Sep 11, 2014
I like to describe Code Geass as Gundam meets Death Note meets Macbeth, but it's essentially a story of a boy who has been and constantly is screwed over by the Universe. He tries hard to follow his ideals and change the world, but, for the most part, nothing goes his way. He drops the soap, and the Universe and Society tag team him.
TL;DR Life screws over Lelouch, Lelouch tries to fight back, get's shutdown all the time. People are chess pieces. Action, manipulation, boobs, etc. WATCH IT!
STORY 10: The story is outstanding. It follows the life of the student/revolutionary Lelouch Lamperouge on his
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path to the destruction of the Holy Britannian Empire. In some sense, it's a split timeline of our own history; where the American Revolution fell through, and the British remained a world Super Power. The conflict itself is reminiscent of the American Revolution, with Japan replacing the US. You can draw parallels between Code Geass and Death Note, especially when it comes to where they mess up; small mishaps or loose ends in the beginning, which in retrospect could have easily avoided, end up fucking them over. Retrospect is the most enlightening and the most frustrating tool humans have. A big part of the plot is devoted to just shit going downhill for Lelouch. It's almost as if the worst case scenario always happens to him, and even when he wins, he ends up losing. Sucks to suck, I suppose.
ART 8: The art is done well, but there isn't a factor that really differentiates it from other anime. Most of the characters are tall and skinny, and I found it somewhat difficult to differentiate between the Japanese and the Britannians based solely on physical appearances in multiple settings, with the only noticeable difference a very subtle change in skin tone. I was, however, very impressed with the designs of the mechas and the detail to the background. And for whom it may concern, there are, albeit scarcely, tits in this anime.
SOUND 8: The openings and the endings for the entire series are pretty damn good, because they fit the tone of the series well. Personally, I'm not one to pay too much attention to sound, but I definitely liked the classical/opera background music which smoothly accompanied the Luke-I-am-your-father announcements and other such scenes.
CHARACTER 10: This is by far the best part of the show, with Lelouch obviously being the most interesting character. He is our tragic hero, our Macbeth, our Yagami Light, our Walter White. He is manipulative, creative, and morally reprehensible, and he is by far the most human character. His sense of right and wrong does multiple flips throughout the series, and it's interesting to watch his evolution from Lelouch to fully embracing the Zero identity.
The other characters are surprisingly good, with the second most complex character being Suzaku and his struggle with changing the world he lives in. I would have to say the most interesting characters is C.C; her life and powers are so mysterious, it makes you crave answers. I also found myself emotionally attached towards Euphemia towards the end of the show. Even though it's almost always futile in the end, I love to see idealists doggedly work towards their perfect world. There is one character, and I think almost all shows have this, that I hated: Nina. She's an obsessive, racist sociopath who, in my opinion, is the only one who I wanted to die.
ENJOYMENT 10: I couldn't stop watching it. I was burning to know what schemes Lelouch had come up with to take over the world or learn more about the "tragic" death of his mother (the quotation marks are important, as per the second season). Though, it was kind of sad to see him constantly getting shafted by the Universe at almost every turn; I actually wanted him to succeed.
OVERALL 10: All in all, it was an amazing anime, with plot development at a perfect pace, and mystery at every corner. I would definitely recommend this anime to anyone looking for something to binge on.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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