Review of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Code Geass is an anime that everyone comes to find out in their anime journey sooner or later. It is in the top rank 50 in Ranked and Popularity, so it's understandable, so many people go to watch it and learn about it. Though it's odd how the main two things people really talk about are the legendary ending and Lelouch as the greatest protagonist. I find that odd only because when you watch it all, there's so much in one season that I can't imagine what's in the next season. But I did watch only the first season, and is it the amazing masterpiecepeople say it is? No, not at all. At first, you think it has so much potential, and with all its hype, it can't possibly fuck up...and then it does so hard that it becomes so odd no one talks about the many flaws of this anime. Let's go on a journey to understand why Code Geass is a very flawed and horrible anime.

The greatest strength and flaw is how many ideas this series has. It brings out so much potential in a singular season that you only get excited. Because of its multiple genres, you can only imagine how many directions it can go to. The issue with all this? Many ideas either feel unsatisfying when it is concluded, abandoned by the waste side, shoved in out of nowhere, or pushed to the next season. It's really frustrating to watch to see all this potential go to waste, but let me provide examples.

Many ideas feel unsatisfying when it is concluded: Lelouch's character feels like a good example. His whole arc is essentially a man trying to do some good in the world. He is given a power that leads him down a path where every time he gets into a moral dilemma, he has to decide whether or not he must sacrifice the moral choice for the logical choice, and this leads him to become insane. Nothing wrong with this idea on the surface, right? Here's the problem with a character arc lends us. We have to understand and care for what he is sacrificing. As a better example of this arc, look at Light Yagami as he goes through the same arc expect we do care for what he sacrifices because we have grown to care for it. Each side character in Death Note is developed enough when certain moral dilemmas cross Light's path, and we also begin to sweat with him. We have seen this character attachment to Light, and we deeply understand it, so when Light makes the logical choice, we are affected as a viewer, and seeing his fall to madness is heartbreaking, whereas Lelouch isn't. There are many and many side characters that are extremely underdeveloped, and that's already a problem, but with Lelouch's arc in mind, it's mind-numbing to go through it when we don't really care for these characters. Frenette's whole character is she's in love with Lelouch, and that's all. Anything shown through her is just done for Lelouch's development, and after she loses her memories, she's just a stock character. But how she loses her memories is because of Lelouch and his plans. This is supposed to affect Lelouch somehow and same with the viewer, but I hardly couldn't care less. I mean, she's practically cardboard at this point and now trying to make us feel something isn't really doing much. Even when that moment happens, it's quickly forgotten and most moments like this happen to Lelouch. Something that is supposed to affect, doesn't until near the end where the arc nears its climax as he truly goes insane. It doesn't feel earn and is unsatisfying for what's supposed to be one of the best protagonists.

Abandoned by the waste side: There's not a lot of examples of this but there are in here such as the whole school setting. It doesn't really add much to the show and is sort of there to make sure certain plot holes don't get bought up, but the school itself brings plot holes on its own like Mao somehow got inside the school without anyone noticing and kidnap Nunnally without any problems? But there's so much potential in a school setting in a story like this. Lelouch could get the school system on his side and have funding to help him on his way to taking down the empire, or they could be in the way of his plans. It's all exciting until you realize none of that happens, and the school is only there for the cat episode and the occasional fanservice (which is just annoying to be here in a story like this). There's also not to mention Cornelia and Lloyd's characters and how they're hyped up to have a bigger role, but mostly do nothing that really changes a whole lot. Disappointing to see honestly

Shoved in out of nowhere: Let's not mention the scene where Lelcouch tells Euphemia to kill all the Japanese out of nowhere as well written because it's not at all. Even if all the elements are in place to make it work are there, that doesn't mean it will work because it's so out of character for Lelcouh to even joke about that. Let alone use that as an example he can use the Geass in the first place. It's the important plot point yet it's so stupid and out of nowhere that you can't forgive. It would be different if at least it was something small that doesn't matter in the long run but that moment is very important to the whole series plot, that it ruins the story completely.

Pushed to the next season: So many ideas are set up that I assume they're there to be bought up later. The thing about that is if you have to set up so many things for later and tell the viewer to keep watching because "one day" it will come to an amazing ending is stupid. What you are watching at that very moment should be great enough that you don't have to wait to "get good." Just because it gets good at episode 10 doesn't mean it's a great show. It means it's secretly shit but you're telling yourself a lie. Near the end, tons of things are set up to be more important later on that it's kind of useless to watch the last few episodes that it's pretty much pointless to watch if you get the payoff later on.

I also forget to mention how the show is all over the place with these ideas. With all this setting up and having to conclude ideas in the same season, you run into a problem that the main plot sort of does nothing until specific moments near the end which is kind of boring when the characters are underdeveloped and the side stories have potential but are still bad. The island episode is a sad example of it because this could be a good time for the certain to be developed but also have a thematic debate, but it sort of restates its ideas and moves on. Most arcs are just there to foreshadow or set up things and not really make developments in the plot itself.

The themes of Code Geass are very fascinating and are done decently well. It's the matter of following the law or going against it to spark change in a directorship country, but the ideals of a directorship are done so well that it's sad to see it go nowhere. For the brief time that Charles zi Britannia has screentime, he's excellent at his speeches and pushes the themes well, but they are underdeveloped a bit with how it's pushed back a lot of times for the awful side stories and characters, but when it is bought, that's when Code Geass is at it's best.

Ah, sadly this anime is also a victim of bad romance as well. Joy to see! For some reason, there is romance in this show which could be an idea until you find out most of it isn't done well. The characters sort of get together without any onscreen development like Villetta and Kaname romance is sort of developed but because both of them side characters that aren't well written, so is their romance that we only get glimpses of but even then, that's really isn't a good romance isn't? Any other romance in the anime is just a character loving another one but no development happens, and it's just there as that whole characters' personality.

After explaining why the writing is bad, there must be other good qualities of Code Geass, right? Sort of. The animation is decent enough even if the characters look a bit overdesign and very sexualized. I mean, the animation can't be that amazing because it must be difficult enough animating most of the characters with how much detail there is. The music is pretty good actually and it made some of the stupid scenes bearable with that good soundtrack it has. Not the best one out there, but pretty good still. and the same with the voice acting.

That leaves us with a 3/10 for dear old Code Geass. Maybe season 2 is great as they say but even if it is, a bad first season is still a bad season and just because you have an amazing ending doesn't make anything else disappear beforehand.