Code Geass Part (R)2 - Now Hiring Backstabbers and Psychotic Nuclear Scientists. No Really.

What would you do for power?

This power… will give you just what you need to accomplish your goals.
There's just a simple drawback.
Despair.
That is putting it simply. Mind you, power is not simple to earn so therefore, your cost for such power will also not be simple.
Misery. Suffering. Loneliness. Depression. Self-doubt. Loss of motivation. All these things and more. And you're immense desire for power… wasn't even a selfish one.
You would give all and your life to bestow happiness to everyone of the world and, most importantly, your sister.
What will come of this?
Will people love you for it? No.
Will you be remembered for your sacrifices? No.
Will the people you loved be spared of sadness and bloodshed and loss of their own lives? No.
Will your memory be akin to that of the devil himself? Yes.
Will even those closest to you come to loathe you for all of their days? Yes.
Will the empire you built, full of good intention, rejoice in your demise? Yes.
You knew all this and more and yet you held onto your determination. Your scheme. Your dark plans for bright futures.
You are a martyr of unknown peace. Of collateral repair. Of redeemed hearts and ignorant bliss.
If anyone knew to what end you would save the very people that would come to despise you, they would fall into tears immediately.
You are a hero… and yet, you wear your mask well.





Although it isn't the happiest anime, it shares with us out deepest fears and pains. Betrayal and disgust and things we never wish to experience.
Racism of a different vision, elevens are bastardized by the Brittanians, crying out for their heritage to be restored. Eleven years prior to the events of R2, Brittania invaded Japan and colonized it as Area Eleven. They cry out collectively for delivery. Delivery from the tyranny they experience everyday as prejudice and segregation desperate everyone and everything. Their hero is an unlikely one, especially considering he's a prince in line to the Brittanian throne who resorts to terrorism. Even so, victories are achieved and power gained in this struggle. Everything is not so simple though, as even this master is wits has his fair share of ill fortunes. Defeat, disgrace, and the blood of innocents stain his hands and yet… before this is all done out hero will come to know such pain… as should never be endured by anyone ever.

Will you follow Zero?

Code Geass Part 1 - Do What I Say? Pretty Please.

Season 1 done. Let’s see what I got for Code Geass.

Plot Synopsis: An alternate timeline would see the Japanese taken over by a new West.

A rebellion. A surprise victory. The impending reaction that justifies barbaric means.

The undoubtable “good” hero model is unquestionably broken apart as even a demon himself might blush at the actions of Lelouch. He is the detached and cool student that fellow students wish they were or wish they could have. His dark side might be something they cannot grasp for their world,as an upper class student, is small and secluded, cut off from the truths of their own societal actions by the media and governments combined power to stymie the growth of collaborative thought.

It is regrettable to inform them, however….. that their worst fears have already been realized from the day Lelouch’s goal of vengeance was promised.

The worst enemy, will always be one from within. And the only thing you don’t want in battle or otherwise, is an enemy that is more prepared than you.

Lelouch is a strategic mastermind who gains new powers that enable him with the ability to gain a following more rapidly than he imagined,more potent then he dreamed, and all within his framework toward justice.

This anime is well balanced on all ends. Schoolmates,Comrades, Converts, Neutralists, Antagonists….. Rivals. Lelouch is just a building block whilst each and every episodes, each and every skirmish and conflict,builds to his name, builds to his powers, builds to his numbers and reputation.

In the end…. what leader would choose to fight against a  Lelouch-empowered rebellion of their own free will. Pride, Arrogance, Orders……are the only things that stand between Lelouch and his goal.

Total obliteration of the Bittanian world.

Review: Without spoilers, to say that Lelouch is an easy protagonist would be false. He is a dark hero. So much, so very much tragedy takes place in this anime, in so very little time, it easily garnered emotional reactions without a lot of intentional involvement. That has to be a plus for this anime, the fact that it entangles the viewer without a lot of effort.

Also, the use of strategy in this anime is a welcome change to brute force overcoming brute force. It’s similar to the fact that wits battle wits in almost the same respect, but what would you expect when it comes to military operations? There has to be forethought. There has to be motive and planning. Execution and collaboration. Victories are most thoroughly enjoyed when they are won long before the fighting through preparation and strategy.

