Ranked #13

Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch

I was incredibly skeptical about Code Geass at first, but I'm very pleased to say that I was greatly surprised.

STORY - Before I saw this series, it was described to me on multiple occasions as "Death Note with mechas." After seeing it, however, I am inclined to disagree. The similarities between the two series are superficial at best, and though I can see why people would draw the comparison, I don't really think that dis/liking one means that you'll dis/like the other. But anyway, unlike Death Note, I wouldn't say that the story in Code Geass is particularly notable or unique. It's actually rather straightforward and even a little cliche, but that's exactly why this is such a well done series -- the barebones storyline is handled in a refreshing and new way that grabs the viewer's attention. There are enough twists and turns involved to keep you on the edge of your seat. The pacing is excellent and nothing feels rushed or drawn out. Indeed, the progression up to the conclusion is especially brilliant. (It's a cliffhanger "ending," but oh, it's just a fantastic cliffhanger.)

The series is also appealing in its uncanny ability to mix genres. Yes, this is a mecha series, but it really doesn't have to be. Yes, CLAMP did the character designs and there are some very shoujo elements (read: homolust), but there are very shounen rivalries and some pretty epic battle scenes too. Everybody wins! Additionally, because of the number of characters, the story allows for a number of small subplots. I was very happy with how this was handled in particular because all of the subplots relate and affect the main plot directly, whether by revealing some bit of information to both the characters and the viewer or by pushing forward interesting character development. Everything is well thought out and wonderfully executed, so despite the fact that "strong-willed person with plans to change the world receives mysterious power that helps facilitate his goals" isn't a very unique storyline... Code Geass makes it work.

Also. Code Geass utilizes the "best friends trying to kill each other" plotline, and I'm a sucker for that plotline.

CHARACTER - The characters in this series are rather varied. Some are very plain and one-dimensional, while others have an amazing complexity to them that makes them very life-like. I'll be honest. I've become somewhat infatuated with Lelouch as a character (and am rather biased as a result). To me, he is very much a human character -- he has emotions, opinions, a unique point of view, and some very serious flaws, all of which make him incredibly easy to relate to and to sympathize with. He is easily the most complex character in the series, and he feels real to me, even with his supernatural powers and his genius-level intellect. This ability to make the audience relate to him is also probably the series' greatest strength and the main reason why the story is able to remain relevant and interesting despite the fact that there aren't too many new ideas plotwise.

Suzaku would probably be second in line for complexity after Lelouch, though his sense of justice might be called cliche at first (along with Nunnally's and Euphemia's), and his hax-level physical prowess is somehow harder to accept than Lelouch's genius-level intelligence. It's harder to appreciate Suzaku's depth at first, partially because he is presented as Lelouch's main obstacle and the audience's sympathies are with Lelouch, but a great deal is revealed about his character throughout the course of the series, and he becomes an amazing foil to his rival. Their conflicting ideologies and philosophies are fascinating if you really look into it, and gay as it sounds, they really do compliment each other very well.

Much of the rest of the cast seems to fall into typical archetypes -- there's your adorable little sister, your mad scientist and his assistant, your cheerful schoolgirls, your best friend, your most loyal soldier, your second-in-command, your village idiot, your... really creepy lesbian girl? Despite the generic-sounding descriptions, most of the characters are actually pretty fun, or at the very least, interesting. C.C. provides snarky commentary. Shirley spreads innocent schoolgirl love. Nunnally is so moe you'll die. Jeremiah is a good butt of all jokes. Little bits of backstory are tossed in here and there to separate them from the crowd, but it's never enough to actually intrude, and the wide range of characters lets you settle into the world pretty well too; after all, what universe is complete without an animal mascot that shows up now and again?

ARTWORK & ANIMATION - I wasn't too impressed with CLAMP's character designs at first (noodleboys!), but as always seems to be the case, they gradually grew on me, and I remembered just how pretty X was. CLAMP just knows how to make everyone look amazingly sexy, male or female. I really loved how they did all of the facial expressions in the series though, especially for Lelouch. Seriously, that guy had some of the most awesome crazy expressions, some of the most amazingly touching sadface expressions, and of course, some of the most amusing WTF expressions. The mecha designs for the Knightmare Frames were also pretty awesome. I dig the whole rollar blade thing, and some of the technologies they come up with are neat, if a little over-the-top. The animation is fluid and smooth for the most part and very few things stood out as being bad.

MUSIC - Initially, I wasn't particularly fond of any of the OP/EDs for Code Geass except the first ending by ALI PROJECT because 1) they're awesome, and 2) Yuki Kajiura's style seemed to suit the series very well. The screaming violins both convey the high status of Britannia and the intensity of the emotions in the series. The rest of the themes seemed lackluster in comparison, but though I was never a huge fan of FLOW, "COLORS" kind of grew on me after a while. The final insert song, "Innocent Days" by Hitomi is pretty nice as well. Very thoughtful, very poignant, very fitting. The background music during the series was negligible for the most part; there is some pretty generic battle build-up type music and other appropriate, but rather typical, themes. Still, there's some neat classical/opera stuff, and the "All hail Brittania!" theme is definitely awesome.

VOICE ACTING - I've seen all of Code Geass subbed and most of it dubbed. Although I was incredibly turned off by Johnny Yong Bosch's role as Lelouch initially, it kind of grew on me, and now I think it fits well enough, though I do wish he'd change his voice a little more when Lelouch is Zero (make it a little deeper?). Suzaku's dub voice surprised me with how appropriate it was too. One of the things I really wish we could replicate in English though, is the subtle differences in manners between characters, between Lelouch and Suzaku at various stages of their lives, and between Lelouch and Zero. In Japanese, when Lelouch and Suzaku are children, they refer to themselves with "boku" and "ore" respectively. As teenagers, the pronouns are swapped, with Lelouch using "ore" (Zero uses "watashi") and Suzaku using "boku." Euphemia uses "watakushi." I'll skip the grammar lesson (go wiki "Japanese pronouns"), but suffice to say that these differences provide a lot of very interesting insight into each of the characters. It's really too bad English isn't nearly as interesting.

The rest of the voices in the dub are pretty average, perhaps the low end of average, with a stereotypically high-pitched girly voice for Nunnally that is amazingly annoying, and very forgettable voices for virtually all the female characters (Milly, Shirley, and Kallen all kind of sound the same). I was very impressed with Lloyd's dub voice though, even if nothing will ever amount to his amazing original voice, which is uh, amazing! Seriously. One of the most amusing voices I've ever heard. Jun Fukuyama's voice for Lelouch I found to be a bit too deep/old sounding initially, but that grew on me as well, and I really love the badassity of his voice for Zero. Suzaku's original voice sounds a little generic at first, but it grows with his character. There's a good bit of Engrish in the Japanese version as well, which is always fun. I don't think you can ever get tired of their "Yes, my lord(o)!" or their "All hail Britannia!"

Overall, I'd say the original is damn awesome, and the dub is pretty watchable -- always a plus, right?

OVERALL - I really love this series, and I definitely did not see that happening. Honestly, I found the first episode incredibly underwhelming: the opening sequence made it look like a series I wouldn't be interested in watching at all, and all of the expository really turned me off...but the second episode? That was so much more epic than I could have ever predicted, and I was pretty much won over after that. I'm just a sucker for chess analogies, I guess! Seriously though, good story, good characters, good animation, and good music! Mechas, politics, rivalry and comradery, strained friendships, love and hate, complex ideologies, and blowing shit up! What more could you want? :D
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Code Geass is one of my favorite anime. Why? It's filled with so much action, bombastic dialogue, and has such eye-catching visuals that it tops the charts in entertainment value. This is an exciting and epic anime and it's over the top.

For some people, the plot, characters, and music alone is bad enough to make the show unwatchable. For others, the high action, flashy animation, and drama will be more than enough to make the show a favorite of all time though I like everything about Code Geass.

Story: Lelouch Lamperouge appears to be a typical high school student at Ashford Academy in the Britannian controlled Area 11 (formerly named Japan.) But he's actually a prince in the Britannian imperial family, and seventeenth in line to the throne. He develops a hatred for the emperor of Britannia and the entire imperial establishment, vowing to one day destroy them for the death of his mother and cripple of his sister. After an encounter with a mysterious young woman named C.C., Lelouch gains the power of Geass, which grants him the ability to force anyone to do what he wishes. With this ability, Lelouch becomes a mysterious figure named Zero and begins his battle against the Britannian Empire.

Code Geass have too many loose and cliff hanging ends. The end are always left unexplained, leaving the viewer with questions not only about various subplots but also about several key elements of the storyline. However, what makes up for this is the plot and character developments. Every episode is surprising and leave you eager to watch the next episode.

It seems Code Geass mainly focus on the drama, emotion, and the heart-breaking moments. Geass ends up being not so much a story with a certain plot and characters but rather a series of exciting, exaggerated but well-crafted, incredulous and definitely memorable scenes.

Characters: The characters, are so great and awesome that it's hard to stop enjoying them. There are characters that are a goody too shoe, outright intolerable that will make you want to strangle and kill them off the show. The characters are all so great that something unexpected might happen to them. There are also characters that are naive, filled with too much hate and/or love but in the end, you'll have a character you like or maybe even love. My favorite character, of course, are C.C., Kallen, and Lelouch.

Art & Animation: Another good thing about Code Geass is its high production values and colorful animation. The character designs, created by CLAMP, are great and well drawn. The animation may not be great but it is detailed, vivid, and lively. The fights aren't as smooth or fluid as it could be but it's flashy, colorful, which is very much fitting considering the nature of the series.

Sound: The voice acting also plays a role in the show's success. Characters like Zero and Suzaku may be outrageous or cliched but their voice actors fit the characters so well that they are able to sell the characters. One of my favorite voice actor, Jun Fukuyama, does a great job playing the key character of Lelouch/Zero. His performance, especially how well he change from the carefree high school student to the more sinister and manipulative rebel is vital to keeping the series enjoyable and entertaining. Fukuyama is usually playing two characters and does it absolutely convincingly. There's nothing to complain about of the music either as the background music is very good and it fits right in it. The openings for Code Geass are my favorite. It's very paced and exciting.

