Code Geass/Fridge: Difference between revisions

**** One of the reasons I like Suzaku is that he's actually quite a good [[Deconstruction]] of the [[Invincible Hero]] archetype, with the first season gradually exposing the huge psychological issues and painful backstory that would go into making someone like that, and ''R2'' showing the gradual disintegration of this status until the end of the season {{spoiler|when he does the [[Prophetic Name]] thing and is reborn as Zero, an entirely different kind of hero}}. - [[User:Drakyndra]]

** At first I through the High Eunuchs from R2 sounded rather [[Narm|Narmy]] (well, more so than usual) with their annoyingly high-pitched voices. Then I learned that Scholar-Gentry Eunuchs in Ancient China had to have their [[Groin Attack|testicles]] cut off before they could accept their position.

** At the time I was watching the show, {{spoiler|Lelouch's unfortunate [[Power Incontinence]] which royally screwed up Euphemia's plans to create an independent Japanese state}} seemed like just a contrived way move the plot along. After reading though the wallbanger page for Code Geass, it would seem others feel even worse about how that situation played out. However, then it hit me that this was really the first time that Lelouch's geass had badly backfired on him. Lets be realistic here: Lelouch is no superhero, by any means. It would follow that his "superpower" should not be an absolute advantage with no unfortunate side effects, and that those side effects would end up hurt not just him, but those around him as well. So, what was once a bit of a wallbanger has now become, in my mind, an indispensable part of the development of Lelouch's ability.

*** Of course his Geass had unfortunate side effects. Earlier in the episode, it showed that his Geass wasn't working properly, not working when he wanted it to, and giving him a migraine. Thus, the reverse may also have been possible: sudden, unexpected activations. It was logical that something was going wrong, and he needed C.C.'s help, and to be very, very careful, especially after seeing what a mess Mao had become. He didn't. Lelouch himself acquires a sudden, extremely maddening case of Fridge Logic.

*** It gets better: It actually starts '''55''' years before 1 A.D., which means that the series starts in 1963. [[John F Kennedy|And just WHO was assassinated in 1963?]]

**** Even better than that, though this might be getting into WMG: JFK is one of the few people in history to have literally saved the world with the force of his personality, in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Guess what Lelouch had done just a few episodes before?

*** Also worth noting that, if you're looking at Code Geass as a retelling of ''Hamlet'' then these two split the character of {{spoiler|Ophelia}} between them. Shirley even gets a {{spoiler|Polonius}}, her father, and Euphemia gets a {{spoiler|Laertes, Suzaku.}} In fact, just about all of my Fridge Moments regarding this series were of the "whoah, just like that guy in Hamlet" variety. -[[Hollow Golem]]

** A few weeks after watching R2 episode 21, it hit me. {{spoiler|A (probably gay) teenage boy with dad issues and a dead-but-not-gone mother is the main pawn in his dad's plan to re-work the world in daddy's ways to make the world an 'ideal' place where dad and mom can be together.}} Code Geass has been [[Neon Genesis Evangelion|Evangelion]] all along.

** So, Lelouch is sometimes accused of the [[Idiot Ball]] for not telling people certain things, making him seem much more sinister than he really is. Telling {{spoiler|Suzaku that the Euphie incident was an accident and that he really wanted to free Japan, or giving his side of the story when the Black Knights turn on him}} might have changed everything. But you realize that Lelouch has a '''massive''' [[Guilt Complex]] about his morally-grey actions. He doesn't want to reject responsibility for things that are even remotely his fault, even if it could help him with his goals. He wants to be punished, and so he sabotages himself by letting others believe the worst. - [[User:Treblain]]

** And another one: the ending seems stupid with {{spoiler|too many [[Karma Houdini]] characters getting their [[Esoteric Happy Ending]] despite making mistakes they should have paid for like Lelouch and Suzaku--both willingly at that--did}}. I myself dislike that much too. Then I thought of something: [[Code Geass]] is a ''subtle parody''. And here it's parodying {{spoiler|happy endings by making one happen when by all accounts it shouldn't}}; just {{spoiler|listen closely to the music, it's too freaking happy for what had just happened to Lelouch the [[Silent Scapegoat]]}}. It may not make what happened to {{spoiler|Lelouch or Suzaku}} that much more likeable, but who says it needs to be? - [[User:Master Knight]]

*** I had a [[Fridge Brilliance]] over your [[Fridge Brilliance]]. At first the explanation for Rolo's power seemed contrived and reaching, but then I realized: His power is ''flawed''. It stops his heart. In other words, ''he's a bad king''.- [[User:Discar]]

*** Marianne's ability allows her to live on through her successor. [[Evil Matriarch|Many a bad Queen in both RealLife and fiction have damaged their heirs]] [[My Beloved Smother|through raising them as clones]] [[Knight Templar Parent|instead of letting them live their own lives]].

