Jeoffrey

Yes, Your Majesty. Alright, I’ll admit, this latest Code Geass continuation worked for me in the end. Like I mentioned with Lelouch of the Resurrection, I just don’t get why anyone felt the need to follow up on what was already such a perfectly wrapped-up story. The original finale was one of the best anime endings I’ve seen, and with all these sequels, it feels like its impact is being watered down. Especially here, where we find ourselves back in almost the exact same situation as the beginning. Neo Britannia is behaving just like the old Britannia, and it’s painfully similar to the original series. The only takeaway from the opening was the reminder that humanity seems to love repeating its mistakes—plenty of real-world examples of that. Once again, we’re fighting oppression, the main character unknowingly holds a crucial role, and there are tons of twists and reveals—some excellent, some a bit questionable. That "Palpatine-esque" reveal of the main villain's identity? Yeah, I could’ve done without that, even if it wasn’t as ridiculous as it was in Star Wars. But, looking at the story as a whole, I was pretty entertained throughout. It kept me hooked, threw in some surprises, and overall delivered on the narrative front. So, credit to the writers where it's due. With only twelve episodes, though, the show didn’t have much room for deep character development. It was just enough for the main players, while the supporting cast mostly echoed characters from the original series, making it feel like we didn’t need much more from them. I did enjoy the cameos from key figures in the Code Geass universe, including those from the Akito films—it was nice to catch up with them. Animation and music? On point, as expected. Given that this was also meant for the big screen (hence the movie version), Sunrise really delivered on those 2D mecha (Knightmare Frame, of course) battles. That vibrant, smooth action sequence in the final episode was a real visual treat. The ending hit harder than I expected, though I kept thinking it would've been more impactful if there had been more episodes to flesh out the relationship between Sakuya and Ash. Still, it was a solid and emotional conclusion, even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights of Lelouch’s saga. All in all, while this isn’t the legendary Code Geass of old, it held its ground. A decent 7.2/10 from me.

An intriguing short film that doesn’t rely on dialogue at all, featuring only a single song, yet it still manages to convey a message. At first, I found myself just watching the repetitive scenes, unsure of their purpose (I’m still not sure what the deal was with all the smiling face emojis), but as the film gradually built up to its finale, it started to click. That slow build-up really makes the ending hit harder, especially as it ties together some of the film's themes around the title and the floral imagery. Visually, the animation style was quite charming, and the one chosen song fit perfectly. I might not have fully grasped all the symbolism, but even so - 7/10.

From an animation perspective, The Imaginary is definitely an interesting and well-crafted piece of work. The soundtrack is also solid, and the film is full of imagination and clever ideas. Still, I couldn’t fully connect with its charm. There were moments where I found myself making cynical comments and noticing where the creators had drawn inspiration. The fantasy world was captivating with some well-thought-out rules, but I struggled to believe in how it connected with the "real" world—it didn’t quite mesh for me. The characters didn’t grab me either. The main protagonist didn’t win me over enough to root for him, and I found side characters like the cat, the dog, and even Emily far more engaging. The villains were well done—they were intimidating and commanded respect—but I couldn’t help seeing clear influences from Miyazaki and even elements of a Dementor. One of the villains' partners felt like an anime twist on Sadako from The Ring. Still, it worked, and I can’t complain too much. In the end, The Imaginary is a charming film full of great ideas and a touch of life lessons, wrapped in a vibrant, colorful package. But maybe I’ve grown too old and lost touch with my own sense of wonder, and my imaginary friend has long since disappeared. That might be why it only resonated with me at around 68%.