Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture


Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture is a 2024 Japanese four-part animated science fantasy action film series directed by and written by from co-original story conceived by Gorō Taniguchi and Ichirō Ōkouchi; the four-part film series is based on the Code Geass franchise by Sunrise, who also produced the films. Distributed by Showgate, Rozé of the Recapture is a sequel to Code Geass Lelouch of the Re;surrection, which itself takes place in an alternate continuity established in the three-part compilation film: Initiation, Transgression and Glorification. Set in the Neo-Britannian Empire on former Hokkaido, the two mercenary brothers named Rozé and Ash are tasked to rescue Hokkaido princess named Sakuya. Rozé of the Recapture was released in 2024, with the first film on May 10, the second film on June 7, the third film on July 5, and the final film on August 2.
Rozé of the Recapture was released internationally on Disney+ via Hulu and Star as a 12-episode original net animation from June to September 2024.

Plot

Following the death of Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia and the dissolution of the Holy Britannian Empire, remnants of the old empire captured the island of Hokkaido and founded the Neo-Britannian Empire, where the Japanese people are oppressed just like the old days of the empire when their country was one of its colonies. Two brothers named Rozé and Ash, dubbed "The Nameless Mercenaries" fight the Neo-Britannian empire, eventually joining forces with the local resistance forces in their mission to rescue princess Sakuya Sumeragi, but only a few know that Rozé is actually Sakuya in disguise, and the person she wants to rescue is her childhood friend and body double Sakura Haruyanagininomiya, who is passing as Sakuya to protect her. Her weapons are Ash's piloting skills, her tactical prowess and the power of Geass, which forces anyone into absolute obedience, the same power Lelouch himself once used in his rise to power.

Episodes

Note: Each film act is divided into three parts, which later stream internationally in a television series format as an ONA.


Voice cast

CharacterJapanese voice castEnglish voice cast
RozéKōhei AmasakiLuca Padovan
Ash PhoenixMakoto Furukawa
Makoto Koichi
Cory Yee
Braylyx Rivera-Babbey
Sakuya SumeragiReina UedaSuzie Yeung
Sakura HaruyanagininomiyaReina UedaXanthe Huynh
Calis al BritanniaKana IchinoseBryan Chao
Norland von LunebelgHiroki YasumotoDan Green
Catherine SabathraNao TōyamaDani Chambers
Narah VaughnYumi UchiyamaMorla Gorrondona
Stanley VonbraunDaisuke HirakawaDave B. Mitchell
Walther LindstedtYasuyuki KaseDavid Goldstein
Divock MerteMasaaki MizunakaNeil Kaplan
Christoph ScissormanHiroyuki YoshinoJames Urbaniak
Heath LottRyōta ŌsakaRiver Vitae
Arnold RenckSoma SaitoGriffin Puatu
Jack Hogan
Greede KirkwayneHirofumi NojimaAaron Phillips
Gran KirkwayneYūki OnoAlex Bankier
Nichol PhoenixManaka IwamiRyan Alexander Young
RubyHina YomiyaLila Peldon
SisterMari HinoJennifer Sun Bell
Kensei KurotoTakaya KurodaChris Okawa
Isao MunobeKatsuyuki KonishiAndrew Chan
Haruka RutakaMiyu TomitaKira Buckland
Tomōmi OdaShoya ChibaAlan Lee
Shota MunemoriTaito BanAleks Le
Yoko ArakiRiho SugiyamaDawn M. Bennett
Yuri SanoAnzu HarunoRisa Mei
Sarashino TomiHayato FujiiJimmie Yamaguchi
Kaoru ShizukaChikahiro KobayashiRick Kumazawa
Minato SakaiLynnJennifer Sun Bell
Jurō SumeragiRikiya KoyamaKeone Young
Vallen StarkMasashi NogawaDave B Mitchell
Mei EmaHaruka ShiraishiCourtney Lin
Cornelia li BritanniaJunko MinagawaMary Elizabeth McGlynn
Nina EinsteinSaeko ChibaKim Mai Guest
L.L.Jun FukuyamaJohnny Yong Bosch
C.C.YukanaKate Higgins
Suzaku Kururugi/ZeroTakahiro SakuraiYuri Lowenthal
Kallen StadtfeldAmi KoshimizuKaren Strassman
Kaguya SumeragiMika KanaiStephanie Sheh
Gino WeinbergSōichirō HoshiDave Wittenberg
Akito HyugaMiyu IrinoMicah Solusod
Leila MalcalMaaya SakamotoJeannie Tirado
Ryo SayamaSatoshi HinoRicco Fajardo
Ayano KosakaYoko HikasaElizabeth Maxwell
Yukiya NaruseYoshitsugu MatsuokaAaron Dismuke
Orpheus ZevonTatsuhisa SuzukiCaleb Yen
Oldrin ZevonNana HamasakiRisa Mei
Sokkia SherpaYū WatanabeCourtney Lin

Production

In December 2020, it was announced that a new anime project for Code Geass franchise was green-lit, with Yoshimitsu Ohashi directing the series at Sunrise, with Noboru Kimura providing the screenplay from an original story by co-creators Gorō Taniguchi and Ichirō Ōkouchi, Takahiro Kimura co-designing the characters with Shuichi Shimamura from original character concept by manga artist group CLAMP, and music composed by Kenji Kawai. In December 2023, it was announced that it would be a four-part film project, and Kōhei Amasaki and Makoto Furukawa was cast as Rozé and Ash, respectively. In March and April 2024, more cast members were announced. The four-part film series' name was originally titled "Code Geass: Z of the Recapture", but was changed to "Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture". Media reported that this was due to international circumstances, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which the Z symbol was associated with the Russian army.
The opening theme song is "Running in My Head" performed by Miyavi, while the ending theme song is "Rozé " performed by Hikari Mitsushima.

Reception

Box office

The first film failed to reach top 10 in the Japanese box office in its first week. The second and third films debuted at number 7 in their opening weekends. The final film entered number 10 in its opening weekend.

Critical reception

Richard Eisenbeis of Anime News Network gave the first film an A− rating, and stated "Not only does it give us an excellent main character in Rozé, but also a true Code Geass story without undercutting what came before." For the second film, he gave a B+ rating, and stated "Outside of the big battle, the rest of this part of the anime spends time on intrigue rather than action." The third film received an A− rating, and stated "It hits the majority of its emotional beats well—especially those involving Ash and Sakuya—and the story is exciting with some truly excellent twists and turns." The final film received a B− rating, and stated "The pacing issues are just so egregious, especially here at the end, that they hinder not only the story but everything else as wellBut when it comes down to it, this is what we're left with: an often enjoyable but regretfully flawed sequel to one of the 2000s' most seminal anime."