DESCRIPTION

CAST

OVA DramaRahXephon Kansoukyoku: Kanojo to Kanojo Jishin to - Thatness And Thereness
MOVIE ActionRahXephon: Pluralitas Concentio
SPECIAL ActionRahXephon Specials
MANGA ActionRahXephon
NOVEL ActionRahXephon

REVIEWS

• 

  nyy

  90/100
  A painting assembled in a laboratory

  The Garden of Eden was not in Asia but on a now sunken continent in the Pacific Ocean. The Biblical story of Creation came first not from the peoples of the Nile or the Euphrates Valley but from this now-submerged continent, Mu - the Motherland of Man.

  The Lost Continent of Mu, James Churchward, 1926.

  

  RahXephon is a hodgepodge of ideas. An anime inspired by art and history alike and is Yutaka Izubuchi's personal reinterpretation of Yuusha Raideen, a traditional super-robot show from the 1970s. However, unlike Raideen, many of the show's ideas borrow heavily from western literature, first and foremost James Churchward's believes regarding the Nacaal, a super human species that is said to have inhabited the (now) lost continent of Mu. Various books on the matter exist, and their influence can be felt from start to finish. Recall the quote? It's an essential part of RahXephon's overarching narrative. Similar to the creatures referred to in the bible, the former inhabitants of the Motherland of Man (referred to as Mulians) have an active interest in resetting the world's current state, too.

  Thus RahXephon closely imitates Mesoamerican aesthetics, its culture and its peoples, and presents many references and allegories linking the two throughout. Confusing terms like ixtli (face), yollotl (heart) and ollin (movement, also Ōllin Tōnatiuh) are taken from Nahuatl, an ancient Aztec language. The mech designs utilize various Nacaal symbols, most notably the ruling class' crest as an integral part of the protagonist's mechanical unit. Another example are the blue blooded villains, who just so happen to start their invasion in 2012, the year of the apocalypse. The list of nifty little homages also includes wordplays, such as the Mulian's ability to turn structures invisibile to the human eye, and thereby explaining why the Continent of Mu was Lost in the first place. Many such details are sprinkled all over the show and a testament to how throughly it was built.

  

  Map showing the supposed location of the lost continent of Mu

  The map was drawn based on various archeological findings (but is considered pseudo-scientific research)

  I've divided this review into two separate segments. The first one addresses the narrative structure, visual and acoustic directing as well as various storytelling tools used in RahXephon. The second focuses on RahXephon as a work built on outside-influence and by doing so tries to clarify and explain similarities between the show and various other anime. The latter is neither necessary to understand nor appreciate RahXephon. Consider it educational material for those who are unknowledgeable of the mecha genre, the relationships between industry icons and the derivative nature of Japanese animation. There are some spoilers, albeit not a lot of overly specific ones. Seeing how most subplots stretch over a vast amount of different episodes, I've tried to avoid longwinded remarks regarding twists or narrative developments. Otherwise I'd have been forced to analyze each episode individually, something that feels rather counterproductive considering the format.

  

  Titular mecha of Yuusha Raideen and RahXephon, similarities are easy to spot (e.g. chin, shoulders, forearms)

  Aforementioned Nacaal crest as an integral part of the design, distancing itself from the samurai'ish headpiece

  You'll encounter various hyperlinks throughout this review. Sometimes to interviews, sometimes to polls, sometimes to WebMs, very often to WebMs with sound. Keep that in mind.

  ---

  Rah = Sun god (Churchward); X = the unknown variable; -ephon = suffix for instrument from "-phone"

  Contrary to popular belief, RahXephon is not about music. It's a traditional mystery and coming-of-age story, albeit an exceptionally well directed one. Unlike anime a la SDF Macross, RahXephon neither tries to explore the impact of music on culture, nor does it attempt to explain how music can connect different species'. Music is used as an aesthetic basis to sell setting and atmosphere, give ways to exert power or provide a theme based naming convention. A tool to create harmony. Presented contrasts between music and painting, symbolizing expectations, free will and individuality, are merely used to characterize the show's protagonist. The primary (narrative) themes are therefore not music or sound, but rather manipulation, ones ability to cope with failure and the struggle to find back to reality. Escaping a dreamstate, so to speak.

  

  Dolems are bound to a host and controlled through singing; partially also possess the ability to use sound as a weapon

  Each unit is named after musical notations (e.g. Sforzando, Larghetto, Fortissimo, Falsetto)

  Loosely based on Robert F. Young's Dandelion Girl, Izubuchi's first directional work is, as far as I am concerned, the most thoroughly and flawlessly constructed story in all of Japanese animation. Despite coming off as simple coming-of-age, RahXephon sports an impressive amount of very important subplots, all of which hand the viewer additional world building information. Said information is rarely necessary to understand the overaching narrative, but it's required to fully appreciate narrative developments and character behavior. While Izubuchi regularly resorts to spoonfeeding the audience some form of context, he does so in a manner that is very different to traditional exposition. Information is spread thinly, and over the course of many episodes. By doing so, RahXephon comes together stroke by stroke, layer by layer, and only by the end will the audience fully realize what the artist's vision added up to.

