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Janny-Cats' Lelouch of the Rebellion Tv Review

Lelouch of the Rebellion

Lelouch of the Rebellion tv Review

Lelouch was a prince until the day his mother was murdered; his little sister Nunnally became paralyzed and blinded. Now in high school, he's bored with life, playing chess with rich aristocrats to stave off boredom while caring for Nunnally. One day, he meets a mysterious woman named C.C. who offers him power through a contract which he accepts; C.C told him that this power is called "Geass" and it can forcibly make other people obey his command with eye contact. With this new found power, he adorns a mask calling himself Zero. He then begins to gather warriors calling themselves the Black Knights, with the ultimate goal to overthrow Britannia and recreate a perfect utopia where his sister can live a life of peace.

R2 is a direct sequel to the main series. Lelouch is back to his old ways of playing chess with aristocrats, his life and memories of being Zero suppressed and his sister Nunnally somehow replaced with a brother named Rolo. A year later, C.C. finds him and is able to restore his memories and his power. Remembering who he really is, he's determined to get back to doing what he'd started a year ago as well as find out what happen to his sister!

Story & Characters

Code Geass is one of those animes you just have to check out because it's so popular and people everywhere are buzzing about it. I'm glad to say that, despite it being confusing most of the times, watching the show to the end proves to be worth it. I wouldn't go as far to say that it's a masterpiece, but the story is one of the most unique I have ever seen.

-Overview-
(I'll try to keep it general since I don't want to spoil anyone)
I recommend paying attention throughout the whole show because if you skip even half an episode odds are you'll get confused. What I find most interesting is the manner in which the story of Lelouch is gradually unraveled, from a mere student our protagonist becomes a leader, a hero (or anti-hero, your choice). Most of the major events unfold at an easy-to-follow pace, so we're able to closely follow Lelouch's progress.

I think that the first episode doesn't present itself as well as it could. You're basically thrown, head-first, into this new universe where everything is explained at a fast pace and the characters seem hollow, somewhat empty, dull. It seemed to me that the introduction of so many characters was done too fast. But things pick up after this to the point where even the so-called filler episodes are a joy to watch. Seeing our protagonist falling in bushes or pinned down by his friends who force him to wear make-up is nothing short of hilarious.

Battles between mechas are also included, but the directors were wise enough to balance them out by other scenes, so they don't become tiring or tedious to watch. Lelouch's road to becoming a hero is also paved by political battles, new characters, events and the like, elements that are brilliantly introduced at the right moment and don't direct much of the attention away from the protagonist's main purpose.

-Main Characters-

Lelouch: To be honest, the protagonist's bizarre appearance is what peaked my interest in the anime. If you look closely, his body resembles a sort of hybrid between a 10 and a 20 year old, as if the creators were trying to tell us that he's still a child, but his brain is already grow to an adult size. I'm aware that the rest of the characters share this unique look, but these traits seem somewhat more profound in Lelouch.

What I love about the character is that he has flaws. Most heros are presented as half-robot, manly soldiers, but Lelouch can't even make it up a flight of stairs without gasping for air. And it's this trait that makes him a good example of a realistic hero that people can relate to.

Lelouch behaves in about the same manner with everyone around him, except his sister, Nunnally. Around her, the protagonist sometimes opens up and talks freely since he represents his motivation to change the world. As a leader, Lelouch keeps his calm when dealing with those he commands, and often feels as if he is the master in a chess game. He strategises, he points everyone in the right direction, but at the same time tries to keep all his men safe and uninjured.


CC/C2: CC, often called the witch, remains mostly a mystery from start to end. She can act both like an adult, but most of the times a childish behavior emerges, as she playfully speaks to Lelouch about serious matters. CC has surprisingly many human traits, such as liking pizza and plushies and feeling sad, happy, worried or lazy in varied situations. She grows to like Lelouch and sometimes worries over the situations he's gotten himself into and even offers to help him.


Kallen: I like to think that Kallen represents the traits that make a tough female character. She despises the feeble and meek mask she has to put on for everyone at the Academy, and feels alive when she's helping Zero and her fellow rebels. Kallen is a high rank Nightmare pilot, skills that she doesn't boast about, but rather would let others see for themselves. What I love most is that she is a fighter until the very end, she strives and stands by her beliefs, something that can certainly inspire everyone.

Rating: 9

Art

The art sets a very dynamic tone to the anime. The characters all wear memorable outfits that are very colorful and/or have an intricate design. The creators have put a lot of energy into the design behind Zero's outfit and mask and the result is certainly unique.

The effects produced by the Geass and Nightmares are impressive; showing the brain synapses rearranging themselves under the Geass power has a dramatic effect and still sticks in my mind as very creative and beautiful at the same time. Also, the fire that surrounds Lelouch in one of the episodes in season one is one of the most amazing I have ever seen. Use of bold contrast is usually on the menu, and I love it.

I find it a breath of fresh air to see that most of the characters have bizarre eyes colors, from bright purple to a combination of pink and neon blue, which makes everyone stand out. And their outfits certainly complete the odd but creative look.

Rating: 8

Sound

-Music-

The soundtrack can seem somewhat too anime-stereotyped, such as the intro and ending songs. But there are a few songs that are memorable because they feature impressive vocals. Such songs that come to mind are "Innocent Days" and "Stories". When the characters have to make a decision you can hear a saxophone in the background which gives the show a certain old style feel.

The rest of the soundtrack is what you'd expect it to be, battle music sets the appropriate mood, slower songs are used when a certain character dies or is hurt. Everything is done tastefully and fits, but the creators played it safe so there isn't anything too spectacular to mention.

-Voice Acting-

I've seen both the original and the dub, but I slightly prefer the second since Lelouch is dubbed by my favorite voice actor. But the original voices are picked out really well, everybody sounds like you'd expect them to. Nunnally sounds like a shy, feeble little girl, CC has a certain mysterious aura around her. Arguably, Lelouch's voice is too low for a boy his age, but I'll assume that the voice actor was picked in order to make the character stand out. His voice is somewhat hard to get used to, but after about five or so episodes you'll end up forgetting it was even an issue.

Rating: 7

Presentation

-Humor-

The anime has a predominantly serious tone throughout the episodes, but there is still humor, most of it hinting at Lelouch's weak physical abilities or popularity among the girls at the Academy. The character often falls and struggles to outrun a classmate, or is accidentally set to go on a ridiculous amount of dates in one day. Even getting used to his new Geass power is sometimes played to a comedic effect.

-Enjoyability-

I find it really hard to critique the anime since it has done a great job at presenting a great story with the means available. I thoroughly enjoyed the anime and I'm rather sure that I'm alone when I say that I loved the ending. Code Geass doesn't outstay it's welcome, and I'm glad that it decided to pull the plug before the characters or the story got dull. I enjoyed the first season more, but the second season isn't that bad considering that it had to present some radical twists and deaths in order to conclude the story. All in all, I found the anime entertaining and it had me looking forward to every Monday when a new episode was aired.

Rating: 9

Final Verdict

8.5000 (very good)

Reviewed by Janny-Cats, Mar 02, 2009

Comments

  1. animalandia Nov 13, 2009

    Esta es la segunda parte, la verda no le entiendo mucho al ingles

  2. SchRita Dec 22, 2009

    Thanks for the review!

  3. Sanisa Feb 24, 2010

    Thanks for the review! Nice ^__^

  4. Warpten29 Mar 19, 2010

    this is great!

    merged: 03-25-2010 ~ 05:21am
    Well you did your best.
    So i guess its fine

  5. SchRita Aug 27, 2010

    I'll give it a try.

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