Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion I - Initiation

The Britannian empire has occupied Japan and the country is now called Area 11. Lelouch is an exiled Britannian prince studying in Tokyo under a hidden identity. Through an accident he acquires a power called Geass: he can give any person he looks at a single command, once, and they must obey. Under the name Zero he becomes a masked leader of rebellion. Goro Taniguchi directs. It was made at Sunrise. This is not a sequel but the first of three films recutting the first season of the television series. Some scenes were redrawn, some events removed, and the narrative compressed. The idea of the series is that the hero is not in the right. Lelouch is fighting an occupation, and his methods are manipulation, lies and spending people; the narrative never clears him. The Geass works as a figure: the authority to take another's will away once, and the fact that it cannot be undone. The complicated political background of the series is shortened here and some supporting characters are nearly removed altogether, which is a loss for those who followed the show and a convenience for those who did not. The three film series was followed by a new sequel, and that film changes the ending of the show. Who it is for: viewers of Code Geass and anyone who likes political science fiction anime. Who it is not for: being a compilation, the rhythm is uneven, the character work is cut short, and it is largely repetition for anyone who knows the series.