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Thursday, December 5, 2013

Code Geass Review

Thoughts: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion is a critically acclaimed anime series that is an absolutely must watch for anyone interested in the anime genre or great stories in general. Code Geass is exactly the type of show that I enjoy, mixing various genres into an incredibly unique experience that is nearly unmatched. Code Geass is about a high school student named Lelouch, who is given the power of Geass, which gives the ability to control the will of anyone that makes eye contact with; however there are limitations to his power that he later discovers. The series is set in an alternate future where Britannia has taken over a large portion of the world using their superior robot/mech force. It is important to note that this is a review for the first season, not the second season. Because it would take far too long to explain more of the overall plot, watch the first minute and a half of the first episode below, and everything else about the show is explained without spoilers, and then please read the rest of the review.

Now, back to the review. Code Geass is considered by many to be one of, if not, the best anime series ever made, and a definition one for this generation, and I have to completely agree, Code Geass an amazing series, not just a great animated one.
Code Geass combines many different genres into one seamless series, including, science-fiction, psychological thriller, action, high school (minor aspect), government rebellion, drama, political intrigue, fantasy, and the series does feature a small romantic subplot that is handled well. There is something in Code Geass for just about everyone.
The only thing that you need to know is that the series does take a few episodes to get into, but after that, Code Geass is incredibly addict and hard to stop watching.
One of the best parts of Code Geass is how invested in the characters and plot I was during the series. During certain points of the series, I was on the edge-of-seat dying to know what is going to happen next. There are other times where I was thinking how is he going to get out of a situation, and then I almost cheered when things went for the character. Other times the show can be very saddening in a good way. Shows where the main must use his wits to escape a situation is something I really like seeing.
Another important note is the that series can be quite dark and violent at times as it deals with themes of what the cost of freedom should be. and terrorism.
Fans of the other anime series, Death Note, will find a lot to like about Code Geass because there are a surprising amount of similarities despite the genre differences. Both shows are about a guy who gains great power and uses it to create the world that he desires. Lelouch is probably a more likeable character than Light from Death Note, although both are fantastic characters. Also there is a fantastic conflict between two friends that have different points of view. The only reason why I can see Death Note fans not enjoying the series is the art style of the animation. Unlike Death Note where it is more realistic, Code Geass is very stylized and intentionally unrealistic with the animation, but I think the animation looks amazing.
One more comparison is that while Death Note starts out better than it ends, with some incredibly gripping episodes in the early part of the season, then it begins to lose steam after a certain thing happened. On the other hand, Code Geass started a little slow and did not completely enthrall me until about episode 8 or 9, but consistently build towards better and better episodes. It would be nearly impossible for me to choose which series better between the two, but I have to give a slight edge to Code Geass after watching the almost as amazing season two.

While Code Geass is near flawless, there are a few negative aspects worth mentioning. First off, there is an unnecessary amount of random fan-service in a couple of episodes for no reason whatsoever. In general, the series focuses on the story and characters, but in a few episodes later in the series there are some things that it could have done without. That is the main reason why I could see female viewers not enjoying the series. Another minor flaw is the majorly annoying character Nina. She is a creep, and is often the worst aspect of any episode, fortunately however, her role in the series is very minor, only appearing in a few episodes. One last thing to mention is that there is a minor plot hole, which I cannot discuss in detail without spoiling the series, but it does not affect the series as a whole.

The Good: Jaw dropping plot twists and turns, Very likeable main characters, Stunning animation, Epic robots battle, Incredibly addicting, Excellent English dub cast, Edge-of-your-seat suspenseful, A rollercoaster of emotions, Complex story, Intense action, Unique soundtrack, Perfect combination of various genres, Thought provoking, Great opening song and animation, Great sibling characters, Well developed characters, Sibling drama,

The Bad: One really annoying minor character,

Note: Since this is part one of my review of the series, however below is my final verdict and part two will be coming soon where I go into detail about the different aspects of the series.

Overall: 9.9/10- Overall Code Geass hits the mark on so many levels, from the emotional to the fun action scenes, the series is nearly perfect. Code Geass is an amazing series that any mature fan of animation should most definitely watch, and one of my new favorite TV series of all-time. Seriously, watch Code Geass below, it is amazing!

If the video below does not work, watch the series at this link.

Recommended for: Sci-Fi fans, Action fans, Mecha fans, Thriller fans, Death Note fans,
Note: If any of the episodes do not work, please contact me and I shall find ones that work.


