Written by: Kevin Berge
I will say this is absolutely one of the most stylish shows I've ever seen, anime or not. (Image Courtesy of: supanova.com)
There may not be a bigger name in anime that I had never seen than Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. This popular and largely acclaimed series was one of the biggest shows to go entirely under my radar. I had heard the name Code Geass, but I hardly even knew what it was about.
I can thank Netflix for finally acquiring the series recently so that I no longer had a choice but to watch the series. It wasn't as if I was avoiding this science fiction epic. It was quite close to the top of my list. I just needed a push to watch it.
I can say ahead of time that I'm glad I did though, for a show with so much hype behind it, I don't know that anything could have lived up to my expectations.
I can thank Netflix for finally acquiring the series recently so that I no longer had a choice but to watch the series. It wasn't as if I was avoiding this science fiction epic. It was quite close to the top of my list. I just needed a push to watch it.
I can say ahead of time that I'm glad I did though, for a show with so much hype behind it, I don't know that anything could have lived up to my expectations.
Basic Story Set-Up
In a reality where The British Empire has taken over Japan, Lelouch Vi Britannia is an exiled prince of Britannia, who has been written off as dead. Dominated by his anger at his father The Emperor who he blames for his mother's death and the crippling of his sister Nunnally, Lelouch quietly plots his revenge.
Stuck in the middle of a war zone as Britain fights a group of rebels, Lelouch runs into a powerful woman named simply C.C. who offers him the power known as Geass to survive and finally achieve his master plan.
Taking on the persona of Zero, he begins a crusade that will take over all of Japan as he tries to destroy his family and the power that controls Britannia. Along the way, he must contend with his long-separated best friend Suzaku Kururugi in a fight for the soul of Japan.
Stuck in the middle of a war zone as Britain fights a group of rebels, Lelouch runs into a powerful woman named simply C.C. who offers him the power known as Geass to survive and finally achieve his master plan.
Taking on the persona of Zero, he begins a crusade that will take over all of Japan as he tries to destroy his family and the power that controls Britannia. Along the way, he must contend with his long-separated best friend Suzaku Kururugi in a fight for the soul of Japan.
I want that Zero jacket but not some cheap Halloween costume. I want it in all its completely unreasonable large vibrant splendor. (Image Courtesy of: netflix.com)
Story Arc Analysis
***This is the one section of the review that expects the reader to have seen the entire anime already, and it will contain heavy spoilers. If you have not seen the show yet, skip to the Impact and Art Style section.***
Birth of Zero (Episodes 1-12): Revenge is a simple and powerful hook for a story, and Lelouch Vi Britannia is a quality protagonist to carry that anger. He is an intelligent and calculating lead who is surprisingly well written, always seeming to think far ahead of everyone else in the story.
What makes him most interesting in these early chapters though is that he cannot control everything. Often it's the most sudden of shifts that Lelouch cannot predict as well as his inability to always completely convince others to follow him even with his power to convince anyone to do what he wants, once.
His growth alongside the rebellious Black Knights is an effective opening act while also opening up mysteries to be explored. Not all characters are created equal. Suzaku Kururugi, C.C., Kallen Kouzuki are allowed to be complex and fascinating, but Nunnally Lamperouge, Shirley Fenette, and Kaname Ohgi are far too limited for their roles.
This show has so many characters that are developed to be recognizable, but, for a largely smart show, it does not quite take the steps necessary to let most of these faces develop, which is clear in the first act.
The Battle for Japan (Episodes 13-25): The full introduction of the Knightmares leads to a fantastic sequence of battles in this second act of the first season of the show. Moreover, the full view of Lelouch's game plan and the enemies he primarily faces make for the best section of this anime.
It also leans into the mystical mysteries behind the show without diving fully in. Multiple characters with Geass are introduced, making it clear that C.C. is not a singular act. It is particularly effective watching everything unravel as Lelouch's need to make the world better for Nunnally clashes with her own desires.
The fall and death of Euphemia is the anime's cruelest twist, a showing of how dangerous Geass can be as well as forcing Lelouch to make a mistake that he ultimately has to own up to as it serves his plan well. It also fully sets Lelouch and Suzaku at odds right to the cliffhanger ending.
Sacrifice and Tragedy (Episodes 26-43): After so much fascinating and complex build up, Code Geass falls on its face in a hard, unnecessary reset. While it is not all bad, this section of the anime is the sloppiest. Lelouch loses, and his punishment is to get thrown back into the same routine to become Zero again.
This section tries to add weight with hasty and often frustrating deaths. Even when they are well built particularly with Shirley, they never feel earned. This section is just bloated with too much drama for the sake of drama that doesn't leave much that is satisfying to enjoy in the home stretch.