Characters in this anime are not of the “typical” variety,except in small cases(Here’s looking at you Shirley). Sudden evolution of personality is seen in a few characters and it is a welcome surprise when you take into account how these characters interact(Euphemia is a prime example,with how directional she seemed to begin with and how open minded she ended up being in such a short time).

Few minor flaws. The relation of characters to each other can be kind of confusing. The intelligence levels of some characters do come into question from time to time. The plot progression speed seems too quickly paced at times only to be followed immediately by a slower feel which almost puts the viewer on edge. It’s kind of funny how involved the viewer feels from time to time. I think the show is pretty awesome so far, starting the next season now. Anyways, this is Part 1, come back in a bit and the final synopsis will be available. Ciao.

Bleach Part 1 - "I eat pieces of Reishi like you for breakfast."

Bleach Seasons 1 - 10
Bleach the Movie(1) - Memories of Nobody


This is a broad topic and very, very ranging. I started watching Bleach long before I took to blogging anything of interest. As summaries go, though, this will be right along the definition.

Bleach. Not just a cleaning agent these days.

Like One Piece, I had seen episodes sparsely before I had any real interest in taking the show onto my work load. Also like One Piece, I didn't like the art right away so I only left my attention to shows that won me over. Dragon Ball Z and other Funimation dubs had captured me long in advance and subsequently gained my revenue for a long, long time. Maybe this was my mistake.

Bleach right out of the gate was messy and confusing but interesting. Once I got over how mainstream it felt to sit down and watch it, I saw it for the raw experience it was. It was clever and imaginative, taking things we already have beliefs built about, like life and death, and changing them to be less supernatural and more superheroic. It still gets confusing from time to time but it makes sense the more and more I watch it.

The first arc bewildered me because of the amount of new information. Ichigo is an abrasive hardheaded hero type and Rukia, calm and collected, strategic type. Kind of straight forward. The characters they added all had relative depth, only discussing an amount of their story that gave them life to the viewer and made them seem less like a stranger. That's not to say that Bleach didn't have a lot of superfluous back story here and there(flashbacks are cliche, lol) but no anime is perfect. What I really enjoyed was the internal conflict between the protagonists. It wasn't black and white like Goku and Vegeta. It was gritty and vague. You sometimes wondered why they were friends or enemies or rivals, etc. That's depth I can really get behind.

The story made surprising cuts and curves and let me tell you about the filler. There is a lot of it. Main story doesn't feel as filled up but some of it is there. Also, the filler seasons are totally skippable. That being said, they're a good watch nonetheless: almost like a drawn out movie(Bleach the Movie?!?). Anyways, when you got back to the heart of the anime, it almost seemed like a straight line had been maintained. Like you hadn't gone anywhere and the story was right there waiting for you. Cap note: the main story is pretty awesome.

On a power note to add to the story note which adds to the character note… none of the protagonists ever seem like they should win. You may have bad struggle with your earlier animes but Bleach takes that concept to a new level. It was hard to watch sometimes, just knowing the characters are having the snot beat out of them and bones broken. Then, as out of miracles, dawn breaks and the heroes survive on to get stronger. I guess if the heroes always had flawless victories with little difficulty, who the heck would watch?

What I've mentioned before is very light. I have seen 10 seasons of Bleach: The first 10 and in order. You could skip the Bount and New Captain arcs and not miss much. They have characters introduced in those arcs that make reprising roles but I doubt it would cause too much confusion. Big thing is, is that this series has been quite enjoyable so far. I took long periods of time off between seasons and still got along pretty well. The story is reasonably easy to understand and the characters and powers are relatable and amazing respectively.

If you aren't watching Bleach because of the reason I wasn't, "everyone watches Bleach and says they love anime when they have no idea what they're talking about and blah blah blah hipsterness", stop yourself right now. Just watch it or miss out. This series would have really brought down my credibility as an otaku to not have seen it.

Bleach the Movie - Memories of Nobody

A little blurb about this movie. I read about how a lot of people are let down by Bleach movies having little relation to the story arc(DBZ anyone?). I have to say that for the experience, I couldn't care when it took place, it was a fantastic watch. A few little discrepancies but, again, no anime is perfect. Watch it because its a memorable experience in the Bleach universe. It has my vote.