Summary
An abbreviated recap of the first two seasons of the anime show that whips along at a great pace, but mostly heightens the anticipation for R3.
The original anime Code Geass, written by Ichirō Ōkouchi and directed by Gorō Taniguchi for Sunrise, was one of those instant international successes when it debuted over a decade ago. Hot on the heels of the Eureka Seven – Hi-Evolution 1 recap film, CODE GEASS LELOUCH OF THE REBELLION I – INITIATION (コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュⅠ 興道 – also known as Awakening) retells the first two seasons in preparation for Code Geass R3.
Existing fans will know the story off by heart. The Holy Empire of Britannia’s global conquest took Japan thanks to mobile humanoid armor vehicles dubbed Knightmare Frames, and it is now known as Area 11. Lelouch, an exiled Imperial Prince of Britannia, has a random meeting with the mysterious C.C. and gains the power to command anyone to follow his orders. He soon leads the Japanese Rebellion against the Empire with the hopes of bringing it down in flames.
With the original creative staff – coupled with newly created scenes and wholly re-recorded voices – all 50 episodes of the first two series have reassembled in a rapid-fire package. If you thought that the serialised version continually escalated the pace, then the 135 minute distillation will spring you out of your seat like a well-coiled Cockpit Ejection System. Almost all of this is familiar ground, save for a few replaced scenes, but half of the joy is seeing it on the big screen. There was an audible cheer in our session when that Kōtarō Nakagawa and Hitomi Kuroishi theme song kicked in.
This isn’t without its drawbacks, of course. Some of the animation barely looks like it has been upgraded since 2007, especially individual figures. Due to the compressed storytelling, the ‘Geass’ effect feels like it is used every 10 minutes rather than once or twice an episode. Having said that, the film is at its cinematic best when the Knightmares throw down in coordinate attacks
Leaving us on a cliffhanger, and in fact in mid-sentence, CODE GEASS LELOUCH OF THE REBELLION I – INITIATION really sets up audiences for the next two films due out later this year. As such, it’s hard to rate this recap too highly, especially given that it’s old ground for most viewers, Nevertheless, if you don’t have 50 episodes of rewatching in you, this is definitely a great way to experience the rebellion all over again.
2017 | Japan | DIRECTOR: Gorō Taniguchi | WRITERS: Ichirō Ōkouchi | DISTRIBUTOR: Madman (AUS) | RUNNING TIME: 135 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 15 February 2018 (AUS)