Enjoyment: I've seen Geass more than 5 times in a row already. (Not counting season 2) This is a nice, great anime. With the non-stop action, you'll be wanting to see which side will win and lose. For one moment you can be smiling, then crying the next. Happens to me sometimes.

Overall: Code Geass is a awesome anime that will surely gather different opinions from viewers and other reviewers other than myself. I've seen and heard a lot of people saying SUNRISE has done an awesome job and it's not because of the use of mecha, action or drama, but rather how effectively it appeals to that certain aspect of anime that is not often addressed and yet is one of the main purposes of anime: entertainment. If your main interest in anime is in the quality of the storytelling or the characters, then Geass is probably not for you. However, if you're in it to have fun or for some good laughs, then take a look at this anime. You wont be disappointed. Indeed Geass is a rare accomplishment. read more

A new Gundam series is being announced! Naruto: Shippuden is finally beginning! KyoAni is doing something new! RomeoXJuliet!

These are titles that attract us to the newest animes, but Code Geass, much like our beloved Suzumiya Haruhi was (and is) a fall/winter sleeper success. This anime, backed by Sunrise, director Goro Taniguchi (s-CRY-ed, Gun X Sword) and scriptwriter Ichiro Okouchi (Azumanga, RahXephon, Eureka 7) showcases an excellent engine of entertainment.

Story
A key part of any mecha/action anime. Code Geass is set in an alternate reality in which it appears the American Revolution during the late 1700s was quelled and Britain went on to conquer the rest of the Americas. Thus, the Holy Britannian Empire became the world's largest superpower, covering 1/3 of the world. On August 10th, 2010, a.t.b, Japan is conquered by the Empire, renamed to Area 11 while her people are designated as 'elevens' and have their rights stripped. Thus begins the story of Code Geass, the tale of Lelouch Lamperouge, eleventh prince of the Empire and his ambition to obtain revenge on the Empire through whatever means necessary. Through the use of this alternate reality setting, we’re definitely given something out of the ordinary. Code Geass brings a new spice to an old genre. Code Geass hops along with an arc to arc system with a few lighthearted episodes to mix things up. The story builds with each arc (obviously) to the climax. Although the rising action allows for few breaks, the viewer is never overwhelmed with information or under whelmed by a standstill. As each arc progresses to its end, we’re given answers to previous questions yet new ones always arrive – it’s this sense of mystery that really gives Geass its draw for attention.
Pros: Intriguing political, action, dramatic and moral oriented story. The questions never stop – the viewer is always left wanting to discover and see more. Light hearted episodes here and there, placed very well (ex..The School Festival).
Cons: A few scenes may turn people off on the series – something parts may seem excessively strange (read: some to some people). Again, I’d like to reiterate that for a mecha fan, I’m assuming you’ll be watching this for either story or super awesome mecha battles – you’ll get both from this.

Characters
The main characters are all extremely well devised by the hands of the all female group, CLAMP. Besides their high aesthetic appearance, each character harbors a separate and distinctive personality essential to the story. For example, Lelouch and Suzaku, opposing main characters and best friends both suffer from a very Machiavellian, " Do the ends justify the means," syndrome. Lelouch is willing to do anything to further his goals however Suzaku remains wary of what must be done and what should be done. Code Geass shows us the characters inside the mechs; they're not clean cut: "I fight to protect someone I care about." Each character must weigh the morality of their options as influenced by their past where the correct decision may place them farther from their goals.
Pros: Large cast of balanced characters providing a wide arrange of personalities and moral conjectures. Characters are quirky and enjoyable.
Cons: Only the main characters matter; anyone else is pushed to the sidelines (i.e. their stories are never a main focus).

The Battles
Code Geass delivers during its extremely well devised battle scenes. Battles seem as if they were an entirely seperate anime; lines are drawn, ace pilots face off and the battlefield is real. Geass takes a new twist on "main-characters-destroy-grunts-then-whoever-else-battles" and puts us right in the intensity. As said above, there is a large array of characters, interesting on both the "good" side and the "bad" side (which is which is up to you). The battlefield pits them against each other in a deatch match where we know one has to lose yet we are sympathetic to characters on both sides. This sort of conflict draws out the most amazing and interesting battles you can get from a mecha series of this time. Battlefields are led by commanders (obviously) who must make judgements based on his or her opponents's tactics and information - the strategem of battles only adds to the entertainment. The complexity and chaos of a battle give the illusion that you are watching a real war happening right before your eyes.

Animation
Not much to say here; Sunrise puts money into this, characters look great, mechs look great, everything looks great. However, the art design may put some people off; characters are very tall and lanky (as expected from CLAMP) while grunt mechs are generally unimpressive. Overall though animation is on the high end of the spectrum even during low budget episodes.

Overall
Code Geass is probably one of the few mecha anime's that will appeal to more than just action fans. Battles are kept to a minimum: the main attraction consists of Japanese nationalism against foreign invaders, their actions which undoubtedly cause bloodshed in the name of peace. One of the themes I enjoyed was the balance between cause and effect. Characters were constantly victims of their and others’ actions this although a given in the real world seems to slip past many other story boards. read more

Alright, its taken me since April to reach this point so I may as well dispense with any further delays and say it outright. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion is not a masterpiece, it isn’t a great show nor is it a very good one. What it is is a marginally good television program that takes concepts and characters from a wide variety of successful anime productions from the last decade and stitches them all together into twenty-five episodes of vulgarity and excess, a Frankenstein’s monster of a production that has the cold manufactured feel of a product of a focus group rather than of a motivated team of creative individuals.

Let me take a step back for a moment, because the truth of the matter is that Code Geass brought with it a genuinely compelling concept, one that could have done wonders if the creators at Sunrise had known what the hell they were doing. It takes place in an alternate universe where a version of the British Empire called Britannia, through various quirks of fate, manages to endure and thrive into the 21st century. After witnessing the assasination of his mother and having his and his sister’s lives ruined by his father, an exiled Britannian prince living under the assumed name Lelouch Lamperouge, out of a desire for revenge against the emperor, rises to become a revolutionary leader in an occupied Japan.

This concept could have gone in any number of directions and in the right hands could have been turned into something truly remarkable. Unfortunately Goro Tanaguchi and his team at Sunrise either didn’t realize the potential of what they’d come up with or were simply too caught up in making a commercially successful product to care. For, you see, although the basic premise survived to see the light of day it has been chained to and obscured by a wide variety of disparate concepts and ideas, none of which add anything of substance to the proceedings. This is a program that wants to be a mecha action series at the same time it wants to be a war drama at the same time it wants to be a romance/harem series at the same time it wants to be a high school comedy while above all else its trying to be Death Note with a copy of V for Vendetta in its pocket. It all gives the impression of a program that’s so terribly frightened of being disliked by any one subset of the anime fandom that it rushes to appeal to every conceivable kind of viewer and as a result is never truly exceptional at any of the things it attempts.

Giant robots, for example, are thrown in for no better reason than to draw in and satisfy the needs of the giant robot fandom. I don’t have anything against mecha per se but neither do I have any great love for it leaving me rather indifferent to it overall. All I ask is that it adds something to the experience, that there is some concrete purpose for their presence motivated by the narrative, that the giant robots aren’t merely props easily interchangeable with any other fantastical weaponry. Full Metal Panic provides, in its continuity, a fairly detailed justification for how its variation on the giant robot concept came into being. Patlabor provides a similarly believable rationale as well. Ride Back would have had a wonderful thematic connection to its motorcycle/robot hybrids had the creators had the sense to utilize a specific scene outside of the end credits. Code Geass has no such virtue. The “Knightmare frames” come across as a ploy just as empty and cynical as Gonzo’s additions of giant robots to their adaptations of Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai and Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo.

The story itself runs into trouble fairly quickly. In the first episode, Lelouch is inspired to begin his campaign against Britannia when he obtains a supernatural ability called Geass from a mysterious girl wearing a tight-fitting straitjacket. This ability allows him to control the will and actions of anyone he chooses with very few actual limitations. All he needs is direct eye contact with his intended victim and that’s it. By comparison the Death Note has a whole page full of rules and restrictions on its use. As a result, a lot of Death Note’s intrigue is generated from the various ways Light Yagami finds to work with or around those rules. The Geass is almost too powerful by comparison. As a result it makes his decision to start a rebellion in Japan as a means of gaining revenge against his father in Britannia seem a very roundabout way of doing things. It would seem more effective to simply hop a plane home, Geass his way past security to get to his father and that would be the end of it. Its not like Lelouch doesn’t accomplish much the same thing with his brother Clovis at the end of the second episode. Of course, if Lelouch were to actually follow the course simple logic would dictate then he wouldn’t have started his rebellion and Code Geass wouldn’t have had the opportunity to indulge in enough overblown spectacle to shame Michael Bay.

This problem is further compounded by the revelation in the second episode that Lelouch is some sort of super-genius strategist. It’s never explained to any degree where his ability comes from, whether the creators want the viewer to assume that its some sort of blood inherited trait or that he was simply educated on the subject. The most the viewer is allowed to understand is that Lelouch’s “strategic brilliance” has something to do with the fact that he’s good at chess, which, if you actually accept that, only explains a fraction of the schemes that he devises. In the end, as a character Lelouch comes across as little more than a plot devise, a strategy generating machine that provides the series with its single greatest source of overblown spectacle.

Out of the rest of the cast the only character who made, or I should say had the potential to leave in impression on me was the anti-Britannian rebel Kallen. She receives an entire episode devoted to her background as the daughter of a Japanese mother and a Britannian father. Much is made of her identification with the Japanese side of her parentage and how her deceased brother figures into things and there is indeed potential for something interesting here. Unfortunately nothing is ever done with any of these elements. Everything that was brought up in that episode is quickly shelved and never brought up again.

It should be noted that a good portion of the issues I have with the show stem from the fact that [i]Code Geass[/i] possesses all the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the skull. The result is a heavily calculated experience where the hands of the creators can be clearly seen picking and choosing which ideas or scenarios would have the greatest impact regardless of whether or not they make any sense (coincidences are invoked to the point of absurdity). The first episode alone depicts an ethnic cleansing (a scenario the series portrays twice in its first season) and a bloody mass suicide sure to satisfy the more ghoulish members of the viewership. Fanservice is plentiful and obvious with only a scant few female cast members escaping the first season with their dignity, if they ever had any to begin with.

