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Renegade334 · 2006-12-08, 16:21

Comments about the new OP:

- The hand: guess it's almost a sure-fire that is belongs to C.C. - after trying to grasp something invisible (perhaps foreshadowing a doomed or helpless endeavor? who knows), the hand extends to a shadowy person with the V-like sigil behind, a blatant reference to the power of Geass and Lelouch. The only two persons right now who have knowledge of this particular means of coercion are C.C. and Lelouch. Since Lelouch is already portrayed in that scene, the other person must be C.C.

Moreover, a few seconds later, you get that sequence with C.C. 'swimming' through that maze of blue nerves and ethereal wires - with her eventually turning to the camera and extending her hand - apart from Lelouch, she's the only one making such a gesture in the OP, so it might be a hint.

- The Crimson Lotus 2nd: I noticed two small things on the CL-2. On the left arm, near the elbow, there seems to be a cannon or heavy machine gun sticking out of the arm - I guess this makes up for the apparent lack of ranged weapons. So far I'd have considered the CL-2 as a close range juggernaut only but the appearance of a cannon sort of relieves me. Otherwise other Knightmare Frames would have no problems hacking her to shreds using machine guns from afar - provided she doesn't hop around the place like a rabbit, joyously evading barrage after barrage.

Second thing is, on the right, clawed hand, one can see a cylindrical contraption deeply embedded inside the palm. I can only offer two guesses about what it is - first is that it's a high voltage shocker meant to disable Knightmare Frames by physical contact and a brutal discharge of electricity to short-circuit the target's power plants, batteries, electronic systems and other resources...provided the KFs don't have in-built Faraday cages. Second guess is, it's the JLF's own version of the Britannian Slash Harken - the wired rocket anchors that Kallen used in this episode to drag the Police Frames along with her and have its cockpit shorn off - but in this case it's particular shape make it virtually impossible to be used as a blade but rather as a concussion weapon - perhaps like a wired mace or so. Unless it can be used like the MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom's (from Mobile Suit Gundam - the 08th MS Team) heat rod - to shock enemies from afar.

- Shortly after the CL-2's sequence there is an explosion, which sort of makes me reminisce Utawarerumono's OP with that apolyptical deflagration. Maybe is it a bomb or the Lancelot's power source blowing up? I don't think it's a nuke going off so I'm gonna guess it's either a contraption blowing up, a burst of otherwordly energy (C.C.'s civilization?) or some sort of new weapon designed by the Holy Empire (in Ep01 it looks like Britannia fielded out a shitload of new equipment (and among them, the Knightmare Frame, which made its debut in Japan, needn't I remind it) so it's not impossible.

- The countdown...well, it's not a countdown. The numbers are rising. I dunno what for or why but the group of nucleobases behind is possibly about someone trying to study a DNA sequence. Which brings us to the only possible candidate to this - C.C.'s people. I don't know if some of you remember it, but Newtype (U.S. edition) printed out a scan where the power of geass was, quote, 'able to create or destroy just about anything - and had something to do with the very existence of Humankind'. I'm not sure how much of the information was garbled and warped through overseas translation and interviews with the Sunrise staff (after all, the wording about an idea transmitted from one person to the other can change during the exchange and drastically modify the idea), but I'm going to go with it...for the time being. Bah, perhaps it's just to show how different and special C.C.'s people are compared to us...genetically speaking.

- League of Black Knights: what in the nine hells is Sayoko doing there? O_O Is she acting as medic or what? I can understand Diethard Lied since he has that odd contempt towards Britannian yet a great fascination for Zero (probably because he wants shellshock events for the free press and not official, uptight and government-controlled official broadcasts) - but it makes no doubt he's going to be the journalist covering their end of the fight and record everything that'll go on, for the posterity to behold and remember. As for the new character - someone pointed that she had a mark on her forehead, perhaps a sign of belonging to C.C.'s ilk? It could also be the red mark Hindus bear on the forehead (the 'third eye', if I'm not mistaken). Nevertheless, she bears all signs of being a technician or someone acquainted with science and technology. That blouse is somewhat synonymous of her being a scientist - just look at Ritsuko Akagi and you'll see what I mean.

As for

Spoiler:

- The KF fleet. I'm not sure whether this is Lelouch's future army - possibly made of sympathizers or defects from the Army - or if it's a Britannian regiment readying for battle (a new Ragnarok, anyone?). It nevertheless looks like a promise for a good fight, unless, of course, it's there as a symbol representing the Britannian Army - the entire Institution Suzaku fights against. Other than that, another option is that it's

Spoiler:

It might also be possible, that in the event that it's a private army, that Lelouch would have to team up with Britannia (maybe Cornelia) to defeat it. But the odds are low. Very. Abysmal. Really. Or so I think.

