「共鳴 resonance」 (Kyoumei)

Considering how the last episode went, this week’s was definitely a step in the right direction. Most of my complaints about Shuu’s flakiness were addressed with him coming clean with his friends about his Void Genome; however, just as things were looking up, the writers had to script in the most unconvincing reason to get them to help him save Funeral Parlor — “They believed in me.” Not a very good reason when it’s a terrorist group he’s talking about, especially the one Shuuichirou’s framed for causing a Genome Resonance and spreading the Apocalypse Virus. It’s such a common pretext when it comes to anime, but that doesn’t mean it can be applied to any scenario. I really don’t understand why Shuu couldn’t have said something along the lines of, “The GHQ are part of some conspiracy and Funeral Parlor’s trying to stop them”, or at the very least, something that tries to portray Funeral Parlor in a positive light. It may make him sound like a terrorist himself if he claims they’re fighting for some “righteous cause”, but it’s not nearly as bad as the one he gave. Arisa was there, so she could’ve easily said something to support his claim too.

This may not have bothered other people, but it was a pretty big blemish to me since it was the driving factor for the second half of the episode. I’m kind of disappointed that something so easily correctable proved to be the only questionable development in an otherwise good episode that finally started to bring various aspects of the story together. I wasn’t even bothered by the fact that Yahiro came around so easily, because he clearly held a grudge against Shuu, but I couldn’t overlook how unbelievable it was to see Yahiro come around for that reason. After all, it wasn’t just a matter of believing in Shuu and supporting his new-found resolve; Yahiro and the others risked being branded terrorists themselves and put their lives in his hands by charging into Haneda Airport while it was swarming with GHQ forces. A rather unfortunate happenstance really, as I found it pretty cool to see Shuu wear the “guilty crown” in a respectable manner and ask his friends for help, plus use their Voids to overcome all the obstacles they encountered. That was something I could actually get behind as it made his character relatable for a change. The same goes for Hare being supportive of Shuu, since the slap she gave him brought him back to his sense (and presumably got him out of the traumatic rut he was in).

As for Daryl killing his father in a fit of rage and “Scarface” killing Dan on a whim, I couldn’t but feel that both their deaths were anti-climactic. Looking back at what they’ve added to the story from the time they were introduced until now, I had to question what the purpose of their one-dimensional characters is. The signs were all there for Keidou to seize command of GHQ from Yan, so if the plan was to make an example of him for the eventual mutiny, then fair enough. However, Yan’s true purpose seems to be aggravating Daryl further, which really isn’t necessary given how volatile he already is. Dan on the other hand will forever be known as some cheap comic relief, unless he somehow survived that gunshot to the chest. If he is gone for good, then that’s a bit of a waste, because a goofy character like him is generally poised to surprise viewers with an unexpectedly cool and serious side. He did save Haruka, so he definitely had it in him to be much more than our stereotypical American anime character.

On a positive note, I really do feel that the story is coming together in a good way, first with the name “Mana” so I can stop referring to the girl from Shuu and Gai’s past as “the girl whom Inori resembles”. The interesting part is the implication that Shuu’s father experimented with her singing to bring about a Genome Resonance, seeing as Shuuichirou referred to her by name first. I’m not sure what the new GHQ commander hopes to achieve by causing a resonance on a city-wide scale, but one possibility is that he’s trying to create another Void Genome from the rock inside the capsule. It would be a good twist if it turns out Shuu’s Void Genome was created from the Lost Christmas ten years ago, even though it’d be awfully reminiscent to how a Philosopher’s Stone is created in Fullmetal Alchemist. In any case, I actually like how Inori countered the effects with her own song, since there was foreshadowing for something like this happening. The same could be said about Gai risking his life to save Shuu’s, which we’ll hopefully learn more about next time. The revelation that Yuu is another Void Genome user served as a good cliffhanger too, since I’ve been wondering what the deal is with him. I don’t know what to make of the gigantic formation that resembles Inori’s sword though.

* I dare say I’ve lost some respect for Ayase after she cried out for Shuu instead of Gai. What was she thinking?
* Inori finally made some noises from getting her Void Weapon drawn, since she was “taken” against her will.
* Hare looked very cute holding onto Funell. I find that her bandage Void Weapon adds to her inner appeal too.
* Kanon also looked really happy in Yahiro’s arms.

 

ED Sequence & End Card

Preview

Watch the Preview!: Streaming ▼

241 Comments

      1. @Da5id

        Well if it doesn’t qualify for 2011 because it didn’t finish in 2011, but instead finishes in 2012.. I’m going to assume..

        Oh you people of the interweb. I <3 you guys.

        But then again the world will end in 2012 before Divine writes up the Best (.. Disappointment) of 2012.

        Hrmmmm
  1. I agree with you about his reasons for saving Funeral Palour. I fully expected him to explain how they were actually the good guys…but eh. Not a hugely annoying thing for me though, as I was fairly impressed by the rest of the episode.

    Definitely hoping GC is stepping in the right direction, and for once, completely looking to next week! =]

    Snipyro
    1. I also don’t like the fact that Yahiro was there. It feels like the writers are trying too hard to fit stuff in rather than let it flow which is ruining the pacing and causing so many facepalms.

      Suppa Tenko
      1. Hmm, I actually think Yahiro needs to be there (because Shu wanted to relieve the “guilty” feelings of using his friends, and Yahiro would probably be at the centre of that guilt), but I agree that it wasn’t done very well. I find it hard that Yahiro would suddenly just agree to help Shu and be good buddies again just because “he felt needed”. What I expected and hoped for him to do was him to punch Shu to let off his feelings, before grudgingly helping him. Let’s hope the second half of the anime develops the characters properly and Shu doesn’t show any more of his self-pity.

        Snipyro
  2. The best part of the episode was the revelation that Yuu is also a void user. Shuu is not so special anymore, so he will have to continually improve his character in order to avoid becoming obsolete.

    Survival
  3. I’m going to ask a really simple question.

    Do you think this series is still worth watching?

    I stopped at the beach episode, since that was when I got really fed up with Shuu as a character. But I’m still not completely dropping Guilty Crown because I feel like it has potential, once it gets over some of the plot holes.

    Story has always been the most important factor for me, and thus far the story has been lackluster. We are almost at the halfway point for this series, and I’m still holding out for a good twist and deep development.