On the technical side of things there isn’t really a whole lot I can complain about. The animation is smooth well done. The color scheme employed can be a little too bright and cheery for its own good with purple mechs and a city that is lit with pink lighting at night but that is a minor complaint overall. Character designs come courtesy of CLAMP so if you like their artwork you’ll like what you see here. If you don’t like CLAMP then there isn’t anything in Code Geass that will convince you otherwise. The soundtrack, credited to Hitomi Kuroishi and Kotaro Nakagawa, isn’t anything spectacular but it is nonetheless serviceable. It is a competent presentation overall, if only. read more

Code Geass is set in a alternate reality where the Britannian Empire has conquered more than one third of the world and counting, and that includes Japan. In said Japan, now called "Area 11" - and its inhabitants "elevens" -, a Britannian student named Lelouch Lamperouge finds himself thrown into a cycle of events that ultimately leads to him gaining a power known as the "Geass", a power allowing him to force anyone to obey any order he gives to them. Together with his hate for Britannia, he uses his newfound powers to gain followers and eventually bring forth a war against the oppressive Britannian Empire.

The story skips along at a fast pace, taking the viewer through one event after another, spending neither too little time nor too much time on each event. And skipping has a more literal meaning here too; the story tends to take small jumps here and there, not explaining the events in between until a bit later. This may come off as a little confusing, but it's also a nice way of keeping you wondering what's going on and what's going to happen next. It doesn't lack twists and turns either, and especially towards the end will you get some unexpected yet pivotal twists.

One of the things I love about Code Geass is that it frequently delves into subplots, something which would've normally been bad for a two-season series. However, despite their initial prospects of irrelevancy towards the main story, in the end they serve a purpose in the grand perspective, either by moving the plot forward or by presenting character development. These subplots also help keep the show a refreshing and interesting watch.

On top of that there's a lot of ideology in the picture, both on a political and a personal level. The Britannian Empire has their share of - in my opinion - wrong beliefs. The most obvious one is the racism they're displaying towards the inhabitants of the territories Britannia has conquered - or Numbers, as they call them. They also follow social Darwinism, which is basically the principle of natural selection implemented into human society. Stupid beliefs, if you ask me. But not everyone thinks so, it would seem.

The more intriguing ideologies are found when we move down to the personal level, though, with Lelouch and Suzaku's differing beliefs being the root of a ideological conflict. While their goals are more or less the same, they differ in their views on which methods should be used to accomplish the goals - Lelouch believes that the end justifies the means no matter what, while Suzaku believes that peace by murder is wrong. This conflict between two best friends (when not in battle) is a really interesting one, because it is so representative of the moral conflict that's presented - who is good, and who is bad? Britannia - or Zero? Decide for yourself who you want to sympathize with.

Many people have compared Code Geass with Death Note, saying that it is the same, just with mecha. While it is easy to see where that is coming from, it is only on the surface that this is true. Both series' main characters are very intelligent and analytical fellows who believe that the world must be changed through bloodshed, and they both have some supernatural power. But that's all there is to it. Aside that they're as different as day and night. As a character and human being, Lelouch is a thousand times more believable than Light, mostly because he is explored much more than Light is; all we got to see in Death Note was Light's intelligence and analytical capabilities, while in Code Geass we actually get to explore Lelouch as a human, and partake in his emotional experiences, be it love or interaction with his friends, victory or defeat. And aside the two of them, I couldn't really find any similarities between the two shows. Hence, you may like one and not the other, so if you've watched Death Note and did not like it (:o), you may still like Code Geass.

Code Geass also presents a huge array of supporting characters. Some are more one-dimensional and cliché than others, yet they all have their defined personalities and roles in the story. Some of them are developed in a great way, and come off as believable during their exposition. The subplots mainly focus on them, and either develops the characters or the story, and it's interwoven with the main story in a truly great way.

Code Geass, both story- and character-wise, builds up more and more towards the end; the impending climax becoming more and more evident after each and every episode. Finally, in the last two episodes, the fuse has run out, and the bomb blows. In the end however, what one will see is the smoke and not the results of the big explosion; you are left with one massive cliffhanger that'll make you long for - no, need to watch the second season.

Character designs are done by CLAMP, and anyone who've watched or read one of their works will know what to expect in this department: Tall and lanky characters. It's a style that may be new and unusual for many, but it really grows on you, and you can't help but think that it looks good enough, even though their proportions are off. The animation isn't anything spectacular in other departments, but it's good. Great special effects and detailed surroundings help on the aesthetic pleasure too, and aesthetics is something which is important to me when I watch an anime. The coloring is fresh and vivid, however often too much so; at times it could've probably gained from having a darker color tone. Nevertheless, it was well done. The action scenes are made out well, with smooth animation and great mecha movement, and just the right effect of chaos that's needed during intense battles. There is some reusing of the "Geass-effect"; the special effects they use when Lelouch uses the Geass, and while cool the first few times, it gets a bit annoying in its persistence.

I have to admit, I'm a sucker for the type music they used in Code Geass. Utilizing voices instead of instruments makes for an experience that I just fall completely for, and several insert songs make it even better. Some background themes are reused a lot, but my, are they effectual. The opening and ending themes aren't especially noteworthy, unless you're a fan of the artists performing the songs, that is. The first ending theme is made by Ali Project, and I have to say, I've grown to like their style a lot.

Code Geass can be summarized to an anime that doesn't produce anything that's over the top or exceptional, but it does give us is one helluva experience with great characters, intriguing ideologies as well as a twisted plotline that ends in a cliffhanger so massive it could kill you! read more

Directed by Goro Taniguchi, arguably one of the best directorial talents left at studio Sunrise, and written by his Planetes screenwriter Ichiro Okouchi, Code Geass promised to be a true epic series in the making. An interesting alternate history, a lead character that promised to evolve into a ruthless rebel seeking revenge against the father and the country that ruined his and his sisters life and a dash of mecha added into the mix for good measure. So why did it turn into such a complete circus? An absolute mess of jumbled ideas never touched upon in any way that isn`t absurd or laughable, a cast of characters who constantly degrade into utter imbeciles and a constantly re-shuffled plot. By the half-way mark of Code Geass, it`s as if focus changed from creating an actually riveting series, to essentially seeing how stupid they could take the whole thing and see how many viewers would go along with the ride.

Story: While Code Geass had an interesting premise that seemingly got off to a good start, it`s unfortunate the creators of the show had no idea how to handle the mass of ideas they had, or perhaps they simply didn`t care. New plot elements are introduced while at the same time are others are pushed back and delayed, sometimes by many episodes, and sometimes taken out of the show entirely, left to be settled in the 2nd season yet to air. The writing completely flat lines half way through and instead of the gripping and fast paced war/revenge story we had, we then dive headfirst into utterly inane romance drama with a resolution so incredibly bone headed that the series has almost turned into a comedy. As the series moves on, almost as if the romance was a checkbox on a "to do" list of the plot, the series gradually builds up again, making you think it may yet recover, despite the still omnipresent idiocy, but the show sees fit to deliver a "plot twist" so completely over the top and ridiculous, the writers have wrecked absolutely everything that the series had built in it`s first half, only to deliver one of the most stupid and pathetic twists in recent years. I can`t imagine the writers had any other intention rather than having the audience laugh at the absurdity of it all. The series seems to want to be so many things at the same time. It wants to be a gripping war story, a drama about revenge, it wants to include romance and tragedy, but without foregoing humour. Unfortuntely it was unable to do any of these right.

Sound: Music wise, the show's soundtrack doesn't impress much if you're familiar with Kotaro Nakagawa. His music here is essentially a rehash of mostly every other show he's done and remixed into one soundtrack. The only stand out area are the vocal tracks by Hitomi and Mikio Sakai, but even those are all too familiar if you're aquainted with their previous works. As far as the OP and EDs go, Colors by FLOW is a great accesible song, and Hitomi no Tsubasa by Access is perfectly catchy in that "I wouldn't admit in real life that I like this" way. The rest of the shows selections vary from the uninspired (2nd ED), to mind numbingly awful (ED1 and it's usual Ali Project rehash and the often hated OP2).

Character:Just as the plot of the series completely crumbles midway through the series, so do the characters. Completely intolerable and annoying side villains are introduced while other much more interesting ones are left to languich and not to reappear until much later. The constantly annoying Suzaku throughout the show is barely even a character, so much his personality and intentions are a joke. Some characters have their personal development completely eradicated from the series, again only to delay it into a second season, while most are barely given even a cursory look, including even supposedly main antagonists. Worst of all is Lelouch, whose descent into a sort of machiavellian evil was purportedly the series main selling point (Episode 1 "the day the devil was born"), is reduced to an utter half wit, commiting imbecilic mistake after another and constantly proving to be all talk and nothing more. A complete let down in every sense.

Value: A seemingly promising series that eventually degrades into nothing more than fanservice and idiocy. Whatever points the series seemed to want to make in it`s first half are utterly invalidated by it`s second. The lack of any sort of resolution, for anything in the series is as confusing as it is aggravating. Being made to wait 4 months for a completely lackluster "ending" only to find out we`ll have to wait even more for any kind of resolution is ridiculous. Knowing that a second season is in the making is irrelevant, there needs to be some kind of payoff for sitting through 25 episodes of this, and all we are left with is having to wait for another 25 episodes.

Enjoyment: As far as rating this show as an enjoyable new series with promise from a once great director, I`d be hard pressed to give it anymore than a 4. Nevertheless, the shows stupidity and constant excesses at least made it worth watching for a few laughs. Laughing at it of course, not with it. Sunrise seems to be stuck in a rut in terms of how it plans out and executes it`s shows. Mai Hime, Mai Otome, and now Code Geass and unfortunately they don`t seem likely to want to change that formula. I expected much more from the people behind this show, a complete shame. read more

With striking character designs, adrenaline inducing pacing and epic battles, Code Geass is basically a versing in making exciting, highly watchable shounen anime.

