This scene has special meaning to me. I've watched Code Geass so many times I cannot count. It is my favorite anime of all time and I honestly consider it fate that I watched it (tried to get into it so many times, couldn't get past the first couple episodes, sat down to watch it one day and the first episode starts with "the date was August 10 in the year 2010" and I looked at my watch and it was August 10, 2010, so I knew it was fate and that I needed to watch it and now, almost 10 years later, it is still my favorite).
However, the first time I watched the series, I absolutely despised Euphemia. I actually laughed when this scene happened and when she died. I thought she was just too perfect and too good for this tragic anime. But after watching it a couple more times, I started to realize she actually had a point, and so I tolerated her and her "goodness." After a few more watches, I completely fell in love with her. She legitimately just wants to be with the people she loves (Suzaku, Lelouch, Nunnally) and is willing to sacrifice so much for that (giving up her claim to the throne, though she says it's not anything she'd miss, she would then struggle to see Cornelia, also she'd be sacrificing her public image, as shown by people gossiping about why she is forming the Zone and them saying "isn't it clear? She's fallen in love with an Eleven (Suzaku)").
Seeing this purely innocent and good character as a direct contrast to Lelouch's borderline evil character makes this scene all the more meaningful. She is made to be just as evil, if not more so, than Lelouch, all because of an ill-timed joke of sorts. Geass, this power that has cursed Lelouch, forces him to live a life of solitude. He will never be able to be happy with others, to live a life with them. And so, when he accidentally uses it on Euphemia, he is also cursing her to that fate. Even if he hadn't shot her and she had lived, she wouldn't be able to live in Japan anymore. She would have to be isolated from almost everyone, along with media and other connections to the outside world, so to not trigger the order. However, she is shot and she does die. But I think it is incredibly meaningful that the order starts to take over as she is dying and speaking with Suzaku. She is able to fight past it and spend her last moments with the person she loves. She overcame the curse on her deathbed so she wouldn't be alone. This could also reference the ending of R2, where Lelouch isn't alone in the end and is able to speak with Suzaku one last time.
Sorry for the long comment! I just have strong feelings about Code Geass and Euphemia!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this comment! Euphemia is my favorite character in Code Geass, and one of my favorites in all of anime. I agree with everything you said:)
That was the moment Code Geass turned from an amazing story to an absolute masterpiece.
The change you proposed is genius!
Playing the Euphemia moment for Hitchcockian suspense instead of shock, waiting for Lelouch to say the wrong words and dash his happy ending to smithereens, could've been brilliant.
I generally never had a problem with the scene in theory
its just in practice it kinda flops from a writing standpoint.
the dialog leading up to it doesn't feel natural, kinda corny, and kinda contrived, even for code geass..
it kinda gives me the impression this was a scene and outcome the writers had planned on having, but weren't exactly sure how to get there or pull it off.
idea being how some writers have a bunch of points of interest or beats in a story outlined before they actually start writing, and then have to string them all together. the writing gives me the impression they got 95% of the way there and then couldn't come up with a natural lead in conversation to the command.
when i first watched it i picked up something was going on only because the dialog started to take me out of it, i stopped feeling like i was watching two characters, and more watching one of those ai that can't quite act or talk like a human... if that makes sense
This scene really grasped my interest in the show, I needed to see more. I loved it, tbh.
Chilling how Euphie committed a massacre against her own will. all because Lelouch was saying something he knew Euphie would never do, and in turn accidentally forcing her to do that exact thing was WILD. felt so bad for him.
I had no idea people didn't like this moment, imo this is one of the best scenes in the whole show.
I'm looking forward to hear your thoughts on season 2! I always assumed they had the Euphemia moment at the end of season 1 because they hadn't planned for the show to get to a second season, so it was their last-minute "Hey let's have a season 2" plot tweak.
The scene could've made more sense:
1- Lelouch activates his Geass in preparation to brainwash Euphemia, but he changes his mind and supposedly turns it off, then he gives in to her plan.
2- Euphemia starts talking friendly with Lelouch, he only replies with small words like "I see" "you win" "that's like you", he doesn't say anything that sounds like an order, during their chat Euphemia says something like "I was afraid that the Japanese people would turn down my plan and side with you to fight me".
3- Lelouch jokingly says "It's not like they would've caused you much trouble with Suzaku on your side, if you're scared of the Japanese just kill all of them".
4- Good job, Euphemia is now brainwashed and wants to kill all of them.
*Charles zi Britannia laughing hysterically*
Sounds just as diablo ex machina to me... you still have all the exact problems mention in this video. The only thing this adds is a "I turned it on first" moment, which doesn't lessen the fact that it was at this *exact* moment and time that his geass decided to become permanent and he just so happened to tell her to "kill all the Japanese"...
