A year has passed since "The Black Rebellion" and the remaining Black Knights have vanished into the shadows, their leader and figurehead, Zero, executed by the Britannian Empire. Area 11 is once more squirming under the Emperor's oppressive heel as the Britannian armies concentrate their attacks on the European front. But for the Britannians living in Area 11, life is back to normal. On one such normal day, a Britannian student, skipping his classes in the Ashford Academy, sneaks out to gamble on his chess play. But unknown to this young man, several forces are eying him from the shadows, for soon, he will experience a shocking encounter with his own obscured past, and the masked rebel mastermind Zero will return.
I don't really like considering the two seasons of Code Geass as two separate series, but for the purpose of this site, I suppose I have to. R2 is, of course, a direct continuation of the story from Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, taking place after only a short time leap and neatly wrapping up the cliffhanger ending on which the first season left off (and early on, too--no waiting for payoff). That said, while this season could feasibly be picked up on by itself (episode 1 of this season was actually the first I ever saw, which confused me greatly for a while), the big picture isn't going to make a whole lot of sense of anyone who hasn't seen the first season. Now, since I employed an alternate review structure in my season 1 review, let's see if I can make my traditional format work for this one. __Writing__... hasn't faltered at all since season 1. In fact, towards the very end of the series, the story is stronger and more original than ever before. As stated in my previous review, I believe that Code Geass has what is likely the single most powerful ending of all time--for me, at the very least; I can say no wrong about it. The battles are even more explosive, entries more dynamic, and interactions more dramatic than ever before--something which, if you saw season 1, shouldn't seem possible. Characters all act with their own drives and motivations, each wearing his or her own mask in trying to change the world around them, and the end result is a bittersweet (but enthralling to watch) insight on human relations. In all, I like to think of R2 as an "amplified" version of the first season--the politics are more intricate and engaging, and the drama more... well, dramatic. However, the school scenes did not escape this amplification--they're wackier and more invasive than ever. Which, again, doesn't bother me--I have no problem having a couple school comedy scenes intermingling with my epic political drama. If you are one of those people who found the school segments hard to stomach in season 1, though, know that you'll only find more of them in season 2. Though I'd like to think that if you made it all the way through the first season, you'll have a hard time not continuing the series. That's my hope, anyway. __Art__ hasn't changed--it's just as angular, shiny, and bishonen as ever. If you like shiny, pretty things then you'll enjoy some very fluid animation and an interesting and unique art style. If not... well, the show's going to be jarring for you, to say the least. It's essentially the battle between old Slayers and new Slayers. __Sound__ also doesn't really vary between the two seasons. All the original voice actors make reprisals, and new characters are all performed appropriately. As far as English goes, I'd say the poorly-cast voice roles are exclusive to season 1 characters--that is, none of the new characters introduced in R2 are poorly voiced (though some of those from season 1 are still around). I cannot myself speak for the Japanese dub. The soundtrack is the same one used in the first season, with a couple of new insert songs sprinkled in here and there, and it still works. Code Geass is still my personal favorite series of all time, and between the two, I actually think season 2 is the stronger one, because... that ending. That goddamn ending. Beautiful. Anyway, despite the series matching all of my loves and interests flawlessly, it's not something for everyone, as the fiercely split opinions on the show will no doubt tell you. Watch the first episode or two of either season and you'll know what to expect from the whole show--many series take a little while to hit their stride and give you a good feel for the overall show, but Code Geass is not one of those series. It hits the ground sprinting and doesn't lose momentum--an incredibly enjoyable ride for yours truly, and I hope one for you, as well.
The sequel to the liveliest performance has arrived. Everyone knew they were getting something crazy, but no one could have expected this… Something felt off. It felt like that was on purpose however, at least at first, with the eerie repetition of the earliest act of the performance of yore. Nonetheless it felt glorious. Then, the assets started looking cheaper in places and certain behind the scenes dilemmas started surfacing which would dramatically affect this sequel as a whole. This was not the play we, or at least I truly wanted, but it was certainly entertaining for what it’s worth. Code Geass has always been about being lively and theatrical, after all. The music continues to embody this feel tremendously, even more than before. There are few new tracks that don't add to the sheer bombastic epicness factor of it all, as each track feels like it can underscore literally anything war-related in a way that elevates each scene to new heights. Other tracks are certainly catchy and even capable of giving off a sense of accomplishment or despair, but the main flavor is sheer bombast and glory! “Madder Sky”, “Showdown”, “All-Out Attacks”, “Misconduct”, “Inner Strategy”, “Prodigy”, “Death Work”, “If I Were A Bird”, “Across The Borderline”, and so many more flow wildly in my head when imagining any scene worth such godly music! The opening performances are also phenomenal, especially the final one. That’s because Kotaro Nakagawa is a legendary composer at his best. The returning cast does a fantastic job at keeping up their act, especially our main duo. Their character arcs almost perfectly progress from where these two characters were in the latter half of R1, and the way their stories concludes is one of the finest moments of this sequel. Unfortunately, the new roles suffer, as they largely feel empty and pointless, tacked on because no one knew what to do. Some do get some scenes of closure in the middle and final acts, but are regardless, uninteresting and without the flavor and madness of the original cast. However, as stated before, said returning cast ups their game, notably our favorite scheming overlord Zero, and JEREMIAH GOTTWALD, THE MEMORABLE MAN OF ORANGE AND LOYALTY!! Additionally, the ending our favorite and/or least favorite shitbag, Suzaku Kururugi gets, is nothing short of the perfect poetic punishment for a pretentious preachy prick such as himself. Too bad the glorious finale makes little actual sense outside of that, as satisfying as it is. The script fell apart over time like a bad stage set, with the increasingly ridiculous Batman and Xantos gambits and whatnot, as well as the audience-bewildering dumpster fire that was Sword of Akasha. The memery had gone too far, and there was no way to go but diagonally into another series of loop-de-loops before flying off the rollercoaster entirely. And thus, the glorious mess of strategy-warping known as the final 4 episodes were made, as if they finally salvaged what original plans remained at the time. Nonetheless, the audience was stunned by the sheer audacity, flashiness of the designs and antics, and insane improvisation they attempted that many forgave the absurd script and the recycling, as well as the inferior production. Plus, the uproarious running gags came back and the school scenes still don't get the credit they deserve. So what I’m saying is: Code Geass R2 is the biggest meme in anime history, for better or worse.
Same thing as S1 just thought I'd also work here Honestly i'm blown away, to think an anime could outsmart even to the levels of death note, this anime was so surprising to the point even now I feel so moved to write a shitty review just because I need to tell everyone, this anime is one of the best, it starts you off with making you dive headfirst, and then you get to see life itself evolve, while watching someones life go complete 360 the fact he could even betray his own just goes to show his hatred, and understandingly so, the anime also has you watch these blind bats of a squad, who always feel like they know everything, when infact even calling them anything higher then pawns is a joke, I think even though that is so our MC sought out the best for everyone who never wished for blood in the first place, and were forced to do so, so it was really sad ~!seeing one of the best characters and best MC's of all time die, but he'd planned that since the beginning, which is kinda insane seeing as every step of the way people thought it was for his sake, when all along even if he didn't admit it, some of the deaths we're pure accidents that he had forced to take full knowing credit of doing, which seems really painful, but why would it matter if in the end he would knowingly kill himself!~ ~!The ending is tear jerking phenomenal I was just so confused as to what and how it even made me question my own morals, to sum it up, only those ready to sacrifice even themselves to seek victory, are only those who will succeed in the end!~ I think this just has to be a new favorite (although I always find myself loving even the shittiest anime to the fullest, which I admit is kinda why I love anime in the first place, I can just never find myself hating any of it, to sum it up this anime is the best of the best, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to challenge their own brains, ideas, and morals, also those who just adore great, sad anime, so if you're contemplating watching it and find yourself reading this, just go for it, its better if you shoot head first, knowing nothing of this anime at all, that how I found it, just randomly getting recommended in my Netflix feed, thanks for reading my first review (maybe the last god knows) 2200 characters is a shit ton. 100/100 or 10/10
img600(https://i.gifer.com/1aVl.gif) ___ # __SPOILER WARNING__ _Disclaimer: This is more of a recap/plot analysis than a review._ I want to start off by saying that C.C has the best booty. Her booty makes up about 50% of the entire series every time it appears on screen, it's so goddamn humongous it takes up about 90% of your field of vision. She puts the "ass" in "Code Geass". Code geass is not a show you would watch for the animation, nor the artistic style or anything revolving around the overall aestethic of the show. It is not a show you watch to see Kallens massive personality or C.C's ass (they're an added bonus). The soundtrack I would say is mediocre at best (besides the intro). It is a show with an amazing story overall and one that will stay in your mind for a long time. Code Geass is one of the best shows I've watched. It's greatly written with extremely well developed characters and a great world scheme. It teaches us that your actions at times have dire consequences, and the paths you take can ultimately change everything. It also teaches us that often true change is only achieved by one's strong resolve, and full-hearted desire for things to be better. The story follows the life of a young teen named Lelouch Lamperouge. Lelouch lives in a society dominated by his father, the emperor of the great power “Britannia”. Britannia is the absolute power of the world, dominating the majority of the world under a supreme rule. Lelouch holds the resolve to destroy the oppressed society his father has created and rebuild one where the world is no longer ruled by hatred but rather by cooperation and free will. As opposed to Lelouch's ideals, his father, Charles, see's the world in his hands where he lives to force happiness into everyone, whether it be their free will or not. Lelouch opposes this way of thinking and thus, the premise of Code Geass is born. Lelouch obtains the power "Geass", given to him by C.C. Geass is the power to give an absolute order to anyone, anyone who is affected by Geass, has to follow the order that Lelouch gives them. Of course, this power has consequences, as the user has to bear the sins of changing the will of others. Lelouch uses his power to try and change the world for the better, bearing the sins of everyone, using Geass as a sword to slice through any obstacles. Lelouch, throughout the entire series has one goal. He sticks to this goal, and sees it through to the end, bearing the consequences for the path he's taken. This show also teaches you a very important lesson in life. If you do not have others to support you, you ultimately crumble under the gravity of life. This is seen throughout the series, as C.C, acts as Lelouch's sole aid and the only one who truly understands him. Through this, she is able to comfort him as he feels the consequences of all he's done. C.C has the power of code, the ability to give Geass to anyone she sees fit. She herself is immortal, seeing life as a fact rather than something that should be cherished. C.C has lived thousands of years, seen thousands of Geass-users, and yet has never met anyone like Lelouch. In contrast to the majority of people she's given Geass to, Lelouch is the only one to have the true strength and resolve to make change in the world. Ultimately, she realizes this and even her own beliefs change as Lelouch gives her a reason to live. Throughout the entire series, Lelouch is an extreme genius, outsmarting each and every one of his opponents through his incredible foresight and strategic dominance. This is another reason this series is so entertaining. It really is entertaining to see him outsmart every single enemy, as they fall for the traps he sets forth in his plans. When watching this series, every single move Lelouch makes matters in the long run and everything he does is for the sole purpose of achieving his goal. This is not an exaggeration, literally everything in this series accumulates into the last episode of the series. Following the main story of this show, Lelouch's actions lead to him discovering that his father has also been using Geass in order to achieve his own goal of world peace along with his mother, who was thought of to be deceased. Like Lelouch, his father had been executing his plan through each and every action for a very long time, predating the dominance of Britannia. His goal was to achieve world peace, not through the free-will of the people, but rather through a means of force where everyone develops the same way of thinking. This is seen metaphorically as the image of a mask represents the fakeness Geass creates within one's actions. It is not through free-will those under Geass are acting, but by force. In turn, Lelouch opposes this and stops his father's actions, breaking the chain of hatred his actions would have led to. Geass had created the lie his father had been living, the lie that the manipulation of another's spirit could lead to peace. Lelouch is the only one who realizes this, along with his best friend Suzaku, and they both try to achieve a world where peace is achieved through everyone coming together. At the end of this series, it is finally revealed what his actions have led up to. You may have been confused up until this point why Lelouch is continuing, ignoring every negative action he takes, killing anyone who opposes him and acting as the thing he sought to destroy. Rather than considering himself as part of the equation for peace, he bears the hatred of everyone. He does this on purpose, knowing that if he can absorb all the hatred in the world, then disappear, the world would be ridded of hate, and be a much better place. All of Lelouch's plans lead up to his final act where he gets Suzuku to kill him, dying bearing the hatred of the entire world. Ultimately, he dies knowing that the world will be relieved that the symbol of hate, he himself is gone, and will move towards a new day, a new future. Code Geass teaches us that true change can not be achieved through petty actions, but through one's strong resolve and willingness to push through whatever obstacles may come forth in search of a greater good. Peace achieved through superficial means animated as Geass is not true peace. Peace achieved through lies and deception is not true peace. The only means of achieving true peace is a change of mindset, and Lelouch accomplished exactly that.~~~~~~~~~~~~
This my first ever review, comment on my profile if you want to share some ideas with me. Why do we watch anime "x"? Maybe because it caught our interest and we want to be entertained. Why do we love anime "x"? Maybe because there is a justifiable reason why. A combination of great story and characters etc. OR... it's such a memorable experience that it gets engraved in your mind and leaves you in awe. This is what I think of Code Geass R2, my all-time favorite anime. An unforgettable anime with flaws, plot holes, and questionable use of fanservice that I simply cannot dislike. I'm going to try and review this anime with serious criticism, keeping my "fanboy self" aside, at least until I share my experience in terms of enjoyment. So don't go too hard on me, since reviewing isn't really a thing I constantly do. Also, my English isn't my primary language, so some sentences may sound weird or cringy. img(https://cdn.myanimelist.net/s/common/uploaded_files/1472682151-7d606fc0ec44b6d208e29fd5e896e433.jpeg) Story (5) - A complete headache compared to the first season, Sunrise either couldn't fit the entire story for R2 in 25 episodes or they did it in the most questionable way possible. The main story continues as a kind of reset, you can obviously draw parallels to R1 episode 1, which at first seems confusing, but as the story progresses, some things get cleared up, but not everything. Geass R2 has the balls to try and explain the whole "Charles and the Ragnarok connection" substory, which it did rather successfully, but pacing issues and Lelouch's flamboyant use of dialogue made it a tad harder to understand. Mechas take more of the spotlight compared to the first season, but they adopt the classic "my mech is far better than yours" technique, which can infuriate some people. Everyone says the ending saves the show, but while I do agree the ending episodes are better, they do not fix most loose ends. Art (9) - The noodle people are back! I got used to it, and I quite enjoy the changes. The designers over at Sunrise embraced the stylistic boldness Season 1 was afraid of using to the show's advantage.I do believe some of the show's most memorable scenes wouldn't be the same if Sunrise adopted a more "realistic design". Mecha fights are more fluid and the designs are way better. New Knightmares like the Shinkiro, the Vincent and the upgraded versions of the Guren and Lancelot look stunning. Sound (8) - An improvement of Season 1's already good OST. Code Geass can show more of its theatric nature with new additions like "The Master" and "Madder Sky". The new openings are great but nothing can beat Season 1's "COLORS". Unfortunately, the endings are forgettable. There are new mecha sounds and, to put it shortly, they're pleasing, yet subtle. Character (6) - I found Lelouch's and CC's character development kinda fast-paced, yet they became my favorite characters. Again, if this season had more episodes, something unique could've really been done. New supporting characters are introduced by the likes of Rolo, Gino, Anya, and many more. I am the type of person who doesn't care if a hundred characters are introduced as long as they receive proper attention, but I can't stop questioning myself what the people at Sunrise were thinking, knowing the show would end up with only 25 EPISODES. While they can develop some of these new characters, time is wasted and characters like Nina, Milly and Rivalz are stuck as the same shallow characters they were in Season 1. BY FAR my biggest disappointment is Kallen, part of the MAIN CAST, who, in this season, is reduced to mere fanservice. She simply does not have the charm she had in season 1, apart from a few cool lines included in this season. Suzaku is the MVP in terms of character development, which is not that big of an accomplishment, since most of the viewers found him... braindead, to say the least. This season we can truly see how the events of Euphie's Administrative Zone changed his psych and made him turn a complete 180. No longer a whining little boy, but maintaining the hypocrisy that makes him, in my opinion, an iconic character. Overall (7)- Again, I believe criticism does not include our enjoyment of something, so if I were to give a rigid score to this show it would be a 78. Story and Characters have major problems that could be easily fixed but aren't a complete pain in the ass. Art and Sound are almost flawless. However, I also believe that not mentioning my enjoyment would be a bad way of ending this review. Enjoyment (10)- R2 is like fast-food. You know it has its downsides, but it's a meal that leaves you satisfied. At the end of the day, people have their opinions on fast-food. The truth is I still can't get over how satisfying this meal called "Code Geass R2" is. Maybe it sounds childish, meaning I can't move on, but I'm happy with my decision. I learned you can love something that is flawed (I mean, we all have flaws and we fall in love with each other), and in my heart, R2 will be a 10 for how much it changed me, as an anime lover, and as a person in my everyday life.