Plot-10/10
My highest score would undoubtedly have to be for the plot of Code Geass. It immediately gives an interesting premise: Japan has became a social darwinist state, ran by the xenophobic britannians who dub it "Area 11". The Britannians are shown to be cruel and racist: their actions in the first episode of the anime is enough to get us on the side of Lelouch. The anime, thankfully, does not divert too much from the original plot. There are only really two or three episodes that are not totally pivotal to the outcome of the anime, and these are important as they divulge some of the secrets of Lelouch's new found powers. The pacing is fantastic: for someone like me, who has a hatred of filler episodes, the plot was concise and steady, it did not diverge in to useless flashbacks or mini-arcs. Code Gass works just as well as a drama as it does as an action movie: the interactions between characters are just as interesting as the mecha scenes. In fact, Code Geass does not behave like a stereotypical gundam series at all: at times, I forgot that this was a giant robot anime-it is far more Death Note than Gundam Suite.

Characters-8/10
Most of these points are solely for Lelouch-one of the most three dimensional anime characters I have seen for a long shot. Sure, he is supposed to be a genius, but he is a relatable one at that: he makes enough mistakes for the viewer to see him as a human being, rather than something invincible. Despite comparisons to Light Yagami, for me Lelouch does not tread in to "despicable anti-hero" territory: he is driven by his love of his family, and in fact, his empathy with others often prevents him from fulfilling his plans to their full extent. Lelouch is a true deconstruction of the "infallible badass" character: his flaws make him likeable and it is not hard to root for him as he dotes on Nunally.
Code Geass has a massive cast, and due to this, many are pretty 1D. But the characters that are fleshed out properly make an interesting bunch: Karen is a total action girl from the start, Euphie makes for a realistic beautiful princess, with enough flaws to not fall into Mary sue category. Suzaku is believable as Lelouch's counterpart: He has a massive guilt complex, and turns out to be not all that he seems: he is basically a breakdown of the classic mecha pilot.

Art-9/10
Clamp's character designs are gorgeous. I was initially a little bit thrown by the noodle like proportions of the cast, but give it time! Eventually your eyes will adjust to the anatomical weirdness. The characters were certainly all very different: the beautiful attention to detail in clothes, hair and eyes make this series a cosplayer or fanartist's dream. The striking differences in each member of the cast made it easy to tell who was who, essential in an anime that features so many people.
The backgrounds were pretty standard fare, as were the giant robots. But the obvious nod to Victorian style and architecture gave the series a feel unique to typical mecha and also fitted the essence of the ostentatious Britannian rulers.

Sound-8/10
I watched the subbed version, so all this will refer to the original Japanese.
No real complaints here. Lelouch's voice actor was awesome, and his changes in tone were excellent in showing the differences between Lulu and Zero. I thought Nanally's voice was adorable. The differences in chosen pronouns were pretty interesting: Lelouch uses "ore", Suzaku uses "boku", Euphie talks using the extremely formal "Watakushi". It's practically worth learning a bit about Japanese pronouns before watching as these nunances make such a nice touch. The creepy gospel music that plays during fight scenes wasn't dissonant to the general atmosphere of the fights, and suited it quite nicely actually. The rest of the background music went unnoticed.
There are two different ops: the first one was a standard shounen op, the second seemed to be from the Blink 182 of Japan. I thought the ending songs were actually better: the first one is a real challenge for any karaoke fans, the second stays in the head all day.

Enjoyment-9/10
Code Geass is enjoyable as it doesn't pretend to be something that it's not: sure, it has a crazy plot, everyone has neon hair and school boys piloting giant robots doesn't even turn heads. But that's the fun in it! Anime is supposed to be pure escapism, something often forgotten by those craving more and more realistic plots. As soon as you let go of any pretensions, Code Geass becomes a very fun ride indeed: it is bright, with many twists and turns and leaves you with a feeling of satisfaction when it's finished.

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Considering all the action and plot twists and turns that happen in this anime, surprisingly, Code Geass turned out to be a character driven experience for me. And that's not (only) because the anime's story promisses a lot but delivers little, but (also) because the characters really are interesting. Or, to write that in a different way - because Lelouch is one heck of a lead character.

Of course, Lelouch isn't the only character in the series, and he isn't the only good character in the series either. Putting a lot of typical bullshit aside, all those implied or shown love triangles, past relationship polygons - if a character gets a little more screen-time, expect them to have been or to be connected to other major characters in the series in some way - and a couple or so stereotypical characters. Ignoring all that, there's some interesting character interaction in Code Geass. From the very beginning, Lelouch is brought into the scene with a partner that will contrast against him for the entire series - Suzaku, the White Knight. Literally. It may not be the most original thing to write but it was pretty well done here. Then there's C.C. - we have a hint as to what her role in the story is, but she remains more or less a mystery for the entirety of the show. And that's what makes her interesting. Although the other characters are overshadowed by these three, they're not too bad themselves either. Character dynamics made for some of the more interesting moments in this anime.
It's not all perfect though... to talk about Lelouch only (since I've praised him enough until now) - in the end a character can only be as intelligent as its writer, and Lelouch is affected by this in a pretty big way at various moments in the series. As an example for that, I'll just say that no one involved in the anime's production actually knows how to play chess. The show quickly recovers after each of these bumps however.

Unlike the characters, the story does not fare that well. Even if you will watch a lot of things happening during the first few episodes of the series, the story actually has a pretty slow start. And then, even though it turns out to be a somewhat interesting revenge plot, there are a few moments here and there that kind of ruined my immersion. These moments would have been at home in other anime - most at home in slapstick comedy ones - but here they just stand out with their oddity. Like a certain black cat, which is supposed to be funny but makes for some quite meh moments throughout the series. Of course, I'm not talking about this cat simply because I did not like its role as a comic relief character. I'm talking about this cat because it does a pretty ridiculous, out of character...no, let me correct myself, an out of species thing at the end of the series - it saves someone by biting their attacker. Were that cat secretly a dog, this might have been less jarring.
The little cat incident above isn't the only ass-pull in the series. But, in the end, or for the long run, they didn't hurt my enjoyment that much. The story could have been a lot better and it had some pacing issues (because they tried to cram a lot of things into 25 episodes), but it was still interesting and engaging... for the most part, you can sit back and enjoy the ride Code Geass will offer.

The series' animation was pretty solid throughout... with the exception of a few slip-ups. I liked the character designs but they were drawn slightly different in certain scenes. To see that, just look at Lelouch's hands - in some frames they're gigantic, in others they're slim, and yet in others they have weirdly short fingers. Or just look at the snowflakes when it starts snowing in a certain scene. They will suddenly evaporate mid-air during a weirdly/lazily animated "it stopped snowing" moment. Of course, this won't really hurt your enjoyment because for the most part you won't even notice them - they're episodes apart. But if you're anything like me and tend to notice the stupidest and most irrelevant of things at times, then these will make for a few "huh?" moments... and in all honesty they could've fixed them for the disc release yet didn't do it.
Another thing I did not really like about the animation style are the backgrounds. They're quite bland. The animation is focused on the characters and because of that it's pretty fluid, but it seems they treated the buildings, trees, etc. as an afterthought. There are scenes where the city looks like it's made of plastic.

The sound-work is even less impressive. With the exception of three or four pieces, the soundtrack isn't anything to brag about. I didn't really like the opening and ending songs either, the only one that was somewhat decent was the second ending song. The seiyuu's did a pretty good job but there are a few characters that I thought didn't really fit with their voices. Like Lloys Asplund voiced by Shiratori Tetsu, for example. It took me a while until I accommodated with his voice. Even so, I liked the voice work for the majority of the characters, especially Koshimizu Ami as Kallen's seiyuu.

Code Geass is an anime that compensates for it's flaws and it slowly but steadily grew on me episode after episode. If you like character driven shows and can close your eyes to a few... ok, a lot of cliches and some melodrama then this is a pretty cool series. Oh, by the way... If you like it enough to watch it until the last episode than you're ether going to be hooked to it or annoyed - it ends with a cliffhanger. It's a good thing you don't have to wait for the second season anymore. read more

Code Geass is definitely a very popular anime, no denying that, but I wouldn't exactly call it a master piece, but it is however, a fun and entertaining show, you just don't need to put too much thought into it.

STORY: Once upon a time, there was a famous animation company that decided to mash up as many genres as they can to make an anime that would try to appeal to as many anime fans as possible.

The end result was Code Geass, and it was a success, popularity wise.

But before I get on to the actual review I have to say honestly, I really like this anime, but it can pretty much ruin the fun of the anime if you try to look at it objectively, but that being said, it's hard not to since this anime tries way too hard to appeal to too many genres that fans are into.

Admittedly, the story itself is quite interesting, an alternate reality where England, now named Brittania, has taken over the world and just really hates Japan to the point of ethnic cleansing (It's a little unsettling to say the least). But the main focus of the anime is about a royal family member castaway, Lelouch Lamperouge, trying to get revenge on his father, the leader/king of Brittania for the murder of his mother. So yeah, essentially the story is just another revenge story, nothing too original (How are revenge stories so damn popular I will never know).

But the anime starts to show its short comings, and really early on. The anime tries to make you assume that Lelouch is a genius solely upon him being good at chess, with no other reason, he's genius cause he's a beast at chess, that's it.
There's no character build up to show he's a genius other than playing chess (But I would not know since I don't play chess, maybe it really does make you a genius, maybe I need to try it out before making this judgement).

And besides being a genius, he receives a power which allows him to control people's minds, once per person, called Geass (Get it? Because the show is also called Code "Geass"), which by the way, is the best used character/plot device in the anime, and it's entertaining how Lelouch uses it in dangerous situations or when he's trying to outsmart his foes.
However, the way he obtains just seems that not enough thought was put into it, in other words, kinda lazy, he meets a girl in a strait jacket being chased by the military, and bam! Mind control powers.

This is also where you also should realize a major plot hole in the early episodes, with his mind controlling powers, he could get his revenge in a heart beat, but that's not fun to watch at all, but if he could simply kill off one of his family members easily in less than three episodes (Don'y worry, that character's death is just another way to advance the plot), what's keeping him from getting his father like that too?

Additionally, Lelouch isn't really a likable character (His comes off being arrogant and is just a calculating and sadistic bastard), but the rest of the cast though, have a little more going on for them.

