Around 11:30, the final episode of the second season of Lelouch aired.
Ohmori Shuichi, glued to his TV, was visibly excited. "Incredible! This ending is absolutely brilliant!"
He had previously suspected that Lelouch would likely end with a whimper after a strong start. He never imagined the final episode would reach such heights.
This wasn't just exceeding expectations—it was shattering them, elevating the entire work to legendary status.
"Absolutely flawless!"
"Truly worthy of Lin Zhiyan, the man known as Lord Hayashi!"
With this divine finale, the minor flaws in episodes 20 through 24 now seemed insignificant.
Instead of feeling disappointed, he now wanted to rave about the entire series.
"Lelouch reigns supreme!"
"Lelouch is the best in the world!"
"All hail Lelouch!"
He muttered these phrases under his breath before quickly turning on his computer to flood the internet with glowing praise for Lelouch.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Kyoto, a young girl sat in front of her screen, tears streaming down her face after watching the final episode. She was utterly moved.
After finally regaining her composure, she logged into an online chat room and typed: "Lelouch's final episode was so beautiful, so heartbreaking... waaaah~"
Soon, a new message appeared in the chatroom: "Sakurako, since you love Lelouch so much, have you considered working at L.S. Production after graduation? I can help you write a recommendation letter (winks~)"
Sakurako was her nickname.
The sender's username was Tokyo's Top Star, a handsome guy who claimed to have entered the Tokyo animation industry just a few years ago.
Sakurako had recently been invited to join this chatroom, which was said to be comprised of professional animators. She didn't know much about the other members or their backgrounds.
She felt a bit puzzled: "Someone who's only been in the industry for a few years is offering to write me a recommendation letter?"
Could this Tokyo's Top Star guy be an employee at L.S. Production? Or does he know someone high up? Or maybe he served some VIP from L.S. while working as a host on weekends?
Unsure whether he was serious or joking, she politely declined: "Thank you, but that won't be necessary. I'd like to work somewhere closer to home. I'll probably stay in Kyoto after graduation."
Leaving the chat room aside, as the final episode of Code Geass aired, the internet exploded with related posts:
"The final episode of Code Geass was incredible! I'd call it a masterpiece!"
"Yeah, the first season and the first half of the second were amazing, but episodes 20-24 were a slight dip in quality. But now... I can only say it's another masterpiece."
"I'm in tears! Waaah~ My Prince Lelouch! Old Thief Lin, give me back my Prince Lelouch!"
"The Zero Requiem... it was truly breathtaking. It deserves a place in the annals of iconic animation scenes."
"I used to think that after Lelouch became the new Emperor, the story had strayed from its rebellious roots. But now I see I was wrong. Lelouch was rebelling until the very end—he just shifted from rebelling against the Empire to rebelling against the world."
"The ending was so tragic, especially with that insert song. It was even more moving than when Rolo died."
"Honestly, after Lelouch became Imperial Emperor and started using ruthless tactics against his former allies, those episodes made me lose respect for him. But now I realize, like Nunnally, I never truly understood Lelouch. I misunderstood him. He's still that charismatic Prince Lelouch."
"All hail Lelouch!"
Related topics and discussions sprang up one after another, unstoppable, as countless people went wild praising the final episode.
Of course, not everyone understood Lelouch's actions. Some even started a dedicated thread questioning the so-called "Zero Requiem," wondering if Lelouch's death would truly bring about world peace. Isn't that a bit too naive?
However, within minutes of the thread appearing, someone offered an explanation:
"It wasn't Lelouch's death that brought about world peace. It was his actions as Imperial Emperor—his radical destruction and rebuilding of the Empire. The new Empire was no longer the old one. The Black Knights and the United Federation of Nations both desired peace. The only truly ambitious and capable threat to peace was the Second Prince, Schneizel.
During the final decisive battle, when Schneizel was neutralized, the conditions for peace were met. However, the world's hatred hadn't faded, and peace remained unstable, teetering on the brink of renewed conflict. In such circumstances, the death of Tyrant Lelouch—the figure everyone loathed—would finally extinguish that hatred."
Would the world fall into chaos again after Lelouch's death?
Of course not. With the Black Knights, champions of justice, at the helm, and Schneizel, a man of ambition and intellect equal to Lelouch's, now controlled by the King's Power and serving Zero, who would dare cause trouble? Moreover, with the terrifying power of Freya and loyal, influential figures like Jeremiah within the Empire, any force that dared to act out of line would be swiftly dealt with.
While complete elimination of chaos and unrest was impossible, at least overall peace would be maintained.
Ultimately, his death wasn't meant to bring about world peace, but to sever the bonds of hatred. It was to prevent the already peaceful world from being shackled by past grievances, allowing it to take a step forward.
Some also find Nunnally's character somewhat comical. She once stood against Lelouch, declaring that she would sacrifice anything, even his life, to fire Freya. Yet when Lelouch actually died, she wept hysterically, crying, "He was too cunning! I just wanted my brother to be here."
This apparent contradiction was quickly explained:
Nunnally's initial confusion stemmed from her inability to understand Lelouch's true intentions. When she finally grasped his motives, she realized her brother wasn't the despicable person she'd imagined, but someone truly remarkable. Knowing that Lelouch was still the brother she once revered, she naturally felt profound regret and wept bitterly. It would be laughable if she remained unmoved.
As for why she, Lelouch's sister, failed to understand his intentions and trust him, instead believing Schneizel, the primary reason was that Lelouch never shared his true thoughts with her. The deaths of Euphemia and Shirley at his hands were undeniable facts. Moreover, on the surface, Lelouch was acting as the villain, reviled and loathed by countless people.
As a participant in these events, lacking an omniscient perspective, and with limited information, plus Schneizel constantly misleading her, it's natural that she would doubt whether her brother had changed.
Does anyone really believe that a person's character never changes? That if they were once good, they'll remain good forever?
These are discussions about the characters' actions in the animation.
However, beyond praising the final episode, the most heated debate online revolves around the lingering mystery left at the end of the animation: the identity of the charioteer.
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