  To be a little more specific: The above conversation happens in episode 6, yet only gains actual narrative relevance by episode 14. The audience needs to keep track of the information provided, or otherwise future events will appear like mere coincidence and, in consequence, appear like very convenient twists. Izubuchi does this all the time. Small breadcrumbs are being laid out and allow the viewer to reach answers way in advance of the actual reveals. While none of this might sound particularly exceptional, most directors fail at presenting information in such a comprehensible manner. The writers did not only weave vital information into almost every episode, but also managed to create a story that flows organically, ties up all of its narrative subplots and does so without relying on character run-ins or other cheap narrative tools.

  Even if such tools are employed, they are very often justified through character traits, rather than being convenient plot devices. The staff does not try to change character relationships by having A run into an intimate scene between B and C, but rather structures the events in a way that show C to specifically force a misunderstanding between A and B by striking the moment he notices A's presence. By giving a character intent, the misunderstanding's primary purpose becomes to build the cast, rather than to destroy already established relationships. In this particular case, the action can also be seen as a desperate attempt to preserve the individual's paradise (or dream).

  Even the stereotypical beach episode is skillfully used as a narrative device to address Ayato's sexuality and his behavioural patterns in relation to women. Ayato is a Mulian, an unwanted guest. A person who, due to his ability to pilot a mythical robot, is seen as an outsider, an alien so to speak. Showing intimate character interactions and the protagonist's (for anime) unusual response to the female form, serves as evidence that he's not different at all, no matter what he might be perceived as. He's an ordinary teenager just as much as a genetically engineered tool conceived to retune the world.

  

  Ep9 introduces Quon's memories as well as her past as narrative elements

  Ep13 shows said memories from a different PoV, giving additional context and information

  Other prominent themes are deception and manipulation, both of which are tied perfectly into the coming-of-age story as well as the dreamlike visualization and acoustics. The show's goal is for Ayato to abandon his naive and childish state of being a manipulated individual, the state of a person without free will and actual independence. A state similar to what many of us experience while dreaming. Unless one possesses the ability to force lucid dreams, the dreamer is never in control of the events. Memories will be fading and very rarely be detailed. Sometimes our conscience even makes fun of us by portarying fears or wishes in abstract ways and ultimately comments on our mental state and deepest desires. Ayato is a character who has to free himself from the dreamlike world he is stuck in. He has to free himself from outside manipulation and his role as a pawn. The role he was assigned by Bahbem, Terra, the Mulian empire and Reika, the RahXephon's soul.

  

  Girl wearing a dress, standing on an elevated object, hair waving in the wind - reference to Dandelion Girl (metioned in e26)

  Ep1 depicts extremely clouded reality - Mulian structures used as visual cues for manipulation and tempering

  Ep22 visualizes development and departure from dreamstate by implying clarity of thoughts

  To accommodate this goal, the staff put a sizeable emphasis on the show's acoustic presentation. RahXephon utilizes an extremely dreamy soundtrack and by doing so further enhances the trancelike visual presentation. It could even be argued for the OST to bear significant resemblence to lounge music. Similar to dreams, lounges are places that allow us to escape and forget outside troubles. By trying to invoke a concurrent state of trance or relaxation, it manages to put additional emphasis on the situations the individual characters find themselves in, and the slow but consistent development towards the story's conclusion. The musical score doesn't play a mere support-role, but manages to build layer of its own. By putting additional emphasis on the surreal and deceptive nature of many events, the acoustics were essential to making the experience both stylistically and narratively coherent.

  Even when paying homage to European opera, the referenced compositions are very much thematically relevant. Take Alexander Borodin's Dance of the Maidens, a melody one can also find in Kismet, a stageplay starring two lovers from different worlds, as an example. Instead of using acclaimed western compositions for the sole purpose of giving his show a more exotic touch, the pieces serve as fundamental elements used to embellish the story and its character's relationships.

  RahXephon's very dreamy Ending Credits storyboarded by Yutaka Izubuchi and performed by Ichiko Hashimoto

  Hashimoto voiced Maya Kamina and provided the show's musical score (Jazz/Piano musician who rarely works with anime)

  Oscar Wilde once said: "Music is the art which is most nigh to tears and memory". Given the strong connection between Ayato's memories and RahXephon's musical motif, it's safe to say that the show's staff, Youta Tsuruoka in particular, really took this quote to heart. The sound director, to many known for his work on Madoka, the Monogatari series and more recently Liz to Aoi, contributed more to RahXephon's harmonic presentation than almost any other person. Not only does the implementation of the soundtrack carry significant weight, but the timing and selection of the sound-effects, as well as the seiyuu's stellar performances, are in a league of their own. Emotional when appropriate, yet never overly melodramatic. It's the script and its subtext that give dialogue the necessary impact and aforementioned humanness, not disingenuously exaggerated angst.