The benefactor of Lelouch's power, C.C. (Pronounced C2) may not be terribly interesting herself, but like myself, she's just there to watch the whole show play out and snack on pizza (Fun fact, this anime was endorsed/sponsored by a pizza company).
In fact I would've been fine if her character just died on the first episode (Spoiler: she gets shot in the head), it would've been more interesting to see Lelouch figure his powers all on his own anyway. But apparently, she must have been a favorite of the creators of the anime, enough so they keep her to mess a round with Lelouch and eat pizza, so at least she's amusing.

Childhood friend and some what frienemy of Lelouch, Suzaku, is arguably a better protagonist than Lelouch and was developed into his character much better than Lelouch too, but his focus on what he wants to do isn't exactly clear (I want to save Japan/I want to be a knight for britiania, blah, blah, blah), and though his character development is better than what Lelouch's was, it can be arguably be called lazy, because most of it was through flashbacks to his past, though later episodes are more enjoyable due a girlfriend he gets.

But, the real stars of the anime are the genres that are ungracefully crammed together.

It tries to be school life anime, a harem, an action anime, ecchi anime, psychological anime (TRIES to, it isn't), romance anime, and a mecha anime all at the same time, but if you look down at the core of this anime and try to piece it together, you'll realize it's a gigantic mess.

Especially how this anime tries to integrate mecha (Get it? Because it's called Code Geas... wait, don't the majority of mecha anime have the name of a mecha in it's title? Gurren Lagann or any Gundam for example) into the story, they're just literally there to just be cool and to be used as weapons of war, nothing more, absolutely nothing more. Shallow is a better word to describe it than lazy.
The anime would honestly be just as effective without the mechs (Apparently the creators are aware of this because two of the manga series have no mechas in them), in fact, it isn't a mecha anime.
A mecha anime is a mecha cause one of it's major focuses is on it's robots, Code Geass focuses on anything else but the mechas, they're there just to appeal to mecha fans, so really there's no point what so ever for the mechas to even exist in this anime, they're just cool to throw in because they're giant robots.

But, there is one thing this anime knows what it is, a loud cluster f**k of many gernres, and despite that it's not a great anime, it's fun to watch and at least pretend that it knows what it's trying to be.

ANIMATION: For me, this is best part of the whole anime, it looks great, the girls are hot, the boys are pretty, everyone wins, plenty of eye candy for all.
Especially for fans of clamp, who were generous enough to do the character designs.
The mechas look cool enough, but the stupidest parts on them are the wheels slapped on them, they look so ridiculous. But the action scenes more than compensate for them.
But other than that, this a gorgeous looking show.

SOUND: Both the Japanese and English voices are great, but I only watched the english dubbed due to my own preferences.
Johnny Young Bosch, Yuri Lowenthal, Michelle Ruff, Steven Blum, Kate Higgins, and so many more top notch notable voice actors are in this anime, but of all of them, Johnny is damn good as Lelouch and Yuri's Suzaku is a great compliment to Johnny's performance.
Each theme music is enjoyable and what you'll except for a mainstream anime, though the back ground music doesn't really stand out.

OVERALL:
The Good:
+ Very entertaining and fun to watch.
+ Good looking characters designed by Clamp, and great animation overall.
+ Good english dub, Johnny Bosch's Lelouch is arguably one of his best performances.

The Bad:
- Can be faulted for trying too hard to appeal to multiple audiences by shallowly cramming genres together.
- There's honestly there's no point of the mechas other than to be used as weapons to fight.
- Weak character development, C.C. honestly feels thrown in.
- Lots of plot holes

Despite what I have said in this review I would still recommend this to any one.
And I'm surprised I didn't reference Death Note once in this review... Wait a minute... Damn, so close. read more

Yet another review for the highly acclaimed Code Geass. I believe this is the 98th review C.G would’ve received; but I can’t help but review this even if so many others have.

How does such a blatant horribly written show gorging with clichés and plotholes ever be compared to the likes of or considered as Death Note’s rival? I suppose it's because both shows were aired at the same time in Japan. I suppose it's because of "how uncanny" the resemblance between the two anti-heros are. And I suppose it's because they feature "the ends justify the means" views and morals. I started watching because of the many reviews that has praised this and the amount of people who recommended this for people who liked Death Note. And so I watched it. And regrettably so.

Meet Lelouch Lamperouge. Former prince of the Britannian Empire, previously named “Lelouch Vi Britannia”. He and his younger sister, Nunnally had left the royal family after their mother had been brutally assassinated many years ago and they now live on campus on Ashford Academy, where he also goes to school at. One day, he comes across a beautiful girl named C.C or C2 who gives him the power of Geass which is located in his left eye. His Geass allows him control people and make them do any of his bidding once. He uses this power to crush the Britannian Empire and under the alias “Zero” he leads the Black Knights, a terrorist organisation, and sets out to free the world from Britannia’s clutches.

I wonder how many clichés we already encountered in that paragraph. We have the “secretly a prince” cliché, the “school environment” cliché, the “mysterious and beautiful girl” cliché and the “revenge on killing my mommy” cliché. And that’s just the beginning.

The story is just one big mess. It had more plot holes than the ozone layer. They just keep adding and adding to the plot but do nothing about it. To keep up with the ‘story’ I had to constantly read the episodes summaries in Wikipedia, which I never had to do with any other series. And quite frankly, this has got to be the most boring series ever. I bet if they took out the mecha part of this the show would’ve been a flop.

Characters. We have a number of characters in this show, whom are mostly ineffective and does not add to the story whatsoever. Why the need for so many characters? Throughout the whole series I think I remembered 5 characters out of a cast of 50+. The White Knights didn’t do much; neither did the Chinese government and where the hell did that guy who I assume is the glasses-girl-who’s-madly-in-love-with-Princess-Euphemia boyfriend come from?!

Lelouch has got to be the most overrated character ever. We’re told he’s smart but so far all I’ve seen is that he’s good at chess. His strategies are bland and under explained to the point where logic seemed to be extinct when coming up with them, as if he just guesses the next move to take correctly. And he is the worst anti-hero I’ve come across. The way tactlessly kill innocent humans isn’t justified to well either. It was quite a bore to see him ‘use’ people, but not actually manipulate him; like getting close to them and puppeteer them in such a way that angers the viewer. But instead, the viewer doesn’t feel anger towards Lelouch for being such a bastard prick who play with people because he DOESN’T play with them. The viewer feels nothing: no anger, no sadness nor even excitement as he continues killing people. In other words, he fails at being an anti hero.

Another thing. The Geass. He can make any person do his bidding once. And that’s about it. He doesn’t try to find any way around the Geass, how he can use it or anything of that nature. Totally boring.

Normally having different art styles is one of the plus sides of anime. However, the art in this had me cringing. The characters are disturbingly anorexic, all of them being 6ft tall and 40kg heavy. It was just ridiculous. The noses are undefined and oddly shaped, as for the rest of their sack of bones of a body. The animators weren’t afraid to show scantily clad woman at the drop of a hat either. Ecchi in this show managed to exceed that of a sleazy harem, and fan service covered just about every minute of this anime.

The only thing I can salute Code Geass for is the music. They manage to skilfully implement everything from jazz music to marching band trumpets in the show. However the openings were a bit of a let down, with average J-Pop taking the spot.

Overall I believe this just seems to be an anime where the creators tried to throw in as many clichés as they can possible and tried to make it an intelligent anime but have failed miserably. Have I mentioned how BORED I was from this? I’m surprised how masochistic I’ve become and actually watched 15 episodes of R2 before it became too much and dropped it. read more

I was quite excited Code Geass, which was strange as I'm not usually interested in the sort of "Giant Robot" genre. And I'm certainly no fan of Clamp's designs/art either. I watched, regardless, as there had been a lot of hype surrounding it, and I was quite interested in it based on what I had seen.

Code Geass is a series which left me confused about ow I should feel towards it. On one hand I had just viewed a wonderfully animated, well developed story with nice character designs and some plot twists which drew me in intensely. On the other, I had just viewed an anime with grossly styled art, fairly typical character personalities, and an abundance of scenes that tried to hard to shock, and succeeded - for all the wrong reasons.

I'm not sure what else to say. But I feel Code Geass is an anime you'll either love or hate, it's probably best to give it a go and make your mind up yourself, but I seriously warn anyone who has heard all the hype - it's not THAT good. read more

Probably one of the most blatantly obvious train-wrecks of bad writing in the history of serial visual narrative production, shamefully destroying its own at first stimulating concept of alternate reality with awful characterizations, extremely weak script and cheap developments that only serve the purpose of working as a “shock-factor” to keep the audience entranced beyond the notice of a very clear lack of sequential planning.

Honestly speaking, the show is certainly fun and even held itself within certain quality standard during the irregularly interesting initial 11 episodes but as characters exponentially lose their own minds and personalities we are nothing else but witnesses of the now classical conceptual phrase in entertainment: “jumping the shark”. By the badly plotted twist in its “praised by the masses” stage 22 the series barely keeps itself as dirty and trashy fun that that makes you willingly embrace the filth of Japanese animation: the very price of marketing in a ridiculous attempt at dramatic storytelling that takes to oblivion without any justification its own suspension of disbelief.

The core problem is, of course, Lelouch. Some may argue it’s hard to portray a genius but in the end it’s as simple as keeping him from committing underdeveloped mistakes just for the sake of progressing the chronicled history. Not to mention how the rest of cast just acts without any justification whatsoever and never lives up to their indicated development or makes any attempt at decently stopping their inevitable crash into mediocrity. Nevertheless I got to admit that despite her poor dialogs Cornelia remained amazingly likeable, and that must say something about the value hidden in the idea of her original concept.

And so, with the lack of any real literary theme so to speak besides the hilariously exploitative Machiavellian motivation of its ridiculous excuse for a lead, the show honors the words of director Goro Tanigushi and exists as just an excuse to create a “hit show” to appeal both males and females. He succeeded for sure, shame it was at the cost of all the artistic merits of the finalized production. read more

Some people like to attribute Code Geass's success to the fact that it is a Sunrise mecha. Personally, I'd like to think that it succeeds (critically) despite the fact that it is a Sunrise mecha. Code Geass manages to establish a believable backdrop from which it launches a compelling plot along with motivated and realistic characters, something that has been missing from the last few Gundam series produced by Sunrise. It injects a plot where the focus is finally on the characters and the events surrounding them, rather than the machines that they use to fight. In fact, it could be said that Code Geass only qualifies as a mecha anime due to the existence of the machines - they are in no way integral to the plot nor its development anymore than a tank or any other weapon that the characters may be using (aside from the mysterious "Geass" itself).

