Every time you ask of me,
a little bit of sanity is robbed away,
until eternity is covered in thick darkness,
chilling and helpless heartbreaks.
Yet I can't let go of those hands,
the warmth that contradicts cruelty,
unfeeling abyss of uncompromising reality,
so abhorrent yet sublime and fragile.
When the world is tainted in incarnadine,
shadows rise from the earth,
flame rains from the heaven,
Tragedies flower like the prairie spring.
I pondered, to be or not to be.
Kindness ultimately leaves the world with nothing,
and world offers no comfort.
Smile becomes a reflex of despair.
Even if innocents are the sacrifices of your crime,
I will keep my oath and bear your burden.
Even if living itself becomes a sin,
So be it, stride on, for the world to come.
The guardian of humanity,
becomes the enemy of the world,
for that one reason,
despite of everything else, everything once was precious.
To live humbly for one's cause;
regret, towards one's ability, not conviction.
The golden rays bring forth a new dawn,
and red cloth fades into vast emptiness.
There are a few things to say about Code Geass, but really one word sums all--epic.
In a world of leading character dominated by hot blood good guys, a calculating villain (or seems to be) is refreshing. Moreover, something other than a hutch from personality or just simple mindedness has shown to prevail over incredible odds. Lelouch Vi Britannia shows that fate does not require luck, but rather meticulous planning, ironic to how the first piece of the puzzle, his encounter to the "witch" C.C. is purely accidental.
So what of this Sunrise and Clamp crossover? Why there are thousands Black Knights hailing both in the world of Zero and in reality?
Charisma.
What made Code Geass so great is a vast cast of characters, each developed to its fullest over the two seasons. The relationships between these characters, how the bonds between two change them and the world around them. The conflicts between characters, ideological or other wise. Code Geass have done a remarkable job depicting the complexity and simplicity, consistency and deviation of human mind.
Lelouch is the epitome of these coexisting contradictions and endless evolutions. He sought to create a world that will accept him and his sister. However, his goals were not simply to find a good job and make a fortune so there will be no fear of insecurity; he desired perfection. First, the wrong must be punished: he will punish the man who watched the siblings suffer, his father, the emperor of Britannia, and revenge for his mother, the former empress of Britannia. It was shocking to witness his determination of creating a world that will guard and cherish his sister. He has loved and killed; he has made friends and betrayed friends; he stained his own hands and even bended his sister's will and used his own life as the exchange for a world that he believed his sister would be happy. All these pure devotions, behind a mask, as no one in the world will know and acknowledge his devotion except his closest allies. As he took the world's all evil into him for a better world to be born from the nurturing ashes.
But this is not the only path he has to question...
Similarly, his closest ally, which was also his worst enemy, Kururugi Suzaku, as the series #2 male lead, also faces dilemma as he stands to create a better world, with the same desire as Lelouch, but only standing as his friend's foe.
There are just plethora of conflicts, contradictions, mysteries, schemes, and of course, romance that surrounds each characters, weaving each individual gem into a mosaic of tales of love and hatred, trust and betrayal, hope and despair. It is not something can be described by words alone. It is the experience of the inevitability and chances in the world and how great or insignificant human beings are compared with.
Story aside, the overall quality of this production is at the zenith, comparable (maybe just a bit of “not yet”) to the legendary Neo Genesis Evangelion (which is holding the perfect score on my anime ranking along with Rorouni Kenshin). The original music soundtracks are astonishingly great, especially the performance by HITOMI fitting into the emotional scenes. Voice actors really bring the characters to life. Even though it is a bit overly dramatic at times, but this series is one that survives and flourishes on drama. Character designs, settings, and story boards are well-thought out and nicely executed (C.C. is HAWT, woah, C.C. is REALLY HAWT). Well, beside the unavoidable graphic decline as the series became popular, the graphic quality is quite constant in season one, and well…not so much in season two (Other than C.C. is HAWTER in season two).
To conclude, I give Code Geass Season One a perfect 10.0/10.0 (Congratulations, good thing you have a cliff ending like EVA, or else I can’t rate you anymore) and R2 a 9.0/10.0 (Too much plot twisting with bad pacing in the second half, but still amazing overall). Kudos to Sunrise and Clamp. For anyone out there who has not seen this marvel yet, YOU MUST SEE THIS!! It is available for FREE on AnimeNewsNetwork, both dubbed and subbed versions.
Go and change the world (with C.C. fan-service…as you wish).
Image from Animesuki Code Geass Image Thread with rights to the respective artists.
