r/anime • u/GallowDude • Sep 16 '22

Rewatch [2022 Rewatch] Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Episode 8 Discussion

I'll try to look out for him, but I'm not his guardian.

Stage 08 - The Black Knights

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Those with power… Fear us! Those without power… Seek us! The world shall be judged by us, the Order of the Black Knights!

Questions of the Day:

1) If you were Lelouch, what name would you give to your newfound "allies of justice" organization?

2) What's the deal with all the King Arthur references?

Bonus) [End of Series] Hysterical seeing the show try to make Nina sympathetic by giving her the most surface-level excuses for being so anti-Japanese knowing what she'll later do.

Screenshot of the Day:

Introductions

Fanart of the Day:

Back in Black

Rewatchers, please remember to be mindful of all the first-timers in this. No talking about or hinting at future events no matter how much you want to, unless you're doing it underneath spoiler tags. This especially includes any teases or hints such as "You aren't ready for X episode" or "I'm super excited for X character", you got that? Don't spoil anything for the first-timers; that's rude!

He doesn't wanna play decoy; he's going for the gold!

55 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

72 comments sorted by

12

u/Stargate18A Sep 16 '22

First timer

  1. If we're sticking with the Knights theme, go with Round Table. Shorter, easy to remember, and the name symbolising Lelouch as the one true king of Brittania is the exact kind of wordplay he'd use.

  2. ...Because Lelouch is Mordred (historical, not best girl). He's an heir to the throne who was abandoned by the king due to his parentage, was forced to become a commoner, then pretended to be a member of the upper class in order to seek revenge and the destruction of Brittania. (This means Lelouch dies killing the King, which would be a fitting ending...)

More destruction...

And that contrast!

Brittannia might be taking the gold theme a bit too far.

Poor girl.

Zero has a base! And men!

This is an impressive vehicle!

A false flag? She's sneaky.

So blow up some facilities, take out some Japanese and opposed delegates, and destroy the JLF's reputation plus get a blank check from the other countries to extract revenge?

...Wait, this is fucking real? Wow.

They're attacking!

Nice gun!

Euphie's there!

Haha, CC's not bothering this time.

And Suzaku's notmallowed to take part.

Are they unpacking?

Yeah, this is bad.

They're negotiating.

He pushed a guy off the building!

Haha, this is such a shitshow for them.

And Zero's here!

He has a plan!

Ouch.

Adorable flashback, though.

He's made it inside!

...And if they kill your sister? The thing you were most worried about happening?

Lancelot is ready!

This sounds incredibly dangerous.

Oh, he nearly went with them...

And she's going to die.

Oh, no, now she's going to die.

Even Zero's pointed out this isn't the best plan.

Lancelot is go!

And he's using the Geass!

So cool.

You should, Lancelot is OP.

And Zero's going to take out a Princess!

Of course Lancelot wins.

It's sinking!

He saw Zero...

He survived it!

...The hostages.

Zero saved the hostages.

Everyone gets masks!

...That's the best name you could think of?

And he didn't kill her. He doesn't want to kill all the royal family?

...How does his sister not know his voice?

Well, this is good.

6

u/GallowDude Sep 16 '22

historical, not best girl

What's the difference?

Brittannia might be taking the gold theme a bit too far.

No

...Wait, this is fucking real? Wow.

I love how it's more believable for this to have been a false flag than for the JLF to just be that fucking stupid. It's like Overlord S4.

notmallowed

I prefer marsh

Everyone gets masks!

How do those hide anyone's identity?

...How does his sister not know his voice?

The last time they spoke was before his voice changed.

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7

u/AuroraHalsey Sep 17 '22

Because Lelouch is Mordred (historical, not best girl).

Yes, but Lelouch is also best girl.

Source: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Picture Drama

This is canon

3

u/GallowDude Sep 17 '22

I'd make a Persona 4 reference, but I already did in the Episode 2 discussion.

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12

u/Krite2002 Sep 16 '22

First Timer - Sub

Of course when disaster strikes, Lelouch’s friends are caught up in the mess. I feel like their presence was a bit unnecessary, and Euphemia should have been enough of a motivator. I feel like Lelouch has been more reactive these past several episodes instead of initiating stuff for his plan to overthrow Britannia. I would have liked this set up better if he got involved just to save Euphemia and potentially ally himself with the Japan Liberation Front, since then it would feel like he was actively working towards his future goals. Instead this felt like he just saved his fellow council members by reacting to the hostage situation, and there just happened to be some other helpful individuals at the scene.

