1st blossey- Code Geass

コード　ｷｱｽｰ反逆のルルーシュ-Code Geass- Lelouch of the rebellion

Original Air Date               October 5, 2006

English Air Date April 20, 2008

Written by          Ichirō Ōkouchi

Directed by         Noriaki Akitaya

1-      The Origin – & first episode

Code Geass- LOTB was first born from Okouchi’s small story concept. He desired to tell the story of a “hero” who would lead a rebellion and his friend. Generally, the two would equally want to change the world for the better, but having drastically different ideals, leading to an epic conflict, that would entangle the world in their fight. In interviews with Okouchi, he explains that he wanted to create “a hot series, that everyone could relate to”. Thus we have this; a dystopian future, where move 50% of the world is rules by the world’s dominant superpower; “The Holy Britanian Empire”; and The area formally known as “Japan” , now called “area 11” as well as the Japanese – “11s”. The Japanese are subservient to the Britanian and the World Is essentially riled by the royal family of Britania. The “Hero” that Okouchi delivered was “Lelouch Lampruge”, a britanian high school student, who was secretly “Lelouch Vi Britania”, the 11^th heir to the Holy Britania Empire, and assumed dead since 10 years old. He lives with his disabled sister at a rich prep school. Lelouch  is dissected with the inequality of the world and, in one encounter with the Britanian military, and a mysterious girl named C.C (C-2), he is granted “Geass”- the power of kings. Lelouch’s role as the Hero & antihero Is assumed in the next moment, when he discovers that his specific geass is known as ultimate submission, as he orders the platoon of Britanian soldiers to “die”. An order to which, the happily oblige as they tur their guns on themselves. Lelouch goes on to use his strategic brilliance to command a group of Japanese `rebels, in combat to turn the tide of the battle, before assassinating his brother Prince Clovis; all of which was done in just a couple hours. Soon after, he reunites with his childhood friend, Suzaku Kurorugi; Japanese man who murdered the prior prime minister (his father) in order to stop Japan’s formal resistance against Britania.  Becoming an honorary Britanian through military service, Suzaku is a skilled combatant as well as Knightmare frame(mech) pilot. Despite being of Japanese origin and being known as a traitor to the Japanese people, Kurorugi desires to change the circumstances through political means. Through a series of lucky breaks, he is elevated to the status of knighthood, guardian to a princess, and gains significant power. All the while, Lelouch uses his intellect to create an alter ego: Zero. As Zero, he transforms the terrorist group into “the black knights”, an army to fight for justice and the restoration of Japan. Among the soldiers is Kallen Kozuki, a half britanian who attends school under the last name Stadtfeld, in order not to be subjected to racism and keep her terrorist involvement under wraps. She is introduces as the antithesis if Kurorugi; she is as skilled and strong of a pilot and fighter, but believes that Japan can only be free once Britania is no more  .The friends keep their identities secret at the Britanian prep school, as they stride for the same goal, with different means.  Although it is a mech anime, the target audience is not specifically a gender or age group.

2.1- Themes & tone-The themes that are featured in this anime are heavy, contemplative, and inspiring.  It is very much an “us against the world”, as well as serious issues of equality. It asks the question “what is Japan” and “what Japanese is”.   It is a world of people, struggling to regain their name and cultural identity as a whole. Appear from Japanese, the anime features the remnants of China, who Lelouch rallies into his fight.

As a whole, the series is a struggle good vs. evil, but on a much more complicated level. This struggle is seen when Zero poses the question to a britanian military officer-  "Let me ask you something, Lord Guilford. Suppose there is an evil that justice cannot bring down. What would you do? Would you taint your hands with evil to destroy evil? Or would you carry out your own justice and succumb to that evil?” It is these types of scenarios that break the polarization of good and evil, and disregard the means.

2.2- Real Robot- This may be called a mech anime, although the mechs are far from the main facet in the Code geass universe. The Knightmare frames, are war machines, used in the conflicts, and are generic, for the most part. All with the exception of a few: the Lancelot and then Guren,.  These take on significance in the series, due to their symbolism and relevance beyond being a machine. The Lancelot; named after the knight of the round table, was given to Kurorugi during the second episode by the Britain military to halt Lelouch’s initial assault after obtaining geass. It is an experimental Knightmare frame, and extremely powerful and mobile compared to generic models. Suzaku- Japanese wields this power symbol of Britanian military might against countless members of the black knights and Japanese liberation front. Kurorugi, already being dubbed a traitor to his own people is hated even more by the Japanese for using such a device. All the while, he endures it and holds strong to hi ideals of peace through political means.

Lancelot

The guren was a prototype Knightmare frame, engendered by Indian scientist, and given to Kallen. It is faster and stronger than the Lancelot, and stands as Japan’s response to Kurorugi and his machine. The fighting style is more furious, and it sports a Japanese flag on the screen once it is started. With this, Kallen basically caries the fight and the guren becomes known as Japan’s secret weapon against Britania.

guren

3-Geass- Geass is known as “the power of the king”. It served as an ocular power by which Zero amasses his vast power and army. It is later found that Lelouch’s geass manifested based on his innermost desire, as they always do. He finds that out as the anime explains that his life was in ruins all this time, despite being a privileged prep student. His sister crippled, mother murdered, assumed dead, in a hateful world. All of this chaos drove him to desire one thing; control. That came in the form of his ultimate submission geass.

3-

As the story develop on, Lelouch’s goals shift from creation of a free world by means of his black knight army, to world supremacy , as seen in the later series “Code Geass R2”.I deeply believe that this anime should be shown in the class, as well as CIE class. It forces a people to question “what are we fighting so hard for?” and what is a cultural identity that is worth preserving so much. Stylistically speaking, Lelouch’s black knight perfectly complements Suzaku’s white knight ideals. I found that Ōkouchi succeeded in creating  “a character that everyone could relate to”.

Sources:codegeass.wikia.com - images

Code Geass & Code Geass R2 complete series DVD set (best $60 i ever spent)