Who would think I am writing another personal update? I haven't done this for a long time, probably because college is keeping me busy (nonsense, you mean the hangovers...right). But banzai for another year's end, I am going to be a senior and busy for the next year...Banzai! Well, this summer looks rather interesting. I am taking Ceramic I, another step toward the art minor (two more classes after that) and then the ten week REU at NNI in UI (get to live in the Mayflower finally and have a "great" experience). I am looking forward to do ceramics, at least one piece in mind that might turn out to be ... cute? If I ever have the opportunity, I am taking sculpture. For now, it is not happening. REU isn’t bad; I am working with my mentor, so I am pretty familiar with the lab already. But for the other places I applied, it was pretty sad and I am not going to pretend like them, “we are very sorry…blah blah blah.” Just need, “Oh yeah, you suck. Don’t come here. We all hate you.” That is a lot better. Next year is looking packed, Japanese I (finally), Advanced Inorganic, Physical Measurement, Psychology, and Ceramic II. Plus president for Math Club, 10K logistic, tutoring, and maybe AAC as well. Not to mention countless essays for graduate schools, scholarships, and hopefully a fellowship (someone please give me one). Ah…my life really really really is … complicated? Well, that is next year. For now, four finals down and one more to go, I am pretty pumped for partying out on Friday. Prince is not coming out at all, story wise. I have done plenty of character designs and stuff though, so who knows. It is really turning into a long-term project that may never get finished. Oh, I am super excited about Starcraft II. IT IS GOING TO BE awesome!!! And Sakura Wars V (in English OMG) is coming out…which is a bit late? They should release the first one somehow since it is just one the best game I have ever played. Anyways, peace out.
Who are you? The mysterious girl without a face, yet my heart boils in the whisper of your name. What is it again? The last trace, a shadowy silhouette of flowing long hair, Glimpse of eyes as bright as the glittering gems, My own too cautious and embarrassed to be caught in its lustrous rays. An affection that will bring ruins to a friendship; An affection so obvious and constantly denied. A sail out of an isolated island into the tempesting sea, A border entrenched deep, kneel, touch, and sigh in regret. Among all, my sight only fixed on you, even though I believed we both understood, I brought no proof, no confirmation, no declaration, and no condolence. The call that asked me, “What do you want the most?” I am afraid to say you, so I replied, “Knowledge on the motive, the process, and the structure of the humanly heart.” Or because I am afraid of myself, the uncontrollable variable. “Don’t you already have it?” The incomprehensible existence, I do acknowledge. Yet I cannot say it. Maybe one day, when I finally relinquish my role as a knight, a protector from burdens. I can become your equal.
The Veroné Bridge is one of the most ancient manmade structure on the continent. Its first construction was dated way back, rumored to be a relic from the Second Divine Intervention. The legend has it that one of the twelve guardians, Vercirphone, purged the one of twenty-seven Archdemon from the central of the lake by freezing the entire lake and then piercing it with the Lance of Crimson Roses. The lance was said to have sealed the demonic power and convert the remains of the Archdemon into a sizable island in the middle of the lake. Thus, the island became one of the holy sites for all who worship the three goddesses of creation. The bridge from the south bank was first constructed as a road of pilgrimage, since frequent fogs upon the lake and strong current made boating navigation difficult. Later, the Church found that the island can function as an anchor point for a bridge way that connects the south bank to the north bank. Traveling across the lake by the bridge, which usually involves heading west for the ferry at Cheron, was then easier and faster. The missionary outpost soon became a popular trading ground and a vital transportation route. Since the bridge way did pass through one of the "holy grounds" declared by the Church, it was quite legitimate for the Church to pass through a travel tariff for any traffic using the bridge . However, bridge ferry soon became more popular as the business expanded on the lake banks, lands that were not taxed by the Church. Ferry services overtook the carriage services and became the most dominant transportation method. As long as the bridge could be seen in the fog, the boat had no problem reaching the docks on the islands. Traders picked their preference of boats, having a greater capacity and lower maintenance cost. The pilgrims rarely traveled by horses. The carriage travel on bridges became an exclusive for the upper class. So the two lane stone bridge was never expanded on for the past, maybe a few hundred years, but was maintained frequently in good shape to be the guide for trading boats. Maybe a few years after the construction of the north bank bridge, the Church dropped the rate on bridge crossing and increased the docking fee. No surprise there.
Confusions in the deep winter's darkness
Dispelled by the clarity of the spring sun
Again to life,
Again to light,
Amongst all unforgiving cruelties,
it alone gives strength to rise beyondStruggle is just a prelude to victory
Let defeat be another stepping stone
Bless to learning,
Bless to living,
Besides headaches and heartaches,
it moves forward once more Be the winter moonlight
Be the spring rays
I started walking with my head high Past sorrows
Past grieves
Past troubles
Past harms
Trek far
in where and everywhere I can find light.
The world is just. The world is fair. The world is kind. The world is pretty.
I want to believe that.
One says, "Have you ever believed in miracles and salvation?"
One answers, "No, we are just toys of gods."
One says, "Maybe you should try it."
One answers, "I tried. I am tired of waiting."
I humbled myself before the great power,
kneeling like many others,
begging for a drop of bless,
holding a pure heart,
without hatred towards it,
without hatred towards them.
Yet its sights passed me,
I congratulate and celebrate with a pure heart,
without malice towards it,
without malice towards them.
Selfish desire is the path of evil, quoted and remembered.
Yet curious,
if gods did not choose me because it was not my destiny, what will be?
if gods did not choose me out of obligations, what prayer will reach them?
If I can uphold its glory and mine, what trail must I undertake?
If I cannot see its thoughts, let me at least believe it is righteous and just. That is why I am a pagan agnostist.
Deity does not reside in heaven; it resides in every one of us.