Geass's plot is strengthened by its attention to detail in the geopolitical climate that the series quickly establishes from the get-go. While the setting isn't too unique for a futuristic mecha (world divided between multiple superpowers, belligerent native populations fight to reestablish their cultural identity, etc.), the way the events are interwoven with one another sets itself up as being above the status quo. Code Geass also manages to ask some of the questions that other futuristic plots seemingly neglect, either through purposeful avoidance or just through sheer ignorance. From a political / sociological perspective, the setting and the development are especially engaging, posing questions on the topics of nationalism, racism, genocide, and the rules of war to the audience. While you shouldn't expect any profoundly new ideas to arise from the series, the fact that the writers and creators did weave these ideas into the ongoing plot makes the world both more realistic as well as more theoretical at the same time, providing both an environment for the characters to exist in as well a philosophical establishment that they can debate.

However, the writers do not merely craft a beautiful world and leave it alone - instead, they focus much of their attentions, especially in the latter half of the season, towards physically and metaphysically deconstructing the world, both in the direct, tangible actions of the characters as well as the moral questions surrounding their resolve and trains of thought. Such is the development of the actual plot of Code Geass: fluid, dynamic, and engaging. While not entirely unpredictable, the plot's development is seamless in terms of being able to logically move from one event to another, such that the implications of a "cause and effect" paradigm can be observed. At the same time, the plot is also not so simplistic as to be a "Point A -> Point B -> Point C" formula. Instead, we witness the joining and interweaving of multiple, distinct plot lines, which at first glance are independent of one another, but towards the end fuse into one. Then, Code Geass throws us a curveball, and splits the strands again, preparing us for the upcoming Season 2....

The greatest relative strength of Code Geass when compared to most other action / mecha anime are its characters and the way they develop. Sunrise made the intelligent decision of contracting CLAMP to design the characters, since they are both visually and emotionally appealing to a wide array of audiences. Internet messageboards are usually torn between the main protagonists and side characters of the story, each holding one above the others for a personal reason that they see within each one of them. In addition, the side characters are not there merely for ornamentation - even the seemingly minor characters at the sides of the main few are given room to develop with their own storylines and reactions, such that we are never really compelled to dismiss characters as merely being "filler fodder". Prepare to be intrigued by these individuals - from the psychological coldness of Lelouch, to the restrained idealism of Suzaku and Kallen, to the overall question mark that is C.C. The reactions of the individuals combine to form distinct, evolving psychological profiles, allowing the series to be populated by a cadre of multifaceted individuals.

While Code Geass is extremely successful from a storytelling perspective, it does have its faults, especially on the technical side. Plain and simple, the fight scenes were not too impressive. That is not to say that they were awful, but the mecha and battle scenes definitely did not compare tot he fluidity of the script nor the depth of the characterization. In addition, especially towards the latter third of the season, the plot does take a few freedoms with regards to suspension of disbelief, as well as falling into the trap of rapidly switching between "tragically dramatic" to "comically relieving" scenes. However, these are minor problems, especially the "bloated plotlines", which fixes itself by the end of the series. I also would not recommend this series to mecha addicts who are genuinely more interested in awesome combat scenes between mechas, since Code Geass will not live up to your expectations. However, for the rest of you, even if you have never considered picking up a mecha anime to watch, pick up Code Geass, it is sure to not disappoint. read more

STORY: Code Geass is a story about just/unjust war, the aftermath, peace, and pride. There is great content here with multiple levels of conflict, making the process of deciding right and wrong very difficult. The plot lines are complex, easily drawing the viewer into this fictional world. While the story is not tangibly realistic, the show is quite convincing and alluring. With Code Geass the plot material is serious and demanding. Silliness, fun times, and character development are required and acceptable as long as they remain within the established context. At times the story-telling of Code Geass steps out of its theme, and the flow of the solid story loses impetus and direction in uncharacteristic light-heartedness. The show is then thrust back to its original course which can be jarring. The negative effects of this shift result in a loss of the strong conviction by which the show is driven. Also, this series is not finished, and the end is a huge slam on the brakes. I do not consider the abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion to the 25 episode season to be detrimental, but the end will leave you craving more. Besides the occasional sharp, awkward shift in the plot dialect, the story of Code Geass is fantastic and one of the best of the 2006-2007 season.

ART: Sunrise is one the oldest and most reputable animation production companies in Japan, and they have no problems upholding their reputation with Code Geass. Although it's not the best I've ever seen, the animation is very good. At no point is the art direction bad or frown worthy. Mecha fights are convincing enough, dramatic scenes are illustrated well with emotion in mind, and filler scenes don't fall below the established visual standard. The animation is very good, but, more importantly, the animation is consistently good.

SOUND: The voice acting is okay. Some of the voice actors blew me away, especially Suzaku's. Some of the actors left me feeling a little soapy with opera, especially Leuloch's. At times important lines, ones meant to finish a powerful scene with conviction, fall short of their mark. However, the voice acting is situational. Sometimes Leuloch's voice actor convinced me to the fullest. At other times the voice actor made me roll my eyes and laugh. The sound effects are decent, and the music is good at getting the audience interested. However, the soundtrack here does not take command of the epic saga, and there are no moments where the music capitalizes on a scene. The audio aspect of Code Geass is sometimes hit or miss, and the audio is always runner-up to the other facets of the show.

CHARACTER: There are tons of characters in Code Geass, and the show does an exceptional job of trying to involve each and every one of them. Even among the farfetched fantasy of the show, the characters felt unnervingly human and real. Amongst the diverse multitude of characters, there are complex characters being developed through genuine, deep emotions. And then there are the characters who are well developed but not deep. These characters seem out of place like infants among giants. Whenever these normal characters are on screen, the show drops the ball and begins to feel out of place. The screen time was a little too divided between the true characters and the cookie cutter characters. The true characters of the show sold the story and are arguably the strongest element of the show. I just wish they received more time and focus.

ENJOYMENT: Code Geass is compelling, complex, and convicting, and the final product leaves your heart pounding with tension and suspense. While the experience is very entertaining and enjoyable, Code Geass is dark. As the characters make decisions with massive consequences, the vast amount of emotional weight of the show can easily affect the viewer. The show is fun to watch and equally difficult to watch. As previously stated in the story section, the show does not do a good job of providing light-heartedness and release from the stress. Thus, the peaceful and happy scenes feel forced and out of place at times. Still, Code Geass is entertaining and involving.

OVERALL: Code Geass is an intelligent and provocative, war-time, think piece. The production has flaws but is still great, and the final product is much greater than the show's parts.

I hope this review has been beneficial. All feedback, critiques, and comments are appreciated and well accepted through messages. Happy anime watching! read more

This is me writing a this review for three reasons 1) I have been thinking a lot abou Code Geass and have finally decided to write a review for it. 2) To entertain and inform the reader (or at least one of those two) 3) Right now I feel the need to do anything but my large stack of homework.

To be certain you understand I am writing this review for Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, this review will be spoiler free so enjoy.

Story: I am going to NOT assume you have seen the first season, so lets Lelouch Lamperouge (very happy I can finally spell his last name), got a Geass a power that enabled him to control other people, he starts a rebellion, and a bunch of stuff starts happening. Originally I would see topics about Code Geass and a bunch of people ALWAYS talking about it! This annoyed me so much! Mainly because it haunted me, for example I would load the first episode on my computer and then it would glitch and not work (I didn't have internet so I could only load it once) I went so far as to load three copies of it at once, but those all had some problem, I go to by it in the store and looky there they only have R2 or they won't sell anime to anyone under 18. Well if you knew the way I THOUGHT Code Geass would've been you would be just as crazy as I was. Everyone kept praising it like it was gold! And honestly I too thought it was at first. But then it had severe problems.

On the plus for the story: The actually story was pretty good, if pay pay attention to the story and not all the destractions.

On the NEGATIVE: This anime think you are stupid, it tried to please everyone and only got 50-50, well more like 40-40-20, 40% who love it, 40% who loathe it, and 20% who fall somewhere in the middle. But I said this anime thinks you're stupid it would be best if I explained WHY! Well everyone can tell that it is trying to please them, it put in large breasted women, who have a habbit of being topless for fanservice (I know that some people like fanservice and I am stating my opinion on that part), Mecha? What the heck! The Mecha really had no point in being there, they annoyed me, and well if it wasn't for that I am sure I would've liked it a bit better! Lelouch has three outfits he wears in this season. Only THREE and this IS the sort of world where you could go and by clothes at maybe one of the malls. Also he is oblivious to all the girls fawning over him, for the most part. And several things in the plot are unrealistic, in a supposedly realistic world...

Story gets a...wait on minute I have to look for it in this pile of useless mecha....a 6.

Sound: Darnit! My least favorite catagory to review! Anyways I did watch the dub and I plan to watch the sub eventually. So everyone did an okay job to a good job of there characters. Liam was amazing ^^, and the sound effect were well I didn't notice anything wrong with them so that's a plus. Music I don't really feel it matters to talk about the opening/ending because they aren't amazing and you can just skip them if you don't like them. The in anime music though I must say there were some songs that didn't fit and some that did, and some that I just barely heard. (Though the last song of R2 is absolutely amazing). Sound gets an 8? I really never care that much about sound unless it's really bad.

Art: I am not a fan of the characters, their mouths look like fish at points, mostly Lelouches. I have seen nicer in general style several of the characters don't look very special, Lack of clothes change makes some of it laughable, but the backgrounds and all were nice, also I guess you could say the mecha were good. Since I've seen pictures of way worse. Art gets a 7

Character: Well I feel like I said most the important stuff elsewhere details were lacking now and then but there were characters that were worth watching. Expect deaths but not as many as most people will tell you. 7

Enjoyment: I did enjoy watching Code Geass I'll give it that much. 8

Overall:By now you probably get the vibe I don't really like Code Geass, but that would be completely wrong I do like it at least...sometimes, I am re-watching it with my siblings and I started re-watching it only about two weeks after finishing it, so I guess you could say I loved it at some point, in fact I am pretty sure when I first joined MAL it had a ten. I feel Code Geass is pretty much a show where it is best to get your own opinion on.

