Review of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

For months, people were nagging me to check out what hundreds consider the best anime ever: Code Geass, and I finally decided to give in and see what all the fuss was about. To be honest, I'm still not sure 100 percent, but I'll give my personal take regardless. To start off, I'll get the positives out of the way. Brilliant plot. Overall, the story and pacing of Lelouch and his rebellion's uprising was spread out diligently. Each factor of Lelouch's tactics and his battle plans amazed me in terms of his stealth and cunning tactics. He's truly one of the more interesting and shrewd protagonistsI've seen to date, and needless to say, that's only amplified by Johnny Yong Bosch, who does a terrific job as Lelouch. The main character, like the plot, can also be complex at times, with a near-obsession to overthrow Britania all for the sake of his family, yet it's hard at times for the viewer to decide whether it's right to sympathize with him or to object to some of his notions. That complexity makes him a perfect counter for Suzaku who's your average goody-two-shoes and serves Lelouch's enemy; the Holy Britannian Empire. Unlike Lelouch though, Suzaku makes sure that what needs to be said and done is enforced rightfully and the tension between these two comes alive and full-throttle during their battles, which leads me to the next pro.

I'm not the biggest fan of Mecha-genres, but in Code Geass, the overall battles between the Black Knights and the Britannian Empire, as repetitive as they can get, are not just interesting in their design, but are about as intense as bloodshed gets! Code Geass isn't afraid to depict the horror of combat on the battlefield and when these Knightmare Frames come face to face, it's really alluring to the view in both detail and the strategy played out by both sides.

Overall, the plot and these battles are a good majority of the series and as great as I find them, there are also my personal and minor gripes about the series that detour me from saying that Code Geass is one of the greatest animes I've seen. For one, the rest of the characters. Aside from Lelouch, Suzaki and C2, most of the other characters are bland and tedious, not to mention some of them are also quite irritating! Unlike some of my favorites like FullMetal Alchemist and Fairy Tail, many of these supporting characters don't register completely in development and by the time of the series' end, a lot of them are quite forgettable.

The fanservice. And this is a biggie for me. Unless fanservice serves some kind of point to the scene (however small it usually is), it's only mere and annoying breast and panty shots in the viewer's faces distracting them from the actual scene. For me, fanservice, in cases like Seto No Hanayome, works well when associated with comedy or to elicit a humorous reaction from the characters. But in Code Geass, usually whenever Kallen shows up screen, it's walking fanservice that overstays its welcome and serves no point to the scenes.

Also, as I said above and this is a nitpick, many of the Black Knights' attacks with the Knightmare Frames can grow quite repetitive; usually beginning with Lelouch organizing some intelligent scheme, and then Suzaku and the Lancelot show up and put a dent in the plan. The battles are interesting themselves, but the way they're drawn out all fall in a similar manner.

Overall, Code Geass does make it as one of my favorite animes to date, but I certainly don't think it makes it as a complete masterpiece in my opinion. I guess when it comes right down to it, Code Geass isn't exactly what I had expected, but it's an entertaining show nonetheless.