If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

14 comments:

  1. Excellant review! :D I definitely plan on watching this at some point(I added it to my to-watch list), since it sounds like something I'd definitely like! :D Glad you enjoyed the series- the genre looks really good!
    Yeah, I've heard about fan service(haven't seen it all that much in any anime I've sen so far, luckily) and I agree, it's annoying :P However, since there is similar things in American television, if it isn't that bad, I can overlook it if I enjoy the story.
    Looking forward to the second part of your review :)

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    1. Thank you! :D I really think you would enjoy the series! :) The genre is incredibly unique because it really mixes multiple genres.
      Some of the series I have seen have it worse than others. And since it is animated, I don't consider as bad as live action television, although I have read some really bad anime. Anyway, Code Geass is great, despite a few fan service scenes. :)

      -James

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  2. I'm glad you liked my suggestion! I knew you'd like Code Geass! (I still haven't watched more than episode 1, because it freaked me out when I was a little kid, though I really wanna watch it now. And YES fan service drives me INSANE. I hate it. I wish they would leave it out, because it has absolutely no point.)

    ~Misty

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    1. Thanks again for recommending the show! If I had watched it when I was a little kid, I probably would have been freaked out as well; Code Geass is not for kids. I agree with you for the most part about fan service also.

      -James

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    2. Your welcome. :)
      I'm going to try and watch it soon. :D

      ~Misty

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  3. Darn it looks a cool show. But by now you know what I mean by this...

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    1. I assume you are referring to the lack subtitles. Maybe you can kind it on Netflix. Also, you could watch the sub with its original Japanese audio. A lot of people prefer the subtitled versions better anyway.
      Here is a link to a site that has both the sub and dub. If I can find English with subtitles I will notify you.

      http://www.animefreak.tv/watch/code-geass-lelouch-rebellion-english-dubbed-online-free

      -James

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  4. This show seems rather interesting but I have no idea when I'd be able to see it. Your review was great, though, it was nice hearing more about the series since you like it so much. I kinda wish Anime was more my thing since there's so much of it out there. But alas, it is not. :( I'm glad you've been enjoying it though!

    ~Jamie

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    1. It took me almost two years and trying to watch anime before I found Death Note and really became a fan of the genre so that is understandable. :) If you give it a try, please let me know!

      -James

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  5. I can tell from your review that you're really a big fan of Code Geass! Well, I can't blame you. It really is an amazing series. The story is just so gripping.

    The series is not perfect though. I think there are too many convenient plot elements that serve as a cop-out to conflict. And the characters tend to be a little inconsistent in their 'character' or 'attitude'.

    I also agree that it's better than Death Note. The second half of Death Note is not as powerful as its first half. Code Geass, on the other hand, is powerful from start to finish, and THE ENDING! The ending is just perfect.

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    1. Yes, I am a big fan of the series, it is probably my favorite.

      While I agree that season two had some character inconsistent, but this is a review for season one, which I did not think there were many inconsistencies. Also the mystery behind the power of Geass was ridiculous and that is my biggest problem with the series.

      I agree, Death Note's second half never lived up to its amazing first half. And I agree that Code Geass' ending was PERFECT! So amazing, it might be the best ending to any franchise ever, just so powerful and sad and meaningful.

      Thanks for the comment Arvin!

      -James

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    2. If you're looking for more almost-perfect anime out there, try Fate/Zero. It's the prequel to Fate/Stay Night. Fate/Stay Night is not that good however, so if you're not going to dive into the whole Fate franchise, you can skip that. Another almost-perfect anime would be Fullmetal Alchemist. It's about 64 episodes so I don't know if you have the time for something that long, but I thought I should recommend!

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    3. Thank you for the recommendation. I have heard a little of Fate/Zero but, until you told me more about, I was not sure about watching it. After I finish Future Diary and Sword Art Online, I will have to start watching the series. As for Fullmetal Alchemist, I am actually watching FMA: Brotherhood in-between other anime series, which, thus far, is amazing. I am about halfway through Brotherhood series.

      -James

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  6. I agree with this review so much! Nina was the worst thing ever, I just cringed every time she appeared but the complicated friendship between Suzaku and Lelouch made up for it as well as nearly every single other character (although I will forever be iffy about Kallen).

    The fanservice was barely noticeable for me but that's probably because anime like "Highschool of the Dead" have desensitized me over that thing 0_0 Not exactly a good thing but oh well.

    PLUS THAT ENDING. I still can't decide if it sounded more painful in sub or dub.

    ReplyDelete

One rule: No strong profanity. If you want to link to one of your posts, please do; I am always interested in other reviews and such.

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