Mao's Origin! | Code Geass Newlyweds Reaction | Ep 15, “Stage 15: Cheering Mao”

Lelouch learns more of the truth from C2 about multiple Geass users, while Mao makes his next move! This episode had us SHOCKED at the end, and we can't WAIT to see what happens next, if anything, with Mao!
EPISODE 16 OF CODE GEASS COMING NEXT THURSDAY AT 12 EST!
EPISODE 2x2 OF MY HERO ACADEMIA COMING THIS SUNDAY AT 12 EST!
Demon Slayer ep 25 coming this Saturday at 12 est!
Head to Patreon to see episodes 15, 16, 17, & 18 of Code Geass now!
/ lettsreact
ALSO ON PATREON:
5 episodes ahead of My Hero Academia and Code Geass
9 episodes ahead of Demon Slayer
ALL OF: Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Attack on Titan, Arcane, Shera, Avatar, and Korra
Season 1 episode 4 of GRAVITY FALLS PREMIERES TUESDAY AT 12 PM EST!
THE DISCORD IS NOW ACTIVE! Link: / discord
Original intro/outro music by: Carter Sanders
Channel Profile Art By: @comet_vtfoe on Instagram
Copyright Editing By: Gabe Gazic
Code Geass, Episode 15, “Stage 15: Cheering Mao”
Linktree: linktr.ee/Lett...
Tik Tok: @LettsReact
Montana Tik tok: @idahothestate

[@LettsReact]

Episodes 15, 16, 17, & 18 of Code Geass are all posted to Patreon now in their extended full length forms! patreon.com/lettsreact

[@Marta-uv4id]

Mao isn't exactly the most lovable guy but I really can't help but feel bad for him. It would be pretty impossible to live if you constantly *had* to hear the thoughts of everyone around you, whether you wanted to or not.

[@larawatson8381]

When I first watched it zi hated hos arc. I felt it was filler and not too relevant to the plot. After rewatching it I realised how important this arc wad

[@captainbatman7613]

​@@larawatson8381This arc gives major Character background for C2 and how her relationship with Lelouch would play out throughout the series

[@kitkat7074]

@@larawatson8381filler? That’s the best joke I’ve heard all day

[@MrFox-xr9cc]

Not only the burden of his power, but also his upbringing. C2 seems pretty much immortal, she is so far removed from humanity and not being part of society i really doubt her parenting skills.

[@justinianflavius9571]

Exactly. He's not lovable bacause he's basically ruined. And people can go insane even with just their own voice in their head, imagine tens of thousands simultaneously.

[@TheJokerAkaCirque]

This is actually the *second* Schneizel namedrop. The first was from Clovis, ages ago. Lelouch had him reveal under power of Geass everything he knew about his mother's murder. Clovis's response: "Second Prince Schneizel and Second Princess Cornelia. They know the truth."

[@saltyk9869]

I feel like he gets mentioned in passing a lot in the first half of R1. He’s just a feature of the world that everyone accepts. Though it can be easy to miss. He’s often referred to as “the Second Prince”. Notably, he’s Lloyd’s benefactor.

[@Megalomaniac_Trans_Lesbian]

​@@saltyk9869 Clovis also mentioned how he didn't want to own him a debt after they deployed the Lancelot, and Cornelia frequently references him in passing. The fact that they hyped him up so much, and then when he finally appears in season one he does nothing major, and only becomes the true final antagonist in the final arc of season two, has to be one of the best cases of slow burn ever put to screen

[@TheJokerAkaCirque]

@@Megalomaniac_Trans_Lesbian ay they're not that far ahead, maybe delete for spoilers

[@TheJokerAkaCirque]

@@saltyk9869 he's also in the first opening which I find funny since he basically doesn't appear onscreen until well after they retire that OP.

