The Japanese art medium of anime has been around since the early 20th century. By the beginning of the 21st century, it had spread widely all over the globe. The genre is defined by colorful, intense graphics, bold characters with huge eyes, and rather weird story lines. A perfect example is discussed in this Code Geass anime review.
The series can possibly be described as a dystopian Hunger Games, meets Orwell's 1984, meets The Wonder Years. Considering the fact that a powerful race of androids named the Knightmares are key to the story, you could probably add Terminator to this mix. It's fun and different and should be labelled with a warning that one gateway episode may encourage binge watching.
The animated TV series sold more than a million DVDs and blue-ray discs. It ran for two series', both of which were run on the Cartoon Channel and both of which won awards at the Tokyo International Anime Fair. The series also formed the springboard for manga and light novels published in America.
The series is dystopian because the story line centers around Area 11, what used to be Japan until the Holy Britannian Empire ran roughshod over it during its invasion. The residents of Area 11 are called "Elevens."
Why Hunger Games? This is because of the downtrodden population of Elevens ring-fenced within Area 11. In HG, the impoverished population in the post-apocalyptic universe of Panem dwelt in a place called District 12.
The similarity to Orwell's 1984 may be found in the existence of three superstates. In the British tale, these are Oceana, formerly Great Britain; Eastasia, combining east Asia and southeast Asia; Eurasia, the combination of USSR plus its now-annexed territory that was once mainland Europe. This is too close to have happened by chance and could reflect an influence of George Orwell on the creative team at Sunrise. It could also have been the Code Geass author, Ichiro Okouchi, who sought to flatter Orwell by imitating this aspect of his work.
The link between The Wonder Years and this series is admittedly tenuous. The only thing they have in common is an adolescent male protagonist. In the Wonder Years, this is Kevin Arnold during the formative years of 12 to 17. Here, the main character is named Lelouch Lamperouge, an exiled prince from Britannia. Desperate to change the world, he willingly receives the gift of Gaessian power, which enables him to dictate the actions of anybody he likes simply by making intense eye contact. By the time he first exercises his new power, it becomes clear why the initial episode was called, "The Day A New Demon Was Born."
You really can't help getting hooked and Code Gaess anime review is as good an example of anime as anything to cut your teeth on as you explore this engaging medium. If nothing else, give a listen to the zippy theme tune, which sounds like it would be at home in a Neopet promotional cartoon, but bears lyrics such as, "with undisguised frustration, feeling lost, feeling anguished." The song, at least, has a happy ending. To discover if the series has an equally happy ending, you will have to watch it for yourself.
The series can possibly be described as a dystopian Hunger Games, meets Orwell's 1984, meets The Wonder Years. Considering the fact that a powerful race of androids named the Knightmares are key to the story, you could probably add Terminator to this mix. It's fun and different and should be labelled with a warning that one gateway episode may encourage binge watching.
The animated TV series sold more than a million DVDs and blue-ray discs. It ran for two series', both of which were run on the Cartoon Channel and both of which won awards at the Tokyo International Anime Fair. The series also formed the springboard for manga and light novels published in America.
The series is dystopian because the story line centers around Area 11, what used to be Japan until the Holy Britannian Empire ran roughshod over it during its invasion. The residents of Area 11 are called "Elevens."
Why Hunger Games? This is because of the downtrodden population of Elevens ring-fenced within Area 11. In HG, the impoverished population in the post-apocalyptic universe of Panem dwelt in a place called District 12.
The similarity to Orwell's 1984 may be found in the existence of three superstates. In the British tale, these are Oceana, formerly Great Britain; Eastasia, combining east Asia and southeast Asia; Eurasia, the combination of USSR plus its now-annexed territory that was once mainland Europe. This is too close to have happened by chance and could reflect an influence of George Orwell on the creative team at Sunrise. It could also have been the Code Geass author, Ichiro Okouchi, who sought to flatter Orwell by imitating this aspect of his work.
The link between The Wonder Years and this series is admittedly tenuous. The only thing they have in common is an adolescent male protagonist. In the Wonder Years, this is Kevin Arnold during the formative years of 12 to 17. Here, the main character is named Lelouch Lamperouge, an exiled prince from Britannia. Desperate to change the world, he willingly receives the gift of Gaessian power, which enables him to dictate the actions of anybody he likes simply by making intense eye contact. By the time he first exercises his new power, it becomes clear why the initial episode was called, "The Day A New Demon Was Born."
You really can't help getting hooked and Code Gaess anime review is as good an example of anime as anything to cut your teeth on as you explore this engaging medium. If nothing else, give a listen to the zippy theme tune, which sounds like it would be at home in a Neopet promotional cartoon, but bears lyrics such as, "with undisguised frustration, feeling lost, feeling anguished." The song, at least, has a happy ending. To discover if the series has an equally happy ending, you will have to watch it for yourself.
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