Story: Lelouch, the main character, is granted magical powers by a mysterious girl and he uses these powers to defeat an oppressing government. Saying that much already spoiled the first two episodes so instead of talking about the plot, let’s talk about what the plot does well. This series is immensely plot-driven; that is, everything happens because of the plot, because the plot demands for it to happen. The series has this "man vs fate" (and, at points, "fate vs man") undertone that drives the characters, though that is not to say that it is the main theme of the plot. I'd call it more of a motif. The plot delves ambitiously at just about all of the archetypical conflicts: the previously mentioned man vs society: Lelouch (and quite a few others) vs Britannia, man vs self-being Lelouch vs his principles as well as Suzaku vs his, man vs man being Lelouch vs just about everyone but more importantly Suzaku vs Kallen, and naturally, the most archetypical of them all, mech vs mech. There’s plenty of mech vs mech. There are so many plots for so many characters all running simultaneously almost as in concert with one another, never turning into knots nor logically conflicting with one another. It’s truly a masterful spectacle of storytelling.
Art: It is what it is. You got the big heads, big eyes, long bodies, huge boobies, though it does lack the mandatory antennas. There are mechs and pretty fights, and particularly good directing. Let's not pretend too much that I know about this topic. It's pretty, ok?
Sound: It is what it needs to be when it needs to be so. The voice acting is spectacular, I haven't seen the dub but I've heard good things about it.
Characters: Lelouch is in mine and everyone's favorites. He's sitting at number one most favorited on this site at the time of this writing. I'd describe him as grandiose in character, yet humble in intents. The characters are all generally well written, each with their specific appearances and goals. The characters are mostly all round and dynamic, for better or for worse. I personally developed an exceptional fondness for a few characters: Shirley, Euphemia, and C. C.
Enjoyment: The sheer genius of the plot was enough to draw me in. Add on top of that over the top mech battles and characters like Lelouch and Shirley, and you have me binge-watching this every time.
Overall: This anime gets an 8 from me. It's not without its flaws, but it's still one of the best series I've ever watched.
