MOVIE REVIEW: CODE GEASS LELOUCH OF THE REBELLION 1 INITIATION

Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion 1 Initiation
Publisher: Anime Limited
Genre: Action, Mecha, Drama
Rating: 12a
Running Time:134 Mins
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

I never make an assumption based on a past manga-ka's work, but so far CLAMP have done well in convincing me that I should watch adaptations of their manga, whether it is anime or OVAs. Some may remember me reviewing Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion a couple of years back when it was the series I watched and reviewed, this time I had the opportunity to watch this one and was glad I took it.

The basic plot is that the world has been taken over by the Holy Empire of Britannia and the Japanese people are relegated to become nothing more than 11s, with Japan being renamed Area 11. Lelouche's beginnings are as a member of the imperial family with his disabled sister Nunnally. His normal life is cut short when by accident, he meets a girl called CC and she decides to loan him her power called Geass. This power allows him to give commands using his eye. She offers him the ultimate power, he has a choice to get his revenge on his family and get Japan back for the people.

Lelouch soon becomes a rebel assuming an identity called Zero and an outfit and mask to hide his real royal identity. This is when it starts to get interesting as Zero is a cold-hearted killing machine who won't hesitate to get rid of anyone who stands in his way, regardless of them being family or friends. There are times when he, as Lelouch can't always keep this part of his personality, and he has to rethink his motives and actions. It doesn't always work out for him and strong parts of this series come about with his sister and friends in mind.

Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion 1 Initiation has the first 17 episodes from the series I remember, but rather than being a rehash of the original, this series has left out episodes that we could have done without, making it much stronger as a result. This culling of these episodes also makes it easier to watch without having to contend with the overuse of Lelouch's time at school and his pretend madcap antics with his friends. There is more of what we can see of Lelouch as Zero and how far he can go as the baddie of the series who starts out as a freedom fighter and becomes seen as a terrorist.

Summary: I would say this is an improvement on the original series and is great to watch whether you are a new viewer to the anime, or a seasoned anime watcher.