Code Geass season two: The sacrifices for an ideal world

To tell the honest truth, I didn't expect much from "Code Geass" when I first started. There's no way anyone can ever believe a story about a teenage brat who wanted to destroy the fictional country of Brittannia.

I was dead wrong. Code Geass is a virulent vision of destruction and mayhem, all for a much greater good. As illogical as the show turns out, no one can deny its brilliance.

The second season, R2, begins as an awkward slice-of-life story with the main character, Lelouche Lamperouge. He apparently lost all his memory of everything that happened in season one. He doesn't remember his rebel army, the Black Knights. He doesn't remember C.C. or anything about his Code Geass. And for some reason, he has a little brother following him around, named Rolo.

Although the environment drastically changed, the Black Knights still manage to remind Lelouch of his original mission. With the help of the immortal girl named C.C., Lelouch regains his memory and his ability to use the power of Geass. He has the ability to command people to do whatever he wants, by using the Geass power in his eye.

I had a couple gripes about the story as it meandered through a cast of new characters. For instance, the show almost spent too much time at a boring party with Brittannian nobles and a frightened Chinese princess.

Thankfully, the director has a keen way of keeping people interested, even when the anime plods through dull side stories. By the time people reach episode 14, they'll understand that this piece of animation is a frightening masterpiece.

We weren't meant to really hate Lelouch. No one can deny that he's an egocentric villain, but even when he kills all his best friends, he never does it intentionally. He always tried his best to keep them away from his megalomaniac complex.

I admit that the last few episodes are almost bombastic to the point of disbelief. No one would really wish to reduce the world into an intercontinental war of improbable proportions. Still, this show wasn't meant to turn into a satirical comedy. It was meant to reveal all the hypocritical qualities of the shonen anime in its rawest form. Although it plays out like a big, delusional fantasy devised by some otaku nut, it truly defies the philosophical boundaries of anime.

The intellectual battles in season two take on a much shrewder persona than in the previous season. Lelouch battles against selfish, obstinate dictators who wish to keep the people of the world stuck in the past or the present. For some reason, they all intend to create a worldwide apocalypse as part of their master plan.

Thankfully, Lelouch has better plans. He wants to turn the world into a safe place for everyone to live. He lives up to this promise, even to the very end.

Unfortunately, I can't tell anyone whether he's really honest about his intentions. I will say that this anime will always keep people on their toes. No one could ever anticipate this show's crafty ending. I'm still amazed that the director, Goro Taniguchi, had the brains and the drive to create such a wonderful cast of characters.

It's an understatement to say that this is one of the most important anime shows of our time. "Code Geass" is an epic that we deserve to revile and rejoice in. It's possibly the most volatile thing I've ever seen and it's a fantastic piece of art.

Director Goro Taniguchi will probably never create a better anime than this one, but I don't mind. This show is nearly impossible to top, in its scope of haywire chaos and demolition. If you've got the guts, watch every episode of this anime. You absolutely won't regret any second of it.

You'll probably cringe a lot though. This show has tons of explosions.

Images courtesy of photobucket.com

DVD Review: More relaxing in Neo-Venezia

It's especially hard to keep up the momentum for "Aria," an incredibly relaxing series with serene imagery and comforting character.

However, even "Aria" has some really unusual characters in Neo-Venezia to add some variety in season two.

The first part of season two brings back all the classic characters of "Aria" for a reunion at the Carnivale. All Akari's buddies from season one, including little Ai, return to Aria to see the mysterious Casanova.

This sets up Akari and Ai's new Totoro impersonation. The humongous, masked Casanova invites Akari and Ai to join in his dance. There's nothing cuter than watching Akari and Ai sing "Zutto, zutto, zutton, pon!" while they are following the Casanova, who may be related to Cait Sith, king of the cats.

There's plenty of new characters who arrive. Probably the best new addition, however, is the gnome Edward, who is also Aika's love interest. Their new romance is one of the most touching parts of season two. There's something charming when Aika says that Edward is so unfairly nice. She tries to look away, but the chemistry they have together is irresistable. Aika even comes up with a line to say to him whenever he gives weird elderly statements to Aika aloud.

The characters also take up more difficult changes to their attitudes in this series. Alice has a dramatic episode in which she turns down a warm invitation to have dinner with the other Pairs (gondola navigators) in her company, Orange Planet. She has a nervous fear that her coworkers are jealous of her and hate her. Thankfully, her teacher, Athena, is willing to help her open up.