Code Geass is definitely a controversial series. The plot-holes, the slender character designs, the fan-service, the cheap ways it portrays characters as geniuses — all are aspects that are big turnoffs for some. I get why, but I think that despite all of that, Code Geass is an incredible anime with great characters, drama, themes, and even comedy. I really recommend giving Code Geass a chance, but if the criticized aspects that I listed are deal-breakers then please adjust expectations accordingly, because there are also Code Geass fans who make the series out to be perfect, which it sadly isn't. ***BEWARE OF SPOILERS FROM HERE ON!*** Well, I should clarify before starting that this review is loosely addressed to specific people with whom I've talked about the series and who don't like it at all. I'm not sure if I'm hoping to convert someone into believing that the series is well written, but I definitely want to condense my feelings on it into an essay. So, beginning from the facet of every story that I consider the most important... The characters. The highlight of the series for me is the cast and I honestly struggle to try and see it differently because the series is so focused on the psychology of Lelouch and how everyone else affects him. And that isn't to imply that other characters aren't explored apart from their connection to Lelouch. What I think is often overlooked is the importance of the side of the story that takes place in the Ashford Academy. It's probably the most commonly criticized thing in the story, the argument being that the tone conflicts with the rest of the story and that it bogs down the pacing of the show. I agree that the dark elements in the show aren't handled with tact, especially at the start, but they hold weight to the mental states of the characters, so I don't find it as outright disrespectful. And the character moments and developments which take place in the school are important to understanding how the characters feel and to see them interact and follow their relationships. It also doesn't exist in a vacuum, the plot developments outside are carried on in the school. Personally I really like how the cast forms something like a family in the school while each of them has a different persona outside. It's charming, but also heartbreaking. We're constantly reminded of their old lives which they can't return to and it contrasts how they used to see each other and how that's changed. The levity to the story which would otherwise be very dark and would risk being pretentious with the philosophical ideas that the characters give is also something I appreciate. Anyways, I'll try to discuss the main characters individually. First of all, Lelouch. Even for a main character, he is very much the soul of the series because it follows his mental state. We see how he gets power which allows him to act on his pent up ambitions. We see his ego growing from his successes and how he carelessly he uses his geass. He's surrounded by supportive people but he's alone in his quest. His drive becomes more and more clouded as he tramples over innocent people. Near the end of S1, Euphemia manages to make him give up on his lashing out and cooperate with the empire in a constructive manner, but tragically that future is lost and Lelouch gives up on some part of humanity in him. All that he has left to guide him is his desire to protect Nunnally and act vengeance for the murder of their mother. In S2, he realizes there are more people that he cares about, but he's put in opposition to everyone and he sacrifices himself to atone for everything and set the world on a right path. I'm harping about this because of how many emotions and twists his tragic tale has. It's both heartbreaking and breathtaking. It's so effective because of how many people Lelouch is surrounded by and how he interacts with all of them: C.C., Suzaku, Nunnally, Kallen, Euphemia, Shirley, etc. Each of them impacts him in some way and plays an important role in the story and I'll get to them one by one too. Another reason is that Lelouch is a really multi-faceted character. I've described him in the past to someone who thinks he's bland and it went something like this: he's self-centered, passionate, ambitious, callous to those who have, in his mind, wronged him, self-righteous about his views, drawn to grandeur and spectacle, easily tunnel-visioned, stuck on his own perspective, and one aspect that culminates in the most interesting moments for his character is hiding and bottling emotions. And this definitely isn't everything you can say about his character. Most of those traits are rather unlikable concepts and Lelouch is a very While many of those traits are rather unlikable concepts and Lelouch is a flawed individual, they're why he's so compelling and his struggle of remaining ethical in a fight for a good cause is muddied and made more complex by those traits. I mean Lelouch's motivation. He isn't fighting just for justice, his only driving force isn't a sense of right and wrong, but it's also a personal quest for revenge against his father as well as him trying to live life in a way he finds fulfilling. The multi-faceted nature is the reason for why it's so interesting. I hinted at this before, but to elaborate on the last thing I mentioned, at the start of the show Lelouch had no outlet for his spite that he'd carried for almost all of his life. Since he lacked power, he was stuck, probably convincing himself that there's a path to achieving his desires while realizing that it was a hollow promise to himself and that he wasn't ready to throw his life away. He also couldn't abandon Nunnally. His life felt idle and purposeless to him and that's why he exploded when he finally acquired power to change everything. The theme posed with his character is whether an individual has the right to hurt others if it's in the name of creating a better world. A revolution is almost bound to cause suffering to someone and people are caught up in it even if they're unrelated. It's not anyone's responsibility to fix the world but if someone tries to, then what's in their right to do? I can't really answer this question and although I have my own thoughts and beliefs, I won't go into them, because this is that sort of a question and the ending of the anime reflects the ambiguity. There are two counterparts to Lelouch in this theme, Suzaku and Euphemia. The first difference is that Suzaku is Japanese and hence is oppressed, so his actions have a very different foundation from Lelouch and even from Euphemia. This makes it all the more admirable that he's trying to change the system without violence, playing by its rules. The question with his character is whether it's right to prolong a discriminatory and oppressive world by prioritizing stability and safety. Euphemia is a special case because she's part of the people running the system, but she's just as good a counterpart to Lelouch and is actually the only character who defeats Lelouch's ideology as he resigns to cooperating with her. But first I want to talk about the criticism of Suzaku's character being inconsistent. The point is that Suzaku's character doesn't make sense because at first he values the means over the results but later on he switches without a well established reason. Well, firstly, Suzaku wasn't always about the means. Before the events of the show, he was like Lelouch, killing his father to avoid the war escalating and destroying the country. That end was important enough to him to justify that, but he felt so much guilt and self-loathing that he stopped valuing his own life. He began looking for opportunities to redeem himself, putting himself in danger. His ideology also shaped up to be contrary to his past actions. So, with this context, why he changes in the show is because he fails to stop Lelouch from causing damage, so to put a stop to him, he lowers himself to Lelouch's level. Although he doesn't succeed in killing Lelouch even by firing a FLEIA, so yeah. But to imagine an alternate outcome where Lelouch and Euphemia worked together and all of the tragedy could've been avoided... How wholesome the ending would've been... That's why what actually happens is so tragic, even if it's put together through a plot convenience. Euphemia was someone Lelouch could trust with his identity, the only person besides C.C., so the significance in accepting her death and using her to further the Black Knights was Lelouch's final step onto the path of destruction. But the themes aren't everything there is to love about Code Geass. What I love the most is how Lelouch interacts with everyone and how the other characters perceive him. The dynamics his character has with everyone, even very minor characters like Ogi, are so compelling in my opinion, because they go through so many ups and downs due to Lelouch's mental state and how everyone is perceiving him. And how this culminates at the end of S2 is so powerful because all of the characters are impacted by it. Lelouch who has lost everything. Suzaku who breaks from the trauma of firing a FLEIA. Kallen who doesn't know whether her feelings are real or the product of Lelouch's geass. C.C. who has lost her memories. Nunnally who is ready to fight against her brother. The Black Knights who feel betrayed. Everyone. It's so frustrating as the audience because we know the intentions of the characters and that if things had gone just a bit differently then everyone would be a lot happier, but the web of lies and schemes that has lead into this point is so intricate and overwhelming. It's so hard to encapsulate this feeling due to how many parts it involves and that's why it's so mesmerizing. This is also why Shirley's Geass being broken in S2 and seeing how everyone wears a mask through her is so powerful. Well, there's a lot more to say, frankly, this is the tip of the iceberg, but it's already a huge wall of text, so I'll move onto addressing the flaws of the show in more detail. In particular the Euphemia massacre. In of itself, in a vacuum, it's the most impactful scene in the series, at least in my opinion, and I think it's one of the most emotional scenes across the board. It's strengthened by how great Lelouch's and Euphemia's dynamic is too. Euphemia is the only person to truly defeat Lelouch's ideology as she managed to actually make Zero redundant and unnecessary. But what I wanna talk about is how the scene happens. The infamous words of, "I could even make you kill all of the Japanese". Well, it does kind of fit Lelouch's character as a concept. He likes to boast, and he didn't know his Geass had reached the stage where it's uncontrollable. But it's still shoddily put together and absolves Lelouch of blame in the eyes of the audience. It gets even worse if you consider that the Geass issue doesn't become a part of the show and is patch worked with simply putting on a contact lens. It's the highlight of Code Geass's writing problem. The logic is abandoned for the sake of drama. And although I'd like to be able to confidently say it's always a necessary sacrifice, it really isn't, it's convenience. Whether you can accept this flaw is basically the question of whether you can truly appreciate Code Geass. It's fine if you can't, but there's still a lot to love in Code Geass. Well, this review glosses over a lot, especially the issues in presentation and some of the minor characters switching sides on a whim, but well, I think I got some of it down. Hopefully.
__Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion__ R2 is the direct sequel to the first season of Code Geass and it takes place several months later. Let's start with the review: __Plot:__ The plot summarizes for better or worse the one of the first season, initially without major changes. The real changes are felt from episode 17 onwards(with the meeting of Lelouch and Suzaku). img220(https://i.imgur.com/51mElvB.png) From then on, the plot begins to take a much more beautiful and exciting turn, between very engaging parts of reflection and lots of twists that will make the audience jump from the chair, and with a narration of the story and facts that is nothing short of perfect; from the discovery of the Geass by the Black Knights, to the confrontation with the father and then to the final. __Characters:__ Code Geass presents the viewer with a high number of characters, initially some may seem useless or redundant but the work manages to recover as much as possible by giving them a sense within the story, at the beginning their purpose within the plot was just good enough but moving forward in the story of the anime itself these characters became more interesting and engaging. A great example of the character remake is [Jeremiah Gottwald](https://anilist.co/character/1113/Jeremiah-Gottwald) who becomes one of the best Code Geass’ characters from the middle of the second season. I have to admit that personally I liked most of Code Geass’ characters for how they involved me in the story and how they entertained me for their ideologies and thought, for instance: Schneizel el Britannia and Charles Zi Britannia. __Graphic And Music Sector:__ The graphic sector of Code Geass Lelouch of the rebellion could be improved. Those bodies that seem anorexic can annoy the viewer, but personally after 3 episodes I got used to them. Apart from this, in the first Code Geass there were poorly animated. Probably the poor graphic quality is due to the limited budget available and to the year in which it was produced. While in Code Geass Lelouch of the rebellion R2 there is a higher graphic quality for both animations and drawings. This improvement on quality was certainly caused by an increase in the budget given by the success of the first series. __Music:__ I must admit that Code Geass Ost are fantastic in both the first and second seasons, Ost inserted in perfect moments of the anime to make the show even more epic and engaging. among the best Ost for sure we find "The Master". __THE TEMES:__ As many people know, Code Geass deals with very fragile and difficult issues. But in my opinion it treats all these issues in the best way, taking advantage of apparently useless episodes to emphasize them. Among the topics that Code Geass treats in a perfect way in my opinion we have: Racism (example: between Eleven and Britain) War and politics, terrorism and revenge. In addition to good themes, Code Geass also presents philosophical concepts, among the most marked is the concept of "mask", on what is good and what is evil, if it is better to think about the present or the future. (An example on this last point is the speech between Schneizel and Lelouch) __THE END:__ Certainly one of the greatest strengths of Code Geass Lelouch of the rebellion r2 is its ending, which concludes the story in an epic and perfect way. An unexpected final heartbreak, sad and philosophical, which marks many aspects on the growth of Lelouch who decides to express all his sins, giving everyone a better world without wars where everyone can live in peace, without description, dictatorship, where the funds that before were used for the army now they are used to fight hunger. Lelouch has literally "destroyed and recreated the world" not only for his sister but for everyone. In the perfect ending of Code Ceass we can see how Lelouch wins while defeated. Personally, I think it is one of the best endings ever made if not the best (of course It’s just a personal thought) img220(https://pm1.narvii.com/5653/2d27996a5997df52f9d2d34c62d25176fea9cdcc_hq.jpg) __LAST THOUGHTS ON THIS WORK:__ Code Geass, is my absolute favorite anime, there is no other I like as this. And it is an anime that I personally recommend to anyone as well because it is one of the few souls that I consider a masterpiece starting from the incredible and engaging story to the epic ending with a fantastic protagonist who will put in place plans that are nothing short of shocking. AND REMEMBER, ALL HAIL LELOUCH! Final score: 10/10 img220(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/y8LsjlQizqw/maxresdefault.jpg)
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BEST ANIME ENDING EVER EXIST To write a review for the best anime ever made, a one or two sentences is not enough: it needs a beautiful narration of words and simplicity to tell this masterpiece creation. Code Geass not only established their series as one of the best meccas theme animes, but among legendary anime ever made. Code Geass has been my top of the list of my favourite anime ever and easy to say that: The sequel is as good if not better than the first season, with the best ending of the anime we ever witness. The battle is more intense, the story is more interesting, and the character is developing in the best way possible to close the series with such magnificient way. its a beautiful creation that mix all different story, thrilling plot, fight after fight, twist after twist, and overall resulted in the creation of the world where you can't trust no one and the one you can trust is your dream to change the world; to create a better future; to create and implement the plan; to make a successful future, a sacrifice is needed, and it resulted in forming the best anime ending maybe ever exists. While its mostly involving the mechas theme, but it also has big portion of political influence, a battle of ideology, the search for real truth, and fight between the cruel present and a goal to create a better world. Code geass tells a story about the annexation of current Japan by the britannia kingdom and change the whole system into the world where britannia rules, and one man, Lelouch Lamperouge or Lelouch VI Britannia as they call it, is a (former) prince of britannia empire who was thrown away by his merciless father King Charles. He wants to change the world he know today into the world he imagines, to create a better future for him, humanity, and especially his sister. To realize his plan, he gains a certain power named "Geass" that allows him to help him going through obstacles and struggles into realizing his goals. One day, he comes across a beautiful girl named C.C who gives him the power of Geass which is located in his left eye. His Geass allows him to control people and make them do any of his order. He uses this power to crush the Britannian Empire and under the name “Zero” he leads the Black Knights, a terrorist organisation, and sets out to free the world from Britannia’s clutches.This is a show where you really don't know which one is true and what is the true meaning of truth. Having his hatred for the britannia empire and his father's betrayal, Lelouch with his new powers try to conquer the britannia empire and take his role back. In the final season of this code geass series, lelouch has gained back his geass series and memories because the king use his geass to make lelouch a new world where zero dont exist, but it doesnt last long until C.C bring his memories back for final sequence of the series, an overall more thrilling part, goosebumps all around, non-stop strategy battle, and finally it ended with zero requiem that turns into a beautiful transition; a better world Lelouch has imagine since he use the geass power, a beautiful world where no one can fight or blame another; a world where the cruel empire leader is gone and everyone can live peacefully alongside each other Art 8/10 Not the best art, thats for sure, but it has its own uniqueness and it suitable with overall mechas theme. Animation is good and the movement is pretty decent for 2000s anime. Its fine, however the second season of code geass really up their animation game and turns it into a more decent animation style and the fighting scenes is well-curated Character 10/10 Lelouch Lamperouge is the greatest main character/anti-hero ever made, as the main character he is incomparable to other character and he has complete abilities that support him to gain his goals; a combination of smart-ass analysis, abilities to lead the team, His character developments is a genius thinking and his strong character is the one who keep me on continuing the series to see what he do next. Other supporting character such as Kururugi Suzaki, C.C., Neuphemia, etc is well-plotted and compliments the series that revolves around Lelouch’s ambition and sequence of thrilling non-stop fight between 2 of very different ideology. Up to this nowadays, Lelouch has become top of my list anime character ever thanks to his portrayal along the series Sounds 10/10 You name it, Colours, Yukyoseinsyuka, Wage Routashi, etc has been the best soundtracks ever and it really fits the entire series. Still on my top anime OST and it complimenting the series and transition between each of the episode. Its beautiful, while at the same time its dark and full of light, it really making the series more interesting to watch Enjoyment 10/10 Code Geass has taught me a new way to enjoy a series and it successful in making me stay excited, thrilled, and a tons of other mood during the sequence.Code Geass is full of complexity of the character and conflict, while it still include some daily life routine and proper jokes. I enjoy this a lot and i hope that i can go back to the time where i watch this for the first time to give fullest enjoyment just like my first time. Overall, Code Geass ia mechas masterpiece; a shounen masterpiece; a show that can prove that anybody can love one single character to enjoy the series. Its very exciting to watch with tons of twist and unexpected moves. This anime has a lot of psychological fights and ideology battle and if you a fan of death note like me, you will see a glimpse of light yagami within Lelouch’s. As one of the top rated anime in MAL, i can see why, and now it has become my top anime also. This anime has everything that it needed to become the best and you will question your morality and your way of thinking. Cant ask for better ending and better story. Code Geass will always be remembered for the masterpieces in combining so many story and life aspect into one single landmark series Overall: 10/10
~~~ img(https://occ-0-92-1722.1.nflxso.net/dnm/api/v6/E8vDc_W8CLv7-yMQu8KMEC7Rrr8/AAAABVWNZxDAOPAe3dWyL3k9X66yQiFchBy-Hw7c9k1QB5JVZnHsq5JQ0sC1TwxWf_ecyV5IGkwwZCXHlxrsE2VGKMEdXd5Q.jpg?r=1b1) > "It wasn't me who was wrong, it was the world." -Lelouch vi Britannia #--SPOILER FREE-- Code Geass R2 is probably one of the best sequels I've ever seen, whether in anime, or in just any work of fiction in general. It's a direct continuation of the first season, just with a little 1-year timeskip, but it's even better than the prequel. Story Overall, the story is mostly a mecha political drama, although there are a bunch of other elements which allows the story to become more complex and interesting. One moment you could have a psychological battle with an entire empire, and another you could be trying to make a world record giant pizza. Yes, it's random, but when Code Geass is on its A-game it's incredible. Everything was perfectly calculated and planned from the start, right up to the end, where the pieces finally click together. Of course, you can't forget the ending, which is probably the sole reason why people like it so much, but I can't go into it too much if you haven't seen it yet. The element of surprise is what makes the anime so thrilling, so it's best to go in blindly. There are some minor problems to the plot, but the mind-blowing parts greatly overshadow them and makes up for the messiness. The topics that are explored, such as peace, war, happiness, purpose, etc, are presented in a sincere way, and the psychology is blunt but subtle at the same time. img400(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9f/b7/e8/9fb7e8273fc85b6b54fd76bb0a0660e9.gif) Characters The characters are probably the strongest point of this anime. All of them are unique, and each and every one of them have their flaws and talents. They're all... human. They all have their own 'masks' to put on in order to try to change the world to their liking, especially the main character, Lelouch, who is probably one of the most well-written characters of all time. While I do admit that some of the characters can be inconsistent and do things that are 'out of character', I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, as it helps show that they're still developing and learning about themselves. There's also no clear antagonist. We get a different perspective from everyone, which means we can all understand their feelings and see how they all feel about one another. It makes every single character both likable and unlikable and makes them even *more* human. Visuals The artstyle of this anime can be a bit strange at first, for instance a lot of the characters are overly skinny and everything looks shiny. The robot designs are undeniably gorgeous though, and the fight scenes are very clean and easy to make out. Considering that this anime was produced in the early 2000's, animation is pretty solid and of good quality. It isn't the best, but it's decent. Oh, and there's fanservice, too. img400(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ELOPLmbWkAERuVj.jpg) Sound The openings and endings are pretty catchy, especially the first opening and the last ending. The soundtrack also fits the dynamic of the story, and the voice acting was done really well, especially Lelouch's VA. Overall I love it. Is it perfect? No, not quite. But did I enjoy it? Hell yeah. ~~~
ok I’m going to be honest, it was honestly quite hard to get into code geass at first, but R2 was literally probably the best season 2 I had ever watched. It was honeslty such an emotional rollercoaster start to end. The beginning was such a great hook, and I couldn’t take my eyes off it at all. The art style isn’t that best Ive seen but I feel like it tied into the genre of the anime really nicely. I never really liked political stuff before watching this, as I would say it was a “bore” but after watching this, my opinion has changed. I cant really say that there were any ‘bad guys’ or ‘good guys’ in this anime. Just people who wanted the same thing, but wanted to reach that goal differently. But I must agree with Lelouch’s idealism. His parents wanted a world of peace where no one had any of their own decisions to make. Where they were basically just lifeless dolls doing their day to day life. Lelouch’s brother ( I cant remember his name-) wanted a world where there would be one ruler, and people just blindly following. Whereas Lelouch wanted a world where people had their own opinions, but still being able to live side by side. That is a world I would also wish to live in. Lots of people may argue me on this, but I think that Suzaku’s character was actually a very nice contrast to Lelouch’s character. While I agree that suzaku definitely did some sketchy things, I believe he was just trying to help. In his own crooked way- but oh well. Suzaku’s character is very complex and it’s very hard to jsut say that “I hate him.” Then again, like I said earlier, everyone had the same goal, just a different way to reach those goals. The ending reallly made me do a double take- like “what just happened.” I was so shocked at that, and I was stunned that I burst into tears. And literally do not get me started on the end- I was honeslty not expecting that at all. I love how they portrayed Lelouch in such a bad light, just to reveal that he was a good guy all along. The ending was perfect. Literally, it’s so sad, but no matter how much I imagine, I cannot think of a better ending. His sacrifice for the greater good was so amazing. This anime really taught me abt sacrifice. Honestly i couldn’t sympathize enough with Lelouch. As a big sister myself, I can understand that he wanted to do all that for his sister. Needless to say I probably would not do what he did just to protect my siblings, so I definitely applaud him for that haha. I would love to watch Code geass for the first time again. It was so beautiful, and I cannot express my love enough for it. Thanks for reading this all over the place, rant, review of Code Geass and I apologize for any typos made haha. Overall I think I’d give this a 91/100.
