Nov 16, 2020
Code Geass is a show that I've often heard in comparison to FMAB, AOT, and Death Note- shows renowned for their spectacularly interwoven plots and fantastic premises, as well as well-handled character studies and tightly written narratives. I'd put off watching this show mostly because I'm not a huge fan of mecha anime, but Code Geass was a delightful surprise. While I don't think it reaches the quality of those three shows, it still has a compelling plot with interesting characters, and its exploration of their ideals is a very unique experience.
Story (6)- Essentially, you follow Lelouch, a descendant of the Britannian king, as he
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attempts to regain Japan from Britannia and assassinate the members of the Royal family using the power of the Geass, which allows him to command any individual to do anything he orders. This is all in order to avenge his mother's death and create a world where his little sister can live peacefully. While this idea is conceptually a good one, I think it failed in many aspects as it is essentially the means to an end to explore Lelouch and Suzaku's characters and their contrasting ideals. The mechas, while they provide for stunning battles, don't exactly have a narrative purpose, and Lelouch's reasoning for starting a rebellion makes little sense considering his end goal. There are many more sensible paths to his goal than the one he has chosen, so for him to choose this when he's consistently portrayed as extremely intelligent is a little illogical. There are also many important moments that rely on extremely unlikely coincidences, making some of the most critical moments seem like they shouldn't have happened. Despite these flaws, the show's narrative is still extremely compelling to watch and draws you in with its consistent twists and turns, making it a very engaging show.
Art (7)- The art is for the most part very standard for its time, with the only standout moments being during the fight scenes and the scenes involving a look into the Geass power. I couldn't see any outright issues with it, and the style of the animation ended up being one of my favorite things about the show. I tend not to like mecha shows, and this one surprised me by making all of the fights very engaging and not hard to watch.
Sound (9)- This is one of the few shows where the score is something that stood out to me as particularly amazing. I don't think I've seen an anime where I've absolutely loved every opening and ending song, as well as the music they used during the fight scenes. There are three openings for this show, and while the third one is only used for the last two episodes, I think the switches between the themes are perfectly handled and executed well. The cues in the background music fit perfectly, and even the general sound design and sound effects are well done.
Characters (9)- I think this is where Code Geass really stands out among others of its kind. On the one hand, we follow Lelouch, and as we see everything from his perspective, we tend to sympathize the most with him. You want to root for his character as he is a classic anti-hero. He is trying to lead a rebellion to overthrow an oppressive imperialist regime, he has compelling motives and at the start of the show, seems to have good intentions. However, as the show progresses you start to see his imperfections as a person. He has little value for human life, aside from his sister, he consistently prioritizes his own goals at the cost of his allies, he acts rashly and without consideration for the rebellion, and ultimately does not care about the freedom of Japan at all. He organizes this rebellion for his own personal goals and sees it simply as the means to an end. On the other side of this coin is Suzaku, Lelouch's childhood friend and a Japanese native made honorary Britannian. He operates on the idea that any victory made through the sacrifice of human life is a false one and that the best way to solve the issue of Japanese freedom is to work from within Britannia and find a peaceful solution. He is a typical shounen protagonist, and by viewing him through Lelouch's eyes, the flaws of his ideology are exposed as the narrative continues. The dynamic between these two is the main driving force of the show, and what I think makes it stand out. There are other characters, like Kallen and Euphemia, who are examined by the show and many more who aren't looked at in-depth but are still compelling to watch.
Enjoyment (8)- Overall, the faults of the show, while somewhat obvious, were not enough to distract from the good parts and didn't take away from it too much. There are episodes (especially the ones that take place mostly at the school) that mess with the pacing and are hard to get through, but the good parts of the show are really good and make for a fun watch.
Overall Score: 8
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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