    MasterDragonKnight
    1. Agreed. Ayase is hardworking, has a strong personality and her reactions are overall very believable. While the show makes an extra effort to make Shuu x Inori seems like the best possible pair, i think he needs a girl with as much presence as possible to compensate his reactionary behavior.

      Survival
      1. I heard that the series plans on making 2 seasons splitting the 22 episodes into 2 seasons making this the final episode of the 1st season. And it makes sense cause things wouldn’t be as intense as it seems already if it weren’t a finale. Also your comment on Ayase calling out Shuu’s name. It’s pretty understandable because all of Funeral Parlor (or Undertaker as I prefer to call it) needed Shuu to come to their aid. Ayase knew Gai was needed else where and Shuu has been the key to their past success this entire time. I also actually thought the “believe in me” thing was needed. That moment was supposed to be Shuu opening up and coming clean with everyone about his guilt also Shuu growing as a person. If he were to just say the entire matter of Undertaker Vs GHQ then it would’ve brought more questions from them and some disbelief in it too and it also would’ve killed the mood of the growth the writers tried portraying. Plus it’s true Undertaker made him feel like there was something he was capable of. Shuu was always the one left behind and non capable until Undertaker became something he wanted to fight for just recently.

        So to me that was good development for Shuu as a character. More so than most other animes that use the same excuse as “to believe in”. Since Shuu was always someone who was rarely believed in, it’s only fitting for him to save the group who gave him a place in life you know what I mean ?

        Best Void Ever
  4. Let’s be honest I want to like this show as much as the next guy but this episode was horrendous. Firstly the poorly animated slap is what knocked him out of his slum and not almost getting shot in the head by guy? not buying it.

    Really, the school is under lock down due to a terrorist attack and shuu can just walk into broadcasting room and call out some kids to go meet up? and then all those kids show up with out real reason?

    Then there is the whole “everyone can help save the world” thing going on when each person gets their void used. But the whole void idea is bad to begin with, It’s fix all plot device. Got a problem? make a new character with a void to solve it.

    Lastly, After guy kicks shuu out we are suppose to believe he magically climbs that tower in mere seconds to jump in and save shuu?

    I had high hopes for the show up I just can’t seem to make my self think it’s good, I’m still going to watch it for the laughs. But still.

    Seven
  5. Divine, I think they(script writters) already think that Shuu is already a wolf in sheeps clothing and his friends, specailly Yahiro wouldn’t believe in him anymore. Well, he is a part of a terrorist group.

    * I dare say I’ve lost some respect for Ayase after she cried out for Shuu instead of Gai. What was she thinking?

    Hmm seems that Gai is going to die anyway they might shift the idea of getting Ayase to hook to Shuu. Yeah, I’m going to loss respect for Ayase if they do that. Lol, if they also cut Ayase’s hair.

    Croos
  6. Shuu’s reason was definitely weird. “They believed in me” doesn’t seem to be something that would convince a bunch of high-school kids to run into a battlefield. I can let it pass though, because the writers finally remembered the important thing: Make Shu the actual protagonist of the show. Its about time he stopped getting upstaged by Gai. Speaking of Gai, I hope he’s dead because I can’t stand him. I doubt it though because they STILL haven’t explained what the Undertakers goal is.

    On the other hand, Inori fared worse. She seem somewhat to develop something of a personality at last, then immediately gets relegated to a damsel in distress role. That’s just sad.

    I still hate Daryl. He’s still a boring antagonist who has now taken a role of jobber. And I still don’t care about his daddy issues. Segai is a far more interesting and funny villain especially when he started taking pictures of Dan’s corpse. Oh and goodbye Dan, offensive stereotype he was, but at least he went down fighting.

    fragb85
  7. I really can’t stand people who over thinks how he do that, how is that people, is it logical and so on when watching anime…
    GC imo is the best anime this fall after Mirai Nikki, Chihayafuru. I don’t really like Fate Zero….

    Alex
    1. I think analysing anime is an important part of enjoyment though. I wouldn’t find it enjoyable just sitting there and accepting whatever I watch. I actually quite like the show (though this show has many many flaws, mind you), but its definitely not an amazing one. I haven’t watched the other shows you mentioned, but IMO Fate/Zero is definitely pretty good. While I do enjoy GC, I don’t think it even touches on Fate.

      Snipyro
    2. Guilty Crown is great visual-wise but the story needs to improve a lot in order to be named one of the best of the season or of the year. Sure it’s not that bad of an anime but some of the story aspects are quite forced like in this episode where Shu explained why he want to save the ‘terrorist gang’ and why his friends want to help him. It could be done a lot better than this.

      Still, I think GC is worth watching even for its visual/effect alone, I find I can learn a lot about it but maybe it’s because I’m working on the field that need it.

      Serapita
    1. I thought her attire was supposed to be for heat exchange cause she was so hot. Instead it turns out she is icecold emotionless most of the series. Seems like she switched her dress and she is warming up again though for some inexplicable reason *cough love cough rofl*.

      Shin
  8. Divine said: ” I dare say I’ve lost some respect for Ayase after she cried out for Shuu instead of Gai. What was she thinking?”

    Why? What’s wrong with this? Ever since episode five, it’s been clear that Ayase wasn’t interested in Gai /romantically/. Because she clearly didn’t mind that he and Inori had a relationship going on, as she knew Inori was going into Gai’s room at night. (so they don’t actually have a relationship going on, but Ayase nor anyone else knows that) If she had any romantic feelings for him, then she would have been bothered by Inori going into his room at night on some level. Instead, she grinned and teased Shu about it.

    Shinji103
      1. Ayase’snot into Gai. After reviewing all the episodes last week, I kinda suspected that by the way she acts. To her, Gai was just the leader and superior she respects, nothing more.

        The Moondoggie
      2. But in episode 2 she seemed really happy when Gai complimented her; even Tsugumi said that Ayase’s “heartbeat soars to the top of the chart!”, and Ayase responded like a tsundere. It seemed to me like the only reason she wasn’t mad at Inori for being with Gai was because she’s actually mature and accepted that Gai liked Inori more (even though they weren’t actually in a relationship).

