Review of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

This will be a review of both R1 and R2. Code Geass is an anime that is often deemed a masterpiece, but in my opinion, it is far from it. There are unfortunately a lot of plot-holes, lots of contrivances and plot conveniences, and things that are just silly. But other than that, the anime is still good. I give it a 7/10 overall. Here is why. Story: 4 The story is the biggest problem I had with the show, but it was still okay. Instead of focusing on Lelouch's internal struggles for power and trying to find his place in the world, it seems like the storywas too focused on the mech-battles. They are cool, sure, but it doesn't really leave any room for emotion. In addition, the story moves too fast for its own good. Instead of focusing on backstories and character development, characters would die and leave me thinking "Oh, that's sad I guess," instead of me being deeply moved. Here's an example. A villain is introduced at the end of an episode at the very beginning of the show, but is killed off at the beginning of the next episode for what seems to be no reason. They didn't give any character development or any time for the audience to process anything. The pacing is just too quick. Unfortunately, that's kind of what Code Geass does. There are also a lot of moments that leave you thinking "What?" but you just kind of have to roll with it. This is my main criticism of Code Geass. Also, expect to see a lot of the Pizza Hut logo and fan service).

TL;DR: They over-complicated such a simple and unique plot.

Art: 8

I don't have any complaints, really. The art style fits Lelouch quite nicely, and when Lelouch would activate his Geass it looked quite pretty.

Sound: 10

The first intro theme is one of my favorite openings in anime. The other openings weren't really good, though, unfortunately. The outros were quite nice, too. The OST itself was great. Some awesome trumpet flairs that fit Lelouch quite nicely, and some beautiful melodies. They did a great job with the soundtrack. Probably my favorite thing that I liked about the anime, especially since it fit Lelouch quite nicely.

Character: 7

Lelouch Vi Britannia is the only character that was awesome. Everything from his character design to his power, all were outstanding. Additionally, he really fits the anti-hero trope. His attitude is perfect for it. However, don't be fooled. He is no chess master. His moves are horrible, and he even allowed one of his opponents to make an ILLEGAL chess move. The writers clearly don't know much about chess at all. But, I digress. There were some other okay characters, like Mao, C.C., Suzaku, Kallen, Jeremiah, etc., but they were all overwhelmingly overshadowed by Lelouch. His disguise, Zero, was also quite the awesome addition to Lelouch. There were also some bad characters. Like Nina and Nunally. Nunally didn't really annoy me, but she wasn't really good until last arc of R2. Also, a lot of people don't like Suzaku, for some pretty good reasons. So, good characters, but there were a lot that I really didn't care about to be honest. The villains were a bit disappointing, too, and I think that Mao was really the only good one. His arc should have been longer. Had an awesome backstory, an awesome power, and gave Lelouch quite the struggle.

Enjoyment: 8

I enjoyed it quite a bit, but am disappointed that it wasn't a 10/10. I feel like the problems that I have with the show hindered my enjoyment quite a bit. I wanted to see some real psychological battles, and not just mech-battles. If they cut the futurism back a bit and made the atmosphere more melancholy with higher steaks, that would have been better. There should have been more bloodshed, and I'm talking man to man combat, and maybe some plasma guns instead of just people in powerful suits.

Overall: 7

Would I recommend Code Geass? Absolutely. Just be aware that there is quite a lot that gets left unexplained, which does hinder enjoyment quite a lot. Also if you're expecting a lot of psychological elements, then realize this probably isn't the anime you're looking for. But if you desire some cool plot twists, an AWESOME supernatural element, an AWESOME main character, with some cool fights, then this is for you. I honestly understand why this is some people's favorite anime, and why others hate it. I love it, but it could have been a LOT better. Nevertheless, I'm excited to see R3 and I hope that it's good! This is a really fun anime, but it isn't all that deep, which is something that one would expect it to be.