SPOILERS...duh Is Lelouch the best protagonist of all time? Unfortunately, the answer is probably not, but it's fun to pretend he is. Code: Geass is a show that simultaneously takes itself incredibly seriously and as a complete joke. However, hidden within all of the madness are some of the best written characters in all of anime. This review will be of both R1 and R2. Take for example the main dynamic of the show, Lelouch vs. Suzaku. they start off as best friends, and by the end they are sworn enemies. This dynamic, although simple at a surface level, is objectively one of the best parts of the entire show. Their dynamic is so good that sometimes the audience doesn't even know who they should be rooting for. To highlight this, I'll link one of the scenes that still gives me goosebumps whenever I rewatch it. youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUwcbdJCGpQ) (Yes, I know it's the dub. I couldn't find the sub on youtube. The timestamp in the show is episode 23 of the first season, 20 minutes in. However, I will say that the dub voice actor's laugh may actually be better than the Japanese va's laugh. ) This scene is absolutely genuis becuase it shows that Suzaku is still trying to hang on to their friendship, even though by this point he suspects that Lelouch is Zero. It also shows that at this point, Lelouch has gone completely insane, as he has shown little remorse after the death of Euphemia. The death of Euphemia was the breaking point for Lelouch, because he realized that he had to choose between his friendships and his goal, so he accepted the fact that he would have to make serious sacrifices to accomplish his ultimate goal of providing for Nunnally. Long story short, this is a turning point for both characters because they are both compromising their morals that they lived by. Suzaku claiming he will commit murder then punching Lloyd is a moment that nobody who has watched this show can forget. If this scene is so genius, then why does the show as a whole feel so....mid? Let me start off by saying I personally don't think this show is mid, but if someone has that opinion I can't really do much to argue with them. There is so much fanservice and borderline filler that it sometimes makes this show hard to take seriously. It will underdeliver for 5 episodes, then completely overdeliver with such a good 6th episode that it almost makes you forget about the other 5......almost. The inherent problem with this show, and why it will never be a classic in the way that something like Hunter x Hunter, or even Attack on Titan is, is that the pacing is just kind of bad. Most amazing shows stick to a theme and a pace, and it's the same the whole way through. Code: Geass is completely all over the place to the point where it's actually a miracle that it turned out as good as it did. Luckily, even the filler stuff is pretty entertaining most of the time, so at no point is it ever a complete slog (besides the Chinese federation arc.) I actually think the season one pacing was pretty good. They started off with introducing the power and the characters, then moved on to the Shirley memory arc and the Mao arc before building up to the infamous Euphemia scene, where after that the rest of the season was a 10/10 because it was the attack on Tokyo. Season 2 on the other hand.....ouch. Don't get me wrong, there were some great moments, but unfortunately the novelty of the first season wears off a bit. Now that Lelouch obviously knows that Suzaku is the Lancelot pilot, and Suzaku knows about Lelouch and his Geass power, it takes away from the magic of Zero. I think one of the biggest mistakes of this show was having everybody know about Geass, and introducing more and more random characters who also had Geass power. The effect of Lelouch's power becomes watered down when it is more common. Think of it like death note. If every main character in that show also had a variation of the death note, Kira wouldn't be nearly as special anymore. I get that Zero's power comes from not only the Geass, but from his battle strategy, but come on, the underground society raid where they killed a 5 year old who was actually like 100 was a bit much. Don't get me wrong, I actually enjoyed the whole show, I just can't help but feel a bit disappointed because I see how much more potential it actually had. How could this show have been better? Unfortunately, I don't really know if it had the potential to be much better. The question I've struggled a lot with is "How can the writing team who wrote some of the best monologues of all time have come up with this ridiculously mid plot-line of season two that desperately tries to reach the ending?" Pretend it's 2006 and you are in the writing room of this show. They have all of the main points figured out (Lelouch vs. Suzaku, Shirley memory, Narita, Nippon SAZ). Then, they realize that they need a season 2. Well, hold on, they have already used most of the characters and plot-lines from season 1, so they need something to fill up around 20 episodes before they can unleash their insane ending. They were stumped because they literally set the restriction themselves. It's ridiculous when you think about it. Lelouch's power is awful for a long-running TV show. He can only use it once on each person, and his identity can never be known or it ruins the entire dynamic he has with his friends, and Suzaku. So what did they do? They chose to sacrifice Suzaku finding out in the last episode of the first season, then hit Lelouch and all of his friends with a memory wipe so they could do it all again next season. It was a desparate attempt to keep some of the magic of the first season, which ultimately backfired because lelouch still used his Geass on all of his friends anyways, so they were still off-limits for season 2. Season 2, although the rating was inflated because of the perfect ending, unfortunately doesn't stack up to the first season. That's not to say it isn't still amazing, it's just not as good at the first. Why is Lelouch an amazing character? Lelouch is an amazing character because he still has a shred of humanity in him. Lelouch is not completely compromised like Light from Death Note, he understands that his actions have consequences. However, he also understands that he is biased. He will sacrifice many lives of people that he doesn't know to save a few people that he does know. Essentially, he plays the judge, jury, and executioner all by himself. Lelouch became a more broken person after the Euphemia massacre, and he decided at that moment that he would kill everyone in his way, but bear all of the sins of the people he has killed. a detail that is commonly overlooked is that when Lelouch killed Euphemia, he said to himself "is this also my sin to bear." He knew that the ultimate goal was to kill himself, and to have all of the evil in the world die with him, that's how he justified everything he was doing. One of the best parts of the show was Lelouch's struggle to internally justify everything he had done, because unlike Light, he felt the need to justify himself. A lot of people forget about how throughout the second season he was in and out of depression. After Nunnally, became the viceroy, and again after Rolo died, and again after his identity was found out. He was much more volitile in the second season. The highs were higher, and the lows were lower. We don't need to talk about the ending, do we? It's an undisputed fact that the ending is amazing, so why bother talking about it. blah blah blah Lelouch, who wanted to live, had to die bearing the weight of humanity's evil while Suzaku, a character who has wanted to die since the first episode, was cursed with living on as the man who killed Euphemia. The writers did it again, they created an ending so perfect it's almost funny. Additional info. All of the school characters were great, and they were all pretty well developed. Some problems arose in the second season because there were so many more random characters, but it was still good enough. Also, I didn't touch on a lot of the other issues with this show like Lelouch's mom being alive, and the weapon to destroy God because it was really weird and easily the weakest part of the show. I also didn't go into depth about ALL of Lelouch's cool moments, because that's just implied. Like, I know. I wouldn't be taking the time to write this review if I didn't think he was one of the coolest characters ever. Soundtrack is a 10/10, I honestly don't even know how they pulled it off. I also didn't talk a lot about Suzaku's loss of innocence, and how by the end he was actually a lot like Lelouch. At one point Lelouch actually called him "the biggest hypocrite i've ever seen". Conclusion: Yes, Code: Geass is a complete mess, but it's a beautiful mess. It's entertaining, and they bring up some pretty interesting questions of morality from time to time. I wish they took it a little more seriously, because I think some of the filler, although funny, takes away from the credibility of the show. Something I've realized watching this show a few times, is that you can't worry about little plot details. When you start thinking about the logistics of "oh how did this person get here" or "how is that physically possible" is just ruins the show. You have to enjoy the show for its characters, because they are easily the best part of the entire thing. youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q-9EotzBZU) Afterthought: I want to leave this video here at the bottom to show the result of overanalyzing Code Geass for the wrong reason. This guy made a 45 minute video about just part 1 (He has another hour-long vid for part 2). Basically, he hates Code Geass because it is unrealistic and the writing is "bad". I'll spare you the whole video, but he talks about how the chess analogies are wrong for like 10 minutes, it's honestly sad. That is literally the worst kind of watcher you can be. If you go in with a completely open mind, it's amazing
I now arrive at the second and final season of Code Geass, where everyone says that one of the best endings in anime is shown and where it goes down in anime history. After hating the first season, I didn't really have any hopes except for the ending to be great, so I went in to have a clear mind about it. I was pleasantly surprised that the first 6 or 7 episodes were terrific, so I thought, maybe, just maybe, it would be good...but it turns out worst than the first season with a decent ending that was made a bit too obvious. Let's break down this story to explain why it's a pretty awful anime. Things I finally noticed: I realized a few things while watching that explain why things are written how they are, even if these are just my assumptions. I started to notice that Code Geass is written like a chess match mixed with a greek tragedy. Not because of the excessive usage of the word "pawn," but because of how obstacles came about. There's almost always a straightforward way to stop problems in how Lelcouh outsmarts his opponents. He comes up with no solution that includes complex planning over spans of episodes with problems besides the final plan he makes. Complex planning is an obstacle, but the solution includes multiple things before even reaching the first step of that big solution. Now there are times where that happens, but it's only two or three problems before everything goes really smoothly. The Greek tragedy part comes in with how there are dilemmas in the show. For example, Lelouch and Suzaku's whole relationship is similar to something you would find in a greek tragedy, but this is a problem in the show itself. Greek tragedies are simple at their core and allow drama to happen mostly. It's kind of hard to do that in a series like Code Geass, where it has all this political talk and complex things happening with this straightforward drama that isn't that interesting half the time but also is exciting. It's a struggle that I see the series has between complex and simple. With my assumptions out of the way, let's talk about the very few good things about season 2. The good things in a terrible show: The music and voice acting, as always, is still a great part of this and helps the unbearable moments feel a bit better. Even if I dislike a majority of characters and stories, the voice acting and the music still give me a bit of the emotion that they were trying to get me to feel in the first place. While I don’t care for fights nor liked seeing the mecha fights since I was invested enough, they’re really well animated, and each fight is uniquely done for the most part. In fact, even the regular animation and facial animation are well done as well, and really show you what the character is feeling even without having to read/listen to the dialogue itself even though the voice acting does make it believable as well. The slice of life parts are ;delightful even if they break the writing more and more. They're still pretty fun for what they're worth. Suzaku is the only character with an arc that feels complete and worth it throughout the series. He starts out trying to redeem himself for his sin by trying to be on the "objectively right" side and change things from the inside out. This season is where he realizes that it's impossible not to commit sins when trying to change things for the better, so it goes down a path where he does whatever it takes to complete the last plan, which made me like the ending since his arc came to a great conclusion. The things that make this a terrible show: The story is structured in a way that makes it predictable and dull. Obstacles are placed, and Lelouch must figure out how to stop it until he does something so bold; it ruins him later on until a giant mecha fight happens until Lelouch has another plan that wins him the day. Now, this is a gross generalization of how it's actually structured, but it sure feels this way a lot of the time since the mecha fights take so long. It always feels like there's no real danger in the show since Nunnally is the only thing Lelouch cares about which is apart of his character, but makes everything feel less important since he doesn't care about any other character besides that. It makes us, the viewer, not care about them since why should we care if he doesn't care unless we have a personal liking to them or they affect Lelouch, which they mostly don't unless it's to be an obstacle for him to face later on. They feel like actual pawns, and it's not really interesting to watch that when the show is trying to make us feel for these characters when we already know it's pointless in the end. It's not like any of them actually get any consequence since most of the characters don't change in any way or lose/gain anything. This affects the story since its events are so depended on caring whether they will live or die, or who's going to change the outcome when you know only a select few actually do change the outcome. Some characters do give way to new plot points, but, as I said, there are only the select few. You then have this weird way of getting to Code Geass in the sense of what will actually change the country since it's a merry go around way of getting to certain stages of the plot. An example would be teaming up with the Chinese Federation and the making of the Untied Federation of Nations. They both feel like natural steps to take, but with how we got there, it doesn’t feel the least bit natural. Especially when the worldbuilding is poorly done in Code Geass where I have to wonder if this made logically sense in that world.To simply things, Code Geass story is where each set piece feels like the it makes sense but the buildup and aftermath of it all never makes sense to me. The characters have and still are a major problem with this anime. Already talking about how most feel like actual pawns themselves, the characters that do feel like ones are, sometimes, even worse. Firstly, I must address Lelouch as he’s arc does continue onward, but the one he has here doesn’t seem good either. If season one was about giving him setbacks but tons of victories that made him arrogant and insane, season two is more about crushing him with defeat after defeat to make him more sane but crush that ego he had before picking himself up to do what he has to do to save Japan. Writing it out like that makes it sound wonderful, but there’s only one problem. Because I just went through a season of seeing him success no matter what, and characters I couldn’t care less for, his defeats are meaningless to me because I know (with the result of not being invested because if I was, I won’t care about this) Lelouch will success and no one important, to him, will die because season one proved this fact, time and time again. There is one character that does die that could be used to counter this, but he already lost her once in a different way, so why should I care again when her character is still the same as ever? Rolo also dies but Lelouch starts to hate him as the season goes on, and even when he start to like him again, he’s not even close to his driving motivation (well, he technically is, but there probably was tons of other characters on his mind during that). When Nunnally “died,” it could have been that point where that idea could have changed in me, but she comes back with a lazy attempt to explain it away, and that was the point I lost all investment in this story or characters. Again, it repeats the problem that Lelouch (and the rest of the main cast besides best boy, Suzaku) where it does seem like a good route for that character, but once you start to see it unfold, it’s a mess. A side note are the two female characters Kallen and C.C. since those characters are ones that could have been more interesting, but, sadly, were half baked in this season. The thing that was praised the most: To finally say, the ending is good for a story. It ties up everything nicely and has a good conclusion to the whole series finally leaving it ended, and anyone that was invested and love the show throughout, completely satisfied. Not me though. Did I think it was bad? No, of course not, it’s the type of ending that anyone would want for their favorite story. Did I think it was amazing? No, of course not, I couldn’t care less for anything that happens at that point. Everyone could have died and Lelouch could have truly been a dictator, and I would still say it’s decent since I truly care no longer. That’s the thing about endings. The only way to say if they’re truly amazing or horrible is if you were invested in the first place. Endings are important since stories are technically waste of time and a distraction in life which is why we seek good stories or stories we find enjoyable so we don’t have to think like that. Endings are that final award to prove that the time we spent sitting in forward of that screen was truly worth it (I’m taking a jab at myself here since I put stories as my reason for living at this point), but if you just spent hours, not caring about what happened, the ending will naturally be something you don’t care for since it’s there only for the people that loved it. Hence, why I think it’s a mediocre ending and I feel I wasted my time on these two seasons. Closing statements: I like to believe I wanted to love Code Geass. No, I did because I love seeing a good story. No matter how popular, overhyped, old or new, simple or complex, I just want to see a good story unfold before my very eyes, and, if Code Geass was one, I would have wholeheartedly loved it. But, alas, I didn’t think it was good, and, even worse, thought it was so terrible that I’m still wondering why people enjoy it. I was going to watch the movie after this, but, at this point, I’m tired of Code Geass want nothing to do it with it no longer which brings me to giving this season a 20/10 for being worse then the previous one. So long Code Geass. I hope we never cross paths again.
