Random Curiosity

OP2 Sequence

OP2: 「解読不能」 (Kaidoku Funou) by ジン (Jinn)
Watch the OP! Mirror 1 Mirror 2 (16.7MB, XviD)

Summary:
During the burial of her father, Shirley watches as her mother breaks down in tears. She remembers how she had wanted to become her father’s bride when she was young, but her father had told her that she’d find the person she would like. He had promised to be happy for her when she found the person who loved her back. All of her friends are also here, and Rivalz apologizes to her for feeling that the Black Knights looked cool back during the hotel hijacking. Suzaku, however, declares that the way Zero and the Black Knights do things is cowardly, and he feels that there is no meaning in results obtained from doing things the wrong way. Milly then gets everyone to go back home, including the concerned looking Kallen, leaving just Lelouch and Shirley to face each other. As it starts to rain, Shirley apologizes for what happened on that night because she feels that her way of doing things was wrong - even the kiss didn’t make her happy. She then runs off in tears, and although Lelouch calls out to her, he doesn’t chase after her.
Lelouch instead goes home and sits thinking silently as C.C. enjoys her new CHEESE-Kun toy. She asks him if he regrets having gotten the father of a friend involved in all this, and then reminds him of what was said with Kirihara about walking the path of carnage. Though Lelouch tells her to be quiet, C.C. keeps going, saying that he has led to the deaths of many people and that these people had families, lovers, and friends that they left behind. Facing her accusations of not being resolved to do this, Lelouch claims that he has been since that time with Clovis, but C.C. then questions why he’s so in doubt right now and wonders if he was swayed by emotion. It is when she calls him an insincere virgin boy that Lelouch pushes her onto his bed. Unfazed, C.C. tells him that he has no right to stop and that he can’t disappoint her. After hearing all this, a frustrated Lelouch heads to the shower where he hits the wall repeatedly. Remembering the things that various people have said to him up to this point, Lelouch calls up Kaname.
Thanks to information from Diethard, Zero has a plan to attack Cornelia while she’s going after the Japan Liberation Front. Kaname feels that they should give priority to letting General Katase of the Liberation Front get away, but Zero reminds him that they are the Black Knights with the goal of annihilating Cornelia’s force. After Zero tells the group that they will take back what they lost at Narita, Kaname asks what the chances of success are. Hearing Zero call it a silly question, Kaname smiles and understands. At the same time, Darlton of the Britannia forces is explaining to Suzaku the mission to capture Katase and put and end to the Japan Liberation Front. Suzaku’s job will be to provide covering fire until the marine forces secure Katase. After that, he’s to annihilate any remnants. Darlton tells Suzaku to show his loyalty to Britannia and feels that this is a chance for a promotion, so Suzaku should work hard. Having overheard everything, Lloyd calls it a loyalty test for Suzaku and wonders what he’s going to do.
As night falls, Shirley shows up at the docks where everything is set to happen. She had been visited earlier in the day by Villetta, who had told her about the likelihood of Lelouch being involved with the Black Knights. At the time, Shirley called it a lie, but because she had her doubts, she came here. Meanwhile, Kallen accidentally walks in on Zero without his suit on, but it’s too dark for her to see him. When he detects doubt in her, Kallen admits that until now, she’s felt that fighting for the sake of justice was the right thing - that’s why she killed. However, she now wonders if their way of doing things is really changing the world. Zero first tells her that they have to change it, and then goes on to say that there are people who aren’t soldiers who will get involved and die. But Zero and the Black Knights can’t stop and they can only try to win. In order to not waste the blood that’s already been spilled, Zero vows to spill even more blood. However, he won’t force Kallen to do so too and offers her the chance to get out. Kallen is surprised by this, but she decides that she will move forward with him. Lelouch thanks her and then thinks to himself that it is thanks to C.C., the person he needs. At that time, C.C. is talking to herself, saying that she cannot repeat the same failure any longer.
When the time comes, Cornelia orders the start of her operation and the marine units dive into the water. Suzaku leads the Sutherland group in shooting soldiers the deck of the Japan Liberation Front ship, and because he has doubts about what they’re doing, Cecile calls him to remind him that he’s a professional soldier. Zero meanwhile waits until the Liberation Front ship - that’s being boarded by the Britannian marine units - floats over the bomb that the Black Knights set. By blowing it and igniting the fluid Sakuradite, they are able to wipe out the boat with Katase on it. Moving his units into action, Zero declares that they will rush towards Cornelia’s base and care about nothing else. In order to repay the blood of the Japan Liberation Front, they will take Cornelia and show their resolution and power. Watching from nearby with Kaname, Diethard suddenly takes off in joy that Zero is such a wonderful subject: the incarnation of chaos. He runs laughing happily because he wants Zero to show him more. The Britannia forces, including Suzaku, think that Katase self-destructed, and have to scramble when the Black Knights fly onto the dock aboard a special boat.
In their respective Knightmares, Zero has Kallen follow him straight towards Cornelia. He uses his Burai to tackle Cornelia’s Gloucester, but she manages to knock off his left arm before the Crimson Lotus ties her up. Lelouch is ready to shoot Cornelia, but then notices a heat signature in the nearby shadows. Looking more closely, Lelouch realizes this person is Shirley, and his hesitation is long enough for Suzaku to fly in to rescue Cornelia. As the Lancelot starts bashing apart the Burai, Suzaku asks if Zero doesn’t understand other people’s pain in his pursuit of a result. He also calls Zero a murderer for calmly using lives as decoys. Both near their emotional limits, Zero asks why Suzaku always gets in the way while Suzaku asks why Zero spills so much blood meaninglessly. After getting hit in the air, Zero is forced to eject the cockpit of his Burai, and it goes flying down a path of storage containers. Before the Suzaku can do anything else, Kallen jumps at him with the Crimson Lotus - which had been fighting Cornelia - and declares that she’s protecting Zero.
With fighting going on all around, Shirley approaches the wreckage of the Burai’s cockpit and sees Zero’s body hanging out of it. She picks up the gun at her feet and points it at him, ready to fire. However, Zero starts to regain consciousness and his helmet comes off in the process. A shocked Shirley can clearly see that below the mask is the familiar - and now bleeding - face of Lelouch.