  However, it should be noted that various fights sport subpar sound-mixing. Some of the sound-effects clash so much with the rest of the show's presentation and are so inaccurate and disjointed, I've started to consider for them to be intentionally bad. Although I have yet to figure out why.

  

  Shots taken from ep1 and ep2 to make Reika's supernatural origin clear to the viewer very early on

  Reflections (or lack thereof) are used as a visual cue - commonly reoccuring motif throughout th show

  Storyboarding and layouts are generally on point. There are some weaker sequences, sure, but all things considered the show presents visual cues long and obvious enough for the viewer to notice them and come to realize their importance. Many segments are visually chained together to allow the audience to combine puzzlepieces without longwinded exposition being necessary. Symbols are frequently used, yet not to an extent that risks making the audience feel like a bunch of halfwits. In fact, what the staff clearly excels at is utilizing symbolism to enhance the story and build the world. Instead of using frames that vaguely indicate character traits (commonly seen in Ikuhara's works), RahXephon first and foremost uses its metaphorical language to communicate essential narrative elements, and it does so very often, and very well.

  However, don't get me wrong. The show still very much utilizes visual language as a means to flesh out its characters and their emotional state. In fact, allegories are fairly common, but they merely serve as an additional layer to reasonably educated individuals, rather than being crucial narrative elements a viewer is required to decipher to truly get the story.

  

  Left symbolizes the RahXephon's potential to destroy, utilizing rubble to convey the bleak atmosphere - future if device used wrong

  Right is an homage to Rene Magritte's "La Grande Familie" symbolizing the RahXephon's potential to bring peace and unity

  Wings stand representative for the RahXephon, its forehead and final form - not angels

  To elaborate on this, here is a short detour addressing various references to the Wizard of Oz. It should be self-explanatory for this section to be heavy on spoilers.

  

  The picture on the left shows young Helena in ep12. The picture on the right shows the book Bahbem drops after being shot in ep25. This particular visual cue exists to imply for Bahbem and Helena to have swapped bodies, something that is confirmed halfway through ep26. But that is not all. It also serves as a way to illustrate the similarities between both works.

  Take the Wizard's most famous quote as an example: "[...] pay no attention to the man behind the curtain". A phrase that matches Bahbem's years of scheming to a t. However, the similarities go much deeper and it just so happens that the so called antagonists (Itsuki, Ishiki, Helena & Bahbem) very much happen to resemble the book's main characters.

  「Lion」: Itsuki resembles the Lion, an individual who has always craved courage. As a character, whose primary goal is to prove himself. Be more like his brother Ayato, to be precise. Throughout the show Itsuki is very much shown as someone who suffers from being a substitute of his brother, receiving little to no love from the people who he cares about most (Quon, Shirow, Haruka). He wants people to choose him over his brother, and is even shown to force himself in an attempt to gain their affection. Similar to the Lion, Itsuki also happens to be the tallest of the bunch.

  「Scarecrow」: Ishiki resembles the Scarecrow, an individual who has been seeking intelligence and a more elevated mind. Ever since his childhood, he's been suffering from a severe lack of confidence due to his status as a D type, an inferior clone who was told to lack the genetic foundation to amount to anything worth praise. He seeks the brains necessary to prove himself, despite, same as the Scarecrow, already possessing the smarts he wants to attain. The latter is indicated by him outperforming all other clones over the course of the show.

  「Tinman」: Helena resembles the Tinman, an individual who is seeking a heart. Throughout the show, Helena is often portrayed as an emotionally distant individual, arguably even one who lacks empathy entirely. In ep15 she's not only shown to be indifferent towards physical punishment, but also to lack the emotion necessary to care for other life. First she kills various animals, with her body language and facial expressions clearly indicating indifference or even disgust towards inferior creatures. Afterwards she not only attempts exorcise the dolem hiding in the attic, but even rats out Ishiki, Itsuki and the dolem, being fully aware of the consequences. Another cue is the book itself. The picture on the right shows the tinman almost off screen, shrouded in shadow and darkness, indicating its death. Her death.

  「Dorothy」: Despite matching the wizard superficially, Bahbem's character defining desires also happen to match Dorothy's. Both of whom want to return home desperately. Or rather, reach a destination they'd consider as such. The creation of the RahXephon device split the Mulain world into two. After having been cut-off from his fellow Mulian, he decided to pursue his own agendas, ultimately trying to go back "home" by reuniting the two worlds his expoeriment had created. At the end of ep26, Bahdem expresses his satisfaction with the way the events turned out. Him not only matching Dorothy in mind, but also in form (body-swapping), also adds to this notion.

