Review of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

STORY: Code Geass is a story about just/unjust war, the aftermath, peace, and pride. There is great content here with multiple levels of conflict, making the process of deciding right and wrong very difficult. The plot lines are complex, easily drawing the viewer into this fictional world. While the story is not tangibly realistic, the show is quite convincing and alluring. With Code Geass the plot material is serious and demanding. Silliness, fun times, and character development are required and acceptable as long as they remain within the established context. At times the story-telling of Code Geass steps out of its theme, and the flowof the solid story loses impetus and direction in uncharacteristic light-heartedness. The show is then thrust back to its original course which can be jarring. The negative effects of this shift result in a loss of the strong conviction by which the show is driven. Also, this series is not finished, and the end is a huge slam on the brakes. I do not consider the abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion to the 25 episode season to be detrimental, but the end will leave you craving more. Besides the occasional sharp, awkward shift in the plot dialect, the story of Code Geass is fantastic and one of the best of the 2006-2007 season.

ART: Sunrise is one the oldest and most reputable animation production companies in Japan, and they have no problems upholding their reputation with Code Geass. Although it's not the best I've ever seen, the animation is very good. At no point is the art direction bad or frown worthy. Mecha fights are convincing enough, dramatic scenes are illustrated well with emotion in mind, and filler scenes don't fall below the established visual standard. The animation is very good, but, more importantly, the animation is consistently good.

SOUND: The voice acting is okay. Some of the voice actors blew me away, especially Suzaku's. Some of the actors left me feeling a little soapy with opera, especially Leuloch's. At times important lines, ones meant to finish a powerful scene with conviction, fall short of their mark. However, the voice acting is situational. Sometimes Leuloch's voice actor convinced me to the fullest. At other times the voice actor made me roll my eyes and laugh. The sound effects are decent, and the music is good at getting the audience interested. However, the soundtrack here does not take command of the epic saga, and there are no moments where the music capitalizes on a scene. The audio aspect of Code Geass is sometimes hit or miss, and the audio is always runner-up to the other facets of the show.

CHARACTER: There are tons of characters in Code Geass, and the show does an exceptional job of trying to involve each and every one of them. Even among the farfetched fantasy of the show, the characters felt unnervingly human and real. Amongst the diverse multitude of characters, there are complex characters being developed through genuine, deep emotions. And then there are the characters who are well developed but not deep. These characters seem out of place like infants among giants. Whenever these normal characters are on screen, the show drops the ball and begins to feel out of place. The screen time was a little too divided between the true characters and the cookie cutter characters. The true characters of the show sold the story and are arguably the strongest element of the show. I just wish they received more time and focus.

ENJOYMENT: Code Geass is compelling, complex, and convicting, and the final product leaves your heart pounding with tension and suspense. While the experience is very entertaining and enjoyable, Code Geass is dark. As the characters make decisions with massive consequences, the vast amount of emotional weight of the show can easily affect the viewer. The show is fun to watch and equally difficult to watch. As previously stated in the story section, the show does not do a good job of providing light-heartedness and release from the stress. Thus, the peaceful and happy scenes feel forced and out of place at times. Still, Code Geass is entertaining and involving.

OVERALL: Code Geass is an intelligent and provocative, war-time, think piece. The production has flaws but is still great, and the final product is much greater than the show's parts.

I hope this review has been beneficial. All feedback, critiques, and comments are appreciated and well accepted through messages. Happy anime watching!