Sheepdude's Blog

Anime Relations: Code Geass - Hangyaku no Lelouch, Code Geass - Hangyaku no Lelouch R2

Titles such as Clannad ~After Story~, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Death Note, and Aria grace some of the top spots on the Top Anime list here at MAL. Each of these shows is utterly unique and brilliant, bringing to the table something that no other shows have.

Now, I don't want to buy into the logical fallacy of "popular means good", but since the Top Anime list is an aggregate of ratings from everyone on the site, I'd say it's pretty authoritative as far as being representative of the best animes available.

However, among these undeniably great shows, the name Code Geass appears. I want to believe that it exists as one of the best animes of all time simply due to it being rated up for its popularity and appeal, but that reasoning would invalidate my beliefs about the rest of the shows on the list. Then maybe, just maybe, Code Geass is actually a great show?

Its run wasn't so long ago that I don't remember most of it, but it was so long ago that my experience to anime was fairly fresh. There have been many shows that seemed awesome to me when I first viewed them, but after being exposed to more and more shows, I began to realize that what I thought was a good show was actually quite generic. Less often, I watch a show and think of it as okay, only to realize much later how unique and great of a show it actually was for its time. Can Code Geass be a show that I naively dismissed as standard fare when it was actually one of the best shows of all time?

Somehow I can't believe it, but another part of me wants to believe it, and I have an urge to rewatch the show. I remember that at the time I was comparing Code Geass directly to Death Note. Death Note just happened to be one of the first psychological criminal mangas I read, and little did I know that it has one of, if not the, best psychological/crime plotline written. In that regard, I can see that I was unfair to judge Code Geass as a failed Death Note clone, since clearly the intent of CG was something else.

But that comparison aside, simply based on my memory, I'm not convinced that Code Geass is so great. I remember that the individual episode plots were hectic and fast-paced, and I had no sense of the show's direction until the final episode, when it becomes clear what Lelouch's intent all along was. And certainly his final act is awesome, because it retroactively makes the rest of the show an intricate setup to one of the best story twists I can think of. And in that regard, Code Geass may be genius.

Also in that regard, (true complete spoiler if you've never seen Code Geass)


In any case, I'm considering rewatching Code Geass. Maybe I'll be able to view it in a different light after having more anime experience.

Oh. One thing that may have soured the experience is that the first season ends as a cliffhanger without any resolution, and I was unaware that a second season existed, so I chalked it up to artistic bullshit. And then found out about the second season.

I live for great anime. The sad fact, though, is that great anime is in short supply. The vast majority of shows and movies are either mediocre, or in some cases, completely terrible. Let's have a look at some of the more rotten apples.

Mitsu x Mitsu Drops

Easily the worst show I've ever seen. Everything about this show is laughable and unbelievable, including the characters, directing, the plot, the setting, the animation... oh, the character drawings aren't too bad though.

Azumanga Daioh

This is one show I will never understand no matter how hard you make me try. Yes, I understand that every anime fangirl actually pisses themselves over this show and it seems to get high marks. In these cases, there is usually some redeeming factor after watching the entire show that will make it worth it. But I don't buy it. This is the most boring, asinine comedy I have ever seen. I think I only laughed a couple times through the nine episodes I managed to sit through. Azumanga's idea of a joke is to say something (that's not necessarily a joke or funny), and then to have a still frame and silence for fifteen seconds. I really, really hate this show.

Rosario + Vampire

I think the name says it all.

To-LOVE-Ru

My God. I didn't think it was possible for a show to have an introductory episode, 21 filler episodes, and then a finale. But To-LOVE-Ru is proof that it can be done.

Dragon Ball GT

To be fair, I haven't seen the entire thing. I know the DB universe loves the idea that there's always someone stronger out there, but come on, already in the first few episodes? The worst thing about this show is that the plots are completely asinine; Pan suggests a roundabout way of solving a problem instead of rushing in and beating the shit out of people like they should, and then they end up beating the shit out of people anyway because the main plan didn't work out. And the subplot of every episode is completely stupid.

Kanamemo

I... don't even have words for this. What happened? If I recall correctly, a middle school student's grandmother dies and she becomes an orphan (apparently Japan throws kids out on the street instead of finding homes for them), and takes up residence at a ?newspaper? store that's run by an elementary school girl (yeah) and all the girls who work there are lesbians. And pedophiles. Did I get that right?Anyway I'm sure a lot of people mention this show to their psychiatrists when they have to explain their lack of faith in humanity.

Ninja Scroll

This is just a matter of opinion I suppose, but the supporting character getting raped twice, the male lead not getting the girl, and all the characters being ninjas with ridiculous abilities makes for an hour of mind-numbing hell.

Clannad the Movie

Complete trash. I've yet to see another anime movie with animation standards as low as this. Not to mention they trashed our beloved Clannad world by making Tomoyo and Kyou look like assholes and destroying any semblance of a coherent plot.

Shakugan no Shana

Why? Why is this show popular? I can say with confidence that Shana's story is incomprehensible. They throw a bunch of people and badguys into a city, give them long, stupid names, give long, stupid names to everything else that exists, and then battles ensue. There's really nothing more to the show. It's even worse than Toaru Majutsu no Index.

