My favorite animes include Gintama and the Full Metal Panic series (all 3 seasons), so you have an idea of the type of things I like-- action, comedy, etc. In fact, because I loved the FMPs so much, I thought for sure I'd like Code Geass since they both are a mix of big genres like mecha, school, drama, war, etc. Due to their similarity, I'm going to do my review on CG in comparison to FMP.
Story-- I do like that CG involved strategery and mind games, but the whole Britannia world domination thing seemed quite propaganda-ish. Also, while there were good plot twists here and there, the over arching conflict seemed really lame and mostly just a manifestation of teenage angst. I also felt like it took itself too seriously at times and was overly dramatic... and did not do a good job of comic relief. FMP also dealt with war and was dark at points, but the comic relief was executed perfectly.
Art-- The mecha designs were pretty flashy and the animation quality was great. I'm not a fan of the anorexic CLAMP character design, but that's a personal preference rather than a flaw of production.
Sound-- The theme songs were average anime music. The sound effects were pretty good. Even though the tone and attitude of his voice was appropriate, I didn't think the maturity of the (Japanese) voice actor matched Lelouch's young 17 year old character.
Character-- This was my biggest problem with this show... the characters whom I could care less about. FMP drastically outshined CG in character quality and development. Lelouch just needs to take some anger management classes; I have to say, though, that his egotism is so extreme that it is almost funny. Suzaku just needs to see a shrink about his father issues. Angst, angst, angst. No real depth, no real relationships. None of the romantic connections are believable nor do I sense any ounce of true chemistry. Most of the girls just seem to be there for fan service or to fill a token plot role. While characters like Chidori and Sousuke from FMP feel so alive, three dimensional and multi-faceted, all of the characters in CG feel flat and dull like props. It's hard to like a show when I don't feel moved by the characters.
Enjoyment-- Obviously I didn't enjoy Code Geass from the characters, relationships or story point-of-view, but I did enjoy the flashy mecha fights and strategery.
Conclusion: Given that so many people love this show, I would still recommend that you watch it and try it out for yourself. But know that you aren't alone if you don't think this is as much of a masterpiece as everyone declares ;).