It is commendable though how far it goes to not a typical story. The chaos, the death, the often wild shifts all serve a purpose far removed the typical focus of anime. There's no happy endings. Everyone suffers. It seems that the world is on a course of self-destruction.
The Answers (Episodes 44-50): In the final act of Code Geass, the weird takes over. In particular, the full reveal that Lelouch's mother never died but saved herself with Geass so that she and The Emperor could complete Ragnarok and stop time was an odd way to complete that arc.
In one way, it works as it allows the younger generation to cast aside the sins and visions of their parents and take their own stab at saving the world. On the other, it feels a bit ill-conceived to make so much of this story about a set of characters who ultimately are just cast aside.
What truly works in these final moments is Lelouch's full plan coming to fruition. The master of manipulation and strategy defeats everyone and becomes the one symbol of power all so that he can die by the hand of his other half, Zero, now Suzuku who must kill Lelouch only now that he can see his full vision.
It's a tragic and elegant end, one of the most impactful TV endings I've ever seen. It's simplistic to a fault to think that this will somehow right all that is wrong with the world and end war, but the message is poignant especially the sacrifice. He made himself the great hero and villain of his own story and gave his life to complete that story.
Birth of Zero (Episodes 1-12): Revenge is a simple and powerful hook for a story, and Lelouch Vi Britannia is a quality protagonist to carry that anger. He is an intelligent and calculating lead who is surprisingly well written, always seeming to think far ahead of everyone else in the story.
What makes him most interesting in these early chapters though is that he cannot control everything. Often it's the most sudden of shifts that Lelouch cannot predict as well as his inability to always completely convince others to follow him even with his power to convince anyone to do what he wants, once.
His growth alongside the rebellious Black Knights is an effective opening act while also opening up mysteries to be explored. Not all characters are created equal. Suzaku Kururugi, C.C., Kallen Kouzuki are allowed to be complex and fascinating, but Nunnally Lamperouge, Shirley Fenette, and Kaname Ohgi are far too limited for their roles.
This show has so many characters that are developed to be recognizable, but, for a largely smart show, it does not quite take the steps necessary to let most of these faces develop, which is clear in the first act.
The Battle for Japan (Episodes 13-25): The full introduction of the Knightmares leads to a fantastic sequence of battles in this second act of the first season of the show. Moreover, the full view of Lelouch's game plan and the enemies he primarily faces make for the best section of this anime.
It also leans into the mystical mysteries behind the show without diving fully in. Multiple characters with Geass are introduced, making it clear that C.C. is not a singular act. It is particularly effective watching everything unravel as Lelouch's need to make the world better for Nunnally clashes with her own desires.
The fall and death of Euphemia is the anime's cruelest twist, a showing of how dangerous Geass can be as well as forcing Lelouch to make a mistake that he ultimately has to own up to as it serves his plan well. It also fully sets Lelouch and Suzaku at odds right to the cliffhanger ending.
Sacrifice and Tragedy (Episodes 26-43): After so much fascinating and complex build up, Code Geass falls on its face in a hard, unnecessary reset. While it is not all bad, this section of the anime is the sloppiest. Lelouch loses, and his punishment is to get thrown back into the same routine to become Zero again.
This section tries to add weight with hasty and often frustrating deaths. Even when they are well built particularly with Shirley, they never feel earned. This section is just bloated with too much drama for the sake of drama that doesn't leave much that is satisfying to enjoy in the home stretch.
It is commendable though how far it goes to not a typical story. The chaos, the death, the often wild shifts all serve a purpose far removed the typical focus of anime. There's no happy endings. Everyone suffers. It seems that the world is on a course of self-destruction.
The Answers (Episodes 44-50): In the final act of Code Geass, the weird takes over. In particular, the full reveal that Lelouch's mother never died but saved herself with Geass so that she and The Emperor could complete Ragnarok and stop time was an odd way to complete that arc.
In one way, it works as it allows the younger generation to cast aside the sins and visions of their parents and take their own stab at saving the world. On the other, it feels a bit ill-conceived to make so much of this story about a set of characters who ultimately are just cast aside.
What truly works in these final moments is Lelouch's full plan coming to fruition. The master of manipulation and strategy defeats everyone and becomes the one symbol of power all so that he can die by the hand of his other half, Zero, now Suzuku who must kill Lelouch only now that he can see his full vision.
It's a tragic and elegant end, one of the most impactful TV endings I've ever seen. It's simplistic to a fault to think that this will somehow right all that is wrong with the world and end war, but the message is poignant especially the sacrifice. He made himself the great hero and villain of his own story and gave his life to complete that story.
In the future, headsets are apparently really uncomfortably attached to people's faces. (Image Courtesy of: fanpop.com)
Impact and Art Style
Code Geass has a message clear and distinct, and it does a good job giving it weight. This is the tale of the fight for freedom and how people and societies see their role in the world. This is particularly clear in the relationship between Lelouch and Suzaku.
