5.75%
When the latest viewership ratings for Code Geass were released, the anime industry fell into a collective silence. By now, anyone with eyes could see that something unusual was happening with Haruto's latest work.
Historically, the industry had seen its fair share of geniuses, but most of them only enjoyed a brief window of glory, shining bright for a year or two with a couple of hits before fading into obscurity. Today, however, few people bothered to wonder if Haruto would ever run out of talent or see a sharp decline in popularity. Ever since his debut, those voices had appeared at the start of every series, yet the results spoke for themselves.
Code Geass had premiered with ratings already exceeding 5%, leading most insiders to predict a high ceiling for the show. Even so, it was hard for people to truly believe that Haruto could produce three consecutive series with ratings breaking the 6% barrier within just three years. Yet, the current performance of Lelouch was relentlessly closing in on that milestone. Many of Haruto's fans were already celebrating, treating a 6% rating as an absolute certainty.
"Haruto is seriously on another level."
"That's for sure. His fame and influence grow every year, which actually makes it easier for his new works to succeed."
"It is like a famous actor who can guarantee a massive box office draw even for a mediocre movie. Except in this case, the quality of the show is top-tier, and he has a massive backlog of fans. Honestly, I can't even hype him up anymore. Can someone explain to me how he is this powerful? This is just ridiculous."
"There is a small chance the plot could mess up later. You know, Code Geass involves a lot of military, war, and political subplots. Even if we don't judge it by the standards of a history textbook, he still needs to avoid major logic holes. Since Haruto is still a university student, he might make mistakes that lead to a messy plot, which could cause ratings to dip."
"People say that about literally every single one of his series. I'm tired of hearing it."
"All I can say is that while the success is staggering, it is actually quite logical when you consider he has been dominating the industry for several years now."
"Last year's Best TV Anime award went to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. If Code Geass wins it this year, that will be a hatrick. Haruto is literally writing himself into the history books."
"No one has won that award three times, let alone three years in a row. If he pulls this off, he becomes a legend. Decades from now, when people argue about who was the greatest of all time, the consensus will be Haruto."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I just hope he picks up the pace. The plot is starting to feel a bit repetitive, a few episodes of rebellion followed by school life. I can handle the interactions between Shirley and Kallen, but who cares about those random side characters? Yes, I'm talking about Suzaku. I liked him at first, but once I found out he joined the Britannian military despite being the son of former leader, I got annoyed. He claims he's doing it for world peace, but it just feels like he's making excuses for being a traitor."
"I think it's fine, though. Whether someone is a traitor depends on their motive. If he was doing it for a better life or just to survive while his country suffered, that would be despicable. But since he is trying to change the system from the inside, I think it's an interesting perspective."
"It just sounds like 'Saint' behavior to me. Unfortunately, I hate male characters who act like holier-than-thou martyrs. I prefer Lelouch's charisma."
"I love the show, but Lelouch is a pure egoist. He doesn't care about law or morality; he's just out for a low-level revenge against his father and his country. Between Suzaku and Lelouch, one is a sellout and the other is a traitor. They are both two sides of the same coin."
"How is Lelouch a traitor? He wants to overthrow the existing ruling class of Britannia, not help another country invade them. It is more accurate to call him a revolutionist."
"This is exactly why I'm worried about this series. We are only in the early stages and people are already debating the characters' philosophies this much. The arguments are only going to get louder as the series continues."
"It's just an anime, don't overthink it. As long as it's good, who cares? Arguing over the 'justice' of fictional characters is a waste of time. If you judged anime characters by real-world standards, 90% of protagonists would be in prison or facing a firing squad. Harem leads would be creeps, superpower leads would be serial killers, and isekai leads would be poachers for killing slimes and dragons."
"When you put it that way, I actually have no rebuttal."
For both fans and haters, the only metric of success for Code Geass, at least before the Blu-ray release, was the viewership rating. While the upward curve was expected, seeing the numbers actually manifest still sparked heated discussions across social media.
As June arrived, the various series from the current anime season began to wrap up. Meanwhile, the shows scheduled for the July summer market began their pre-release promotional campaigns.
Unfortunately, the industry's greatest fear had been realized. With the ratings for Lelouch constantly climbing, the promotional efforts of other series were producing half the results for twice the effort. Even the new projects from the Big Three animation studios were struggling to gain traction. Despite this, most production companies had no choice but to bite the bullet and lock in their premiere dates. Once a show is finished, sitting on it only drains more resources.
Right now, every company with a summer release was feeling a sense of dread. Just how much potential did Code Geass have? Would it stop at 6%, or would it continue to climb toward the all-time records set by Madoka Magica?
The staff at Haruto's studio, Haru-Yuki Animation, were in high spirits due to the success. They knew Haruto's character well; when he made a profit, he shared the wealth. While the leadership might get a significant share, the regular employees were always well-compensated. Everyone at the studio had absolute confidence in the project.
