Review of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
I'll admit I'm not a fan of any anime that uses robots to fight, but this anime doesn't revolve around simply technology and mechanisms; it includes what I love most: psychology and action with a purpose. I did not expect to like this anime nor did I expect an anime to from 2006 to have the aesthetics I typically prefer. So I dismissed it as an anime I wouldn't enjoy. Lo and behold a year later, I decided to give the anime a shot out of my lack of things to watch. I freaking love this anime so much that I'm reviewing it at only20/25 episodes at night because I feel the urge to let others know before I continue to watch another episode that this is worth your time.
A British teen boy named Lelouch is fighting against Brittania all derived from his own ideology of what justice is. However, in order for immediate change in a strict corrupt society violence is necessary. Violence may only physically harm the individual targeted, but it simultaneously psychologically injures those who witness or are indirectly affected by it. His counter part Suzaku an eleven (Japanese citizen under control of British rule) wishes for justice too, but his methods of achieving it contradict what Lelouch believes. Long story short, various events lead these characters to their own paths whether the path is the same or different.
That summary was pretty poor and did the story little justice, so please let me give you a chance to see the anime holistically without spoiling anything.
1) The characters are like-able, interesting, and appealing. Some will argue that said character is annoying/obnoxious but I found all of them to be enjoyable. I found myself empathizing with both the "enemies" and the "heroes" at certain points. I switched back and forth on which side was right, and at times I found myself hating all of the actions taken. Yet when I asked myself "What would I do?" I had no solutions or even a remote idea.
2) There's always action going on, I watched 10 straight episodes with my eyes glued to the screen...
3) Progression, the anime gets better as the episodes pass. That's one of the most important things. I like not being able to predict what will happen next, but I also dislike silly plot twists with no logic. Code Geass managed to trick me plenty of times whilst staying realistic.
4) Morals. I like those.
Addition: (Just finished season 1, season 2 will go by so quick...)
Even though the plot didn't always go the way I wanted to, no matter how strongly I wished some things didn't happen in the story. I can't bend the anime to a happy fairy tale in which everything I'd like to occur happens. That's unrealistic, this anime made me awfully happy and sad at the same time at some events, but that's what I like the most. I'm not being spoon-fed or lied, I'm given reality in each episode.