Is a rating a score of enjoyment or the rating of how few flaws a show has?
Overall Rating: 7
Enjoyment: 10
Code Geass is easy to poke holes through, much like the critically acclaimed Your Name (Kimi No Na Wa), but is still rated highly, why? The majority would rate on the experience and that is what matters in the end. In that regard, Code Geass is a masterclass in just being an insane roller coaster that you cannot take your eyes off of. It is enjoyable up to the very end, and what an ending it was. A show that sticks the landing this hard
...
is a rarity and despite some shaky parts of the show, it all comes together in the end. That's my recommendation (not like you needed it this is a MAL review) and why it is rated so highly.
The overall rating is misleading if the summation of the Code Geass's parts is the score, but for the experience alone I would say it is correct, here is why.
**potential spoilers ahead**
I keep it pretty vague but if you want the full experience of the show's twists and all, reading a review is halfway to tainting that.
Story: 6
Code Geass is the closest I have seen a show get to nailing a story where the stakes are literally the world (even if mostly focused on Japan). It takes a lot of risks and not all of them make sense, but it pays off in the end.
The main story of the show is that of revolution and making peace by any means necessary, war crimes aplenty. This story is exciting, but it would not be half as interesting or as captivating if it was not for the characters. You will find that in a lot of scenarios Lelouche kind of just gets out of freely. There are many cases of the show falling into the anime pitfall of trying to portray 5-head gigabrain mental gymnastics, but I feel like we never (or rarely) get to witness any actual logical tactics or anything, there are some but they are usually trap related. The battles and escapes always felt like cop-outs rather than 5D chess plays since they usually boiled down to "zero is just built different," and escapes off-screen. The only show I have seen really do this properly is Hunter x Hunter, but Code Geass does kind of fall into the trap of the dumb character reactions to tell you how great the decision-making is. Much like The Last of Us, the plot points themselves are great, but the mental gymnastics and leaps of logic take away a little bit of credit for me. Your mileage may vary on how much that takes away, but I love the series all the same plot-holes and all.
Characters: 7
The characters of Code Geass are amazing, but why a 7? The characters go through so much and the mental strain they endure over these 50 episodes is immense. Watching this you will feel bad for them and wish that they just got a chance to live happily ever after, but alas you are watching the wrong show. The show makes a point that actions have consequences (sort of) and you cannot undo the past.
All of the cast is pretty lovable from love interests to side characters (except Tamaki I could not stand that guy), but intelligence varies at the plot's convenience. Sometimes characters are emotionally intelligent and other times they are like zero logic all emotion. It is always a balancing act in stories to have the plot move a certain way and also have characters make reasonable decisions. Code Geass leans to have allegiances and emotional logic be at the whim of the plot rather than make sense for the character's motivations.
Music and Sound: 9
I'm gonna keep it short.
The music is top-notch and slaps. You cannot help but nod along every time the opening starts. The piano ballads towards the end are painful to listen to, but they are so beautiful at the same time.
The sound is good, but definitely one of the more dated parts of the show. If you've seen some 90's mecha you kind of know what the sounds are like and this is a slight improvement beyond that.
Art: 8
If you enjoy the look and feel of classic mecha, you will enjoy this show. Character design is unique and it grew on me after a while, but I will admit it is weird having stick characters and eyes that are like in their noses almost. The mech designs are great, but I feel like towards the end I was getting the mechs confused because they weren't super distinct. Early in the show, every mech looks the same outside of Kallen's Knightmare since it is bright red and Kururugi's Lancelot. Later in the show, most uniqueness gets lost in a sea of black paint and hard cuts between various fights. There are distinct mechs, but for the majority, I started getting a little lost at which was which. Lastly, the classic design of the ED's was a beautiful choice. They visualize the mental state of the characters in this angel and demon metaphor and it just works really well.
Final Remarks
Code Geass is a fun watch and it is impossible to take your eyes off this rollercoaster as its world crescendos into chaos and characters go from happy-go-lucky to depressed and empty. Ratings aren't everything and I really do love this show, so don't feel like anything less than a 10 means you shouldn't watch it. I rate off the entire package and I try not to rate just off my experience, if I did this would be a 10 like most reviews. I love the characters and I wish that they were in a happier story. I also love that this is one of the few stories where they finally meet its logical conclusion. Lelouch does lose his happiness for his cause and more. I would love to see another show like this come out, but they are very rare and I feel like this was the last massive series that Sunrise was able to come out with. All of their shows have a distinct feel and stories are bombastic and well-produced, but maybe Bones, Wit, Madhouse, or god-forbid Mappa can pick up more stories like this and see it through.
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Oct 24, 2021
Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch
(Anime)
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Is a rating a score of enjoyment or the rating of how few flaws a show has?
Overall Rating: 7 Enjoyment: 10 Code Geass is easy to poke holes through, much like the critically acclaimed Your Name (Kimi No Na Wa), but is still rated highly, why? The majority would rate on the experience and that is what matters in the end. In that regard, Code Geass is a masterclass in just being an insane roller coaster that you cannot take your eyes off of. It is enjoyable up to the very end, and what an ending it was. A show that sticks the landing this hard ... 
Oct 24, 2021
Is a rating a score of enjoyment or the rating of how few flaws a show has?
Overall Rating: 7 Enjoyment: 10 Code Geass is easy to poke holes through, much like the critically acclaimed Your Name (Kimi No Na Wa), but is still rated highly, why? The majority would rate on the experience and that is what matters in the end. In that regard, Code Geass is a masterclass in just being an insane roller coaster that you cannot take your eyes off of. It is enjoyable up to the very end, and what an ending it was. A show that sticks the landing this hard ... |