__Short Answer:__ Yes, other than the ending, it's not as close to flawless as season 1. But you still need to watch it. __Long answer (Spoiler Warning):__ Everyone talks about how much season 2 sucked compared to the first season. While it certainly wasn't terrible, it really could have handled itself better. The writers put in unnecessary try-hard plot twists that just ruined the story. For example:- - The death of Nunally. I think the death of Nunally would have added a lot of meaning to how Lelouch loses everything in exchange for power, but then of course the writers pulled the totally unnecessary "haha she's alive" card. Tbh, I kinda predicted that she was alive. When a character as important as her dies, they wouldn't make it that quick. While she was disintegrating from the FLEIJA explosion, they would have shown what was going on in her mind at that moment, and things would have been in slow-motion. But her death just happened in a second, so it wasn't really a surprise. - Even the death of his mother. There was absolutely no need to make it that she was actually alive but her "conscious" was put into another person. After all, her death was one of the driving forces of the Black Rebellion. - I also did not like that they did not show the origins of the power of Geass. Who made the Sword of Akasha? Why is there a planet while they were standing there? What was that army of people with Geass symbols on their heads that Lelouch saw when he got his Geass? - The scene where Suzaku attacked the UFN meeting for the vote to add Brittania as a member on Lelouch's orders also did not make sense. If Lelouch wanted the peaceful world Nunally and Euphemia wished for, he wouldn't have tried to make the UFN vote for him by force. Even if it was the dream of the most important person to him in the world, Lelouch is not monkey-brained enough to achieve that by coercion. But, Well, in the end, all these questionable plot turns were required for the flawless ending. I mean, it makes up for it and more. The moment you see Zero running towards Lelouch, you already know what's going to happen. Seeing Lelouch sacrifice himself for the sake of the world was beautiful and touching and all the previous things that happened seemed insignificant. The scene where Nunally held his hands as he dies reminded me of how important siblings are and how much of an impact they can have on each other. It's probably the best ending of any anime I have seen so far. Trust me, it's worth it. So the best thing to do is to look at the series as a whole, not season 1 and season 2. Then it will be easier to look past the plot holes and just enjoy the show for all the good sides. I think the best analogy for season 2 is by Gigguk from the anime podcast Trash Taste: "Season 2 was a car crash that somehow perfectly parallel parked"
# This was one of the most polarising experiences I had while consuming any media, like it's hard to describe the hate and love I have for this series. Saying it's flawed is an understatement, saying it's a masterpiece is just an overevaluation. Is it good or is it bad ? I dunno, for one thing I loved it. Because of this amalgamation of feelings it made for a memorable watch. If you consider only the last episodes canon and the rest filler, yeah certified masterpiece. This of course if a review of both seasons, but since R2 got such a reaction out of me it'll be the main topic. I'll also try to be as spoiler free as possible. Even the spoilers are skippable, you can still get an overall idea without reading my complaining/praising. ~~~__Animation/Art__~~~ If I had to describe it into a single word, it would be consistent. Personally I didn't have any expectations for it so I didn't try and look out for problems visually but, I was surprised in the quality it had to offer. The art style isn't amazing, for some people it might be a turn off but it was quite charming, at the very least it made the series stand out. Now to the part that everyone cares about, is the animation sakugasbroosu?? no. While it is good and like I said consistent I can't say I was blown away, even so all the fights were fluid and I didn't notice many corners that were cut, and personally I think it's really important to have something consistently good than a few godly moments where the animators got 10 yen extra for their work. ~~~__Audio__~~~ The voice actors did a good job, but the one thing that stood out the most was Charles's "ALL HAIL BRITANNIA". For more times than I'd like to admit I felt my right had rising while hearing it. Norio Wakamoto did a stellar job selling the charisma of the emperor. Another thing I noticed, while the use of English terms was limited to the aformentioned and "YES, MY MAJESTY/LORD" and a few others, the pronunciation was good, I know being able to say a few words in English shouldn't be such a big achievement but for me it was, all these moments got me hyped for some weird reason and it wouldn't have been possible if it was botched. On the side of music, the ops/eds didn't surprise me in any way, probably not my type of songs, visually too they were disappointing. BUT, ost throughout the series was baller, at points it reminded me of Nier: Automata, and for me that's a great sign. Like other things the ost really stood out at the end of R2. ~~~__Story/Episodes__~~~ # My opinion basically is R1 until the last episode was a solid beginning, the last episode of R1 and everything in R2 until episode 19, was me basically questioning the rating capabilities of the anime community. I won't talk about the famous cat episode in R1, yeah it's really slow at points. I'd say one of the big problems of Geass is the episodes that seem to serve no purpose and even if they do, it could've been done in a better way to save time and make it more engaging. I say it's a big problem but it's passable, a lot of series I love have these type of episodes and I overlooked them. The one thing that makes these episodes pure hell, is one of the worst problems this series faces,__ the school setting__. People have been complaining about the school settings in anime that exist for no reason except making the high schoolers or any young demographic relate, (_there's also the ecchi, I love my ecchi moments but they can be introduced even if the girls aren't in high school as far as I'm aware._), but here it's even more painful to watch since you have such an interesting world introduced, politics, effects from actions, but they take a back seat for fanservice and uhh school activities, you get my point. I craved to see more of the innerworkings of Britannia, the aristocrats, the other important powers in the world. The double life that Lelouch lives is interesting at the beginning but after a while it's so annoying. This brings me to another 2 big problems, __the R2 twist__, from the opening episode and __Nunnally__. I'll be short with the first problem, if you actually liked that twist please send me your death threats so I know who to avoid, it might've introduced a cool character but it also made R1 feel useless. The character that was introduced could've been introduced in other ways, and still create a relationship between him and Lelouch. Nunnally as a character, isn't bad, it's ok, but it ties with my first problem, the school setting. The story could've advanced but Lelouch is always back for at least one episode at school for Nunnally, and you are left waiting for a full episode for some crumbs about any developments. For one season is fine but this continues until the 2nd half of R2. I don't think a military themed show should waste so much time on things like haha funny run after Lelouch to be in a relationship with him. There are always OVAs for that, just saying. In R2 it gets so bad that ~! I waited for Nunally to die, like when she "did" I felt like my favourite football team finally scored after hours of running in circles !~ I understand that Nunnally is the thing that drives Lelouch but there've been cases of main characters fueled to conquer whole worlds for their sisters and it didn't make me rip my eyes out whenever their safety was in question (Legend of the Galactic Heroes). ~~~My hate for all these "trivial problems" is only fueled by __THE MASTEPIECE THAT IS EPISODES 19-25__~~~ I know at this point I just joined the sheeple, but even with my pride shattered I have to admit I loved these episodes to no end, but at the same time it's also a testimony of the missed opportunity with the rest of the series. Characters that I used to detest I started to admire them or just purely admit that maybe it was wrong of me to wish death upon them, talking specifically about Nina right now. I watched these episodes on Christmas Day, and no joke it felt like Santa bent space and time to make the show listen to nearly all my pleads towards this show. Santa deniers please stop reading btw. Even if it was for a short while we got strategic battles, no more ha I actually had something prepared for this, it devolved into bombs and retreat but I really appreciated the effort. While the actual battle was good the ideology and thought battles is where it made the difference. ~~~This is just me gushing about the last episodes, if you didn't watch it yet I suggest skipping over it since it would just ruin the experience~~~ ~! The rivalry between Lelouch and Schneizel was so beautifully built up, and considering their opposing opinions it just made for such an interesting battle of wits. I also loved that Schneizel wasn't so 2 dimensional as he seemed, once again making him a good matchup for Lelouch. In terms of themes,_ forcing your love onto others_, was once again something built up that I didn't realize until the end, and it also helped making Lelouch and Suzaku more human, it made us aware of the hypocrisy Lelouch is guilty off, while he accusing his parents he still continues forcing his ideal world on Nunnally. Just an overall good message that was well written into the circumstances of the story. And the twist at the end, it was as much tragic as it was brilliant. I kept wondering why isn't Lelouch just coming out, yeah btw I'm Zero just to turn the Order into disarray, but the reason was made clear to me. And both Suzaku and Lelouch giving up their life, one of them just technically speaking, was rather poetic. It was obvious thinking back on it but it was the cherry on top of the cake. (_At the same time I have to give credit to the awful beginning of the season that it made me stop thinking about what will happen, so maybe it was all planned._) The part that rubbed me off the worst was the epilogue that started after Zero Requiem. It might be just me, but feels wrong to see everyone happy go lucky after the characters you actually cared about "died". Would've been better to do it without the narrator, just show some shots of their new life. I'm rambling right now but at the same time, I have to talk about it since it influenced my rating, it really just shat on the whole vibe the episode created. !~ There were also other problems with characters just being immune to dying for some reason, twists that felt a bit forced but going that much in depth is just nitpicking. If I had to quote one of my friends > Code Geass has some of the highest highs yet some of the lowest lows ~~~__Characters__~~~ And to go by the quote mentioned above, I'll start with one of the worst characters, at least in R1, Nina. While I talked about the show, I just called her racist lesbian since that's all there was to her in the first half of the series. What they tried to do with the character was pretty clear, it was either redemption in the future or small petty villain that gets rid of at one point. The problem is, she is part of the main cast in the school part, so you have to deal with her pretty often, most of her growth happens off screen so she doesn't do anything valuable in R1 except hate the Japanese. I'd say it's quite funny that she gets cucked but it might be of poor taste. In R2 she gets her redemption I guess especially after she realizes she is the Robert Oppenheimer of the geassverse, but if I remember correctly she just doesn't try to kill Lelouch anymore, really can't say if her racism is gone since he is British so yeah. I think that gay>hetero in basically any relationship in anime, so it's really disappointing to see them just make her so two dimensional. ~~~Now to the character that surprised me the most, Suzaku.~~~ If I have to be honest, I didn't hope for much from Suzaku in R1 he seemed the exact carbon copy of all virgin idealistic MCs that go against the chad I'll do whatever to get what I want MCs. But after, a certain, thing exploded, everything started to connect. It was such a satisfying resolution that came after times and times where he was broken. Nearly everything about him was changed except his determination, in the masterpiece part, his determination is at it's highest. It finally feels he knows what he has to do, in like 40 + episodes he just reacted to everything that happened around him, talking about ideals and to do it the right way, but in reality he didn't do much, he was just a cog that thought he'd bring the change in the big machine that was Britannia. It was an interesting conclusion, or idea about how idealistic people could end up. His story is a tragedy that gets worse and worse but while at it's peak you can't stop but admire him. I personally, I'm fascinated by him, and the finale, him and Lelouch arrived at. In the end, the difference between him and Lelouch was the determination, his will to see their promise to it's end. Other things I guess I want to talk about is, how much ecchi there's in this series, like R1 has just tits, quite a lot of them, then in R2 there's the cam shots in the robots that probably inspired Darling in the Franxx. Like yeah Kallen is hot same for C.C. but I kinda feel it takes away from the seriousness the show tries to have ~~~__Conclusions__~~~ If I had to describe my whole experience, it would be a toxic relationship. The show keeps treating me like shit, then at times it's a bit nice, shows me some interesting politics cool fights, then beats me again, and then when I'm nearly about to drop them, leave them for good and not look back, they become everything I've ever dreamed of. Where I'm probably at fault is my expectations. I went in expecting some really serious military themed show, with a very smart MC, something along the lines of legend of the galactic heroes but with robots and high school. But it wasn't that. Considering the ending I understand anyone that considers it a masterpiece but I will still not shut up about my opinions
# [Just before I get into the review I will preface this by saying that this will have spoilers so be warned before you read it]. _I just watched code geass season 2 and wow, my mind is blown the ending was so fantastic and the rest of it too was very good but not as good as season 1. but still fantastic. so I had been spoiled for the ending of it but it didn't take away from the experience. it was still fantastic. but some other parts of it weren't as strong as season 1 but were still good like some of the middle episodes were way worse than the first season. some of the middle episodes were downright boring and kinda hard to watch but let's get into more and start the review._ # __Story __ _the story is easily the best part of code geass and it's no exception in the second season. the story just amazes me every time I watch a new episode it is just very fun and exciting to see what plan Lelouch will come up with next and the rivalry between Suzaku and Lelouch was amazing and one of the best parts of this season but whenever they try to make the story lighthearted like for example the heart game they played it just falls flat for me. it's not what we are watching the show for we watch it for the mecha fights and the story, not the stupid love game or whatever it was. Nunnally was not really in this season that much and it is kinda weird that she wasn't because she was one of the best parts of the first season but she is in the later parts of it but the first part of this season focuses on rolo and Lelouch rather than nunally and Lelouch, speaking of rolo, he is annoying, I get that his death was supposed to be sad but I just didn't care for him that much in the first place so I didn't feel any emotion. one thing I gotta get out of the way is the fan service, wow there is plenty of fan service and it's so much that it gets annoying after a while and it is super unnecessary. in conclusion, the story is the best part of this season, what isn't however is the._ # __Characters__ _the main cast of characters are very likable like Lelouch, Suzaku, Kallen, C.C. but some of the side characters are so annoying like Nina, Lelouch's dad, rolo, the class president[for me]. and schneizel, V.V. all of them and more are all annoying as heck. my favorite character was probably C.C just cause when her memory got erased, it was really funny. and the normal C.C is just funny and likable. you don't know whether to trust Lelouch or not right up till the end. you don't know if he is the bad guy or the good guy. that is such a great part about this season, you never know who to trust. there was way lesser zero in this season than the first but that is just probably because everybody knows who zero is now so not much of a gripe. yea apart from the main characters, almost every character is annoying._ # __Animation__ _the fights are really cool dude. and the geass animation is cool, you know the animation whenever he geasses someone[ is that what u call it ?]. and apart from the fights, the animation normally is very good for its time_. #__In Conclusion __ _I was just very happy I watched this season. the ending was probably the best ending I have seen in anime yet. I don't know how the movie will be but I will probably watch it, but not very soon but I will someday, I hope it's as good if not better than the second season. I have really enjoyed watching code geass. the only thing I do not like is the side characters. everything else I love. well, that's it for the review. what did you think of it? i will probably watch a lot of anime movies now and review them so stay tuned. alright, see ya_
Code Geass is about an abandoned prince swearing revenge against his cruel tyrannical father of a king with a grandiose to change the world for the better. A world where his father controls a vast empire that subjugates and oppress lesser powers of the world, a world where the racism and classism is the norm and a corrupted moral ideal dictates that the one holding power is the one that decides what is right. There are also supernatural elements known as geass which the main protagonist uses to his advantage in order to achieve his goals. Code Geass R1 in general introduces us to the characters and the supernatural elements. In terms of the main plot progression it moved really slowly. But I do believe season 1 is important to really make the viewer understand and recognize the stubborn ideals of many of the important characters. Code Geass R2 almost feel like a reboot of the series trying to tie up loose ends from R1 and is what I believe caused a bumpy plot progression for R2. There are many things happening and several plot points that some don't really seem to matter but is necessary to watch because it is technically not filler (This minor issue does also persist in R1) However several of the last episodes in R2 really felt like the writers found their footing, sat down and properly plan the story forward towards a well design and satisfying ending. Code Geass characters and their daily routines really felt jarring sometimes because almost all the main characters are teenagers and they either fight with the government or are secretly rebels. So in an instance they are fighting an all out war and the next they are at school preparing for a carnival. This is really something personally for me I have to stomach in and remind myself: 'it is a 2D Japanese Cartoon... whatever' I am not saying that it detracts from the story too much because these high school drama, slice of life, comedy side of the story can be somewhat endearing or funny at times especially when it is obvious the writers know that these moments are wacky and it shows at how over the top they are presented at times. Still as I said these high school comedy side plots happen simultaneously with serious battles where people fight and die... there can be a real whiplash reaction to the tone of the series at times. But as I said before several of the last episodes towards the end of the story totally throw out all these high school shenanigans and really drive forward the main plot seriously. The ending is just good it is just really good I cannot possibly explain how good it is without giving spoilers. Basically it really wraps up everything nicely and it is consistent with the motivations of the main protagonists, chef kiss. Another thing that really stands out is the stubborn ideologies of the main characters and how they are constantly at battle with one another. At times it does not feel like a struggle and contest between characters but of ideals and the characters are representation of those said ideals. These thematic battles of beliefs are consistent throughout R1 and R2 and they come together in a very satisfying way towards the end. The quality of voice acting, sound design, music, animation are fine. Nothing really amazing and nothing really bad either. It is just... pretty good. In conclusion what I love about Code Geass is how the story really plays out towards the end. It does suffer from some really drawn out plot lines which is basically slow pacing issues. But boy o boy that ending is one of the most satisfying one I have seen. It is by no means perfect but boy it just feels right.