        Sekai
      3. @Sekai

        Yeah but rather than act like tsundere, I saw it as a straight denial. She seems more like a kid being complemented by an adult, or a junior being commended by her senior.

        As far as love goes, it seems like it’s there but it seems so thin on a second look it’s practically non-existent.

        The Moondoggie
      1. I for one personally like the idea of ShuxAyase. (though it’s obvious the show will end with ShuxInori) But if you want to debate reasons for harems, why does Yamato in Maji De Watashi ni Koi Shinasai need all those girls? Why does Tenchi need all those girls in Tenchi Muyo? Why does Akito need all those girls in Martian Successor Nadesico?

        @Sekai Her reaction can easily be explained by her respect for Gai; it actually goes beyond respect, she /honors/ him, but she made it clear in episode 5 that she doesn’t see him in a romantic light, both in words and actions.

        Shinji103
      2. I know this show’s gotten some harsh comparisons, but you’re honestly justifying this with HAREM shows? The reason those guys got all the girls was because that was the entire plot: The guy gets several girls and never does anything. GC may be a lot of crazy cliches mixed into one show, but under no circumstances does it get the same leaps in logic that a harem show does.

        Da5id
      3. When Ayase was first introduced I thought there was the possibility it would go into a harem type affection scheme. I don’t think that it will be about “harem”. Girls will just like Shuu cause it will show how cool he is.

        Shin
      4. Harems had nothing to do with the plot for for Tenchi Muyo or Nadesico. (maybe for Maji de only because it’s based on an eroge, but not the other two) They had harems because the writers decided to put them in. There’s no reason why Shu /can’t/ have a harem in GC, so why question it? He has good redeeming qualities as we’ve seen (and I tend to not care about his /un/redeeming qualities because really, the writers have been heavily overdoing his “wimpiness,” especially in episode 10), and he’s actually not terribly different than at least Akito in Nadeisco (again, Nadesicio’s plot does NOT call for a harem); both of them are terribly opposed to fighting usually, and Akito had a lot of freak-out moments just like Shu.

        Shinji103
      5. Half of Tenchi Muyo’s appeal was the harem! More than half probably. But at least in all of those shows, there were scenes that actually made you see a connection between the girl and the main character. Ayase has those scenes in Episode 5, but Inori and Hare have little to no reason to like Shu. I haven’t seen Nadesico, but from what I’ve read, Akito seems to have much more going for him than Shu in terms of personality.

        And the reason I question is this is supposed to be a serious series. You can’t add a generic harem element half way and expect to keep the tension…but I suppose it isn’t the first generic thing about Guilty Crown.

        Da5id
  9. Oh noes Shuu got NTR’d by some V.V. rip-off character.
    Singing fixes all your problems!
    I don’t know if this show is trying to be Geass, Evangelion or Macross. But hey at least Shu is getting better. And Gai is dead! (I hope)

    SnooSnoo
      1. I can’t help but think about TTGL when Shu repeatedly spouted “What would Gai do if he was here? Would he xxx? Will he xxx them?”.

        And personally, I think Show Spoiler ▼

        Not trying to be funny, but I was imagining Shu spouting Show Spoiler ▼

        or something along the lines

        Nevertheless, I like the direction they are going. More story, less fan service… yeah right. I agree with you guys that he needs a much more solid reason to drag his friends into the battlefield aside from “Because they believed in me”. Heck, only Arisa knows anybody else on FP!

        But still, comparing to the past episodes I believe this one is pretty good.

        The Story You Don't Know
    1. It’s funny you say GC is like Code Geass and Macross since the writer worked on both shows. I have no problem with singing fixing all problems (ever since Frontier made it so badass). Hell, if singing could fix Shu’s character, I will love this show XD

      004samro
    2. I found something a while ago on the web a week ago which pretty answers that: it’s mimicking Evangelion. All credit goes to the writer.

      Taken from Elineas at the Nihon Review

      Shu is Shinji, Inori is Rei, Ayase is Asuka, and Gai is Gendo. Shinji Shu has daddy inferiority issues and is inexplicably attracted to Rei Inori, while Rei Inori struggles with issues of being an boring emotionless human. Asuka Ayase continues to kick Shinji’s Shu’s ass for being a wuss, and Gendo Gai is trying to mastermind everything but has lost Rei Inori to Shinji Shu. We will now see in Production I.G.’s NGE Redux the modern retelling of Shinji’s 2nd runaway attempt, which will end in him returning to save everyone after angsting over killing his friend his classmate’s sibling.

      As for everything else? It wants to be Code Geass, the second season to be specific. It lumps in a ton of cool shit for the sake of being cool, but the story has no flow at all. It lives off of its amazing visuals and soundtrack. The only thing it really has going for it is its momentum: once things start to move and explode, the don’t get interrupted by anything else.

      And you know what sucks the most about this series? After its over, idiots are still somehow going to be saying that this is the Anime of 2012.

      Click
  10. So after having the time to watch this series (YAY! Holidays). And seeing the comment count is really huge. I watch the whole 11 episode last night, and my god i can’t remember how many times scratch my head.

    It gives me this weird feeling that you’ll feel when you have been friend zoned by your first love. So many potential for the show to be awesome and they just waste it. And you’re there watching, crying and asking why they do such thing.

    Jhacks
    1. Oh my golly goooood, I know right. Well how’d you like the sudden ‘closeness’ of Inori and Shuu again after that cold shoulder event? It was never been solved and I’m still waiting it to be.

      0927123
  11. I really got a kicked out off Kanon’s face while in Yahiro’s arms. xD
    Aaaand I was hopping Shu’s reason to save Funeral Parlor was just a mistake in the translation… ¬¬ I can’t see them being convinced by that! At least if it would have been all the way around “I believe in them” THENNNNN it would have sounded better.
    Anyways I think it was a pretty decent episode and it left me wanting for more.

