They say that material that produce sequels get a decrease in quality after each iteration, i.e. the second is worse than the first, the third is worse than the second, and so on. Most media franchises suffer from this connotation--and sadly sometimes, the obvious truth--and their sequel gets overthrown by endless comments by patrons who think that the sequel didn't do justice to the greatness that was the original.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2, however, is an exception to this connotation (or fate, depends on your point of view). Hereby shortened to R2, the sequel to the already successful first season shows that sequels don't always have to be worse than the first; sometimes, they can be better than the original. R2 manages to take its patrons on a journey spanning ideologies, perceptions and beliefs. R2 traverses unexplored territory in human emotion--at least, with respect to the territories already explored by other animé titles. When other titles decided to stick with that single genre for their own formula to success, R2 decides to show the industry that when you blend action, romance, mystery, machine, emotion, suspense, love, and hope, you get a beautiful blend of dialogue, animation and music that defines its own league. This much accomplishments by a sequel is only possible when the original itself was already a master work.
How did a sequel manage to build atop the success that was Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion? All those things that R2 did above was already done by the first season before. Yet somehow, R2 manages to produce its own impact on its patrons, even with the fact that it was just a sequel of what was already a great story. Was it because it was the much-awaited ending to the story of the first season? Was it because the first season was so much of a success?
The answer is that R2 employs the same amount of effort the first season did in delivering one of the greatest stories ever told. However, things are different this time. Season 1 had the burden of creating a brand new story; R2 had the burden of concluding it. So, how did R2 pull it off?
The answer lies in four key areas: art, sound, character, and story. We go through each one in order.
Art: (10)
As you may well know, R2 and its prequel owes its character design to manga creators CLAMP. And, if you will look into it, CLAMP has already done wonders with its own works. (If you're curious, try Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle.) CLAMP has done a wonderful job at bringing the characters of R2 to life. They've already done great with Season 1; yet somehow, they managed to top that effort with their go at R2. Characters feel even more real than before, and emotions are even more well-read. Facial expressions never lack in detail, and gestures seem more natural. Characters never really lost that distinct trademark CLAMP look, but it's part of the impact that this series brings to its viewers.
As you may have guessed it, the other part of the character design lies in its mecha. Code Geass, after all, is also a mecha animé. And if you're thinking that they paid too much attention to the characters that the mecha lack in detail, then think again. R2's mecha designs rival those of already established mecha series (Neon Genesis Evangelion and the Gundam series), and in no way are they inferior to them. Contour lines, scratch marks, particle effects---name it, they have it. And you thought the first season already had the best mecha designs? Well, R2 managed to improve that one too.
The rest of the environment is by no means an easy job either. Landscapes, buildings--all were worked on to the finest detail needed for that epic visual experience that is R2. Heck, even the sky seems detailed.
Sound: (10)
Season 1 brings sounds that just let the viewers ride along the emotional rollercoaster ride provided by its story. (We'll get to the story part later.) It's as if even if you close your eyes, you can still understand what was going on with that scene; you can still feel the characters' emotions, the state of the environment, and so on. R2 manages to take that a notch up, bringing in even more emotion through notes fitting for an epic finalé to an epic story.
Opening and ending themes are not excluded from this auditory success. Orange Range delivers weill with an opening-ending combo for the first part of R2. For the second part, R2 amplifies the significance of it being the ending of a great story by employing the same performers for the opening and ending themes as the first part of Season 1. FLOW and Ali Project manage to give justice to their first songs for Code Geass by giving a sense of closure through providing the opening and ending themes for the last part of the series.
People (Character): (10)
Why name it "people" instead of "character?" We'll get to that in a moment. When you've got CLAMP designing your characters, you might as well give them enough background to give justice to their designs. R2 doesn't fall short of this, with old characters that will give a sense of nostalgia from the first season, but somehow also give a sense of originality--as if they appeared in the series for the first time--and new characters that will make viewers eel that they've been part of the story all along. Lelouch Lamperouge, Suzaku Kururugi, and the rest of the cast all return with roles that will dictate the flow of the story. New faces will also help steer the story and the emotions of the viewers, sending them from one emotional struggle to another.
Story: (10)
And when you've got great characters, great sound, and great art, it must be accompanied by a great story. R2, as mentioned before, paves its own league, with its own standards and unparalleled by no other animé title. Watching episode after episode feels like you've been sent through a slide that has loops, jumps, and the occasional drops that will keep your heart beating with excitement and anticipation. Viewers will find themselves sympathizing with Lelouch and his co-cast, and try to see what they see. Some can maybe relate with the cast; other will find themselves in protest of the characters' beliefs. Either way, characters have never felt this real before. R2 brings us not a cast of characters, but a cast of people--people with emotion; people with beliefs; people bounded by the stroke of the animator's hand and the words of a printed script.
R2 also presents its story uniquely; we're aware of the anti-hero image projected by Lelouch throughout the first season. He maintains it throughout the second season, with even more flair than the last time. He's still as determined as ever to make a world where his sister Nunnally can be safe and happy, and he's managed to cook up even more sophisticated plans that can put even the greatest of villains to shame.
Enjoyment: (10)
After watching the last episode of R2, I was left speechless for minutes--seriously. I was just staring at the screen, trying my best to absorb all emotions and story that the show tried to send to me. When it finally got to me, I was left with that sense of closure; I felt that a chapter of my life has finished, and I'm moving on. Somehow, I felt that I was part of the story. That's how much impact R2 possesses. All sorts of feelings got to me during the last few minutes of the episode--sympathy, awe, astonishment, among others. All those emotions that were sent to me during the past 24 episodes were finally concluded with the last parts of the final episode. It was the episode that dictated the end of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. It was certainly one of the greatest stories ever told. As I quote Animax's commercial, "some stories are better told animé-style."
Overall:
If you will notice, all my scores are a perfect 10. I feel that it is the score that R2 deserves, after taking me through all those twists and turns of emotion and event. You probably won't find yourself satisfied with watching just one episode at a time; you'll be stuck with that "what-happens-next" kind of anticipation, and just watch on.
On the contrary, I can't just find myself watching it all over again. You might find this contrary to all that I've said just now, but I know that I won't be getting that same feeling when R2 guides you around that sudden turn of events for the first time. I will find myself knowing what happens next, instead of waiting for that big event that will leave you surprised and in awe.
Overall, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion is a masterpiece atop a masterpiece. Season 1 surprises the world with a story unparalleled by no other, and R2 closes it with an ending that all viewers would recognize as a ending closer to the perfect ending than any other. After all those tight turns through story and emotion, you're left with that awed expression on your face, that satisfied feeling in your brain, and that fleeting feeling in your heart--all three combine to send you the message that you just finished watching one of the greatest stories of love, hope, and belief ever told.
