Around midnight on June 23rd, the final episode of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Season 1 aired.
Online, related topics exploded one after another, with countless viewers hotly debating:
"Damn it, they didn't explain anything clearly! Who actually fired that last shot?"
"C.C. fell into the deep sea. She's immortal, but will she survive? She should, right? It should be fine, right?"
"I'm more curious about the Great Tokyo Battle. Who won in the end—the Black Knights or the Britannian Army?"
"Obviously the Britannian Army won. Cornelia told Suzaku herself that the tide was turning in their favor. Besides, the Black Knights had no one besides Lelouch who could lead the entire operation. Ougi and Toudou aren't up to it. The moment Lelouch chose to save Nunnally, the Black Knights were doomed."
"Lelouch really does value his sister Nunnally above everything else. He's the ultimate sister complex."
"Who even is that V.V. guy? What's he trying to do by kidnapping Nunnally? They didn't give us any clues at all—what a cliffhanger!"
"I need Season 2! LSP, please, just give us Season 2 already! It's not coming out until January next year—by then, my hair will be completely gone!"
These discussions were about the overall ending of the animation.
Many people also debated specific plot points or topics from the second season.
For example, a thread on the forum asked: "Who shot the gun in the final episode of Code Geass?"
Under this seemingly ordinary topic, the discussion was lively:
"I bet it was Lelouch. Suzaku hated him for what happened to Euphemia, but I don't think he could actually pull the trigger. Plus, Karen was there. Even if she was devastated to learn Zero was Lelouch, she definitely would have shot if Suzaku dared to fire."
"Lelouch firing makes more sense. He could even bring himself to kill Euphemia, so shooting Suzaku wouldn't be out of character. He was desperate to save Nunnally and Suzaku hit a nerve with his words. If it wasn't him, I won't believe it."
"I actually think Suzaku is more likely to have fired the shot. But Lelouch definitely didn't die, otherwise they wouldn't have made a second season."
"Maybe it was Karen who fired."
"What about V.V.? Maybe he was hiding somewhere, watching the argument between Lelouch and Suzaku, and took the shot."
For instance, many fans were discussing the assassination of Lelouch's mother, Princess Marianne:
"Could Princess Marianne have actually survived? Knowing she was going to be assassinated, she deliberately withdrew the guards. If she didn't fake her death, it doesn't make sense. Plus, Cornelia said, 'By order of His Majesty the Emperor, Crown Prince Schneizel transported the body.' This statement makes it highly likely that Marianne faked her death."
"Suddenly, I remembered an episode where C.C. was talking to herself, or maybe to someone else. She seemed to call that person 'Marianne' back then."
"What if the Imperial Emperor was the one who killed Marianne? What if she truly died, but somehow continued to exist? And what if C.C. is actually a cheat program Marianne gave her son Lelouch to help him get revenge?"
"Marianne might really be alive. But I can't understand why she brought Nunnally with her that day if she knew she was going to be assassinated. Wasn't she afraid Nunnally would be killed?"
"C.C. definitely knew Marianne. Lelouch might even have to call C.C. his aunt."
The final two episodes of the first season of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion left so many unresolved plot threads that, combined with the animation's explosive popularity, even the slightest topic sparked massive audience discussion.
In the first half of 2002, especially in June, no other anime could rival Code Geass in terms of buzz.
The sheer volume of discussion demonstrated how much the audience loved the anime, how satisfied they were, and how eagerly they anticipated its second season.
Even though the second season wouldn't premiere for another six months, the numerous cliffhangers left in the final two episodes of the first season had built anticipation to a fever pitch. It was certain that when the second season finally aired, with its quality guaranteed, its performance would be stellar.
Regardless, the first season of Code Geass had concluded triumphantly.
A phenomenal anime with explosive commercial success.
In terms of ratings, it dominated the late-night anime slots in the first half of 2002, with the final two episodes even breaking the highest late-night television animation rating records since the 1990s.
The merchandise was selling like hotcakes, especially the model kits and complete versions of special mechs like Lancelot and Guren Type-2. Even a custom Zero helmet priced at over 30,000 yen was a popular item, with many people ordering it.
It's safe to say that these merchandise sales alone would make Lin Zhiyan a fortune.
Of course, the animation's DVDs were even more remarkable.
After the twenty-third episode aired, fueled by the buzz surrounding Euphie's death, the first volume of the animation's DVD sales surged past 40,000 units.
By the time the final episode aired, sales experienced another significant spike. In less than a month, they climbed to over 45,000 units, nearing 46,000.
For subsequent volumes, any that had been on the market for over a month generally sold more than 40,000 units.
While it's hard to say if the cumulative average sales would definitively surpass the original version in another timeline, the difference wouldn't be significant.
The animation's critical reception was also exceptional. On Japanese review sites, it maintained a score of over 8.0 before the finale. After the series concluded, the rating soared and stabilized at an impressive 8.89.
Compared to Death Note, the score was indeed slightly lower, but this was mainly because too many plot threads remained unresolved. Even after the first season concluded, many viewers remained cautious about the rating.
When the second season airs, if all the plot threads left dangling in the first season are properly resolved, the first season's score will undoubtedly rise further.
Moreover, while Code Geass Season 1 might have fallen short of Death Note in terms of score, it far surpassed Death Note in the number of ratings. Therefore, a simple comparison is misleading.
This score already surpasses at least 95% of all animations. After all, this isn't Bilibili's rating system; animations with scores above 8.5 are rare, and those approaching or exceeding 9 are even rarer.
Death Note achieved both immense popularity and critical acclaim. In contrast, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion has experienced an explosion in both popularity and critical acclaim.
Now, the question is whether this animation can win awards and whether the second season can maintain such a strong performance.
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