Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture Only Succeeds At Showing How Special the Original Series Was

The original Code Geass series is, without a doubt, one of the best anime ever made, and while there have been several attempts to replicate this success, all have failed. That includes Rozé of the Recapture.

Bringing back Code Geass in 2019 for the new movie Lelouch of the Re;surrection was a bold and ultimately fruitless decision, but things looked much more promising when the first previews for Rozé of the Recapture were revealed. Unlike the movie, this series wouldn’t sour the original series’ perfect ending, instead carving its own way many years after the initial show.

There’s no doubt Rozé of the Recapture has its own identity and story, but the show quickly falls flat, becoming not just an underwhelming sequel but generally a directionless and disappointing series all around.

Sakuya Sumeragi is a character with a complex past and vision for the future, and while the show does a good job of detailing her motivations, they aren’t that interesting. The saving grace here is that Ash Phoenix is a compelling character, but you won’t see the depth of his arc until you’ve suffered through half of the season.

Ash has suffered greatly during his upbringing, and, as a result, he has become the ultimate fighter inside and outside of Knightmare Frame. It’s his relationship with the cast of villains that produces the show’s best moments, up until the very end when we see this big twist regarding Norland, Rozé of the Recapture’s Big Bad.

This might be the worst decision that the creative team made for the whole series. Without diving into spoiler territory, this twist feels like a huge cop-out banking on nostalgia to produce shock value or increase the stakes. Even one of the coolest Knightmare Frames in the entire franchise can’t save this villain from feeling like an afterthought, and the ending of the show gives the same vibe.

Rozé of the Recapture does succeed in creating emotion during its climax, but the conclusion feels rushed and disappointing. Not to mention that it does nothing to address any of the countless Code Geass cameos shown throughout the 12-episode run. As a fan of the original series, seeing characters like Lelouch, Suzaku, and Kallen on screen always got me hyped, but every single one of these cameos amounts to nothing. They’re gone as quickly as they came, even when they have significant ties to the plot. Now, the last thing I am suggesting is that they further tie this story with the original cast, but if you’re going to show them, at least have them play a small part. In the way they are used in Rozé of the Recapture, it would have been better just to not involve them at all.

If you’re a Code Geass fan then you’re going to watch Rozé of the Recapture, and you probably won’t hate it, just don’t expect to hit any of the highs that you remember from the past. Whether we get more Code Geass in the future or not, Rozé of the Recapture shouldn’t be considered a failure but further proof that the original show was something special.