Akito the Exiled - The Wyvern Arrives (2012)

Code Geass: Akito The Exiled

On August 10th, 2010 a.t.b., the Holy Britannian Empire attacked Japan without warning. The Japanese were no match for Britannia's superior tactics and never before seen Knightmares (mechs). Within a month, Japan fell to Britannia and was stripped of all political power and national identity. Renamed Area 11, Japan has been reduced to a colony and it will be one of many as Britannia's path of conquest threatens to overturn the world. The year is 2017 a.t.b. and the European Union (E.U.) and its allies are all that stands in the way of Britannia and global domination. In a desperate bid to shift the momentum of the war, the E.U. forms a special division called the "W-O" which consists of a small company of Japanese soldiers. Among them is Ensign Akito Hyuga, a Knightmare pilot with an appetite for destruction and a penchant for chaos. Akito is led by Commander Leila Malkal a former Britannian Aristocrat who leads the Wyvern Knightmare corps against her country. Will Leila's and Akito's combined efforts be enough to help the E.U. turn the tables on Britannia, or will they be casualties of war like so many who have come before them?

It couldn't be.

Directed by Kazuki Akane (Escaflowné), also written by Kazuki Akane and Miya Asakawa, "Akito The Exiled" is a side-story of the original Code Geass which was written by Ichirō Ōkouchi and directed by Gorō Taniguchi. To summarize a 50 episode anime series, the original Code Geass followed an exiled Brittanian prince named Lelouch vi Britannia who under the guise of an enigmatic persona named Zero, fought against the Britannian empire with the aid of the Black Knights and a mysterious power called Geass which allowed him to control others. Akito The Exiled is set during the events of Code Geass but takes place in different locations and follows a different cast of characters. Also worth noting is that Akito The Exiled is a four part series of movies rather than a two season anime, but keep in mind that this review will focus on the first movie which was very well done in a number of areas and was even better than the series in a few of them.

I'll be your knight.

The theatrical format comes with its positives and negatives. While the negatives are that the film isn't very long and doesn't give us much time to spend in this world with these characters, Akane makes each scene count and doesn't waste time on fluff or unnecessary details. As the first in a set of movies, Akito The Exiled: The Wyvern Arrives has a lot of work to do in both reinvigorating the franchise and drawing in newcomers which it does fairly well. While opening the film with a voice over is cliche the film goes from that scene right into the action where we see the E.U. forces engaged in battle with Britannia. The Wyvern Knightmare corps. are taking a pounding and command is falling apart. The movie doesn't take the route of telling us how bad the war has gotten, rather it shows us through a scene where one of the commanders is coming apart at the seams, the Wyverns are getting decimated, those who are alive have resorted to kamikaze attacks, and the Britannians seem to have control of the board. This first scene also shows us a lot about Akito's and Layla's respective personalities.

The Relena

Leila Malkal is the young military commander who has quickly risen through the ranks. While her status certainly played a hand in that it was also another hurdle for her to overcome. Despite her noble background she has devoted herself to the military as one can see through her composed nature, willingness and ability to take control of a given situation, and a strategic mindset that constantly probes the enemy for weaknesses regardless of size or strength. At the same time she's very compassionate and will never create or follow a strategy where the price of victory far outweighs the number of lives spent to achieve it. One character who doesn't share Leila's regard for human life happens to be her foil Akito.

The Heero

Hyuga Akito is a young Knightmare pilot whose combat skills are nothing short of extraordinary. Known and feared by his enemies as the "Ghost of Hannibal" Akito appears to be under the influence of a Geass command and whether the influence of that Geass is telling him to survive or to die, he rushes into battles with only a 5% survival rate and decimates any who stands in his way. He has a madness that seems barely held in check and while he's mostly apathetic outside of battle, he appears to be carrying the weight of his fallen comrades on his shoulders. His traits are sometimes at opposites with each other but despite this he knows how to control himself in social situations and he respects Leila even though he doesn't hesitate to speak his mind or express disagreement with her decisions. He's a good foil because his opposite traits compliment Leila's without him being a villain.