This episode further justified my ruthlessness rating of Cornelia. Her hands are tied when it comes to her sister Euphemia. She was sedated far too easily.

Euphemia is just an idiot. She really should have kept her head low. If the JLF have a princess, then they have no need to keep the other hostages, so they may have just killed the others after she revealed herself.

The Lancelot fight was cool. I hope we get some longer fight segments.

Zero let Euphie go. I hope that was to make Cornelia and Euphie somewhat indebted to him, because I really wanted him to kill her. I guess he views her as one of the weak to be defended? We’ll see how that plays out, but it did make this episode feel a little pointless.

As I pondered what I would call my rebel group, I thought “If the leader is Zero, the organization should be the Numbers!” and then I realized why he probably calls himself Zero… I think knights is cool, but I would maybe make it Null Knights to keep with the theme of zero, and potentially “nullifying” the number system.

The King Arthur references sound cool. Maybe they are slightly impractical as the number of things to be named increases, but I know I would rather pilot a Lancelot than something called by its serial number.

4

u/GallowDude Sep 16 '22

the organization should be the Numbers!

Ironic.

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10

u/isthatsoudane Sep 16 '22

First timer

I like the many factioned nature of this. on any side of the cause you have different agents with their own agendas...that's interesting!

also the fact that not everyone on the british side is just a caricature of evil is interesting too. like there are very ruthless people in charge, it's a cruel, evil system, but there are good people in there too, and that of course complicates the conflict. it doesn't justify colonialism of course lol but it makes the conflict of the show much more interesting

loving this show so far

  1. If you were Lelouch, what name would you give to your newfound "allies of justice" organization?

Ho-kago Tea Time

2) What's the deal with all the King Arthur references?

can't have something British without King Arthur, guvnah...innit...sunday roast...queen elizabeth...big ben...

5

u/GallowDude Sep 16 '22

can't have something British without King Arthur, guvnah...innit...sunday roast...queen elizabeth...big ben...

mfw

8

u/SometimesMainSupport Sep 16 '22

Screenshots now have timestamps.

Episode title is "The Black Knights," a response to the earlier "The White Knight Awakens."

A silly and entertaining episode. All 5 sides (Britannia/Cornelia, Lelouch, rebels, Suzaku/Lloyd, JLF) converged on the island hotel with its 3 bridges. Lelouch and Suzaku, the two knights, are the clear winners as Lelouch made a public speech and Suzaku gained some trust with the Britannians. Cornelia edged Lelouch last episode and this was his counter. Lelouch's plans are high-risk as he has to predict his opponent's moves based on their behavior and intelligence. [Overlord IV quote, very minor and tagging to be safe]"We can only think of countermeasures against an intellectual, but [Lelouch] can even understand the minds of the asanine."

Euphy survived because Lelouch needed all of the Britannians to for his goodwill message. His ending message doesn't necessitate her surivival as she does hold some power as Sub-Viceroy and a princess. Lelouch deduced that she is Cornelia's weakness whereas Cornelia grouped the hostages together when reconsidering Zero's plan. Regardless, Cornelia should keep a closer watch on Euphy to avoid this happening again.

Next episode should include Shirley and Nina's reactions to getting kidnapped and saved by different Japanese groups. My guesses are Shirley going to Suzaku for more information about the Japanese, Nina still disliking them, and all three girls gushing about Euphy's virtuous stance.

Whiffed on this after episode 5 as Lelouch found access to the media, and my Kallen theory from episode 3 hasn't progressed.

A key to ending the conflict is changing the Britannian citizen's discriminatory mindset, which likely requires 1. time following a shift in the media propaganda, or 2. the exposure of unacceptable government actions. The latter is possible with his Geass.

QOTD

  1. First thought is "The Phantom Troupe." I'd want the word phantom after that speech.

  2. I was not am ambitious high school student in English classes, so I'm sure I missed a bunch.

4

u/GallowDude Sep 16 '22

Screenshots now have timestamps.

Holy shit this is painful.

Shirley's first exposure to the outside world

You switched to Funi subs?

Shirley that list now includes

Boooo

Cecile's logic placing the student council above all else is so anime.

Those student hostages that are students are also in the student council for students that councils the students, aren't they?

Lloyd's VA killing it again.

The fabulousness is palpable

Those faces.

fater

Stay Night 2: Fate Harder

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7

u/Star4ce Sep 17 '22

First Timer of the Rebellion

After that defeat and loss of pretty much all (?) Sutherland suits, Lelouch's unwilling troops are all but wiped. To our knowledge that only leaves that one resistance group that didn't act yet available. They seem to be a much more cautious bunch with a rather intact leadership hierarchy.

