Code Geass

Code Geass first came up in a college class discussion. I don’t remember what the discussion was on, but the premise of someone looking to destroy and replace the system and someone else trying to reform it from the inside seemed very interesting to me. I ended up really enjoying the show, and was surprised that many of the people I knew who watch anime hadn’t seen this one. Now many years later, I have rewatched the show and come to spread the word that it’s still great.

So what do I like so much about this show? Well, a lot of it has to do with the main character. Lelouch Lamperouge is a student who spends much of his time skipping class to earn money playing chess. A faithful encounter one day gives him the power to command anybody to do anything. He uses this power and his strategic prowess to further his actual goal: taking down the Britannian Empire as revenge. Now what makes Lelouch such a cool character is that he actually feels smart, but he’s a little arrogant too and that costs him throughout the show. He also is very much a showman, making the situation more dramatic, which both helps and hurts him.

Lelouch’s clever strategies are complicated by his personal relationships. There is his sister Nunnally, who can’t walk and is blind, and his friends on the student council, who have connections to the nobility. We also have his rival and childhood friend Suzaku. Suzaku has joined the Britannian military in hopes of gaining a position from which to make a difference from the inside. These connections all interfere with his plans and desires, which makes Lelouch much more human even in his more villainous moments.

The world is a bit 1984 in its setup with it being split between 3 superpowers. In addition to the empire, there is the EU and the Chinese Federation. Some of the political structure is further explored in season 2, but most of the focus is on Britannia due to our characters and setting. There’s perhaps a little less of the negotiation and diplomacy shown to make this of interest to political intrigue enjoyers, but I think what is there is enough. I wish we got a little more explanation of the history in the show, but it would be clunky to include.

Lastly we have what could attract or deter people from the show: mechs. The Britannians pioneered the use of these so-called Knightmares in conquering Japan, and now every major player has them, though with differing degrees of how capable they are. Personally I am a big robot enjoyer, so it’s a bonus to me. Season 2 especially gives a lot of variety in abilities as the conflict has led to faster advances in what they can do.

Between its characters, their conflict and its influence on the world as a whole, Code Geass remains a joy to watch. The second season is a little weaker, its focus split between too many elements. However, overall my opinion on the show has actually improved, placing it among my favorites.