Review of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Take the Death Note concept and execute it a bit less well, take the high school comedy genre and execute it as well as the genre really allows (that is to say, clichéd beyond saving), make the critical addition of hot mecha action, and you have Code Geass. Except that doesn’t do it justice, because what makes Code Geass enjoyable and unique is exactly this awkward smorgasbord. Geass is a shounen that mostly doesn’t take itself seriously, accomplishing a satisfying balance between the darker political mindgames and the light-hearted school life. That is all the producers set out to accomplish in season 1 (of 2)and to this regard they have succeeded heroically.

While Code Geass is only the starting block for the larger scale events of Code Geass R2, it certainly does not hold back, delivering from the get go the twists and turns that a political drama demands. It appears at first to be nothing more than a classic mecha/highschool anime with a few ideas of its own thrown in, but I found myself engrossed when, at times, it twisted the light-hearted and over the top theme of the show completely on its head. When it needs to, Geass delivers a genuinely intriguing and shocking battle of wits between our anti-hero Zero, the secret identity of Lelouch, and the might of the British Empire. Yes you read that right by the way, the British Empire has taken over Japan in Code Geass, which is impossible and awesome in equal measures.

There is a very important feature to Code Geass that stands out: That of Lelouch’s power, Geass, which guarantees him absolute obedience of anyone he should wish to use it on. The exact nature of this power though is kept purposefully vague in the first season, playing a more significant part in R2. This has its benefit and disadvantages in my mind, but suffice to say that the context surrounding this Geass power is certainly not forgotten in season 1, and is addressed sufficiently well enough for the audience to appreciate its strengths and weaknesses.

The first and last few minutes of each episode are where Geass stumbles the most. Colors is one of the best ops ever, plain fact. It is truly unfortunate then that one of anime’s best ops stands next to the gold award winner for one the worst op I have subjected my ears to. Further to this, the second op makes the unfortunate compromise of reusing a significant portion of clips from the first op video. I recommend just playing the first op over the video of the second op – you won’t be able to tell the difference, and your ears will thank you for it.

There is a general both-good-and-bad theme going on in this review, and this extends right down to the animation quality. Character models are blown vastly out of proportion, and although I got used to it, it still stuck out as a sore thumb. Otherwise though, the animation is pleasant and colourful for a 2006 anime, a stark contrast to the black and white palette of Death Note (which curiously aired the same year as Geass. That would have been a fun year to watch anime). Mecha fights are enjoyable if uninspired, but then I would never expect a mecha fight to be anything more than clichéd. The ultra-powerful Lancelot mech is the saving light to Geass’ fights, with the help of Suzaku in the Lancelot’s cockpit, who is both Lelouch’s best friend and most hated enemy, this one man army card is played as well as it could be. The contrast between Suzaku’s innate mecha ability and Lelouch’s careful planning is the heart and soul of any scene with a mech in it.

I think I sound as though I’m damning the show, but that is certainly not the message I want to be getting across. Code Geass is a fun and inventive take on the psychological mecha genre best exemplified by shows like Evangelion, although in contrast to Eva, Code Geass took the initiative to place a much larger focus on the high-school side of things, too large a focus for me. Lelouch though is a genuinely fantastic protagonist throughout, on par or superior to the likes of Yagami Light, and Code Geass does not hide the fact that its protagonist is not really the hero we expect him to be. By the end of season 1, what started as the story of a simple high school student given a strange power has become a battle for the future of a nation, with the same school boy at the centre of it all. It saddens me a bit to admit it, but it would be impossible to picture Code Geass without the light-hearted moments to counter the moments of exciting high-stakes drama.

Recommendations: Death Note. Both shows thrive of the confrontation between friends who are unknowingly each other’s enemies. Geass has Lelouch and Suzaku, and Death Note was at its best during the direct confrontations between Kira/Light and L.