Gushing about this scene from False Start because it needs more appreciation
(Warning, I'm very much a Jeremie x Aelita shipper so I apologize to any Oddlita shippers who find this post...I'm soft for nerd x sweetie ships)
I really wanna talk about this scene right now because it's quickly become one of my favorite scenes in any cartoon. I've been unable to stop thinking about this moment for the past week or so cuz of how much it resonates with me. I promise I'll make more MSM content at some point, both for my AU and for other stuff. But for now, I wanna gush about a moment that sticks with me a lot.
False Start in general shows us that Aelita comes to really enjoy living in the human world, where she can feel all of Earth's natural sensations. In this moment she's recovered from a fainting episode attributed to a virus XANA put in her, but she doesn't let it bother her for a moment. In this moment she's just happy to enjoy being alive, being with Jeremie, and simply just...being. Simple sensations such as the shiver-y feeling we get from being cold mean the world to her, because having a sensation like this is a reminder that after living forever in a soulless virtual world, being able to experience the full liveliness of Earth in all its beauty means everything to her.
And it's a moment that means a lot to me, too. My favorite movie of all time is Pixar's Soul - a movie with the message that we need to appreciate all of life's smallest moments. We only have the one life, so it's good to make every moment count - and embrace the littlest things that most people take for granted. And I think in this moment, Aelita is expressing deep appreciation for the world's tiniest wonders - from the sweet smell of flowers to the gentle stillness of the night. It's a wonderfully wholesome moment - even knowing of the virus XANA has put in her, she's still happier than she's ever been just knowing she can experience life's little beauties. As she says herself, "It's wonderful to be alive!"
That's just a small part of it, though. In this moment, not only is Aelita experiencing the beauty of being alive, but Jeremie gets to see the love of his life in a state of pure joy. And that brings him unbelievable happiness. LOOK at the smile on that boy's face. He knows she deserves this, and he knows that in spite of everything XANA put him through, all the struggles were worth it to see Aelita this happy. It's intensely gratifying to see the two of them get what he's worked so hard for even throughout all of XANA's unhinged BS.
(Aelita is canonically ticklish, why haven't we gotten some adorable fluff about this fact?)
In many ways, this is the moment the whole season's been building up to. The season has made it increasingly apparent that these two have longed to be together for so long. They've been through a lot together, and the events of the season shows how they feel about each other more and more with episodes like "Cruel Dilemma", "Killer Music" and especially "Frontier" making it obvious that what these two nerds have is more than a mere friendship. It's honestly a beautifully-done romantic arc for the time CL came out, and this is the scene that makes all the waiting and the hinting worth it. They finally got to spend the time together they wanted for so long and it's just perfect.
This is just the moment that represents the human beauty and warmth that lies at the core of Code Lyoko. Beyond the fun action setpieces and the crazy lore, it's a very tender cartoon that represents the true power of the human spirit and the connections between people who care about each other. The humanity and love that comes from Code Lyoko and its cast is the heart of the show and it's the biggest reason why I adore it. And it's all best exemplified in Aelita and Jeremie's relationship, and just how much they care about one another.
Everything about this scene I love. The gentle night-time vibes. The beautiful, soothing music. The absolute happiness just emanating from both characters as they share this wonderful moment together. All the Jerelita OTP adorableness. And just how much it reminds us what a beautiful world we live in. It's a genuinely perfect scene in my eyes, certainly my favorite in all of Code Lyoko, and one of my favorite scenes in fiction period.
Always remember how wonderful it is to have this life on this world. That's what Code Lyoko taught me.
