RahXephon

Overall/Enjoyment: Where to begin. First the disclaimer: RahXephon is definitely not for everyone. It's usually best to have little to no expectations so as to not contaminate the experience. With RX there are some things you should, and a lot of things you should NOT, expect. I would be remiss if I didn't mention how significantly challenging of a show it is to get into. You certainly have to be in the right mood/mindset for it. It is easy to label this show as an action, drama, sci-fi mecha romance (or whatever), but what does any of that mean? If you've seen Neon Genesis Evangelion, expect thisshow to have a very familiar... setting. This is usually the first thing people notice (and usually complain about). Mecha is probably the least important aspect of this show however. The story is also very heavily character driven, so the pacing is very slow and the action is sparse. Coupled with this, the sci-fi aspects of the show are limited and more of a sub-plot if anything. At its heart however RX is ripe with drama and romance, but above all else, it is a very well written and a stunningly artistic show. That being said, if you are the kind of person who likes to analyze things and gestate them and appreciate the fine art in works, then RX has a lot to offer. This is not to say that RX is an intellectual tour de force meant only for the highest of brows, but rather as a hint for people who like that kind of stuff. If this is not your style or what you are in the mood for, then there is a very good chance you will find this show simply boring, meaningless, and/or just an inferior version of NGE. I initially tried to watch this show with my brother and we were both wondering "when does anything cool happen?" Some months later I tried watching the show again, by myself this time, late at night. Under these conditions I was able to just sit back and enjoy what was going on. So I definitely recommend watching this under similar settings where you have time to view at least a few episodes and focus on them. Story: There's not really much to say about the story that isn't covered in any synopsis. There are elements of mystery that can be confusing at times, but get more or less resolved/explained eventually (with minor exceptions). Some of the temporal ideas they play with are kind of interesting. The way information is revealed is pretty well done. You slowly get immersed into the world(s) and things become more intriguing and entertaining the more you get to know the characters. What's more, it actually has a conclusive and COHERENT ending, which is more than I can say for the majority of anime. There's nothing I hate more than getting really into a series only to have it end in some crazy, sudden, ambiguous, and/or arbitrary manner. I HATE THAT SO MUCH. *deep breath* Ok, so, stories with good endings get high marks from me. I can't really say what it was I liked so much about the ending without essentially spoiling it, but suffice to say I found it very.... emotionally satisfying. Do not be fooled. Even though the Japanese love to throw robots into almost everything, RahXephon is scarcely a mech show except in the most token of ways. The fights involving mechs are brief and mostly forgettable. They really serve more of a symbolic and artistic purpose than any kind of technical combative entertainment. This is most prominently exemplified in episodes 19 and 26. The sci-fi part of the story is mostly nonsense, but it's very pretty looking and sounding nonsense. This is what really counts here. It doesn't matter if the plot is silly or has been done before, what matters most isn't what is said but HOW it is told. The real story lies beneath the surface of the sci-fi mecha mumbo jumbo, and if this isn't clear by the end then you've really missed something. NGE vs. RX: If you've already seen Neon Genesis Evangelion then you might be put off by how strikingly similar this show appears to be. It's true; the parallels between RahXephon and NGE are uncomfortably pervasive. They both have a young male lead thrust into piloting a mech for some organization to fight against abstract enemies. They both have an older female character who introduces and protects/shelters the main character. They both take place, obviously, in (post-destruction) Tokyo and of course are mankind's last hope against a prevailing alien threat. Coincidences like these will probably catch your eye throughout the show, however, RX is not the blatant ripoff one might think. These common threads are superficial and are no more egregious than two shows having the same "harem of girls fawning over an awkward guy" plot. Here's where the shows stop being similar: NGE provided a more realistic mech story with deep psychological overtones and Christian themed undertones; RX centers around capturing a certain... aesthetic more than anything else. So if you are going to watch RX, it is important to bear in mind that the thing you'll take away most from it is not the "edge of your seat action" or the "mind blowing concepts" but one thing: aesthetics. Here RX triumphs over NGE most magnificently; it is simply and stunningly beautiful. Art: The character designs put me off a little bit in the beginning. There was something so simple and plain about them that didn't sit right with me. Their colors were too solid and too flat. The designs