Against The World

Leila and Akito have an interesting dynamic that is just short of exceptional because rather than do away with traditional gender roles in a misguided attempt to be progressive like most anime (and media in general) they both share and embrace their gender roles and apply them to different situations, from different perspectives, but typically for similar reasons. For example, Leila uses her position and intellect to try and protect Akito as much as she can without abusing her power. As the commander of the W-O she knows Akito's chances of survival on the battlefield are almost zero and so she tries different battle tactics, she tries to convince her superiors to provide more resources, better resources, not just to win the war which obviously is most pressing, but because she also has Akito's safety in mind. She outranks Akito in virtually all areas of their world (military, society, politics) but she never lets that compromise her understanding of him and her respect for him as a human being.

Will they survive?

By that same token, Leila's safety is firmly in Akito's mind, during those times he's not out of his mind anyway. Akito is Leila's battle-hardened Lieutenant and bodyguard and it's a job he takes very seriously. Whether it's his devotion to duty or simply an "It's my job" mindset he doesn't hesitate to go on the offensive when Leila is in danger. Whether the threat is an attack on her life or status, Akito is sensitive to the atmosphere of a given situation and knows how to respond. When the threat in question is mortal there's no such thing as excessive force in Akito's mind. It's far too early to tell if the two characters love each other but they do see value in each other's lives and this says a lot about how much Leila influences Akito who is a character who doesn't recognize value in human life. Akito also recognizes Leila's individuality and even though she's a Britannian and a noble it's not a point of contention between the two. Both of them embrace their roles and are protective and nurturing without being possessive of each other or ashamed of who they are.

A familiar story?

The only real knock I have is that the dynamic between the two is only unique by today's standards but not overall. Seasoned anime viewers will notice I dubbed Leila "The Relena" and Akito "The Heero." This is because they bear striking similarities to Relena Peacecraft and Heero Yuy from Gundam Wing which came out in 1995. This I admit is a small gripe and doesn't detract that much from the enjoyment of watching Akito and Leila interact, but for an objective critique it does bear mentioning. A few traits aside they're nearly identical to Heero and Relena. Of course someone who hasn't seen Gundam Wing (or Gundam 00, Crest of the Stars, etc.) will not be aware of these similarities.

No place like home.

The environments in Akito The Exiled are beautifully drawn and most of the scenes future some truly impressive animation which is par for the course for Sunrise. While it won't drop any jaws the way something from ufotable would (Unlimited Blade Works), it's pretty to look at, even gorgeous at times. Computer animation in some of the scenes are very noticeable and feel out of place especially considering previous entries in Code Geass used it to only the most minimum degree. CLAMP's character designs always measure up and while they're not at the level of say Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicles or xxxHolic, the characters in Akito The Exiled do stand out. Akira Yasuda has designed some unique mechs, the Alexander being my personal favorite thus far. Like most mechs the Alexander is bipedal but it can also crawl on all fours and move like a spider. It also has these large tonfas and seems tailor-made for close quarters combat which Akito excels at.

Akito shares his feelings toward gaijin.

The film is not without its thematic flaws. Fans of Code Geass may be familiar with the franchise's xenophobia-influenced alternate history. While nothing is wrong with alternate history stories, Code Geass has a track record of using this device to transmit a message that all Japanese people are good and all Europeans are bad - sans the one or two token exceptions so that the anime (or manga) doesn't come off as being blatantly nationalistic. Whether it was Ichirō Ōkouchi's original writing or the influence of Gorō Taniguchi, some elements in Code Geass tread that fine line between anime and propaganda and I felt that its anti-European message had all the subtlety of driving a bus through someone's house. This has been toned down considerably under Kazuki Akane but it's still present to a degree.

Episode One

Despite its flaws I had a great time watching Akito The Exiled. I found the film to be a breath of fresh air at a time when I was burned out on Code Geass. I'm pleased to note that the movie had a lot of what I enjoyed and very little of what I didn't. It's different from the original series but not so different that it feels like another anime. Code Geass: R2 felt like it was just Death Note x Gundam and it lost much of its uniqueness. However, Akito The Exiled has a greater grasp on its identity thanks to Kazuki Akane. I highly recommend the movie for long-time fans and newcomers alike.