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Code Geass could be said to have a little bit of everything for everyone. From epic mecha fights (or “knightmares” as they’re called) to romance, drama, humor, pretty boys and girls that don’t completely suck (well at least not all of them). It starts in the conquered nation of Japan or “Area 11” after Britannia took over the nation with said knightmares. Lelouch Lamperouge stars in the series as the fallen prince of Britannia who, of course, carries enough emotional baggage to carry the first and second season along for a good 50 episodes (including sound episodes and picture dramas). After the death of his ... mother and after his sweet, innocent sister became his blind, paralyzed, sweet, innocent little sister Lelouch steps down from the throne after a confrontation with his father, the emperor who also doubles as a pimp (you meet the five million siblings Lelouch has later on in the series). Now at age seventeen he’s determined to destroy Britannia at all costs no matter what and does so through the help of a strange power and the mask he wears in front of the rest of the world… literally.
Code Geass is really truly a unique anime with the exceptions of some of those cliché character properties, the plot really is very enjoyable, interesting and heart wrenching all at once. Even the characters with some properties of being “ordinary but not,” as you see in the description of almost every anime, the way they all tie together really just gives the plot so much more depth. With all the double lives lead, the expressed romantic interests and the bonds the characters have with each other really just makes you sit on the edge of your seat. Another thing that makes Code Geass so much more interesting is that there is no determined “bad side.” While so many people compare Code Geass with Death Note I would have to disagree completely. In Death Note after about 7 episodes you can tell what side you’re on but in Code Geass it remains hazy until you actually pick a side yourself.
Everything throughout the series is just planned out and executed almost perfectly through the usually three to four episode arches which all bleed together to give you one big link of a show. But by the way each episode is expressed really just gives off a very serious and somber ring to it. You can tell by the lack of chibis or the usual anger marks and sweat drops or other anime trademarks. This also gives the artwork a really original spin on it. While you might hear a lot of complaints about the long and gangly stick people the artwork truly is outstanding and you don’t come to appreciate it until you hit the second season. Every episode is consistent in its art and give off the appropriate emotions of the characters. It really is just fun animation to watch (even though some could say Clamp really *should* feed their characters a bit more). However the knightmares are also drawn and designed in such a way that is just fantastic. As the series goes on you can tell the difference between an upgraded knightmare and a piece of crap like the Glasgow, a version of the knightmare that is shown in the first episode.
But after all is said and done what really separates Code from other mechas is that it doesn’t revolve all around the robots. Sure there are the epic fight scenes, battles between man and machine and wars that the plot depends on but by all means it is not a normal mecha. With the rivalries shown between the characters it’s hard to show these oppositions without the giant glowing robots. After a certain point it just dawns on you that it’s necessary. The show mainly revolves around the strange power of the Geass and all those affected by it. After a mysterious girl by the name “CC” gives Lelouch the power of the Geass it seems that trouble and destruction follows in his footsteps as he goes through personal hell to conquer it. Of course Lelouch is not the only one who has received a Geass and they are not all the same either. The one Lelouch receives gives him the power to control anyone after looking them in the eye (though when has it ever been as simple as that?) and giving them a direct command. This show really expresses the weight of death, war and that very fine line between wrong and right. Overall I highly recommend this anime and rate it a 9 out of 10.