Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Code Geass is brilliant. Period. It is one of the best animes ever made to date and stands with the best shows/movies of all time as well. You might very well have heard similar praises for this show before and I'm here to say that it deserves every single one of them. I don't give out 10 stars often, but I would gladly give the double of that for Code Geass. It has every single element required to be amazing. First off, it has and interesting and fairly unique setting. It is in an alternate future where the Holy Britannian Empire has taken over a third of the world, including Japan, which is the stage for this epic. On top of this interesting setting is an even more interesting premise. It may feel reminiscent to Death Note since it also features a High Schooler who receives a manipulative super power from an otherworldly being. Still, it does not feel similar to Death Note in its plot development and keeps complicating things every time the story feels like it's slowing down. Gladly, the story very rarely, if ever, do slow down due to the raw amount of events that happen in Code Geass. While some shows try to stretch out scenes as long as they can in order to make them fill up a 20-minute time span, Code Geass feels as though every episode is packed to the brim with events, character introductions, character deaths, and other amazing sights. Helping this along is a mind-boggling cast of at least 50 named characters who have lines. When I re-watched the series one time, I counted up only the names of characters with personalities, lines, and a life that you felt involved with that died. There were over 30. This will led to some truly spectacular scenes when huge mecha battles will break out with many protagonists on both sides. Speaking of mecha battles, the mechas in Code Geass, or "Knightmares" as they are called, are spectacular in action and feel very action-packed and full of energy. But as good as the action in Code Geass is, the part that you will really grab your interest and keep you fascinated until the end is the way that the characters and their personalities ties into this grand story. You will soon find that every single conflict or battle will have protagonists of both sides clashing with each other. I many cases, characters like the main characters Lelouche appear as both a protagonist and an antagonist which leads to you truly thinking about what is actually good or evil. These conflict, both internal and external will lead to some of the more intense scenes that have ever graced the silver screen. All this is helped along by solid animation and what might be that best soundtrack for any piece of cinema ever made. There is a truly gargantuan amount of musical content here that will any fan of soundtracks truly satisfied.

Never has there been an anime that blended, brilliant character development, amazing music, intriguing moral dilemmas, immersive story, and exciting mecha battles as well as Code Geass has. The number one biggest must-watch anime series of all time.