| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion | |
First Code Geass DVD volume released in Japan. |
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| コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ (Kōdo Giasu: Hangyaku no Rurūshu) |
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|---|---|
| Genre | Drama, Mecha, Alternate history, Supernatural |
| TV anime | |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion | |
| Directed by | Gorō Taniguchi |
| Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Licensed by | Madman Entertainment Bandai Entertainment |
| Network | MBS, TBS, Animax, Hero (TV channel) |
| English network | ABC2 Cartoon Network (Adult Swim) |
| Original run | October 5, 2006 – July 28, 2007 |
| Episodes | 25 |
| TV anime | |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 | |
| Directed by | Gorō Taniguchi |
| Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Licensed by | Madman Entertainment Bandai Entertainment |
| Network | MBS, TBS, Animax |
| English network | Cartoon Network (Adult Swim) |
| Original run | April 6, 2008 – September 28, 2008 |
| Episodes | 25 |
| Original video animation | |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Special Edition "Black Rebellion" | |
| Directed by | Gorō Taniguchi |
| Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Released | July 24, 2009 |
| Runtime | 117 minutes |
| Original video animation | |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 Special Edition "Zero Requiem" | |
| Directed by | Gorō Taniguchi |
| Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Released | July 24, 2009 |
| Runtime | 117 minutes |
| Light novel | |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion | |
| Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| English publisher | Bandai Visual |
| Demographic | Male |
| Magazine | The Sneaker |
| Original run | April 28, 2007 – March 1, 2008 |
| Volumes | 5 |
| Game | |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Lost Colors | |
| Genre | Visual novel |
| Platform | PlayStation 2 PlayStation Portable |
| Released | March 27, 2008 |
| Light novel | |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 | |
| Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| Demographic | Male |
| Magazine | The Sneaker |
| Original run | June 1, 2008 – ongoing |
| Volumes | 4 |
| Manga | |
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion | |
| Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
| Illustrated by | Majiko! |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| English publisher | Bandai Entertainment |
| Demographic | Shōjo |
| Magazine | Monthly Asuka |
| Original run | 2006 – 2010 |
| Volumes | 8 |
| Manga | |
| Code Geass: Suzaku of the Counterattack | |
| Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
| Illustrated by | Atsuro Yomino |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| English publisher | Bandai Entertainment |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Magazine | Beans Ace |
| Original run | 2007 – 2008 |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Manga | |
| Code Geass: Nightmare of Nunnally | |
| Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
| Illustrated by | Takuma Tomomasa |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| English publisher | Bandai Entertainment |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Magazine | Comp Ace |
| Original run | 2007 – 2009 |
| Volumes | 5 |
| Manga | |
| A Record of the Strange Tales of the Bakumatsu Era: Code Geass | |
| Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Magazine | Kerokero Ace |
| Original run | 2010 – ongoing |
| Volumes | 1 |
| Manga | |
| Code Geass: Renya of Darkness | |
| Written by | Goro Taniguchi |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| English publisher | Bandai Entertainment |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Magazine | Shōnen Ace |
| Original run | May 26, 2010 – ongoing |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Original video animation | |
| Code Geass Gaiden: Bōkoku no Akito | |
| Directed by | Kazuki Akane |
| Written by | Morita Shigeru |
| Studio | Sunrise |
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ Kōdo Giasu: Hangyaku no Rurūshu), often referred to as simply Code Geass, is a Japanese anime series created by Sunrise, directed by Gorō Taniguchi, and written by Ichirō Ōkouchi, with original character designs by manga authors Clamp. Set in an alternate future, the series focus on how the former prince Lelouch Lamperouge obtains a power known as Geass and decides to use it to obliterate the Holy Britannian Empire, an imperial monarchy and a superpower that has been conquering various countries.
Code Geass first ran in Japan on Mainichi Broadcasting System from October 5, 2006, to July 28, 2007. Its sequel series, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 (コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュR2 Kōdo Giasu Hangyaku no Rurūshu Āru Tsū), ran on MBS and Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 6, 2008 to September 28, 2008. The series has also been adapted into various manga and light novels with the former showing various alternate scenarios from the TV series. Bandai Entertainment also licensed most parts from the franchise for English release in December 2007, airing the two TV series on Cartoon Network. Most manga and light novels have also been published in North America by Bandai.
