If there was one fault I could attribute to the first season now that it’s all over, it would have to be the cliffhangers, assuming that while some cliffhangers are indeed faults, not all faults are cliffhangers. One day on IRC amidst the usual verbal diarrhoea TJ of Riuva fame wondered aloud if Code Geass was the pinnacle of mecha anime, and although his statement was buried in a deluge of anal statements shortly after it got me thinking.

the first rule of parody fanart is that Lucky Star makes anything funny

To begin with, it’s short-sighted to compare Code Geass to Evangelion when talking about the pinnacle of mecha, which would be like comparing the proverbial apples to oranges. This stems from the two subsets present within the mecha genre, of which I’ll name Symbiote and Vehicle respectively:

The Symbiote has the mecha possessing varying levels of sentience — in anime like these the focus inevitably lies with or on the mecha, which is regarded as a separate character. The protagonist will then form a bond with said mecha, whether physical, psychological, or, in Evangelion’s case, Oedipal; cue existential monologues and/or insights into said pilot’s psyche throughout the series. Shows that fall into this category include FLCL, Brain Powerd, Rahxephon, Gigantic Formula.

Then there’s the Vehicle mecha, which is the subset that Code Geass falls into. Like its namesake, it basically uses the mecha as a means to an end — it’s first and foremost a means by which to resolve conflict, also usually a driving point of the show. Instead of the mecha-centric emphasis that the Symbiote subset falls into, the focus here lies on the pilot or faction that said pilot belongs to. Shows that fall into this category include the Gundam and Macross series, Vandread, Overman King Gainer, Bokurano.

Naturally, when it comes to the man on the street and mainstream accessibility, the Vehicle mecha almost always has the upper hand, which also explains the success of the Gundam franchise. Assuming a background where the viewer watches little, or practically no mecha anime, it’s certainly much easier to identify with a human pilot than an alien giant robot swathed in mysticism and the vaguest of symbols.

This is where, in my opinion, Code Geass scores its first victory: a case of less being more. CG eliminates most, if not all of the mecha archetypes and stigma an audience unfamiliar with the genre is likely to judge it with by putting the characters first. In the first episode, for all of Kallen�s efforts to hijack a Knightmare and Jeremiah�s subsequent pursuit in his Glasgow, the audience is already alerted to CG�s true intentions; they know giant robot battles aren�t going to be the focus here.

Instead of thrusting the viewer in what could have been an all-out (read: confusing) battle between the Japanese resistance and the Britannian army, we have instead personal insight into what makes our protagonist Lelouch tick, right from the first episode. We know he�s talented, bored, and privileged. The quintessential playboy, infused with intelligence and refined with good looks. We also know something�s going to happen to him before the end of the episode.

What proceeds to play out, however, isn�t him obtaining a mecha to crush the oppressive Britannian empire, like one would predict. It�s at this point that he receives the Geass, and things are turned upside-down. What on earth was that? Did he just order those soldiers to kill themselves? Wasn�t that green-haired girl dead? The immediate perception of this being a �mecha anime� is broken, if not lost. The next time a mecha appears on the protagonist�s side for a full-blown battle? Ten whole episodes later.

The point I�m trying to make here is that CG is more mecha than any of its Vehicle counterparts through being less mecha — i.e., a back to basics. Vehicle mecha has always been about the pilot and those behind the pilot, and CG wastes no time letting us know the sum of what they�re made of. We�re introduced in rapid succession to the blindly loyal and idealistic Suzaku Kururugi, alongside the headstrong, yet vulnerable Kallen Stadtfelt through extensive character development that, again, all happens before the eleventh episode.

Why the eleventh episode? It�s here that Suzaku and Kallen finally do battle in their respective mecha, and the viewer is all the better for it. It�s not mecha porn we�re seeing here — two gigantic suits of armour going at it for the sake of the audience — it�s two people fighting for their beliefs and convictions, their creed and ideology driving the conflict; one believing that change should come from within, the other one believing the opposite.

It�s what Vehicle mecha should always be. Let�s admit it — mecha is as much a fetish as it is a genre, and there�s nothing more gratifying to the long-time fan than seeing mechanical behemoths duking it out in the name of world domination, faction superiority, or something in-between. Character development? Story? Who really cares? To them, the more mecha the better. A sense of appraisal charged by the lust for missiles, cannons, and laser beams to the point where it�s almost pornographic.

But new viewers don�t care as much about the trappings of mecha as they do the story itself. The same can be said of virtually any show looking to expand its audience beyond the usual hardcore following they have — first-time viewers don�t care about the frills on the present or the icing on the cake, they care more about what�s within and beneath. CG, in its exhaustive brilliance, has proven that this isn�t particularly hard to do, and it has my praise for that reason alone.

the second rule is that if you can’t follow the first, OOC representations work too

The second victory is no less significant: an everyman appeal that isn�t skin-deep. After watching countless anime tailored specifically for particular audiences, CG is comforting in its shameless mass appeal. There�s the previously mentioned mecha. Pretty girls abound. If you�re into pretty guys, then that�s fine too, because two main characters, along with a half-dozen or so side ones, happen to satisfy that. You�re into romance, you say? Or action? It�s all there. There�s even a sizzling hot magical girl with a penchant for pizza as a bonus.

However, what makes it better is how it�s not even close to being a jack of all trades. Master of none, you say? Make that master of all. The lovelorn Shirley Fenette blossoms from generic annoyance to painful tragedy in the span of a few episodes. The rise of Lelouch Lamperouge from helpless student to the leader of a rebellion would be something Victor Hugo would have been proud of. The insane pacing each episode goes through rivals that of Deathly Hallows, and the mecha battles? Agile, lithe, and, like the Transformers movie, just what you�d expect of mecha in this day and age.

I once likened CG to being a sleek amalgam of Gundam Seed and Death Note. I still like to think that it�s almost that, when you strip it down to its bare essentials; a young prodigy with a good grasp of logic, combined with faction politicking driven by mecha and a pretty cast to top it all off. In my re-watching of CG in anticipation of the season finale, however, I�ve noticed that for all its bang and glitter, it has pathos binding it all together. If Darker than Black is a mournful reflection of human existence, then Code Geass shows us the pain that comes with searching for survival and belonging.

C.C. sums it up nicely at the end of episode 25 with her monologue, reminding us that Lelouch�s actions are ultimately driven by his desire for a safe place for his sister to live in, and avenging his sister�s death, no matter how much blood he spills on the way. In the same way too do the other characters reveal similar aspirations — Kallen shoulders the death of her brother and the imprisonment of her mother; C.C., despite her immortality, longs to remember and be remembered; Suzaku turns against his former fellow countrymen by serving the Britannia empire and is cold-shouldered by both sides in the process.

So can Code Geass be considered the pinnacle of mecha, when all�s said and done? I�d like to think that that�s the case, and while it still has the occasional detractor decrying its supposed flaws, I take comfort in knowing no work goes without its share of critics, and that�s enough for me to continue to extol its virtues for a long time. I see the ante of the future — it�s higher than it used to be, and it�s there thanks to this ingenious invention of Sunrise.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 12th, 2007 at 8:00 pm and is filed under Anime, Review. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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