Admittedly, the series makes me fall asleep, but not because it is boring. In fact, the beautiful images of water and the complex characters are just captivating. However, I often wondered just how long the anime director could keep this series of pure bliss intact. "Aria" ran for 39 episodes. It's difficult to keep the tone consistent, yet allow room for the characters to evolve.

However, there's plenty of things for the characters to say, because they always discover new things that are unique in Neo-Venezia. Whether they encounter the ruins of a neverending cat city, a bakery which serves bread made from buckwheat noodles, or a children's puppeteer, there's always something new in the city to find.

Most of all, Akari is friendlier than ever. The bubbly characters never lose their charm. I'm already itching to watch the second part of season two.

Image courtesy of aria.rightstuf.com

DVD Review - Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Season two of "Maria Watches Over Us" features plenty of surprises, heartbreaks and changing relationships.

The series continues Yumi's relationship with the Rosa Chinensis, Sachiko Ogasawara. "Maria" features a tear-jerking graduation ceremony for the seniors, some cool flashbacks and the induction of more little sisters in the Yamayuri Countil.

Admittedly, the season begins a little slowly, with a New Year's party at Sachiko's home. No real drama takes place in this place--this episode just introduces Yumi to Sachiko's humongous mansion home.

The spotlight of season two, however, is the farewell of the seniors at Lillian Girl's Academy. Yumi, saddened that her friend Sei Sato is leaving, gives a heartbreaking farewell kiss. Sachiko breaks down in tears before she can finish her farewell speech to the Yamayuri seniors. And the schoolgirls get together for a touching photo session with the school journalists.

With graduation finally over, however, the Yamayuri continues to find new sisters to add to their student council. An incredibly emotional flashback episode shows us how Sei Sato chose Shimako as her petite soeur, or little sister. Although Shimako is not sure who she should pick as her petite soeur, she finds a lovely girl in episode 7, named Noriko Nijo.

The Noriko Nijo episodes are especially touching. After all, it's not everyday that anime fans get to learn Shimako's dilemma with having Buddhist parents and attending Catholic school. And Shimako is pretty shy and nervous too, making for some nerve-wracking scenes when she is trying to make Noriko her petite seour.

The most touching episodes involve a mysterious story arc, in which Sachiko cancels all her dates with Yumi. Sachiko is also spending an awful lot of time with Toko Matsudaira, Sachiko's cousin and best fan. Yumi is shocked, and has no idea whether Sachiko is cheating on her. Fortunately, this is just a misunderstanding, leading to a wonderful make-up scene at the end of the season.

"Maria Watches Over Us" is one of the best anime romance series I have ever seen, with some of the most crushing emotional scenes with poignant scenery. While there isn't too much humor, there are plenty of wonderful friendships and romances with girls in this series. Indeed, this series is as romantic as "His and Her Circumstances" (Kare Kano in Japan), with girl and girl romances. Indeed, if Hideaki Anno had ever continued "His and Her Circumstances," it would look as beautiful as "Maria Watches Over Us."

As long as anime fans are willing to bear with homosexual girl relationships, "Maria Watches Over Us" is a must-see romance anime.

Image courtesy of chloeal.blogspot.com

DVD Review: The Virgin Mary's Girls

It's been awhile since I first reviewed "Maria Watches Over Us." The second DVD of the first season is a little disappointing, but the storyline on the Gigantea family is very intriguing.

As shown in the first DVD, Yumi Fukuzawa became Sachiko Ogasawara's petite seour, or little sister. The student council, also known as the Yamayuri Council, is ogling over this new induction. However, they are especially interested in Noriko Nijo and Shimako Toudo, who were declared the best seour pair by the student newspaper.

But in a little twist, Shimako and Noriko engaged in a verbal argument, in which Noriko gave Shimako back the rosary necklace. Thus, Noriko stopped living as Shimako's petite seour. But Noriko has her own reasons for leaving. Her heart surgery is coming up.

The last episode in this DVD involves the mysterious Rosa Canina, also known as Kanina Shizuka. Shizuka is a junior in high school, who is in the running to be elected as one of the Yamayuri Council officers. However, she's also interested in Sei Suto, one of the members of the Gigantea family. Why is Rosa Canina running in the election when no one in the Yamayuri council knows who she is.

Compared to the first DVD, these episodes are rather tame, in terms of romance and drama. The episodes on Shimako and Noriko are especially intriguing, because I never expected Noriko as a person who has heart problems. But Shimako and Noriko have a very moving moment together in the end. As for Rosa Canina, she shared a short romantic kiss with Sei Sato.

True, this wasn't the best set of yuri romance stories in the series, but it provides a more in-depth look at the seour system in the Yamayuri Council.

Image courtesy of insideanime.wordpress.com