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 Code Geass 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.
Alternative Titles
Japanese: コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
25
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Oct 6, 2006 to Jul 29, 2007
Premiered:
Fall 2006
Broadcast:
Fridays at 01:25 (JST)
Producers:
Bandai Visual, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Bandai, Sony Music Entertainment, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners
Studios:
Sunrise
Source:
Original
Duration:
24 min. per ep.
Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
Statistics
Ranked:
#602
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#22
Members:
2,299,293
Favorites:
109,810
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 49 / 624
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Your Feelings Categories Dec 27, 2008
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
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Aug 24, 2009
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 ... May 10, 2015
The most succinct way to describe Code Geass is to call it a cross between Death Note and MEGAS XLR/Gurren Lagann with a generous helping of your average ecchi harem SOL romantic comedy and a dash of Evangelion thrown into the mix. Does it work? Not exactly. Code Geass is one of those shows that brings a lot of good stuff to the table but fucks it up in so many ways once the script comes into question. There are more plot holes here than there are potholes on the Grand Central Parkway, and whether or not that's hyperbole is entirely up for you to
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Aug 9, 2009
There are 95 existing reviews for this over-hyped anime so I don't really expect this review to be long lived and I'm quite happy that it will vanish into nothingness in 24 hours at the most.
I just need to vent some opinions I have about this anime. Did I mention it is over-hyped? Even for fanboys of this anime it must be over-hyped. With a fairly good story it tries to become a mecha version of Death Note and I suppose it succeeds to some extent, but not in a very intriguing manner really. The story has many twists and turns and it is quite ... Jun 9, 2010
Code Geass. I don't really know what to say about it. On one side, It has a great story and Art. On the other side, nearly every character is a stereotype and not memorable at all. My biggest problem with Code Geass though, is the way it feels like 3 genres of animé thrown into a blender. Sometimes it's Action/Adventure and stuck to the plot, at other times It goes school comedy and harem. I would not really mind it, though it feels that only 40% of the episodes stick to the plot, and that's sure to annoy you. In fact, when I finished it,
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Dec 13, 2012
Code Geass:Lelouch of the Rebellion portrays an intelligent young man's stuggle against the ruthless and discriminating government in an alternate history. Coupled with supernatural aspects and usage of advanced technology, it looks like this anime will take you in for a good ride.
Unfortunately, from my point of view, it ended up to be a complete drag filled with fanservice, ridiculous plot lines and shallow, underdeveloped characters. And don't forget the completely irrelevant mecha which was added just for the sake of adding it. Story: A boy receives supernatural powers which have the potential of making him omnipotent. He also has a defined goal: creating a ... May 10, 2012
It's been a while since I watched this, but I felt like I should weigh in against the mountain of praise.
Code Geass is an exercise in wasted potential. The basic idea of the show could have been interesting with the right handling, but not like this. I never sat through more than a couple of episodes at a time. I was constantly annoyed by the fact that the show expects viewers to accept whatever Lelouch does as brilliant, instead of thinking for themselves. In particular, there is one part that had me thinking "Why is he doing this? ... Jul 1, 2009
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 ... Apr 28, 2016
This review covers both the first and the second season of Code Geass. Code Geass is one of the most enjoyable anime I've ever seen. It's addictive, has awesome mecha fights, great music and an interesting main character. But it's also one of the most overrated anime ever created.
"What! Code Geass, overrated? Blasphemy! How dare you to insult one of the most popular and amazing anime this way, you just didn't understand this masterpiece!" Well, Code Geass is not a masterpiece, the first season was pretty good, but the second season was just retarded. Why? ~Story~ 4/10 Our main character Lelouch is an exiled Britannian prince, ... Nov 6, 2014
*MINOR SPOILERS WITHIN*
I'm not really sure why Code Geass is so positively rated. There are definitely some good parts, however the show has so many pitfalls that they completely cancel out any good qualities. The first thing that I really didn't like about it was the plot structure. Many people compare this show to Death Note, and side by side, Code Geass absolutely pales in comparison. On average each individual episode did very little to forward Lelouch's goal of taking down the Brittanian Empire. The majority of the episodes felt either like filler, or they would follow a predictable formula like this: Lelouch plans something ... Feb 4, 2013
*** I tried to be vague, but when talking about characters below I gave a small spoiler from the first couple episodes relating to one of the characters. Skip Suzaku's paragraph if you don't want a slight spoiler ***
This is an anti-hero tale. It's based in a world where a militaristic society has taken over most of the world, and it oppresses those that it conquers. The emperor has a strong conquers the weak mentality, and his beliefs are pretty extreme. A hidden and disgraced prince is the main character of this story. He starts out as a good guy, and though his ultimate goal ... Mar 30, 2009
When I first watched Code Geass, I immediately thought of a Death Note/Gundam SEED mixture, one of which I loved and one of which I absolutely hated.
