In this clip, we have Leila Malcal, a kind person who doesn’t like violence and sees it as a last resort; who loves her friends and wishes to protect them, willing to sacrifice anything, even her own life, to do so; and has special powers (that stayed dormant until she activated it).
And she is voiced by Maaya Sakamoto (Aerith’s Japanese VA).
And then we have Akito Hyuga, a soldier with a cold and calm demeanor, may be mentally unstable, as he is shown to enjoy battle to the point of blood lust, but has a softer persona and care for his comrades.
Not gonna lie, they remind me of someone.
I’m talking about pre-Nibelheim!Sephiroth, not the current one.
Also, Akito didn’t venture on the dark path unlike Sephiroth. At the end, he and Leila end up together.
As I watched it again, I noticed some similarities between the characters. Or maybe I’m just being delulu. 🤷
The Rebellion ended in 2008, Exiled in 2012, and we have Ressurected in 2019. But do we need to Recapture in 2024? I'm grateful we have more Code Geass, like the Breaking Bad franchise after Better Call Saul S6, PLEASE LET IT END! I'm starting to agree with Gigguk a little when Ressurection was announced.
shin hyuga is so underrated and for what. he's fine as hell and he's insane.
okay but also shin is such a good villain like i love the way he's written. he's the best villain in code geass and i love how he parallels both lelouch and suzaku. then the way he can just use his geass to kill someone by saying "DIE!" or (in the case of michele, take a trip) is so cool yet funny. i love everything about him.
I think everyone in the CG fandom are aware of the real world reflections and political references in the series, but it's only until after I finish watching Akito that the sheer heaviness of everything hits me because it was solely politics and Geass. I love the slice of life tidbits that are provided with Lelouch, but somehow I can't take Suzaku seriously even though he's the Knight of Seven and all. But his power and authority as a Rounds is made exceedingly clear in the movies - travelling in the imperial transport, kicking a Euro-Britannian official in the face without hesitation when they wanted to remove Kingsley from power etc.
Also you can't convince me that Ashley's subordinates don't simp for him. Look at them. A group of misfits gathered together, and despite his temper he never mistreats them. I love him <3
(HCs for any character in the movies of your choice?)
In all honesty, Anon, I've tackled all five Akito the Exiled movies in a row, more than once, and I still can't explain them if my life depended on it. But making this post reminded me how overwhelmingly deep the movies are, so I might give them a rewatch!
That, however, doesn't stop me from being bewildered by the complexity of the geassverse. Although it's the main story, Lelouch of the Rebellion doesn't seem half as intricate as Akito the Exiled is. Quite a shame that people skip over Akito because it has a different protagonist, even worse when people deem it "worth watching" only for the few minutes of Lelouch and Suzaku.
I also find the cast of Akito the Exiled quite likeable, and I don't think it's easy to find a cast as unique. The personalities, attitudes, relationships, even designs are very distinctive. Even side characters, like Ashley. Love that guy.
Now, let's dig in:
Although I am not fond of them being used as an "excuse for the movies to be good", I must admit that the Julius/Lelouch and Suzaku scenes are in fact brilliant. We got to see sides of them that weren't shown in Lelouch of the Rebellion, such as the cases you've mentioned about Suzaku exercising his authority. Also, since the movies take place between R1 and R2, we get to see more of Suzaku in his fresh rage, which we didn't see in R2 due to the timeskip.
And Julius Kingsley is a most chilling character. It's awesome how Sunrise managed to make Julius his own character while simultaneously making Lelouch's character shine through, to the point that it is easily noticed by Shin. And, as expected, Julius' plans are just as intricate as Lelouch's, which, again, makes it a shame that people skip over this movie when the writing shows as much effort as that of Lelouch of the Rebellion does.
(Give him the damn water though, Suzaku.)
Now, a favourite topic of mine: Ashley Ashra.
Ashley was one of the characters that stood out the most for me. You just know Sunrise kept him in Akito the Exiled for a reason; had he been featured in Lelouch of the Rebellion, he would have had a crazy load of fans.
He's one of the most complex characters I've come across in the franchise (or that may be because I don't understand every bit of the movies yet.) Him not caring for his life but going blind in rage when one of his subordinates is in danger makes him one hell of a character.
Also? Such a sick design!
Since Ashley is a character you've shown interest to, here are some thing I've brainstormed about him:
Remembers every birthday of his subordinates and gets them loads of gifts
Insists that he has high tolerance for spicy food but he actually doesn't and only finishes his food out of spite/he thinks he will look 'weak' if he doesn't
Has a whole drawer of accessories but hides it like a grave secret
Very very very superstitious
A huge literature nerd but will not admit it at gunpoint. If one of his subordinates shows an interest in a particular work, though, he will immediately whip out an entire discussion and list of facts just to discuss it with them
Speaks several languages and helps his subordinates if they need help in any one
His sleep schedule is nonexistent
I might do a series of headcanons for other characters in the future! Probably a fresh take when I rewatch the movies💜.