are definitely different, and after a while I either grew used to them or stopped caring, because everything else about the art in RX is just amazing. The time and effort they put into the backgrounds are absolutely breathtaking. The other thing I liked about RX is that even though the enemies are abstract looking, they're not just weird floating giant eyeballs or anything obnoxious like that. The abstraction in RX actually retains a certain "realistic" genuine design, they look like something someone might actually build. Sound: I'd say the sound in this series shares in the same spirit of aesthetics. I mean, how could it not? The plot revolves around the idea of a world suffused with sound. If you are spinning a story that is largely character driven and are trying to immerse the viewer in visuals then it is equally important that the music draws them in as well. Some of the melodies are really solid/memorable, but the most important part is that the mood and tones are always set just right. Since music/sound is supposed to be a big theme of the show, it would've been nice if there had been more distinguishable harmonic singing as opposed to the mostly tonal chanting that goes on. In this area I don't feel they really tapped into their full potential beauty and the incessant droning can get a little annoying... The Op/En themes were alright, maybe a little too tranquil for my tastes. The dubbing was surprisingly good. I usually watch an episode or so dubbed and then watch a couple subbed before deciding how to watch the series, but the dub was so well done that the thought to switch over never even came to me. This is not to say it was flawless, Vic Mignogna's voice didn't seem to quite fit, but whatever. Comparing it to the subtitling, I might even go as far as saying that the dubbing was possibly better... Characters: The main character is a refreshing alternative to your typical amoral badass or whiny, obnoxious brat. No stupid sidekicks or comic relief here, no retarded antics and none of the usual cliche archetypes that make up your usual lineup. Most of the characters are really well done, a few of the minor characters could've been better developed, but they're all fairly believable and likable. With the exception of Makoto, who is just an unbelievable prick. It's never really explained why he's such an insufferable douche bag either. This ultimately doesn't matter, some people are just bastards for no good reason, but it would've been nice if at least A reason was given. In fact, it would've been better if some of the characters motives had been elaborated on more. If you've seen and liked Eureka 7 (also by Bones) then you already have an idea about what a story driven by wonderful characters is like. Of course, having good characters alone is not what makes this show unique. More so than the visuals or the sound, where RahXephon really excels is how heart warmingly romantic it is. I don't mean this in some cheesy, lovey-dovey, soap opera kind of way. It's somewhat hard to explain. You can watch this show and not even pick up on it, but that's part of the magic. It's not overdone and it's sort of subtle about it but still effective. Even the characters are beautiful in a way. I hate stories where characters act or react in ways that have no bearing to real life, so when they interact believably it just makes it that much more enjoyable for me. Let's take harem shows for instance where the main male lead is either painfully oblivious to (or shows no interest in) any of his would-be female suitors. Or, when there's some ridiculously breasted female character (and there's a lot of them in anime) and people just act as if it's the norm, when you know, YOU KNOW, every single male (and lesbian?) eye would be locked on to that woman all-the-time; everywhere she went. I HATE when shows do that. So I was SO glad to see RahXephon took that extra step to make the characters feel more real rather than just inundate the viewer with more of the usual idealistic/innocent baloney -- and I'll always love it for that. The characters are so sincere and so genuine with one another that it made watching them gripping. In that same vein of realism, I absolutely loved how... amorous the characters were. You'll see scenes where cleavage might catch someone's eye, or where there will be an air of sexual tension, or proximity promiscuity, and all these other sensual elements that were deliciously but tastefully mature. This extra layer made the characters so much more... human. I really loved this about the show, and it is probably what I'll remember most: just how playful and fun and passionate and real they appeared to be. So by the time I got to the end, it was such a memorable and moving journey that I was sad when it was over. The characters were just so alluring and endearing. Other: There are a lot of mysteries in the show I never understood like who Kamina's parents were, or how Haruka found him at that gateway after the disappearance, or the whole clone craziness, or the whole elaborate setup at the end, or why the mu were on earth or where they came from... but none of that really matters. I can't really do justice to how much I liked this show, but there's a review of it on ANN that puts it into much better words than I have. This is a show anyone who values substance owes to themselves to watch.

