Code Geass: Rozé Of The Recapture Release Window, Trailer, Voice Cast, Director And More Details

One of the more popular anime series of the 2000s, "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion" follows an exiled prince named Lelouch vi Britannia (Jun Fukuyama in the Japanese version, Johnny Yong Bosch in the English dub) who also goes by the name Lelouch Lamperouge. While attending the Ashford Academy, Lelouch meets a mysterious girl named C.C. (Yukana/Kate Higgins) who grants him the power to command anyone to do whatever he wants — this is known as the Power of Kings, or Geass. Lelouch uses his Geass to track down his mother's murderers and bring peace to his country... and turns into a masked vigilante in the process.

With the success of "Code Geass" came a compilation recap film trilogy by Funimation, which remolded the story told across the 50-episode series with a couple of new scenes thrown in. The recaps actually created an alternative reality in the "Code Geass" universe, and a sequel film set in that continuity titled "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection" came out in 2019. The following year, on December 5 (Lelouch's birthday),a new "Code Geass" project was announced, and fans are starting to buzz now that concrete information about said project is finally beginning to emerge. Here's a roundup of everything currently known about the new installment.

When the new project was announced by Sunrise — the studio behind both "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion" and "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection" — it was titled "Code Geass: Z of the Recapture." Notably, it was referred to as a new series (though not a sequel to "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion") and it had been set for a 2021 release. That projected release date came and went with no new series, and that's not the only thing that's changed since the initial reveal.

When further news on the project finally came out via a December 2023 launch event in Tokyo, fans learned that the title of the upcoming series has been tweaked to "Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture" — and that it isn't actually a series at all. "Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture" is, in fact, a four-part theatrical event. At the launch party, it was revealed that the first entry will hit Japanese cineplexes in May 2024, so circle that month in your calendars, "Code Geass" lovers.

As "Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture" is an original story that doesn't have anything to do with what's come before it, there's little known about the plot yet. From the promotional materials released so far, it looks like the show will go heavy on the Knightmare Frames (the show's mechas, created by the Holy Britannian Empire) with less emphasis on the Geass element. While the Knightmare Frames are undoubtedly cool and synonymous with the series at this point, the Power of Kings is also an important part of "Code Geass," and the apparent lack of Geass has been noted by fans. A new tale also means new villains, and there appears to be a group of bad guys led by a red-haired antagonist.

Judging by the outfits we have seen our protagonists Rozé and Ashe (who appear to be brothers) wearing thus far, it's likely the story is set in a cold climate, and the icy streets that some Knightmare Frames roll down in one shot seem to confirm a chilly setting. The architecture in these shots looks somewhat European. "This could be like Ukraine or Russia or some area in that location," YouTuber MyMediaChops said. This lines up with a detailed prediction posted by user @j.d.s7173, who believes that "Some new Euro-Britannian blood purists led by that red haired guy are imprisoning and genociding Japanese prisoners from their unliberated internment camps."

As it's not a sequel to either the original anime series or "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection," the most recent installment in the recap timeline, "Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture" naturally features a brand new story with brand new characters. As confirmed at the launch event in Tokyo, Kohei Amasaki voices the titular Rozé and Makoto Furukawa co-stars as Ashe. Both are experienced voice actors — in fact, if you're an anime fan, there's a good chance you've heard them in action before.

Amasaki plied his trade in a number of shows in 2023 alone, playing parts in "Arknights: Fuyukomori Kaerimichi," "My Clueless First Friend," and "Tomo-chan Is a Girl!" to name but a few. He's done a bunch of video games, but, in terms of anime, he's best known for his work as Sun Quan Gundam Astray in "SD Gundam World Heroes" and Taichi Nishimura "Isekai Cheat Magician."

Furukawa, meanwhile, is known for his work on "Kaguya-sama: Love Is War," "Aldnoah.Zero ," "Banana Fish," and, most famously, "One Punch Man." He voices the superpowered but jaded protagonist Saitama, who has fallen out of love with his line of work because he's way too strong for every villain. "Seeing someone defeat enemies with one punch is fun in a simple way," Furukawa said. "It's a series which anyone can enjoy."

The first trailer for "Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture" was revealed at a December 2023 event in Tokyo. It confirms that protagonists Rozé and Ashe are out on a patriotic mission to protect their people. "You've killed too many Japanese," Rozé tells an unseen enemy. "That's why we've come. This is... resolve." The remainder of the trailer is made up largely of Knightmare Frames doing what they do best.

"Code Geass" fans had to wait a long time between the new project being announced and the first trailer being released. Was it worth it? The reaction to the trailer has been somewhat mixed. While fans are thrilled to have more "Code Geass" to look forward to, the fact that the trailer lacks a certain familiarity hasn't gone unnoticed. "If you did not know this was a Code Geass anime, you would have no idea based on that trailer," MyMediaChops said. There are, however, a few small things that big fans of the show may have picked up on.

