July 6th, Sunday.
By evening, the sweltering heat made people drowsy. It was only 7 PM, yet the weather was already lulling people toward sleep. However, activity across major video platforms was far more intense than usual.
Zhongxia TV's ratings were soaring even before 8 PM, already breaking past the 5% mark.
["It's here."]
["We get to see Zhuang Yuxin again, yay."]
["The female lead C.C. from 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion'—this is Zhuang Yuxin's second time playing a main heroine, right?"]
["I wonder if watching 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion' will give me a 'Fate' filter. When I watched 'Fate/Stay Night', I really hated Gilgamesh. I hope I don't carry that emotion over here."]
["Su Yan's acting is solid, so no worries there. It's just Zhuang Yuxin—I'm not sure if she can break free from the 'Artoria' image. Even though her look changed from blonde to green hair, I'm still afraid people won't separate her from Artoria."]
["Who cares, just watch it!"]
["At this point, there's no need to doubt Su Yan's works!"]
["Even if the plot is weak, as long as there are giant robot fights like in the trailer, I won't skip a second."]
["Plot doesn't matter—the mecha battles are the highlight."]
["Exactly. I've never watched Su Yan's dramas before. I'm just here for robot fights."]
Before the first episode of 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion' aired, the audience's expectations were crystal clear.
Their anticipation for the plot was far lower than their excitement for the mecha shown in the trailer.
No matter the world, people shared the same obsession with "big things."
Robot fights alone weren't particularly interesting—but giant robot fights were a different story.
Human fights weren't especially exciting—but giant robots fighting? That was something else entirely.
It was the same logic as Ultraman battling monsters, or mythological transformations that made figures tower over the heavens and earth.
As long as something was big enough, it naturally captured people's interest.
Fans' discussions were all focused on how tall the robots in the show were, their dimensions, weight, and specifications.
Bo Yangyan glanced at the time—five minutes left until the broadcast.
He let out a long breath and shut off his computer.
Normally not much of a drama watcher, he had been drawn in by the trailer and was now waiting in front of the TV for the premiere.
He had even turned down his gaming friends' invitation tonight, using "not feeling well" as an excuse just to watch the show.
"Don't let me down," Bo Yangyan muttered, staring at the TV.
Zhongxia TV was currently airing promotional clips for 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion'.
He was worried that all the highlights had already been shown in the trailer.
At exactly 8 PM, the opening theme of 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion' began.
The first scene showed two young boys playing.
Then came a brief background introduction.
The Holy Britannian Empire declared war on Sakura Island.
The sky filled with fighter jets, while on the ground, armies advanced with tanks. Then, transport aircraft opened their bays, and one after another, standard-issue steel giants over ten meters tall dropped from the sky. The ground cracked upon impact, and immense القوة kicked up clouds of dust.
Old tanks and aircraft were no match for these agile and powerful giant machines.
Sakura Island fell just like that—
and was renamed Area 11 by the Britannian Empire.
After the war ended, amidst the ruins—
The young boy swore angrily to his closest friend:
"I will destroy Britannia."
In just two minutes, the introduction had already captured Bo Yangyan's full attention.
So the main storyline was about the protagonist destroying this powerful empire?
But how?
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't figure it out.
The scene shifted.
A boy was helping an old man gamble in a chess match against a noble.
In less than a minute, the audience was presented with a handsome, confident, intelligent, yet physically frail young man.
Along the way, his classmate from the noble academy, Shirley, was also briefly introduced.
["Huh? Where are the robots? Why is the camera all on this?"] Bo Yangyan took a sip of soda, sweat forming on his forehead from the heat.
Soon enough, the story moved into the main plot.
One of the female leads, Kallen, along with her classmate, seized a transport truck from the Britannian army, claiming it contained poison gas.
Kallen and her group were part of a revolutionary force in Area 11, resisting Britannian rule.
Lelouch was soon dragged into the military's pursuit of Kallen's group due to an accident.
After establishing the world setting, the plot wasted no time delivering what the audience wanted.
The giant robots Bo Yangyan had been waiting for finally appeared.
Their menacing design, purple paint, and massive guns several meters long mounted on their arms—
Then came the appearance of Suzaku, a Britannian soldier and Lelouch's former friend. The two clashed over the poison gas truck, eventually recognizing each other.
And most crucially—
When they opened the truck, they found a green-haired girl lying inside.
Bo Yangyan's eyes widened.
He didn't usually watch dramas, but he had played the 'Fate' game before.
How could she be this beautiful?
How does this actress look stunning in every role she plays?
The plot continued to unfold, depicting how ordinary people in Area 11 were persecuted by the military because of the incident. To keep things secret, the army even decided to eliminate Lelouch, a Britannian citizen.
At the critical moment, the green-haired girl blocked a shot for Lelouch. At the instant their bodies made contact—
[You don't want it to end yet, do you? It seems you have a reason to keep living. I grant you power… In exchange, you must fulfill one of my wishes.]
The girl's voice echoed.
The chuuni-style line didn't repel Bo Yangyan—in fact, it felt perfect.
This kind of dialogue, this kind of framing, this sense of dramatic flair—
As a gamer, he immediately resonated with it.
Their encounter felt like destiny.
Then came the iconic scene of the series.
After the green-haired girl collapsed in a pool of blood from shielding him, she seemed to have given Lelouch some kind of power—but it all happened in an instant.
Lelouch stood up, facing the soldiers before him. The panic on his face vanished, replaced by calmness and ambition.
[In the name of Lelouch vi Britannia, I command you…]
The boy said.
[Die.]
Bo Yangyan froze.
"Huh? A command like that?"
But what happened next was beyond imagination.
The soldiers in front of Lelouch let out eerie laughs, then raised their guns to their own heads—
Bang!
Bo Yangyan's eyelid twitched.
This…
Is this that powerful?
So this was the contract between the girl and Lelouch?
An absolute command—the power of a king.
Originally, Bo Yangyan had only come for the mecha battles.
But at this moment, his mindset changed.
He realized—
The appeal of this show wasn't just the mecha fights.
This protagonist…
was even more captivating than the machines.