Thoughts about the ep:

- Yuri with Nina blushing about Euphemia? Oh noes...*rolls eyes*

- Even Viletta makes a crack at Jeremiah by calling him 'orange-kun'. ROFL. Anyway, looks like the hanging rope's noose is heading a little closer to Lelouch. Viletta's now bent on investigating that mysterious student she reminisced...

- Suzaku once again reaches new levels of naivety with his 'Black Knights can't do good because they don't cooperate with the police'. Sorry, mister, but if the justice of men, of Britannia and of that police are of no use, then we will use our own. Period. How do you expect a man hunted by all of Britannia to up and go to Cornelia and say, 'hoy, Corny, want a hand? Let's be friends, I suddenly got the mother of all realizations this morning and discovered I was wrong about my actions! But I'm here, all good and refreshed with new, better ideas in mind!'
o_-
'ma sorry, Suzaku but you better look in a mirror first rather than criticize. You're one to talk about self-righteousness. Honestly. Not that you don't have an excuse - quite the opposite - but Lelouch has also good reasons to go out like that. You'll have also the excuse that you don't know it's Lelouch. But aside from that...
And, no, I won't start with the GS and GSD parallels. It's becoming almost as cheap as the Death Note ones. Tiresome, too. >_<

- Kallen seems to go through Knightmare Frames like a pop idol goes through dresses...hope the CL-2 will last longer...O_O

- I wonder why Kallen can't draw conclusions with Lelouch dropping chunk-sized hints here and there. I admit he had her fooled with that audio file he broadcast through the phone but I mean, Kallen's not idiot enough to really wonder what the heck's up with him. Even if she doesn't make the link Zero-Lelouch, she sure has to have suspicions about him not being that clean.

- Even if Cornelia seems like the ruthless character, she does seem to be someone of honor - with letting Zero go about his business unchecked, for the time being. I'm sure the next episode will consume the rest of the reprieve she just granted him and will end the ceasefire between the two. I nevertheless wonder (with good reason) if Lelouch will pride decency over need, were he to actually find himself in a situation where he'd have to decide whether kill her or spare her life (let's not forget that she's a potential informant for Lelouch's first and foremost task - discover who killed his mother and crippled Nanaly...and he hasn't used his Geass trick yet) despite her long-standing career as female Terminator for all opponents of Britannia.
Anyway, this ep shows some human side to her, after the whole Euphemia business.

- Speaking of Euphemia, we get to see the first seeds of doubt here. Is she having second thoughts about the entire situation or is she seeing her sister in another light? I don't think the second possibility is the correct one but I guess she's troubled by Zero's attitude.

- Millay lives up to her motherly character stereotype, being the usual benevolent one unmarred by preconceptions about nationalities and origins. Hope we'll see more of her - she seems quite a beacon of hope in a sea of bigoted hopelessness.

- Lelouch really needs to be less blunt and he'll actually have a chance with girls. The opposite will only earn him physical harm.

Anyway, well, the message he conveyed to Kallen was quite the controversial and indeed blunt, down-to-business one. Blunt enough to have its implications hidden from first sight or elicit the memory of Kallen's mother instead of some deeper reasoning. But all in all, he's right about what he thinks. The way the Eleven instantly cowered more or less had a 'Pavlov's dog' alert ringing in my head. Acting all subservient shows he has given hope on having a better life and the fight for a social ascension (even slight)...but then again, I'm not in that Eleven's position, haven't suffered the ignominies he had to incur nearly every day and am not in his socks so I can't say I'm in a just position to criticize his attitude. Only state that it's sad it has come to that.
But anyway, Lelouch is too blunt. I dunno if it was voluntary in order to dispel doubts around him and reinforce the idea that he's a normal Britannian agreeing with the reality of social Eleven evolution - or lack thereof.

Dunno if Kallen is going to remain miffed at him or if she'll get her ass in gear and rethink his words.

- C.C. going around (instead of remaining at the pavilion) like this seemed a bit random but I guess she's keeping tabs on Lelouch, making sure he doesn't die before he gets to fulfill her dearest wish. Unless she has a hidden agenda...?

