Code Geass: Dakkan no Roze – Episode 01 Review

OP Sequence

OP: ロゼ「Running In My Head」by Miyavi

「雪解 -Melting Snow-」 (Yukige: Melting Snow)
“Melting Snow”

JIBUN WO!

Code Geass is a special show for me because of where I was at when it came out. As a highschooler, it was one of the first main shows aside from Bleach that I got super cringey about. I wasted so much pocket change on limited edition DVDs that included the audiobooks. I got a bit of a lecture on how much they were worth, but hearing JYB shouting “SHIT!” for one of the funnier skits was worth the dough). An old friend painted a picture of Zero as a birthday gift that I kept on to for some time.

It was also my first time looking up subbed anime because there were two vacations where I missed the latest Code Geass, so I resorted to finding the two online. I’ll never forget the infamous Mao chainsaw episode happening around when I went to NYC and Fire Island for the first time, so I wound up catching it in both Japanese and English.

Code Geass has indeed earned its reputation as being a shaky rollercoaster that’s scary yet thrilling to be on. Sometimes they made it really difficult to stay a fan of the show, but that’s par of the course when you’re young and watching a show that’s infamous for its wild twists and jarring plot developments. It became a habit to come back to school on Mondays and immediately be greeted by someone in my otaku friend circle who always asked the big question: “Have you watched the latest Code Geass!?”

I still need to see the movies and Akito, but from the first episode of Roze, it’s pretty accessible to those who only saw the two seasons with Lelouch. There are familiar names and faces to keep you engaged with how much the world has and hasn’t changed since Zero’s rebellion. Considering that the Neo Britannian Empire has brought Japan back to the state it was in back when Lelouch first made contact with CC, it gives you a reason to stay engrossed in the ways that Roze and Ash gain the upper hand on the remnants of Britannia’s brutal reign.

SOMETIMES YOU GET THESE LITTLE FILLER INCIDENTS IN LIFE AND THAT’S FINE

Disney is hilarious. For their big streaming platform, they’ve been highly selective with their anime choices for Japanese audiences, ranging from respectable mature anime like Yojouhan Time Machine Blues and Summer Time Rendering to 2000s revivals like the latest Bleach and this season of Code Geass.

Since its inception, the joke that you could watch The Lion King and Aliens on Disney Plus kept spreading despite having everything mature shoved on Hulu. But a show like Code Geass is such an interesting choice as an anime available on the platform. Especially since Roze’s first episode already pushes the envelope by sharing its predecessor’s mindset on what’s considered terrorism and counterterrorism under a colonial project.

It is a bit odd knowing that there was so much more Geass before this since doing a plot reset like The Force Awakens means that Zero, Lelouch, and Schneizel were asleep at the wheel while Neo Britannia retook Hokkaido and erected the Situmpe Barrier over the region. While it did take a ton of planning time on their behalf to pull off a coup to this extent, it is a lot of work for them to do only to wall themselves in to oppress the people of Hokkaido out of spite.

Centering the focus around northern Japan also limits exactly what this particular spin-off can incorporate from the older series. It’s far enough into the future where the only Sumeragi who could return to the fold was a distant relative of Kaguya like Sakuya. I could see returning characters making an appearance, but it is a double-edged sword where it’s nice that they’re putting more faith in the newer characters yet odd that the older cast just wasn’t here for all this.

GOT THAT PURPLE LAMBORGHINI LURKING (ROZE!)

That’s the beauty of Code Geass though; there’s a sense of magic to the goofy madness and jarring tonal shifts. It’s a show that both addresses the horrifying nature of a living under a tyrannical occupation and revels in the flamboyant men and supermodel women who do funny poses as they play 4D chess with one another.

With Roze in particular, they share much of Lelouch’s theatrics and strategic acumen, so it’s easy to get back into the swing of things. Any adjustments you’d have to make to any of the newer changes would be minimal because, aside from the kinder demeanor they have when they use their Geass, Roze has the same plucky charm that Lelouch had as he laughed at danger in the face and threw five conveniently placed Knightmares in its direction.

And in true Geass fashion, even Roze’s identity has a fun plot twist attached as Roze is merely an elaborate futuristic disguise for Sumeragi Sakuya. I’m curious as to how sophisticated the technology is considering that a simple necklace could change Sakuya’s voice and eye color.

I’m also wondering who exactly Ash is. Ash travels around with Roze acting as his older brother, but if they’re both well aware that Roze is Sakuya, Ash is just some dude. He’s a talented and strong man who likely sympathizes deeply with Sakuya’s plight, but it’d be fun to see how they met and built this rapport as they settled into their roles as fake brothers. With all the housepets they took in, I imagine they also had a lot to adjust to given that “Roze” is less keen on taking care of all the pets Ash would like to take in. It’ll be Anime of the Year if there’s a scene where Roze and Ash share a Hot Dog Bites Pizza.

Above all else, Dakkan no Roze’s first episode was a fun return to the wonderfully wild world of Code Geass that aims to bring its flavor of elegant madness to a newer generation. I’m cautiously yet eagerly optimistic to see how the plot unfolds given how much of Sakuya’s journey as Roze aims to offer its own unique spin on the path of blood Lelouch took to become immortalized as Zero.

 

ED Sequence

ED: ロゼ「Rose」by Mitsushima Hikari (Produced by TeddyLoid)