I finished
Code Geass R2. It was shaky especially from the start, but the writers / Studio Sunrise got their act together in the second half making for an entertaining set of episodes. Like season one it is far from perfect, but it is entertainment that should, for the most part, satisfy viewers. I'm glad I took the time to watch it.
Code Geass R1 - 7.5/10
Code Geass R2 - 7.5/10Also, in between both season I dedicated an evening to
Macross Plus. Initially I enjoyed it yet felt underwhelmed... as I gave it time however, and also listened to the OSTs and Merridian's review on the film blog, I've come to like it a great deal. From my first viewing I'd say
Macross Plus is at least an 8.0/10 for me, likely to go higher in future viewings or when I see the Movie Edition.
Code Geass R1 + R2
- I've gotten over my annoyance with the treatment of characters such as Nina and that moeblob Kyoto girl, they really came through in the second season. In contrast, Suzaku was more or less raped (metaphorically) for the first half of the season, and for that matter, the lack of Lloyd/Cecile early on didn't help me adjust to all the new characters.
- For example, the Knights of Rounds. Sure, they were kind of cool, but in the end Anya was just a tool for the writers to bring back the Marianne character (Couldn't she have just been in the world of C the whole time? That would have still been okay with all the C2 convos, right?), and Gino is there to balance out Anya. The rest of the knight of rounds, aside from the Knight of One - who is the only new character in R2 I would leave exactly as he is - were superfluous, and in a way, so was the idea of giving them all custom mechs. I understand the logic of letting the Knights test out experimental gear, but not making that gear widespread afterwards is a juvenile outline.
- And that brings me to my next point. Despite the series' efforts to be a world-changing drama, it is still centered around a cast of youths and therefore is erringly juvenile in its portrayal of governments, chain of command, and overall political sensibility. It's as if no-one in the series is truly grown-up, in fact, to apply that perspective to all characters it's likely that the sole genuine adult in the entire series is probably Kirihara from season one. I could almost consider Jeremiah in the same category, sadly, his performance at the end of season one doesn't seem link into his character in season two. Oh well.
- And finally... even with the rounded ending, I'm not sure if Lelouch and Suzaku learnt anything from their experiences. It's just that... when you get to the conclusion of a story, you expect the characters to have become wiser and better for their journey. For me, both characters were in a state of flux throughout - I could cheer them on sometimes, but never for very long because they'd go and do something that made me want to slap their sheeny animated faces. And if I didn't have either to cheer on, I felt indifferent to the proceedings (not bored, because I wanted to see where it would go, but indifferent). And so, at the end when Suzaku and Lelouch do their thing... it's as if nothing really happened for them. Except sheeny world peace. Sheeny. In its entirety, sheeny.
Macross Plus
- If there's one aspect about the Macross Plus OVA I'd like to praise right now, it's that it is sensible thoroughout - and I believe there is nothing within it to suggest otherwise. All three main characters - Isamu, Guld and Myung are all adult yet they are haunted and are hiding aspects of their pasts from themselves and each other. And all of the battles were easy to follow, advanced the story and the development of the characters, and best of all they made sense. It was refreshing as it contained none of that juvenile attitude that erred me in Code Geass, and better yet, none of that series' sheen.