    Carol
  12. Well, people are dying right and left… General Yan, Dan, and loads of GHQ personnel not loyal to Shuuichirou, and on the other side pretty much all of Undertakers save small group at airport and (thankfully) Ayase/Tsugumi pair… Oh and all those civilians affected by new outbreak of virus too… Even the formidable Gai seems to finally kick the bucket. I was very welcoming for Shuu to stop trying to follow Gai and try about his own solutions, but his “reason” for helping endangered nakama was SO “meh”…
    In the end it seems all this is too little, too late to save the series.

    ewok40k
      1. Hmmm that gives a shadow of hope, especially if Gai dies for good and Shu will have to step up as a de facto leader for what remains of Undertakers… with GHQ wracked with civil war they might stage a counterattack yet…
        And one thing occured to me – Segai looks to me a bit like… Joker! Am I just imaginining things?

        ewok40k
  13. Watcher’s opinion is again at 50-50 this week as Shu stops trying to be Gai and FP suddenly went pathetic.

    Seriously, you don’t depend to a guy suffering from PTSD from seeing a terrorist attack/super disaster on Christmas years ago use his superpower while blaming him for not saving your asses. And Funeral Parlor call themselves rebels? Pathetic. Shu should just all leave them and do a solo carrer in freedom fighting.

    But then in that case, the only thing Shu would be fighting for would be everything he has right now.

    And so starts the second half. Next episode is at January 16(?)

    8/10

    The Moondoggie
    1. Except we all know what happened the last time Shu tried to go solo…

      still, the sudden turnabout of FP was just as hard to stomach as Shu’s reason for saving them. Sure, I’ll take the fact that they’re probably panicking so they’re saying “words that they don’t really mean”, but we barely saw Shu interact with the rest of FP for his reason to be believable.

      We didn’t see Shu positively bond with anyone aside from Inori, Ayase, and I guess, to some small extent, Gai and Knife-dude.

      Beedle
  14. * I dare say I’ve lost some respect for Ayase after she cried out for Shuu instead of Gai. What was she thinking?

    As far as I can see that seems logical as in her and everyone elses perspective Gai only has eyes for Ionori and from what everyon is seeing it seems like a couple in amutual relationship but in reality she is helping him in his treatment which only she knows and later Shuu knew about it but didn’t tell anyone else. From working with Shuu she gained a bond with Shuu and both seemed to relate to eachother very well. I wonder how this will turn out.

    RS456
  15. I gotta admit, even though I don’t like Shu, I was rooting for him when breaking into the GHQ. If they’re gonna do to his character what TotA did with Luke, then I think I’ll enjoy his character again.

    004samro
  16. They really did the worst there could be out there: giving Shuu a crappy reason to fight, making all his classmates to buy his crappy reasoning, and produce lots of happy accidents & voids so that Shuu can save the day.

    By the way, Shuu didn’t even actually save the day (and that was the best part of this episode) . By the time Shuu got there, his “mother”, Inori and Gai had already canceled the genetic resonance.All Shuu did was got himself into the airport (and get all his classmates in danger) and witnessed Inori’s void being taken away in front of him and crying whilst holding Gai.

    For his trouble he got all the rest of the Funeral Parlor looking up to him, and Ayase calling out to him. It felt like Funeral Parlor took all the punishment last & this episode for one reason: so that they could look appreciative upon Shuu.

    This is a show that every other character is designed to make the Male lead, ie. our Shuu, shine rather than having their own personality and reasons to act. So don’t get surprised that Gai after kicking Shuu out last week simply took the blade for him, or Ayase thinking of him rather than Gai whilst in danger, or all Shuu’s classmates deciding to charge into a battlefield with him for apparent no reason.

    hoh
  17. After watching this ep, it definately felt like it was starting to step back into the right direction. To be honest, I’ve noticed alot of people commenting in the last couple of reviews bashing on Shuu, saying how he’s worst than Shinji. If the show had gone on for more than 2 ep with Shuu still being the junk he was, I would have joined in the bash too, but I said lets wait. The creators of this show obviously had something planned for Shuu in the end, why did you think he was the main character? I believe what the creators wanted was a character foil of Shuu, so that Shuu can use that character as a reflection of what he lacks, and thus allowing himself to grew in the process. This character foil is Gai, he is strong int he outside, but as seen many times in the series, he is actually a weak man. He also confessed Shuu about how weak of a man he is. Then you have Shuu who is extremely weak in the outside, but then when it comes to dire situations, he would shine.

    Just A Random Guy
  18. The fact that all of this is happening at the halfway point intrigues me. This is something you tend to see toward the end of the show. Looking forward to seeing how things start to play out from here.

    Also, Dan punching Segai was awesome, at first I was disappointed with Dan dying so quick but then Segai made me lol when he took a pic of his body.

    nexus
  19. Hare wanted to go with Shuu because Hare has a huge crush on him and she would do what he believes in.
    Yahiro wanted to go because he obviously had a grudge against GHQ and he somewhat knew that his brother could not be saved (he tried his best, though).
    Arisa wanted to go because she wanted to save Gai.
    Kanon wanted to go because Yahiro wanted to go.
    Souta wanted to go because he wanted to save Inori.

    suff
      1. No I am not saying that they would help no matter what Shuu said. For example Hare would not act without Shuu’s words.

        In another word, they all had reasons to fight (despite how arbitrary all of them are); but it’s Shuu who brought them them together – with openness and trust. I am pretty sure this will be eventually a contrast with Gai, who leads the FP with deceit and manipulation.

        I believe any half-decent college graduate of an English major can write better than this piece of shitty script we are seeing now. I am starting to think that the plot holes are intentional so people will buy the visual novel which contains all the “gaps”.

        suff
      2. Well, the visual novel is supposed to be about how Lost Christmas happened…or at least before it. But I see what you’re getting at. Hopefully that’ll be better, but I really can’t help but think it’s a little sad (and funny) when the spin-off ends up outdoing the source material.

        Da5id
      1. Yuu vs Shu?

        Might be fun to see two mental wreaks go at it.

        And Gai’s void huh? I’m not really into the idea that Shu and Gai respect each other. But seeing as Gai is down, it could go that way.

        Pity Gai didn’t turn into a statue of crystal and somehow Shu would be able to extract his void.

        The Moondoggie
  20. People are taking this show way too seriously. In some ways its like watching a Michael Bay movie. Because they are big budget hype films everyone picks them to pieces, pointing out every flaw, and talking about how much they sucked as films. But if you go into one with the mindset that you are there to see explosions, you will leave satisfied. I don’t think i’ve seen anyone on this site so critical of a show before. Most people just stop watching something if they don’t like it, but like Michael Bay movies everyone keeps coming back to GC to find every flaw they can.

