These are titles that attract us to the newest animes, but Code Geass, much like our beloved Suzumiya Haruhi was (and is) a fall/winter sleeper success. This anime, backed by Sunrise, director Goro Taniguchi (s-CRY-ed, Gun X Sword) and scriptwriter Ichiro Okouchi (Azumanga, RahXephon, Eureka 7) showcases an excellent engine of entertainment.
Story
A key part of any mecha/action anime. Code Geass is set in an alternate reality in which it appears the American Revolution during the late 1700s was quelled and Britain went on to conquer the rest of the Americas. Thus, the Holy Britannian Empire became the world's largest superpower, covering 1/3 of the world. On August 10th, 2010, a.t.b, Japan is conquered by the Empire, renamed to Area 11 while her people are designated as 'elevens' and have their rights stripped. Thus begins the story of Code Geass, the tale of Lelouch Lamperouge, eleventh prince of the Empire and his ambition to obtain revenge on the Empire through whatever means necessary. Through the use of this alternate reality setting, we’re definitely given something out of the ordinary. Code Geass brings a new spice to an old genre. Code Geass hops along with an arc to arc system with a few lighthearted episodes to mix things up. The story builds with each arc (obviously) to the climax. Although the rising action allows for few breaks, the viewer is never overwhelmed with information or under whelmed by a standstill. As each arc progresses to its end, we’re given answers to previous questions yet new ones always arrive – it’s this sense of mystery that really gives Geass its draw for attention.
Pros: Intriguing political, action, dramatic and moral oriented story. The questions never stop – the viewer is always left wanting to discover and see more. Light hearted episodes here and there, placed very well (ex..The School Festival).
Cons: A few scenes may turn people off on the series – something parts may seem excessively strange (read: some to some people). Again, I’d like to reiterate that for a mecha fan, I’m assuming you’ll be watching this for either story or super awesome mecha battles – you’ll get both from this.
Characters
The main characters are all extremely well devised by the hands of the all female group, CLAMP. Besides their high aesthetic appearance, each character harbors a separate and distinctive personality essential to the story. For example, Lelouch and Suzaku, opposing main characters and best friends both suffer from a very Machiavellian, " Do the ends justify the means," syndrome. Lelouch is willing to do anything to further his goals however Suzaku remains wary of what must be done and what should be done. Code Geass shows us the characters inside the mechs; they're not clean cut: "I fight to protect someone I care about." Each character must weigh the morality of their options as influenced by their past where the correct decision may place them farther from their goals.
Pros: Large cast of balanced characters providing a wide arrange of personalities and moral conjectures. Characters are quirky and enjoyable.
Cons: Only the main characters matter; anyone else is pushed to the sidelines (i.e. their stories are never a main focus).
The Battles
Code Geass delivers during its extremely well devised battle scenes. Battles seem as if they were an entirely seperate anime; lines are drawn, ace pilots face off and the battlefield is real. Geass takes a new twist on "main-characters-destroy-grunts-then-whoever-else-battles" and puts us right in the intensity. As said above, there is a large array of characters, interesting on both the "good" side and the "bad" side (which is which is up to you). The battlefield pits them against each other in a deatch match where we know one has to lose yet we are sympathetic to characters on both sides. This sort of conflict draws out the most amazing and interesting battles you can get from a mecha series of this time. Battlefields are led by commanders (obviously) who must make judgements based on his or her opponents's tactics and information - the strategem of battles only adds to the entertainment. The complexity and chaos of a battle give the illusion that you are watching a real war happening right before your eyes.
Animation
Not much to say here; Sunrise puts money into this, characters look great, mechs look great, everything looks great. However, the art design may put some people off; characters are very tall and lanky (as expected from CLAMP) while grunt mechs are generally unimpressive. Overall though animation is on the high end of the spectrum even during low budget episodes.
Overall
Code Geass is probably one of the few mecha anime's that will appeal to more than just action fans. Battles are kept to a minimum: the main attraction consists of Japanese nationalism against foreign invaders, their actions which undoubtedly cause bloodshed in the name of peace. One of the themes I enjoyed was the balance between cause and effect. Characters were constantly victims of their and others’ actions this although a given in the real world seems to slip past many other story boards.