  Tying in with the dreamlike atmosphere, the cinematography is often abstract and the use of color pinpointed. Scenes are regularly framed in a manner to actively blur the lines between Ayato as a human, and Ayato as a pilot. During dedicated dream sequences, the staff paid additional attention to the color palettes used. Such episodes tend to utilize an extremely limited range of different shades, perfectly matching the narrow perception of dreamers and manipulated invidividuals. Minimalistic compositions are common, desaturated yellows and oranges probably the most frequently used colors.

  Whether the colors have a particular meaning is left to interpretation. Admittedly, there are people who claim for yellow colored dreams to indicate deceit and deception, betrayal or an unpleasent event. Yellow and orange are also said to indicate negative emotions such as anxiety, emotional fragility and immaturity. While these interpretations would perfectly align with the themes addressed, I doubt for it to be more than a stylistic choice. However, given the thoroughness of the show and its presentation, it'd be foolish to deny the possibility of intentional subtext. Another prominent tool are character specific color palettes to allow the audience to associate objects or Dolems with specific cast members, e.g. subtext explains why the hostile Dolem in ep19 is automatically bound to Asahina (rose color theme, wears a hoody, matching spirits).

  

  Selected frames taken from the dream sequence of ep11 - visual cues to indicate the fact that Ayatos is being manipulated and dreaming

  Yellow dress and ribbon represent Reika's attempts to reach and free Ayato from the dream; see doll, penguin's ribbon etc.

  A symbol I want to shed a bit more light on is the blue bird. Most cultures consider it a sign of happiness. Izubuchi seems to have a soft spot for it, given how it also appears in his reinterpretation of Uchuu Senkan Yamato. In RahXephon, the birds behavior and its refusal to take flight can be seen as a visualization of the current state of afairs and likely a direct reference to Maeterlinck's writing. Towards the end, the bird finally leaves the ground in various shapes. Either literally, or metaphorically through Haruka and her plane, Ayato visually transforming into it after a cut, or both of them finally arriving at the place they hold most dear. At the same time it also symbolizes Shirow Watari's hope for his son to find happiness as a reward for the struggle he was put through. It's a commendable little detail, albeit not very abstract or thought-provoking considering its very clear meaning.

  As far as animation is concerned, studio Bones did an exceptional job considering the unexplored state of digital art at the time. Sure, animators improved a lot over the course of the following years and there's no doubt for Eureka 7 to be significantly better animated than RahXephon. However, given the show's placement in history, it'd be ignorant to deny the tremendous amounts of skill required. It was, technically speaking, the first television show of its kind.

  The amount of different angles, objects and characters are being animated from, is very high and the effects animation a standout characteristic for its time. Properly animating smokes and liquids requires an excessive amount of work, which is why most television directors either delegate the effects animation to the CG department or ignore it for anything but the most important sequences. Putting emphasis on effects animation, something that tended to be reasonably exclusive to movies and high budget OVAs, was a very commendable decision to make. The battle-choreographies are impressively versatile and the show's highs are very high, albeit not as high as those found in anime such as Dennou Coil or Xam'd.

  Another remarkable accomplishment is its consistency, something that shouldn't be taken for granted given the project's scope. Even its single outsourced episode sports a handful of well animated sequences. Similar to its story, RahXephon's budget-distribution was meticulously planned and turned the show into the bar none most well animated television anime of the early 2000s, the only real contender being GITS:SAC. Most of the noteworthy sequences were animated by Mitsuo Iso (see below), Masahito Yamashita, Masami Goto, Yutaka Nakamura and Shuichi Kaneko. Takashi Tomioka also did a great job animating various character-centric sequences (serious approach, comedic approach).

  Extremely detailed animation and inventive integration of digital effects and perspective

  Mid section shows point of view of the dying dolem and what it sees prior to falling apart completely

  As announced: Following is a short detour to point out similarities between RahXephon, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Yuusha Raideen and various other Mecha shows released throughout history. It is by no means an attempt to deny Evangelion's obvious influence on RahXephon. However, said influence is severely overrated. The goal of this segment is to highlight series' relationships and to make the derivative nature of Japanese animation more clear to the average individual. If you lack interest in educating yourself on this particular subject, then I'd advise to skip ahead.

  ---

  RahXephon – Super-Robo (and Real-Robo), the show's cousin(s).

  Ever since RahXephon aired, many people have accused it of being a blatant rip-off of Neon Genesis Evangelion. To understand why these two share nothing but superficial similarities, one needs to have substantial understanding of 1) the Mecha genre, 2) Japanese mentality and 3) the relationship between Anno Hideaki and Izubuchi Yutaka.