2006-12-08, 16:21	Link #43
Renegade334 Sleepy Lurker Graphic Designer Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Nun'yabiznehz Age: 38	Comments about the new OP: - The hand: guess it's almost a sure-fire that is belongs to C.C. - after trying to grasp something invisible (perhaps foreshadowing a doomed or helpless endeavor? who knows), the hand extends to a shadowy person with the V-like sigil behind, a blatant reference to the power of Geass and Lelouch. The only two persons right now who have knowledge of this particular means of coercion are C.C. and Lelouch. Since Lelouch is already portrayed in that scene, the other person must be C.C. Moreover, a few seconds later, you get that sequence with C.C. 'swimming' through that maze of blue nerves and ethereal wires - with her eventually turning to the camera and extending her hand - apart from Lelouch, she's the only one making such a gesture in the OP, so it might be a hint. - The Crimson Lotus 2nd: I noticed two small things on the CL-2. On the left arm, near the elbow, there seems to be a cannon or heavy machine gun sticking out of the arm - I guess this makes up for the apparent lack of ranged weapons. So far I'd have considered the CL-2 as a close range juggernaut only but the appearance of a cannon sort of relieves me. Otherwise other Knightmare Frames would have no problems hacking her to shreds using machine guns from afar - provided she doesn't hop around the place like a rabbit, joyously evading barrage after barrage. Second thing is, on the right, clawed hand, one can see a cylindrical contraption deeply embedded inside the palm. I can only offer two guesses about what it is - first is that it's a high voltage shocker meant to disable Knightmare Frames by physical contact and a brutal discharge of electricity to short-circuit the target's power plants, batteries, electronic systems and other resources...provided the KFs don't have in-built Faraday cages. Second guess is, it's the JLF's own version of the Britannian Slash Harken - the wired rocket anchors that Kallen used in this episode to drag the Police Frames along with her and have its cockpit shorn off - but in this case it's particular shape make it virtually impossible to be used as a blade but rather as a concussion weapon - perhaps like a wired mace or so. Unless it can be used like the MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom's (from Mobile Suit Gundam - the 08th MS Team) heat rod - to shock enemies from afar. - Shortly after the CL-2's sequence there is an explosion, which sort of makes me reminisce Utawarerumono's OP with that apolyptical deflagration. Maybe is it a bomb or the Lancelot's power source blowing up? I don't think it's a nuke going off so I'm gonna guess it's either a contraption blowing up, a burst of otherwordly energy (C.C.'s civilization?) or some sort of new weapon designed by the Holy Empire (in Ep01 it looks like Britannia fielded out a shitload of new equipment (and among them, the Knightmare Frame, which made its debut in Japan, needn't I remind it) so it's not impossible. - The countdown...well, it's not a countdown. The numbers are rising. I dunno what for or why but the group of nucleobases behind is possibly about someone trying to study a DNA sequence. Which brings us to the only possible candidate to this - C.C.'s people. I don't know if some of you remember it, but Newtype (U.S. edition) printed out a scan where the power of geass was, quote, 'able to create or destroy just about anything - and had something to do with the very existence of Humankind'. I'm not sure how much of the information was garbled and warped through overseas translation and interviews with the Sunrise staff (after all, the wording about an idea transmitted from one person to the other can change during the exchange and drastically modify the idea), but I'm going to go with it...for the time being. Bah, perhaps it's just to show how different and special C.C.'s people are compared to us...genetically speaking. - League of Black Knights: what in the nine hells is Sayoko doing there? O_O Is she acting as medic or what? I can understand Diethard Lied since he has that odd contempt towards Britannian yet a great fascination for Zero (probably because he wants shellshock events for the free press and not official, uptight and government-controlled official broadcasts) - but it makes no doubt he's going to be the journalist covering their end of the fight and record everything that'll go on, for the posterity to behold and remember. As for the new character - someone pointed that she had a mark on her forehead, perhaps a sign of belonging to C.C.'s ilk? It could also be the red mark Hindus bear on the forehead (the 'third eye', if I'm not mistaken). Nevertheless, she bears all signs of being a technician or someone acquainted with science and technology. That blouse is somewhat synonymous of her being a scientist - just look at Ritsuko Akagi and you'll see what I mean. As for Spoiler: Sakuya, Suzaku's aunt, if I'm not mistaken, well, that jewel on her forehead seem a bit too small to hide the V-like sigil, which seems to be larger than the gem she wears. Just watch the OP at the beginning where character faces flash by and you'll see it. Better yet, watch the previous OP, her picture is clearer and lasts longer there. Anyway, Lelouch having a second, possibly more potent psychic by his side could mean more power and whatnot. I nevertheless expected her to stick by Suzaku's side but the OP surprised me. However, I sort of envision her as a benevolent, well-meaning character - probably akin to Suzaku - not C.C.'s type, if you get it. Night and day. Black and white. - The KF fleet. I'm not sure whether this is Lelouch's future