Chapter 311 - 310: The Season One Finale

Chapter 311: Chapter 310: The Season One Finale

Over the following few days, Tokyo TV1 practically lived and breathed Code Geass. The station fell into a rhythm of rebroadcasting the explosive twenty-third episode once or twice a day, every single day. Furthermore, they dedicated fixed time slots to air marathons of the series, starting from the very first episode all the way to the most recent release. When an anime achieves a 6% viewership rating, it earns the right to cannibalize less significant variety shows and dramas.

This is the fundamental reason why television anime in Japan often sees its ratings climb as the season progresses.

Many casual viewers catch a rerun during an odd hour, find themselves hooked, and immediately join the ranks of the weekly simulcast crowd. As long as the production quality remains high, the fan base snowballs alongside the broadcast schedule. The release of Episode 23 acted like a massive catalyst, spreading the show’s influence across the nation at an alarming rate.

While Code Geass was already a titan in the ACG community, its narrative quality arguably on par with Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Haruto’s personal status had shifted significantly.

He was no longer just a talented creator; he was a full-blown media sensation. In Japan, fans of anime, live-action cinema, and prime-time TV dramas often stay within their own circles, and it is rare for a niche hit to achieve true mainstream crossover.

Code Geass was the exception.

The waves of excitement generated by the fans were so massive that even citizens who never touched animation were being bombarded by what amounted to a tidal wave of organic marketing. It reached a point where everyone knew that a show called Code Geass was pulling numbers that placed it at the absolute top of all programs, across all stations and time slots, comfortably sitting as a unique entity above a 6% rating. Once Haruto had tapped the full potential of the anime community, the show naturally spilled over into other demographics.

At Haru-Yuki Animation, the staff worked tirelessly to capitalize on the current heat surrounding the project. Haruto himself didn’t dare hold any in-person fan meetings. He was legitimately afraid an emotional fan might jump on stage and take a swing at him. With over ten million fans, it was statistically inevitable that a few might be slightly unstable. He decided to play it safe, limiting his promotional presence to short videos released on the official website.

In these videos, he addressed the hottest points of contention that were currently being debated by the public. Fans wanted to know if the series would end in tragedy or joy. They wanted to know if the show would continue to torture its audience or if more beloved characters like Euphemia were on the chopping block.

Haruto gave vague and non-committal answers that skillfully dodged the spoilers.

He claimed things like, "Lelouch will have a very happy ending," or "The world will find total peace." He suggested that the remaining popular side characters were essentially safe and that the plot would soon become an empowering power trip with fewer heart-wrenching moments.

Even though his fans had been burned by his lies many times before, they found themselves thinking, "Well, if he’s saying it so clearly this time... maybe we can trust him one more time?"

Slowly, the tide of public opinion began to turn. After a week of venting their fury, the fans had mostly run out of steam. This paved the way for the smooth broadcast of Episode 24.

This particular episode was a masterclass in high-budget mecha action. It was a relentless battle from start to finish. While Code Geass features giant robots, its core appeal has always been the tactical battle of wits between Lelouch and his enemies.

Fans who felt the previous mecha fights were too brief were finally given a feast for the eyes.

However, the main plot progression slowed to a crawl during the chaos. The Britannian Imperial Army and the Black Knights engaged in brutal skirmishes across Japan, with both sides suffering heavy casualties but refusing to yield an inch.

In the midst of this, Lelouch engaged Princess Cornelia in a duel. By utilizing "chess pieces" he had planted long ago using his Geass, he managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

The episode concluded with a cliffhanger. A mysterious, short individual who had appeared briefly in previous episodes finally made a move, showing up right in front of Lelouch’s younger sister.

The fans were thrilled by the action, but they also realized something chilling. Someone had finally found Lelouch’s Achilles’ heel. Lelouch was a man who acted purely on logic and self-interest, seemingly devoid of traditional morality. His only weakness was Nunnally. Just as the war reached its peak, his sister had been compromised by the enemy.

"So, is the next episode going to be about Lelouch failing because he chooses Nunnally over the revolution?"

"Lelouch doesn’t seem like the type to act on impulse. Given his cold-blooded nature, she’s just one sister. He wouldn’t sacrifice the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers just to save her, right?"

