June reviews: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

-Fellas, is it gay to be literally just genderbent Vrisrezi?

(for the purposes of this review, R1 and R2 will be counted as the same series)  

 

I have a... complicated relationship with Code Geass, i first watched it because it was recommended to me by someone who was a close friend at the time and, having heard the series be described as "Death Note with mechs" for last decade or so, i decided to give it a shot.

Taking place in an alternate version of the near future where the British empire (now called the Holy Britannian Empire) has conquered a third of the world with the use of humanoid mechs called Knightmare frames, the story is set in Japan seven years after it's annexation into the Britannian Empire and follows Lelouch, the exiled (and presumed dead) son of the Britannian Emperor, who lives in hiding with his sickly younger sister Nunnally

One day, on the way to school, Lelouch is caught in a battle between the Britannian forces and a Japanese resistance group, whereupon he has a chance meeting with a mysterious woman known as C.C., who grants him a Geass, an ability that allows him to make anyone who makes direct eye contact with him obey his commands, with this new power and his keen tactical abilities, he sets out to help the resistance fighters under the alias of "Zero", in hopes that doing so will lead him to the answers behind his mother's mysterious death, however, a major obstacle to this plan comes up in the form of Suzaku Kururugi, Lelouch's childhood friend who, in the years since the occupation, has joined the Britannian military in hopes of rising through the ranks and changing the system from within.

So, that is obviously a lot, but, having a story with lots of moving parts is not necessarily a bad thing, as the moments where seemingly disparate plot elements come together can make for some of the most satisfying moments in fiction,and I'll be the first to admit that Geass' basic plot setup lends itself very well to the kind of political thriller where every party is out for themselves is has their own hidden agenda unbeknownst to every one else that the real robot genre has made its bread and butter for decades now

And, i mean, its not like it doesn't try?

But, what made the political intrigue in these shows so engaging was their ambiguity, a faction could be founded on a genuinely noble cause, be taken over by power-hungry opportunists, and still have sub-factions fighting for that original goal. "was Zeon right?" is, to this day, one of the most hotly debated topics among mecha anime fans for a reason, Code Geass makes a far more token effort at moral ambiguity, if a faction is good, it will have a couple of assholes in it, if a faction is evil, it will have either a noble warrior who earns Lelouch's respect and/or an innocent princess who is completely oblivious to her underlings' wrongdoings

 

So, with everything i laid out, with all the flaws and schlocky writing, why is Code Geass remembered so fondly by so many to this day?    

Because, Suzaku and Lelouch have, without hyperbole, one of the most engaging relationships I've seen in a VERY long time

It's a common joke that the vast majority of Code Geass' fans are Fujoshis who only like it for the Gaybaiting, but i think there's something more here, every year there is a deluge of anime that can only be accurately described as "Fujobait" and yet, few of these remain in the public consciousness for long after they stop airing, meanwhile, 17 years later, we are STILL talking about Suzaku and Lelouch's relationship, and  i think its worth examining why, because, for as much as the show drops the ball in its other aspects, this is one they hit out of the park

 

What makes Suzaku and Lelouch such and interesting pair is, like ships like this, contrast, being opposed to one another not just in terms of what side they're on, but ideologically as well, Lelouch is (at the series' start at least) a staunch pragmatist, willing to do anything and resort to any strategy so long as the benefit outweighs the cost, only occasionally letting his conscience get the better of him, Suzaku meanwhile, is a textbook idealist, earnestly believing that, as a native to a colonized country, he had any chance of climbing up the ranks of his colonizer's military, he'd probably spend the rest of his life as a foot solder were it not for his natural talent as a knightmare pilot 

 

These opposing philosophies drive them to clash against one another, vacillating between lifelong friends and mortal nemeses, as their paths cross while going in opposite directions, for every step Lelouch takes to start valuing those around him as more than chess pieces on his board, Suzaku doubles down on his idealism, becoming willing to sacrifice more and more of himself for it's sake, all of this culminating in one of the strongest ending in anime, a perfect culmination of both of these character's arcs

 

Finding the words to close out this review is... difficult, like i said, Code Geass and i have a complicated relationship with, and i cant find it in my heart to fully recommend a full-ass, 50 episode series just because of one aspect of it, no matter how well executed that aspect is so with that in mind:

 

 

          RATING:"RECOMMENDED"***