[@Megalomaniac_Trans_Lesbian]

@@TheJokerAkaCirque It's okay, they don't look at their comments on youtube

[@jacobwilkinson5479]

I really appreciate that they make the fake recording realistically smart. A lot of times writers try to make them just a normal conversation and slap on a ‘it was fake all along’ afterwards. Really though there is a lot of nuance (both verbal and non-verbal) that would make it feel weird for the target and would tip them off that something is wrong with the person they are speaking to. If you want to craft a fake conversation you need to be the one guiding it and moving to the next topic first so the target is forced to follow so that the target’s dialogue is reactionary because you don’t need to respond to that, also make it trigger emotions like lelouche does. You use the emotional ties to distract the target, and by controlling the direction of the conversation you have no social obligations to respond to any curveballs that might occur and can steamroll the conversation, using the argumentative context to mask mistakes. (People are less likely to question oddities if you get heated and social conventions break down)

[@tslex6477]

i really like how it was done and it always would make me angry how many people would act like it was poorly written and "lelouch just predicted every possible response of mao, really?" when if you give it attention it's clear it's not even a conversation, he just provokes mao to reaction!

[@Firefox1726]

@@tslex6477 Very true. There is, however, another time where Lelouch pulls this exact same trick again (I won’t mention where for spoiler reasons), and that one was a lot less believable considering who he was talking to and the fact that it played out exactly like a conversation.

[@saltyk9869]

@@Firefox1726 You should watch that one again. Lelouch does the exact same thing he does here. He's just more practiced at it, knows his target much better, and is more subtle about it. But he actually doesn't respond to anything that person says. Mostly makes statements.

[@xXShadDragXx]

​​@@saltyk9869Exactly. In that later moment Lelouch keeps forcing the conversation along or cutting off the other person.

[@Megalomaniac_Trans_Lesbian]

​​@@saltyk9869 He does actually respond to him a few times that second time. Like when they go back and forth on the nature of knowledge and wisdom, and Lelouch says "You are truly superior" afterwards. It really was a bit more contrived. But then again, no one else in the world knew that guy better than Lelouch, so I didn't mind it ^^

[@colt1903]

"I've built a big brand new house in Australia" Of course the guy that's batshit insane wants to live in Australia😂

[@MiosPanties]

Hey! Accurate...

[@Megalomaniac_Trans_Lesbian]

Mind you, the dub let out the fact that this house is white. Just like his outfit. Because he thinks everyone else in the world is evil, and only he and C.C. are good. Poor kid still has no concept of good and evil

[@thecrawler1265]

I mean, it's like the most far away place you could go

[@colt1903]

@@thecrawler1265 Yeah, also arguably the deadliest place in the world where every inch of wildlife can and will find a way to kill you if you let it.

[@zeroescape]

Ive watched this series quite a few times but never noticed the nice, very uncharacteristic of a Britannian statement from the psych eval woman to Suzaku about his father. Thats cool

[@Megalomaniac_Trans_Lesbian]

She *is* a physician, a profession that requires high levels of empathy, so it's actually not really surprising that she'd have more respect for the Japanese than other Brittanian, but after all the constant racism we've seen, we do get a bit blindsided by this unexpected show of compassion ^^

[@JPNox]

Yes, she was pretty unbiased / non-racists. It's a good writing to see different personalities. Code Geass has good writing even for one-off characters

[@saltyk9869]

C2 is "The Witch" in the series. And this episode makes it clear that she is not really a good person. She's made these contracts with others in the past. And she clearly doesn't make it a habit to fully explain the potential pitfalls. Hell, she refuses to explain the details of the contract to Lelouch even when he asks about it on two separate occasions. She literally gives people incredible power and seems all too willing to simply let them do whatever they wish. Lelouch wants to destroy the world and she doesn't seem bothered by the implications of that at all. Think about it. Lelouch was facing his own death when C2 offered the contract at that time despite having been in his company for a decent amount of time. His options were accept or die. How many others has she done this to? Seems less like a guardian angel and more like a Devil. However, she has also confirmed that a person's Geass manifests differently in each person. Kenny has good instinct that they seem to be mental in nature. Though how would a Geass manifest to affect people emotionally? That's an odd concept to think about. Like a Geass that makes people irrationally angry upon activation or something? Oh, and Mao had a chainsaw penis in his shadow. And yes, that was very intentional. Surprised neither of you caught that.

[@JustAMagicDuck]

7:44 looks like a queen. Appropriate since he was talking about Shirly at the time.

[@AlicentviBritannia]

Fun fact: Mao's repeated applause didn't exist in the script stages. Goro Taniguchi (director and one of the CG creators) was the one who later added it to make him "more annoying". Also, according to the producers, Mao's arc had the highest ratings (the post that published this information that I extracted didn't specify if they were the highest ratings of the entire season or of the episodes aired up to that moment, I lean towards the second one considering that Code Geass was gaining popularity, but I'll talk about that another time).