    On that note, as someone who intentionally does not look too far into shows when not needed in order to allow myself to be easily entertained, I am thoroughly enjoying this show, and due to this and Persona look forward to Thursdays.

    dustandechoes91
    1. I disagree. There are some OBVIOUS flaws with the plot of the show.

      Surely, the expectation of the show is high and the writers are expected to produce scripts that catches a majority of viewers’ attention. However, the story has been terribly written so far. It almost felt that it’s written by multiple different people who clearly hates each other and each other’s thinking.

      suff
      1. What should have happened was in the episodes leading up to the final battle, Shu should’ve gone up against him with Inori’s void while Dan assaults him with missles, with Shu jumping off of them and slashing him. The fight would end with Dan living, but giving Shu a thumbs up and a Crest White Smile as he left for the final boss.

        God, why did the best character have to die…

        Da5id
  21. This is so moving towards the end of the world except dat special few territory…
    Ohh, and COMPLETE. GLOBAL. SATURATION.

    INORI’s lookalike is…. creepy. And wht is tht stone and the virus? My guess its allow one to look into ppl heart or somethin and it may be man-made.

    D-LaN
  22. This is the best episode GC had in a long time, finally taking a step in the right direction with its developments, choice of music and Shu’s growth as a character.

    However, everyone helping him just cause the “terrorists support him” was facepalm worthy. And how could Yahiro accept Shu so easily? The guy killed your brother and offered no explanation, for heaven’s sake! Also, why would Ayase call for Shu when she had lost faith in him?

    And how did everyone in the buggy survive when Daryl swatted them into a building?! It makes sense for Shu as he had voids out, but four of them weren’t wearing seatbelts when the buggy went flying. Talk about tough plot armor!

    Though as the rest of the episode did everything right, these flaw’s didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the episode. I hope GC continues at this pace. And it’s about time a “rival” appeared. Now we just need to find out what Funeral Parlor fights for.

    Sekai
  23. Copy paste from the last review:

    “Let’s look at the reasoning behind why they all went along with his plan

    Souta: likes Inori
    Arisa: likes Gai
    Hare: likes Shu…despite her trying to hit on her earlier
    Glasses girl: Likes Yahiro
    Yahiro: …helping because Shu mercy killed his brother?

    Plus the fact that the situation ends up worse at the end of the episode than when it started. Shu didn’t do anything of impact!”

    Da5id
      1. We speak of a series where a 15 year old boy receives immense power, a kid with no self-esteem and shy, they expected a super personality change? We speak of a Shinji Ikari has been put pants on the half of the series! Give thanks! What has this action in the middle plot is incredible!

        What You expected? Another Lelouch?

        Think of it as Gurren Lagan, start the killing now! With death, or not, of Gai, and I like the appearance of Yuu, is an example of the power that can reach Shuu?

        I think that GC is a very good anime, with much more to prove. I look forward to its release in BR!!!!

        Abyss
      2. I think fans of this show are misinterpreting what people complaining about this series are expecting. I’m not expecting another Lelouch, or Kamina or Simon. Just SOMETHING I HAVEN’T SEEN OVER A THOUSAND TIMES, coupled with a lack of logic by the supporting characters. People talk about Shu being realistic, but would you actually try to save a terrorist organization just because they “believed” in you? Or drag your friends along and expect them to go through with it?

        That’s not “realistic” by any stretch of the imagination.

        Da5id
      3. Meh, I don’t think this is the best show ever, but its enjoyable enough. It makes me laugh a bit when it tries to be funny (and sometimes when it tries not to be funny). Some of the characters are interesting though quite one dimensional. So its overall good enough to watch.

        Also, protagonist Dan > shuu + gai

        pizzaface
    1. Actually, that’s a bad answer. Here’s my take:

      The protagonist is a culmination of every whiny-type protagonist. The female lead (Inori) almost never shows emotion and is practically forced by the story to like the protagonist. The other characters have no backstory or reason to be there. The power of friendship is used to fill in the blanks of logic when characters act…out of character (and they do, a lot). The show is basically a mixture of tropes that are popular, so the director doesn’t need to do anything original and just make it look pretty.

      But at least it’s funny to watch.

      Da5id
      1. The female lead (Inori) almost never shows emotion and is practically forced by the story to like the protagonist? Rei is the female preferred by Evangelion’s fans (I prefer Asuka) and Inori is more of the same, only this is improving emotionally. The other characters have no backstory or reason to be there… and that anime does not?

        The show is basically a mixture of tropes that are popular, so the director doesn’t need to do anything original and just make it look pretty. I disagree, precisely because it has so much potential.

        Abyss
      2. But Rei and Shinji actually had moments where they bonded. Episodes 5 and 6 were all about their developing relationship. With Shu and Inori, it’s 10 episodes of fighting together and 8 of living at his house and suddenly “I’M IN LOVE WITH HIM”, before they could even establish a reason for that to ever happen. As for the other characters, only a few get no explanation whatsoever. The rest at least get a blurb or sentence of backstory. Guilty Crown won’t even give a reason for the main characters to like each other.

        And where is this potential? Surely it shouldn’t take half the series to reach it.

        Da5id
      3. Sometimes I don’t think you need that many answers. Like in older series say Adachi Mitsuru, you can have a girl just fall for a guy after a long series with some small hints. You have series like Gundam SEED, where Kira x Fllay actually had romantic aspects, then you bring in Lacus whose relationship was not developed at all, but it still makes sense to the viewers. You know what kind of personalities they have and how they can be a good match.

        The problem with GC is you really can’t get a handle on the characters. I think it tries too hard to be unpredictable that it ruins our understanding and grasp of who we are watching. I think that we need to look at series like One piece and DBZ that manage to have great strong characters that can be highly unpredictable but easily understood. It might sacrifice realism for unpredictability but there were enjoyable mixes like FLCL, TTGL, Top wo Nerae, and others like Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo that were quite “realistic”. The main problem with GC is that it is really hard for me to understand characters like Yahiro because of the way the show is presented rather than what he does.

