Of course, I'm not gonna even try to compare it to actual classics, but based on the actual time frame this sequel was aired: 2006 - 2008.
And see how Death Note came out in 2009.
Pretty similar, right? Both animes did well on their own concepts, but only one was successful in ending the series.
Yep, unless you're high on drugs, Code Geass R2 gave me an ending that honestly stayed with me in being memorable and eerily satisfying even though it meant the end of one of my favorite shows. While Death Note....yeah, let's not talk about on what happened to Kira-chan.
So let's go down the list of everything Code Geass did that hit on my bias and to why some parts of my bias is actually well, very opinionated.
I know they said no spoilers, but how can I give a review without tackling major problems that are a part of the entire show? So, yes, spoilers.
Story: Now unless you didn't know that Geass (which is meant to be a finite power) can control God, it can! (????) This is one of the parts of the series that is rather left unexplained and is rather, left up to speculation and conspiracy theories. And also, the CODE!! What about that?? Beats me, honestly. The producers literally kill off antagonist #1 in like one to two episodes while it took longer for Lelouch to get antagonist #2 into submission. I'll get more on the characters later, but it's important to know that there's really a lot more fiction than non-fiction in this sequel, particularly because more Geass users are introduced and the general cast of characters know that Lelouch has a Geass. Does that mean the show is bad? No, not really (but I'm really biased). However, it did serve a lot of problems for people who wanted to transition from the first season as a entire Death Note potato chip drama to supernatural powers and world conquering in the second season. Then again, the biggest plot holes within this series lies in the characters, instead of the actual plot. Like think about it: who the hell in the right mind would ever think about destroying an entire empire and even imagine of conquering the entire world? That's huge dick energy and badassery!! It's such a conventional idea that we all think about, but disregard it because of how unlikely such an even would ever happen. So, while it may seem like a cliche idea to begin with, I really think that Code Geass pretty much answered what would actually happen through world domination and having one main "bad guy" take the fall for world peace. But you peeps can take it that many parts of the show were pretty bad due to several characters (more on that later).
Art: I don't really have to talk about this, right? The art was amazing. Now, users of MAL you might be against me in saying, "But the body proportions are totally off! And like, Lelouch's arms should break easily!" Well, it's freaking anime. One thing about art is that they have to give you an impression. If you can't even remember the distinctive style, then what's the whole point? It won't impact you in any way. If you really wanted to go for realistic, just ask for a live-action remake of cosplayers! That would be great, right? (Me being sarcastic here). So no. I don't really care on what others think. CLAMP always does an amazing job in stunning me with their drawing styles that every anime that has their style is always memorable.
Sound: Just like art, it's more or less hard to judge whether it's good or bad. Like, it's a hit or a miss unless the soundtrack is really horrible. But in this case, I would say that nothing bad in particular stood out. Then again, nothing great really stayed except for Madder Sky, the Britannian theme song, and the actual ending song. Those were real stabs to the chest while the other songs were rather mediocre.
Character: Hello, world... Oh where do I start...? Let's make this really clear: from greatest to least, I hated orange-hair girl, green-horny bitch, sissy adoptive brother, and Mrs. Traitor. Let's start with Shirley. What the hell was the point to her character? I get that she's there to humanize Lelouch, but he's got his ol' buddy Rivalz to act cherry boy with. Besides, she didn't even help out the plot since Lelouch doesn't even mention her for most of the time during R2. And she dies, by another pointless character. Hooray. It's even bad to the point that the recap movies decide to actually cut more of her scenes!! Ugh. Also, Nina. WTF is her problem? Yes, she's smart. Probably (weirdly enough) the smartest character in the whole main cast of R2, at least in creating bombs as deadly as nuclear bombs. But she was usually crazy, dumb, and overall infuriating to watch. Like I wished she would make up her damn mind or have Lelouch kill the bitch since she actually is the worst offender of the entire war. Then there's Rolo and Viletta. While I think Viletta's happy ending as a mother is quite nice, she barely gets enough screentime with her hubby to actually show that she won't betray her country. Only problem with that. As for Rolo...he kinda felt like a Shirley. Thankfully, he was more useful than she was, but...his reasons to hold onto his onii-san is super flimsy. "Yay, I got a girly locket for my birthday. It looks like my Onii-san loves me." Err...no. I would have been fine if Lelouch actually blackmail the dude or had some way of manipulating him besides giving the excuse of "I need you"/"You're the only one I have". Maybe the producers wanted Rolo to signify Lelouch's insensitive mind towards others! Yeah, no. If Rolo was scripted to be a cold-hearted soldier of Britannia like he was supposed to, R2 would have ended at episode 3.
Enjoyment: Despite of everything I said (except for the fact that I have a bias for Code Geass), I loved Code Geass! Since some of the characters I mention died, I had not problems in watching everything through. And man, it was a ride! As I mentioned before, never have I ever really see any anime trying to be this ballsy in making a decent anti-hero like Lelouch. There were moments of struggle for him, but seeing him overcome the challenges in front of him (with supernatural powers or not), was thrilling and even suspenseful. Quotes were memorable because of the great voice acting, and scenes (oof, the ending!!!!) were outstanding.
Overall: I won't say that Code Geass R2 was particularly a masterpiece as a show. It was a masterpiece of convention, but not as an anime. (Hope you know the difference). Just take this anime, at least excluding several characters' annoying personalities, as a cup of tea. I don't really wanna put it up there and hype things up just to let you down. Watch it at your own expense. And maybe, or hopefully, you might agree with several things I wrote in this review.