These two are not clear enemies because they ultimately have the same goal. They both want to create a better world. However, they hate each other because they come to conflict in the question of whether the ends justify the means.
Lelouch may be the protagonist, but he is often the antagonist in this tale. He pushes conflict. He manipulates people to kill and die so that he can get to his goal. Suzaku proudly stands alongside a government that ridicules and belittles him, but his empathy and skill allow him to rise through the ranks.
Neither is clearly right or wrong. In fact, it is their difference that allows them to succeed. Ultimately, they compete until they can come to an accord on a world that no one else sees, an empathetic world outside the rigid senses of power that guide it. While the show doesn't have perfect answers, the questions it poses are important to ponder.
The art style of Code Geass on the surface is animated in similar fashion to most anime, but it's impressive how much varied there is to the character designs. With a cast that is often sprawling, everyone had their own unique feel.
This also goes for the action with the Knightmares. It is easy to quickly and clearly establish who is piloting what machine and their role in the story. There's a lot of material to just enjoy watching and never get lost in.
These two are not clear enemies because they ultimately have the same goal. They both want to create a better world. However, they hate each other because they come to conflict in the question of whether the ends justify the means.
Lelouch may be the protagonist, but he is often the antagonist in this tale. He pushes conflict. He manipulates people to kill and die so that he can get to his goal. Suzaku proudly stands alongside a government that ridicules and belittles him, but his empathy and skill allow him to rise through the ranks.
Neither is clearly right or wrong. In fact, it is their difference that allows them to succeed. Ultimately, they compete until they can come to an accord on a world that no one else sees, an empathetic world outside the rigid senses of power that guide it. While the show doesn't have perfect answers, the questions it poses are important to ponder.
The art style of Code Geass on the surface is animated in similar fashion to most anime, but it's impressive how much varied there is to the character designs. With a cast that is often sprawling, everyone had their own unique feel.
This also goes for the action with the Knightmares. It is easy to quickly and clearly establish who is piloting what machine and their role in the story. There's a lot of material to just enjoy watching and never get lost in.
Sub vs. Dub
The English dub of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion is far from perfect. Several of the actors feel miscast, but the key stars are certainly well cast. In particular, Johnny Yong Bosch as Lelouch, Yuri Lowenthal as Suzaku Kururugi, and Kate Higgins as C.C. are excellent in arguably the best roles of their careers.
While it would be great if there was more consistency in the rest of the cast, it is still worth the journey to hear the main trio at their best, and it's a rare moment where it often makes sense for the characters to be speaking English not Japanese.
Recommendation: Dub
While it would be great if there was more consistency in the rest of the cast, it is still worth the journey to hear the main trio at their best, and it's a rare moment where it often makes sense for the characters to be speaking English not Japanese.
Recommendation: Dub
I'm not saying that Code Geass sets up unreasonable romances in its narrative, but C.C. being established as the third option in Lelouch's web of romances is questionable. (Image Courtesy of: youtube.com)
Conclusion
Code Geass almost comes off as pretentious. Led by its led super-intelligent lead, it would be easy to assume that the show thinks its smarter than its audience. I would argue though that the show holds back just enough to be simply enjoyable in its sloppier moments.
With an absolutely perfect direction, the show could have been a masterful depiction of war and power and the need to break the cycle, but Code Geass was never going to be able to dive that deep. By just pulling back, it is impactful and nuanced while just being a lot of fun.
The real reason to invest in this story is to see Lelouch's plan unfold. His high and low moments keep the show interesting. He's one of the most well rounded characters in anime, and the ultimate arc he undergoes is truly spectacular with an ending everyone should see.
I would not seek to argue it is a show for everyone. Its second season is far inferior for large stretches to the first, and the first has its own own problems. The action is good, but it has been done better.
However, more than anything, Code Geass reminded me of what allows anime to set itself apart from other mediums. This futuristic dystopia became fully realized over the course of the show, and I grew attached to these varied characters. I hated to have to step away from any of them by the end.
With an absolutely perfect direction, the show could have been a masterful depiction of war and power and the need to break the cycle, but Code Geass was never going to be able to dive that deep. By just pulling back, it is impactful and nuanced while just being a lot of fun.
The real reason to invest in this story is to see Lelouch's plan unfold. His high and low moments keep the show interesting. He's one of the most well rounded characters in anime, and the ultimate arc he undergoes is truly spectacular with an ending everyone should see.
I would not seek to argue it is a show for everyone. Its second season is far inferior for large stretches to the first, and the first has its own own problems. The action is good, but it has been done better.
However, more than anything, Code Geass reminded me of what allows anime to set itself apart from other mediums. This futuristic dystopia became fully realized over the course of the show, and I grew attached to these varied characters. I hated to have to step away from any of them by the end.