“The only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed.” - Lelouch Vi Britannia

As just your average anime enjoyer with poor written English ability and below average communication skills, I really don't like giving reviews but because Lelouch reminds me of how depressing it is to be a depressed male homosapiens since Plastic Memories then I'll consider it as a token of my appreciation.

It’s been a while since a series or a TV show made me suddenly have a terrible mood swings and irritability like a maiden having her first menstruation period. The god of laziness prevents me from working and at the same time, the god of insomnia prevents me from falling asleep. The excitement I’ve felt from the first season, the wilt to throw your phone inside the toilet bowl as Suzaku betrays the MC, and the rising of the not so shield hero from seeing some moments of fan service. Yes, it is one of the most engaging and hyped anime out there in the vast universe filled with 80% generic isekai anime.

So let’s discuss why this anime is special and why it is also a trash garbage.

Story

• The first half of the second season is not half bad. In fact, it is still good, intense and breathtaking. But what the heck happened to the writing on the second half? Orange, why are you going tomato and siding with the MC? Also, Marianne – Lelouch’s Mother is alive and is actually a villain with a geass that could transfer her consciousness to other people? Rolo, I thought you’re going to murder Nunnaly? Who the heck put a stair in Nunnaly’s room when she can’t walk nor see? I mean, what’s going on with the world? This is more stress inducing rather than having a new variant of coronavirus that can’t be cured by any kind of vaccine!

• Main Antagonist are not too evil. This one point already made the anime different from the rest of generic anime series, Hollywood movies and any other more. There is no pure evil, only clashing ideals, values and diverging version of what they think is right. The King of Britannica that wants a world where no one lies, Lelouch who wanted a gentler world for Nunnaly to live, Orange who wanted to prove his loyalty to the Britannian blood. Marianne who is just being Marianne. C’2 who is just being C’2.

Fight Scene

• The fight scenes are good, but unlike the first season, it is not so tactical. It became, “My mecha armor is better” scenario where one armor could wipe out an entire fleet of aircraft with a single laser beam. Bruh… Where is my “Go sigma formation! B1, B2 go left… Retreat, retreat! ” scene?

Art Style

• I am not choosy, I ate vegetables. Nunnaly is still a waifuu material even though she acquired a larger set of eyes. Karen in her mascot uniform still hotter than charizard.

Soundtracks

• Very Great! Added to my Spotify collection of sad, emotional music. Who didn’t get goosebumps when they first heard “Continued Story by Hitomi” in Lelouch’s Death Scene amplifying the emotional impact as the events and sacrifices made by Lelouch flash before his eyes? Only humans with no spine wouldn’t. What about “Story by Hitomi”? Sounds too holy that it felt like I am inside a Christian church with a private choir singing for me even though I am actually watching a coup d'ét against a corrupt nation that is trying to kill God.

Legendary Ending

• Painful indeed, it lives up to my expectation as the legendary ending in anime history. I’ve been holding my nose the entire time, the warmth of blood swelling up to my face, trying to stimulate my glands and produce tears. The concept of sacrifice where you gave up your life only for the majority of the people to despise your existence as the villain. And we know that there is no redemption arc where the MC magically goes back to life to clear his name, he didn’t take credit for his guts and brains or make himself the hero. It is a very beautiful ending retaining the integrity of his own words that the fate of those who are prepared to kill are to be killed themselves. He took responsibility for killing Euphy, for Shirley and her father and the lives of many that had been lost.

Conclusion

One of the best anime so far that I watched in recent years. I don’t know what to say but despite those flaws and inconsistency in the series, once you felt in love with the soundtracks, I mean, the moral lesson of the story, then it is hard to hate it. Therefore it is a complete 101/100 for me.

P.S. The movie is not related to the S2 original ending which is a disappointment, but also a good thing.

"Anime is trash and so am I"