Code Geass my first review/post

Okay as Paulo has so emotionally said our Blog has no activity, as such I feel that I should finally make some posts. This was originally supposed to be The Code Geass review but since Paulo modified it I cant access it anymore. So I will once again start with my review of this anime. On a side note I am not as skilled as Paulo with the whole screenshot thing so as such my review will not contain the pictures I originally planned but I will try to get them in at a later date. So without further ado:

Code Geass

Code Geass, really in a class all its own, is an amalgam of a myriad of different themes that are so popular days. Mech, Politics, Revolutions, Terrorism, and Mind Games just to list a few of the interesting plot points that will arise while watching this great anime. All right so now that you have heard a few biased words of praise from the fandom in my heart I will try to offer a more subjective view.

V for.. very weird

Code Geass is set in an alternate world in the near future (really already two clichés and your calling this subjective) Great Britain or Britannia, as it is known in the anime, is a technically advanced empire that has effectively conquered the majority of the world leaving a few small empires to hold up a meager defense. This story begins in Japan and with its discovery of that eras oil Britannia has led a full-scale invasion with its newest weapons of mass destruction (okay maybe not Saddam style but still big robots can kill especially how they are depicted in the anime). This little history lesson brings us to the start of the anime. Japan now renamed Area eleven has become a protectorate of Britannia. This is the stage in where our characters set this brilliant anime. In a country split between its own personal pride and its new prosperous rulers two men with an intertwined past set off on two different paths. (Well if that wasn’t dramatic enough for you I don’t know what is). But in this anime the characters are very interesting.

"No overly gigantic eyes"

First off lets talk about the art style of the characters. Created by art studio Clamp, and for those who don’t know what that is, they made Tsubasa Chronicles and xxxHollic. Well the characters of Code Geass are realistic, meaning no overly gigantic eyes, but they have an air of fantasy that surrounds them. They are unnaturally lanky yet is not daunting and is actually quite easy to accept. The main characters of Lelouch Lamperouge and Suzaku Kururugi are two characters that are character foils of each other. Not in their physical appearance in white they look similar, but in their qualities and own personal history. These two main characters are easily identifiable with but still allow you to easily switch to the other main character. This is one of the most interesting aspects of the anime, who to root for?

What happens if you need to go to the bathroom?

Anyway beyond the talk about characters I mentioned some reoccurring motifs in Code Geass (I know mad English words deal with it), I feel like I should elaborate. This anime is not a hodgepodge of motifs that are popular thrown together and hope to work; it is actually a well-scripted anime that effectively combines each of the listed elements to make a unique twist that has made it so popular. It combines effective mind battles that are reminiscent of Death Note but besides being only a mind drama it has it infuses politics onto it. This might sound like a bore (a la stupid elections or the such) but this is not your usual politician making faulty promises but has a political murder mystery and a subtle fight for power within the largest empire in the world. And what does this great empire use as its right hand of might (real corny I know) Knightmare frames or as a generic anime fanboy would call it a mech. I find these mechs very interesting, they are not highly maneuverable machines to the point of defying physics (I’m looking at you Gundam). They run on a rear wheel propulsion system that is surprisingly realistic, almost like a walking tank that can roll at high speeds. But it is also not so realistic that it is reviled. These knightmare frames are very unique each having a different design and even though they are aforementioned not very agile they can be very athletic when piloted by a skilled pilot.

Motion sickness ftw

Anyway it is very hard trying to describe each individual part of this anime, It is not an anime that should be taken apart and studied part by part for excellence, even though it is very good in its parts the “Sum of the Parts” is a very enjoying thrill ride that is very captivating and is fast becoming a very popular anime (reaching Number 2 slot on a recent Newtype standings). These are just my personal feelings on this anime, I know this is my first post in along time, since like the stone age, so offer any comments that you want. I will try to upload the pictures at a later date**.

Opening Songs: "Colors" by FLOW

"Kaidoku Funō" by Jinn

"Hitomi no Tsubasa" by Acess

Ending Songs: "Yūkyō Seishunka" by Ali Project

"Mosaic Kakera" by Sunset Swish

**TheGrape uploaded the pictures