Review of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
Code Geass is a fan favorite among the anime community, with many veterans claiming it to be their absolute favorite anime. So is it really that good? Plot wise this season was rather solid, especially compared to the second season. It was a nicely done story about a man raising the flag of rebellion against a evil fascist empire, and the it flows smoothly from one episode to the next. Only episode that I didn't enjoy was the cat episode. That episode was...weird. The usage of twists was done very well, and due to it being an anime original it uses it to its strength. Whatdo I mean by this? Since it doesn't need to follow a manga, the writers are able to space out and plan so that almost episode ends off with a cliffhanger. It's a very ingenious plan.
One issue I have with the plot though is how fast paced it can be. I generally prefer fast pacing than slow but in this case I think a slightly slower pacing would be beneficial. One of the main reasons why I love Death Note was how complex and yet easy to understand the strategies utilised by light and L were, but in Code Geass I had a very difficult time trying to understand wtf Lelouch was doing, till the point where I just give up and focus on the results instead of the methods. It's a rather small issue but I would have liked that better.
Lelouch is easily one of the best protagonists in the medium, being the most popular character on mal for good reason. He's everything you want from a protagonist; tragic backstory, compelling motives, a multi faceted personality, being easy to root for and yet at appropriate times being very hateable, witty and entertaining demeanor, you list it. All the checkboxes for what makes a good protagonist are ticked when it comes to Lelouch, and I won't deny that he's far and beyond what makes the series as revered even till this day.
Other characters aren't as interesting though. Personally CC only peaked in the second season. Kallen was quite interesting, and I actually really enjoyed Suzaku due to his extreme contrast with Lelouch, but I'll admit that it was Lelouch that made me really like Suzaku as a character. Other than that, I really cannot be bothered with the other characters. One of my main problems is how big the cast of Code Geass is and how much unneeded screentime was dedicated to a lot of them. Certain characters that could be interesting like Ougi were instead just often times painful and bland to watch, and subplots like the one with Nina felt rather unnecessary.
Art style takes a while to get used to, but once you do it's a nice art style that I can get behind. Animation is well done for a 2006 anime, and sound design while not being spectacular is still not bad.
Overall, not a masterpiece, with a lot of nitpicks I had with this show, even then it's still a fantastic first season.