Written by Jessica Chan
Have you ever heard of the term yaoi? If you’ve been chronically online enough, you might’ve heard of it in recent years in any online fandoms that you might be participating in. What once was a term for only Japanese boys’ love (BL) is now globally known for any male-on-male relationship (ship for short). In the spirit of Valentine’s, this is my love letter to my delusional ship from one of my favourite shows.
Watching Code Geass for the first time, I can’t say that I was outright adoring it from the first minute. In fact, it’d be more accurate to say that I dreaded watching it. Every week without fail, my brother would barge into my room and drag me to watch an episode with him. I jokingly started shipping the main character, Lelouch, with his best friend (and the deuteragonist), Suzaku. Mostly to annoy my brother by insisting two male characters who are friends are lovers. But the more you watch the show… isn’t it undeniable that these two are in love?!
The more you watch the show, the more it drags you into its iron clutches — for me, this was exacerbated by the ship SuzaLulu. From the setup to the finale, these two are so intrinsically interlinked that a simple sentence, said between two children, carries these two hopeless teenagers through the entire narrative: “There is nothing we cannot accomplish together.” I don’t mean to repeat myself, but the utter dependency these two have on each other is absolutely dripping with romantic undertones. From childhood friends to enemies, the scenes between these two are written like Greek tragedies, hidden underneath their mecha anime exterior. It might be a cliché trope, but it’s nonetheless a classic and filled with juicy betrayals.
What really fuels my delusions, though, are the countless details and subtle animations that — in a “show, don’t tell” fashion — scream devotion and care in every scene. It’s never loud, but it’s always there. In episode one, for example, Suzaku saves Lelouch’s life by sacrificing himself not once, but twice. Thereafter, Lelouch is determined to avenge his beloved childhood friend. This is certainly not the last time we see these two working together and against each other with their lives on the line. A minor spoiler, but the fact that the only thing that manages to consistently foil Lelouch’s meticulous planning is Suzaku? That’s romantic.
Without listing all of my spoiler-filled favourite scenes, there are lines of dialogue between these two that are so pivotal and gut-wrenching from any perspective. Whether you see them as just friends (or something more), it is undeniable that Code Geass is an expertly written show that manages to utilise its characters to their utmost potential. From exploring their individual motives to their complicated relationships with those around them, Code Geass is a distinctly character-first show full of love and care.
