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After the opening theme of Code Geass finished playing, the camera shifted to a confined, dimly lit space. A black-haired youth sat across from a portly, lavishly dressed man, engaged in a tense game of chess. The primary purpose of this scene was to establish the protagonist's high intelligence. Even without knowing the moves, the audience could see that Lelouch was operating on a professional level. Within ten minutes, he had utterly dismantled his opponent's defenses.
Beyond showcasing his intellect, the scene provided crucial world-building.
Lelouch's opponent was a noble from the Holy Empire of Britannia. Japan, having been defeated in a past war, had become an overseas colony known as Area 11.
Consequently, the Japanese people were treated as second-class citizens, looked down upon by the Britannian elite.
Mizore contemplated this setting as she watched. While the concept of a colonial state was a bit difficult to fully grasp, she already felt a surge of indignation.
As a fan of Initial D, which was also set in Japan, seeing "Elevens" being discriminated against hit close to home. In just two minutes of screen time, the show successfully made Mizore despise the Britannian Empire.
The pacing of the first episode was incredibly tight. Lelouch's schoolmates, like Shirley, were introduced within the first five minutes.
Then came the brief appearance of Prince Clovis, the Third Prince of the Empire and the Governor of Area 11. Meanwhile, a group of resistance cells were preparing to ambush a military convoy transporting a highly sensitive item.
Mizore felt like her brain was working overtime.
"Is the information density of the first episode always this high?" she wondered, her eyes glazed with focus. She tried her best to absorb every detail, but the show moved too fast for deep reflection.
Who was Lelouch really? Why did he look so murderous at the mention of Prince Clovis on the radio? And wasn't he supposed to be a student? Why was he skipping class to gamble on chess matches? It felt like he was a bit of a delinquent.
The plot didn't slow down. Due to the resistance attack, Prince Clovis ordered the deployment of the military's humanoid weapons, the Knightmare Frames. By a twist of fate, Lelouch was caught in the middle of the chaos while trying to return to school. Out of curiosity and circumstance, he found himself trapped inside the very vehicle the resistance had stolen.
It felt like a series of convenient coincidences, but then again, that's what makes a protagonist.
A person whose life is predictable and lacks surprises is just an ordinary citizen.
The highway chase between the resistance and the Britannian military served as the debut for mecha combat in the series. The audience met Kallen, a fierce girl who piloted an older model Knightmare for the resistance.
Her group was being squeezed between the forces of a high-ranking Britannian officer and a specialized unit using the latest technology. It was a completely one-sided slaughter.
Trapped in the cargo container, Lelouch's only focus was figuring out how to survive the crossfire. Both sides were desperately fighting over a massive, spherical steel container. What was inside? The fans were already completely hooked by the mystery.
Cornered by Britannian soldiers, Lelouch came face-to-face with an infantryman. As the soldier removed his helmet, both gasped in shock.
"Lelouch?"
"Suzaku?"
The two childhood friends stood staring at each other in disbelief. Mizore quickly realized these were the two boys from the prologue. One had become a soldier for the Empire, while the other was a student in an academy.
Now, both were caught in a life-or-death struggle over a mysterious weapon.
Mizore blinked.
This was a massive amount of setup. For now, the audience's impression of Suzaku was quite positive. He was athletic, handsome, and seemed like a genuinely nice person who cared for his friend. However, in a few weeks, once the show progressed, his reputation would take a massive hit.
Lelouch featured over a hundred characters, but none would frustrate the fan base as much as Suzaku. During the show's peak popularity in the original world, the hatred for Suzaku was legendary. He was the ultimate wild card who constantly sabotaged Lelouch's best-laid plans.
The scene shifted quickly. The military claimed the container held toxic gas, but as Lelouch and Suzaku spoke, it hissed open. A beautiful girl with long green hair and a white gown emerged, her eyes closed like a sleeping beauty.
"C.C... that was her name, right?" Mizore held her breath. She remembered Haruto calling her that in the trailers.
Suddenly, a squad of Royal Guard soldiers arrived. They ordered Suzaku to execute Lelouch on the spot. Suzaku firmly refused, arguing that Lelouch was a mere civilian and that he would not follow an illegal order to kill an innocent person.
"I can't do it."
"What did you say?"
"Shooting a civilian... I won't do it."
BANG!
Suzaku's superior officer didn't hesitate. He shot Suzaku in the back, and the boy collapsed.
"Secure the woman! As for the boy beside her... execute him immediately!"
Mizore felt dizzy. The plot was moving at light speed. What was wrong with these people? They kept a girl in a metal container, and then they shot their own soldier for having a conscience? And Lelouch was clearly a citizen of the Empire, yet they were going to kill him just because he saw the girl's face? Was this even a military?