  Izubuchi and Anno are more than mere colleagues or peers. They are friends. Such close friends in fact, they not only invented nicknames for eachother, but also repeatedly relied on the other party's assistance to advance personal projects of theirs. Some examples: Anno invited Izubuchi to consult during the planning stages of Evangelion (1990s), and later asked him to design the costumes for his Cutie Honey live action movie (2004), Evangelions 1.11 (2007) and Evangelion 3.33 (2012) as well as various pieces of merchandise for Shin Godzilla (2016). In return, Izubuchi invited Anno to storyboard an opening for 2199 (2010s), the remake of Uchuu Senkan Yamato, a Japanese classic with a special place in both director's hearts. Additionally, they've worked hand-in-hand on various projects, most notably Char's Counter Attack for which Anno served as the lead mechanical designer and Izubuchi as the (arguably) lead mobile suit designer. The latter's designs are still considered to be the best in franchise history (Nu-Gundam just recently won another poll as most popular Gundam of all time).

  Not only does their relationship have a long personal history, but their careers have also been shaped by the same people, similar childhood experiences and a comparable interest in design. Even today, the two still host panels at sci-fi conventions together. Neither Anno, nor Izubuchi even acknowledge noteworthy similarities between RahXephon and Evangelion. How come?

  

  Interview starring Izubuchi and Anno, using their respective nicknames and talking about various mecha anime.

  Hyperlink to the interview in the paragraph above.

  I mean, let's be fair. It's clear that Izubuchi took various visual cues from Anno's playbook. So why do neither of them acknowledge any similarities? Well, on one hand, it's part of Japanese mentality. The Japanese have never seen a point in reinventing the wheel. If an idea is good, why not just use and improve on it? They've been doing so in a variety of fields, most notably the legal sector. Even today, Japans legal system (especially private law) is nothing but a hodgepodge of German, European and US law. On the other hand, it's the history of the subgenre. Evangelion wasn't new. It simply combined commonly utilized concepts, visual cues and narrative approaches and cranked them up to eleven.

  Inspiration isn't linear. If B gets inspired by A, then C doesn't suddenly get inspired B. It's illogical to assume for later works to always build on the ideas utilized by the most recent releases. Memorable works, that have a significant impact on a director's ideas, tend to stretch back as far as their childhood. Thus it becomes less a question of creative capability, but rather one of business opportunity. Riding the coattails of a show's success simply speaks for a person's understanding of the market. Japanese animation is derivative, and has been for a very long time. All media is.

  RahXephon is a show that, similar to Neon Genesis Evanglion, takes from a variety of works that made their mark on anime as a medium. This is something a person needs to understand prior to spitballing accusations. Two shows that were of fundamental importance to RahXephon's genesis are Yuusha Raideen and Megazone23, mecha anime from the mid-70s and -80s respectively. I will focus a bit on the superficial similarities between RahXephon, Raideen and Evangelion now. Keep in mind that this is but a short list. If I were to specify them all, you'd be scrolling for quite some time.

  • Various forms of introspection
  • Protagonist's father is a genuis scientist who just so happens to be in charge of the relevant scientific project; also happens to wear some form of eyewear and sport a goatee
  • A pyramid as the the organisation's or mech's center of operations

  

  • An episode that features two slightly different looking opponents who attack the protagonist simultaneously in a zone that makes it hard for him to navigate
  • Christian symbolism

  

  • Non-mechanical mecha. Other prominent examples of robots sporting a conscience are Giant Gorg, Ideon, Tetsujin 28-go and Giant Robo.

  

  • The protagonist's mother being thoroughly woven into the story, with a special relationship to the titular mechanical unit. In RahXephon, Quon (Ayato's biological mother) has a connection to any Xephon of her choice. However, unlike Yui (Shinji's mother) she is not the mechs soul. That role belongs to Reika, who has no direct ties to Ayato. Furthermore, Maya, Ayato's foster mother and aunt, leads the Mulians in an attempt to retune the world in their favor. Reiko, the mother of Raideen's protagonist Akira, is the ruler of Gatlantis, a long forgotten civilization of highly advanced humans who created the Raideen unit (essentially a combination of all aforementioned characters). Obviously, every single protagonist happens to have a mother complex.

  

  • Some people might argue for RahXephon to have plagiarized End of Evangelion's ending sequence, but I can confidently tell you that not even a sequence as memorable as that first sprouted from Anno's head. The concept itself is likely taken from SDF Macross (earth being destroyed while acoustics are limited to BGM, no dialogue) and the visual presentation is a very close imitation of the final minutes of Birth (with a bit of 2001 shoved inbetween, of course).

  I could go on for hours. Whether it's the female lead's role as a military pilot, the monsters being made of organic material instead of metal, episodes carrying elemental themes (e.g. ice, fire, thunder), the mecha growing in size during the final showdown (all Yuusha Raideen) or intrigue and mysterious subplots of hidden organizations controlling the world and creating a false reality (Megazone23). RahXephon and Evangelion borrow so heavily from other works, that neither of them can be considered truly original in the first place?