The TV anime series has been well-received in Japan, selling over a million DVD and Blu-ray Disc volumes. Both seasons have won several awards at the Tokyo International Anime Fair, Animage Anime Grand Prix, and Animation Kobe event. Critics have also praised the series for its large audience appeal as well as the conflicts shown across among the main characters and the moral questions presented.
Contents |
The series is set in an alternative present, where the world is split by three superpowers, Britannia, The Chinese Federation, and the European Universe (EU). The story takes place after the Holy Britannian Empire's conquest on Japan in August 10, 2010 a.t.b., by means of Britannia's newest weapon, the "Armored Autonomous Knight", or Knightmare Frame. In turn, Britannia effectively strips Japan and its citizens of all rights and freedoms, and renames the country Area 11 with its citizens referred to as elevens.
The series' protagonist Lelouch Lamperouge is an intellectual, exiled Britannian prince, who was sent as a hostage to Japan, along with his sister Nunnally Lamperouge, by his father, Emperor Charles zi Britannia, after his mother, Marianne vi Britannia, was murdered. He then vows to obliterate Britannia. Seven years later, Lelouch meets a girl known as C.C. who, in order to save his life, makes a contract with him. Lelouch then gains a power called Geass (ギアス giasu), also known as the Power of the King (王の力 Ō no Chikara), which allows him to absolutely command anyone to do what he wants, bending their will to live, fight, die, and follow orders – though only if he has direct eye contact with his target. With this new power and his natural intelligence, Lelouch sets out to find the person who killed his mother, and to make a better world for his sister, Nunnally. He becomes the leader of the resistance movement known as The Black Knights, who wage war on Britannia. As the Black Knights' leader he takes on an alter-ego called Zero, gaining popular support among the Japanese people on his way towards rebellion.
Thus getting his power, he then kills one of his older half brothers, Clovis, in an attempt to find out who killed his mother. Various battles between the Black Knights and Britannia, Euphemia li Britannia, one of Lelouch's half sisters and Britannia's third princess announces her intention to form the Special Administrative Zone of Japan in the region under Mount Fujiyama, giving the Japanese people their name and country back. When negotiating with Euphemia, Lelouch agrees to the terms, and reveals his ability to be the source of his massive success, jokingly telling her he could order her "to kill all the Japanese," not realizing his ability had permanently activated several minutes earlier. This forces her to order the Britannian forces to kill all the Japanese people located at the celebration of the formation of the Zone. Lelouch kills Euphemia and uses her massacre as an excuse to attack the Tokyo Settlement. During the rebellion, Nunnally is kidnapped and Lelouch abandons his group to save her. He is opposed by a soldier of Britannia, an Honorary Brittanian, Suzaku Kururugi, Lelouch's childhood friend who is angry at him for killing Euphemia. Suzaku captures Lelouch and takes him to the Emperor who then uses his own Geass to erase Lelouch's memories of being Zero, his mother,and his sister.
A year later, C.C. restores Lelouch's memories of being Lelouch vi Britania the eleventh prince of the Brittanian Empire, being Zero, having a sister, and avenging his mother. He once again takes the identity of Zero to lead the surviving Black Knights. Lelouch continues to search for Nunnally, but is surprised to discover she has become Governor of Area 11, and his old friend Suzaku Kururugi is by her side protecting her. When he fails to get her back, he manages to legally exile all his followers and joins forces with the United Federation of Nations. He then kidnaps The Chinese Federation's Empress to gain support to free Japan. After another battle between the Black Knights and the Britannian Empire, Prince Schneizel el Britannia(the second prince of the Brittanian Empire), reveals Zero's true identity to Lelouch's followers, the Black Knights, along with his power Geass, and how he used and caused countless innocent people to die. Feeling used by Zero, the Black Knights try to kill Lelouch who manages to escape thanks to a Geass user named Rolo who had been masquerading as his brother during the year of Zero's absence, but Rolo's heart stops as a result of repeated usage of his Geass and he dies saving Lelouch, who loses his will to live.