ED2 Sequence

ED2: 「モザイクカケラ」 (Mosiac Kakera) by SunSet Swish
Watch the ED! Mirror 1 Mirror 2 (10.1MB, XviD)
The new OP wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be - I actually really like the way the song opens. The new ED, however, is everything I hoped it’d be and then some (based on what I originally heard from the promo). Both the animation sequences are only partly made of new shots, and of the new OP ones, the final scene of the Lancelot launching made me laugh because it’s almost exactly like a Gundam launch.

So thanks to Villetta, Shirley now knows that Lelouch = Zero. It’s interesting to see that while Jeremiah became comical relief with all the Orange-kun stuff, Villetta is actually playing a part in trying to expose the truth. In fact, except for the Britannia group shot, Jeremiah’s not even in the new OP sequence whereas Villetta gets her own short scene. Anyway, Shirley finding out about Lelouch can lead to any number of things, but the preview this week that consists of only this shot, which would seem to bode poorly for her.
Although they don’t really know it, Lelouch and Suzaku grew even further apart this episode. Both had to come to terms with the fighting that claimed Shirley’s father’s life, but they ended up at different conclusions. In part thanks that C.C.’s tough words, Lelouch became more resolved to do what he needs to, no matter how much blood it spills whereas Suzaku meanwhile seemed to settle even further into his position that what Zero is doing is wrong. Their contrast is made stronger by the red versus blue shading that that fighting scene took, and it reminded me a lot of DEATH NOTE’s use of those colors.
On a lighter note, C.C. finally got a Cheese-kun! I just about laughed myself silly when I saw that. Of course, this means that Pizza Hut supports the Rebellion! Diethard was a lot wackier than I thought he’d be. Who knew he’d go so crazy over Zero’s plans and run around so happily like that.
Next week, GEASS vs. GEASS. Who knows what that could mean…