  This list doesn't even account for influences from Macross, Ideon, Gundam, Layzner, Iczer, Ultraman, Tokusatsu, Patlabor or copy pasted sequences from shows a la Combattler V, most of which Anno hardly even modified prior to integrating into his widely acclaimed TV show. Also relevant: non-mecha anime produced by Ghibli or Dezaki as well as Live-Action film (e.g. 2001 Space Odyssey, Stalker, Tarkovsky's remaining filmography, The Andromeda Strain).

  

  Introduction of the titular mecha in their respective shows (l. NGE; r. Combattler V)

  Characters are put in a pitch-dark room, lead infront of the mech, and react shocked

  Originality is not only overrated, but has arguably become an impossibility. Anno and Izubuchi took works they held dear and re-aranged them to fit a more modern market. Their works resembling eachother on a superficial level is no more than the logical conclusion of their careers and personal histories. Let's not even start on the fact that RahXephon's narrative structure, themes, atmosphere, acoustic presentation and character writing are entirely different to Evangelion's. Ayato is to Shinji what a well adjusted adult is to an autistic child. Their similarities quickly boil down to being 17 year olds who just so happen to pilot a mechanical unit. If anything, RahXephon is a response to Evangelion.

  So how comparable are they really? Here you have what I consider the most accurate comment on the matter

  [...] Evangelion was a fevered passion project that crashed wildly against the caged boundaries of its medium, whereas RahXephon was assembled in a laboratory.

  Pre-Rebuild Evangelion (and End of Evangelion in particular) is an exceptional series. However, its success does not mean for all future shows to use it as their primary inspiration. Such an assumption makes even less sense when the two anime in question focus on entirely different elements. Something an attentive audience should have realized by now, especially considering how strongly Anno conveyed his fascination with the genre by littering Evangelion with hundreds of references to other works. If Evangelion is the culmination of negativity, addressing mankind's worst characteristics, RahXephon is a beacon of hope, directing attention towards the beauty of free-will.

  ---

  夢の卵

  It's rare to find a show as thoroughly planned and meticulously constructed as this one. A show that doesn't try to be vague for sake of being cryptic, that doesn't attempt to be a life changing experience, but instead utilizes every tool at its disposal to tell the most detailed story it can without attempting to leave the viewer base hanging, all while receiving the necessary time to develop organically. No writer trips over their own feet in an attempt to integrate subplots that are mere sidenotes in an incomplete script. It's the consistency of the individual building blocks that elevates RahXephon to the heights it reaches throughout. Heights not many directors have managed to reach throughout TV animation history.

  The movie is irredeemable trash.

  

  Changelog:

  14/02/19 - added passage addressing Quon's memories

  02/03/19 - added information regarding the various references to operas and musicals, e.g. Dance of the Maidens, Kismet

  05/03/19 - added cinegrid for ep11 to better illustrate visual directing and cues

  06/03/19 - added a section addressing some notable similarities to the Wizard of Oz (spoilered)

  13/03/19 - added additional examples for well animated sequences

  18/03/19 - slightly reworked animation segment

  25/04/19 - slightly reworked sound segment

  Continue on AniList
• 

  audivr6

  60/100
  A show which would be better off if one of the most iconic animes of the 90s did not exist

  

  To say that this anime has taken several elements from Neon Genesis Evangelion would be an understatement. However, that does not mean it is a bad anime. There are worse anime to copy. Without spoiling, the question I want to answer for you with this review is:

  _Is this anime worth watching or are you better off watching Neon Genesis Evangelion again?_

  I started watching Rahxephon because I discovered the opening on Youtube. It is composed by Yoko Kanno and sung by the multi-talented Maaya Sakamoto, who is also credited for voicing one of the characters. Maaya Sakamoto is a great performer, I knew her as a singer way before I realised she was a big name in the voice acting scene. The opening reminded me a lot of a certain Yoko Kanno song 'She's so High' from Turn A Gundam, as it shares the same repeating singular guitarish tone from the start.

  

  Rahxephon is a sci-fi anime in which Japan was invaded by the Mu three years ago. Human-like beings from another dimension with blue blood. 17 year old Ayato Kamina becomes the pilot of a mecha called Rahxephon. Much like NGE, the thing about this mecha-anime is that the battles are typically short and the difference here is that the mechas use their voice as a weapon. I am not sure if that is why the anime is labeled with the music genre, but the singing is more like a short monotonal Gregorian chant.

  

  The show introduces many characters in a short timespan and explores the many complicated relationships each have with one another. Many dark things are hinted at first, making you, the viewer, slightly uneasy about their true motives and questioning the safety of the protagonist. I feel like we were kept in the dark about pretty much a lot of things right up to the end, although hints were being dropped here and there. I think rewatching this show would actually be very interesting in a year or so because of this. As the show moves along and the protagonist is settled down a little bit, the show changes into a more episodic anime, where a new threat appears each week.

