Code Geass R2 - 01

Code Geass R2 has finally aired and it doesn’t disappoint. This episode was very well paced and set the story for the rest of the season up very well.

Many of the unanswered questions from season one have yet to be answered (especially what happened at the conclusion of R1).It seem that the Emperor will have a much larger role this season.

For more details, pictures, a summary and thoughts…

Synopsis:
It’s been one year since the Order of the Black Knights were defeated and Zero’s “death”. C.C is in a publicity blimp flying over the Tokyo Settlement. She is accompanied by Urabe of Kousetsu the last free member of the Shisei-ken and the few remnants of the Black Knights. Meanwhile the gym teacher Villetta of Ashford Academy confronts Lelouch about his frequent skipping of class. Lelouch makes a run for it but is chased down by Villetta so Lelouch tuns into a chemistry room and creates a smoke bomb by mixing two chemicals together. Lelouch manages to get away by riding off on Rivalz bike with Rollo as the driver.

Lelouch reminisces about how it’s been a year since the defeat of the Black Knights and how he and his brother had considered moving back to the Brittania mainland. He believes that if Zero had not caused that uproar Area 11 wouldn’t have been reduced to a correctional training status. Meanwhile over at the main Brittania building General-Governor Carares is to meet a Chinese Federation representative. However Carares is more concerned about a certain operation that is taking place at the Babel Tower. At that very moment Lelouch enters the Babel Tower unknown to the fact that he is being monitored by a Brittanian force.

Inside Lelouch bumps into Kallen who is working as a waitress in a bunny costume. Kallen apologizes as she is an 11 but Lelouch claims that he dislikes holding his place as a Brittanian over another person. Kallen tries to place a transmitter on Lelouch but is stopped by a gambler named the King. The King grabs Kallen stating he wanted to see her face and Lelouch decides to challenge him in chess due to his arrogance.

Meanwhile the captured forces of the Black Knights argue over Zero but it is all put to a stop when Toudou states that Zero is dead. Ougi still finds it hard to believe that Zero is dead. Back at the Babel Tower Lelouch has managed to easily defeat the King. The King accuses Lelouch of cheating despite the fact that it is impossible to cheat in chess. The Kings men restrain Lelouch but just at that moment there is an explosion. Kallen takes the chance to kick the King and his men in the face and takes Lelouch with her. Meanwhile the group that was monitoring Lelouch, Britannia’s Secret Intelligence Agency, begin their operation. Lelouch and Kallen get seperated so Kallen contacts her comrades who brought the Guren Nishiki along with them. Meanwhile Lelouch and Rollo have managed to escape the main building and Lelouch claims that he will get them out of there. Just at that moment Lelouch notices a soldier with a gun and manages to push Rollo out of the way but at the same time losing his balance and falling into a deep shaft.

Lelouch manages to land unharmed on a some plastic material but he is to far down for his shouts to be heard by Rollo or to pick up a mobile phone signal. Lelouch starts to climb the stairs but stops when he reaches a room with many corpses. He believes it to be the terrorists doing before he notices that there are dead 11’s there too. He is confronted by a Burai which had earlier tried to pick him up before he was separated from Rollo. C.C emerges from the cockpit and claims that she is his ally and that Brittania is his enemy. She tries to remind him of their contract and that only she knows his true self. Lelouch begins to approach her but she is shot in the heart. Lelouch manages to catch her, but is surprised to find that a group of Brittanian soldiers was behind the shooting.

The soldiers then proceed to burn all of the corpses on the ground and shoot any that are still alive. The leader of the group emerges from the cockpit of the Sutherland accompanying the group and thanks Lelouch for playing his role. He then begins to read from a book called “Lelouch’s Activity Log” detailing Lelouch’s activity that day. He then explains that his role was the bait to lure the witch C.C out. He believes that Lelouch is now useless and that with his death there will be no more witnesses. Lelouch realizing that this could be his end despairs and wishes that he had power. To his and the Brittanian soldiers surprise C.C gets up and kisses Lelouch causing him to see certain visions all over again. She states that he already has power, which has been sealed away deep within him and tells him to remember who he really is. As his memories return Lelouch realizes that he is Zero and recalls his previous confrontation with Suzaku.

With his old personality back Lelouch begins to question whether being powerless is evil and whether that means having power is justice. The group leader doesn’t take Lelouch seriously and states that only death awaits the bait. Lelouch then activates his Geass and orders all the men to die. After the soldiers have all killed themselves, Lelouch wonders about how his previous memories were implanted into him and believes that it was not he that was wrong but the world, and the world can change. At that moment the Guren Nishiki and the Gekka crash through the ceiling and bow to Lelouch who is known as Zero. Lelouch accepts them and acknowledges himself as Zero the man who will destroy and recreate the world. Elsewhere the Emperor of Brittania meets with Suzaku and two other members of the Knight of Rounds, Anzu and Zino. Suzaku then says that he does not intend to give up the right o anyone else, that is he will kill Zero.

Thoughts:
That was a very strong start to the season. The episode was paced just right, ending in a similar was to the ending of the first episode of season one. The animation was also done very well done, definitely better than last seasons. All of the unanswered question are really bugging me especially what happened at the conclusion of season one.

Rollo is just a big mystery to me, where the heck did he come from? Plus his character pisses me off, like I wanna give him a good beating (not sure why though). Anyway that’s it until next week.