Reflections of a Young Pilgrim

~ Synopsis

This is the story of the banished prince Lelouch vi Britannia.

It starts off with him as a young man attending a university. He has friends, he has a calm home life, and he’s practically a genius at everything he does. Yet he can’t forget the day his mother was murdered; or the day when he confronted his father about her death and was then sent into exile for it.

Lelouch is determined to learn the truth of what happened, and to make the world a safer place from his heartless emperor-father. Even if he creates a world war in the process. So when he acquires a hypnotism power called “Geass” and an opportunity to strike, how far will he go to achieve his dream?

~ The Story – 8/10 (Very Good)

The tale of Lelouch is an over-the-top dramatic story. It strives to go above-and-beyond the typical script and be as epic as possible. Plot twists, betrayals, awesome battles, everyone has a secret “trump card” to pull out at the last second, etc.

There is so much drama actually, that it requires something called “suspension of disbelief”. It has plenty of moments where your brain says “you expect me to believe that actually happened?” Convenient coincidences, out-of-character moments… these randomly appear and help drive the story forward.

Despite that, it was a gripping story. It has a unique mixture of action, politics, suspense, intense drama, and fun times that you’ll either love or hate. I can’t deny the epicness is overdone, but it’s still epic. The finale itself was also quite impressive and a perfect wrap-up to the series.

The unrealism of it all can turn away a lot of people. But if you’re not bothered by fiction that’s unrealistic or “too dramatic”, or can overlook a show’s poor points for the good ones, then check out this true “love it or hate it” show. For me, it was definitely entertaining.

I also liked how the characters asked some hard questions about the morality of war. Yes, each of them has their own reasons to fight, but war is ugly. Can they genuinely believe in their cause as so many lives are taken right in front of them? Can they really justify their sins? For example, Lelouch is a genius who enjoys the game of war, but when it starts affecting people he cares about, that cold indifference starts to change. So again, how far will these people go to achieve their dreams?

~ The Characters – 7/10 (Good)

The main reason why I liked the story (and why I could enjoy the overdrama) was because I could appreciate the characters. The main cast was likeable and deep. The (many) side-characters were unfortunately a bit shallow, but they were still interesting to watch. Overall I’d say Code Geass had good characterization.

Lelouch is the star of this anime. He fights the Empire to avenge his mother and make the world a safer place for his little sister. Yes, for once the lead character is a villain (or at best, an “anti-hero”) – his intentions are true and understandable, but not always noble or moral.

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Suzaku is the other star of this anime. A longtime friend of Lelouch, he actually joined the Empire’s army to make it a better system from within. He was born with a “hero” personality and so strives to be good and noble in everything he does. Naturally this annoys Lelouch to no end.

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C.C. (pronounced “C2”) is the one who gave Lelouch his Geass power and acts as his partner in crime. She comes off as a very mysterious individual with secret motives, but she is always there to support and advise Lelouch. She is also extremely witty. Her one-liners and love for pizza give some much-needed laughs to this show.

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Kallen is one of the founding members of Lelouch’s army, the Black Knights. She is the group’s most talented pilot, on par with the Empire’s knights. Despite little backstory, her compassion for her friends and amazing fighting skills make her one of the most interesting characters.

Several organizations get a spotlight in this show too. The School Student Council is a reminder to Lelouch about what a “normal life” with friends can be like. His army of Black Knights naturally plays a major role. The Britannian Imperial Family are especially critical to the story; they are a REALLY interesting bunch… some nobles are downright detestable, while others are pretty admirable or even lovable. And we haven’t even mentioned the scientists, the knights, and surprise villains, that get time in this story too.

Alright. This show definitely has way too many characters. Unless you’re really paying attention, you probably won’t be able to remember half their names. But since most of them only play minor roles anyway, it wasn’t very distracting. The main cast and the Imperial Family were always the real stars, and I was rather impressed in how they were developed out.

~ The rest (random babblings)…

The show is split into two seasons: Code Geass and Code Geass R2. There are some differences between them, but overall it felt like one complete story, so I’m reviewing the series as a whole.