  

  A problem I had with the show is how Ayato was seen handling life outside of his comfort zone during the first half of the show. If everything you think you know about the world suddenly turns out to be a lie and you are put in a position where you have to fight for your life, it is pretty unbelievable to worry over small, petty, insignificant things like Ayato is shown doing. I guess you can argue that this is a 17 year old boy and they think like a 17 year old. During the second half of the show, Ayato's mental stability becomes an increasing important element to the story, and I liked the direction they went with that.

  

  There is a very powerful episode in the second half called Blue Friend which is so different from the other episodes. It's cuts away from many of the characters, only focusing on a select few and it is exactly this simplicity, combined with the ominous setting that makes this one stand out for me.

  

  The buildup to the grand finale was done very well in hind sight and after all hell broke loose I was left pretty satisfied and happy. Although... I watched it all, yet I did not fully comprehend everything. After reading the wiki page... I feel like everything could be so much clearer, perhaps this is why I feel like a rewatch would be enjoyable in due time. Perhaps the anime just failed to do it's job in providing the necessary information for me to piece together, or perhaps I was just too stupid to understand.

  

  I ABSOLUTELY LOVED a lot of the artistic shots in the anime, there was also a lot of symbolic meaning in the shots and colors chosen. The final episode has a greyscale theme going, alongside a widescreened smaller frame. Colors were sparsely used until a certain climactic scene in which the ratio also returned to 4:3. It worked well for me, it reminded me a bit of the final episode of Gunbuster, or the more artistic scenes from Death Note. Also the anime has a drop in quality, starting from episode 3, but it stays at an acceptable good level throughout the rest of the show. I think this is common in anime shows.

  

  I feel like this anime is Neon Genesis Evangelion meets Xam'd: Lost Memories and I was suprised to find out noone recommended Xam'd: Lost Memories to this anime yet. The stories begin in almost the exact same way and there are many more similiarities I can not disclose due to spoilers but which will become obvious along the way if you are familiar with both animes.

  

  Many people say that this anime would be a lot more appreciated if Neon Genesis Evangelion did not exist and I have to agree. Throughout the first half of the anime I felt like I was watching an anime cosplaying NGE. It was hard to shake off that feeling. I felt like the later third of this anime is where the anime manages to rid itself of that costume, however by that time I felt disconnected from the protagonist.

  

  I think NGE is one of the best anime shows ever made, this show does not come close. It is not terrible by any means, I think the mean score is a fair one, but if you enjoyed NGE you might have the same feeling I did watching this show. I think the show had an interesting premise, but did not fully capture my interest or imagination at any point. If you are seriously reading my review to find out if you want to watch this or rewatch NGE, go rewatch NGE... The only reason I wanted to write this review was because noone else has yet. I liked very peculiar things about the show, overall the show is not amazing, not terrible, it's fine.

  
  Continue on AniList
• 

  MtSenri

  80/100
  RA-RA! A solid, psychological drama that can be off-key but it makes up for it as it crescendos into a superb finale.

  RahXephon piqued my interest as a mecha anime not just because of the psychological, folkloric, and mythological elements, but also because of its musical shtick. While it doesn't commit as much as I wish it had to that particular element, I wound up being particularly satisfied with it. That being said, it did make me fight for it.

  (No spoilers, though I get into some detail. If you want to watch it as blindly as possible then just know it gets a hearty recommendation from this stranger on the internet.)

  For starters the main character, Kamina Ayato, is a massive prat. He's definitely not the worst MC I've had to sit through (quite a few UC Gundam ones are much worse) but there were multiple times where I was rolling my eyes rather vigorously at a few instances.

  For example, early on there's a scene where he's discovering a lot of things that he does not want to listen to and instead doodles for a bit. While this sort of behavior is believable, he has the gall (many episodes later) to whine about people not telling him the truth. Kid, you had a literal debrief sitting in front of you that you ignored. You have no right to get pissy at people for not telling you something important about yourself.

  Another element that made RahXephon unnecessarily challenging to watch was how oblique and purposefully confusing the show gets at times. While I do enjoy falling for red (or blue) herrings it got silly at times. Sure, the show smashes you over the head with clues and references that people will get, even if only subconsciously, if they're paying attention. All of that pays off but I wish the writing was more straightforward at times. I respect and enjoyed my intelligence not being insulted and being allowed to figure things out by myself, but I needed a little more help with certain lore points.

  This is made worse as the show has a surprisingly and awkwardly big cast; juggling all the playful obscurity AND the cast was a bit too much sometimes. I needed to refer to a list of the characters on my phone as the characters constantly change how they refer to other characters (switching back and forth between last and first name), and then they also start being quirky and start calling characters by other characters' names. It makes sense if you pay attention, but it was a bit overload.