RahXephon is a Shounen, Sci-fi, Mecha, Romance, Drama about a high school boy Ayato Kamina, who believes in the reality that is present before him. However everything changes once he discovers the truth about the world, that humanity is at war. From the very beginning you will be thrown right into the thick of it, knowing very little about the plot, story and overall premise. However as the show goes on it slowly reveals, bit by bit, what it is all about, which is about humanity's struggle against some weird invaders. The story is told well because everything is straight forward and you won’t feel overwhelmedwith the back story and all the terms given. However this anime series may lack some originality because it is not too difficult to spot the numerous parallels between RahXphon and the ever-so-popular Neon Genesis Evangelion. Both series about boys being thrust into a war against unknown beings, plus having romantic interest on the side. Nonetheless, RahXephon does manage to become an anime of its own. The characters are fairly well-defined and well developed but only Ayato Kamina stands out, as the protagonist. Yet every episode usually focuses on one of the supporting characters, developing them further. Nevertheless there are times when the characters’ actions and thoughts are confusing or just don’t make any sense. The animation and music quality is the sort of thing to expect from BONES. Even though the animation style is somewhat dated, the way in which everything from the amazing fights to just simple talks is animated so well. Whereas the music adds to the impact of the action and drama, seeing that music is a major element in the show. Yet the music does get fairly repetitive. Overall RahXephon has proven to be a Mecha anime worthy of being included in any mecha anime fan’s collection. The combat is pretty impressive and so is the musical score, which goes well with the artistic concept. This shouldn’t be a tough show to understand however at times things end up being explained poorly, which can confuse us viewers making the show less enjoyable to watch. I recommend this anime to anyone who doesn’t have anything against Mecha anime. ^_^

After finishing this series and having read a few reviews of this Anime; I have a different view, a different perspective of this Anime. I just can't agree with the high numbers given to this Anime. I respect their opinions obviously; but here is my opinion: Quite bluntly said, it was very disappointing. After the first few episodes it is quite easy to agree on this Anime being one of those you enjoy watching. The animation is so-so, but the story is pretty like able since it's being told pretty nicely. Not literally told; but the process in general is well done. My compliments on that, RahXephon. However, thedownfall of this Anime came closer the more the plot came closer to me, the viewer. You see; an Anime can't expect to get a high rating while all they did was complicate a complicated story; thus confusing the viewer. Many things are really badly explained; not to mention that besides this, many things that are part of the story start annoying you. For instance, all these weird looking mechas sing. It's part of the story; I get that much. But after a while; after hearing them singing over and over, episode in and out with that weird noise. It annoys you, irritates you and pretty much 'forces' you to skip that part. Yes, that's true. I've skipped parts. Why? It's simple; the story wasn't convincing enough and became a nuisance. The complicater the story isn't the better. Neither is complicating the images and scenes as well. Vague images appear; nothing much gets explained. Sure, one vague image gets explained. But what about the other ones. What was his motive? Why this, why that? So many answers were unanswered; and for a series that has 26 episodes and a pretty good concept it just didn't quite make it. It's unacceptable. You see, the characters were pretty good. But why complicate things more? For instance, there were over 10 love interests for whoever and whatever in the serie. If I try to recall; I can mention at least 3 people one person had his eyes on, one after the other. Some of them don't even make sense and are quite hard to get. Why was this put in?.. and why so vaguely? Is this reality or isn't it? If only they made the story clearer; this would've actually been good. Though some things get clearer after you watch the movie; it is still not a part of the original tv series. Thus doesn't count. As for this one; it's too confusing that only the first half of this series is actually fulfilling. Many things I was able to guess and foresee. Maybe that's because the story put the concept of one great dramatic scene, not once, but more than three times into the story. That's right, the same exact concept is used; opening my eyes was easy and I was able to see a pattern. And I'm supposed to be dense. Not to mention that the designs of the ending are quite bad. But hey, that's just taste. Too bad the story has nothing to do with taste. The only thing I really liked of this Anime in a whole was the female lead character; though it is discussable if she really is the female lead. But well, she was my only reason of enjoying the last 8 episodes. And even she gets vagued out. So useless and random; I just can't see how making the story more vague this much is thought of to be interesting, good, developing, mysterious and great. Since it just doesn't makes any sense. As for the series in general, and if you should watch it. Well, if you are bored and really want to watch an anime reasonably enjoyable, go ahead. But don't expect much of the story or try to crack your brain; things get explained in the end (partially). It's easy to get; just doesn't makes any sense. So don't worry about thinking things through; the story really did turn crap near the end. At least the ending wasn't sucky right. And I did enjoy this anime for a bit; especially the first half. So yeah, your choice, your time. Just make sure to not blame me if you didn't like it; many people do seem to like it here though, check the other reviews ratings.