[@kayden2119]

interesting that it has the highest ratings considering it grinds the story to a halt. Second worst arc imo

[@colt1903]

​@@kayden2119 It's one of the most important arcs in the show

[@kayden2119]

Important does not mean good. I think it was very drawn out and executed poorly. It comes on way too sudden and halts the story momentum the show had at this point. I love the show this is just a poor arc and there are not many of those.@@colt1903

[@colt1903]

@@kayden2119 I think it was done pretty well

[@kayden2119]

It was mostly just boring to me and a little drawn out. I think it really just should have been two episodes max but honestly I feel like most of it could have fit into one good episode.@@colt1903

[@jakubgodyn7413]

Now knowing what the contract is it makes SO MUCH sense that Mao could not complete it

[@TheJokerAkaCirque]

The Mao trilogy is a huge gamechanger for the show and arguably one of its highest points

[@AStrangeWindmill]

They removed him from the remake movies, and it's actually pretty unfortunate. This episode is where Lelouch learns that "losing control of your geass" is something that can and probably will happen to him. And knowing that is what makes "the incident" a personal failing of Lelouch's rather than just an accident, so it's absolutely pretty important.

[@willevensen7130]

@@AStrangeWindmillI don’t take the movie’s seriously.

[@archivesoffantasy5560]

Not even arguably, it’s definitely one of the best parts of Code Geass.

[@TheJokerAkaCirque]

@@archivesoffantasy5560 arguably only because opinons are of course subjective- you will occasionally find people who aren't fond of the Mao trilogy, and more frequently, people who think that enough other arcs top it that it doesn't make the top list

[@RhyperiorRanger]

LOOK OUT HE’S GOT A CHAINSAW!

[@red_cosplay]

LIKE HE'S SOME KIND OF A CHAINSAW MAN!

[@Lenore_NM]

In response to Kenny and Montana's reaction to Mao being 6 when he got the geass, here's something to think about. There have been hints C2 is OLD. You're thinking about this from a modern perspective, but in the past plenty of people were raised to do a specific job, often by a master if the parents could pay for an apprenticeship. Given that, is it really surprising she might try to raise and train someone from a young age specifically to be able to fulfill their side of the contract, especially if people have failed her in the past.

[@StealthXD1]

It's wild when you think about it, C.C. is older than Britannia is. She probably saw its formation.

[@thespectator5259]

The year in the show also doesn't reflect our own timeline at all. While they clearly are more advanced than we are in many aspects, if we would to put our AD timeline next to the Code Geass world, it would actually overlap with our 1960s. Britannia is one thing with what the concept of nobility/not as strong parliament being a thing well into contemporary times, but the entire rest of the world is also culturally closer to a mid 20th century mindset with all that entails. People understandably get fooled by how high tech the world in code geass looks.

[@kapusta17]

That's a really interesting perspective! I can totally see that. I had previously thought that CC giving a contract (and all that eventually entails) to a 6 year old seems counter-productive at best, but now I see your point. It's not just that CC is distanced from humanity (and basic human morality) due to her extremely long lifespan, but that she was literally raised in a different time! Headcanon accepted 👍

[@rolandmeixner4413]

For how few episedes Mao is in, he´s a very important character for the story.

[@scarlightemperor3410]

Chess piece was the Queen. Not king. King is the three spikes at top

[@memeseller9444]

We need the montana lore counter to increase

[@AlicentviBritannia]