        Shin
      4. Actually I think LacusxKira did make sense. They met very early, and Kira liked her at first sight (which led to the event later in the episode when Kira and Athrun met the first time over many years over the exchange of Lacus as a “prisoner”).

        suff
      5. Actually, Lacus and Kira actually had quite a few dialogues about their feelings about war and peace (and all the other preachy crap Seed had) before shit hit the fan in that series. That was able to paint a picture about how they had similar views on things that were happening around them. Same with Rei and Shinji, who discussed Shinji’s relationship with his father, and (in the manga) actually bonded quite a few times.

        I have yet to see Shu or Inori have one non-Funeral Parlor, Void, or Gai related conversation. Hell, how often do they actually talk about Inori being a pop idol? Isn’t that the main reason Shu likes her in the first place?

        Da5id
      6. Yeah I mean to say that Lacus and Kira does make sense. It just didn’t really have that much in terms of romantic development. They start out as friends. Lacus becomes Kira’s inspiration/guidepost. Somewhere along the way they become a couple without being fully explained. If you remember her attitude, it was like she was fine with marrying Athrun, similarly it wasn’t really explained what she got out of her relationship with Kira. However, if we consider the match I think they seem well-suited for each other and it didn’t feel at all awkward or weird they end up together.

        Shin
  24. Ha! Let it be known that I CALLED FOR IT! I PREDICTED IT! I was right when I said last episode that Gai will die and Shu will take over the Funeral Parlor! So up those losers who argued with me! This show rocks!

    The Story You Don't Know
    1. WTF? So someone’s being my poser and is using my name here? Let me guess, you’re that guy whom was bashed about the TTGL posts that I made?

      What’s the point of trying to make me look bad? That’s so childish dude. Grow up.

      The Story You Don't Know
      1. Get a gravatar, I will. Though I never imagined that it would come down to something like this which is pretty childish. RC was created to share the thoughts of anime lovers like us. Now if one person’s opinion doesn’t match yours, there’s no need to be a sore loser and do something like this. I voiced out my thoughts and gave my predictions and got into a debate with somebody. Having a debate is fine but posing as someone else is just a sore losers’ trick. No need to act like a troll kid.

        The Story You Don't Know
  25. Just when I thought Inori is going to sing a new song, she sings the ending theme song -.-” Oh well, at least it is a remix of the ending….

    Great thing is, New OP and ED next season…. Yay! (confirmed on official website,OP: The Everlasting Guilty Crown by Egoist and ED: Kokuhaku (confession) by supercell)

    I like the idea of Shuu using everyone around him as final weapons to reach Inori, nice touch for the end of the season. Apparently Funnel can drive… Lol. Inori standing there as Shuu walks over, it’s almost as if she’s screaming ‘somebody please kidnap or shoot me’. Very very cliche but still, enjoyed the episode, songs and the quailty of the production. Convenient car with handles on the roof for someone to hold onto… Oh wellz.

    RainbowIslands
    1. Accidentally clicked “Submit”.

      But here we now have what seems to be a good proof of link between Onee-san and Shu. Maybe SHu’s last void weapon will be from his Onee-chan instead from Inori, or anyone else.

      The Moondoggie
    2. I’m still trying to figure out if Mana’s one of the good guys or the “Parasite Eve” of this series. Those red eyes are quite ominous. I hope the “Lost Christmas” episode next time explains some of the gaps we have right now. One of my biggest gripes about this show is the lack of information.

      Jared Drake
      1. @Jared

        I can’t see Mana trying to give birth to some Ulitmate Being though LOLZ….

        But the theory that she might be the cause of Lost Christmas? Is that based on the flashbacks Shu had where she was arguing with someone while surrounded in flames?

        In anycase after I read a post in Animesuki and re-checking it myself, Shu had displayed Red-eyes sporadically in the series whenever he’s upset/angry. I was thinking he might also be the same as Inori who has a double inside, which might had resulted from repressed memories. A Shu inside Shu.

        The Moondoggie
  26. You know, at first I thought it might be some cultural difference in characterization, but this show is just poorly written.

    Do they really expect us to care about any of these characters? It’s been ten episodes (plus this one), and we know next to nothing about the main characters. Gai, Ayase, Inori, etc all have virtually no backstory. Were we really supposed to care about Dan and… Daryl’s dad (I never caught his name). The two barely did anything, and died only a few episodes after being introduced.

    Yeah there are some characters with mysterious backgrounds, but flesh it out a bit. And even then, there’s a ton of characters who barely get any attention.

    Random
    1. Agreed. Gai is moments from death and I couldn’t care less despite this being the 11th episode, whereas I was devastated when, in TTGL, Show Spoiler ▼

      It just goes to show how awful the characterization is, and usually pragmatic characters like Gai are my favorites!

      Sekai
  27. Literally agreed wholeheartedly with everything you said on this ep. The thing about Shuu not even mentioning ghq were the bad guys and funeral parlor was doing whats right, characters like Dan just… being almost pointless, and even ayase crying out for shu and not gai xD
    Yet, it seems like it’s finally going in the right direction :<

    Whee
  28. * I dare say I’ve lost some respect for Ayase after she cried out for Shuu instead of Gai. What was she thinking? * Was funny to see how a joke from Divine generate so much controversy, but hey, Internet is serious business, no? XDD
    I also like the take that the series is taking, but I´m afraid that will turn into Gurren Lagann all over again (minus the epic) if you know what I mean, is funny that I only continued following this series because of the controversy generated for the hype (I.G. Productions, Supercell OST, Noitamina slot, etc.) but right now I feel that can reach some potential to be at least pleasant to view. See you next year faceless void wielder.

    Kingdragun
      1. There is no such thing as a completely original idea. We’re always going to see something that we recognize. So stop comparing GC to any other anime out there. Instead, bitch about the disjointed plot and somewhat weird character development, for Shu, that we’ve been given.

