Code Geass
From MechaWiki
Code Geass is the overall title for one of Sunrise's latest attempts at another full-market mecha franchise.
The mainly known story of the three currently is the anime 'Lelouch of the Rebellion' (the other two 'Suzaku of the Counterattack' and 'Nightmare of Nunnally' currently exist only in manga forms.)
'Lelouch' involves an alternate history timeline. Due to changes in Europe's past, North America is now recolonized as the capital for the Holy Empire of Britannia. Thanks to their development of the combat mechas known as Knightmare Frames, the Britannian Empire has set to work trying to conquer the rest of the world.
The series itself focuses on Lelouch Lamperouge, an exiled Britannian prince whose mother was murdered by another member of the royal family. Rather than investigating the death, his father, the Emperor Charles di Britannia simply feigned not caring. For their own safety, young Lelouch and his sister Nunnally were taken in by the Ashford family in occupied Japan (now called Area 11.)
The series begins one day, with Lelouch skipping classes to bilk nobles out of their money playing chess (a game he's quite skilled at.) Lelouch finds himself caught up in the middle of a maneuver by Japanese rebels trying to take back their country. As he makes his way through the chaos, Lelouch comes to a truck he initially believed to be containing a bomb. Inside is actually the mysterious witch, CC (pronounced C2.)
Shortly after meeting her, he's also reunited with an old friend of his, Kururugi Suzaku. The meeting is short-lived, however, when a superior officer shoots Suzaku and intends to kill Lelouch for having seen CC. She offers Lelouch power which, on the spot, he accepts.
So Lelouch is granted the Geass known as 'Power of the King', an ability that allows him to issue one command per person that they will be compelled to obey, whether they want to or not.
Using his new power, and his penchant for strategy, Lelouch sets to work contacting the Japanese rebels and guiding them to turn the tide against Britannia.
With the rebels on his side, Lelouch now sets about to avenge his mother's death upon the Britannian Empire, and more directly, his father.
There is still, however, one obstacle that stands in his way. His friend Suzaku, who survived the gunshot, is now enlisted as a pilot for the experimental Knightmare Frame Lancelot.
What follows is a series of back and forth battles of ideologies as well as combat styles: Lelouch's strategies vs Suzaku's almost supernatually skilled battle prowess.
'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion' started running in Japan during the fall of 2005, where it met with a good deal of success. Due to some poor planning with clipshows, the final two episodes of the first season were delayed for two extra months, being aired as a special and met with mixed reception, as they still left a cliffhanger for the next season.
After a season's wait, the second season, 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2' was aired. This show, while still fairly popular, also received a fair amount of criticism from fans of the first season, thanks in part due to such things as the seemingly throwaway episodes at Ashford Academy, the 'reset' beginning of the season, and the mecha themselves, generally seen as utilitarian combat units in the first season, becoming progressively more superpowered (most notably the KMFs of the Knights of Rounds.)
Several of these things have allegedly been attributed to decision by the higher-ups to retool the show to accomodate its new timeslot and, as a result, its new audience. As a result of this, there are several things director Goro Taneguchi admits were supposed to be in the show that were either cut or they were left with no time to explain (such as an explanation behind the enhanced hand-to-hand and piloting skills demonstrated by Suzaku and resistance member Kallen Statfeld.)
As an additional result of these changes, Taneguchi has reportedly, as apology for the show's backfiring, declared it will be his last series.
As of this point, there's no known intention if any other Geass animes will be made. All that's confirmed at this point is, according to Taneguchi, in the event of any further stories, Lelouch will likely not be featured, as his story is over.