  I also never understood how the humans were able to fight against the antagonists before the MC and his mech were added to the party. There are revelations that are brought up later, and eventually the humans catch up to the enemies, but that doesn't explain how the entire planet wasn't glassed before the MC arrived on the scene.

  Let me summarise some of the other things I didn't like so I can get to what I loved.

  There were two episodes that were duds; the art style is decent but not as good as they key art (look up Yamada Akihiro's art, it's absolutely gorgeous); characters set off obvious "death flags"; the fight scenes are disposable; the writing can be inconsistent; and it could have done with a little more telling so I could more clearly understand some of the more complicated and labyrinthine elements of the story and plot.

  All that being said, I loved RahXephon.

  The creator, Izubuchi (which I now just realized the latter part of his name is a reference to a character in the show and I'm kicking myself for not getting it earlier) clearly set out to create something with a point.

  RahXephon focuses on the character dynamics and the psychology of its cast. All the Sci-fi, mythological, folkloric, musical elements, and anime nonsense is there for a reason, sure, and it even connects nicely at times, but ultimately it's a story about becoming an adult; except that in this case, for particular characters, this means going through some very anime hijinks. All that said, it's explored poignantly.

  The musical motif, while not as fleshed out as I wished it was, gave the composers a huge responsibility and they delivered. The music is ethereal, weird, bizarre, catchy, scary, familiar, alien, haunting. It, somehow, didn't often go for the typical musical phrases used in religious music, which I give it credit for. When it did dip into gospel music it felt earned and original, instead of ripping off one of Bach's many choral hymns.

  Also be sure not to skip the ED after the first episode, there are variations to them.

  While Kamina Ayato is one of the weaker characters, mostly everyone else is interesting. Some of the characters/tropes are played straight but solidly well, while others are used to catch the viewer off balance.
  The voice acting is solid and follows suit. Towards the end a particular character that I wrote off very early on steals the scene, and made me reconsider them entirely. Definitely someone I'll keep a closer eye (and ear) on in a future rewatch.

  There is an engaging, though slightly too complicated, relationship 'venn's diagram' going on with the show's characters. It can be hard to keep it in order, but is otherwise understandable. By the last episode I was able able to comprehend where each character was coming from and why, even the more unstable ones.

  Speaking of unstable, there are a handful of walking time bombs in the show. These tend to be the type of characters that exist as plot devices to get the story from point A to point B, but RahXephon nails them. There's one in particular that has a specific visual reference whenever they want to snap but they don't (swish swish), and I found it amusing at first and then they deliver on that particular visual language. These could have been absolute train crashes but they weren't.

  There are some absolutely well earned emotional moments buried in the past of some characters, and these emotional/historical backgrounds feed into how the characters behave without resorting to silly clichés. Everyone made sense, even the most unhinged. There were even antagonists that I felt bad for.

  In addition, RahXephon goes into Kamina Ayato's mindset/psychology without batting an eye. While he isn't very interesting when it comes to the story and plot, the exploration of his psyche was intriguing. The show does not mince words and it spends enough time on fleshing out his mindscape. Maybe a spoiler so I'll hide it, but I give them top marks for going into his mommy issues, obsession with any woman who looks at him with "fuck me" eyes, his paradoxical cruelty at ignoring obvious advances from others, and the whole immature jackass thing.

  While I didn't care for the mecha fights (lots of plot armor and random OP abilities out of nowhere), the settings of those fight were for the most part engaging. Colors, shot selection, geography, background story elements, musical timing, and more made these more gripping than they should have been.

  Not to mention that I was impressed at how RahXephon deals with the concept of "the other" or "the enemy". The antagonists are treated as villains, but that eventually becomes more complicated and messy as it goes along (a theme of the show). Where you live, what you are born as, what you look like, and so on aren't make all, end all. The characters struggle with understanding themselves and each other as the powers that be put them at odds. It's not the deepest rendition of this particular theme, but the fact that it's executed decently well was a nice surprise.

  At the end, RahXephon was a mixed but highly absorbing experience. It's a show with a heart and purpose. It builds itself up, like a painter's brushstrokes adding details, until the entire picture is completed and the results speak for themselves.

  Continue on AniList

SIMILAR ANIMES YOU MAY LIKE

• ANIME

  ActionShin Seiki Evangelion
• ANIME

  DramaSoukyuu no Fafner
• ANIME

  ActionKoukyoushihen Eureka Seven
• ANIME

  ActionSTAR DRIVER: Kagayaki no Takuto
• OVA

  ActionMacross Zero
• ANIME

  AdventureYuusha Raideen
• ANIME

  ActionPlanet With
• ANIME

  DramaBokurano
• ANIME

  DramaSimoun
• ANIME

  ActionSousei no Aquarion
• ANIME

  AdventureGR: Giant Robo
• ANIME

  ActionArgento Soma