You know, it's actually kind of hard to write a positive review. It's not that it's hard to point out positive aspects of something. But it's a bit harder to justify your praise for it, without coming off as a fanatic that choses to ignore it's flaws. By contrast, it's far easier to justify a negative review. My last review of School Days was one of the easiest things i've ever written. A show that i detested for so many reasons, and that others felt the same about, so it was easy to justify my negativity. But what about a review of my favorite show?One that i believe to be a masterpiece, yet many do not, either out of ignorance of the shows existence, or out of spite for it's similarities to the elephant in the room of anime. It's been a review that i've been a bit fearful of writing, but i simply cannot hold back any longer. This, ladies and gentlemen, is my review of my number one favorite anime, RahXephon. Story (9/10) In the year 2012, a human-like species called the Mu invade Japan. But that is not where our story begins. Our story begins in the year 2015 in Tokyo, where a young artist named Ayato Kamina is attacked by government officials, only to be saved by the mysterious woman, Haruka Shitow. When Ayato learns that those government officials have blue blood, Haruka promises him the truth that has been kept from him for so long, only for him to run from her to chase after a mysterious girl by the name of Reika Mishima with whom he stumbles on a giant egg that holds the RahXephon, an ancient mechanical titan than can only be piloted by Ayato. With this, he learns that there is a separate world, right outside the one he's lived in all his life, with a 12 year difference to that of Tokyo's time. With Haruka and the anti-Mu organization TERRA, Ayato will find the truth. About the RahXephon, about the Mu, and, most importantly, about himself. As you can tell by that not-so-brief description, there is a lot going on in RahXephon. It's a series filled with lore, mystery, and symbolism that is just begging to be answered and analyzed, yet the series always chooses to hold close to it's chest. The show always gives you enough to work off of, and plenty to keep you interested, but the answers come quite slowly, and there are plenty of times where you're left in a state of confusion where you simply have to sit down for a minute or ten, and think about what you just saw. This makes it such a joy when you finally do get those answers and everything finally comes together, but so frustrating to actually continue on with. Many will find themselves fascinated with the show, and invested to find out it's secrets, but there are plenty that simply get fed up with being kept in the dark. This is understandable, but RahXephon is definitely a series worth sticking with, and and even greater joy to revisit, once you know all the secrets, and realize that the show gave you a lot more to work with than you gave it credit for. RahXephon is a show doused with Mayan lore and Aztec culture, mixed in with the studies of the fictional continent of Mu, thought up by James Churchwood, plenty of classic literature influence, and plenty of reference to surrealist art. But above all, RahXephon plays with the concept of music. Each episode ends with the words, "The world, suffused with sound", and many music terms are often brought up in cryptic riddles, for example. All because one of the main themes of RahXephon, is the idea of music changing the world, though put in a much more cryptic and spoiler-ish manner, and as such, the show itself plays out like a symphony, playing until it reaches it's coda, and ends with a striking crescendo. But, while you may further enjoy the show with proper knowledge of it's influence, you don't need to know them to like the show. RahXephon is a cerebral art piece indeed, but it's primarily a romance that centers around revelation and inner strength. It shows how easy it is to come face to face with reality, how hard to is to accept it, and how strong you have to be to move past it in order to find happiness in the bonds that you spend time creating and strengthening, and while it may come with occasional heavy-handedness, the show itself it so genuine, honest, and respectful to it's audience with how it's presented, that those moments never dampen the show, and the shining moments are ones that will linger on with you for quite a while. Art (9/10) RahXephon is brought to us by Studio BONES, a studio which few, if any, anime fans are unaware of. How could they be when BONES brought us some of the most noteworthy anime to come out, such as FMA and it's reboot FMA Brotherhood, Wolf's Rain, Eureka Seven, Soul Eater, and Ouran High School Host Club. What some people might be unaware of though, is that RahXephon was one of their first works, and their first big success. While RahXephon is somewhat of a small title these days, it's possible that without it, BONES wouldn't have the same illustrious future. It seems that BONES may have been aware of this at the time of RahXephon's conception, because the show is beautiful, even by todays standards. The show is surprisingly bright and colorful, despite it's ominous tone, brought out through the simple yet effective design of the island of Nirai-kanai where most of the show takes place, making it all the more relevant when the tone changes and the backgrounds go dim and eery. As a cerebral show, it loves it's share of symbolism and imagery, such as the ever present contrast of red and blue, the reappearing dove portrait, modeled after Rene Magritte's "La Grand Famille", the use of common day items as representation of characters emotions, such as windshield wipers and a chime. But the most distinct aspects of the art in the show has to be the character designs, done by Akihiro Yamada. It's often said that body language speaks louder than words, and RahXephon has proven, possibly more than any other show, that animation is no exception. It's almost baffling just how expressive these characters are. The show says more in it's character expressions more than some shows say in entire series worth of dialogue, and some more subtle touches, like someone taking a few seconds to look someone in