This episode gives us some crucial information about Mao, CC, and Geass. I will try to address each one briefly. Imagine that it is an episode guide. Geass: There are four things you need to understand about Geass. The first is that the Geass is a supernatural power that interferes with the minds and thoughts of others, Geass isn't a physical power (we see it through Lelouch and Mao's Geass). The second is that the Geass is bound to the will of the Geass user. The third is that the Geass is both a blessing and a curse (that's the biggest lesson this arc leaves us: Mao is a warning to Lelouch about the negative aspects of Geass and it is his future, if he strays from his path). I've hinted at what the fourth thing is in previous comments, however I think it's premature to talk about it directly. Just keep in mind that the fourth is the most important and connects the other things. I repeat: the best way to understand how Geass works is to think of it as a Faustian deal. Mao: so what happened to Mao? He lost control of his Geass because his will wavered. As a result, he can't deactivate it like Lelouch, so he is constantly listening to the thoughts of the people around him. However, that was not why CC abandoned him. She left him because Mao created a bond with her and that made him unable to fulfill the contract. That's the mistake CC referred to in episode 13. Mao was an orphan, he received the Geass at a young age and was isolate from society. Being an outcast, Mao didn't acquire moral codes or emotional development and therefore no empathy. He never grown up. He became a sociopath. That is why Mao has a childish and immature personality and has an oedipal relationship with CC (she says it at the end of this episode: he loved her as his lover, but also as his own mother). Now yes, let's talk about the elephant in the room... CC: She is Mao's motivation and the reason for his madness. She knew perfectly well that the Geass could damage him and, even so, she gave it to him. CC lied, emotionally manipulated and used a child for her own interests (her wish) and then dumped him, when she would have been better off killing him to put him out of his misery. Here she had a chance to correct her mistake and, at the same time, help Lelouch, but we saw that she hesitated and that gives us why she didn't kill Mao earlier. CC wants to distance from her contractors by imposing multiple barriers, but she can't help but bond with them and develop a certain affection. Either way, the feelings she professes for her contractors will never divert her from her personal agenda. Although CC had shown compassion for Mao, she immediately set out to find her next contractor. After all, she is a selfish witch. That's how CC calls herself. I must say that here I began to mistrust CC deeply, when I first saw Code Geass. What other things could she hide from Lelouch that concern him? What does it say to me that she's not using Lelouch or that she's going to leave him to his miserable fate when it all goes wrong like Mao? So far, I see that you and Montana have a neutral stance towards Lelouch and Suzaku and I don't consider it bad. You're right to think that the two are fighting the wrong way, at least right now and to put it simply (I'll try to focus on Suzaku in the next episode). Most of the fans are so blinded by their feelings that they do not fully understand the anime or its complex characters. I hope you take the same stance with CC. She is one of the grayest characters in CG and you would be surprised to know that she is not a better person than Lelouch (I swear when I heard you in past reactions saying that you expected CC to become a moral compass for Lelouch, I thought: oh, my friend, she is the wrong witch for the position!).

[@nikodemasgircys7252]

cringe

[@justkomixo]

Reading these essays in comments are one of the things I love the most about these reaction videos, ngl.

[@johndinner4418]

It seems he already had his Geass pretty much activated all the time from the beginning, no? That's why CC comforted him?

[@OfficialDjTalksick]

Suzuku gets a great arc by the end tho everything he does and says is a build to the payoff

[@casaruto]

​@@nikodemasgircys7252and what is exactly cringe? or ur baiting?

[@jackwitt7430]

I suggest you go through the flashes of C.C.'s backstory in Narita part 2 frame by frame. You get plenty of info on how old C.C. is and realize that she really doesn't have a modern mindset regarding life.

[@smilingowl09]

This is why Lelouch is the GOAT!! 🔥🔥 Lelouch > Light 😂🤣

[@captaincomic8678]

Honestly if Mao hadn't messed with Shirley I could've seen Lelouch trying to find some way to get him on his side, seems like he would've been a great asset.

[@saltyk9869]

Lelouch has a habit of absolutely destroying anyone who hurts those that he cares about.

[@magnuscarlsson9969]

I doubt it, Mao even on friendly terms would be seen as a liability. Even if Lelouch could find a place for him within their ranks, Mao's power would prevent Lelouch from deceiving the people around him, especially his allies, he barely shares everything with C.C. so having his mind being an open book for someone else wouldn't be something Lelouch would enjoy. Lelouch kinda saw Mao's death as a 'mercy' considering how the Geass tormented him.

[@TheJokerAkaCirque]

@@magnuscarlsson9969 Lelouch is many things, but he's not always the best judge of when a useful asset is also a liability. You should easily be able to figure out who i have in mind

[@magnuscarlsson9969]

@@TheJokerAkaCirque Ohh yes i know who you mean, but saying who would be spoilers.

