Review of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

**THIS REVIEW WILL SOLELY CONSIST OF MATERIAL FROM SEASON ONE** Code Geass, is the “masterpiece” deemed by many for its stunning visuals and fights, amazing and compelling characters, and enticing storytelling. However, after my second watch of the show, I can affirm that all of that said is complete nonsense. Code Geass strikes a nerve within me, as while it is not a bad show by any means, it could have been dealt with way better. This is not a real professional review; I believe feelings play a huge part in rating and analyzing art mediums, but I will try to be objective and balanced. Ihave a lot to say about this show, but I will attempt to keep it to a minimum.

For a short synopsis: It begins with a boy named Lelouch Lamperouge, a student at a high school in occupied Japan, which is now renamed “Area 11” after falling to the hands of the Holy Britannian Empire. Lelouch caught amid a terrorist attack, is granted a power called Geass from the “weapon” the terrorists were trying to steal. Geass allows its users to make any person obey any command, no matter what. Using this newfound power, he aims to destroy the tyrannical empire.

First, I must address the issues surrounding the story. If you’re looking for a deep, well-written story, this is not the place to find it. Code Geass is littered with plot holes everywhere you look that unfortunately makes you sigh in disappointment. For instance, I was puzzled at the world building, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. “Britannia” does not control the British Isles at all, and is mainly composed of the entirety of the American continent. In that case, why not call it America or a name that makes more sense? There is a British monarch semblance in the show, but this is just a minor issue. There was an episode where Suzaku ran on a damn wall to knock down a machine turret. Or where a guy survives a whole firing squad and comes back the next episode. The worst thing is that most of these plot holes are attempted to be covered up with bullshit reasons that were obviously made on the spot by the authors to justify it. The point I am trying to make is that these are scattered throughout the story, which devalues your experience.

Code Geass also contains an excessive amount of plot devices. It is as if the authors didn’t know how to make a decent story and so decided to bring in new characters for the hell of it. Also, things happen way too much without explanation just for shock value and in an attempt to make itself more entertaining. This gets worse as the story progresses. Additionally, it couldn’t be more obvious that Lelouch was Zero. So, it is insufferable to see others question who he is. There are many more inconsistencies in the story, but I just want to highlight one. This show might contain the biggest ass pull of them that begins the climax. For spoiler reasons, I cannot tell what happened, but this Deus Ex Machina was simply laughable and made me want to cry tears of dissatisfaction.

I would like to praise Code Geass for its fun pacing and that it is extremely easy to binge-watch. Some cliffhangers will leave you rushing to the ‘next episode’ button. And that’s about it. I don’t know how it particularly does it, but behind all the story flaws, it is very enjoyable. I believe the premise of “good guy brings down unstoppable force” is just a very good cliché that I always enjoy watching. There will always be plenty of action and tension to keep the scene dramatic and thrilling. Furthermore, there is great dialogue and compelling themes. There are plenty of thought-provoking scenes that make you question the ideals or understand the better of characters. The animation and art for Code Geass are extremely impressive. This is probably, or if not, Sunrise’s best work. The animation is extremely fluid and consistent with solid backgrounds. The fight scenes were always remarkable.

Now, for the characters of Code Geass. Some characters were well-written, but most were lacking in interest. Lelouch is an amazing character and is highly regarded in the anime community. Out of all the bad writing, he and his companion C.C. have great storylines. Others like Kalleen also intrigued me, but the show failed to develop these characters. The main problem with the characters is that most are boring because they are there to only serve the plot. If that is the case and your plot is also average at best, your characters will be average at best. For instance, Suzaku is the nemesis of Lelouch, even though their ideologies are different, they shouldn’t be. Suzaku’s reason for not joining Lelouch is because it isn’t “peaceful.” Hypocritically, he is a soldier. Who kills people? Bad writing at its finest. They try to reason for this, but deep down you know it is just another bullshit reason.

Personally, in both of my experiences, I watched the dub version of this show. It was very enjoyable, and the actor who voices Lelouch does a great job at bettering his character. The rest of the characters have stereotypical dub voices, though I do very much enjoy Lloyd’s voice acting. The background music is unique, (maybe a little overboard), but enjoyable, nonetheless. The first opening, “COLORS,” is one of the most well-known in anime history, and it maddens me they didn’t keep it for long. After that, many of the openings are very forgettable and boring. For endings, nothing much to say but fine.

Finally, it is time for enjoyment. Despite all of its flaws, I did heavily enjoy the first season of Code Geass. It’s fast-paced and easy to watch, so I guess from that point the show is good. It’s highly rated and well-liked for ages for a reason. Not only that, but it has tons of rewatching values and drama to keep you on edge. It mixes genres pretty well and takes inspiration from lots of anime. (In my opinion, it gets a teensy bit dull, but that fresh take is pleasant.) In conclusion, Code Geass is an enjoyable experience but lacks depth in characters and a well-written plot to make it a truly great anime.

STORY: 5/10
ART: 9/10
SOUND: 7/10
CHARACTERS: 6/10
ENJOYMENT: 9/10
OVERALL: