Code Geass

This Summer, Anime is Gonna Cook!

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RJ Writing Ink’s List of Anime He’s Looking Forward to For Summer 2024

Summer is here at last! That means it’s time for Sun, surf, beach days, and enjoying some ice cream to beat the heat. And while I may never get to enjoy the carefree days of summer vacation of my childhood, nothing’s stopping me from enjoying it to the fullest. And, as a lover of good anime, summer also means new stuff to watch.

I’m RJ Writing Ink for D&A Anime Blog, and today, I’ll be talking about a few anime for Summer 2024 that I’m looking forward to. For this list, I will be limiting my choices to anime that either premiere in the summer 2024 or are returning with a new season. Shows that started airing before this will not be counted, as will shows that are getting movies. Sorry, My Hero Academia, but that leaves you out of the running. I will likely be covering most of these anime, either in one-shot posts or series reviews.

Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture

Bow to one of the kings of Mecha, for Code Geass has returned…sort of. While this series is touted as a sequel to the original, Rozé of the Recapture takes place in the alternate timeline established by the compilation films and Lelouch of the Resurrection. Set seven years after the events of the latter, the story sees the Japanese island of Hokkaido occupied by remnants of the Britannian Empire. In this brutal occupation, two brothers, Ash and Rozé, serve as mercenaries for the Japanese resistance. Armed with their knightmares and the power of Geass, the two set out to liberate the island.

That’s a surface level description, but remember, this is Code Geass. The truth is, as always, far more complicated. Rozé, like Lelouch before them, also possesses the power of Geass, which means things aren’t always as they appear. The show’s only two episodes in, but it’s already shaping up to be promising. Granted, it’s treading some of the path from the original series, but if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. The one issue? It’s stuck on Hulu, of all platforms, and Disney isn’t doing much to promote it. Spread the word to the masses, people! Code Geass is back!

My Deer Friend Nokotan

Torako Koshi is considered a perfect and beautiful girl by her high school, but that’s a ruse. She’s actually an ex-delinquent who has gone to great lengths to keep her past hidden. Then, one day, her entire life crumbles when she saves a strange girl with antlers who enrolls at her school. Chaos ensues.

I am still trying to figure out how to describe this series since it has yet to come out. However, this will be the funniest anime of the season, possibly the entire year. The entire series is running on chaos, memes, and bad CGI deer. Studio Wit, the studio famous for Attack on Titan, is also aware of its meme-worthiness. They posted an hour-long of the show’s intro on repeat!

And it’s already been copied by others!

This show knows what it’s doing, and I look forward to seeing it.

Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest

Ah, Fairy Tail, how we have missed you. After five years of waiting, fans will finally see the sequel to Hiro Mashima’s hit Shonen series, Fairy Tail, adapted into anime. After the end of the original series, 100 Years Quest sees the titular wizard guild’s resident fire dragon-slayer and his time take on a quest that has yet to be able to accomplish in over a century. Their journey will see them travel to new lands, come across new and old opponents, and get into all sorts of crazy hijinks. So, just another day for Fairy Tail.

Yes, I am well aware of people’s criticisms against Fairy Tail. It’s been called generic, having too much fan-service, and uses the power of friendship to ridiculous levels. However, I have plenty of my reasons for liking it:

  1. It’s got one of the best dubs out there with an all-star roster of voice actors behind it.
  2. The music is epic and uplifting to listen to.
  3. I like the series’ sense of humor!

Whenever I’m feeling down, I have to watch a clip of Fairy Tail, and I’ll feel a little less sad. Seeing this quirky, chaotic guild of wizards makes me smile.

Also, I respect that the new anime’s coming out on July 7th. For those who don’t know, that’s a pretty important date for Natsu in the series, and the events that took place on that day were one of the enduring mysteries of the series.

Suicide Squad Isekai

I still can’t believe this is a thing, but here we are: Suicide Squad has now gotten its anime. After getting caught by the authorities for the umpteenth time, Amanda Waller drafted Harley Quinn into her Suicide Squad. She then uses them as guinea pigs to test a portal that’s supposed to take them to another world. When they get trapped there, they have three days to return. Otherwise, the bombs in their necks will go off and kill them.

I salute you who thought it was a good idea to combine DC Comics and anime. Not only does this series’ existence prove how much anime has integrated itself into western culture, but Harley Quinn can now be classified as an anime waifu. I’m not entirely sold on the idea of seeing a group of villains becoming “heroes” in another world, but it’s isekai. At this point, the isekai genre is all-consuming and we should accept that. I can’t help but chuckle at how Clayface’s default form resembles Michael Jackson. However, anime fans would argue that he looks more like Muzan.