[@kaleonaehu-gutierrez1000]

Awesome reaction, thank you both and thank you editor 🙏

[@incogspectator3042]

"...My name is Kenny this is my wife Montana..." The Chat: D-DaDa! M-Mama! Alright we're gonna take a break 😂😂 I've clearly been watching to many MeatCanyon videos. Now all I can imagine is every good moment turning in to a horror story 💀.

[@danielk4335]

I dunno if it's been said before but the Ashford Nobel family that tye President is from, was one of the main supporters of Lelouchs mother. After her death their political power also decreased and they had to move to Japan. Hence when Lelouch came to Japan as a hostage the Ashford family took upon themself to look after him be it for a chance to get power back or loyalty.

[@saltyk9869]

I'm pretty sure it has been stated in passing. But only really in passing.

[@Megalomaniac_Trans_Lesbian]

​​@@saltyk9869 Nope, it's only mentioned in season 2. Everything about the royal family and the Ashford family is a convoluted mess as far as the order in which we're given information honestly. Like, how is it that we only learn Milly knows about Lelouch's origins 13 episodes after her introduction. You look back from this episode, and realise that for all she knew, she was about to reveal said origins back when she was chasing Arthur! This show's lore is really poorly introduced at times XD

[@sammylane21]

So, at two separate times Montana was Amity.😄 With the green and purple hair, I mean.

[@theredeft5319]

There is a lot of important stuff that happens in this mini arch with Mao. We learn a lot more about how Geass works, and C2’s character. It’s also really important to C2/Lelouch’s relationship. Mao started to drive them apart, such that it feels somewhat possible to Lelouch that C2 would leave him, though it feels off. However Lelouch learning that she left to protect him leads him going to save her in return. Then he doubles down on their contract and promises he will fulfill her desire.

[@sidoh47]

Kiyomi Takada (the reporter) and Naomi Misera are the characters you're thinking of

[@hectorzuniga640]

One my favorite episodes glad you guys enjoyed it

[@Tiffany.foster]

If you devolve your geass to a certain point you become immortal and they gain a symbol like c2 has on her head

[@hundvd_7]

22:05 Your thoughts are simp 22:06 You've never resorted to cunny 😭

[@govind.m86]

The dialogue between Lelouch and C.C. at the end is one of my most favourite pieces of dialogue in the entire series. The words and the meaning behind them. I love it each time I see it.

[@theredeft5319]

I find their relationship so fascinating. Lelouch despite their fight earlier still puts a lot of faith into her.

[@govind.m86]

@@theredeft5319 Definitely. From day one all the way till the end.

[@arelydelaluz8487]

When you learn what her terms are, but that's season 2. I'm excited to see but sacred cuz so much stuff happens. Geass is a powerful power with hard drawbacks. Good luck.

[@Tiffany.foster]

Imagine being okay with killing the kid you basically raised

[@DominoPivot]

Spoilers for the next episode or two below. The first time I watched this show, I was both disappointed that Mao was eliminated so quickly, and appalled when they brought him back after making his death so over-the-top. We already saw Suzaku survive getting shot because he had something in his pocket, and some soldiers survive the explosion of their knighmare frames, but this really tipped the scales into cheesy territory. I was worried it would lower the stakes of the anime going forward, but in hindsight I don't think it did. Suffice to say, the fact you two even thought about the possibility of Mao not being dead tells me you're probably going to enjoy the next episode more than I did, which I'm certainly excited for!

[@glydoughnut9432]

I never realized this until the 2nd time I watched it but they hinted at MillyXLelouch in this episode very briefly

[@herbertdegracia3501]

Foreshadowing of episode 18

[@StealthXD1]

I await with great anticipation for their reaction to that episode.

[@DarkRaven4649]

The chess piece at 7:40ish is the queen - hence the, uh, "veil" behind the head. The King has a tri-pointed crown and looks altogether more like Zero's design, because of course Lelouch designed his kit to resemble a chess piece. I seem to recall that CC is generally associated with the White Queen, Lelouch with the Black King, throughout the series.

[@AlicentviBritannia]

Incorrect. Promotional material associates CC with the white queen, but this is not the case in the series. Kallen is the black queen in Lelouch's chess. That's why her code name is Q-1. We even see him holding the piece of Queen when he calls out to her in the episode 2. CC does not have any associated chess pieces. The promotional material is very unrelated to the series, curiously.