army - possibly made of sympathizers or defects from the Army - or if it's a Britannian regiment readying for battle (a new Ragnarok, anyone?). It nevertheless looks like a promise for a good fight, unless, of course, it's there as a symbol representing the Britannian Army - the entire Institution Suzaku fights against. Other than that, another option is that it's Spoiler: Schneizel's private army. Why? Well, in one of the latest Animage issues (according to this LJ) it's revealed that Lloyd Asplund is in fact was working for Schneizel and not for overall Britannia. So why would Schneizel draft in Lloyd for anything else but build his own militia and whatnot - especially with a social conflict for the sake of progress rearing its ugly head in the distance? I don't expect more Lancelots but perhaps improved Sutherlands. It might also be possible, that in the event that it's a private army, that Lelouch would have to team up with Britannia (maybe Cornelia) to defeat it. But the odds are low. Very. Abysmal. Really. Or so I think. Thoughts about the ep: - Yuri with Nina blushing about Euphemia? Oh noes...rolls eyes - Even Viletta makes a crack at Jeremiah by calling him 'orange-kun'. ROFL. Anyway, looks like the hanging rope's noose is heading a little closer to Lelouch. Viletta's now bent on investigating that mysterious student she reminisced... - Suzaku once again reaches new levels of naivety with his 'Black Knights can't do good because they don't cooperate with the police'. Sorry, mister, but if the justice of men, of Britannia and of that police are of no use, then we will use our own. Period. How do you expect a man hunted by all of Britannia to up and go to Cornelia and say, 'hoy, Corny, want a hand? Let's be friends, I suddenly got the mother of all realizations this morning and discovered I was wrong about my actions! But I'm here, all good and refreshed with new, better ideas in mind!' o_- 'ma sorry, Suzaku but you better look in a mirror first rather than criticize. You're one to talk about self-righteousness. Honestly. Not that you don't have an excuse - quite the opposite - but Lelouch has also good reasons to go out like that. You'll have also the excuse that you don't know it's Lelouch. But aside from that... And, no, I won't start with the GS and GSD parallels. It's becoming almost as cheap as the Death Note ones. Tiresome, too. >_< - Kallen seems to go through Knightmare Frames like a pop idol goes through dresses...hope the CL-2 will last longer...O_O - I wonder why Kallen can't draw conclusions with Lelouch dropping chunk-sized hints here and there. I admit he had her fooled with that audio file he broadcast through the phone but I mean, Kallen's not idiot enough to really wonder what the heck's up with him. Even if she doesn't make the link Zero-Lelouch, she sure has to have suspicions about him not being that clean. - Even if Cornelia seems like the ruthless character, she does seem to be someone of honor - with letting Zero go about his business unchecked, for the time being. I'm sure the next episode will consume the rest of the reprieve she just granted him and will end the ceasefire between the two. I nevertheless wonder (with good reason) if Lelouch will pride decency over need, were he to actually find himself in a situation where he'd have to decide whether kill her or spare her life (let's not forget that she's a potential informant for Lelouch's first and foremost task - discover who killed his mother and crippled Nanaly...and he hasn't used his Geass trick yet) despite her long-standing career as female Terminator for all opponents of Britannia. Anyway, this ep shows some human side to her, after the whole Euphemia business. - Speaking of Euphemia, we get to see the first seeds of doubt here. Is she having second thoughts about the entire situation or is she seeing her sister in another light? I don't think the second possibility is the correct one but I guess she's troubled by Zero's attitude. - Millay lives up to her motherly character stereotype, being the usual benevolent one unmarred by preconceptions about nationalities and origins. Hope we'll see more of her - she seems quite a beacon of hope in a sea of bigoted hopelessness. - Lelouch really needs to be less blunt and he'll actually have a chance with girls. The opposite will only earn him physical harm. Anyway, well, the message he conveyed to Kallen was quite the controversial and indeed blunt, down-to-business one. Blunt enough to have its implications hidden from first sight or elicit the memory of Kallen's mother instead of some deeper reasoning. But all in all, he's right about what he thinks. The way the Eleven instantly cowered more or less had a 'Pavlov's dog' alert ringing in my head. Acting all subservient shows he has given hope on having a better life and the fight for a social ascension (even slight)...but then again, I'm not in that Eleven's position, haven't suffered the ignominies he had to incur nearly every day and am not in his socks so I can't say I'm in a just position to criticize his attitude. Only state that it's sad it has come to that. But anyway, Lelouch is too blunt. I dunno if it was voluntary in order to dispel doubts around him and reinforce the idea that he's a normal Britannian agreeing with the reality of social Eleven evolution - or lack thereof. Dunno if Kallen is going to remain miffed at him or if she'll get her ass in gear and rethink his words. - C.C. going around (instead of remaining at the pavilion) like this seemed a bit random but I guess she's keeping tabs on Lelouch, making sure he doesn't die before he gets to fulfill her dearest wish. Unless she has a hidden agenda...? __________________ << -- Click to enter my (dead) GFX thread.