Now alone, Lelouch goes to confront his father as his last action. Lelouch learns that his father and mother, whose Geass allowed her to possess a girl after her death, were searching for C.C. to use her power to make the Ragnarök Connection, a method in which the world would be remade according to Charles' will. Lelouch stops the Ragnarök Connection with his Geass, erasing his parents' existences in the process. Now allied with C.C. and Suzaku, Lelouch declares himself Britannia's 99th emperor. As Emperor, Lelouch uses his Geass to make Brittania follow him, he then initiates a military rebellion while freeing Japan as part of his plan "Zero Requiem". He is opposed by Prince Schneizel and Princess Nunnally's forces which also includes the Black Knights. Britannia emerges victorious in the fight and, with command of a massive WMD system to force a surrender, Lelouch becomes ruler of the world. Two months later, Lelouch and Suzaku unleash the final part from Zero Requiem: having faked his death, Suzaku disguises himself as Zero and assassinates Lelouch in public. Suzaku kills Lelouch since the world's hatred and anger was all focused on him and his tyranny, ending at the same point all of the world's major conflicts with his death.
Code Geass began as a concept developed at Sunrise by Ichirō Ōkouchi and Gorō Taniguchi, who proposed it to producer Yoshitaka Kawaguchi while they were working on Overman King Gainer and later Planetes.[1] The initial concept of the plot consisted of a secret organization led by a "hero," which was later developed into a conflict between two people with differing values of morality, belonging to the same military unit.
During these early planning stages, Kawaguchi contacted the noted manga artist group Clamp,[1] the first time Clamp had ever been requested to design the characters of an anime series.[2] Clamp signed onto the project early during these development stages and provided numerous ideas, which helped develop the series' setting and characters.[2]
While developing the character designs for Lelouch Lamperouge, the protagonist of the series, Clamp had initially conceived of his hair color as being white.[2] Ageha Ohkawa, head writer at Clamp, said she had visualized him as being a character to which "everyone" could relate to as being "cool", literally, a "beauty".[2] During these planning stages, Clamp and the Sunrise staff had discussed a number of possible inspirations for the characters, including KinKi Kids and Tackey & Tsubasa.[2] They had wanted to create a "hit show," a series which would appeal to "everyone."[2] Lelouch's alter ego, Zero, was one of the earliest developed characters, with Ōkouchi having wanted a mask to be included as a part of the series, feeling it was necessary for it to be a Sunrise show, and Clamp wanting a unique design never prior seen in any Sunrise series (said mask was nicknamed "tulip" for its distinctive design).[2]
Clamp's finalized original character design art, illustrated by its lead artist Mokona, was subsequently converted into animation character designs for the series by Sunrise's character designer Takahiro Kimura, who had previously spent "every day" analyzing Clamp's art and style from their artbooks and manga series.[2] In working on the animation character designs, he focused on designing them so as to enable the series' other animators to apply them without deviating from Clamp's original art style.[2]
The music for the series was composed by Kōtarō Nakagawa and Hitomi Kuroishi, who had earlier worked with the series' core staff in Planetes and Taniguchi's earlier work Gun X Sword. In addition to the incidental music featured in each episode, Kuroishi also composed numerous insert songs for the series, including "Stories", "Masquerade", "Alone", and "Innocent Days", which were each performed by Kuroishi herself, while "Picaresque" and "Callin'" were performed by the singer-songwriter Mikio Sakai, who had also earlier worked with Nakagawa and Kuroishi in Planetes. The bands FLOW, Ali Project, Jinn, SunSet Swish, Access, and Orange Range have provided songs for the opening and ending themes.[3][4]
When the series was being developed for broadcast on Mainichi Broadcasting System, it had been given the network's Saturday evening prime time slot, which was later changed to a Thursday late night time slot. Due to this change, the overall outlook and some elements of the series were changed and further developed to suit the more mature, late night audience.[1]
Code Geass officially premiered on the Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS) television network at 5:25 JST on October 5, 2006. Its satellite television premiere across Japan on Animax was on November 7, 2006.[5][6] Upon the airing of the first 23 episodes, the series went on hiatus on March 29, 2007,[5][7] and completed broadcast of the first series with a contiguous one-hour broadcast of episodes 24 and 25 at 6:25 JST on Saturday, July 28, 2007.[8]
The immense popularity of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion followed with the development of it's sequel, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2, which was first announced on the March 2007 issue of Newtype and later confirmed by Sunrise producer Yoshitaka Kawaguchi on the series' official staff blog on March 9, 2007.[9][10]
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 premiered on MBS and TBS at 17:00 JST on April 6, 2008.[11][12] Prior to the series' television broadcast, three private preview screenings of episode 1 were held on March 15 and March 16 in Osaka and Tokyo respectively, which was attended by the series' Japanese voice actors as well as a pool of 3800 randomly selected applicants. On April 15, 2008, at 17:00 JST, the last 6 minutes of the then unaired third episode was accidentally posted onto the Internet due to an error by Bandai Channel, Bandai's online broadcast channel and the series online distributor, in the midst of testing a system preventing illegal online uploads.[13]
Both seasons of Code Geass have been licensed for release in the United States by Bandai Entertainment,[14] and the first season began airing on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block in the U.S. on April 27, 2008; the second began airing on November 2, immediately following the first season, both viewable in English on Adult Swim Video.[15] The series finale premiered on June 7, 2009, ending the second season and the rest of the story. On April 23, 2010, Adult Swim's rights to this series expired. In Australia and New Zealand, the series is sub-licensed to Madman Entertainment by Bandai Entertainment USA,[16] and began airing on Australian channel ABC2 from January 19, 2009. In the Philippines, the first season of Code Geass premiered on November 10, 2008, weekday nights at 7:30pm PST and ended on December 15, 2008 through TV5 while the Season 2 premiered on May 4, 2009 and ended on June 5, 2009 at 6:00pm PST also on TV5 and Hero TV on July 27, 2010.