** The technological breakthroughs of ''[[Code Geass]]'' over the course of the series can seem a bit... rushed and even farfetched, at times. Technology shouldn't improve at such a rate, especially not knightmares (7 years for the 4th and 5th generations, 2 years for 7, 8, and 9th generation frames). However, it becomes brilliant when you consider 2 factors: ''[[Code Geass]]'' takes place during a period of astounding technological growth in our world (the Cold War era), and: {{spoiler|Schneizel ''planned this out the entire time''. He ''wanted'' to build Damocles, and so poured countless resources into developing the relevant technologies. The float systems, shielding, knightmares, and even the F.L.E.I.J.A.s become awesome when you realize that they were all meant to be used together from day one}}.

** For those people who watched ''[[Code Geass]]'' before they watched shows like the Gundam Franchise and [[Neon Genesis Evangelion|Evangelion]], I would suggest watching those series next, followed by rewatching ''[[Code Geass]]''. I won't get into the Eva references, since those have been done to death on this site, but take a look at ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]''. In particular, take a good look at the Zabi Family, particularly Degwin Sodo Zabi (Charles zi Britannia), Gihren Zabi (Schneizel), Dozle Zabi (who is likeable like Odysseus, but has a reputation akin to Cornelia), Kycilia Zabi (Cornelia herself!), and Garma Zabi (who is obviously Clovis). Meanwhile, Lelouch vi Britannia is based off of Casval Rem Deikun, and both have a famous alias: Zero and Char Aznable (hell, Char even means "four", fitting with the number theme). He also uses the alias Lelouch Lamperouge (possibly inspired by Char's alias Edward Mass), and is known to some as "The Black Prince" (The Red Comet, of course!). Then his sister Nunnally vi Britannia is based off of Char's sister Artesia Sum Deikun (Nunnally Lamperouge = Sayla Mass). Nunnally may also have some connection (being inspired by or inspiring) to Mineva Lao Zabi (Audrey Burne). Marianne vi Britannia, who was described as loving and a general saint by those that knew her (and was later assassinated) could have some inspiration drawn from Zeon Zum Deikun, who was a philosopher and a pacifist. Basically, ''[[Code Geass]]'' takes the entire plotline of Char's vengeance against the family of dictators and translates it to a Japan/Britannia battlefield, with the added twist that they're all part the same family now! They even have the same habit of using those nonsensical honorifics in their names. Hell, Lelouch killed Clovis first, just as Char did to Garma! Charles is much like Degwin, both seeming like ruthless tyrants while, in reality, being tired of war. Charles simply had a very Gendo-esque way of ending it! Gihren inspired Schneizel (from the pseudo-German name right down to the superweapon), mixed in with Charles' speech-giving powers. Both even tried to take over near the end. Sadly, Cornelia's attempt to shoot Schneizel near the end was far less successful than Kycilia's assassination of Gihren. In addition, the idea of these characters being royalty (and exiled royalty) rather than just pseudo-noble dictators was taken from ''[[Gundam Wing]]'', with Lelouch being much like the infamous Char Clone, Zechs, who is an exiled Prince with blood on his hands (also note that Milliardo and Zechs are both Number based, like Zero, as was the theme in ''[[Gundam Wing]]'')! Which would make Nunnally based on Relena! ... [[Your Head Asplode|Wow]]... In short, no matter how [[Ass Pull|completely out of the blue]] many plot points may seem, its obvious that they had been using previous Gundam series as inspiration the whole damn time. Perhaps people would have been far more able to discover the motives and suspected actions of many characters if they simply watched the series that came before and followed what the equivalent character did (or tried to do).