Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Season 1 – 90% – Can protecting one person be combined with saving an entire nation and changing the global order? Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion has concluded that yes, and thus began its difficult journey, accompanied by death and cruelty, but also courage and honor. Whether it's Zero in the center of events, the ethereal C.C., the determined Karen, or the likable Suzaku, it's an admirable journey. Alliances and friendships are strengthened on the battlefield, while quiet moments at school quietly give birth to many romantic bonds. And above it all hovers the elusive and contradictory power of Geass, which is at times a useful servant and at others a cursed master. The first season eventually stopped just shy of its zenith, but it undoubtedly deserves a perfect score. The only thing that bothered me a little less than everything else were the passages of uninterrupted military orders, where an ignorant viewer like myself sometimes gets lost. Nevertheless, any reservations or doubts are definitively discarded once you reach the gripping finale, which grinds, surprises, and, above all, makes you hungry for more so perfectly that you can only quietly contemplate the entire twenty-five episodes and come to an inevitable realization: Code Geass can reach even higher despite its excellent plot and perfectly thrilling progression, become a masterpiece in the second season, and even reach one of the absolute peaks in anime production. Season 2 – 100% – The atmosphere darkens, characters deepen, unexpected alliances are formed, and Lelouch Lamperouge definitively becomes the ruler of all leading anti-heroes you can think of. The second half of this monumental saga once again brings the unyielding Karen, the devoted knight Kururugi, the elegant opponent Schneizel, and the enchanting C.C., along with an even greater dose of sincere emotions in addition to the traditional dose of warfare action. Code Geass is a story worth experiencing, whether you love strong characters, complex narratives, or simply battles between robotic armies. And what it offers emotionally and cathartically in the final ten minutes is something I had to see again immediately – and again, and again. A brilliant conclusion in every sense of the word. (02/05/2011)