Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion I-Initiation

The once great nation of Japan has been conquered by the Holy Britannian Empire.  Stripped of it’s name and title, redesignated Area 11, it’s citizens live in fear of Britannia’s overwhelming power.  Through a twist of fate, one young man, an exiled Britannian Prince with his own scores to settle, attains the power of Geass.  With the ability to make anyone do what he wishes, Lelouch Vi Britannia becomes Zero, the man who will save Japan and bring Britannia to it’s knees.  To follow through with this dream means he will make many enemies…including Britannia’s top ace pilot and his best friend, Suzaku Kururugi.

I normally tend to stay away from reviewing Compilation Films here at the Gundam Anime Corner.  Most ive seen don’t really add anything more to the experience of a certain title I didn’t get watching the full TV Series run.  I do make exceptions from time to time and do think there are good ones out there like the Madoka Magica Movies and the Mobile Suit Gundam Compilation Trilogy from the Early 80’s.  I’m making another exception for the Code Geass movies this week too.  The reason for this is that I’ve heard these films are doing more than just recapping the events from both seasons of the TV Series.  They’re also apparently a sort of create an alternate reality in the process.  I can see how this is necessary given how I and many others believe that the original ending of the Code Geass story is basically perfect, so much so that doing a sequel would be difficult, if not impossible.  But apparently this was the plan to pave the way for Lelouch of the Resurrection.  So over the next three days I’ll be looking at each chapter of the Code Geass Compilation Movie Trilogy before we get to the much anticipated Code Geass: Lelouch of the Resurrection on Saturday, July 4^th.  Now, with that lengthy intro out of the way, how is the appropriately titled “Initiation”?

It's…ok.  My initial reactions to Initiation are about on the same level I have for the first Rebuild of Evangelion movie-You Are (Not) Alone.  Most of the film is just a beat for beat recap of a good chunk of Season One without much of the filler, which works.  However, it lacks a lot of new material I think (I should note I did not go back and rewatch the entire series before this undertaking so im doing this via memory and some extra research guides).  That’s not to say Initiaion isn’t bad.  It still highlights plenty of the excellent action and character work from Code Geass’ debut season that made it such a smash hit.  It opens well and has a decent cliffhanger.  I guess it makes the need for anything really new kind of a mute point.  But also there are two other films to really do any changes with so there is time to play around.

Initiation covers the first 17 episodes of the first season of Code Geass and focuses almost exclusively on Lelouch’s rise to prominence as Zero.  His reunion with Suzaku, meeting C.C., getting his powers, founding the Black Knights, gaining allies and various resources, all of it is here in this just under 2.5 hour feature.  As I said, much of what we see is the same as the show but what hasn’t been changed still works, especially Lelouch, who has always been one of the main driving forces of his own story.  His resolve is constantly tested and occasionally, very briefly shattered, from time to time.  And Initiation does use some of that brief extra footage to explore how those hiccups affect him right down to the core.  Is Lelouch capable of taking down a massive empire like Britannia and how much of his soul is he willing to darken to do so?  Will he become the villain to become a savior?  This is all intact and very well done and Lelouch continues to be one of the most complex and entertaining leads in all Anime.

With most of the focus on Lelouch’s story, naturally dividing up time between other characters is tricky.  As you’d expect, some characters are robbed of their backstory episodes, like poor Kallen and Euphemia (Euphy).  Of course, Suzaku and C.C. probably get the most screentime of anyone else being two of the characters closely tied to Lelouch himself as his best friend and twisted conscience respectively.  There are a couple of substantial role changes for a pair of characters in particular: Diethard and Shirley.  One is relieved of one of the most tragic events of the TV series and the other is responsible for an act that robs one character of their memory for a bit.  I wont spoil which one does what…yet.  But these small but pivotal moments are a nice taste of possible things to come for both characters.  Fate could turn our quite differently for both of them…or they could arrive at their same respective tragic ends by different routes.  Only time will tell.

I will give Initiation credit for getting rid of some of the filler riff raff of Season One (even if I did like some of it).  Gone are many of the Ashford Academy schenanigans (thankfully), as well as the Mao subplot.  I’m ok with the former being removed because…well humor isn’t Code Geass’ strongsuit and those lighthearted episodes were kind of dumb.  I get why Mao’s arc was removed but also feel like it’s world building element for C.C. and the various Geass powers was important to Lelouch’s tale.  Again, for time purposes, I get why both were excised and the movie doesn’t really suffer for the loss of either.  There is also some important material involving Euphy that doesn’t make it into the movie beyond some of it being part of a montage of events showing the rise of the Black Knights.  Considering Euphy herself is part of one of the biggest game changing moments of Code Geass (which might also likely kick off the next movie), wouldn’t it have been better to spend a little more time with her character and her growing romance with Suzaku?

As a primer for an unexpected sequel, Code Geass: Initiation gets things off to a decent but not stellar start.  Not a lot of new stuff happens and some important characters don’t get the attention they need for the roles they have to play later on.  However, Lelouch’s tale is as entertaining as ever and some of the best action sequences have been preserved for this opening chapter of the new movie trilogy.  I’ll be honest, considering how much ground this movie alone covers, I’m really looking forward to how the second chapter, Transgression, handles a possible transition between Seasons One and Two…that could be easier said than done.  At least Initiation had a single season to work with and trim and it does that well for the most part.  It’s not the greatest but it’s not bad either.  Like I said, decent.

7/10

We’re right back at it tomorrow with Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion II-Transgression.  Let’s see how well it handles one of Anime’s greatest cliffhangers…and one of Anime’s most troubled Season Premieres.  My interest is piqued, see ya tomorrow right here at the Gundam Anime Corner.