And these are just some of the ones that I’m gonna be watching! I’m probably going to be making initial reviews for many more to come!!!

Do you agree with my picks? What other anime coming out Summer 2024 are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!

Why Does Disney Get the New ‘Code Geass’ Anime?!?!

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Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture Promotion

What’s the best mecha anime of all time? Well, the idea of best depends on everyone’s perspective, but it helps that there are many great mecha anime. Name most incarnations of the Gundam franchise? Most people will accept it. Neon Genesis Evangelion is an all-time classic, even if the ending was confusing. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is legendary for being so awesome, they might as well have a picture next to the word in the dictionary. And while Gurren Lagann is one of the GOATs, I only consider it the second-greatest mecha anime of all time. The number one title should be the late 2000s epic, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion.

I found Code Geass when I was in high school, and I wound up becoming obsessed with it for a good, long while. It was unlike any anime I had seen. The fight for freedom against an oppressive empire. The exiled Prince turned rebel with psychic powers leading the rebellion. The complexities as Lelouch proceeded to do morally questionable things for questionable reasons. I loved Code Geass. It was one of those stories that only happens once in a generation. It’s Dune, if Dune were a mecha anime. And that makes it so awesome! So imagine my surprise when I learned that we would be getting a sequel series set in the alternate timeline of the compilation films? Given how amazing Code Geass is, one would think this would be one of the biggest things of the Summer 2024 season.

It’s not. I looked on Twitter and more than a few people didn’t even know that another Code Geass anime was coming out. And the reason why is because it’s not on the big anime streaming platforms. It’s stuck…with Disney+ and Hulu.

Time for an intervention. This is Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture.

Britannians Refuse to Learn their Lesson

Seven years have passed since the events of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Ressurection. The Holy Britannian Empire is gone, replaced by the more benevolent Principality of Britannia, while the world remains at peace. However, not everyone from Britannia will adjust to the new reality. Four years earlier, remnants of the Empire, calling themselves the Neo-Britannian Empire, invaded Japan and conquered the island of Hokkaido. Using a high-tech barrier built to keep them out, the Neo-Britannians turn Hokkaido into a prison for the Japanese people, free to abuse them as much as they want.

All is not lost, though. A resistance movement has hired a pair of Britannian brothers, Ash and Rozé, known as the “Nameless Mercenaries.” Between Ash’s skill behind a Knightmare and Rozé’s strategic planning., the two of them might be enough to free Hokkaido.

In a nutshell, this series is a microcosm of the original Code Geass meets Ghosts of Tsushima. Don’t believe me? A foreign power invades an island part of a larger island nation, and elite fighters who call it home must set it free.

For the record, Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture is technically not a series. It’s being released in four acts between May and August of this year in Japan. Worldwide, though, it’s been broken up into twelve episodes.

Not Exactly Groundbreaking for Code Geass

Beyond that, though, the series isn’t breaking any new ground regarding Code Geass. As I said before, the series’ plot is a smaller-scale version of the original anime. The main protagonists can even be considered copies of Suzaku and Lelouch, but with their personalities reversed. Ash is the stoic and ace pilot in a Knightmare Frame, while Rozé is the more outgoing and the brains. Not even the Neo-Britannian’s have anymore substance to them; most of them are as racist and imperialistic as ever.

Some might consider this series unecessary since it’s not adding anything new to the franchise. However, I don’t care. Code Geass is one of the best anime I’ve ever seen, and I’m just happy that we get to have more of it. And if it does well enough internationally, then Sunrise might decide to give us some more spin-offs.

There’s just one problem: poor distribution.

Why Does Disney Get this Awesome Series?

For reasons I cannot fathom, Rozé of the Recapture is being distributed internationally by Disney, of all companies. If you live in America, you can watch on Hulu. Anywhere else outside of Japan, Disney+’s “Stars.” And none of that makes sense. Disney isn’t exactly the first company people think of when distributing anime. Nor is Hulu the go-to platform for many people looking to watch new anime. They have plenty of it, but most people these days watch it on streaming services like Crunchyroll.

The worst part is that Disney doesn’t seem to be putting much effort into promoting the series. As a result, it looks like it might end up flying under many people’s radars. I barely heard anything about it in the months leading up to its premiere. That’s not good!

That’s why I’m writing this. I’m putting out a call to arms for all fans of Code Geass, Sunrise, and Mecha anime: go out there and spread the word about Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture. Make sure more people know about this series. Do not let it fly under the radar because it’s stuck on Hulu! And if you don’t have Hulu or Disney+, hopefully, find somewhere else.