Reflecion: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, vol. 2

It’s so nice to be back reading and writing about Code Geass. I’ve missed doing the blog while I was away, but I really missed Code Geass in particular. Here’s my reflection on volume 2, the third post on the series. It just keeps getting better and better. Without further ado, let’s get this going.

 

Synopsis:

Picking up following Zero’s assassination of Clovis, this volume begins with Lelouch and Suzaku spending the day together. The pair reminisce about their past and what life was like before the invasion. However, the feel good factor in this opening chapter quickly leaves us as Suzaku is arrested and accused of Clovis’ murder. Unable to allow his friend to go down for his dealings, Lelouch teams up with Kallen (who remains very suspicious of Zero) and frees Suzaku, announcing that he killed Clovis. After a short discussion, Suzaku refuses to join forces with Zero and declares that he will bring down Britannia from within. He then leaves to return and face his charges in court, where he is freed and resumes his position in the military.

About halfway through the volume Euphie arrives and also spends a day and befriends Suzaku. However, once again trouble is just around the corner. During a trip with the Academy’s student council the Japanese Liberation Front storms their hotel and holds the council hostage. In an attempt to save her new friends Euphie reveals herself to the JLF as the new governor of Area 11. Suzaku and Zero both come to her rescue and the pair once again find themselves in a faceoff, ending in a bang. Literally. For his heroics Euphie promotes Suzaku from Private to Warrant Officer (a little excessive in my opinion) and he is transferred to the Technology dept. of the military.

In a little nicer news, the most important figure in the series has finally made his appearance. Arthur, that little pain in Lelouch’s ass of a cat. Okay, maybe not the most important figure, but I love Arthur. He claws Lelouch a few times, steals Zero’s mask, leading to a mass chase around the academy and then the students council holds a welcoming party for him, forcing everyone to dress up in cat costumes, possibly one of the most well-known images from the Code Geass anime.

My Opinion:

The stories really starting to roll along now. I can’t help but get pulled in and just don’t want to stop reading it. I sat and read the entire of this volume in one sitting, and it was great. There was a fantastic mixture of advancing the story line, brining in some new story lines, and of course a lot of comic relief. Some people may not like the amount of comical moments in this series, especially considering what the story is all about. In my opinion though, I think it’s great. The way the creators mixed together serious plot themes such as terrorism, inequality and vengeance with simple jokes, like dressing the main character up like a cat is fantastic. A lot of series would not be able to get away with that, and this is what makes Code Geass great.

In terms of the story and illustrations go, I think it’s all going pretty good. I’m not a major fan of the artwork in this series so far. In saying that though, I wouldn’t say I dislike it either. The story as a whole is really good and like I said, it sucks you right in. I remember watching the anime, and I think I was watching a good 5 hours worth of it a day until I finally finished it, then watched again. It’s also really good how every chapter isn’t left with a huge cliff-hanger. It really shows how good it is by its capacity to keep you reading chapter after chapter without ending everything with a cliff-hanger.

 

Rating:

Is their seriously anyone out that that has no experience of Code Geass? I think I’ve only watched about ten Anime series because I’m more of a fan of manga, but I’ve watched Code Geass three times. I can’t believe that it’s actually taken me this long to start reading the manga. Anyways, if you have not seen or read any Code Geass, go right now and look up Lelouch of the Rebellion. It’s one of those great series that everyone should experience.

 

Turtle

Reflection: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Volume 1

Volume one only actually has three chapters in it, and since I already wrote a post about Chapter 1, It probably should not have taken so long to get this post up. In the end, however, it has.

 

Synopsis:

Chapter two begins with Lelouch reflecting back on what happened in Chapter one. Literally one chapter in and we are getting flashbacks already. Anyway, we have another run in with the Student Self-defence Force at the academy, who essentially are the schools equivalent of the Britanian Army. Kallen is revealed as being a member of the rebellion and almost gets caught by the Students self-defence force while they are at the academy. Kallen and her comrades escape with the assistance of Lelouch giving instructions over a radio. In the next chapter Kallen seeks out who it was that helped her and suspects that it was Lelouch. Just when she is about to confront him, she receives a phone call from one who did help her. She realises that it wasn’t Lelouch and ends up joining the students council to not appear suspicious. As you do. The voice on the phone however was Lelouch who used his Geass to his advantage and get someone else to call Kallen and with a recorded message. Lelouch then sets about the first steps of his plan and kills his half-brother Clovis, the viceroy of Area 11. At the end of the volume Lelouch assumes the identity of his alterego, Zero, and his his first face to face meeting with Kallen.

 

My Opinion:

There are a few differences in these chapters from the Anime, which I watched some time ago. I don’t remember the Student Self-Defence Force being in the Anime and similarly Suzaku wasn’t in the Academy at the start of the series. In the series the Academy is for Britanians only and it is a big deal when Suzaku starts to attend. However, in the manga the Academy has a mixture of Britanians and Japanese students, who each have their own student force who fight. It’s mentioned in the first chapter that the Academy existed before the invasion. I don’t have anything to complain about it this volume yet, overall I really enjoyed it, as I knew that I would.

 

Rating:

If you have no experience of Code Geass, where have you been? Go check it out. The Anime is one of the most popular series ever made and the manga seems as though its going to be pretty good. The story is really interesting and there are so many spin-off series. Of which I was asked in a comment on the last post if I will be doing reflections on them too. Right now I’m only planning Lelouch of the Rebellion and Suzaku of the Counterattack. However, I am open to continuing on to other series if anyone wants me too.

 

Turtle

First Impressions: Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

A couple weeks ago someone requested that I do a series of blogs on the Code Geass manga. Since it was the first request I’ve received, I have to do it. Code Geass was one of the first anime’s I watched and absolutely loved it. The manga is a little different, so I am looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately, the volumes are very expensive, so I think I will have to read online versions, which aren’t 100% in terms of dialogue. If anyone knows a site which has very good versions let me know in the comments below. In the mean time, here’s the first impression of Code Geass: Lelouch of the rebellion.

 

Synopsis:

This series of Code Geass follows Lelouch, a former prince of the Britannian Empire which invaded Japan seven years before the story takes place. In the first chapter we learn that Lelouch wa sent to live in Japan before the invasion following the murder of his mother. Ever since the invasion Lelouch has sworn to destroy the Britanian Empire. After stumbling into a crashed military plane he discovers a girl who is being held captive by the Britanians. After a dragged out series of threats from the commander of the Britainian military at the crash site the girl is shot when she takes a bullet for Lelouch. After the girl apparently dies she appears in the mind of Lelouch and makes a contract with her which gives him the power of the Geass. Lelouch’s Geass gives him the power to make anyone do whatever he wishes.

 

My Opinion:

Since I’ve already watched the Anime, this first chapter hasn’t left too much of an impression on me. There are several changes from the Anime, specifically Suzaku already being at the school with Lelouch. To be honest I didn’t care as much for chapter one of the manga as much as episode one of the anime. However, that doesn’t mean the manga isn’t good. I still enjoyed reading it, It’s Code Geass after all, and anything Code Geass is pretty good.

 

Rating:

Check out Code Geass. It’s a really good series, well I can’t speak specifically of the manga yet, but of as long as it follows the basic story line as the anime, it will be really good. Unlike myself though, if you choose to read Code Geass try to buy the volumes, or at least spend some time to find a good version. The one I read was full of grammar mistakes and that kinds annoyed me throughout. As I said at the start, if you know of a good version, let me know.

 

Turtle