Code Geass: Suzaku of the Counterattack, Vol. 1

Code Geass: Suzaku of the Counterattack #1

by Ichirou Ohkouchi, Goro Taniguchi, Atsuro Yomino (Illustrator)

Suzaku Kururugi is the son of the last Prime Minister of Japan. Even though his nation was conquered by the Holy Empire of Britannia, he continues to fight a solitary battle for his own brand of "justice."

This manga series looks at the story of CODE GEASS though a unique prism, presenting the battle between Suzaku and Lelouch in a bold, new way!

Genres: Manga, Comics Manga, Comics, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Shonen, Fantasy

180 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 2007

Reviews

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Code Geass Suzaku isn't a retelling of the story from Suzaku's viewpoint so much as an alternate history treatment. Author Ohkouchi doesn't stick to the facts of the anime and instead changes them a little to make Suzaku a more interesting character. As a result, those that are invested in the canon of the anime may find that frustrating. For me, I had a problem with the storytelling itself; this manga felt like a series of scene vignettes (showing Suzaku's viewpoint instead of Lelouche's from key points in the anime) rather than a story that flows. It's choppy, skips around everywhere, and can even be confusing in places.

The treatment of the book is lovely: two color pages at the beginning. I almost wish it was a bit larger rather than standard manga size to show off that feature. But the art is very well done and in several places, I liked the manga much more than the anime. The manga takes off so many of the 'sharp' edges from the anime.

This is definitely one for fans of the anime only since you will have to have seen it first (and recently) to understand what is happening. If not, nothing will make sense in the book's haphazard 'flash forward' type of storytelling that hops all over the place in the anime story.

[Tinita125 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buenas buenas, hello there!
Bueno, para empezar tengo que decir: qué carajo fue este manga? Leí esto justo después de leer el manga de Lelouch (que ya tenía sus fallos y le puse 5 estrellas solo porque el anime es lo mejor que hay), pensé que esto no podía ser peor pero es un DESASTRE. Primero que nada, no se entiende nada. Cambian todas las tramas, cambian todas las personalidades de todos, nadie aparece, todo pasa rapidísimo, nada tiene sentido y no sé que más decir, it was just a mess. Segundo, no sé qué onda con los mangas y hacer malo a Schneizel pero okay, we take him being bad and lulu being only good <3 Tercero, el único motivo por el cual le puse 3 estrellas es porque Suzaku por primera vez pelea por Lulu, FUCK*NG FINALLY!
En fin, no hay mucho más que agregar, no tiene sentido, fue muy corto y raro. Al final no supe que le paso al científico, por qué Suzaku de la nada tenía el Geass, por qué Schneizel sabía que Suzaku mató a su papá, si lulu perdió el ojo y que pasó con las naciones (Britania y Japón), pero bueno, al final obtuve el tan querido Suzalulu. I guess it was all worth it???? Not....

[Stephen West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Code Geass: Suzaku of the Counterattack, Vol. 1 is an absolute masterpiece of a manga! The story follows Suzaku Kururugi, a soldier in the Holy Britannian Empire, who is torn between his loyalty to his country and his desire to bring about change from within. The themes of morality, politics, and social justice are explored in a nuanced and thought-provoking way that left me thinking long after I put the book down.

The art is stunning, with detailed and dynamic character designs that capture the essence of each character perfectly. The action scenes are fast-paced and exciting, with plenty of mecha battles and strategic maneuvers to keep you on the edge of your seat.

But what really makes this manga shine is the character development. Suzaku, in particular, is a complex and compelling protagonist, who struggles with his own beliefs and the weight of his actions. His relationship with his best friend, Lelouch, adds another layer of depth to the story, as the two characters have opposing goals and ideologies.

Overall, Code Geass: Suzaku of the Counterattack, Vol. 1 is an absolute must-read for fans of the original anime series or anyone who loves a good political thriller. I can't wait to see where the story goes from here, and I highly recommend this manga to anyone who enjoys intelligent, thought-provoking storytelling.

[Drizztl · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5/10

[consumedshadow-mysticmc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amusing.

[Taylor Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s weird that there’s no nightmares but I’m enjoying seeing more of Suzaku I hope Euphy is in the second volume

[Lee Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to find the next book.

[Sophia F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Code Geass focused on Suzaku's point of view? HECK YEAH! Count me in!!
It was quite interesting to see a little more of the story from Suzaku's perspective, and I was able to side with him more after reading this. He just seemed like such an oblivious and thick-headed character when the story focused on Lelouch's POV. Lelouch always expressed his thoughts about Suzaku's actions, and explained to himself/the reader why they were poor choices, so I always sided with him.
Many details seemed to be inaccurate from the main series, especially the recap from before. Lelouch didn't carry C.C. home, nor get saved from another bullet shot by Suzaku (at least as far as I remember.) Other events mentioned I will not list, you'd just have to read both Lelouch of the Rebellion and this offspring series.
I assume that this is where the anime got the idea for the "Knightframes" I believe they were called. Pretty cool addition to the storyline I have to admit. :)
A little disappointed in the differences from what happened before for the beginning, but I can't to keep reading Suzaku's story!!

[Roderick · Rating 3 out of 5]

oK SO This one here focused on Suzaku's story and how he had been throughout the events of the Code Geass series...I read two Volumes so this review will be a recap of what I think of it.

So...

I was never a big fan of Suzaku, he was stubborn and arrogant, feel free to disagree, but all the same, I feel like I could have seen bit more information on how he was leading up to the modern time that he lives now, what had he done to get into the army and the choices he made...I guess since they focused so much on Lelouch that Suzaku's story was more made up than planed out...winged if you get me.

but over all I see the quality of the book and I hope that (if I continue) it will get better.

I;m on a manga spree!

J Vera

[Mdsmith46]

my third favorite anime/manga series. I absolutely love the plot twists that take place in the manga and the characters are amazingly made. The manga is so well thought out and written that the reader is absorbed into the story and inevitably addicted to the story. It has some content that is questionable not because of graphic violence or nudity because the manga is pretty clean when it comes to that but the questionable content is that of moral decisions made through out the manga. Through out the manga the characters are faced with terrible situations that cause them to make horrendous decisions. recommended for mature Jr. highers and high schoolers.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little more insight, especially into Suzaku, than one gets from the anime. The art is at least as fine as the anime, particularly the all-important expressions on the characters' faces.

I'm curious as to what the Lelouch-focused series is like..

[Megan Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't like it anywhere NEAR as much as the Lelouch books. It felt more like a digest of what happened in the other manga with a few slight changes. Disappointing.

It gets points for gorgeous artwork, though.

2/5 on here, 4/10 for myself.

[Nessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a bit confusing with who's who and from what side and the thing with 11 was confusing at first but once you continue reading it makes a lot more sense. This had a ton of heart stopping moments which made this one volume a very awesome read.

[Khallandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different twist to the series.

[Jennifer Rummel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting. I'm trying to read more Manga books - but I find I have a hard time figuring out the characters. They look too similar for me. I liked the story - but was lost a bit too much.

[L'Poni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this alternate rebelling of Code Geass. I wish I had enough money to pick up volume 2 when I first read volume 1. There's something about this rebelling that feels interesting.

[Teeny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Elena Prieto · Rating 3 out of 5]

No estuvo mal, pero tampoco me llegó a fascinar. Para pasar la tarde estuvo bien.