Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 (2008)

[コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュR2]

Director: Goro Taniguchi
Studio: Sunrise
Starring: Jun Fukuyama, Yukana, Takahiro Sakurai
Episodes: 25

Synopsis:
After the collapse of the Black Rebellion, the survivors of the Black Knights plot to reawaken a brainwashed Lelouch as Zero.

Impressions:
This season is fairly controversial for a number of reasons: directions the plot takes, shifting character motivations, and so on. Some of it is the result of executive meddling and in light of that, it's a wonder the narrative holds together as well as it does. While I can certainly sympathize with people's dissatisfaction on a number of points and probably agree with them on a fair share of them, I honestly kinda like that things get so crazy. In a way, it fits with the flashy lunacy of the series. If you're mostly here for the mecha action, you'll get plenty of that. Some of the comedy remains, but it has more of a dissonant feel given how dire a lot of the goings-on become. I do like that there's more of Emperor Charles in all his hammy glory courtesy of the great Norio Wakamoto (and having Jun Fukuyama's Lelouch engage in ham-to-ham combat with him is a treat). It's a crazy ride and you're almost guaranteed to not get a lot of what you want, but I still think it belongs in the collection because despite its flaws, it's still better and more memorable than a lot of series out there.

Rating:
Own It