CODE GEASS TO LIVE ACTION: Article 4 ADAPTING KALLEN KOZUKI

By Sam-2 aka wildmoo6

Kallen Kozuki is one of the most popular characters in the Code GEASS franchise. As Lelouch, the protagonist, conspires against the Britannian empire occupying Japan, Kallen is the person he relies on most heavily, the queen on Lelouch’s strategic chess board. She always has an integral role in Lelouch’s plans and the two have a very unique relationship.

Yet thinking of comparisons for Kallen is very tricky. Her character is very nuanced, and also has several aspects that are not typical in western styled cinema. Here are some key attributes to consider:

• She lives a double life. By day she is an ordinary high school student, one who pretends to be dull, disinterested, and oblivious. By night, she is an alluring, fearsome, and zealous freedom fighter who is unafraid to give her all for the sake of the mission. As a result, we must consider character comparisons for both of her identities. I’ll explain this more in a later article, for now, please take my word on it.

• Kallen’s character is not easy to relate to. She is a very exciting character and is easy to empathize with, but she is surprisingly difficult to relate to. Like Batman she is wealthy. Like Daenerys Targaryen she has a tragic back story. Her story is surprisingly unrelatable. This demands that we create a character that is likeable but also unapproachable. This is a very difficult task.

• Yet, because we like Kallen, we buy into the danger she is in, even if we don’t understand what is happening plot wise, we know the events are important because of how she reacts to them.

• Kallen is a female support character who is also militarily competent. There is nothing surprising about a female support character, but military/combat competence in female characters is rare in western cinema. Don’t get me wrong, many cinematic female characters can fight, but few in cinema can handle the “big baddie” at the end of the movie. The female fighters who can handle the “big baddie” are usually leads, not supports. Lara Croft is not a support. La Femme Nikita is not a support. Supergirl is not a support in her franchise. Yet Kallen is every bit as capable as they are, and yet she is still a support because:

• She is incredibly powerful, but her power is not the type of power that is strongest in her universe. Mental power, strategic intelligence reigns supreme in the Code Geass world; the entire story is a strategic chess match. Raw physical power is not enough to conquer countries or win battles here. Kallen is smart, but not a genius and therefore unable to affect the plot by herself. Without Lelouch, Kallen is powerless to affect the change she longs for in the world.

• She looks at Lelouch like a god. Correction, she looks at Zero (Lelouch’s alter ego) like a god. She trusts Zero absolutely. She adores Zero. She rarely questions Zero. She has complete trust and complete confidence in Zero.

All of this makes for a very difficult character to find comparisons for. Most of the comparisons that I can think of for her are other anime characters, which is unhelpful for this project. There just aren’t many female characters like her in live action. Most characters like her are leads and not supports in western cinema. Her age is also a difficulty. Here is my best attempt:

Partial Comparisons

Wonder Woman (2017), Daenerys Targaryen, Emma- Air Bud: World Pup 2000, Pepper Pots-Iron Man, Hit-Girl Kick As*(2010), Harley Quinn Suicide Squad (2016), Hell-No Price Troop Zero (2019), Sergeant Rita Vrataski-Edge of Tomorrow (2014).

These characters all highlight at least one major component of Kallen Kozuki’s identity.

Profile and Background

Kallen’s back story must also be considered as we work our way toward our pure comparisons. She is the half Japanese daughter of a Britannian noble. She shares blood with the people that she has vowed to defeat. She uses her position of influence to aid the resistance and Kallen uses her incredible skill to take a hands-on role. She also has a complex relationship with her Japanese mother. Guilt is also a significant part of her character. She gets treated better than most Japanese because she is half Brittannian. She lives a daily duality.

The key to Kallen’s motivation is her brother.  Her brother died while fighting as a freedom fighter against Britannia. It was not gone over in depth in the series, but for our adaptation, it will need to have a much bigger role. His death must be used to explain her drive, zeal, and determination. It may even be that she develops skills that he had and is trying to fill his role. Giving her a piece of clothing or a piece of jewelry that reminds the character of her brother would be a must.

Pure Comparison(s)

Chloe Grace Moretz’s Hit-Girl is our best available pure comparison. She is the only character that comes to mind, that checks the required boxes with regard to back story, temperament, role, and character values. For the actual actress, though, it would be wise to either go with an actress that was of mixed ethnicity, or to alter Kallen’s back story so that she was a quarter Japanese rather than half.

All in all, I would want to go with an actress that has experience in cinematic horror. She would need to be attractive, intriguing, and be very adept at dramatic reactions to dangerous events. She would need to be able to portray sadness, but also warmth. She would need to appear youthful as the character requires a slightly overacted feel, which is easier to pull off with a younger actress. Someone in their late teens or early 20s.

If you can think of any such actresses let me know in the comments, discuss! Share!