_“The only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed.”_ - Lelouch Vi Britannia As just your average anime enjoyer with poor written English ability and below average communication skills, I really don't like giving reviews but because Lelouch reminds me of how depressing it is to be a depressed male homosapiens since Plastic Memories then I'll consider it as a token of my appreciation. It’s been a while since a series or a TV show made me suddenly have a terrible mood swings and irritability like a maiden having her first menstruation period. The god of laziness prevents me from working and at the same time, the god of insomnia prevents me from falling asleep. The excitement I’ve felt from the first season, the wilt to throw your phone inside the toilet bowl as Suzaku betrays the MC, and the rising of the not so shield hero from seeing some moments of fan service. Yes, it is one of the most engaging and hyped anime out there in the vast universe filled with 80% generic isekai anime. So let’s discuss why this anime is special and why it is also a trash garbage. # Story - The first half of the second season is not half bad. In fact, it is still good, intense and breathtaking. But what the heck happened to the writing on the second half? Orange, why are you going tomato and siding with the MC? Also, Marianne – Lelouch’s Mother is alive and is actually a villain with a geass that could transfer her consciousness to other people? Rolo, I thought you’re going to murder Nunnaly? Who the heck put a stair in Nunnaly’s room when she can’t walk nor see? I mean, what’s going on with the world? This is more stress inducing rather than having a new variant of coronavirus that can’t be cured by any kind of vaccine! - Main Antagonist are not too evil. This one point already made the anime different from the rest of generic anime series, Hollywood movies and any other more. There is no pure evil, only clashing ideals, values and diverging version of what they think is right. The King of Britannica that wants a world where no one lies, Lelouch who wanted a gentler world for Nunnaly to live, Orange who wanted to prove his loyalty to the Britannian blood. Marianne who is just being Marianne. C’2 who is just being C’2. # Fight Scene - The fight scenes are good, but unlike the first season, it is not so tactical. It became, “My mecha armor is better” scenario where one armor could wipe out an entire fleet of aircraft with a single laser beam. Bruh… Where is my “Go sigma formation! B1, B2 go left… Retreat, retreat! ” scene? # Art Style - I am not choosy, I ate vegetables. Nunnaly is still a waifuu material even though she acquired a larger set of eyes. Karen in her mascot uniform still hotter than charizard. # Soundtracks - Very Great! Added to my Spotify collection of sad, emotional music. Who didn’t get goosebumps when they first heard “[Continued Story by Hitomi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHViAiVuDsA)” in Lelouch’s Death Scene amplifying the emotional impact as the events and sacrifices made by Lelouch flash before his eyes? Only humans with no spine wouldn’t. What about “[Story by Hitomi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GaxCGZqEvQ)”? Sounds too holy that it felt like I am inside a Christian church with a private choir singing for me even though I am actually watching a coup d'ét against a corrupt nation that is trying to kill God. # Legendary Ending - Painful indeed, it lives up to my expectation as the legendary ending in anime history. I’ve been holding my nose the entire time, the warmth of blood swelling up to my face, trying to stimulate my glands and produce tears. The concept of sacrifice where you gave up your life only for the majority of the people to despise your existence as the villain. And we know that there is no redemption arc where the MC magically goes back to life to clear his name, he didn’t take credit for his guts and brains or make himself the hero. It is a very beautiful ending retaining the integrity of his own words that the fate of those who are prepared to kill are to be killed themselves. He took responsibility for killing Euphy, for Shirley and her father and the lives of many that had been lost. # Conclusion One of the best anime so far that I watched in recent years. I don’t know what to say but despite those flaws and inconsistency in the series, once you felt in love with the soundtracks, I mean, the moral lesson of the story, then it is hard to hate it. Therefore it is a complete 101/100 for me. P.S. The movie is not related to the S2 original ending which is a disappointment, but also a good thing. _"Anime is trash and so am I"_
~~~___[DISCLAIMER: THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO EITHER HAVEN’T SEEN THE SERIES OR ARE STILL WATCHING IT. ALSO COVERS THE MAJORITY OF CODE GEASS, NOT JUST SEASON 2]___ Ah Code Geass, the one show that is most well-known for its MC and its ending as well as being a mix of drama and action. Characters going out for war while wearing some of the fanciest clothing CLAMP can ever come up with. Making poses like you threaten civilians in such a flawless fashion. Mechs having such a unique design in both looks and equipment. There's nothing else to put other than to give out my thoughts for each element of the show. Let's get started. --- __STORY: 81%__ img500(https://i.imgur.com/uPpdXbU.jpg) The story is portrayed as a war drama with our main protagonist, Lelouch, solving how to end the cycle of hatred without his identity being shown. He gains the ability to mind-control people all thanks to C.C., an immortal witch who grants people a handful of powers. Lelouch uses his power as carefully as he can. Lelouch explored Knightmare Frames, a type of mech that can come with different equipment, and uses one of them. He struggles to fight against Suzaku, a boy who he was best friends with during their childhood, and because of this, he then created his own army and named himself “Zero”. Code Geass has an interesting take on war drama because the show gives time to explore its characters. While it feels very refreshing, sometimes, it can be off-putting with a few odd moments; an example of that being that one episode dedicated to chasing a cat. While I do understand where this is going, it’s awkward to see an entire episode where the characters are chasing a cat just for Lelouch to return his helmet. Can’t Lelouch just place his helmet somewhere safe? Of course, there’s the one scene where Euphemia was out of control due to Lelouch’s mistake and killed the Japanese. Lelouch ends up killing Euphemia because there’s nothing he can do to fix it all because of his Geass being unstable after he used it on MAO, who was one of the villains of the show and has a fully-experienced Geass. While I don’t think it’s the best, it was at least realistic considering it shows how much Lelouch screwed up. Overall, R1 was a great way to show a series with just a few problems holding it back a little. Then there’s R2, which extrapinates some of the problems R1 had and called them a day. Lelouch once again continued his plans after he regained his memories. He also has an illogical brother named Rolo, who has the ability to stop time within a small radius. While R1 made a lot of sense, R2 quickly became so chaotic that some events ended up being seen as comedy, especially once Lelouch dethroned his father and became the emperor of the entire world. There are so many plot twists around I can’t even count properly. Thankfully, these problems were fixed by the show’s ending. The ending revolves with Lelouch sacrificing himself just to end the war and the war finally stopped. Everyone achieved their freedom. I’ll be explaining this further in the characters section. --- __CHARACTERS: 72%__ img500(https://i.imgur.com/3oix0QG.jpg) There are some characters who we love. There are others who we hate. Personally, I have my own thoughts for each. Before that, I just wanted to explain each characteristic for the main cast. Lelouch is a student quickly-turned rebellious leader who sets up his own plans in order to free everyone from chaos, especially his sister. Suzaku is a soldier who follows orders from the Holy Britannian Empire. He is also both best friends and rivals with Lelouch. C.C. is the immortal witch who grants people the power of Geass, each type of Geass providing different abilities. Kallen is an individual and one of Lelouch’s subordinates. She is a tsundere but despite that, she can be quite sensitive, compassionate, and gentle at times. For my thoughts, I’d say the main cast had a lot going for the plot. They have their own spotlights and they have their dynamics with one another. But with R2 going, I can only name 2 major characters that are considered actually fleshed out. Lelouch is the obvious stand-out, with his motives, relationships, and how he attempts to achieve his goal while struggling to do so. Suzaku, despite what others think of, is also a major driving force of the story. He can be idiotic and he can be annoying but his characterization, like Lelouch, felt very realistic and it shows how he tries to fight against his problems. Both Lelouch and Suzaku are trapped in their own issues and they still keep on moving forward. As for C.C. and Kallen, they’re fine characters. They have their own moments and they can bring impact sometimes but their characters suffer due to them being sex objects for certain scenarios. For the side characters, they’re also fine. I don’t have strong opinions on them but they at least contribute to the plot. The worst character for this, however, is none-other than Lelouch’s father, Charles. As the main villain of the series, Charles didn’t do right for me. At some times, he is shown where he is an interesting source of intimidation when we look at his backstory. Most of the time though, he feels like a generic tyrannic doomsday device throughout the series. The side characters do have potential to be very interesting but they somehow look like fodder for Lelouch. Perhaps one side character manages to be fleshed out compared to the others and that I’m talking about is Jeremiah (better known as Orange Boy). I didn’t care for him either but he eventually grew on me at the end with his loyalty. Now back to the ending. Every character in the show is no longer a killing machine during war. They really knew what was happening and they decided to find better things to do. Lelouch sacrificed himself because he was the mastermind behind the chaos he created after dethroning Charles and he wanted to in order to solve his and everyone’s problems. --- __ART: 77-82% (character designs), 94% (mecha designs)__ img500(https://i.imgur.com/F4KVLRr.jpg) The artstyle for the characters are weird. Characters look too lanky to match their actual sizes that they may end up looking like glorified stickmen. The fashion, however, more than made up for it. Fashion sense in Code Geass is stylish and fancy. The best example for that is Lelouch as Zero in R2 where he looks like a badass leader who acts like a threat. The Knightmare Frames were one of my favorite mech designs in all of mecha. Rollerblades, ejectable seats and grappling hooks as the base kit, truly made for dynamic action scenes. Their base designs are also lit-looking. --- __SOUND: 77%__ img500(https://i.imgur.com/8rvtumv.jpg) The OPs and EDs are iconic and put effort into their music designs. The OST behind it is good but at times can be unfitting, especially with that salsa music for action and drama scenes. The voice acting is great in both sub and dub, with occasions with scenes where we switch so we can hear which is fitting for certain scenes. For normal Lelouch, I’ll stick with Johnny Yong Bosch. For Zero, Jun Fukuyama. --- __ENJOYMENT: 84%__ img500(https://i.imgur.com/6HOJ0bC.jpg) Code Geass is fun and engaging. But sometimes, it can be hard to take some things seriously. I don’t know what else to say… Clearly if you want to see characters for your preference no matter if you love or hate any, this is a solid watch for you. Otherwise, it’s more advisable if you watch it for both Lelouch and the ending. Not saying that it may look bad, just that we have our own views on how we watch it. --- __OVERALL: 8/10 (A- Tier)__~~~