        Things are finally looking up but I feel that they’ve wasted most of episodes 3 to 11. 🙁

        Jared Drake
      2. Believe me, I have been complaining about that. In fact, those things together make up the majority of my complaints, it’s just that the fact it resembles it so much isn’t helping. If the rest of those things weren’t issues, it could be overlooked, but…

        Da5id
  29. Oh my gosh, they finally started to move in the right direction. I agree with past reviews. This show has so much potential. I was ridiculously excited when I first saw images of it before it aired. Then I started watching and it was cool at first, but then Shu began to get on my nerves. Much like Shion got on my nerves from No. 6. (ironically also voiced by Kaji Yuki) and Ganta from Deadman Wonderland. Cowardly, idealistic, annoying protagonists with cool, attractive, confident partners that have to literally gut punch them into doing anything admirable. I was afraid Shu was going to be a worm of a loser all series much like Shion and Ganta, which he kind of has been up until this episode. Hurray for backbone! I loved the second half of this episode. I also agree about Shu’s reasons for going to help Funeral Parlor. Really lame reason. So many obvious reasons and they pick something so weak and random… “They believed in me.” Pft. Oh well. Hopefully they’ll continue in the same vein of the second half in subsequent episodes.

    Axel
  30. From the beginning I felt this show seemed more like Gurren Lagann than Code Geass. Although GC share the ‘the power of kings’, the idea of liberating japan, and a mastermind genius with CG; the character connections where definitely not there. As for Gurren Lagann, I see a lot of Simon in Shu before Kamina incident. Both protagonists were in the shadows of a ‘supporting’ male in Kamina and Gai. Simon and Shuu also lacked the typical ‘male lead’ qualities. Now that Gai is presumably dead, I feel like Shuu is going to step up just like Simon did. ATM there are just way too many holes to fill in but hopefully they will be explained down the road and make all these confusions worth while

    ybaby
  31. I’m pretty sure Gai will be healed by Shuu (Hare’s void).

    Btw, why do they use SONGS? I know Inori is an artist and maybe Mana was that too. But seriously, killing and healing with songs? And couldn’t they had produced another song for Inori than the ending song? ;_;

    teri
    1. If Gai’s death means a dramatic change in Shu’s personality, hopefully for the better, I wouldn’t mind Gai dying. I’ll be honest, he’s never made any kind of impact for me. Heck, his “death” wouldn’t even compare to Krillin’s death on Freeza’s hands in DBZ. But if he lives, oh well I’ll just hope that the writers find some other way to straighten up Shu. Well, that’s just my honest opinion.

      The Story You Don't Know
    1. It’s either what Sekai said, or it can be another one of the 3 enhanced Genomes made successfully

      Shuu: Able to draw voids with eye contact from ages 17 and below

      Yuu: Able to draw voids without eye contact and probably no age restriction. Who knows ?

      I’ve seen plenty of anime do this. The protagonist and the Antagonist have the same ability but the Antagonist has his ability to a much higher extent and the 2 must battle it out. The only difference is that this anime just has me in shock right now! In a good way too, such a MASSIVE CLIFFHANGER

      Best Void Ever
  32. After reading through these entries on GC, I gotta say its rare to find a series that he actually deems, for lack of a better word, bad. It is reminiscent of Kiiragi’s entries on yumekui merry. Maybe it’s time to drop it -_-“

    Anonymous
  33. I like the songs but i did laugh at the scene with the new character that looks like Mugi from K-On. Why cant everyone just sing a song together and get along. oh well i guess well see what Shuu does. I am def hoping for more good action latter on in the series though.

    MM
  34. Glad to see generally positive review this time ‘w’ although I felt more strange moments in this episode than the previous. Shuu was so scared to use a void, saw hallucinations and was completely out of his mind last episode but now he’s just over all that and pulls Hare’s void with that serene face.. so I’m all O__o HUH? It turns out he said that it’s thanks to Hare who slapped some sense into him, which worked too well. I’d expected something bigger to happen to Shuu to knock sense into him since he fell so low. He should’ve run outside and see everyone turning into crystal /chaos breaking out / see the horror of lost christmas for real.

    Reason for saving terrorists: Shuu could’ve added that he believed in them in addition to that they believed in him and it would have made more sense. Hare already heard that the sougisha weren’t behind the attack so she could’ve helped convince the others = So many things are left for self interpretation. The storyboard is still not good enough! Although the good points/potential are still there.

    The slash missed Gai’s heart so I suspect he’ll live in time for Hare and can’t just die here. He’s still got to explain a lot of things like how Inori is so special with her 3000+ level resonance song, blood that can heal genome cancer symptoms, special void and her relationship with Mana (who didn’t wake up as I was expecting this episode) Anyway I can’t wait until the next episode and it’s in 3 weeks away orz (Also looking forward to the new OP/ED songs)

    Oh, I like the idea that what Keido was trying to do is the creation of another void genome theory ‘w’ Come to think of it it’s probably more than that, since he refers to it as the door of heaven. And I wonder whose side Yuu is on since he stopped Inori = helping Keido. Since Yuu can create dimension holes he’s the only one who can go to stop Keido in Roppongi now since everyone else is far away in Haneda.

    PS. Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to RC! Sorry for randomness in comment

    Yukiru
  35. facelees bastard finally beat daryl head on! and why inori void cant kill gai but could destroy endlave?, hare void look like snake than bandage to me, from the review it seems shu really diferent in the past and shu finally meets mana next ep, and the title of next ep is “lost christmas” what a perfect timing!

    dark
  36. I’m actually glad GC is going to be 22 episodes. They cant possibly fuck up nearly as bad in the 2nd cour of this anime and it can still end up being a solid show in its entirety. I’ll still watch this expecting it to make a huge comeback.

    Jin
  37. So… I just randomly checked out the Nitroplus Wikipedia page and apparently a GC visual novel is in the works.

    I honestly don’t know how to respond to that. Nitroplus has created some of the greatest stories I have ever read, and part of me can’t help feeling they kinda sold out. Another part of me is hoping that they remake the story into something much darker and epic than or just outright redo the entire GC universe. The potential of the storyline is really big and this anime really messed it up, so maybe Nitroplus can do some reworking.

    Moeronic
    1. Sold out? The GC Visual Novel was announced before the anime even started airing. Its not Nitroplus’ fault that GC’s presentation was lackluster. But at least its being written by the guy who wrote the extremely awesome DEMONBANE. I have high hopes for it to say the least.

      fragb85
      1. Oh, I didn’t know that it was announced prior to the anime.

        But if it’s written by the guy who made Cthulu x Mechas work brilliantly, I’m sure he can fix this train wreck too.

        Moeronic
  38. Biggest let down in this episode was the music during Shuu’s charge in. Using the ending theme, and one that really lacks power, seems to be a bit anti-climatic for the situation.

