Code Geass has a great concept. Oh the words that have begun on many a failure, but manages to execute it 'fairly' well. To make a first for this site, I wont recap the synopsis and actually follow the rules that are very clearly to the right of me as I'm writing this. It executes it fairly well, however the comparison between it and Death Note is completely unjustified. There are similarities yes. It begins by appearing to have dual and polar protagoni before focusing nearly entirely on the 'evil' character, the evil character's biggest tool is both his brain and newly found supernatural ability and the evil character slowly more and more 'evil'.
These similarities however are bare-bones. It lacks the interesting mind games of Death Note, as well as lacking a philosophy discussion starting plot, and the two main characters are not directly against each other. Whats more, Code Geass's shock moment that is supposed to represent Lelouch's completely discard of morality near the end actually makes him seem like a better person, and is partially caused by a sudden inconsistency in his character which is never explained.
But enough unfair comparisons it to a true masterpiece (well, a true single season of masterpiece). The plot is ok. It is interesting and has a few twists and turns. However many of the minor twists come from Lelouch suddenly pulling an ace out of his ass and causing massive strategic victories. These would be far more interesting if it didn't feel like deus ex machina's every single time. As these traps are never hinted on at any point in the anime before hand, and often cause Lelouch to appear to have near psychic powers. One time early on, I swear he literally conjured a cruise liner from empty air, and teleported people hundreds of metres onto said boat. When the best parts of the anime are these twists, such sloppy writing is unforgivable.
However what I must commend it for is being the first anime I've ever seen, nor show really, that has managed to make an entire series not have any drawn out feeling scenes, nor make the reverse mistake of having a rushed scene. That takes sheer talent or incredible luck to pull off. Still, I cant give it too many points for this, as sometimes a drawn out anime can actually improve it. Attack on Titan is a shining example of incredibly drawn out scenes making an anime many many times better then without, although many do not agree with me in that aspect, but I digress.
Finally, on another but altogether shorter complaint, the mecha addition does nothing for the show, and serves no purpose. They could be removed and the show could easily be slightly rewritten and nothing would change. A needless aspect should be a non-existent aspect of a show. The only purpose of the mechas is to cash in on mecha fans. However it never really hurts the anime, it's just pointless.
The animation and art of Code Geass is wonderful and fluid, but while I'm able to give multiple paragraphs on the story of an anime in the utmost highest of the English language, describing art is a challenge for me. So uh...its good. It's very very good. You will think its good as well when you watch it.
Yeah.
On the sound, anime list's infamously strange category. I personally watched the English dub. Put down the brick, no I cant see you your just predictable. I watched the first five minutes of both the original and English dub. The English dub is fine. There is just as many, if not more silly sounding parts in the Japanese dub as the English dub, and every character displays the correct levels of emotion in every scene that matters. Even in the second season (which I'm not factoring into the rest of this review) which was supposed to mark a suddenly massive drop in quality, has great voice acting jobs all around with the exception of Shirley who's voice actor apparently lost the part of the script that said context to her lines, causing her to somehow display the opposite emotion in nearly every scene she's in. (she's perfectly fine in Season 1 however).
On an offhand note, the voice actor for Lelouch is the same as Light Yagami from Death Note, as if they were trying desperately to make people call it Death Note with mechas.
The soundtrack, as much as everyone seems to adore it, is simply competent. There is no memorable tracks at all, even if they direct emotion at a satisfactory level. The openings and closings are some of the less fitting I've seen. This is not the incredible masterpiece of a soundtrack everyone else seems to think it is. It's painfully competent, and nothing more. Attack on Titan's soundtrack is an incredible masterpiece that is always fitting and always epic, not this.
Ah the characters. Their pretty good. It's hard to really go much more into this without spoiling things. Only complains is that Lelouch grows less evil by the end like they make out and more inconsistently written. Also when he makes an innocent mistake later on that has dire consequences, the anime seems to be trying to say he's a horrible person for not being perfect. Aside from that, there is a good amount of development from all the characters, and there a varied bunch.
On enjoyment? While I've mostly had negatives so far, I somehow enjoyed my time and found it a worthwhile watch. Which in the end, as Attack on Titan showed me, is all that really matters isn't it? Still, I firmly will call this simply a 'good' anime. It's not a masterpiece, it in no way deserves to be so highly ranked, and does nothing new in the anime scene outside of having proper pacing which my decaying memory seems to state ironically Death Note did such a thing first. Regardless, after trying and failing to get into One Piece for having the very problem of horrendous pacing, its good to see that not all animes have bad pacing.
Just most of them.