"Who knows? He was cold to his other siblings, sure. He shot Clovis and Euphie. He might have hesitated, but he did it. But Nunnally is different. He’s always had a soft spot for her."

"Exactly. Remember when Mao kidnapped her? Lelouch risked his life without a second thought. From that perspective, Nunnally is worth more to him than his own life. If Britannia threatens her, he’d probably surrender the entire movement to save her."

"If that happens, doesn’t his character completely fall apart?"

The debate raged on. Fans found the situation impossible to resolve. Would he use Geass to pull another miracle out of thin air? That would make the Britannian army look incompetent. Another God-tier cliffhanger had left everyone in a state of agonizing suspense, though they only had to wait one more week for the finale.

Ratings for Episode 24 climbed slightly higher, reaching 6.31%. Haruto knew this was largely due to momentum. Between his own fame and the noise fans were making online, the show was picking up "normie" viewers who were curious about the fuss.

As mid-September approached, the finish line for the first season was in sight.

After the finale, there would be a two-week break before Season Two premiered in October. Since Haruto had spent a year preparing, there was no need for a production hiatus.

While some companies split seasons by several years to maintain long-term relevance, Haruto knew that could kill the momentum. It is often difficult to bring old fans back after a three-year gap. He preferred to strike while the iron is hot.

Turning his attention away from the anime, Haruto reviewed his company’s finances and the progress of Hunter x Hunter and Sword Art Online. Thanks to the global success of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners over the past year, the company had raked in over billions in licensing and merchandise revenue.

At this point, Haruto realized that the ACG industry was a literal gold mine.

However, the money had reached a level where it no longer felt "real" to him. Whether he had a few hundred million or tens of billions, it didn’t change his daily life. What it did do, however, was ensure he had the capital to produce any project he desired.

In Hunter x Hunter, the story had reached the conclusion of the Hunter Exam.

After Killua was forced back to his family by his brother’s mysterious psychological attack, Gon decided to head to the Zoldyck estate to bring him back.

This was a transitional arc, but Haruto was focused on what came next: the Heavens Arena arc. This was where the core power system of the series, Nen, would be introduced. Much of the series’ legendary status was due to the incredibly imaginative Nen system.

Haruto found it hilarious that such a core system didn’t appear until dozens of Chapters into the manga, a move only a veteran could pull off.

Hunter x Hunter was currently averaging 22 million copies per volume, placing it eighth in historical sales, just behind Initial D. Haruto expected that once the Nen system was revealed and the subsequent Phantom Troupe arc began, an arc he considered second only to the Chimera Ant arc, the sales would skyrocket. His goal was for the manga to hit number one in historical per-volume sales by the time he graduated university.

Sword Art Online was in a similar position. The GGO arc, featuring "Kirito-chan," was proving to be a massive hit, with the protagonist’s feminine avatar even threatening Asuna’s popularity. Simultaneously, Haruto was using the Kiyozawa Library channel to release the Progressive series, which revisited the original Aincrad floors in detail. SAO was currently averaging 25 million copies per volume, ranking third in historical light novel sales.

With Code Geass dominating the anime world, Hunter x Hunter climbing the manga ranks, and SAO closing in on the top spot for novels, the industry was starting to realize Haruto’s true ambition.

He was on the verge of conquering all three major pillars of the otaku industry simultaneously.

As a senior in university, he was already the most successful scriptwriter in the history of anime. In manga, he was the only creator with two titles in the historical top ten. Even if he and his partner Shizuru stopped now, they would be among the top six most influential mangaka in history.

And in the novel world, it was only a matter of time before he claimed the throne.

The media couldn’t get enough of him. There is no story more compelling than a young student achieving the Triple Crown of the industry. The narrative of a self-made prodigy who lost his parents young and wrote his way out of poverty resonated deeply with the public.

By the week of the Code Geass season finale, the conversation had shifted from the plot to the man himself. Fans were jokingly questioning if Haruto was even human. His legendary status had transcended his work; he was now a bona fide celebrity. If he decided to debut as an actor, talent agencies would likely offer him top-tier contracts despite a total lack of acting experience.

Haruto couldn’t control the cult of personality growing around him, so he simply let it be.

Finally, Sunday arrived. The entire industry held its breath, waiting for the final episode of the first season to air.

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