Review of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
"Naruto fillers end!", "A new Bleach movie", "New Manga from <Famous Mangaka Here>!"; These are news that get our eyes immediately, but Code Geass, at least on my country, was only for the "real otakus¹". This anime, directed by Sunrise's Goro Taniguchi (Gun X Sword, One Piece: Taose! Kaizoku Ganzak, s-CRY-ed) and written by Ichiro Okouchi, present an excellent source of entertainment and. Story Like much Mecha animes, Code Geass presents an alternate universe/reality ruled by the Holy Britannian Empire, the world's largest superpower. On August 10th, 2010 a.t.b, the Empire overcome the Japanese militar power by the use of the new belic-weapon, the Knightmare Frames. Japan is renamedto Area 11, and it's citizen are designated as "elevens", with their rights stripped away. It's when the story of Code Geass starts.
Lelouch vi Britannia, eleventh prince of the Empire, upset with his mother's death, rebel against his father and is sent to Area 11 under the name "Lelouch Lamperouge", and has the ambition to obtain revenge on his father and crush the Empire by any means necessary. The story builds to the climax through some arcs, but the viewer isn't overwhelmed with information or bored with lak of plot. While the story goes on, some questions are answered but new ones appear, this mistery is what hook your atention to Code Geass.
• Pros: Nice action, moral oriented story. Long mistery–the viewer always want to discover and see more. A few "light" (a.k.a. Fanservice) episodes placed very well.
• Bads: A few scenes may turn people off–some parts may seem excessively strange (read: Nina and the Table). Anyway, this is not only for mecha fans, but other anime fans too, you can watch it for either the great story or the awesome battles.
Battles
Code Geass has some of the best battle scenes I've ever seen. There's actually an technical team to give instructions, build/rebuild the Knightmares, battle strategies, ace pilots face off, real battlefield, and others. Code Geass is new twist on "main-character-sudden-overpower-and-destroy-anyone" with intense battles, you don't know for sure they will win. And there's no way to determine by "good always win" because you don't know who is "good" and who is "bad", thats other nice point of Geass. The battlefield throw them against each other and one has to lose, even if we like the characters on both sides. Combining this to the unique Knightmare Frames and powers from both the Rebels and the Empire, you get an awesome mecha series with very flexible battle scenes. The complexity of strategies and chaos of the battlefield gives you the impression that you are watching a real war right before your eyes.
Animation
I'm a CLAMP Fan, but I have to say: the characters look great, Knightmares are beautiful, everything looks amazing. But the style may put people who are not used to it down, since the characters are very tall and thin (like the ones from xXxHoLic and other CLAMP characters) and the mass-production Knightmares are usually unimpressive and ordinary.
Sound
I liked the sound effects a lot, they get along with the animation, what turned me off a bit were the Opening themes, in my opinion, the Openings are meant to make you excited to the anime (I usually watch some anime openings before buying or downloading it) and need good songs. Flow's song 'COLORS' it's nice, like the first opening, but Jinn's 'Kaidoku Funou' is much better when you hear the full-version (and the opening is basically the first with some new scenes). I still don't get the point of the last opening, made for a very very few episodes, and it's a bit strange, like if they were in a rush to do it.
Code Geass is a mecha that appeal to more than action and mech fans. It is very well projected, for exemple: characters are victims of their own (and others') actions and actually feel it and regret their past actions, but can't change them, something usually slip from the writer's hands on other animes/mangas.