By Majiko!, Ichirou Ohkouchi, & Goro Taniguchi
Published by Bandai Entertainment
Rating: 13+

The feelings I have for Code Geass aren’t that much different than those I expressed for Burst Angel: I really didn’t enjoy either series. Having heard the name thrown around quite a bit, I had high hopes. Code Geass, however, proved very disappointing. The books can be best described as an accompaniment to the anime series. Sadly, Bandai followed Tokyopop’s (as well as many others) example in trying to take a successful anime series and turn it into a moneymaking manga. The concept makes sense, but doesn’t always work out as planned.

The premise of Code Geass follows the fate of the Japanese people after their country is overtaken by superpower Britannia. The Japanese are cast out of their own homes, casually labeled as “Elevens,” and treated like second-class citizens. The hero, Lelouch Lamperouge, is an enigmatic, quiet student with a hidden hatred toward Britannia. Betrayed by his so-called father, the emperor of Britiannia, Lelouch lost everything: his mother was killed, his sister was crippled, and he was banished from his home. Taken in by the Japanese Prime Minister and his son/new best friend, Suzuka, Lelouch lives his life in secret until he rescues a girl from Britannian soldiers. She is killed in the conflict, but not before passing on a power to Lelouch, the power of Geass. The power manifests itself in Lelouch’s eye, giving him the ability to command a person to do any task, but only once. Donning a black cape and the moniker Zero, Lelouch swears to avenge his family by using his new power to crush the Britannian empire.

Though the premise suggests a rather deep tale, Code Geass is a very flat story, both in subject and character. Lelouch is a cold and calculating lead, but at times, I felt he was very hypocritical, particularly in the way he views and uses his power. The ability to completely control people to fight an organization that does the same is a good plot device and could be used to further the story (i.e. raising moral questions), but Geass doesn’t bother. Lelouch just isn’t very human in many regards, constantly plotting how to destroy Britannia. The other characters around him add the human element, especially Suzuka and Nunnally, his crippled sister. They bring out the best in Lelouch, showing his friendship and compassion for others, but these scenes are often overshadowed by Lelouch spouting some deep line about his “revenge.” Outside of these characters, no one else is really that interesting. Lelouch’s schoolmates try to be stereotypes (the lovey dovey best friend, the girl crazy friend) but they never get enough face time to register as important.

The story is very similar in that regard. So much is jammed packed into these two volumes that it feels very rushed and unimportant. People are introduced and mentioned, as are plot devices, but their presence is never explained. Artistically, the book is tasteful and nicely illustrated, but is nothing spectacular or interesting. There is a lot of negative space and the character design is pretty boring altogether; like the story, no one stands out. They are all just re-hashings of famous characters from the past. (Lelouch, in particular, looks like the brooding main character of Persona 3 and it just makes me yearn for that series.)

In sum, Code Geass is a poor adaptation of a successful anime series. Unless you’re a fan of the anime, don’t bother–you’ll only be reminded of how much better similar series (e.g. Mobile Suit Gundham) really are.

Volumes 1 and 2 of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion are available now.