There's a glimpse of a very "Code Geass" gun as the apparent villains of the story gun down helpless civilians in a road, and at one stage, there's a big Knightmare Frame Easter egg: We're briefly taken into a cockpit of a Knightmare Frame, and the screen in front of the pilot reads "Megistus Zeta." This is an apparent nod to Megistus Omega, a feature of the Nagid Shu Mane. This Knightmare Frame belongs to King Shalio of the Kingdom of Zilkhstan, as seen in "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection."

"Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture" is directed by Yoshimitsu Ohashi, who has plenty of experience to draw on. While he began making a name for himself as a director in the 2000s, his career stretches back to the mid-80s when he began working as an inbetween artist on the show "Panzer World Galient." In the years that followed, Ohashi worked his way up the ladder and landed key animator roles on the likes of Yoshiaki Kawajiri's "Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust" and Satoshi Kon's "Millennium Actress," two of the best anime movies of all time.

In terms of directing, Ohashi got his start helming a couple of episodes of the sci-fi anime "Infinite Ryvius" around the turn of the millennium. He took on increasingly bigger jobs in the next few years and, before too long, he was directing whole shows. Ohashi established himself as a talented sci-fi director with shows like "Planetes" and "Witchblade" in the mid-2000s, though he's more recently become known for the supernatural show "Kokkoku." It's about a girl called Juri Yukawa, who, following the kidnapping of her brother and nephew, uses a magic stone to enter the world of "Stasis," where time stops for everyone but her.

While original creators Ichiro Okouchi and Goro Taniguchi retain original story credit, "Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture" was penned by writer and occasional actor Noboru Kimura, who appeared in a handful of Japanese dramas in the 2000s. He started writing for anime productions around the same time, and his early credits include shows like "G-on Riders," "Cosplay Complex," "Bottle Fairy," "Yumeria," and the supernatural comedy "Ah My Buddha!!" Nowadays, he's more associated with "Gundam Build Divers," having worked on the series in a composition role for 52 episodes between 2018 and 2020.

Kimura also held that role on the series "Kokkoku," directed by "Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture" helmer Yoshimitsu Ohashi. This isn't the only reunion on the project, either. "Takahiro Kimura is once again designing the characters along with Shuichi Shimamura based on the original character designs by CLAMP," Anime News Network reports. "Junichi Akutsu ('Code Geass') is returning to design the Knightmare Frames." These connections could potentially prove key to the success of the show.

Kenji Kawai of "Ghost in the Shell" fame is composing the music for the project, but who sings the opening song of this latest installment in the "Code Geass" franchise?

As revealed at the launch event, the opening theme of "Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture" is called "Running In My Head," and it's performed by Miyavi, a multi-hyphenate who you may recognize even if you're not into anime. While he's primarily known for his successful career in music, the man fans call the Samurai Guitarist is also an actor, and he made his debut in Angelina Jolie's World War II-set POW film "Unbroken." He went on to appear in "Kong:Skull Island" and reunited with Jolie for "Maleficent 2." He was also in the live-action "Bleach," which must have been a dream come true for Miyavi, seeing as he's a huge anime fan.

"The biggest inspiration to my work was 'Dragon Ball' or 'Akira,'" Miyavi told Crunchyroll in a candid interview, revealing that he used to practice his Kamehameha (the first and most widely used energy attack in the 'Dragon Ball' series) every day as a kid. He added: "I'm doing that with my guitar, you know?" He's made 13 studio albums to date, including one dedicated to anisongs: Released in 2022, "MIYAVI 20th & Beyond" includes Miyavi takes on "Get Wild" from "City Hunter," "Soul's Refrain" from "Evangelion: Death and Rebirth," "Eternal Wind" from "Mobile Suit Gundam F91," and "Blue Bird" from "Naruto: Shippūden."

If you fancy watching some older "Code Geass" anime while you wait for "Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture," there are a few places you can stream it. You can watch the first season for free on Crunchyroll — with ads, of course. If you want to get rid of the ads (and get access to Season 2, the recap films, and ""Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection," to boot), then you'll need a premium account. These come in three tiers that cost $7.99, $9.99, and $14.99 a month, respectively.

If you're a Hulu subscriber, then you have access to the first season of "Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion" in both a subtitled and a dubbed version at the time of this writing, though Season 2 is not available, and neither are any of the movies. Funimation also lacks the films, though it's got all 50 episodes of the anime series. Like on Crunchyroll, you can watch the first season for free, but you'll have to subscribe for the second one. Premium costs $7.99 a month, and Premium Plus sets you back $9.99. However (like Crunchyroll and Hulu) there's a free trial, so you can try before you commit.