Ranked #4307

Code Geass: Nunnally in Wonderland

When starting the special, one might be put off by the mostly still frame animation. But the comedy of the story makes up for it. The special only works if one has finished both Code Geass series. The special right away shows that it is not a serious and intelligent story that the series is famous for, by having Lelouch break the fourth wall right away. The story creatively blends the major characters of Code Geass with Alice in Wonderland and other stories. Much of the comedy is based on jokes on major plot elements of both series and making extreme of characteristics that made the characters famous(or infamous). There is also some fanservice for heterosexual males. After nearly 30 minutes of comedy, as the story wraps up, a quick but hilarious twist ends the special on a grand note.

The comedy is well thought out and very funny. With so much references to the plot, fans of Code Geass are rewarded with not only comedy. By using nearly all the major characters, in roles that fit their personalities, one can tell the writers care for their fans. The very last scene is heartwarming and funny, ending the special in a fulfilling manner. read more

Before watching this special, you might want to have a Wikipedia summary of Code Geass at hand, especially if you have not watched the main series in a while. Nunnally in Wonderland references many events from the series, so it's good to be familiar with them.

Now, onto the review.

The main premise of the special is that Lelouch tries to tell an interesting story to Nunnally, like he used to when he was younger. He envisions his sister in his own version of Wonderland, with most of the other characters from the original series make brief appearances. Crazy things ensue, and many people will find this method of storytelling off-putting. After all, Nunnally in Wonderland is essentially Lelouch's (rather siscon) twisted fantasy. Everything that happens in his Wonderland parallels the "real world" of Code Geass in some way, and this special cleverly lampoons many elements of the series. Although many people found this to be insipid and devoid of the intelligence that was in the main series, I found the gags to be quite entertaining. It definitely lacks the drama and coherent plot lines of the original though, so if that's what you're looking for then you are sure to be disappointed.

This special was clearly low-budget, as the artwork was mediocre at best and the animation was virtually non-existent. As this was meant to be more of a picture drama than an actual anime episode, the lack of art quality isn't much I can complain about. CLAMP's noodle-arm character design is still there, and overall the art was pretty consistent--as in a consistent level of bad.

From what I know, all of the original voice actors from the series with roles in this special were able to reprise their respective roles. Thus, I have no complaints in the voice acting department. Lelouch sounds as he always does, and Norio Wakamoto, a fan favorite, really had a chance to ham it up in this. The king's booming, regal voice is always entertaining to hear, and his silly scenes in this special were no different. Much of the music from the original series was used here as well, though much of it featured that light-hearted school setting/student council tune. Overall, the sound was fine, though nothing special, unless you were a big fan of the original OST. If you're also a big fan of any of these seiyuu, then at least check this out for their roles.

Surprisingly, despite all the crazy gags and antics in this special, the characters actually stayed...well...in-character. Though the situations were changed, Lelouch was still Lelouch, Suzaku was still Suzaku, etc. If you liked their original characterizations, then you should not be too disappointed by how they are portrayed in this. Though, if you're looking for any character development or major backstories, you won't find it here. In this special, the purpose of the characters was to create humorous situations, and in that it succeeded reasonably well.

Overall, I personally enjoyed Nunnally in Wonderland. It might turn some viewers off because it lacks the drama, intelligence, and seriousness of the main series, but as a cheeky, ironic little piece of comedy that pokes fun at its parent series, it really is quite enjoyable to watch. I would recommend this to anyone who wouldn't mind a sillier, stranger side-story from Code Geass. read more