[@Zero-zx3ft]

@@AlicentviBritannia The King piece is not associated with anyone either, Lelouch has the player posture from the beginning to the end, but the promotional material associates it as the King piece, why did I say it? in the Code Geass Lost Stories game, which serves to further deepen the anime and its characters, Lelouch associates the new protagonist with the King piece "K-1", another example would be the Resurrection movie where there Lelouch names Suzaku K-1 as well, this makes it clear that Lelouch is the player who manages his pieces (pawns) and C.C is just a spectator, but when it comes to promotional material Lelouch and C.C are associated with the King and Queen pieces because of their high popularity.

[@marcelyuzuki6376]

At 11:00 They said it befor this Episode that Mao is Chinese

[@jackwitt7430]

How about Sensory Paralysis for a Geass?

[@YaBoiEAALR127]

I just watched your death note reaction after that I gotta see your reaction to monster

[@KongFuzii]

I think you could enjoy Iron Blooded Orphans

[@MyTaNTakaBerserk]

yep

[@marcelyuzuki6376]

AT 9:55 you already knew that she knew who Lelouch really is

[@TheJokerAkaCirque]

It's easy to have not really processed that, or to think her family knows but she's not in the loop, until that point

[@dwayneshy9531]

I think it's only said in passing that the Ashford were supporters of lelouches mother

[@herbertdegracia3501]

If Code Geass ends can you do Akame ga Kill next🙏

[@hundvd_7]

19:31 I'm sorry, but that sign is phrased hilariously badly

[@Uub141Forever]

Way to go LAPD~!

[@J10969]

No sneak peak for next episode?! 🥺🥺🥺

[@AlicentviBritannia]

You're right. I miss sneak peak. I don't know why they are no longer there. Is it because the new editor removed them? It's weird since he put them up until episode 13 😥

[@villarreal0706]

Let’s go!

[@forever_noir_2155]

im not ceaser im gangster geasstino shirorororororororororoshhiiiiiiiiiiiiirorororororororor

[@user-ju1kt5so6y]

Aot dub for the first special is coming out this Sunday!

[@Stath-io5yi]

Is N.G.Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop a good follow up to Code Geass? Or maybe Devilman Crybaby?

[@FezekaKeswa-fi1bt]

So when the dbs reactions starting ?????

[@eduardolopez-morfin9716]

Attack on titan final chapters episode is releasing this Sunday in English dub finally

[@tiredidealist]

CC, my beloved...

[@Torexus181]

really sad all those chainsaw man and jujutsu kaisen fans waiting for too much kenny making too many fans sad code geass bot accounts really gone with that their fake comments all of them abandon here i was remember how they wants remove my hero academia to just imagine kenny making huge amounts anime fans sad with all those toxic comments hopefully one day all chainsaw man and jujutsu kaisen fans return this channel with real accounts and real comments and lets react channel again much more happy place for all of them

[@pwnorbepwned]

Bots? For this channel? Bro, get over it

[@Torexus181]

@@pwnorbepwned sure first episode 80 k code gears fans watching every week every episode every one knows what happened thankfully youtube workers protect real viewers against bots not everyone likes play dirty today episode 500 live viewers half of them loyal regular letts react channel viewers other half real loyal code geass fans that toxic people abandon ship at the begining they just wants make sad chainsaw man and jujutsu kaisen fans and left after ıf you know something show us what happened your friends you act like know alot

[@lance2304]

Hm, I doubt that

[@bkgraphs1810]

What a nonsense! They reacted to DN, it's totally logical that now it's CG. Kenny totally likes classic shonen like MHA, FMA. These new dark trio can wait while still being released. You're the one who's toxic. Or all new anime fans are all like that??

[@Torexus181]

@@bkgraphs1810 why you feel insecure too much are you support fake bot accounts kenny is good guy even only one person still watching it he will never remove code geass dont worry about it chainsaw man and jujutsu kaisen fans always stay positive of course i am waiting good people return and happy about toxic people gone from this channel

[@Megalomaniac_Trans_Lesbian]

2:50 Is he gonna ask that exact same question every single time he sees that intro 😂 14:50 Lelouch did. Like ten episodes ago. He threatened to shoot himself at the time. Ring any bell? 30:33 Strategic, not tactical. He sucks at tactics, it's the main reason for all the times he loses a battle Cx