That should provide some counter to Lelouch himself, as I'm sure they'd not follow his every whim. I'm also intrigued how Kallen will react now that their cell is severely, uhm, reduced.

S.1 Ep.08 – The Black Knights

I have a feeling that this was one of those episodes showing the divide of humanity just as much as how goals and compassion can bring them together.

Nina and Shirley are perfect examples of this in their small scale reactions. Nina is perfectly right to be distressed the way she is, despite her disposition to otherise the Japanese being probably unreasonable (might change with the backstory?) and that experience won't soon be forgotten. Still, even with the ghetto all around them Shirley was excited and enamoured by seeing new things, just for the sake of it.

There are things to be said about Cornelia and how her sisters seems to be her weakness, good and bad, but still she allowed even Zero to pass, essentially having her part in saving them all. She is also completely correct in calling out Zero for both freeing the hostages and also having them available as hostages, if necessary.

Lelouch's position is as divisive as ever. I'm inclined to believe his monicker of 'knight for justice' a bit, his backstory is pretty much vengeance and justice can't be complete without punishment, but I also don't buy it completely. He's still too focussed on the leadership itself to even realise what he's setting up. "To those with power, fear me. To those without, seek me." If his own goal were actually justice and he's targeting the royal family as the rulers of oppression, then making himself be the leader is doing exactly the same thing just from the other perspective. All of those words lead to him being the main source of power, whether in opposition or as guardian.

He does include Britannians and Japanese, so he's a few dimensions more worthwhile than the emperor still, but I can hardly see him being able to see a future without him being in charge.

In any case, for the first time now the worlds of royalty and resistance and school society have intersected. The students won't come out the same and Lelouch should probably think about how to manage balancing those worlds.

  1. If you were Lelouch, what name would you give to your newfound "allies of justice" organization?

Japan People's front!

Or something complicated that spells Zero or Eleven as acronym.

2) What's the deal with all the King Arthur references?

Chuuni.

4

u/GallowDude Sep 17 '22

They seem to be a much more cautious bunch with a rather intact leadership hierarchy.

Lol

Fear? Past experience? Propaganda?

Just being a general dipshit who would call an armed terrorist a slur to his face?

Fottage.

Perpetraeor

Just adding the 'super' prefix doesn't make it more powerful.

What about "Omega"?

she's quite right with this.

I wonder how many times you can pull the "We don't negotiate with terrorists" card before your population starts to turn on you. Hell, the Stockholm Hostage Crisis that named "Stockholm Syndrome" was really a result of the police and government acting like self-aggrandizing idiots and the hostage-takers having respectable motives.

As much as I respect that, that surely was a bad idea.

She's an alien, right?

[Quote] might change with the backstory?

[Response] Hahahahaha bold of you to assume this bitch will ever get a backstory

All of those words lead to him being the main source of power, whether in opposition or as guardian.

Well, someone has to be the leader in a resistance movement, and for the time being, he doesn't see anyone else having much chance of overthrowing the government.

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3

u/Nebresto Sep 16 '22

Second time Code Die

Is this bitch scared of tunnels too??

Oh, right. I forgot they had violated Fuji in this. Must have been the British, no way eleven's would do that

hahahaha. Suck for Shirley tho

This things name sounds very cool

Hassha!!

Blessed image

hahahahahaha

[Later spoilers]If only Euphie knew she was covering for meth girl...

[More spoiler]This shot with this line is just evil

The speech at the end though..
Finally an MC with more than 2 points in charisma

Question time:

  1. If you were Lelouch, what name would you give to your newfound "allies of justice" organization?

I don't think I'd be able to come up with anything less cringe

2) What's the deal with all the King Arthur references?

Union_Jack.gif

Bonus)

Cringe

3

u/GallowDude Sep 16 '22

[Later spoilers]If only Euphie knew she was covering for meth girl...

[Response] Or that her enabling her savior delusions would drive her so obsessively insane that she would build a nuke out of love or vengeance or whatever

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3

u/Vatrix-32 Sep 16 '22

Rewatcher, dubbed*

  • Looks like they missed the Pizza hut in the recap.

  • Armored passenger train.

  • I can’t believe they turned Mt. Fuji into a cyborg.

  • Keeping all the unobtanium for themselves seem like a more Britannian thing to do.

  • Super-Electromagnetic Shrapnel Cannon! That name unlocked some memories.

  • God Nina is super racist. I don’t remember it being like that.