Story: 6
Art: 7
Character: 7
Enjoyment: 8
Overall (according to math): 7
Overall (according to me): I can never keep an actually effective score so I decided to leave it unrated on my list but for this review I'll give it a six. Mind you I still LIKE anything I rate 5 and up.

Sorry for my rambling. read more

Code Geass is awesome. If you have any qualms against it, whether you dislike mecha or anything like that, put it aside and watch a few episodes. Then you'll see what I mean when I say that Code Geass is a great anime.

If you want an anime that is going to leave you on the edge of your seat, biting your nails, waiting impatiently for the next scene--this is for you.

Art is pretty decent. It's very colourful. The animation is also good--the action sequences are well drawn.

The characters are all interesting. Never have I seen an anime with a cast of so many anti-heroes before: lots of jerks, losers, obsessed freaks, and extremists, but they manage to make you intrigued with their lives and the happenings around them.

The sound was also decent. A lot of trumpet and sweeping epic battle pieces that complement what happens on the screen.

Code Geass is so original as well. It's about colonialism, if you caught it. It's like a cool History lesson--but with mechs. This is certainly one of the best anime to have been released this century.

Watch it. It's totally fabulous. read more

There some mecha's that achieve near brilliance, and others that are rendered useless in their awkward failure. Code Geass is neither of this.

I started Code Geass as soon as the first episode aired.. Yes, I have enjoyed it very much. But to my surprise, on the arrival of the 13th episode, Code Geass took the anime industry by storm. Like a moth to a flame, people crowded the anime and simply worshiped it(God knows how many CC fans are being born as of this moment). Much as Ive enjoyed Code Geass, it does not do justice to be considered what it is today. In fact I feel its popularity is similar to FMA, both are highly enjoyable but nowhere near being the masterpiece people claim it to be.

Code Geass is not a sight to behold, but rather a sight to gather thousands of fans within only barely dozen of episodes. Spectacle, after all, is Code Geass specialty, not subtlety, so enjoying the sum of the parts sometimes requires dispassionate detachment or at least blind belief. But whether you think Code Geass is absurd or lacking originality, Code Geass is one of the most fun and engaging anime's in recent memory, as long as you don't think about it too hard.

Japan, being defeated by the empire of Britannia, whose territory reaches nearly one third of the world thanks to their high-tech war machines called Knightmares, was renamed to Area 11. Britannia swiftly depraved the Elevens(Japanese) of their pride, rights and isolated them from the migrating citizens of Britannia, leaving them to poverty.

This is where our main boy steps in. Lelouch, a young former prince of Britannia who was known to have passed away, not to mention a cheap ripoff of Light Yagami from Death Note. During a battle between the Britanna and a scarce amount of rebelling Elevens, Lelouch finds a capsule containing a naked woman, who gives Lelouch Geass, a mysterious ability that can control any human simply by looking them in the eyes and speaking his commands. And because that it just so happens that Lelouch has this great animosity for the Brittania, he plans to single handedly face the tyrant.

Lelouch under the alias of Zero, becomes a hope to the elevens and a threat to Britannia.

Its hard not to compare Lelouch from Yagami Light of Death Note. But if you can get past it, you'll find out something more. Coming with a tragic past pre-installed, it may seem that Lelouch is your typical apprehended teenager(Gundam anyone?). But Lelouch in a way, is a revenge-driven genius who would dare to go against the world to reach his goals and doesnt endlessly desires to just die without a fight. He even has the discernment for seizing control of the situation and directs the terrorist group by radio, controlling them and anticipating the moves of the Britannian forces like it was a game of chess.
It isnt entirely plausible how is still able to manage a double life and lead the Japanese to victory. But it does provide Lelouch moments to look more sympathetic and less unrealistic.

So yeah thats pretty much what you need to know. Lelouch battles Britannia with the help of the ever so gullible and disposable Japanese. Oh and I forgot to mention Suzaku,an Eleven who is his childhood friend, siding to Britannia. They both basically the want the same thing, only they have different methods. Lelouch wants to rid of Britannia to make the world easier for his sister to live in, Nunally. Suzaku, on the other hand, wants to climb the ladders of Britannia, and gradually change it to good from the inside.

There's a ton going on in these first five episodes, and the pacing is rapid-fire. Add in a truly epic stage, some awesome battles, and just a dash of comedy to keep things from getting too dark, and it's really hard to see where this show can go wrong from here.

Code Geass is majestic, in terms of entertaining. The plot twists are so twisted that it becomes endless and absurd. Every episode ends in marvelous cliffhangers that can make you get a garotte wire and strangle yourself for an entire week until the next episode comes out and makes you do the same thing all over again. It just keeps getting better and better.

The actions are also a treat. From assault to massive warfare, Code Geass is impressively detailed. The contest between Britannia and the Eleven are as breathtaking as they are thrilling, while the individual battles are supremely well choreographed.

Code Geass has so many things working in its favor that it becomes easy to overlook some of its flaws.

The animation is completely convincing and fulfills the shows "mecha plausibility" quotient well besides than the roller blading war machines. Moreover, few if any prior shows have as effectively integrated the tacky yet refined movements of the robots as they do here. CLAMP did the designs here so be sure to expect it to be excellent(and have arms, which have uncanny ability to stretch an extra three feet)

The music is fluid. It always depicts the sound perfectly. Be it a gunshot or a whole building crumbling down, it is nicely executed. The background effects are also a plus. You get to hear a bunch of insects flying around or birds chirping.
It gives a rather credible atmosphere partnered by a perfect atmospheric melody. The clarity of the sound effects definitely supports the anime very well.

Voice acting is no slouch either. It can easily persuade you of the emotion of each characters tries to convey, even supporting characters are given enough to time to emote.

The results are predictably impressive, even genre-defining. However as good as Code Geass is in terms of spectacle, the show does hit a few dud notes in terms of plot and characterization. But put together with visual flair, it’s a winning combination that helps to ensure Code Geass is a roller coaster experience of thrilling intensity.

Just like Da Vinci Code, it is "preposterously entertaining".It is safe to say that anyone who's interested in action or mecha will go bananas over Code Geass. read more

Code Geass is one of those series that can inspire praise, hatred or mere ridicule, depending on what is expected or what can be tolerated. Curiously, I find entirely valid reasons behind each of those reactions. There's still a bit of this and that, to put it bluntly, but perhaps the lines aren't quite as clear as they seem.

In short, I enjoyed the series and still find that its virtues and sheer fun factor outweigh its objective flaws, but I'm worried about the future. Whether or not the inevitable sequel picks up the slack, addresses existing concerns or drops the ball completely is something that only Sunrise knows at this point. In any case, we might as well enjoy what we can.

Story:

The premise is melodramatic and ambitious enough. Lelouch, the protagonist, is embarking on a personal quest through the use of his intellect and a mysterious power, motivated by personal revenge and morally ambiguous altruism. The setting is divided into two spheres, the edgier world of military/politics and the more carefree environment of the Ashford academy, with their respective casts of characters. There's a clear element of mecha action here as well, even if it's not really the main attraction and doesn't dominate the show.

The pace is definitely fast and unrelenting...perhaps it's all a bit much for Lelouch's and the story's own good, though, as things turn out. The writing and direction can be uneven during the weaker moments, but are absolutely thrilling at their best. Most of it develops quite nicely, with some general predictability and a few genuine surprises that keep things interesting.

The biggest concerns are certain major twists which threaten to overwhelm the viewer, if they are not enjoyed or understood. Intentional and unintentional humor, such as Pizza Hut's sponsorship or many over the top sequences, can be occasionally distracting as well. I personally felt that the basic focus is never lost, however, when all is said and done, in spite of a few undeniable blunders or red herrings.

In the end, we've only seen half the story and, for better or for worse, the upcoming sequel has the responsibility of providing true resolution. Or at least trying to do so in an interesting way, whether it fails or succeeds at it.

Animation:

Production values are good and tend to stay consistent. I've never been a CLAMP fan, mostly due to unfamiliarity, so their original character designs for Code Geass -while distinctive and attractive- don't really impress me too much. They may also look strange from certain angles. The mechanical designs are just fine for the show's purposes, with a couple of particularly well done models.

Sound:

The music is appropriate and mostly unobtrusive, whether the mood is serious, exciting, relaxed, mischievous, dramatic or tragic. Not exactly the best soundtrack I've ever heard, as a few tracks could use more variety. The opening and ending themes are quite well done, as a rule, and tend to fit the show. Naturally, your mileage may vary here.

Character:

For someone who is often accused of being a copycat there are certain nuances to Lelouch's personality that set him apart, such as his emotional range and a sense of humanity emerging from his internal conflicts or character flaws. Predictably, the protagonist himself carries the show on his back and receives the most development, which is good since he does deserve much of it and this makes him an interesting subject of study. Having said that, said development has at least one major drawback: it may not be what people are expecting and finding certain events relatively disappointing or even anti-climatic is quite possible. Suzaku, who also plays an important role as Lelouch's foil, has a self-righteous personality and his interference can be very annoying to witness. He does have some complexity though, even if it's still a hard sell for those who find themselves sympathizing with Lelouch/Zero. C.C. herself is mysterious enough, as we've only seen bits and pieces of information regarding her background thus far, but remains an intriguing and generally fun character by virtue of her interactions with Lelouch.

Secondary characters tend to get some attention too, with interesting results in the major cases whether you appreciate their fates or not. The big issue for me is that the cast of characters might seem a bit too large as the show goes on, with a couple of unnecessary additions towards the later half that tend to delay, limit or rush development. Still, this is the kind of show where such size makes sense on paper given its scope, but as a result we will have to wait for the sequel in order to see if a few questionable plot threads are continued, resolved or at least replaced.

Enjoyment:

The first season of Code Geass, even though I wasn't entirely convinced about certain plot twists and openly laughed at (not necessarily with) certain sequences or developments, was certainly entertaining and rarely boring.

