Leaving so soon?

[tempestuously]

I guess it's good that not that many people on my FL watch Geass because if I had to put up with the jumping ship mentality of some of these other FLs, I'd flip. Oh Sunrise hurt my favorite character. ;_; They're degrading her in Suzaku's eyes. ;_; They're using her as a source of additional angst for Lelouch. ;_; They had her die as the result of a joke. ;_; News flash people, this anime is called LELOUCH of the Rebellion. Yes, everything does have a right to pertain to him. It's a bonus when it doesn't. But when it comes down to it, time and time again the creators have told us this is HIS story. That said, it's also a tragedy. As for people who whine about how the series is squandering character development, every story writer knows that if you want a *good* death, you make us LOVE the character first. Some characters are plot devices. They just are; they are there to motivate a character to take action. This doesn't mean they can't also be good characters, but it means they are there for a reason. Now we know Euphemia's.

I love Euphemia. I love LuluEuphie, probably more than I love SuzaEuphie. I think Suzaku and Euphemia are sweet. I am very sad at what has happened to her, and more so that spoilers say she's going to die. But I find it silly to go out on a pouty boycott because Sunrise ruined her. They didn't. We all know this is not Euphemia. This is the geass. Sure the Geass world doesn't know, and that's part of the tragedy. I admit at first I was wary of this situation because I feared Lelouch would deliberately geass Euphemia into killing people to further his own goals. I, myself, was contemplating dropping the series if he showed that calibre of evil. And I guess you can watch a series just for one character, but what happened to Euphemia will further the story and impact Lelouch. This what it ultimately comes down to. Lelouch. So if fans want to sob and ditch the series because it offed their precious, fine. Just don't try to make yourself seem righteous with claims of character assassination, k? Did you honestly think a series that heralded itself as a tragedy would let you keep your fluffy love and pink princess forever? If you don't want fucked up, Geass isn't the series for you anyway.

Also, I was asked today would I be the same way if it was Suzaku in this positon. My answer, yes. I'd be sad, but as long as Lelouch does not kill the ones he loves in cold blood, my faith remains. Simple as that.

In closing, remember:

Comments

[eurys.livejournal.com]

Hehe, I love your rant.
As someone noted on a forum, the reactions to the episode are extremely positive. And the only negative reactions come from the Suzaku/Euphimia fans.

Yet, I think it was hinted that SuzakuxEuphemia were never meant to be. The early spoilers talked about a artificial relationship and the OP with the flowers dissapearing was a clue. I also think some people idealized that relationship too much, when it wasn't even that fleshed and developped...

As a fan of Shirley, I was expecting her to die in episode 14. Everyone wanted her to die too :( But I would have still watched for the story and for the rest of the cast. I think Lelouch and Suzaku are the only important characters who have to stay alive till the end of the anime.
And Euphemia's character was not assassinated. It was just a tragic, absurd mistake that highlights how terrible is the Geass and its curse.

[nayami.livejournal.com]

I always thought the OP scene was just to show what idealistic fantasies really led to in Geass' world. I didn't mind how they were developing the SuzaEuphie relationship. The two played well off each other. But the second Euphemia confessed, people should have realized the affair was doomed, especially with Suzaku's wishy-washy response. I don't think Suzaku really knows how he feels about Euphemia or he's just afraid to take that next step.

Yes, that's exactly what this mistake is supposed to show. You cannot trust the Geass.

[zanzou-chan.livejournal.com]

I'm so behind on Geass... but I know I'll watch it to the end since it's the only anime in about a year to catch my interest.

*doesn't care about spoilers at all, so hurrah!*

[(Anonymous)]

Geass is supposed to be all about Euphie and Suzaku's fluffy adorable love and how Euphie will heal Suzaku's heart and they will have tons and tons of royal kids! DUH! People that liked the episode obviously have no taste and don't know awesome at all because, like, it totally cheapened Euphie characters and stuff! Even, though, you know, the people that used to dislike her and considered her a stupid, mediocre Lacus clone, and that significantly outnumbered the Euphie fangirls, now actually like her and are heartbroken by the turn of events. She went from being seeing by the majority of the fandom as a not so interesting, annoying princess to being seen a tragic, memorable character. But no, you know, it totally cheapens her and kills the OTP!!11

[nayami.livejournal.com]

My friend adored the way you did your response. We love the tongue-and-cheek mockery and most of it is very very true.

[equivalent-t.livejournal.com]

I think the effect on fandom is more like they're 'given the most delicious cake in the world, then having it replaced with a berserking truck zooming right at them in the end', so I'm giving them a little slack. Destroying character development? Who said that? It doesn't cheapen her, it makes your heart BLEEEEEEEEED for her, pun not intended. Somehow that doesn't count as 'cheapening character development' but the result of great character development, in my book.

If LL kills her in cold blood, as everyone believed he would, it'd be dreadfully boring. But what he did? Joins hands with her and gives up EVERYTHING HE WORKED FOR, because she won him over? Most awesome gutwrenching thing ever. I'll admit I squee squee squee squee over Lulu-Euphie (oh dude, am I going to be allowed to post my fluffy/angsty kyoudai fic now? Would that be taking cheap shots at her, erm, condition, despite how I've began writing it since 19?) and this hit me like hardcore but you can't deny the utter awesomeness of it. THIS IS GOOD WRITING, WHAT.