the eye, or just a look that the camera panders on for a second or two too long, can almost tell you everything you need to know about that character. The show doesn't slack in the animation department either. In fact, i wouldn't say that it'd be too much of a long shot to say that some parts of the show rival that of modern theatrical releases. But there are two reasons why this section doesn't get a perfect score. The first being the actions scenes. The animation for the action scenes isn't bad, far from it in fact, and the designs for the dolems are actually quite eye-catching, but it doesn't really have the cool factor that you find in most mech fights, and can be a bit formulaic. The second reason is episode 20, which was outsourced to another studio, and looks positively dreadful. Mind you, it's the only episode that looks dreadful, but that simply makes it all the more noticeable. Still, what the show delivered in visuals is far exceeded expectations, and made for a defining point in the career of one of anime's most beloved studios. Sound (10/10) To match the show's outstanding visuals, the soundtrack provides a score of equal quality. RahXephon's OST was composed by Ichiko Hashimoto, providing a divisive score, mostly orchestral pieces, where every song stands out from the other and fits the visuals of the show perfectly, but because of this if actually hard to describe, and you'd be best listening to some tracks yourself and then judging it. As for dub vs sub, you can't go wrong with either one, but they actually provide fairly different experiences. The Japanese track is very subtle and sedated, bringing in some real talent with names like Hiro Shimono, Aya Hisakawa, and, my personal favorite, Maaya Sakamoto, each presenting great performances. The dub on the other hand, is actually a little clunky at first, with some performances starting off rather rough, but eventually evolves into one of the better dubs you could possibly listen to, with Chris Patton and Monica Rial giving possibly their best performances to date with their respective roles as Ayato and Haruka. Unlike the Japanese dub, it's much more emotional, and more fitting to a drama. Both tracks cater ideally to the show, but in different ways, so it really all comes down to personal preference. RahXephon is a show that centers around sound, so it's only fitting that the sound for the show itself comes out with near perfection. Character (10/10) RahXephon is a story of love, determination, realization, and acceptance. These are themes that can only get across with a great sense of humanity in it's cast. Luckily, RahXephon delivers fully in that category. The characters follow archetypal designs for it's cast, with Ayato being the calm competent protagonist, Haruka being the protective older woman, Quon being the mysterious doll like girl, so on so forth. But there's one thing that evolve them far past these tropes and labels into something so much more. Their interactions. No line of this show is unimportant, and often, when one character says one thing, they're actually saying 10 different things. It may sound simple, but to achieve it to the level that RahXephon has done is far from an easy task. By the end of it, these characters seem lot less like works of fiction, and more like actual people, complex with genuine desires, motivations, attitudes, and feelings. It's this that makes a simple fanservice character like Sayako into a tragic case of solitude and unrequited feelings, or a despicable character like Isshiki into a pitiful being of inadequacy and unfilled hopes. While there are some standout characters, like Maya Kamina, who is one of the best maternal characters period, or Johji Futagami, whose basic role in the series is to just keep being awesome, you'll be hard-pressed to find just one favorite character, as there's something to love and adore in nearly all of them. Similar to how i liked the School Days ending because it gave the characters exactly what it deserved, i love RahXephon's ending because it does the same. Only in this case, it takes an incredible cast of characters, shows them true suffering, but eventually gives them the fate that they had deserved right from the beginning. Evangelion Comparison In reviews, it's rarely a good thing to compare the work you're reviewing to another work. To be honest, i didn't really want to have to address the RahXephon/Evangelion comparison, but the show has become so associated with Evangelion, that it's almost impossible to avoid. RahXephon came out years after Evangelion, giving the world of mech anime the boost that they needed, and one that would've be given again until the release of Gurren Lagann years afterwards. Since it's release, RahXephon has often been compared to Evangelion by fans and critics alike, some saying that it's an improved version of Evangelion, while others label it as a blatant rip off. Both of these, i highly disagree with. What makes something a rip off, is when a work tries to ride the coattails of another popular work because the writers simply lack the talent to make something of their own. RahXephon, is an original work with superficial similarities to Evangelion, but is practically it's opposite in themes, tone, and execution. But even if they weren't, would it really matter? Does it matter that the show in front of your face got it's idea from something else, when it provides you a smart, well-written, and emotional story? To some people, it does, and you can spend your time moaning and groaning about it on forums and message boards. But, i will be spending that time watching a fantastic show. Enjoyment and Overall (10/10) RahXephon is an anime that has been all but forgotten, in the West and in Japan. But even so, it has it's own loyal fan base that continues to support the show even to this day, and i am proud to call myself one of them. RahXephon has it's flaws and could be considered a bit esoteric to some, but it's imperfections only make it more beautiful in my eyes. RahXephon is my favorite anime, and i doubt that any other show will be taking it's place anytime soon. Anyways, that's all for now. Til next time.

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