The first half of June blurred past. By mid-month, the thirteenth episode of Code Geass aired, delivering a massive turning point for the story.
In the preceding episodes, the tone had been relatively straightforward, a power fantasy where the protagonist had a clear goal and acted decisively, earning the audience's approval. To cripple the new Viceroy of Area 11, Princess Cornelia, Lelouch had triggered a massive landslide.
As the leader of the Black Knights, he achieved a major military victory against the Britannian regulars. However, that same landslide that wiped out the army also destroyed a nearby residential area.
Among the victims was the father of Shirley, Lelouch's childhood friend and a highly popular female character.
After this development, the mood among the fans shifted. Lelouch's pursuit of victory at the cost of innocent lives raised a difficult question.
Were his actions truly just? This sparked a wave of criticism against the character online.
Due to a series of coincidences, Shirley began to suspect that Lelouch was a member of the Black Knights. She eventually found herself at the site of a battle commanded by Zero. Suzaku, piloting the latest Britannian Knightmare Frame, engaged in a fierce battle with a conflicted Kallen, who was struggling with the morality of their cause.
Lelouch was caught in the crossfire and knocked unconscious. It was then that Shirley found him. As she reached down and pulled away the black mask of Zero, she was confronted with the truth: the boy beneath the helmet was her childhood friend, her secret crush, the leader of the resistance, and the man responsible for her father's death.
Episode 13 felt entirely different from Episode 12. The production quality was exceptionally high, capturing the heavy atmosphere of the tragedy. Whether it was Kallen seeking validation from Zero and being told that innocent sacrifices were necessary for victory, or Suzaku's vendetta against Zero for the death of Shirley's father, the episode was a masterclass in tension. The sight of Shirley's world collapsing as she realized Lelouch's identity left the audience in shock.
"That... that actually hurt to watch."
"Poor Shirley. The boy she loves is the leader of the group that killed her father. That is too much for anyone to handle."
"What is Haruto doing? Is he switching back to his tragic style again?"
"My heart is literally aching for her. This episode was insane; I couldn't breathe the whole time."
"And that cliffhanger! Ending exactly when she sees his face? That is criminal."
"I have to wait a whole week now? This is torture."
"I feel like the tone of the show is shifting."
"In what way?"
"Before, it was a power fantasy about Lelouch being a master strategist. But now, it's moving toward themes of fate, revolution, and growth. Lelouch started this fight for revenge, but now he has to face the weight of his own actions. Based on my years of watching anime, a pure fun show doesn't reach this level of depth. Haruto is about to break our hearts."
"Don't even joke about that. Not again."
"How can he hurt us more? The only person Lelouch truly cares about is his sister Nunnally, but she isn't that popular as a character. If Haruto targets her, I don't think I'll be that upset."
"C.C. is popular, but she's immortal, so she is knife-proof. Hehe."
"I just hope he kills off Suzaku in the next episode. I can't stand that guy anymore."
Episode thirteen became the most talked-about entry in the series to date. Its ratings reflected the buzz, climbing from 5.75% to 5.86%. Lelouch's dialogue in the episode became a focal point of debate in the community, highlighting the clash between his ends justify the means philosophy and Suzaku's belief that a tainted process can never produce a just result.
Haruto sat at his computer, reading through the various fan theories and debates. He let out a long sigh of relief. Finally, the setup phase of Code Geass was over.
From his perspective, the first thirteen episodes were great work, fast-paced and exciting, but lacking real depth. It could easily be dismissed as the story of a dramatic teenager's rise to power. But from this point on, the entire style of the series would change. In the eyes of fans, Code Geass was never a fun power fantasy; it was a deeply tragic, soul-crushing experience.
From the second half of the first season onward, the level of tragedy would escalate step by step. It was a story designed to make the audience feel the profound weight of the phrase "It is lonely at the top." Watching a protagonist go from being loved to being the most hated man in the world was a unique and painful journey.
Haruto's fingers danced across the keyboard. The first season was nearly finished in production, and the staff at Haru-Yuki Animation were already waiting for the scripts for the second season. He couldn't afford to slow down.
As he wrote, he reflected on the show's success. Reaching 5.86% by episode thirteen was beyond even his own expectations. It was true that his personal fame as a creator was inflating the numbers, but it gave him a sense of security. He had worried whether Code Geass would be able to touch the records set by Madoka Magica in this market.
In the parallel world, Madoka Magica generally had slightly better raw data than Code Geass, so it was natural to see a similar trend here.
However, with the current momentum and his massive following, Code Geass was performing better than expected. If his popularity continued to act as a catalyst for the show, then surpassing Madoka Magica was well within reach.
After all, Code Geass had one major advantage over all of Haruto's previous works: it was a long-running series. As a year-long broadcast spanning fifty episodes, it had the time and space to accumulate a massive, dedicated fanbase that shorter series simply couldn't match.
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