#3am posts

(these are my feelings after binging Code Geass Season 1. I've just started Season 2 so my feelings can very well change)

I actually like Suzaku Kururugi. Like, a lot.

I love both him and love-hate Lelouch, even though I find many of Lelouch’s actions and his outlook on some things despicable (yet this egomaniac still has a piece of my heart…ergh. It’s tiring, these conflicting emotions).

But people are out here hating on Suzaku yet are worshipping Lelouch when Lelouch has heartlessly murdered and manipulated tens of times more people for his own selfish gain. But it’s Suzaku that people pile grief onto.

This just doesn’t make sense to me.

Suzaku isn’t perfect and his idealism is a little misguided, but at least he cares about humanity more than Lelouch has proven to. Lelouch’s main driving factor is not the Japanese people, but his revenge on his father and providing a better life for his sister (who, if we’re being real here, doesn’t even have that crappy of a life to begin with, especially when compared to the Japanese). The people and “justice” only come after.

Wanting a better world for Nunnally is a commendable goal, but the means he’s taking to get there are just…atrocious at times, honestly. I get that in war, sacrifices must be made. To raise a rebellion, life will be lost. I get that, I totally do. But Lelouch sacrifices lives from both sides with little care unless it’s people he’s directly connected with, and when he is faced with the consequences of his actions (like with Shirley’s dad and Euphemia), he disregards them in the end as merely “a necessary sacrifice.” It’s pretty heartless, actually. He only really shows a struggle with this when it’s people who he personally cares about or has ties to.

And that’s selfishly hypocritical.

This isn’t hating on Lelouch, because as much as he infuriates me, I actually love him a lot. He’s a fascinating character and when he does show his caring, affectionate side, it’s a wonderful thing to behold—however, I’m also able to recognize and call him out on the wrong he does. I’m not saying he doesn’t care at all for humanity or the Japanese, for he does, just when it comes to his end goal vs people, he chooses his end goal every time. If the sacrifice doesn’t directly affect him, he rarely thinks twice about it or will regret it.

Lelouch is willing to sacrifice anything and anyone on a mass scale to give a better life for his sister…and for his revenge. Yet no one dislikes him for this. No one hates on him or calls him out on this. But you know who they will hate on? Suzaku Kururugi.

“He’s a little b*tch” “He’s so annoying” “Can he just die already” “He’s always in the way I hate him so much!!” What did this kid do though to deserve all this hate? Yeah, he joined the Brittanian army, but the whole reason he did so was to make a difference with as little life lost as possible. Suzaku wanted to change things from the inside out in a way that didn’t require so much blood, death and destruction. Yeah, it’s very idealistic and naive, but Suzaku’s intentions and heart are 100% genuine. He doesn’t have any ulterior, self-centered motives driving him like Lelouch does. And he certainly doesn’t willingly sacrifice lives to achieve his goal the way Lelouch does.

Both Suzaku and Lelouch share a goal: to bring peace to the world. Their methods are different, yes, and both characters have some serious flaws. But they’re different sides of the same coin utilizing different means to achieve their goal. The difference is: Lelouch has more selfish reasons as his main driving reason and he’s willing to sacrifice anyone who stands in his way.

It’s hypocritical to praise Lelouch but turn around and hate on Suzaku, especially since Lelouch has done way more heinous things and is willing to sacrifice anybody’s life to achieve his goal (he only debates this when it’s someone directly connected to him). Suzaku at least values human life and is trying to change the world with the least amount of life lost. He’s not perfect and in no way am I saying he hasn't done wrong as well, for he certainly has; however, it's not nearly to the scale as Lelouch and not as intentionally as Lelouch has. So with that, I just don’t get how people will strongly hate Suzaku but will turn around and excuse/worship everything Lelouch does.