The release of Code Geass: The Miraculous Birthday (コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ キセキの誕生日 Kōdo Giasu: Kiseki no Tanjōbi) included bonus material about a new Code Geass anime in production called Code Geass Side Story: Akito of the Ruined Land (コードギアスGAIDEN 亡国のアキト Kōdo Giasu GAIDEN: Bōkoku no Akito), directed by Kazuki Akane. It is unknown what format the side story will be in, but it is noted that it is set in Europe.[17] The drama itself was based on a live event held in Tokyo, Japan on Lelouch's birthday.[18]
Kadokawa Shoten has published four separate manga adaptations, each containing an alternate storyline.[19] The first four of the manga series have been licensed for an English language release in North America by Bandai Entertainment.[20] The first, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, by Majiko~! and originally serialized Monthly Asuka, focused on the protagonist of the series, Lelouch Lamperouge, with few differences from the anime's basic storyline. Its chapters were collected in eight tankōbon volumes released from December 26, 2006 to March 26, 2010.[21][22] Bandai's English adaptation of the series was published from July 29, 2008[23] to February 15, 2011.[24]
The second manga is Code Geass: Suzaku of the Counterattack (コードギアス 反攻のスザク Kōdo Giasu: Hankō no Suzaku). It was written by Atsuro Yomino and serialized in Beans A magazine. It focuses on the character Suzaku Kururugi in an alternate reality, where he fights against the criminal organization known as the Black Knights. It was released in two volumes on June 26, 2007 and September 26, 2008.[25][26] The first English volume was released on January 6, 2009,[27] and the second followed it on October 13, 2009.[28] Code Geass: Nightmare of Nunnally (コードギアス ナイトメア・オブ・ナナリー Kōdo Giasu Naitomea Obu Nanarī), serialized in Comp Ace and written by Tomomasa Takuma, focuses on Lelouch's sister, Nunnally Lamperouge who goes into searching her missing brother when her health is restored by an entity named Nemo.[19] It was published in five volumes from June 26, 2007[29] to April 25, 2009.[30] The English volumes were published from June 9, 2009[31] to March 23, 2010.[32]
A fourth manga adaptation, Code Geass: Tales of an Alternate Shogunate (幕末異聞録 コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ Bakumatsu Ibun Roku Kōdo Giasu Hangyaku no Rurūshu), was serialized in Kerokero Ace. Set in an alternate 1853, Lelouch is the commander of the Shogunate's military counterinsurgence brigade known as the Shinsengumi, which fights the Black Revolutionaries, a rebel group led by a masked individual known as Rei. It was released on a single volume on October 25, 2010,[33] while the English version will be published on May 10, 2011.[34]
In late 2009, Bandai announced a new project greenlit for 2010. A manga, titled Code Geass: Renya of Darkness (コードギアス 漆黒の連夜 Kōdo Giasu: Shikkoku no Renya), is the first product announced. The story takes place in the same official Code Geass history as the anime, but in a different era with the anime director Goro Taniguchi is scripting the story. The title character, Renya, is a 17-year-old boy who encounters a mysterious, perpetually young witch named "Reifū C.C." has appeared in Japan's historical Edo era to seek a new partner for a covenant.[35] It began publication in the May 2010 issue of Shōnen Ace. Bandai Entertainment will publish the manga in English as with the other adaptions.[36] On January 2, 2012 as a part of Bandai Entertainment's announced restructuring, they have since, among other titles, revoked publishing of Code Geass: Renya of Darkness for English release.[37]
The music for the series, composed by Kōtarō Nakagawa and Hitomi Kuroishi, has been released across two original soundtracks produced by Yoshimoto Ishikawa and released by Victor Entertainment. The first was released in Japan on December 20, 2006, and the second on March 24, 2007.[3] The covers and jackets for both soundtracks were illustrated by Takahiro Kimura.[3]
The series has also been adapted into a series of drama CDs, called Sound Episodes, the first of which was released in Japan in April 2007 by Victor Entertainment, with new volumes released monthly. Written by many of the same writers as the series, these episodes are set between episodes and feature theme songs performed by the series' voice actors. They have also been available online on a limited streaming basis on the Japanese internet website Biglobe.
