Code Geass

I’ve finally finished this anime series. It’s still one of my top three but I’m not sure if it is clearly the best. It somehow competes with both Witch Hunter Robin and Wolf’s Rain at the same time. And considering that both of these two have competed with each other for my number one with Robin always being one tiny step better than Wolf’s it’s too hard to decide on the first run.

So, well… a review like introduction maybe? Code Geass – Lelouch of the Rebellion is a series made by Sunrise, one of the greatest animation studios in Japan that makes Anime. They also created Witch Hunter Robin the Gundam series and Cowboy Bebop, which are considered one of the best series in modern animation history. They are also the biggest studio in Japan and have during their time contributed dozens of popular titles to the anime world.

On August 10, 2010, a.t.b. (the Imperial calendar, roughly 2060 A.D.), the Holy Empire of Britannia overpowered Japanese forces and conquered the country with their new robotic weapons, the Knightmare Frames, in less than a month. In the aftermath of Britannia’s invasion, Japan lost its freedom, its rights, and even its name, becoming Area 11 of the Britannian Empire. The Japanese people, renamed as “Elevens”, are forced to survive in poor neighbourhoods, while Britannians live in first-class settlements. Rebel elements persist, however, as pockets of Japanese organizations struggle against the Empire for the independence of Japan.

After his father, the Emperor of Britannia, failed to prevent the assassination of his mother, an attack which also left his sister blind and crippled, the young prince Lelouch vowed to destroy Britannia. Seven years later, he accidentally becomes mixed up with “terrorists” in Area 11 and encounters a mysterious girl named C.C., who gives him the power of Geass. With it, he finally has the power that he needs to defeat Britannia and fulfil his two wishes: to seek revenge for his mother and to construct a world in which his beloved sister Nunnally can live happily ever after.

– Wikipedia

So this is the initial set of the series which is kind of so so, because of the fact that it’s been used so many times in so many different ways in so many series. But sometimes basic concepts aren’t bad at all you just need to make it into something with another touch and feeling even though the base is the same as everything else.

The series beginning isn’t too spectacular actually. Lelouch seems to be an Yagami Light kind of guy in the beginning. Extremely smart and foreseeing but crude in a dangerously efficient way. He lives a double life and quickly his newfound power grows him to the head and he decides to take it to a greater level in an uprising of an rebellion that he tries to make into heroes.

The series have a lot of emotion in it, which Death Note didn’t have. Yagami Light was just this evil guy that wanted to be a god and do good, in his own way (which I must say I agree upon).

The emotion and the varieties characters make it really interesting even though the school-concept IS growing a little old. I mean, school is the centre of too many series nowadays in anime. It’s almost a basic starting-point for almost every series. Then it’s the twists and political structures and movement of the world. The twists in the story are really good and unpredictable in some cases that make you shiver and gasp in horror and fear. The politics and all the characters it contains actually makes one feel that this world is living and not as stale as most worlds would seem. Like many of the Gundam Series that have all too few faces in the political structure that you get to know. Most of the political people are the military or just a new Relena Peacecraft or Lacus Clyne (or in Code Geas, Euphemia).

I’ve learned much from this series and it is a great series that have a lot of interesting perspectives that one appreciates. Emotion, realism and intrigue and suspense. I would recommend it for everyone and even though the humour episodes are too frequent and too many this series will finally be at least among my top five.

Best regards,
Herid Fel