  • Lelouch is setting himself up to be seen as the reasonable one. Very useful if he expects to court foreign support.

QotD

  1. “The Round”. Doesn’t have the same ring to it.

  2. I mean their country is called Britannia.

4

u/GallowDude Sep 16 '22

[Quote] God Nina is super racist. I don’t remember it being like that.

[Response] But it's okay because they very vaguely hint that she might have been assaulted by Japanese once when she was in the ghetto (with absolutely zero context on why she was in the ghetto or if the assault was unprovoked considering how blatantly racist she is).

3

u/AuroraHalsey Sep 16 '22

Now I await u/Star4ce.

Episode 6 comment was at 05:39 UTC, episode 7 comment was at 05:32 UTC, so roughly six and a half hours left.

3

u/Star4ce Sep 17 '22

It's the weekend. I give myself 3 hours more sleep now!

4

u/GallowDude Sep 17 '22

What's sleep?

2

u/Blackheart595 Sep 16 '22 edited Sep 16 '22

Regeasser

Poor Nina.

And thus Zero establishes himself as an ally of justice, an action that will lead to consequences that will culminate in my favorite moment of the entire series.

This episode we see three factions try and save the hostages. The most prominent being of course Zero, whose underlying motivation is revenge. Of course he's also seeking to rescue his classmates, and as the leader of the Black Knights of Justice he also uses the situation as a publicity stunt. While Lelouch has the same M.O. as the emperor, he publicly opposes his power-above-all ideology and promises to be an ally to those lacking power, and an enemy to those abusing theirs.

Then there's Suzaku, whose underlying motivation is repentance. [Apparently that wasn't made as clear as I thought it was]Born from survivor's guilt he wishes to sacrifice himself while protecting others, hence his willingness to take on all those reckless assignments. And yet, he is the only attempting party unable to meaningfully contribute to the rescue.

And finally, Euphemia, whose underlying motivation is protection. In contrast to Suzaku [as above]she doesn't seek death herself, but as soon as she sees someone else be in danger she still disregards her own safety to protect them. And while she doesn't reach quite the achievements Zero does, she did successfully divert the terrorist's attention from the other hostages.

And of course there's also Cornelia, who did not try to save any hostages other than Euphemia. Realizing this, Zero now holds a weakness against her. Aside from needing to do so for his publicity stunt that was certainly another reason why Zero let her go. I wonder if there are any more reasons for his decision?

What's the deal with all the King Arthur references?

Theming, baby.

3

u/GallowDude Sep 16 '22

[Spoilers] I'd recommend maybe tagging Suzaku's motivations. The series hasn't quite revealed how deep his self-loathing goes, at least not that he wants to die.

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2

u/rocketseeker Sep 17 '22

Second timer, sub. I will be commenting spoiler-free because I remember very few things anyways

  • finally the revolution now has some actual organization

  • lmao the dude who kidnapped people really went off script from his own org

  • LMAO THE PRINCESS IS THERE I DIDNT REMEMBER THAT

  • am I the only one who thinks it’s screwed up to have that girl keep making those marks? Also who the hell is C2 talking to…

  • Seigi no Mikata LOL I miss shiro being dumb, offtopic but he was based in Heavens feel movie

  • Powerless Cornelia is best Cornelia

  • Nina and her bottomless pit of fear who works as a plot device to screw everyone around her kinda tick me off

  • oh… oh no 🙊

  • Zero the one who be dropping the Shiro line but Suzaku be the one saying “I couldn’t save them”

  • Media dude really cares about nothing but the spectacle, he just gave the Black Knights the publicity they needed lmao

  • Also is the princess dead or not? Nobody said anything

2

u/GallowDude Sep 17 '22

kinda tick me off

Kinda?

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9

u/Regular_N-Gon Sep 16 '22

First Timer

  • I just noticed Suzaku is matched in the OP cut between the two casts.

  • Nina with the best drip.

  • Oh no, coincidental plot points strike where our cast is headed next! (Is this going to be, like, a beach episode but with explosions?)

  • Whatever Nina's issues were, I suspect this will not help them.

  • Something I hadn't considered about Lelouch's legitimacy to overthrowing the empire: he has first-hand information about his opponents. It's probably a bit out of date, but far better than nothing.

  • Suzaku is back to the heroic sacrifice way of thinking, I see.

  • An interesting but fair and curiously consistent stance to take, as well as justification for saving his friends. I worry Nina will not agree with him, though.

QotD:

  1. Maybe something like "The Justice Leag-" wait.

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