In short, I appreciated both the genuinely well-done portions and several of the more absurd scenarios. The show is not a masterpiece by any means, nor is it going to please every sector of the audience that it will initially attract. I'd still be perfectly happy to recommend it to those who haven't seen it, even if only to promote some discussion. read more

Death Note meets Gundam Wing. Nonetheless, the fusion between the two animes can only underestimate the greatness that is Code Geass. Yes, this series is jammed-packed with attractive characters, battle scenes, bloodshed, slight romance, and even a little supernatural dose to add to a stereotypical anime. However, Code Geass - Lelouch of the Rebellion is not as stereotypical as it may seemed at first glance.

~[S T O R Y]~ [9]

Initially, I became attracted to the series through the hyperactive fandom that has spread vastly throughout the world of the internet. Only then did I realize that I could not longer resist watching this show. Indeed, I had my doubts that it would've been a lame rip off of Death Note meets Gundam Wing. Little did I know how wrong I was. A conspiracy between governments, rebellion and anarchy, advanced technology that may be deemed impossible to ever exist in our world, the raw emotion that bounces from one character to another, a small dosage of supernaturality that does little to ruin the storyplot...Code Geass has done well. Breathtaking twists are evident in the series to an extent where the viewer can be grateful that no supernatural assistance was needed. The story flowed as smooth as water. There was not one moment where I felt bored or even regretted watching the series. Even the use of chess metaphors and mythological analogies made the storyplot more interesting. Indeed the show was nothing but a game. Everyone was played. The characters, the world...even the viewers' minds were played! But that was what made Code Geass interesting. It kept us guessing on purpose, like we were part of the game all along!

~[A R T]~ [8]

The reason why I did not give the Art section the same mark as the other categories was the opening theme. It literally used the same animation profusely except it just switched the order of clips around. Every other manga at least alters the opening theme thoroughly until it does not meet its previous ones. But the opening theme appeared as though it were low-budget, like the creators were procrastinating on changing the opening theme a few times and decided to alter it a little by adding in new clips which introduced new characters we would be acquainted with later on in the series. Other than that, everything else about the art was quite intriguing. The paintings in the museum were a little ostentious but in a nice, presentable manner. The essence of CLAMP was illuminated in the character designs, but it did not change the great appeal of each character's personality. The emotions expressed were drawn well. You could taste the insanity radiating off of Nina's face and the hatred off of Suzaku's face. Well done indeed.

~[S O U N D]~ [9]

The scores for the anime's soundtrack was fitting for every scene. We could slight feel the suspense, the nostalgia, and even the burning hatred through the music selected on different scenes of the show. The action sounds were not cheesy. The dramatic sounds were ones to not laugh at. Truly the musical scores lived up to the rank I have given them.

~[C H A R A C T E R]~ [9]

It's understandable how attractive protagonists would surely attract more fans. But I did not fall under Lelouch's apparent spell. Yet I can say that I was bewitched by his hunger for superiority, not to mention locked in the mystery of his past and his intentions. A young, masked vigilante holding the fate of Britannia and Japan in the palm of his hand? It may sound overrated, but his techniques cannot be explained in words. All of the characters left my mind boggled: how do they feel about this situation? what are they going to do? Throughout the series, it felt as though I was able to understand every character and his or her motive. Furthermore, the dramatic scenes displaying the raw emotion reciprocated between different characters was surely not ones to miss. The development was beautifully done. At times even a viewer can sense the vulnerability, the cravings, the sorrow, and the power to know and conquer in each and every character. I applaud with joy.

~[E N J O Y M E N T & O V E R A L L]~ [9]

This series should not be underestimated. Do not judge a book by its cover here. The only way an anime like this could be altered is through the observation of biased fandoms. Before reading reviews or hearing the opinions of others, be sure to examine the series first before considering anything else. For I assure you reader that, unless you prefer some ecchi delight or dull storylines, you won't be disappointed. This series teaches a valuable lesson: that we live to fight for something, and how we fight gives everyone around us a sense of who we are. So be careful what you fight for, for you will be one's hero and another's enemy. :] read more

Title: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Manga, Light Novel, Anime: Code Geass has, at this point in time, three manga spin-offs to its name, all being serialized in Kadokawa Shoten magazines. The first, with the same title as the anime (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion) focuses on Lelouch and more or less follows the series, with art by Majiko!, and began being serialized in Montly Asuka magazine in the Octpober 2006 issue. The second, known as Code Geass: Suzaku of the Counterattack, focuses on Suzaku's part of the story, with art done by Atsuro Yomino, and is being serialized in Beans A magazine. The third, Code Geass: Knightmare of Nanally, focuses on Nanally's part of the story, with art done by Tomomasa Takuma.

There is also a series of light novels that follows the series' plot that began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's Sneaker magazine on April 28th, 2007.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion is a twenty-five episode series that was produced by Sunrise (famous for their work on the Gundam series and Cowboy Bebop) and directed by Goro Taniguchi (famous for his work on Planetes and s-CRY-ed). It ran on Japanese TV from October 5th, 2006 to July 28th, 2007, and has been licensed Stateside by Bandai. Bandai has yet to release a date for its DVD release, but the dub will be airing on Adult Swim starting on April 26th (next Saturday!).

Story: On August 10th, 2010, the Holy Empire of Britannia invaded Japan and conquered the country in less than a month with their mechs, known as Knightmare Frames. Japan, renamed "Area 11", was colonized, and the Japanese, now known as "Elevens", were made to live in ghettos while the Britannians live in upper-class walled-off settlements. Lelouch, then ten years old, swears to his friend Suzaku that some day, he will destroy the Britannian empire.

Seven years later, Lelouch is going to school at a private Britannian academy, known as Ashford Acadmey, and Suzaku's joined the Britannian army as an honorary Britannian. One day, Lelouch gets caught up with terrorists escaping with a military secret, and Suzaku is part of the squad sent to capture the terrorists. When Suzaku insists that Lelouch isn't one of the terrorists, he is shot for disobedience, and in the chaos that follows, the military secret is revealed to be a young girl named CC (or C Two), who contracts with Lelouch and gives him a power known as Geass, more specifically, the power to make anyone do anything he says just by looking them in the eyes.

Lelouch decides to bring Britannia down using his Geass, while Suzaku decides to attempt to change Britannia from the inside.

This is a good, solid series. The set up's a bit like Death Note, in which we've got a guy in high school using the powers he's received to change the world (Lelouch), and there's someone opposing him and his ideals (in this case, Suzaku). It's also like V for Vendetta, in that we've got Lelouch leading a rebellion against Britannia as the masked Zero.

The series ends up being a neat juxtaposition of politics, mech action, plotting, rebellion, and school life. And it's like Toward the Terra, in that a lot of the side characters are developed more than they would be in most series, are pretty intriguing, and end up playing major roles in the plot. The plot progresses pretty nicely, with Lelouch figuring out how his powers work and building up his power and followers and attacks on Britannia, with a few calm-before-the-storm episodes that end up bringing some of the more awesome revelations, plenty of plot twists tossed in, all bought to a boil in the last few episodes, leaving off with that cliff hanger of cliff hangers.

Taniguchi weaves in little homages from the other series he's directed, so if you've seen his other series, watch and see what you can find.

It's not without it's problems, though.

First thing you'll probably notice is the rampant jingoism. It's probably a bit more apparent to me, because I'm in an class about the ethnography of Japan, and we just finished a section on WWII, but, still, you'll notice a lot of BANZAI NIPPON! in the first few episodes. For example, the date that Britannia (which, if you look at the bit before the OP, is, in fact, America) invades Japan is the day that Japan surrendered at the end of WWII. It does get less noticeable as the series goes along, but you can still tell it's there.

The second fact is that the series brings up a lot of mysteries and doesn't really answer them, a la Rozen Maiden and Romeo and Juliet. But at least they don't try and clumsily resolve things like in Nishi no Yoki Majo or Darker than BLACK. Admittedly, there is a second season that just started airing in Japan about two weeks ago, so hopefully they can address those issues.

Art: The animation for this is really smooth, not to mention vibrantly colored. The action scenes are fully animated, as are the explosions and such, which is nice to see.

You can tell straight off the bat that Clamp does the character designs because the men are a bit pointy and lanky. But once they're introduced, they get a bit less pointy, which makes the lankiness work out better. And, of course, the females are absolutely beautiful.

Sunrise's mech designs do admittedly look a bit like Gundams, and a bit on the bulky side rather than streamlined but, for the mecha I've seen in anime (which, admittedly, isn't that much), they're pretty neat.

There's some stock footage for when Lelouch uses the Geass, and a bit of recap at the beginning before the OP, but, luckily, it's well-done and doesn't get too old.

Music: I like the music for this a lot. There are some pretty basic themes and styles for specific people and things that happen, but there end up being a lot of well-done variations. The insert songs that they do don't take away from the scene, but fit in perfectly.

For the most part, I liked the OPs and EDs for this. The first (and, incidentally, the third ED) and third OP are your standard pop numbers, but they're really catchy. The first ED is an ALI Project song, which, in my opinion, guarantees awesomeness.

However, the vocalists for the second OP and ED (whether or not they're the same, I'm not sure) need to be strangled. They're worse than the harpy woman who did the Honey and Clover OPs, and that's saying something. They gave me headaches.

Seiyuu: The seiyuu for this project are made of awesome on several levels. Jun Fukuyama, who played the naive innocent Albert in Gankutsuou, gets to play the scheming jaded Lelouch, and it's particularly nice to see the role reversal there. Kikuko Inoue, who played Mercedes in Gankutsuou, appears in a small, but important, supporting role, as do Jouji Nakata and Fumiko Orikasa. Also, Suzaku's seiyuu may sound familiar, mainly because he's been voicing Cloud in the recent FFVII spinoffs.

The only seiyuu who really annoyed me was Lloyd's seiyuu, but then again, he's meant to come off as annoying. They did their job there. xD

Length: Had they done some slight reworking of the plot, they probably could have made this a twenty-five episode series. However, the story would've taken a hit if they had. The second season, which, as I mentioned before, just recently started airing, should hopefully bring a sense of completeness to the story.

Overall: A beautifully designed and animated show, with excellent music and seiyuu, and a very solid plot, save for the jingoism and unsolved mysteries, which will hopefully be solved by the next season.

Story: 8/10
Art: 9/10
Music: 9/10
Seiyuu: 9/10
Length: 8/10

Overall: 43/50; 86% (B ) read more