Jeoffrey

It's a fun and silly show. Some of its aspects worked out great, others didn’t. It's a weird mishmash of all kinds of things, and there are certain rules that the series often fails to follow or simply forgets. The society is portrayed as a matriarchy, with women supposedly holding the main power, but besides initial conflicts with the stepmother and occasional heroic tea parties, I never got the impression that the position of women was even remotely dominant, quite the other way round. So, it's a pointless premise that is not fully utilized and hardly works at all. The handling of social status and nobility is also quite odd. Another thing that drove me nuts about the series was the constant repetition of "I'm just a mob character..." especially when the main protagonist doesn't act accordingly and then wonders why everything gets so complicated. It's satisfying to see Luxion give him a hard time in the final episode. However, the rewards given to the main character don't feel satisfying. It’s as if someone is throwing them at him against his will. I know it’s the creative intention and it's supposed to be funny, but it works maybe the first time, and then it becomes irritating (just like the hero saying that he's just a mob character again...). And now for the positives. The best thing about the series is the main protagonist, who is rotten and sarcastic, but ultimately still a good guy. He's one of those who understand that before you hit someone, you need to defeat them verbally. I really grew fond of Leon, and I enjoyed almost every interaction he had with everyone else: He had the best chemistry with Luxion, so it’s obvious who the ideal waifu for the main character is! The other characters are also well-portrayed. There are plenty of reasons not to like the prince and his entourage and to root for the hero instead, however, even they gradually reveal some good qualities that made me appreciate them, too. Similarly, the main female characters are sometimes strong, and sometimes tragic, but always relatable and likable. The story is a confusing journey of an involuntary hero, which, thanks to his knowledge of the game, isn't too dramatic or thrilling. It’s fun to watch the hero outsmart everyone, though. It didn't get boring for me even after twelve episodes. 6.4/10.

While this isn't the most exciting series, there's quite a bit to say about it. Let's start with the production values. The animation is far from spectacular, with a lot of the monsters being CGI, and it doesn't look great. It's not the worst I've seen this season, but the stiff, unnatural movement stands out in some scenes. The effects, especially explosions and flames, are downright bad. I get that they're working with large battles and armies on what is probably a limited budget, but understanding that doesn't make it any better. It still takes away from the epic feel they're going for. On the plus side, Kohta Yamamoto did a decent job with the music. The soundtrack fit the scenes well, sometimes even salvaging moments where the animation fell short. It's a solid fantasy score, but then there's the rock opening, which is easily the dullest I've heard this year, and a lifeless ending track. Sure, I can skip them, but it’s a shame when the background music is solid, and the theme songs are such a miss. As for the characters, visually, only one caught my eye—and that’s just because I’ve had a soft spot for girls with pointy hats since Black Magician Girl. Personality-wise, though, none of them grabbed me. The main character was bland, and the girls around him, including the small/big demon lord, were forgettable. The comic relief from Jiron mostly fell flat. The knight Alistair had some potential but was quickly sidelined, and General E Rudole was interesting for a couple of episodes, though it looks like the story might keep him around. The plot itself was a bit of a rollercoaster. There were moments that mildly piqued my interest, especially when the author dabbled in strategy, but more often, it was a mix of tired clichés and dull stretches. In the end, I’d call this a slightly below-average anime. I’m not sure if I care enough to see where it goes next—probably a 4.4/10 for me.

Yes, Your Majesty. Alright, I’ll admit, this latest Code Geass continuation worked for me in the end. Like I mentioned with Lelouch of the Resurrection, I just don’t get why anyone felt the need to follow up on what was already such a perfectly wrapped-up story. The original finale was one of the best anime endings I’ve seen, and with all these sequels, it feels like its impact is being watered down. Especially here, where we find ourselves back in almost the exact same situation as the beginning. Neo Britannia is behaving just like the old Britannia, and it’s painfully similar to the original series. The only takeaway from the opening was the reminder that humanity seems to love repeating its mistakes—plenty of real-world examples of that. Once again, we’re fighting oppression, the main character unknowingly holds a crucial role, and there are tons of twists and reveals—some excellent, some a bit questionable. That "Palpatine-esque" reveal of the main villain's identity? Yeah, I could’ve done without that, even if it wasn’t as ridiculous as it was in Star Wars. But, looking at the story as a whole, I was pretty entertained throughout. It kept me hooked, threw in some surprises, and overall delivered on the narrative front. So, credit to the writers where it's due. With only twelve episodes, though, the show didn’t have much room for deep character development. It was just enough for the main players, while the supporting cast mostly echoed characters from the original series, making it feel like we didn’t need much more from them. I did enjoy the cameos from key figures in the Code Geass universe, including those from the Akito films—it was nice to catch up with them. Animation and music? On point, as expected. Given that this was also meant for the big screen (hence the movie version), Sunrise really delivered on those 2D mecha (Knightmare Frame, of course) battles. That vibrant, smooth action sequence in the final episode was a real visual treat. The ending hit harder than I expected, though I kept thinking it would've been more impactful if there had been more episodes to flesh out the relationship between Sakuya and Ash. Still, it was a solid and emotional conclusion, even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights of Lelouch’s saga. All in all, while this isn’t the legendary Code Geass of old, it held its ground. A decent 7.2/10 from me.