I...disagree with most of your comment 😭 But I know Clamp's character designs are an acquired taste. (Imo they always look better in manga form than in anime)

Lelouch/Code Geass is most anime watcher's first introduction to "revolutionary anti-hero" protagonists (I was one of those people), so I think people recommend it out of nostalgia. Also there are some twists in the story (iykyk) that are really good and I think it's dismissive to just Cinemasins them away.

But adults who want space wars and political drama would probably prefer Gundam and Legend of the Galactic Heroes, depending on their preferred pacing.