Code Geass might have been good if the characters weren't archetypes of every other anime character there is. Sure, people go insane over Lelouch, but he's an over rated character, and simply isn't as awesome as Light. In fact, he's a pathetic wimp, and is not very intelligent at all. He's the only real character that the anime goes into depth about, but then again that isn't saying much, because the story simply lacks ... Mar 18, 2023
I don't usually write reviews, but I feel the need to get my opinion on this anime out there. I don't want to come off as the devils advocate just because I'm bashing on a critically acclaimed show, so please here me out. The story itself has a good premise but the execution lacks the sort of polish you'd expect for an anime with as many pedigrees as this. The characters feel like nothing more than plot devises with little personality. The only character\ reasonably "fleshed out" would be lelouch, despite him not having any shred of complex emotion. He's treated like some sort of
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Nov 12, 2010
I watched this because of all the rave reviews. My expectations were high, and I was unfortunately disappointed. I stopped after 20 episodes, because I just couldn't get myself to waste any more time on something I didn't love, not even to see the epic cliff hanger ending that had been enough to keep me going this far.
My favorite animes include Gintama and the Full Metal Panic series (all 3 seasons), so you have an idea of the type of things I like-- action, comedy, etc. In fact, because I loved the FMPs so much, I thought for sure I'd like Code ... Nov 1, 2010
The only reason to like code Geass is you have not seen Gundam Seed, or are a little slow to realize everything that was stolen from the series. Yes all anime rip off each other, specially mecha/space operas, but this was a little much.
Also the mech types are a hybrid of classic 80's mechas and Capped mechas with spears like from Escaflowne (also recomended over this), with a couple special units looking like Evangelion with swords. The anime ends up being half decent, like a show to watch if you really cant find anything else. But you prolly need to expand your ... Jun 9, 2016
*Sees that some people rise their guns towards him* Wow! Hold on! Let me explain why a 6, okay!? ...
*People lowing their guns* Ok... *clears throat* Code Geass is what you have when a pussy tries to be Light Yagami. *people rise their guns again* Okay, fine! I get it. You guys just love Code Geass! *Sigh* Even before I started to watch a lot of anime like I do nowadays about a year ago, I knew about Code Geass. It's just one of those great 00's Animes like Death Note (that actually were emitted at the same time), Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann, Samurai Champloo, Full Metal Alchemist, ... Mar 11, 2017
[SPOILER WARNING]
First off, this anime ends horribly. People talk about anime suddenly ending with no resolution. Sometimes they overreact – Deadman Wonderland and Attack on Titan end an arc but keep the big story unfinished. It’s frustrating, since the arcs are integral to a bigger story and don’t stand on their own. Code Geass, however, simply ends. Worse, it ends on a cliffhanger. I know there’s a second season, but you don’t separate seasons (Or episodes, or books) for the sake of it. You separate them because they’re different stories. This one’s unfinished and this is a huge blow. More news at 11. At first, it’s tempting ... Jan 12, 2014
Oh boy, what I can say about the beloved Code Geass anime? Well, I can pretty much tell you that I was hoping for something really good, but then I ended up very dissapointed mid-way through the season (this review is for R1 only)
This anime kicked ass when it first started. It had a seemingly good plot with a good character. One that was hell bent on having revenge, going so far as to kill off his own half siblings. Not to mention the cool power of geass. I really wanted to see Lelouch slowly bring Britinia down to its knees and watch him acheive ... Jan 31, 2009
The beginning of this anime is totally illogical and contradicting. The whole world just all of a sudden decided to invade Japan? I mean come on, what's so good about the country that it's worth invading like that. It's full of people, running out of land, and running out of resources. The anime didn't give any reason whatsoever as to why the Area 7 people were looked down upon so much. On top of that, the invading countries are all developed countries, I thought the world was done with annexing other countries?..
After the beginning of the anime the story line gradually grew better (thank god). ... Dec 17, 2021
Code Geass - Hangyaku no Lelouch
I have watched this anime 4 or 5 times in my entire life now and I am still fascinated and enthralled by it. In the field of mecha, it is my favorite and especially the protagonist always manages to convince me. But what also surprises me again and again, is how much "potential" has been lost here. Code Geass had everything, a successful setting, an antihero protagonist with a decent buildup, characters, abilities, and a goal. But what was made of it? Instead of creating an actual masterpiece, you got a half-finished series here that couldn't even take itself seriously. You ... |