    If anyone had the lyrics of the ending theme on the screen while they watched this episode, the lyrics literally contradict the whole situation. I mean Inori is expecting Shuu to come AND trying to save everyone at the same time, but “you are going to leave me”?!! They really coulda made a new song for this scene.

    VCQQ
  39. ………lol…………..Gai died in like 2 seconds……………………..that was somewhat realistic.

    I thought they’d go for the long drawn out 5 minute death ,and add the 2 minutes yell…then credits

  40. The way I see it, they’ve should’ve given this anime 4 Cours or 2 Full Seasons. Stretch it out to give more character and plot development for the whole cast. Like say, the whole shoot-down-the-satellite bit should’ve been @ Episode 11. The 2nd Lost Christmas and Inori getting kidnapped would be the season 1 cliffhanger at episode 22.

    Jared Drake
    1. 4 cours is a bit over excessive, though it definitely could have benefited more from 24-26 episodes as opposed to 22 episodes. They really needed to touch upon some parts of the story more than they did. Early characterization and that weird time skip between Jun’s death and Shuu getting into his next battle were some of my main issues with the show.

      It’s kinda suffering from the same issue Angel Beats had (too much story and twists in too few episodes), though GC had the obvious advantage of having 22 episodes as opposed to 13, and Angel Beats still managed to have more developed, likable characters, imho.

      Soiyeruda
  41. consider this episode there is higher possibilities that shu might end up like simon. form the way i look gai is more like brother figure like which serve the purpose to serve the purpose of watching over shuu. one thing about this story that i dont get it, in the beginning thy stated there is only one genom void ( king’s power) but from this episode seem that there are person having the same power. mind sharing some infor?

    shinkirou
  42. So if the Last Christmas, Mana, Yuu, Shou’s past, Inori’s origin are revealed next episode, what would the show be about up to 22 eps? I can see them fitting a flashback and a close of this fight in 2 tops episodes – What is the plot afterwards?

    lucci
  43. This is getting good, finally some direction to the story and Shuu has regained some will to fight, but, I have to agree with you Divine, he had 100 posible reasons to fight GHQ and he gave the worst of all, how is that even possible. Another thing that catched my atention was Gai´s supossed death, I hope the bastard is not death yet since he has to ansewr to a lot of questions regarding what the hell is Suuichirou´s true goal unleashing this hell. If he truly died I have to say it eas a little lame and anticlimatic; God, I have to wait 2 weeks to see how the story continues and the new opening and ending.

    haseo0408
  44. Dan might actually survives a shot to the chest. You know, that Genome crystal thingies that’s growing out of his body? They look hard enough to block a shot provide he got some growing on his chest =p.

    Ghost
  45. woah talk about what the hell
    and here i thought ohh great it will end without even clearing up everything and then boom inori is kidnapped duh truly didn’t saw that coming
    putting that aside why why why gai why must you die know that i finally started to like you geez this show is to twisted up
    well obviously he will no die ( hope so) but i really don’t know what to exoect anymore ,next think I’ll know is that he and Shuu are something like brothers now that will surely be the last blow
    coming back to the story
    yeah this episode left a great impact on me so i felt the need to really voice my thoughts
    ok so everything was developing fine well almost but i feel like everything make shuu looks like the worst protagonist ever because every time a door opens for him another one it’s closing ,it’s like he is stuck to failure just hopping we will not
    be having to see him in depressed mode again ,this isn’t a drama soap
    As for inori side i’m happy she showed some emotions like in the previous episode but still i’m dying to know what her connection with that girl (Mana or something like that was her name ,i think that what’s Gai mentioned)
    So what we get till now it’s still very vague and the show has already reached his half but fortunately for us more will gonna be revealed on the next episode about the their past

    pocky.chii
  46. Does anybody here prefer were one or 2 of his friends won’t join him? The path Shuu took is the correct and that was the most logical and explainable answer. But every single one of their friends joining him after being told that their hearts are going to destroy and to kill, that’s just impossible. I kinda prefer if the class rep(forgot her name) or Yahiro won’t join him. Even if those 2 didn’t join him, I believe he could still think of a way to get pass to Narita airport. Combine voids and make a gigantic cannon or sumthing to blast his way through

    I myself don’t prefer Inori over Ayase. But think how will this show end were Shuu x Ayase ending? It’ll look weird since Inori had so much focus from previous episodes. But I won’t complain if Inori is kidnapped for the next 10 episodes or sumthing and Ayase kept on getting closer to Shuu. Then Shuu x Ayase would make much more sense.

    Boo
  47. After reading some comments above, maybe if you have hope for Shuu.

    https://randomc.net/image/Guilty%20Crown/Guilty%20Crown%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2033.jpg

    https://randomc.net/image/Guilty%20Crown/Guilty%20Crown%20-%2011%20-%20Large%20Preview%2003.jpg

    Well I hope that Mana, I believe that she is called, a more serious contribution to Shuu, relating the change in the attitude of Shuu to the change of the color of his eyes with the “awakening” of Mana … and even more taking into account the superior ability of Yuu.

    Maybe, and just maybe, Mana could “awake” the true power of the “King” inside of Shuu, maybe the same powers than Yuu? Shuu leaves Gai and cia. and start kicking some asses!

    I don’t like Inori and Gai, and Mana could be the solution. A third faction in this party!

    Abyss
      1. @Da5id:

        “Time-of-day notations beyond 24:00 (such as 24:01 or 25:59 instead of 00:01 or 01:59) are not commonly used and not covered by the relevant standards. However, they have been observed occasionally in some special contexts in Japan and Hong Kong where business hours extend beyond midnight, such as broadcast-television production.”

        -From Wikipedia

        Which is why I get text messages from my boss telling me he wants this function added or that function replaced…./rant

        The Moondoggie
  48. Just when I thought Shuu is finally becoming a better main character, he just stares and does nothing (for a full minute or so) while Yuu appears out of thin air behind Inori…
    And ofcourse, what Divine mentioned, GOD, the reason for support Funeral Parlor!!!

    Djalaal
  49. Usually my tolerance for annoying male leads has a certain limit, and Shuu (and everything about his character) is simply pushing it to its limits. But I’ve made it this far already, I could only go further than this, so yeah I will try my hardest to watch this series up to its end, going there always hoping for the better.

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