In total, twelve drama CDs have been released. The first six, released between April 25, 2007 and September 27, 2007 cover the first season of the series, and the other six focusing on the second season.
Code Geass has been additionally novelized into a series of light novels. First serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's The Sneaker magazine, they are divided into two separate series corresponding with the series two seasons. The first series, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, spanned five volumes with the first, labelled as volume 0, released in Japan on April 28, 2007 and the last on March 1, 2008.[38][39] All five volumes in the first series of novels have been released in English by Bandai Visual.[20] The first volume was released on November 2008 and the last one on February 23, 2010.[23][39] The first novel acts as a prologue, focusing on how Lelouch befriended Suzaku Kururugi, when the former and his sister Nunnally Lamperouge were sent to Japan as a political hostages.
The second novel series, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2, covers the second season of the anime series in which Lelouch continues his battle against the Britannian Empire. It was released in four volumes from June 1, 2008 to March 1, 2009.[40][41] Only the first English volume of this series was released in North America as of April 15, 2010 by Bandai.[42] A single volume side story novel, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Red Tracks (コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ 朱の軌跡 Kōdo Giasu: Hangyaku no Rurūshu Shu no Kiseki) was released on April 1, 2008 in Japan. It focuses on the life of teenager girl Kallen Stadtfeld who becomes a soldier from the organization the Black Knights under Lelouch's leadership to defeat Britannia.[43] On January 3, 2012 the English publication of the light novel adaptation of R2 had been announced as cancelled as part of Bandai Entertainment's planned restructuring which had been announced the day before.[44]
The series was also slated to be adapted into a series of video games, developed for the Nintendo DS,[45] PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2 platforms, which was published by Namco Bandai Games.[46][47][48] The official website for the first Nintendo DS game launched on July 16, 2007, with the game being released a few months later on October 25.[49]
A second game, titled Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion Lost Colors was developed for the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2, and released in Japan on March 27, 2008.[50] It is a visual novel game which follows a new protagonist named Rai (ライ), who suffers from amnesia. He has a Geass ability similar to Lelouch's, but activated by voice.
The third game for the Nintendo DS is a collection of minigames featuring super deformed forms of the characters. The player moves along a board through dice rolls, landing on different spots to activate minigames. The minigames are parody-style events with multiple genres. These include helping Jeremiah grow oranges, racing against C.C. and Shirley in swimming, and a sidescrolling beat-em-up featuring Kallen in Guren-like armor.
Code Geass R2 is slated to appear in From Software (Demon's Souls, Armored Core) and Banpresto's PlayStation 3 exclusive mecha action game Another Century's Episode R, released in Japan in August 2010 and in which both versions of Suzaku's Lancelot, Lelouch's Shinkiro, both versions of Kallen's Guren, and C.C's Akatsuki are playable. A fourth installment of the ACE franchise for the PlayStation Portable, Another Century's Episode Portable, will include Suzaku's Lancelot Albion and Lelouch/Zero's Shinkiro.
