Season 1 of Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture is already halfway done and the 6th episode, Lavender, works towards changing the tides and motivations that have kept many characters going for the longest time. The previous episode was perhaps the best of the series so far and while the latest isn’t bad, it isn’t the best either.
With nothing much happens, it is an episode that lets the characters take a breath of fresh air from the constant battles. While it would be accounted for as a filler, the amount of growth it contributes to Rozé. It is a shame that the series isn’t getting as much recognition as it deserves because it is certainly working towards greater potential.
Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture Gives Depth to Its Characters
The fifth episode of Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture ended with the Damocles falling onto the Seven Shining Stars and the people of Sapporo Ghetto. The problem that had scared everyone was tackled before the opening credits even played. However, it doesn’t seem rushed or anything like that. What made me feel as if the stakes weren’t high enough was the lack of involvement of the people they were trying to protect.
Neither their reaction nor their fear was shown. It was chaotic but only from the perspective of the Seven Shining Stars. It made the stakes less impactful despite the impending danger being more than obvious. The episode dives more towards the backstories of both Sakuya and Ash, albeit individually. Sakuya’s parents were an interesting match, a Japanese General and a Britannian Princess. Their deaths are revealed, and how they happened is also delved into, as well as how good they were to the people.
While her mother met her end at the hands of an illness, her father was exiled later, killed, allegedly, by Ash. Sakuya’s hatred for him is completely understandable and her motivations too work through her. At the same time, Sakura is trying her level best to stand her ground, wanting to protect the Japanese people as an empress despite being a puppet.
The Redemption of Ash
The episode takes a deeper dive into Ash’s character than any other. Throughout the season, he has been shown as a mysterious person who has a lot going on but his own inner conflicts were never truly revealed. It was mostly through Rozé or Sakuya’s perspectives, completely embracing the idea that he was his puppet. As the Nameless Mercenaries take a day to themselves, Sakuya finds herself in the cafe again, stumbling upon Ash as she walks out for a small errand run.
Although many would assume the episode would take its time establishing a possible relationship between him and ‘Raspberry’, that thought it quickly cut short the moment he spots Lady Narah standing not too far away. Sakuya quickly bugs him in an attempt to listen to their conversations after doubting his allegiance. His character is met with multiple layers, and there is a lack of hostility between the two characters despite their guns aimed at each other.
It becomes obvious that they care for each other no matter their sides in the war. Ash’s own morals get revealed not just to the audience but also to Sakuya, who’s hatred for the killer of her father and feelings towards the man who has been nothing but nice to her form a brewing war within her. However, this is when the big reveals start.
Ash is a Man of His Own Horrors
As Narah and Ash converse, it gets revealed that he wasn’t really the killer of Sumeragi Jugo. In fact, it was Norland’s doing and he was the primary man to blame. Ash still blames himself for the murder and many other horrors not only because he had a part to play but also because he is Norland’s adopted son. Both Narah and he came from the same orphanage, explaining their care for each other. However, Norland had a part in destroying those memories as she still works towards protecting the children by any means necessary.
What came to mind because of this scene was that perhaps Sakuya isn’t the only one with a geass but also Norland. Moreover, he and Scissorman were actively trying to figure out who had their army under their control and they did so by plucking their eyes out through an anti-geass deterrent.
Another character that was introduced was Sir Walther Lindstetd, a man who used to work under Sakuya’s mother. By the end of the episode, he appears to be a menacing figure who knows of Sakura’s secret and looks undoubtedly threatening. However, the chances of it being a misdirect are more than likely. Overall, the episode was certainly not perfect but it had its moments. The episode opened up more questions than anything else, making it easy for everyone to wonder what might really happen.
The episode also features a flashback scene after the end credits that showcases Ash and Narah’s lives in the orphanage before things went downhill.
Rating: 7.5/10
Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture is available to watch on Hulu.
