Code Geass is a Japanese anime which was produced by Sunrise and is currently available on Netflix. The animated series has only two seasons which premiered in Japan on MBS TV in October 2006. The first season is called Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion and it ran till July 2007. Its sequel titled Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2, ran on TBS and MBS from April 2008 to September 2008. There was a sequel movie released titled Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection which released last year (and was well received by critics and fans).
Code Geass is a political action sci-fi television series that is set in an alternate universe, where, due to some changes in history, the world became different and so did its rulers. In this alternate timeline, Earth is controlled by three main superpowers – The Holy Britannian Empire (who controls more than 50% of the world’s landmass including both Americas), the Chinese Federation (controls majority of Asia) and the European Union (who controls most of Europe and some parts of Asia and Africa).
The two major changes that occur in the history of this timeline that results in the divergence from the original are – when when King Henry VIII of England had a male heir who became King Henry IX and Napoleon beats the Queen Elizabeth III lead England at the Battle of Trafalgar. This forces the queen to flee from Britain to the American colonies and from there, she established the Britannian Empire.
The series primarily follows Lelouch vi Britannia, an exiled Britannian prince, son of Emperor Charles zi Britannia and his royal consort Marianne vi Britannia (who was killed brutally). He currently lives in secret, in the country Area 11, formerly known as Japan. Japan was beaten by Britannia who used their latest weapons – Advanced Knightmare Frames (huge mecha suits controlled by pilots) to conquer them. One day, Lelouch gets offered a mysterious power called “Geass” by an equally enigmatic woman C.C., which will help him get revenge on his father and create a safer world for his sister, Nunnally.
The series has a “Game of Thrones level of characters”, as in the series is filled with multiple well written and nuanced characters and most of them are brilliant to watch – from a love-struck teenager to a war-beaten general, every character is interesting and memorable (even though you might forget their names at times). The series can be a bit cheesy and fluffy at times and has a (overwhelming) amount of fan service, so some of it can be a difficult watch for many audience members.
If you guys can get past that, the brilliant 50 episode animated series Code Geass, is currently waiting for you on Netflix.