Code Geass characters are slated to appear as costumes in the PlayStation 3 game, Tales of Graces F. These characters are Zero, Suzaku, C.C. and Kallen.[51]
Two artbooks featuring illustrations of the series, Code Geass Graphics Zero (ISBN 4048540793) and Code Geass Graphics Ashford (ISBN 4048540807), have been published in Japan.[19] Coinciding with the release of the second season of Code Geass was the publication of another artbook, Code Geass – Lelouch of the Rebellion illustrations Rebels (ISBN 4048541692), which featured 134 art pieces of the first season. Another 95 page artbook titled Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion – The Complete Artbook (ISBN 9784048541183) has also been published. Finally, CLAMP, the well known manga artist team who did the designs for Code Geass, put out their own artbook, entitled Code Geass x CLAMP: Mutuality.
"Code Geass" has also been adapted into a series of weekly internet radio broadcasts, which were streamed online on the BEAT☆Net Radio! portal, the first of which, Code Geass: The Rebellion Diary (コードギアス 反逆日記 Kōdo Giasu: Hangyaku Nikki), began streaming from October 6, 2006. It featured Sayaka Ohara (voice actor of Milly Ashford) and Satomi Arai (voice actor of Sayoko Shinazaki). The second, Code Geass – Mountains of the Rebellion (コードギアス 反逆の山々 Kōdo Giasu Hangyaku no Yamayama), was first streamed on December 12, 2006, and were hosted by Jun Fukuyama (voice actor of Lelouch) and Noriaki Sugiyama (voice actor of Rivalz). During R2, a new show named Code Geass – LuluKuru Station (コードギアス ルルクルステーション Kōdo Giasu Rurukuru Suteishōn) was streamed, hosted by Fukuyama and Takahiro Sakurai (voice actor of Suzaku).
When the first episode was shown during a special test screening, which was attended by Ōkawa, other members of the series' staff, as well as several journalists and other media-related personnel in response to the hype surrounding the series' upcoming release, the audience fell into immediate silence after it ended, followed by "tremendous applause."[1] By August 2008, over 900,000 Code Geass discs have been sold in Japan.[52] Reportedly, Bandai Visual shipped over one million DVD and Blu-ray Discs related to the Code Geass franchise by November 2008, placing it among the most popular contemporary anime series in both Japan and North America.[53] During 2008, the first volume from R2 was the fourth bestselling anime DVD and Blu-ray Disc in Japan according to Amazon.com.[54]
Since its premiere, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion has collected numerous awards and accolades. At the sixth annual Tokyo Anime Awards held at the 2007 Tokyo International Anime Fair, Code Geass won the best TV anime series award.[55] The second season also got the award of "Best Screenplay" in the 2009 Tokyo Anime Fair.[56] In noted Japanese anime magazine Animage's 29th Annual Anime Grand Prix, Code Geass won the most popular series award, with Lelouch Lamperouge also being chosen as the most popular male character and "Colors" being chosen as the most popular song. In the 30th Annual Anime Grand Prix, Lelouch won first place again and C.C. was voted most popular female character. At the first Seiyū Awards held in 2007, Jun Fukuyama won the award for best actor in a leading role for his performance as Lelouch Lamperouge in the series, while Ami Koshimizu won the award for best actress in a supporting role for her performance as Kallen Stadtfeld.[57]
Furthermore, Code Geass won the award for Best TV Animation at the twelfth Animation Kobe event, held annually in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture,[58] with R2 taking the award in the following year.[59] In the 2009, Seiun Award, Code Geass R2 was a nominee in the category "Best Media Award".[60]
Anime News Network's columnist Todd Ciolek attributes the soaring popularity of Code Geass to "the series hitting every important fan sector," with the audience appeal points ranging from a "complex cast of characters and a fast-paced story, told with Goro Taniguchi's capable direction" for "general-interest fans" to "pretty and just-a-little-broken heroes" for "yaoi-buying female fans."[61] Carl Kimlinger also finds that the series "has the skill and energy to carry viewers over the top with it, where they can spend a pleasurable few hours reveling in its melodramatic charms."[62] He also adds that Taniguchi "executes the excesses of his series with care, skillfully intercutting events as Lelouch's plans come together (or fall apart) and using kinetic mecha combat".[63]
Columnist Carlo Santos of Anime News Network wrote that the franchise "in a way, [...] reflects the malaise of a generation: the realization that old, rich, powerful people have screwed up the world and that the young are helpless to do anything about it". According to him, Lelouch's actions exemplify the wish to see problems like "economic collapse, class conflict, political instability, radical extremism" solved by "Zero's vigilante methods" but Santos expresses doubt in such an approach and concludes that "the series is at its best when raising questions rather than offering a final solution".[64]
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