...I find it somewhat frustrating that people still think this is Lelouch AND Suzaku's story. It isn't. They are not Kira Yamato and Athrun Zala. Suzaku is his Very Important Foil, yes, but he's not the Other Main Character. And that LL is not all evil mastermind who kicks puppies. So instead of 'Lelouch of the Rebellion' the series should've been named 'Lelouch, Unluckiest Person In The Universe' instead. Maybe that would give his detractors a better clue on what to expect.

[nayami.livejournal.com]

Nice analogy. XD But I still can't be too forgiving with people for carrying on the way they are as if Euphemia was of equal character importance as Lelouch. Euphemia was a tasty delicacy indeed, and I am so upset at what happened to her, but I had no delusions of things going smoothly once she confessed her love. You don't confess love in a shounen series; you just don't. Yes, building up Euphemia so that you can see how horrific the Geass truly is to reduce someone with such pure intentions to this is a sign of great character development and great writing. Some people just can't stomach tragedy. This is why I wonder why this people stuck around for so long, despite all the warnings of the series' true nature.

I still can't believe this all happened right after he was willing to make peace with her. It's almost like it honestly would have been better for them had he gone along with his original nutty plan. He really could have chosen a safer analogy. I personally approve of the GameFAQs "have sex with me right here." Not Lelouch's style but damn funny. But the timing makes everything so much more painful, especially when you see how horrified he is at what he's done to her and the Elevens and how he wants to stop her but knows he can't. That final shot of him crying as he orders her death, THAT alone is brilliant story-telling.

Lelouch: The Death Trap? I find that people who don't like Lelouch try to give a larger role to Suzaku so they have an alternative. So they ignore the constant repetitions of how this is Lelouch's story.

[equivalent-t.livejournal.com]

We fans like our comfort zones, I suppose. We want universes where the bad is punished and the good rewarded. We like stories where nothing really bad happen to the characters, at least not the ones considered 'safe'. Our definitions of tragedies are 'people dies honorably, but undeservedly' and that's what 'they' wanted when they heard Geass is one. However, Geass hits the real definition of tragedy, i.e. 'senseless shitty things that didn't need to happen but did, and there's nothing you can do but live with it' far too close for a lot of people. :P As for Euphie...I don't know, I think her days were numbered ever since she chose Suzaku as her knight. Obvious, but the way it happened? Ticking time bomb, start! It's only a matter of time. The only surprise was how and how soon.

His original plan of retardation. XD But he couldn't have chosen a safer analogy, because he is Lelouch, and Lelouch is sarcastic, overly theatrical and likes to make bad jokes. He wouldn't have said any other words. I also approve of that GameFAQs one. THAT would lead to some very interesting scenes in more ways than one lol. Can you imagine Zero streaking out of there screaming "GET HER AWAAAAAAAY FROM MEEEEEEEEEEE" and Kallen berserking? And really, it wouldn't have been so cruel if he'd just shot her while condemning himself (like the anon on my LJ said). This is SO MUCH BETTER.

When Second Season ends, I shall compile a list of who is worse, LL or SZK. XD What bothers me in that case, as I have been annoyed several times in comm, is why they're watching a series called Lelouch of the Rebellion if they find him so hateful. You like him, great. You don't, fine, there are more shows out there. Read books. Wait for the next season. I don't know, I've never watched a show whose main character I can't stand, even if the plot is good. I at least have to like him/her a little. So I can't understand the mindset.

[tatooine.livejournal.com]

I just think that, isntead of the machine gun, she should have had a hand gun and walked slowly, sweetly, and personally up to each person to kill them. It would have given it a more "angel of death" feeling than "lolololololololol slaughter."

However, I'm a fan of character death done right. And if I'm sad, Lelouch will be even sadder.

[nayami.livejournal.com]

Oh god, I think that would have been even more unsettling if at all possible. I think it would be more in Euphemia's nature than Termi-Euphie. That more of a "with all your strength" move there.

Poor Lulu.

[the-sports-geek.livejournal.com]

What's being lost in this whole Euphemia tragedy (and despite how happy I am that she's going the way of Clovis, this is a tragedy) is how Lelouch reacted to this. I mean, you did say this is Lelouch's series, right?

He makes what can only be described as a Stefanian Blunder (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCWpE_cqnuU&mode=related&search=) (one that is inadvertent, but has disastrous consequences). But, instead of angsting poetic for hours/days/weeks about what happened, he sucks it up, and turns the situation to his advantage. He may have been tearing up at what he was saying, but he is doing what he has to do to make his dream a reality.

Shit happens. What defines a person is what they do when shit happens. In this case, Lelouch kept his head, and in the long run, I think this moment is going to help him gain a lot support from the Japanese people, perhaps even enough to overthrow Brittania's rule in Japan (by the end of the season).