The second season of Kôdo giasu carries on the first season's intricate storyline in fine style. Lelouche has been neutralised by having his memories removed, but swiftly rediscovers his identity, and the power of the Geass. With the assistance of the already familiar characters, he sets out once again on his quest to destroy Britannia and create a gentle world for his sister, Nanaly.
As Lelouche says several times in battle, strategy always prevails over real-time tactical decisions. With this in mind, some viewers may rightly find the story somewhat confusing: alliances change on the turn of a knife, betrayals are plentiful and the conflicting motivations of the characters, developed so skilfully in the first season, come rushing to the fore resulting in a mêlée of politics, stratagems and ideals.
Moreover the dichotomy of good guys and bad guys, which we have unfortunately come to expect in TV and film, is wholly inapplicable to this season, as it was with season 1. In this sense, Kôdo giasu can be an uncomfortable ride: should you smile inside at the (tactically advantageous) deaths of several million people? You just can't seem to shake the gnawing feeling that the other side might be right. There's nothing bland here, and the audience is challenged to make up its own mind as to what is acceptable in the circumstances. Even with the final episode, revealing the truly benevolent motivations lying under Lelouche's mask of deceit, the viewer is not forced to accept that the ends justified the means.
All this leads to the Gordian Knot: imagining the plot as a number of strings with clearly defined start and end points, there is a massive bundle of tangled yarn in the middle. For a director to lead his viewers along this thread and keeping them sane is no easy task. To undertake such a journey in a way which keeps the audience hungry for more at the end of each episode can be no less than the product of genius, extremely hard work or both. Combine this with stellar animation, fantastically rendered character designs, believable mecha and a matching soundtrack, and it is clear why this is in the upper echelons of anime.
I doubt that this is for everyone, and its not easy going for a newcomer to anime or manga. But for those it suits, it's well worth 25 hours of my life.
As Lelouche says several times in battle, strategy always prevails over real-time tactical decisions. With this in mind, some viewers may rightly find the story somewhat confusing: alliances change on the turn of a knife, betrayals are plentiful and the conflicting motivations of the characters, developed so skilfully in the first season, come rushing to the fore resulting in a mêlée of politics, stratagems and ideals.
Moreover the dichotomy of good guys and bad guys, which we have unfortunately come to expect in TV and film, is wholly inapplicable to this season, as it was with season 1. In this sense, Kôdo giasu can be an uncomfortable ride: should you smile inside at the (tactically advantageous) deaths of several million people? You just can't seem to shake the gnawing feeling that the other side might be right. There's nothing bland here, and the audience is challenged to make up its own mind as to what is acceptable in the circumstances. Even with the final episode, revealing the truly benevolent motivations lying under Lelouche's mask of deceit, the viewer is not forced to accept that the ends justified the means.
All this leads to the Gordian Knot: imagining the plot as a number of strings with clearly defined start and end points, there is a massive bundle of tangled yarn in the middle. For a director to lead his viewers along this thread and keeping them sane is no easy task. To undertake such a journey in a way which keeps the audience hungry for more at the end of each episode can be no less than the product of genius, extremely hard work or both. Combine this with stellar animation, fantastically rendered character designs, believable mecha and a matching soundtrack, and it is clear why this is in the upper echelons of anime.
I doubt that this is for everyone, and its not easy going for a newcomer to anime or manga. But for those it suits, it's well worth 25 hours of my life.