Online discussions were already heating up as episode 8 of Code Geass had just premiered. Like every week, new episodes of Wave started trending across all official websites. The studio and other notable staff members behind Code Geass also had active accounts, and comments were pouring in from fans everywhere.
"Safe to assume with all eight episodes, this is going to be the anime of the year. No other show will come close to it."
"Wait, calm down. We've only seen eight episodes. Things can still flop."
"Are you serious? Are you saying it can still flop?"
"No, I mean… I love this show. I'm using reverse psychological thinking, where I expect the opposite to happen, and then it will not happen and I'll be happy for the whole show."
"Hey, don't forget Fullmetal Alchemist is getting an anime this October!"
"The story's good, but it's slow in parts."
"But Fullmetal has the manga. It already has a fanbase, so it won't have much effect."
"It has popularity based on the manga, but Code Geass was famous from the start because the main team working on it. They're outclassing everyone else."
"Lelouch lost his aura in episode 7 but regained it all in episode 8. This is his peak!"
"That line, 'We are the Knights of Justice,' was so cringe. Like, who even says that?"
"Actually, there's a reason for that. When people live under oppression, they look for someone to lead them out. In that situation, a normal person acting normal won't inspire anyone. You need someone larger than life. There's an interesting study about this; you should check it out."
"Yes. It's theatrical on purpose."
"How long is Suzaku going to keep acting dumb? When's he going to get his wake-up call? Man, I'm getting tired of it."
"Same. But I liked seeing him fail that rescue mission. I was satisfied when he started crying."
"I know. It was satisfying, but watch, in the next episode he'll cry again and blame Lelouch for everything. Someone just kill him already."
Many viewers were starting to get tired of Suzaku's naïve idealism and blind loyalty, though it wasn't full-blown hate like Shou Tucker got from Fullmetal. Still, people were growing impatient with his character. They were waiting for his backstory, expecting depth, especially since he was Lelouch's opposite. The writing had been so strong that even casual viewers could tell Lelouch had been crafted with care, and they believed his rival must have an equally layered past.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Haruki was reviewing the last five minutes of the final episode of Season 1 in the conference room.
Around him, several animators murmured among themselves.
"This new art style really brings the characters to life."
"And we'll be using this for Season 2? I can't wait to start."
"But it's going to be a pain to adjust to the new art style. I heard from Saitama that he worked on this last five minutes. He said it felt so odd and opposite at first, but when the full picture comes together, it's so rewarding."
"Oh, that makes me even more excited. In the future, we'll all have to adapt to this anyway. And Saitama, who doesn't even have emotions, said it still feels rewarding. I can't wait."
"But man, this is just the last five minutes of the season. If the sequel takes another eight or nine months, fans are going to lose their minds."
"Yeah, I think Mizushiro's getting bolder now. He's starting to use cliffhangers in the anime too. And this time, he's outdone himself."
Afterward, they held a short meeting. Everyone seemed satisfied. The results had exceeded expectations with the new art style. Now, they had to reschedule the release timeline accordingly.
Kazuya asked, "So based on the production time, how much of a delay are we looking at?"
Shiori replied, "Considering the learning curve with the new animation style, I think we'll be able to release the anime around the same month next year."
Kazuya nodded. "So we won't be producing any other anime next year besides Code Geass. That's fine. Anything else would only clash with it."
Shiori added, "There's one more thing. The new style will increase production costs by about ten percent."
He nodded. "We'll review costs after Season 1 finishes airing. If Code Geass performs as expected, which, given the response, it should, we can allocate that extra budget safely. Still, keep it pending until then. Any objections?"
No one spoke up, so they wrapped up the briefing, concluding with the confirmation of the new art direction and their plans for Season 2.
As they all left, Kazuya and Haruki were walking together.
Kazuya asked, "Haruki, there's something different about you compared to before you showed me Code Geass."
Haruki said, "Oh? What's changed?"
Kazuya replied, "Normally, you were excited about making anime, but you didn't care much about views and comments. You always pictured in your mind how well something would do. But with Code Geass, it feels like you're like us, like a normal person. You don't know exactly how people will react. You know the patterns, but you don't have a full grasp of what will happen next, except for major moments."
Haruki, hearing this detailed explanation, realized he had started paying much more attention than before, perhaps because he had begun putting his own thoughts into the story. "You're right. I always thought ahead about how well things would do. Now I'm thinking bigger. I want to go even further ahead of my vision."
Kazuya, hearing this, couldn't find words at first. After a long sigh, he said, "I know you're taking Code Geass beyond your vision, but take it easy. For the past six months, I've seen you pushing yourself. As a senior in the industry, I'm telling you, you're talented. You don't have to work this hard. Take it easy. Enjoy life outside of anime."
After that, they both returned to work.
[Note: Hey, I know I've slowed the story, but I have a reason for that. I still hadn't watched Clannad, and today I finally had some free time, so I watched episode 1, and now I'm fully invested. Even after just one episode and learning what makes it special, I came up with a whole map for Haruki's development and other things.
That's why the past week leaned more toward reaction chapters instead of forward plot progression. I'm currently preparing the Clannad-related chapters, which is why updates slowed a bit. The story will pick up again very soon, most likely within the next three chapters.]
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-a-t-r-e-o-n.com/Alioth23 for 60+ advanced chapters)