Toaru Majutsu no Index

Oh yeah. I was fooled into watching this show, because they create a pretty interesting futuristic setting where people study ESP. But the lack of any consistent or interesting plot makes this show dull in the end.

Code-E

Oh, I HATED this show. Overall it's alright, but the one thing I can't stand is the main character. I fucking hate her. Everyone in the world loves this girl, including her family, friends, and classmates, but she does nothing but cry about how nobody cares about her, and that's almost the only thing that creates any drama in the show. Completely contrived, complete bullshit, GET OVER YOURSELF you fucking bitch.

The trend with the Summer 2009 anime season seems to be "Less shows/More quality". The majority of shows are slated for a single season, and only one has an atypical episode running time of 150 seconds. The shows vary greatly by genre and content, as can be seen below. Surprisingly, there are very few shows which genuinely buy into clichéd settings such as the girl with magic powers or kids with superpowers. Rather, the shows of the season are aimed toward an older audience and attempt to be sophisticated and interesting without automatically resorting to using typical show templates.



I've certainly been wrong before, but my thoughts on anime have changed quite a bit in the last year. Keep in mind that shows don't always have the same level of quality throughout and that some redeem themselves only by their last couple episodes. These are only my picks after watching the first episode or two of each show, so I certainly may turn up wrong at the end. But, without further ado, here are my picks for the summer.

Preliminary ratings:

01. Umineko no Naku Koro Ni (10)
02. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (10)
03. Bakemonogatari (10)
04. Taishou Yakyuu Musume (9)
05. Spice and Wolf II (9)
06. Weiss Survive (8)
07. Umi Monogatari (8)
08. Aoi Hana (7)
09. Princess Lover! (7)
10. Fight Ippatsu! Juuden-chan!! (7)
11. CANAAN (6)
12. Sora no Manimani (6)
13. Needless (5)
14. Kanamemo (3)

Not impressed:

Yokuwakaru Gendaimahou (couldn't finish the first episode, it's that dumb)
GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class (comedy without humor)

I have not seen Element Hunters, and don't plan to, since it's a blatant shounen kiddy show. Nor Kuruneko; it's listed on the Summer 2009 Group page, but good luck finding it anywhere.

It's worth noting that there is a sequel to Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, although I haven't seen the second season or OVA so I'm not planning to watch it at the moment. And I don't think there's any need for me to remind you that the rest of Haruhi Suzumiya is airing.



Drama: Driven by conflict, generally the audience is interested in the interactions between the characters, the solution of conflicts, the enveloping story, and the wellbeing (or lack of it) of the characters.

Comedy: Comedy may or may not involve conflict, but it certainly involves humor. The goal of a comedy is to make the audience smile, laugh, and enjoy the show as events unfold.

Action: Action shows rely on their aesthetic appeal. High-speed chases, battles, fights, guns swords and fists are all common action elements.

Romance: Focuses on the relationships between characters. Love, lust, sex, coming-of-age, marriage and dates are common elements.

Science Fiction: Involves futuristic concepts, advanced technology and postmodern civilization. Sci-fi can range from utterly realistic (deemed "Hard Science Fiction") to impossible (magic, superhumans, aliens and time travel). Steampunk and cyberpunk are encapsulated.

Ecchi: Shows of a perverted nature. Harems, breasts, sexual encounters, accidental molestation and lewd thoughts are typical. It would be appropriate to call it "anime soft-porn".

Seinen: Shows aimed at men in their twenties. Typically contains more mature themes and sophisticated ideas.

Shounen: Shows aimed at boys. Superpowers, fights, machines and beautiful women are common elements. Examples include DBZ, Naruto, Soul Eater, One Piece.

Shoujo: Shows aimed at girls. Cuteness, school life, and relationships are prevalent. Examples include Card Captor Sakura, Shugo Chara, Fruits Basket, and Fushigi Yuugi.

Faxing is a relic from the 80s. I don't fucking know how to do it. I figured out how to interface a fax modem with Vista Ultimate, but I'll be damned if I have a fax modem, and even more damned if I'm going to buy one.

Why can't faxes be sent through the Internet? Is there really no one who can come up with a viable protocol for that, now that we have VoIP and Skype and shit?

I seriously tried to find a faxing website, to no avail. I tried this insane website, drop.io, which apparently is some new-fangled media sharing powerhouse website. It really made me realize how much the concept of the World Wide Web is changing. Digg? Facebook? Twitter? I don't use this bullshit, and I don't want to. I'll leave it to the younger generation to desecrate society by using these useless, albeit high-tech tools.

I'll leave it to you to figure out the transition. I hope you can, if you got past the first paragraph anyway. Here's my point:

IDEA

Instead of having speed limit signs, have an electromagnetic field gate. When cars pass through this field, a signal is sent to a receiver inside the car which locks the maximum speed, thus eliminating the possibility for drivers to exceed the speed limit. This would also have useful implications for police, military, and other emergency vehicles. Of course, these vehicles would have devices installed which would allow them to bypass the restriction.

Let's think for the future, people.

In a school, have every teacher's computer connected to a Ventrilo channel. With everyone in the same channel, everbody can be notified at once of an announcement. Also, teachers in a particular department can confer with one another if they need to.

Genius! Are you seeing the light!

Yeah, I know it's kind of like an intercom, but it's more versatile.