Between this genre, that genre

Code Geass R2, Episode 16: Bloody black king

Being a four-month n00b in contemporary popular music, I will now quote from a relevant Wikipedia entry:

In some contexts the term "crossover" can have negative connotations, implying the watering-down of a music's distinctive qualities to accommodate to mass tastes.

But as much as I want to shoehorn Code Geass into the above, it doesn't really work. "Frankenanime" (Frankime?) is a better and more appropriate fit, although as something amounting to a viewing experience, I'd say that I was watching a Rube Goldberg / Heath Robinson machine.

It's not the first time that I've seen the equivalent of an overly complicated, implausible, and totally arbitrary contraption, but this is the first time that such a thought has occurred to me, and it took the second season to do it. I'm still not sure what triggered first memories of gleefully feeding Mort the Mouse's and Mel Schlemming's to Ernie the Alligator, followed by Cog.

How does one enjoy watching a demonstration of the thinnest of margins and Make it so? Not by thinking, "This thing is ridiculously disjunct," but maybe "I wonder what nonsensical household item is coming up" instead. If nothing else, it's unwise to attempt to watch a contraption in action over more than one sitting.

In the case of Code Geass, it's about five sittings for the whole thing.

Code Geass R2, Episode 17: Chess piece trigger

I don't remember how many it took to watch the first season, and it's not exactly something that I want to repeat, but three sounds about right. Add two for the second season, and the result is that I walk away with a generally favourable impression. Never to return, mind you, but still generally favourable.

I think it goes to show that goodwill is not something that you sprinkle upon a series solely when you view it. Code Geass was something that probably should have become a thorn in my side like, oh, Gundam 00, but marathoning never let me get to that point.

This really seems like I'm playing games with viewing habits in order to wind up with a better opinion of a show than it perhaps deserves. Maybe it's even somewhat intentional. I don't go around trying to salvage positive from everything that I watch, but I do tend to be cautiously optimistic.

Wrapping up this entry with some points worth mentioning (maybe).

  • It's always the inside jobs. Change from within is change you can believe in.
  • The truth is something that dies with the old guard. This isn't justice, but our protagonist was never really much for the idea.
  • Hamlet pretended to be mad; Lelouch pretended to be normal.
  • What tactic isn't executed in real-time?
  • I have a great idea! I christen it: real-time strategy.
  • Even better, real-time strategy with map hack. Oh, wait…

P.S.

One consequence is that I'm biased towards strong finishes. I will go back and rewatch things if I'm totally enamoured, but the predisposition is still there, because it's pretty tough to hold even four episodes in your head when they come in without a break.

Code Geass had a strong finish, convenient religious imagery and bittersweet music and all.

Title source: Crossover Interlude — Utada Hikaru