~~~img410(https://imgs.search.brave.com/Z9E5ibjuSj7rU2222SBffzveZh34RofImAWCel5vbAg/rs:fit:1200:1200:1/g:ce/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWFn/ZXM0LmFscGhhY29k/ZXJzLmNvbS83NzUv/Nzc1NDc3LmpwZw)~~~ img820(https://i.postimg.cc/cLvmPqRC/unnamed-1.png) ~~~ >"Change will never come about if you don't make it happen."- Lelouch Lamperouge ~~~ img820(https://i.postimg.cc/cLvmPqRC/unnamed-1.png) ~~~The ending had me broken in a way that I never knew was possible. Put your seatbelts on and prepare to take on a franticly paced and concluding journey, slaloming through plot twists and character development at a pace that will leave you yearning for a new episode after each one. This is obnoxiously addictive, so save a lot of time. What we have here is Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch, R2!~~~ img820(https://i.postimg.cc/cLvmPqRC/unnamed-1.png) ~~~Did it go too far? Was everything done perfectly? Was there room for improvement? Was it genuinely terrible? That is a question that you should answer on your own; I won't answer it. It seemed great to me. It was fantastic. Despite my initial reluctance, I have always concluded that the changes the series made—every minor plot twist, every character development—made the series even better than it already was. That is the undeniable truth in my opinion—it got better with each step. However, because of its pace, it frequently came close to stumbling as it took too many steps in too little time. It wasn't a big deal to overlook minor details or skip over unimportant events. However, some of the major events received insufficient attention, and as a result, I'm not at all happy with that.~~~ img820(https://i.postimg.cc/cLvmPqRC/unnamed-1.png) ~~~img410(https://imgs.search.brave.com/q0VbGUvLZvoCtSIw86Q1FqRlrzeczvHC251aYzkkKCg/rs:fit:1200:1200:1/g:ce/aHR0cDovL3dhbGxw/YXBlcmNhdmUuY29t/L3dwL25MS280YWsu/anBn)~~~ img820(https://i.postimg.cc/cLvmPqRC/unnamed-1.png) ~~~The majority of the main cast's introduction was handled in the previous season, giving the second season the chance to fully develop the cast. The creators fully seized this opportunity, used it, and exploited it. There are close to 80 named primary, secondary, and tertiary characters in Code Geass, which has a cast that is incredibly large for its runtime with 25 episodes. But the main cast was well-developed, the supporting cast was excellent, and the newly introduced characters were awesome as well. Lelouch's character development may be viewed by some as "jumping the shark," but in my opinion, they did a fantastic job, and he is a great character. I was able to believe in him throughout, but especially during, the very end.~~~ img820(https://i.postimg.cc/cLvmPqRC/unnamed-1.png) ~~~youtube(youtube.com/watch?v=G8CFuZ9MseQ)~~~ img820(https://i.postimg.cc/cLvmPqRC/unnamed-1.png) ~~~ Love is another topic that Code Geass puts into perspective. There is a lot of love between the different characters, which made it possible to play out both drama and comedy, and it was done so very well. Lelouch plays a central role in the love stories of several characters, most notably Shirley and Kallen, who both like him a lot. This is given comedic and dramatic effects, and it subsequently functions as a pivotal plot point.~~~ img820(https://i.postimg.cc/cLvmPqRC/unnamed-1.png) ~~~The animation was superior to that of the previous season in almost every way. You are probably accustomed to CLAMP-inspired character designs by this point, and who knows, you might even like them now despite how lanky they are. The Knightmare battles were entertaining to watch and the backgrounds and scenery were done with great detail. The battles were visually appealing in addition to the other benefits they offered the viewer because they were animated in a seamless contrast of fluidity and chaos and combined with excellent special- and lighting effects.~~~ img820(https://i.postimg.cc/cLvmPqRC/unnamed-1.png) ~~~youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdCXy3sw0uE)~~~ img820(https://i.postimg.cc/cLvmPqRC/unnamed-1.png) ~~~This season's soundtrack for the show was also ideal. The soundtrack was updated, keeping some old songs and adding some new ones, but it maintained the same mood as the season before. Even though it wasn't particularly noteworthy, the background music enhanced the mood, whether it was one of conflict, reflection, love, humor, or something else. Both the season's opening and closing themes performed well, with the second opening theme standing out as the superior choice. I'm a sensitive person, so the final episode ended nicely with an insert song that made the scenes play out in front of my eyes and made me cry. They made one error though—they should have ended it after that insert song instead of having to insert the Ali Project ending, which utterly destroyed the poignancy that had been built up.~~~ img820(https://i.postimg.cc/cLvmPqRC/unnamed-1.png) ~~~The highly entertaining sequel Code Geass R2 has been criticized on both the positive and negative sides, making it a hit-or-miss proposition. Only the gods know how you will respond to it, so all I can advise is to watch it through to the very end and judge for yourself. The ongoing plot twists could cause you to change your mind several times. It did with me, but eventually, everything fell into place and everything was fine.~~~ img820(https://i.postimg.cc/cLvmPqRC/unnamed-1.png) ~~~img410(https://imgs.search.brave.com/GknGaGfJhDqqmZzPZHwnab6qLpCQCx6U-PpaiP44hL8/rs:fit:1200:1200:1/g:ce/aHR0cHM6Ly93YWxs/cGFwZXJjYXZlLmNv/bS93cC93cDU0NjU3/MzYuanBn)~~~ img820(https://i.postimg.cc/cLvmPqRC/unnamed-1.png)
After rewatching, I felt the need to exhaust my thoughts on this anime, and this seems to be the best place to do it. I always thought Code Geass was not as good as it could be. I shared the opinion of many fans about how only the ending is perfect and the rest is just good. I had thought this even though I watched the whole series in under 2 days and I have seen other people say the same thing. But how could everyone do the same mistake? Yes, because a geass was cast on us. Rewatching Code Geass 14 years after I initially watched it, it made me realize how good of a show it is. __Narrative Structure__:- You see, the events happening in Code Geass always outperform the events happening in the previous episodes in terms of scale and grandiose in an obtrusive way. The new event overrides our memories of previous events, and the past episodes seem insignificant in comparison. Isn't it ironic, this is how Geass works. The ending of the anime was so strong, and the best and most complete ending for any anime ever, everyone thinks only the ending was good and other episodes were boring. Think about it, haven't you felt that you like a character but they do something so stupid you start to hate them the next episode, or the opposite. __Characters__:- Zero: A public masked identity, originally created and assumed by the former and exiled prince, Lelouch vi Britannia. Zero can be pronounced as 零(Rei) in Japanese. Make no mistake, just because they use the borrowed zero doesn't necessarily mean they weren't thinking about wordplay. Writers love their wordplay, and the Japanese have quite a strong tradition of it. I'm not really qualified to talk too much about other languages, so I won't do so at length, but you might want to poke around something like wiktionary to check out some of the extremely interesting potential readings you can get out of the [れい ](https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E3%82%8C%E3%81%84#Japanese) sound depending on reading and origin without even leaving Japanese. (The king bit is certainly true, though - Spanish rey, Latin rex, French roi, Portugese rei..) From English, zero has a lot of potential metaphor to it - absence, emptiness, void. But lest we forget, its etymological root is in the Arabic sifr - from which we also get cipher and its metaphor of secrets, disguises, and codes, as well as the intriguingly adjacent [royal cypher ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_cypher). Lelouch: The story is structured around him and the anime excellently makes him relatable. He is a charismatic, convincing and inspiring, as if casting a Geass to the viewer through the screen. I am not really sad about his death, but I can only hope that the people close to him understands his actions and remember him well. CC: She does not contribute much to the story. But I think we can all agree that she is a really charming character. Suzaku: He is self-righteous and blames everyone but himself. Although Lelouch often accepts his own errors, Suzaku comes up with an excuse for his actions. Even the reason Japan's terrorism is caused by Suzaku killing his own father, but he fails to realize it. At the end, he finally accepts that the way he did things was wrong and joins Lelouch. Schneizel: Charismatic and manipulative, cunning, overconfident and ruthless, Schneizel is widely regarded as Lelouch's greatest adversary, including Lelouch himself, and he serves as one of the primary antagonists of the series. Charles: He is a cold and intelligent man who strongly holds views of social Darwinism, believing that only the strongest were worthy to rise in society his views and ideology seem to have stemmed from his traumatic upbringing and serve as one of the primary antagonists of the series. Nina and Nunnaly: I think they deserve the hate they get. As Lelouch said, "Those who shoot should be prepared to be shot". And I think Nina and Nunnaly got away with so many head counts even though they weren't prepared to get shot. That is why the best thing we can do is hate them. __The power of Geass__:- Code Geass took lot of inspiration from mythologies. The [geas ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geas), literally meaning "taboo" in the Irish language, is a reoccurring element in Celtic mythologies. It refers to a strong curse or magical stipulation placed upon an individual which either compels them to act in a certain way or forbids a particular action. Though obeying one's geas can result in strength and blessings for the one sealed with it, breaking it can lead to severe consequences -- up to and including death, as was the case for the folk hero Cú Chulainn. In the anime a Geass is created when a code user makes a contract with a human. The Geass manifests differently in each individual, possibly related to their inner desires and personality. The power of Geass increases with use, and should the user lack the willpower, they may be consumed by it. __Plot and the Ending__:- The story of Code Geass begins in the totalitarian run alternate history. In 2010, the Britannian Empire enslaved Japan using powerful mecha known as Knightmares; in the aftermath Japan was renamed Area 11, and its people began a hard and terrible existence. By Using the supernatural power, known as Geass, our protagonist leads a rebellion against the rule of the Holy Britannian Empire to free Japan and to avenge his mother's death, commanding a series of mecha battles. zero requiem is the best solution, the anime has from the start developed to converge to this solution: the problem is not only about britania or the monarchy, war has been since humains exist C.C said in the last episode, people tend always to fight for what they think is right, but they never try to understand the other's pain nore they care about them, when charles died, Schneizel came, and this would have continued endlessly, but the reason why the zero requiem is the best solution is that he centred all humanity's hatred toward one person, they were finnally able to understand the other's pain cause they are all under the same treat, lelouch took over the whole world to unify people against him and to make them understand how peace is precious and that fighting is not the solution, so when lelouch died, they were freed from the burden of hatred and they could sit in round tables to discuss their problems. Code geass doesn't say too much about these things, it only hint to them so that the viewer could make his own vision of the thing, and i find this to be brilliant. They hinted the ending from ep 5, lelouch said back then "when does war end? When some one wins" he also said in the first episode " the ones who should kill are those prepared to be killed" and he also said that he will destroy the world and make a new one and defeating evil by the means of greater evil.this is lelouch's philosophy, he doesnt believe in mere words, like "i will change the system from inside" and the anime has shown that it's impossible this way cause the whole system is corrupted and susaku finnaly understood this and joined with lelouch. There is also the thing you said about them wanting to atone for their sins, it's absolutely true but it's only one part of the whole thing. Now about what Charles and Schneizel were up to, charles is some one who is living in the past, he doesnt care about the present, he dedicated his all life to create a system that could unify all people's mind, the incarnation of this is the thought elevator, it's only a symbol you know, but for him to achieve this goal he needed two codes, he already have V.V's one and from the begining of the show he was after c.c who didnt agree with this plan, you remember the first episode when Clovis captured C.C and was about to give it to the prince, but the japanese stole the capsule from him. The sword of akasha is a symbolism in the japanese folklore, i dont have a clear idea about the myth but in code geass it incarnate how god will be slayed, god here is the collective consciousness that were gathered via the thought elevator. The purpose of all this is to to get rid of the lies in the world, by connecting every one's thoughts, so that every one will act as he is, without any mask. But the problem with this system is that it dosnt allow people to evolve, cause they will be no desires, no problems no future, life will loose its value cause even the dead people will be in that world. This is why lelouch rejected this world, he wanted a dynamic world where people long for the the loved ones, where they hope for the better, where they struggle to achieve their goals, even if they lie or commit mistakes, humanity should not stagnate. And to defeat Charles, mariane and their system it was so easy to do and Lelouch figured it so quicly, yes he couldn't use geass on charles who has the code, but he could use it on the collective consciousness as it's made from people's minds,( remember geass work on the mind of people not the corpse or the object no matter the type of geass) Schneizel in the other hand is the one who thinks only of the present, he doesnt care how the future will be, and this is why his methods are too extreme cause the consequences doesn't mean any thing to him. Lelouch realises the true nature of his brother and was then able to defeat him, he realised that Schneizel doesnt have any desire as he doesnt care for the future, he doesn't enter a battle to win but only not to loose, and because he misunderstood Lelouch's ideology he thought that lelouch was willing to kill him, and that's what brought his loss, cause lelouch from the start was planning to use him for the sake of the Zero Requiem. "Charles values the past, you value the present, but i value the future, cause no matter how the future will be bright as people are longing for the best" said lelouch to Schneizel in ep 24. And to link this the Zero Requiem, lelouch chose to die for the future to be bright. The high school setting is also used well to appeal to a certain demography, establish the power scale, and add extra drama and enjoyment. Good & Evil = Zero(Lelouch) Perfectly balanced. __Overall__: Code Geass is an over the top mecha story with showy twists. It's an classy Anime with a great protagonist and a satisfying conclusion.
