Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Title: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
Genre: Action, Mecha, Drama
Episodes: 25
Aired: October 2006 - July 2007
Studio: Sunrise
Director: Goro Taniguchi
Writer: Ichiro Okouchi
Music: Kotaro Nakagawa

Lelouch Lamperouge

Let me preface this by saying this is the fourth time I've watched Code Geass, and it never fails to impress.  I'm also well aware of the many reviews attacking the show for its alleged defects, often going out of their way to tear it apart based upon questionable criticisms instead of offering a sincere assessment on the merits.  I can only surmise that the bulk of these are the product of the counterculture phenomenon: the series is so popular and mainstream that it must suck.  Obviously I disagree, and I'll do my best to explain why.

Zero

Code Geass starts with a great, deceptively original premise.  The world is at war.  Its sole superpower, the Holy Britannian Empire, has recently conquered Japan using advanced weaponry known as the Knightmare Frame.  Lelouch, a well to do, perpetually aloof boy living in the Tokyo Settlement, escapes his otherwise dull life by beating nobles in high-stake chess games, until the day that he is caught up in a fight between the colonial government and pro-Japanese terrorists, meets a mysterious green-haired girl named C2, and is given the power of Geass (in his case, the power to order anyone to obey his command).  War, mechas, and special powers are nothing to sneer at, even if stories incorporating these elements are a dime a dozen.  Yet Code Geass stands out in its ability to infuse richness and depth into virtually every element and central character of the story.  The war isn't just about land - it's about political philosophy.  Britannia, by far the most powerful, nationalist, and aggressive of the world's political powers, is also the most morally deplorable, founded upon racial superiority, economic inequality, and the principle that the strong should devour the weak.  The European Union and Chinese Federation, by contrast, choose to grant equal rights or equal wealth to their citizens, but are consequently weak.

C2

Nor is Lelouch some random guy who gets special powers and decides to become a terrorist.  Besides being one of the best and most complex male protagonists in the last decade, he is an outcast prince of Britannia who despises its philosophy and the Emperor because both deny the worth of his crippled sister Nunnally.  Through his alter ego, Zero, he seeks to destroy the world through virtually any means so that he may rebuild it anew.  Suzaku, Lelouch's best and yet worst friend and pilot of the invincible Lancelot, isn't just some trite rule follower, either.  He is driven by his own dark past to believe that no good can come to oneself or others from an end attained by wicked means.  C2 has her own complex history and a soul tempered by an existence outside of time.  In her most candid and beautiful moment, she explains that her real name is all she remembers, and so she goes by C2 to ensure that it may only be spoken with tenderness, honesty, and affection.  A number of characters beyond the main cast are also remarkably well-developed: Kallen, who leads a double-life as a Britannian student and terrorist and fights to give meaning to her brother's death and mother's life; the deliciously ruthless Cornelia, who presents a formidable challenge to Zero's plans; the maniacal Jeremiah Gottwald, aka Orange Boy, whose devotion to the Crown causes him to lose his very humanity; and Euphemia, the sweetest, kindest, and most tragic character a mecha anime has ever seen.

Princess Cornelia

Beyond incredible, dynamic characters, Code Geass offers a superb story with perfect pacing and an endless supply of suspense and emotion.  From the first episode, when Lelouch narrowly escapes death using his newfound Geass powers by ordering the Britannian soldiers to kill themselves, I was completely hooked, and things never let up.  While the plot is initially and ultimately about the conflict between the Black Knights and the Britannian government, there are some nice subplots that enrich the main story: Suzaku's rise within the Britannian military and incessant ability to thwart Lelouch's efforts; Shirley's internal struggles; C2's past; the origins of Geass; and the Emperor's obscure plans for the world.  Underlying the story are two philosophical questions, one common albeit well executed, the other quite novel - Can revolution be justified if it requires sacrificing the lives and happiness of others (i.e., can the ends justify the means), and if so, who should bear the blame for the consequences?  The conclusion is also one of the best of any anime.  True, it's the biggest cliffhanger ever and had I been watching during the initial broadcast I would have gone into a fit of rage, but it manages to create one of the most emotional moments I've ever seen, and it ensured viewers would be back for the second season.

Suzaku and his Lancelot vs. Tohdoh

Fortunately the studio realized it had a great story and went all out on the animation, soundtrack, and voice casting to make this a top-notch production.  The character designs in particular are stunning, with facial expressions that often bring them to life (see especially Cornelia when she goes mad).  The soundtrack is essentially as good as it gets without hiring Yoko Kanno, featuring a mesh of classical tracks with an imperial flavor (e.g., Noblesse Oblige), beautiful symphonies (e.g., Boyhood), jazzy trumpet pieces (e.g., Pessimistic Time), and a couple of amazing Hitomi tracks (e.g., Stories).  The voice cast is essentially as good as it gets (no qualifier), featuring Johnny Yong Bosch (Lelouch) in probably his best performance, Kate Higgins (C2), and an exceptional fit and performance by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Cornelia).

Alright, so at this point I sound like a fanboy foaming at the mouth, which is partly accurate.  But I like to be fair, so I'll close with the few things I did not like about Code Geass.  First, and most critically, there are a few times when things line up too perfectly.  Eye contact, for instance, is occasionally an area where Lelouch takes a huge gamble and gets lucky.  Episode 22 also borders on unbelievable, but is ultimately acceptable because a foundation is established earlier on.  Second, events accelerate a bit too much in the final 3 episodes and one more episode would have been nice to spread things out.  Finally, I don't like Nina (mainly because of her voice) and I can't stand Tamaki.

Obviously those are minor criticisms that had little effect on my opinion of the show, and try as I might, I can't think of any others.  Really I'm sure I could add more reasons that I love it, but this review has gone on too long already.  Put simply, Code Geass is a masterpiece, and at least for now, it's the gold standard by which I review new anime.

Story: 9.8
Animation: 9.2
Audio: 9.4

Overall: 9.7 (Masterpiece)

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