Review of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

I’ve never written a cinema critic, just talked to myself about a show. Anyway, nowadays, Code Geass isn’t a popular show, mostly because of the old character design, if compared to Death Note that has a lot of similarities with Code Geass, and the unusual story with mechas, which is one of the most hated genres, but it is, actually, a great show. Code Geass is a show about a guy, Lelouch who wants get revenge against Britannia, a dictatorship nation, which conquered the world and his country, Japan. Then, he earns a power: he can give any order to anyone and this person willobey it. It’s really cool how Lelouch uses this power and explore the maximum of it, which creates interesting psychological battles against Britannia.

I must confess that I had the “ugly old anime preconception” with Code Geass, but later, watching it I wasn’t worried about the animation and the experience was getting better and better because was everything making sense, the slow part A and the glorious part B has finally connected. That’s why everyone, including me, think the first 7 episodes are pretty slow and it takes a bit time to engage in the “real” story in the moments that you say: ‘That is what I was waiting for’. But, for me, comparing the part A with B in a same show is wrong, because “for every yin there’s a yang” (Megamind), everything is necessary, the few episodes are so important to introduce the story plot, characters, the show style… We just say the moment B is more exciting because of all the development of A.

Moreover, Code Geass brings a lot of subtext and messages through the show. One of my favorite ones, and probably the most shallow one, is that Lelouch, in the beginning, really was a kind person, with principles, wanting the well-being of his sister and friends, but during the show he becomes more and more arrogant, evil, selfish, and in the end of season 1 you’re sure that the ends justifies the means to Lelouch.