__"As if it could get any better,"__ I once thought to myself after finishing the 1st season of _Code Geass_. How joyous I must have felt to have been proven __so very, very wrong.__ ___Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2___ proved to the cinema world that it's __not only one of the best anime ever produced, but one of the best television productions I have ever seen.__ I wish I could find the words to express how incredible this season is, but doing so would necessitate the need for unnecessarily complex vocabulary - words that would make this review too difficult to understand. __For a simply incredible ending to a more than incredible show,__ I refuse to disrespect it by showering it with words of praise not understood outside of a doctoral student's vocabulary - only the simplest, purest forms of praise will suffice. __You, dear reader, deserve better - as does this absolute gem of an anime.__ I still don't understand how the creators did it, but somehow, they were able to take the incredible plot of the 1st season of _Code Geass_ and __build upon it - build upon the established character arcs, settings, ambitions and goals of the protagonists/antagonists, and so much more.__ I absolutely loved the plot before, but they somehow made it even better. The __drama, suspense, and development of the characters__ - both good and bad - __all improved tenfold__ over the entirety of this 2nd season. Seeing the highs and lows - __the looks of triumph and utter defeat__ - visible upon the characters' faces, the __weight of their journeys__ visible upon their shoulders - characters for whom __I cared little in S1 seemed to gain my respect and appreciation,__ such as Shirley, Suzaku, and Villetta. The characters who were incredible before remained incredible __while the supporting cast got better and better__ - something that I did not expect to happen when I started the 2nd season. Truly, everything about __Lelouch and his comrades' journey and ambitions just falls into place __- every piece of the puzzle connected. Lelouch cemented his legacy as one of the __most brilliantly written anime characters ever conceived.__ His plans and goals left me guessing at every corner - __did he even deserve my admiration and praise, or was I just another victim of his master strategies?__ He leaves every viewer wondering until that final piece falls into place, and when it does, __you're left wondering how your jaw could drop so far.__ For all of the hate, suffering, loss, and death that the world faces in _Code Geass_, __Lelouch knew__ what would become of his homeland, his comrades, and even himself. The mastermind who, he himself, lost so much, __played the final winning move__ - and on that fateful day with the world watching him atop his stage, __how very fitting it was that the Sun was shining.__ When Suzuku so solemnly accepted that Geass, the spotlight of peace and hope shined upon Lelouch as the final curtain dropped. ~~~__Personal Ratings__~~~ __1. Music: 95/100__ - Building off of the phenomenal soundtrack introduced in the 1st season, _Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2_ continued the trend of __incorporating numerous incredible pieces that match the countless different moods and scenes throughout the show.__ I would personally rank it very slightly higher than that of S1 because, while both seasons' soundtracks do an incredible job of __composing music that accurately depicts each scene,__ S2 was able to build off of what its predecessor already established - both are great, but __as the 2nd season continued get more suspenseful, action-packed and enthralling, so, too, did its music.__ __2. Plot: 101/100__ - __What else is there to be said?__ I can't help but give _Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2_ that extra point to set it over the edge - __it simply has one of the best plots in any television show/movie that I have ever seen.__ 15 years after its release, it's still regarded as one of the best anime ever written. Everything that the 1st season did so well, the 2nd season built upon, improved, and refined. __It, quite frankly, deserves that extra point.__ __3. Characters: 99/100__ - In my review of the 1st season of _Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch_, I mentioned that I generally __prefer a show with a _small cast_ of great characters, rather than a _large cast_ with a mixed bag of good & bad ones.__ Indeed, __thus was the reason why I rated the 1st season's cast at an 89/100__ - there were many great characters (Lelouch, CC, Kallen, etc.), but plenty still who were either not important, not essential to the plot, or just plain stupid (Rivalz, Nina, etc.). _Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2_, meanwhile, did what I least expected it to do - __build upon the already great characters AND give the less interesting characters more development, importance, and reason to admire.__ Characters who I thought would never be interesting or enjoyable, __such as Suzaku, Villetta, Ohgi, Shirley, and many more,__ gradually became more important and, as a result, I came to appreciate them more. With that being said though... Rivalz is still there, ~~so I can't give it a perfect 100/100.~~ __4. Art & Animations: 94/100__ - Much of the artwork and animation styles in _Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2_ are the same as that of the 1st season, __but that doesn't change how beautiful it all looks.__ I mentioned in my review of S1 that, at first glance, __I thought _Code Geass_ was a newer anime from the 2010's__ due to how well everything was animated and colored, __only to find out that both seasons are over 15 years old.__ This anime completely fooled me on how old it actually was based on the artwork and animations alone - __a factor that, in my opinion, shows how well it has aged.__ ~~~__Conclusions__~~~ I can only tell you, dear reader, so much as to why _Code Geass_ is one of the __best forms of cinema__ that I have ever had the privilege to watch. The reality is simple: __when someone takes the time to make something great, it deserves to be experienced and shared.__ It is because of this simple truth that I chose to start reviewing anime in the first place - __I believe that quality cinema should be recognized and shared__ with others. ___Code Geass_ and both of its iterations are key examples of this truth.__ If you know someone who has never seen this anime, has _heard_ of it but never seen it, or is just starting to watch anime in general, __I humbly ask that you share it with them.__ Better yet, __share it with anyone - whether they like anime or not.__ There are so many television series out there that are insanely popular but are no where _near_ the caliber and quality of _Code Geass_. Whether or not it's anime __is, in all honesty, irrelevant__ - it's incredible television, plain and simple. It was shared with me - __go ahead and share it with someone else,__ as I have done in these reviews.
~~~__[!]THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS[!]__ What happens when you combine Legend of the Galactic Heroes with Gundam? You get Code Geass. Created by the same studio that created the likes of Cowboy Bebop, Gintama, and Gundam, Code Geass is one of the most interesting series when it comes to combining multiple genres into one - telling a story about war drama while having other elements to keep certain characters developing ideals and such. This was once one of my favorite anime of all time all because of the protagonist fighting evil by dressing up as evil and the whole war thing. It looks really epic. Looking back on it though, I can certainly tell that this series is so uncertain… Not bad, but something’s off with it. If you read my previous reviews, you may already know what I’m talking about before I review things. But for beginners around: All of these are 100% opinion-based. What you’ll see is very subjective and therefore, shouldn’t be taken seriously. I have no problems with anyone liking the series. If you’re a fan of the series, feel free to share why you think it’s better than what I said. Without further ado, let’s jump into my reasonings, shall we? --- Like I said already, Code Geass is a war drama. It’s a story that focuses on a vengeful prince named ‘Lelouch’ who disguises himself as evil to fight his deceiving family after obtaining the ability to mind-control people for once from an immortal witch named ‘C.C.’. Both Lelouch and C.C. fight against the corrupted government alongside their friends, Suzaku, and Kallen. This series has such an immaculate premise. A battle between empires in the modern world while being affected by the ancients is surely something to be excited about. It’s very complex for what it is but it makes a surprising amount of sense. The first season presented pretty well. It’s not the best thing ever. There were twists that felt either stupid or rushed. But nonetheless, it did a good catch. Then there’s the second season, which makes the whole series really problematic. The biggest issue with Code Geass’ second season is how it tries to emulate the previous by being more over-the-top with drama and action. While I do think it’s more fun than the first season in terms of surface-level entertainment all thanks to the mad choreography it contains, what’s kind of unapologetic is how it reuses the problematic twists in R1 and think they could be better by extrapolating them; they’re not. They’re possibly the same thing. It makes shows like this more embarrassing. Another big issue I see is how the series tries to toy with the characters with said twists. I don’t know if this feels like a redundant argument but in my opinion, the empires already have their chances to show their true strengths or power so I don’t get why the story shoves more drama to it. Unless one character or a few more needed some kind of secondary plan, it really comes off as amateur if you ask me. --- Speaking of which, the cast also comes off as amateur. What we have for the main cast is Lelouch, a vengeful prince trying to save the world by being evil, Suzaku, an honorary knight who is willing to bow down to his superiors, C.C., a witch who grants people the ability to mind control, and Kallen, a Britannian-Eleven girl. While the main characters have their moments, a lot of them aren’t really anything exciting to talk about. I really like Lelouch. His path to achieving world peace makes him a truly engaging character. His method of fighting all of evil by dressing up as evil isn’t the most unique thing ever but hey, it would make for solid writing. As for the rest, I don’t think they could even come close to being engaging. I mean… I guess Suzaku is an okay character. I like how he interacts with Lelouch on most occasions. But for the most part, I feel like he’s unreasonably idiotic. Him being the biggest hypocrite in the whole show doesn’t really add much to the imagination. The other two main characters are pretty bad. Not terrible, but still mildly inconsistent. C.C. may be the sole reason why Lelouch fights against the will of evil but she’s only really there to push the plot forward. I feel like Kallen has very little purpose to the story besides the mech fight scenes. I mean, her interactions with Lelouch are okay but she’s still a flat character mostly used for fanservice (well, both C.C. and Kallen are mostly the main fanservice girls for the whole show). The side characters are pretty bad too. With the possible exception of Orange Boy, who’s pretty much a decent definition of loyalty, most of the side characters are either mindless lunatics or just simply plot devices. The worst character overall has to be Nina though. At least Suzaku’s obsession with Euphemia can ‘tell something’, but Nina’s obsession makes zero sense and should never exist. As for the main villain, Charles was a big letdown. He’s kinda interesting in terms of motives but he doesn’t really add up as a character. He only exists for Lelouch to seek what he wants. --- Oh, wait, I shouldn’t forget the most important part of the whole series: the ending. Despite the unintentional hassle, this show has gone through, the ending is really good and keeps it from being bad. It’s not the best ending in anime ever. Hell, I’ve seen better ones (LotGH’s ending and 86(anime)’s ending, just to name a few), but at least it fixes the problems with the story and characters. What makes the ending great is it shows how Lelouch ruined a lot of things after taking his father’s throne. As soon as he ruled Britannia for a few days, he realized that it wasn’t part of his overall goal and thus, bringing people in the world into the even more wrong sides. So instead, what he did was sacrifice his entire life for the greater good and bring everyone to peace. That, to me, is one of the best ways to fix all problems. Instead of power-ups or something like that, Lelouch thought he would never be friendly to the people around him so what he did was erase his life from existence. But again, just because the ending is really good, doesn’t mean the series is good as well. --- For the miscellaneous, the animation was ahead of its time. Not the best thing ever, but it remains quite consistent. I’m personally not a fan of the character designs. Even with the best clothing in the series like Lelouch’s Zero outfit in R2, they look WAY too tall to match their canon height. They might look like glorified stickmen if anything. The mech designs though are amazing. Rollerblades, ejectable seats, and grappling hooks as the base kit make for very exciting action sequences. The chess scenes are horrible. As someone who plays chess with elders sometimes, I find it insulting that Lelouch can get away with an absurd mindset on chess. I just don’t think it works like that. The music is decent but the salsa theme in fight scenes doesn’t really click well with me. The OP and ED are great though. The voice-acting in Japanese is great but the English voice-acting is on a different level. Johnny Yong Bosch’s Lelouch may not be as deep or epic as FukuJun’s but his role is incredibly dynamic and works extremely well with how Lelouch approaches certain things. --- Overall, again, it’s not a bad series by any means. It’s okay. It has its moments where it can feel intriguing. But it could have been way better if it wasn’t for idiotic drama shoving. The twists can be interesting but there are way too many of them to the extent that it doesn’t feel any natural. The characters, with the exceptions of Lelouch and possibly Suzaku and Jeremiah, felt really flat. The best thing this show has ever done is the ending. It’s embarrassing to see how this show turned out. As interesting as this is, it doesn’t really do justice to its themes and such. To think it could become unreasonably idiotic only for it to show any sign at the very end, I never expected this to be like that. Oh well, it’s still really fun to watch. Thanks for reading!~~~
Before i head to my thoughts, A little background: ___ I ran into Code Geass quite recently after finishing (and adoring) Mobile Suit Gundam: Witch from Mercury, and wanted to see more from Sunrise as a studio. Code Geass Season 1 is a great show, and I loved every bit of the story, tension, tone, and characters in that story (also the subtle Pizza Hut sponsors are nice) All of the ideas this show brings to the table, even if badly executed, are very good ones. Now, my genuine thoughts on this season: ___ It is better in every single department, which is very surprising because season 1 already had very good writing and characterization, this season has a lot more emotional moments, and a gut-wrenching ending to back it all up. It actually made me cry, (which is a thing I never expected during my time I watch/read fiction) and made me genuinely feel sad for all of the character deaths AND gloomy moments that happen throughout this season. ___ Animation: img20(https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/590864642000027666/1088065258293305354/96EAF8F898BBA893782442E7604CF0F44C2E24F5.png) ___ It's one of the best visual treats I've seen, no matter if a character talks, or an action scene plays, the entire show just looks amazing, and doesn't age poorly (which is a big plus) Although some of the characters may be pretty skinny and have the same "Sharp Chin" look as some of the older anime have, it still doesn't ruin the experience and felt very natural. The Knightmare Frame action scenes are easily the highlight for the animation, they look beautiful, and combined with an immaculate sound design, it makes it A LOT more enjoyable. img500(https://giffiles.alphacoders.com/143/143957.gif) ___ Characters: img20(https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/590864642000027666/1088065258293305354/96EAF8F898BBA893782442E7604CF0F44C2E24F5.png) ___ An EXTREMELY well-written cast of characters and a main character(s) that you sometimes do and don't sympathize with Let's start with Lelouch Lamperouge: He was established in season 1 that he will conquer Britannia because of the death of his mother, and here, he's still the same, extremely confident, and extremely suicidal human-as-pawn-using madman, with a lot of depth and emotion to his character, Shirley's death is a highlight for his personality. Also, his characterization DOESN'T EVEN end there, Episode 25 is also another important highlight to note because he IS the reason why the ending was amazing, a main character WHO ACTUALLY DIES in the end is not very common, and this feels like both a gloomy and refreshing way to end a series out. Next up is C.C: She still is an ally in Lelouch's side, ultimately wearing a (admittedly, very scrumptious) outfit to fight with Lelouch, she still eats pizza, from time to time (which is a bonus), and has some emotions, that are although not NEARLY as emotional as Lelouch's, still makes her character different from him, especially when she lost her memories and goes into the C World. Every scene of Lelouch seeing her past just adds to her character more and more, since apparently she was a slave before she got her Geass powers. img500(https://blog.lhyeung.net/uploads/2008/07/cgr2fifteen04.jpg) Another notable character is Suzaku Kururugi: Established before that he swore revenge for Lelouch after he killed Euphie, there are a lot more to his character than just that, He is one of the Knights of the Round, which is a prestigious title giving to the most elitist of Knightmare Frame users, and is being commanded by the Emperor, and that alone really sets his character in a good light, despite later joining with Lelouch. Episode 25 is also a highlight for not just Lelouch's, but Suzaku's as well, since after killing him, the latter was instructed to help Nunnally as Lelouch's alter ego, Zero, and becomes the NEW Black Knights member, which is also exciting. the First F.L.E.I.J.A shot is also very amazingly executed with a lot tension too, even if they fire the first F.L.E.I.J.A, that doesn't equal a win. Rest of the other characters: WELL all of them are good Jeremiah is back with new cybernetic powers and eventually goes to Lelouch's side. Kallen is still being a Black Knight despite the truth revealed from her (Lelouch is Zero) Xingke and Tianzi are also great characters that flows in with the old cast of characters quite well. ___ Story:img20(https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/590864642000027666/1088065258293305354/96EAF8F898BBA893782442E7604CF0F44C2E24F5.png) ___ Here is the most important quality: If any of you can't STAND the school elements in this show, be happy, since there are MUCH LESS of them here. the pacing is still very great, and the overall lore is EXTREMELY deep, Geass powers, Knights, Knightmare Frames, etc. every single plot point introduced are very deeply explained. The worldbuilding is also a thing worth to note, because every place introduced are brilliantly told. ___ Overall opinions ___ A must-watch, that's all i could say.