Reviews

Following the invasion of 2010, Japan has fallen to the Holy Britannian Empire. Now called "Area 11," its people have been reduced to second-class citizens. Lelouch and sister Nunnally, by birth members of the Britannian Royal Family, live in Japan under fake names and are thought to be dead. When children, their family was attacked, resulting in the death of their mother and crippling of Nunnally. Now, Lelouch wants nothing more than to get revenge against those that took part in the attack and his father, the ruthless ruler of the Britannian Empire. When caught up in an incident with the military and Japanese liberation fighters, he meets and forms a contract with a mysterious girl named C2. With his newly attained power to control the minds and actions of others, Geass, Lelouch sets out to free Japan and put an end to the Britannian Empire.

Code Geass is everywhere. Log onto any anime forum or do a search for "best anime series" and you will probably see Code Geass (and its sequel, R2) listed. After finally watching it, I have to say that the hype is warranted: simply put, Code Geass is one of the best series around. It wastes absolutely no time getting you hooked, and is one of only 2 or 3 series that I've seen which doesn't have a single dull episode. As the story centers around the Japanese resistance to Britannia, much of the show is filled with fantastic mecha fights, but even when there isn't fighting the characters are so entertaining and interesting and the plot so well developed that I was never bored. More than just a mecha anime with a nice story, Geass focuses on the symbolic battle between Suzaku and Lelouch over the moral and efficient way to deal with the rule of the Britannian Empire and the resulting subjugation of the Japanese people; this culminates in an intense ending that will have you rushing to watch R2.

Geass' animation is bright, beautiful, and features superb character design. Fights are fast-paced and never repetitive, and a heavy focus on Lelouch's use of tactics makes them superior to those in your typical mecha series. The OST is very nice, creating suspense and capturing the mood of nobility life perfectly: of note are "Cold Nobility," "Occupied Thinking," and "Nobless Oblige." While both voice casts are exceptional, the English cast really shines with an all-star group including Johnny Bosch (Ichigo in Bleach, Kiba in Wolf's Rain), Yuri Lowenthal (Sasuke in Naruto, Kuma in Afro Samurai), and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (The Major in GitS, Lady Jagura in Wolf's Rain, Julia in Cowboy Bebop). All of this comes together to make Geass a wonderfully addictive, well-presented anime that must be seen.

Animation: 9.2/10
Audio: 9.2/10
Storyline: 9.5/10
Overall Score: 9.4/10 (Masterpiece)

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