Online, people had already started talking about Code Geass. It hadn't even been ten minutes since the premiere of both episodes ended, and discussions were already flooding in.
"What a legendary first episode! Such a good way to start the series. I'm already hooked. I can't wait for more."
"Mizushiro, once again, revives a dying genre. We haven't had a decent mecha anime in five years, and even before that, not many stood out this much. I really want to see how he designs the mechs. It already looks so promising. I can't wait for more."
"I know, right? I don't have a single thing to nitpick."
"Of course not. You can't nitpick when a world-class team worked on Code Geass."
"And that legendary opening. Did anyone notice the credits? It says Mizushiro wrote and composed it."
That comment sparked a new thread, which Yuuya clicked open.
"I knew it from the beginning, when they didn't reveal the artist's identity. He's done all the music for Mizushiro's anime. In just two years, he's already written so many great songs."
"Yeah, but we don't know anything about him. No social pages, no interviews. All we know is that whenever new music drops, it's tied to a Mizushiro anime, and then it shows up on streaming sites."
After reading a few more messages, Yuuya exited the thread and searched for others. Soon, he found another one.
"It's only been two episodes, so I can't say much yet, but I'm starting to like the story."
"When Mizushiro announced the first half of the season would premiere with two episodes back-to-back, I was worried about the animation quality. But clearly, there's nothing to worry about."
"Of course not. Team Evermark built such a strong production crew."
"The animation quality feels like they went all out this time. Not that their earlier anime were low-quality, but this one looks like they've poured in the biggest budget yet."
"I think Lelouch will be a really interesting protagonist. Compared to Mizushiro's past main characters, this is the first time he's written a truly smart one."
"Exactly. Every time Mizushiro makes something, anime or manga, he tries something new. And here he's doing so much at once. Mechs, a strategist MC, political drama. And this is only two episodes in."
"Honestly, Mizushiro must have so much faith in this project. The amount of money poured into Code Geass is insane."
"It has to be the story. Why else would this world-class team join a relatively new studio that's only made one anime, one film, and a short? Money alone can't convince people at their level. And it's not like Mizushiro and Kazuya have that much influence. The story must have been what pulled them in."
"That makes sense. But now that you put it that way, I'm even more hyped. What kind of story convinced them to all join this single project?"
"I think the high school setting might hold it back a little. It could limit the story's potential."
"I get that, but if anyone can pull it off, it's Mizushiro."
Yuuya left that thread too. Most of the posts focused on behind-the-scenes details and production, but he wanted to see more reactions to the episodes themselves. Finally, he found another thread and tapped it.
"I think Mizushiro just loves horns. JoJo's opening had them, now Code Geass's opening too."
"The way Lelouch dramatically waves his hand when giving commands. I loved it. And when he ordered those Britannian soldiers to die? Pure cinema."
"Another new art style from Mizushiro. The way he changes between projects is insane. It always feels so different."
"So big question. What do you guys think? Is Lelouch a villain?"
"I don't think so. Some people might say that, but to me he feels like someone sick of the world, someone who wants to change it."
"But those kinds of changes could make him a villain. At the end of episode two, it's revealed he's a prince who despises his father's empire. To me, it looks like he's aiming for power. Maybe to become king."
"Yeah, agreed. The fact that he's a prince, presumed dead, and seventh in line to the throne… that screams conspiracy. Either he was targeted, or he barely survived. Now that he's back with this new power, I think he's going to manipulate everything to take the crown."
As Yuuya scrolled, he saw just how overwhelming the discussion had become. Putting his phone down, he turned to his dinner. It was warm now, and he needed something else to watch while finishing his food.
He opened the app, scrolling through new releases. The section looked pretty empty, except Code Geass, which dominated the front page.
"How many views has it gotten?" he wondered, tapping the series.
Episode one had already hit six million views. Episode two had 4.5 million.
Yuuya stared. Am I seeing this right? What the hell? Six million views in the first hour?
He knew Code Geass had hype, especially after the teaser drop, but this? Usually, only long-running series with big climaxes pulled numbers like that. Yet here was an original anime pulling the same kind of attention.
He quickly exited the streaming app and opened a website that tracked anime viewership across platforms. The site combined stats from different sources into a single ranking.
At number one: Code Geass. Fifteen million views for the first episode, twelve million for the second.
Second place wasn't even close. It was an American series, King of Castel, which had just aired its finale. Eight million views.
Yuuya leaned back, rubbing his eyes. His dinner was starting to cool, so he put on an American sitcom in the background while he ate.
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