I have said it before, I love anime movies which help decide if you want to try out a series in a self-contained story.  Even better than that is when the whole show gets remade as movies, as long as it is done right, and that’s exactly what Code Geass did with its initial trilogy, and has now followed that up with a new sequel.  The Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Movie Collection  lets you watch all four in one Bluray case.

The first three discs are the original trilogy which is the aforementioned remake of the anime series. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion I –  Initiation followed by Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion II – Transgression rounded out by Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion III – Glorification is an awesome trilogy that is nice and concise, even if it does wind up being six hours long.

Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion III – Glorification

The movies are set in a world where Britannia has conquered and annexed Japan, which is now known as Area 11 and the people are known as elevens.  Being stripped of their national identity in this way obviously causes unrest among the people. As such the Brittanian forces have a strong military presence, bolstered by the mechs that are commonplace at this stage.

We are introduced to the titular Lelouch who is of Brittanian descent and is the son of the Emperor. His mother dies and his little sister sees it and in shock loses her sight and the ability to walk. Furious Lelouch gets angry at his father, and not being a fan of being stood up to, his father then sends the two of them to Japan. This is done as a political move to make Japan feel a sense of security, and as such they grow up knowing Area 11 as home.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion III – Glorification

Lelouch is living his boring school life when he satisfies some curiosity and accidentally finds himself in a rebel truck. During this he comes in contact with a mysterious woman who gives him the power Geass which allows him to take control over any human once as long as he gets eye contact with them. Then the plot unfolds as he hides his face and helps lead the rebels to fight back against the oppressive Brittania.

The latest movie Code Geass: Lelouch of the Resurrection is set after the main story takes place.  I can’t give out too much detail about the setting without ruining the ending of the original trilogy. What I can say is that Lelouch’s sister is taken by another country who has lost a lot because of the events of the first movie and Lelouch needs to save the day.

Code Geass – Lelouch of the Resurrection

All in all the four movie collection is an excellent watch. The first three movies are only Japanese dubbed which I am generally not a fan of, but I adjusted to the subs because the story was that good. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Resurrection is english dubbed and it caught me off guard as I had started associating the Japanese voices with those characters. Though Japanese Dub is still an option, I let it run and English and the new voice actors did a great job.

The animation and art style is excellent. Going for a common drawing style but using extraordinary details to bring together a world unlike any I have seen before.  Throw the soundtrack in and the whole experience is amazing watching the Blurays on a big screened TV.

Given how the plots follow on from each other it is tough to say too much more without spoiling the experience, but if you aren’t experienced in the mecha anime sub genre this is a great way to check it out. My lack of experience didn’t stop me enjoying the whole thing, even if annoying tropes still make their way through at times.

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“You can’t change the world without getting your hands dirty” – Lelouch Lamprouge.

There are but a handful of fictional tales that have affected me right to the core and stuck with me. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (“Code Geass“) is one of those tales. An anime series broken into two parts, Code Geass is an anime that was introduced to me by someone very special and dear to me, which makes the series all the more important and one that’s close to my heart.

The anime follows Lelouch vi Britannia, the exiled Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, who now goes by Lelouch Lamprouge, as he receives the power of Geass, the ability to command others to do as he wills. With such power, Lelouch decides to use it to find out the truth about his mother’s death, seek revenge on his father, the Emperor, who had banished him, and to create a better world for his sister to live happily.

With such high goals, Lelouch inadvertently becomes Zero, a masked vigilante who bands together the Japanese rebels, who seek to reclaim their country from the Holy Britannian Empire, to form the resistance movement known as The Black Knights. The stakes are high and throughout his quest, Lelouch is forced to make life altering decisions and face off against his childhood friend, Suzaku Kururugi, a knight of the Holy Britannian Empire and his half-siblings, all of which are in line for the throne.

The story is slow to begin with as the anime focuses on character development, giving viewers the chance to truly familiarise themselves with Lelouch, a teenager with a great love and caring for his younger sister, Nunnally, and a strong will to create a better world for her. We are given an insight into the goodness within Lelouch, his morals, his deep caring for his friends and the inner pain he carries with him after losing his mother and being exiled by his cruel father. We are also presented with a view into how he is perceived by his friends and peers.

Once the main plot begins to unravel, we see just how much suffering there is as each of the main characters, including Suzaku and C.C. (the alien being who granted Lelouch his powers), struggle to come to grips with what needs to be done to put an end to the fighting. We see friends become enemies, vigilantes become heroes and siblings attempt to kill each other.

The story of Code Geass, the fall of Suzaku, and the many gut-wrenching sacrifices Lelouch makes in order to achieve his dream for his sister is incredibly thought provoking, compelling and ultimately poignant. The characters are all incredibly likeable that it’s difficult to not become attached to them in some way. I certainly did and suffered through an emotional roller-coaster of a ride throughout the series. There’s something to be said about the sacrifices one makes for love and for family.

Whilst I have other favourite anime and ones which also hold a special place in my heart, Code Geass resonated with me in a way that no other works of fiction has in the past. Every aspect of the anime struck a chord with me, from the ingenious writing (and thought-provoking quotes), which made for a thrilling watch, to the beautiful and captivating soundtrack, which truly draws you in to the anime.

Not only was the soundtrack simply magical in all respects, be it the action theme or even the slower, more melodic tunes, the visuals too was simply on point. A variety of colours was certainly the visual highlight of the anime. I particularly enjoyed the animation styles utilised as well, especially where the Knightmares (robotic machines used by both the military and the rebels in battle) were concerned. I normally am not a huge fan of mecha anime but Code Geass utilises this well and ties it into the story effectively.

Without diving into too much detail so as to not spoil this amazing anime for you, Code Geass is by far one of the best anime series out there and is one that will leave you suffering from ‘the feels’. There’ll be moments which will make you chuckle and there’ll be some that may leave you in tears. Either way, I’m sure you’ll feel satisfied having watched this marvellous show, which will likely leave you pondering your own sense of morality and justice in today’s world.

Perhaps this anime will even make you ask yourself, are you with Lelouch or Suzaku?

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