Get The Rundown #11 Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 Review

I also recently uploaded a video that also goes through this topic you can watch it here.

After the cliff hanger ending of Code Geass Lelouch of the Rebellion R1 is R2 worth watching? In this review, I will answer that question and more.

Introduction

When people talk about Code Geass its biggest praise comes from the ending of the series.

In fact, the ending is even considered to be one of the greatest in anime history.

Now today’s article is not about the ending rather a brief review of the sequel to this epic anime.

Expect spoilers from episode 1 of R2 and plot elements of R1.

So read my review on R1 and watch the series’ first before reading this.

Brief Synopsis

R2 takes place one year after the failed Black Rebellion where Lelouch abandoned the Black Knights to save Nunally.

We left off R1 where Lelouch and Suzaku had their epic face-off.

Instead of immediately showing us the conclusion, Lelouch is first shown acting like a normal high school student at Ashford Academy.

Obviously, things start to seem wrong when we are introduced to Rolo Lelouch’s “brother”.

As we know Lelouch only has one sibling and that’s Nunnally.

Things take an interesting turn when Lelouch goes to a casino with Rolo.

It’s There he meets Kallen but does not recolonizes her. It’s here we learn that Lelouch’s memories are gone.

We are not sure exactly why at this point.

A major noble threatens Kallen who is working undercover in this casino. Lelouch challenges him to a game of chess and despite winning the noble blames Lelouch.

Before things go crazy the Black Knights appear to rescue Lelouch.

C.C. leads the charge in Zero’s Burai. This leads up to an epic moment where Lelouch finds himself in the same circumstances that started R1.

Only this time he just needs to regain his memories and C.C. happens to be there to help him out.

After Lelouch regains his memories he continues what he started before the Black Rebellion

1. The destruction of the Britannia Empire,
2. Getting revenge for his mother’s killer,
3. And creating a world where Nunnally can live in peace.

My Analysis

R2 in many ways borrows many elements from the R1 with raised stakes.

There is valid criticism that the series borrows too much and seems redundant. Even the first episode mirrors the first episode of R1.

But as the story’s progressives R2 does enough to stand on its own as the conclusion to this series.

One of my personal gripes with R2 is the doubling down on the fan service.

It’s weird for me a 29-year-old man to watch an anime involving high school students (albeit between ages 17 – 18) thrown into ridiculous fanservice situations.

If this was an ecchi or a comedy it would get a pass. And fanservice as a concept in anime does not bother me it’s the execution that does.

But a lot of anime have high school characters in lewd clothing. So, what makes Code Geass R2 different?

It’s the nature of it there are so many scenes where are you going to probably say “is that really necessary”

Besides that one major problem, I enjoyed R2 but not as much as R1.

Everything from conflicts, battles, even the scale of everything is much grander in R2.

If you watched R1 and that cliff hanger then definitely give R2 a watch. It takes what the original did and improves on mostly for the better.

Even after re-watching the series all these years later I still enjoy and have found very anime that can compete with it.