Bloom within my arms: a "Code: Realize" review
I've always wanted to play a visual novel. Sometimes I find gameplay videos on YouTube and get sucked into the world of these games, their stories and art and, most often, heart-throbbing romances. Code: Realize was one of those titles, a steampunk Victorian reverse harem where the player, a young woman equipped with a skin-melting touch, becomes acquainted with several re-imagined literary and historical figures as a terrorist plot overtakes London. It seemed intriguing, but I never got around to watching the whole thing.
When an anime adaptation of the game was announced in 2017, I was excited. Although my brother beat me to the punch when it came to watching it (he watched it as it aired, and I still hold a mild grudge over him for it), we decided to watch it together recently. My anticipation paid off, as Code: Realize proved to be a solid and engaging show in its own right. With an intriguing plot, colorful characters, decent animation, and a beautiful musical score, this anime grew on me as I watched more episodes. Pretty soon, I was hooked. I wanted to find out more about Cardia, our protagonist, to watch her grow from a detached "monster" to the human being that was inside her all along, an emotional and loving woman buried beneath years of abuse. The men in her life capture specific tropes of the reverse harem genre, and although these do limit them in terms of development and growth, they remain fresh (at least the show establishes a primary love interest). Although atmospheric and steampunk-appropriate, the animation is average when in comes to movement fluidity among its cast, but the music throughout elevates the art. At the end of the day, Code: Realize is a fun experience, perfect for reverse harem fans, steampunk aficionados, and those up for a good romance amidst political intrigue.
Cardia Beckford has lived in isolation for as long as she can remember. Locked in a mansion for the past few years, she has no memories except for her father's words echoing in her head: "You are a monster." When someone touches Cardia's skin, the poison within it melts the recipient's flesh. Although the British Royal Guard attempts to take her in for their own secret intelligence purposes, they're intercepted by a self-proclaimed "dashing gentleman thief," Arsène Lupin. Lupin makes off with Cardia and introduces her to his group of vigilantes: Impey Barbicane, a sharp-toothed and flirtatious mechanic who provides transportation and special gadgets for Lupin to make his dashing escapes; Victor Frankenstein, a former member of the Royal Court, a sweet alchemist with a great knowledge of chemicals that get implemented in Impey's gadgets; and Saint-Germain, a nobleman with a lot of cash (the group stays at his mansion) and resources who hides behind a sly smile. Not long after Cardia meets these men, another joins their midst, a cold and severe gun-wielder by the name of Abraham van Helsing. Each man shares the same goal: taking down Twilight, a secret intelligence organization led by a young man named Finis. This group, fueled by the ideology of Cardia's father, plans on burning London to the ground in hope of building a new world run by humanity's inner savagery. The key to stopping it and igniting it lies in the source of Cardia's poison: the Horologium. Twilight wants it for themselves, but not if the guys can help it. With their assistance, Cardia will discover more about the man who once raised her, and she'll realize she's capable of a lot. But as the day of destruction draws near, can London be saved?
Code: Realize's plot set-up isn't particularly new to the reverse harem genre, nor are its characters. A woman harboring something while being surrounded by gorgeous men that help her take down corrupt public officials? Seen her before. A man kidnapping a young woman out of another kidnapping against her will while she gradually warms to her new surroundings with this dashing young man? Seen that too (and it is somewhat problematic, not gonna lie). However, Code: Realize's take on it all is refreshing. The show knows what genre it fits into and doesn't try to deny it. Rather, it blends together the hints of romance with political intrigue to bolster itself up, keeping me glued to the screen. What also makes the story intriguing is how nineteenth century steampunk machinations fit into its world. To see time period appropriate technology mixed with some fitting inventions that also go beyond to advance plot and imagination (hello, aircraft race in Episode 6) is inspiring and fun. Code: Realize takes the typical and makes it its own, maintaining seriousness and camp with equal rigor.
This is true for its characters as well. Cardia starts off as an expected emotionally distant lead (perhaps to allow a player or viewer to insert themselves in), but her presence expands throughout the show. The men teach her a variety of skills that she takes to heart, but her own emotional growth is just as important, as she realizes she has a new group of friends she can rely on. They instill her self-worth, but she gets to see that for herself and believe it, which is just as important. The group of men with her, despite her circumstances in getting to the mansion, are fun despite their cliches. Lupin is the main love interest, dashing and flamboyant, but his embarrassed side and tenderness around Cardia has its charm. Impey is the hopeless flirt with an admirable dedication for mechanics. Van is cold and aloof but obviously has a sensitive side that gets revealed in pieces. Fran is the kind and sweet one but with a great depth of knowledge and a courageousness when necessary (he was my second favorite when paired with Cardia). Saint is prim but calculating, something going on behind those closed eyes (cue screaming from my closeted younger self). There are other colorful figures throughout Code: Realize, and they each add their own spunk to the show. Even if they find their way into stereotypes associated with the genre, there's something that makes them both self-aware of their constraints and elevated above them at the same time.
The animation for the series, courtesy of relative newcomer M.S.C., falls into a middle ground. While the art renderings of the game are good, the way the characters move can feel limited and stiff, and some backgrounds lack the attention to detail that close-ups allow us to glimpse. However, it does capture the atmosphere of steampunk London without much, so that's saying something.
Meanwhile, the score, composed by Ryo Takahashi, is rich and expansive. A lot of composers I really like in anime, I've noticed, combine orchestral and electronic elements. Takahashi's work is no different here. There's a nice blend of orchestra, chilling reverb-soaked piano, and the pulse of effects thrumming throughout the pieces. It boosts the atmosphere the animation hints at, industrialization corroding the edges of a 19th century world.
Both language tracks for Code: Realize are solid. Whether you watch this in Japanese or English, you'll hopefully enjoy the show. I ended up watching it dubbed, as I preferred the punchier script and the fresher interpretations of the characters (compared to the Japanese actors, who have been voicing these characters for a few years prior to the release of the show, the dub boasts relatively experienced but new faces to the franchise, as it hadn't been dubbed before the show). The performances across the board are consistent and great, with the typical standouts associated with a FUNimation dub. For our main cast, J. Michael Tatum and Brandon McInnis are great when it comes to articulation and subtle shifts in tone, along with capturing the exuberance of both Lupin and Saint. Micah Solusod's Fran has a few hiccups but is overall solid, fitting perfectly into his higher-pitched and sweeter roles. Ian Sinclair delivers an expected great performance as Van, and Jill Harris, although starting out somewhat stiff in narrative parts, warms up to the role alongside Cardia's development over time.
Code: Realize was a fun anime to watch and get emotionally involved with. With an entertaining quest, colorful characters, atmospheric animation and music, and a solid dub, a steampunk reverse harem revel awaits. There may be stereotypical moments that take themselves a bit too seriously, but it's all in good fun.
