[duckroll]

Originally Posted by Xander

There's been a new official website update, which adds the following:

Cast comments (for publicity purposes, of course).
http://www.geass.jp/akito/staff.html

An information column on the E.U. setting and its history.
http://www.geass.jp/akito/world_column.html

Cool, there's a ton of setting information there, which really fleshes out the scenario and background for Akito. If they're really putting as much effort into the show itself, it could explain why they took so long to go into production. Hopefully it turns out to be really good!

Translation (not much editing, lemme know if there are serious errors or typos :P):

The calendar used in the European Union used the Revolution Year as a dating system. In "Akito the Exiled", the story takes placed in the Revolution Year 228.

This new dating system originated from the French Revolution in 1789. In that year, the people of France rose up against the existing Ancien Régime system, and in 1790 they reset the calander as Revolution Year 1.

The wave of revolution started in France spread like a storm throughout all of Europa. But just before it crossed over the strait of Dover, the British imperial family decided to move their capital to a new continent. This resulted in the birth of the Holy Britannia Empire.

Due to the export of revolution and war throughout Europa, a man named Napoleon managed to seize much power and authority. Alas, the people feared that he would become another tyrant, and they put him to death. This was the turning point of Europa's history, and with this the E.U became a democratic region. Unlike the aristocratic values of the Holy Britannia Empire and the Chinese Federation, the E.U. would no longer value birth right in governance, and no one would be born with a claim to authority.

After this radical social change, some nobles in Britannia who disagreed with the dated system of rule in their own empire would defect to the E.U., seeking refudge as exiles. Layla Malkal is a daughter of one such noble family living in exile.

Furthermore, there is Euro Britannia. Made up of groups of nobles within the Holy Britannia Empire who have roots in old Europa, this group seeks to reclaim their ancestral territories within the E.U. by means of force. Since Emperor Charles is occupied with the events in Area 11, the conflict in the E.U. is left largely to this Euro Britannia group to take charge of.

The capital of E.U. is Paris, led by three presidents, and managed by the Council of Forty - all democratically elected by the people. The Council of Forty is based on a system established after the Revolution, and currently has over 200 members. With a declaration of war from the Holy Britannia Empire, the Council of Forty has to take charge of national defense and military matters as well.

Unfortunately, the problems of a democratic government has rearched a terminal stage in the E.U., and within the Council of Forty, populism is spreading and becoming a serious issue.