Following directly on from the previous season, Code Geass R2 plunges us straight into a new world where not everything is quite as it seems. Japan remains under Britannian rule, still stripped of its name and status, still simply referred to as Area 11 and its inhabitants, Elevens. The Black Knights are no longer a plausible threat and to the public in general, Zero appears to be dead, lost in the final battle.
Lelouch Lamperouge and his school companions’ memories have been wiped, his precious sister Nunnally has been both physically and mentally taken from him, and he is now under constant Britannian supervision and surveillance, ensuring that his memories of his previous life as Zero don’t make a sudden reappearance.
However, C.C remains on the loose and with her still around, there is no guarantee that this newly crafted peaceful world will remain as it is for long. She has a pact with Lelouch and that pact must be seen through – meaning that the time for Zero and his geass is at hand once more… as is the destruction of the absolute Britannian Emperor, Charles Di Britannia.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 is the second season of the highly successful Sunrise original animation, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion and was released in 2008, standing at 25 episodes long. It is once again directed by Goro Taniguchi and written by Ichiro Okouchi, with character designs once more handled by the famed CLAMP mangaka group.
Essentially everything that was packed in and what made the first season such a hit is back in the follow-up run, with our love him or hate him protagonist still making some pretty dirty decisions to further his goals. There is a lot of mystery and intrigue, a lot of drama, the usual, seemingly completely out of place humour and of course tons of action – with just a hint of romance sprinkled in for good measure. The pacing is non-stop and Zero’s machinations continuously grow and change in scope as the series progresses, always keeping you on your toes and waiting to surprise you around each and every corner.
There are quite a few new characters added to the roster and the season focuses more heavily on the geass itself, introducing new users of it as well as chronicling a little more about this wonderous gift or curse as it is. However, Lelouch’s primary goals of creating a peaceful world for his blind, paralysed sister and eliminating the current Britannian emperor remains the same and thus his lies and machinations stay pretty true to his original run with the first Black Knights uprising. And in addition to all this political and strategic maneuvering, the series ALSO throws a ton of very well choreographed and thought out mecha battles to enjoy, thus ensuring that the series continues to hold as much entertainment value for those just interested in the action aspect of the story as what it does for those who dig slightly deeper in the story and message of the show.
Visually, Code Geass R2 continues its interesting character designs courtesy of CLAMP and the resulting visuals are pleasingly different from your standard anime fare, making this one of the better looking anime shows currently out. The mecha designs in particular are also pretty fantastic and very different from the norm, again helping the show to stand just that little bit taller than the rest of the current, rather generic pack. Colors are bright and vibrant and the animation is particularly fluid and generally very well choreographed. CG is kept to a minimum and the special effects that are used are extremely well blended into the scenes, making Code Geass R2 a particularly pleasing on the eye watch.
The show features some pretty veteran voice actors, including the likes of Jun Fukuyama as Lelouch Lamperouge, Takahiro Sakurai as Suzaku Kururugi and Yukana as CC. The entire group puts in a fantastic performance and coupled with a well designed musical score and arrangement under the directorship of Motoi Izawa and Yasuo Uragami, Code Geass R2 comes out sounding as polished as one could hope for in a made for TV anime series. Theme song composition, arrangement and performance is handled by Orange Range, with additional performances by Ali Project and Flow.
In summary, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 continues its addictive blend of intrigue, drama, pulse-quickening excitement, humour and just sheer mecha madness action, and with a solid meaty story underneath that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, it is most certainly one of those must see anime series that anyone calling themselves an anime fan simply cannot miss!
So my advice to you is simple: sit back and enjoy…
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