@@WingTzu343
Well I only wanted it to make more sense without changing much, if you want me to fix it I'd have to rip the whole thing apart.
The purpose of the points I added is basically:
1- Lelouch turns on his geass, this solves the issue of when exactly did the geass go out of control, if it worked on its own that means it happened at this very specific moment, but if he had to have activated it first, that gives a wider room of possibilities between now and last time he used it.
2- The dialogue makes it more natural for Lelouch to specifically say "kill all the Japanese" instead of saying it randomly out of no where.
@@Diabl0Mask that seems to be the problem with this scene, if you try to "fix" it the "problems" are still there. I put those in quotes because I don't have a problem with the scene. I tend to watch sort of passively and I don't analyze shows really because I'm just being entertained and turning my brain off but sometimes I will just get a feeling like "hm, that seems weird" or "I don't like this for some reason..." and it's not until i watch or read some analysis that I'm like ohh ok that's why it sucks and I didn't like it. I didn't feel that here though. I think it's because it was a huge accident that the normally cool, calculating Lelouch stupidly made and because Euphemia had big waifu vibes. Part of it is probably good, thoughtful criticism but I think part of it is the betrayal the viewing audience feels for that moment and for also season 2 going a bit weird so people are putting the blame for that on that moment
@@bruisedjinx You kinda missed the point, Lelouch losing control and screwing up Euphemia by mistake is a brilliant twist, the problem is how it was written.
Also turning off your brain is not normal, because people don't look for flaws, they get annoyed by them.
@@Diabl0Mask fine then, try again making it better
I really love this anime and will defend it to the death against anyone but when people usually bring up this moment as being way too "convenient" / stupid for the story I can't really argue with them if they feel that way. I just didn't mind it. Yes, they kinda wrote themselves into a cornee with the special zone (a problem they managed a bit better in season 2 with the China stuff I would say) and that was about the only way the story could have continued interestingly. I personally liked the moment because Lelouch is being beaten by his own confidence yet again, as he before stated that he wouldn't lose control of his geass. But of course the command he gave Euphy was extremely unlucky and 'convenient' in that moment to lead to the finale. Even though the moment itself may be done a little weak from a writing perspective the moments that follow are just great in my opinion. Suzaku's and the Black Knights' reactions are all superb (Lelouch's as well) and I just love the speech Lelouch gives to the elevens in the next episode when the rebellion starts. It's also the only moment in the show when we see Schneizel being really surprised and horrified by anything that's happening even though he plans some even worse stuff later on, even though admittedly they maybe weren't yet sure at this point where to go with his character.
Der Megger code geass sucked
@@gypsyfreak7934 well I disagree xD
Der Megger I thought it was awful
And I’m not trolling
I really do hate code geass and lelouch is a scum bag and his fans are biased fanboys who makes excuses for him even when he was in the wrong
@@gypsyfreak7934 I love Lelouch even though he's a scumbag. I love Gilgamesh and he's a scumbag. People can like morally bad characters lol
Joseph Hiers
Light yagami was a scum bag but I like him
Griffith was a scumbag and I like him
In fact Griffith is more likeable then lelouch
This series tries so hard to make us feel sorry for him even when he has done horrible things
Death note didn’t do that
Berserk didn’t do that
Code geass is manipulative and slimy
His plans make no sense
He killed innocent people
And the fans keeps going on and on saying his the ultimate tragic misunderstood character in any series that loves everyone and wants to do the right thing
While bashing suzaku who believe trusted and whorshipped his former best friend
Lelouch got what was coming to him
i really dig this reading. i did feel like the moment was an asspull when i first watched the show but i think it sits better thinking of it not as an asspull but an inevitability, a tragic thing. thanks man
Yeah, I agree the contact lens does feel like a cop out.
It totally comes across as something "in character" for Lelouch to "figure out" but yeah
It never occurred to me that people hated this episode. I always remembered it as the moment the anime dropped a major plot dedication move. They did not revive her, that drives the point home. I remember the first time seeing it and literally processing the huge turn the show took contrary to where I thought it was going. Very good in my opinion
The problem I see with this moment is that his Geass glitches out *only* for this. After the season is over... This uncontrollable Geass matter is no longer a problem, either.
It's not like that moment came out of nowhere, there were hints that it was going to happen eventually, and as you said, story telling full of contrivances to make it engaging. I had no problem with the Euphemia moment and thought that the shock it gave was the highlight of the first season.
Dang. This video popped up in my reccomend feed because I'm a CG fanboy and I was hoping it was old so I could see if you did a season 2 review... but since its brand new I guess I'll have to subscribe and hope for the best