The brutality didn't stop there.
Britannian forces began a ruthless massacre of the civilians nearby to cover their tracks. The fan group chats were going wild.
"Is this a war drama?"
"I didn't expect Haruto to go this dark. This Empire is rotten to the core. If the soldiers are this bad, imagine the people in charge."
"They're just slaughtering everyone?"
"They don't even care about their own people once they see red."
"This Empire is pure evil."
"There is so much content in this one episode! I'm going to have to watch it again tomorrow just to catch all the details."
"The green-haired girl and the redhead from the resistance are both so cute. Are they both love interests?"
As the episode reached its climax, the officer leveled his gun at Lelouch and fired.
"Don't kill him!"
The green-haired girl suddenly lunged forward, shielding Lelouch with her own body. A bullet struck her directly in the forehead.
"What?!" Mizore's mouth hung open. She was supposed to be the main heroine! Was she really dying in the first episode? Was it a fake-out? No, there was a hole in her forehead. You don't just walk away from a bullet to the brain.
But then, the world stopped. Lelouch felt a wave of grief and rage wash over him as he watched Suzaku and the girl fall. Suddenly, he felt her hand touch his fingers.
"You don't want it to end here, do you?" a voice echoed in his mind.
"What?"
"It seems you have a reason to keep on living."
"The girl? Is it her?"
"If I grant you power, will you take it? This is... a contract. I give you this power, and in exchange, you must fulfill my wish. But know this: once you accept, you will no longer live as a normal human being. A different fate, a different timeline, and a different life... The Power of the King will bring you nothing but solitude. If you are prepared for that..."
"Fine. Let us forge this contract!" Lelouch's internal roar, delivered with masterful intensity by the voice actor, brought the scene to a fever pitch.
The sequence was undeniably over-the-top and filled with Chuunibyou energy, but that was exactly the vibe the show was going for. Many fans felt a bit embarrassed by the dramatic dialogue, yet they found it incredibly stylish and captivating. This was the essence of Lelouch.
Mizore felt a blush of second-hand embarrassment, but a grin spread across her face anyway. "This protagonist is so different from the usual types."
Then came the first true God Tier moment of the series. The slender, black-haired youth rose from the blood of his friend and the mysterious girl. He pressed a hand to his face, covering one eye.
"Tell me... how should a Britannian who hates Britannia live?" Lelouch asked the soldiers.
"What's wrong? Why don't you fire? Or have you realized that the only people who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed themselves?"
"I, Lelouch vi Britannia, command you!" He dropped his hand, revealing a glowing, violet eye with a red bird symbol.
"All of you... die!"
Lelouch swept his hand out with grace.
His voice was soft yet chilled with ice. Suddenly, the soldiers across from him began to laugh as if they had lost their minds.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The sound of gunfire filled the air as the soldiers collectively turned their weapons on themselves and committed suicide. The scene was theatrical, bloody, and hauntingly cool.
Mizore's eyes widened. Her heart began to race. In the original world, some critics argued that Code Geass was too dramatic and tried too hard to be cool. But that was the point. The creators didn't care if it wasn't for everyone. When a show this stylish finds its audience, it creates a deep, immediate connection.
"By the name of Lelouch vi Britannia... so he is royalty?"
"That power is insane! He can just tell people to kill themselves?"
"That was the coolest thing I've ever seen."
"For a long time, I've lived a lie," Lelouch spoke. "A lie of a name, a lie of a life... I was sick of this unchanging world. The lie was so deep it made me want to give up on everything."
"But now... I have the power."
The blood-splattered face of the youth broke into a confident, triumphant smirk, replacing the look of despair he had held moments before.
Episode 1: END.
As the ending credits began to roll, Mizore sat in silence. Her mind was filled with the image of that smiling, black-haired boy.
"Dammit, Haruto! You're really going to end it there?"
On the forums, the discussion was instantaneous.
"Holy cow, that was a bit Chuunibyou, but I absolutely love it!"
"I didn't think he'd write something this bombastic. This is going to be a wild ride!"
"What kind of power is that? Command-line suicide?"
"Mecha war mixed with superpowers? This guy's imagination is on another level."
"I'm in for the long haul! The first episode had more content than three episodes of any other show."
"Did anyone else catch the name? Lelouch vi Britannia? Is he an exiled prince?"
"I'm blown away. That order to die was stone-cold. This protagonist is a beast!"
The premiere was a massive success, dominating the trending charts on every major platform. Even after the credits finished and the commercials started, Tokyo TV1's ratings remained incredibly high.
While a few fans found the dramatic posturing a bit much, the overwhelming majority felt the show was a breath of fresh air. It was clear that a new mega-hit had arrived.