To those who’ve never heard of Code Geass before… you should know that most of the fights didn’t even involve the usual guns and missiles. They use mechas. That’s right, giant robots. I know how unrealistic that sounds, but I thought they were portrayed rather well. They won’t shock an American audience too much. Because they weren’t all-powerful indestructible vehicles… they were tools of war that need actual skill to use properly. Besides, some of the battle scenes were AWESOME.

The OPs (Opening Songs) really stood out for me too. There were 5 openings in total, and most of those had excellent music + visuals. I ended up getting the full versions of those songs actually, they’re that good.

Animation was very well done. There was never a scene that looked poorly drawn. They really went the extra mile to make this show look good.

I do have a gripe about the story… the overdrama made for a lot of spectacular moments, but it also made for a couple moments that I hated. For example, they suddenly kill off one special character due to an “unlucky timing” accident. Or you see friends fall apart over a misunderstanding, and instead of them communicating like adults, everyone goes their separate ways. For such brilliant characters, they can be really stupid. Thankfully they weren’t always stupid, which is why I still love them.

I was also bothered by the adult content that sporadically appears. It has no relevance to the story and feels a bit out-of-place. Like so many shows these days (I’m looking at you Sci-Fi Channel), while it does have a great story that’s definitely entertaining and usually appropriate for teens, an adult should preview episodes first to see if there’s a surprise scene to skip past. Unless you watch the version televised on Cartoon Network, which was somewhat cleaner.

Despite those problems, I really enjoyed this show. Code Geass is a gripping and exciting tale that’s 95% clean (for older teen viewing), and I was happy to skip that 5% to enjoy the rest.

Enjoyment: 8 / 10 Stars (Very Good)

~ Verdict

Code Geass is renowned on the internet as “the most beautiful trainwreck you’ve ever seen”. I admit it has a couple ugly flaws, but it was closer to an overacted play than a wreck. Highly enjoyable, I understand that some can’t handle the overdrama, but I also understand why it’s one of the most famous anime of all time… it is beautiful to watch.

Final Verdict: 8 / 10 Stars (Very Good)

A clip of the first Code Geass opening:

~ Recommended Audience

Appropriate for the 18-up crowd for bloody violence, emotional drama, occasional strong language, and brief nudity.

If you watch the televised version that aired on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, there is no foul language or nudity, bringing the age rating down to the 16-up crowd for bloody violence.

Violence: As this is an action / drama show, there are plenty of battles. Many involve onscreen killings with blood splattering, though not in a gross or grotesque way. But there are scenes of people being mowed down by machine guns, as well as people shooting themselves and others at point blank range. Terrorist plots and racism are discussed at some length.

Language: The usual swearing, nothing gratuitous. But being in the military, some of these characters get exasperated, and I recall a strong expletive being said once or twice.

Sexual Content: Nothing of concern. There is a very brief scene where it’s suggestive that something is happening, but only the character’s head is shown and it’s in a dark room.

Nudity: Several brief scenes of nudity, specifically: 2 showering scenes; an injured soldier waking up suddenly to find herself in a bed with her battered clothes gone (she covers herself with a blanket quickly); and a stranded female soldier bathing in a river and suddenly attacked by an enemy (nothing happens to her, but there’s a couple seconds of frontal nudity). These four scenes don’t last more than 5 minutes each, and the revealing parts go by in seconds. But considering that’s out of a 1000-minute series, those moments are rare enough to catch you by surprise. Fanservice is also present. Skimpy high school and battle uniforms are present. One episode has women in bathing suits showing way too much skin, though it only lasts for two minutes.

Religious Material: One character is determined “to kill god” – though it’s not referring to the Christian religion but a different take on the spiritual realm. A nun makes a brief appearance in this show, though her selfish actions clearly indicate she isn’t Christian. At one point Lelouch is considered almost like a god by the masses.

~ Show Details

Episode Count: 50
Version Reviewed: Subtitled by THORA
Aired: 2005-04-17 to 2006-04-02
Genre: Mecha / Drama
Studio: Sunrise
Other Reviews: Akemi’s Anime World (R1, R2), Christian Anime Alliance, Common Sense Media, AniDb (R1, R2), Anime Academy, AnimeNfo (R1, R2), AnimePlanet (R1, Another R1, R2), Anime Source (R1, R2), MyAnimeList (R1, R2), Nihon Review (R1, R2), Spectrum Nexus, Star Crossed