Alternative TitlesJapanese: ラーゼフォン
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 26
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Jan 21, 2002 to Sep 10, 2002
Duration:
23 min. per episode Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 7.811 (scored by 7991 users)
Ranked: #4992
Popularity: #236
Members: 15,216
Favorites: 325 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
Popular Tags
action drama mecha romance sci-fi |
SynopsisIn the year 2012 Japan was invaded by the Mu. Human-like beings from another dimension with blue blood.
In the year 2015 Tokyo is attacked by invaders, who are repelled by a humanoid weapon called a Dolem. During the chaos, Ayato Kamina meets Reika Mishima, a girl whom he had never met but had done a painting of the morning before.
During that same day, he is attacked by government officials but a woman named Haruka comes to his rescue, informing him that she was sent to get him by the Organization TERRA, and that Tokyo had been sealed in a time rift where time flows one third as fast as the outside world.
He flees from Haruka onto a train where he sees Reika once more. Arriving at the Room of Rah, he follows her to a tremendous egg where the Dolem RahXephon is hatched from, and upon her singing his mother appears atop the Dolem that had stopped the TERRA Invasion. In the battle Ayato's mother is injured, and Ayato flees Tokyo Jupiter with Haruka upon seeing his mother's blue blood. |
Related AnimeAdaptation: RahXephon, RahXephon
Side story: RahXephon Interlude: Her and Herself/Thatness and Thereness
Alternative version: RahXephon - Pluralitas Concentio
Summary: RahXephon DVD Specials
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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Maur
10 of 13 people found this review helpful
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26 of 26 episodes seen
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| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
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 this show 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. read more
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Jaredwcooper
48 of 67 people found this review helpful
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26 of 26 episodes seen
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| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
To start off, I'm going to say I am not a big mecha fan. All I knew when I started this series was that it was a mecha/sci-fi/action anime that some of my friends looked down upon due to its unfavorable comparisons to Neon Genesis Evangaleon (which I haven't seen). Other than that, I had no idea what I was in for, and that's how I like it. What I got, in short, was a surprisingly great show, well made, that really grew on me very quickly.
STORY: The story can be the weakest part for some people, it isn't simple or linear, but, I think, it's not too, too complicated. You are in Ayato's shoes at the start, and it's very understandable to be confused as to what's going on. With a little faith and some brain power, keep going forward and it'll all be revealed if you keep your eyes open. The story is woven well and, without giving much away, I'll say that it's about Ayato's journey to learn about: the world he's in, the real world, who he is/was, who the giant flying robots are, and what his purpose is in relation to the people around him. Vague, right? I know, this area is pretty sketchy, and intentionally so. The story is deep, the story is more than slightly convoluted, and the story is good. Give it a chance. 8/10.
ART: One of the things I instantly liked about this show was the art. I knew this anime hadn't come out yesterday and, despite being a guy who just has to have what's new and now, I really liked the animation. The colors are great, everything is well drawn, with special detail to the mechas (which, surprisingly, some mecha animes overlook, go figure). I didn't find anything that really stood out as bland and there were few- if any- weak points in the animation. It didn't feel dated at all despite having come out 6 years ago. 9/10.
SOUND: The Opening/Ending to RahXephon really caught my ears, just like the art caught my eye. The ending theme is beautiful, and sent me to sleep (in a good way) more than once while watching the episodes back to back. The music always fits the mood, the sound effects are great, and a lot of the tracks are lovable. Indeed, one of the 'themes' of the show is about sound, and there's a bit about singing, which I won't get into unless I want to get into spoiler-land, but Sound is definitely one of RahXephon's strong points. The voice acting is top notch, if you're someone like me who always wonders whether to bother with the dub, well I loved it. Ayato's voice was great, the supporting character's were pretty good, and Vic Mignogna was... well, he's Vic Mignogna. 10/10.
CHARACTER: Second to Sound, here's where the series shines the most. And yet it gets an 8- why? Because of the unavoidable connections between Character and Story. The complexities of the Story mixed with the large cast of characters sometimes made it hard to keep track of who was who, something I found really disappointing. Also, aside from Ayato and the main, let's say other two, it was difficult to tell who the main characters really were. This could be a good thing or a bad thing, but the ambiguity, imo, could have been handled a little better. Nonetheless, the characters themselves, once you've gotten to know them, will blow you away. I really connected with Ayato and many of the supporting cast. A lot of them are deep and, over the course of the series go through so many intense emotional periods, the most passionate parts of their lives. You see them at their best and their worst, really getting to know them, and though it can get kind of tricky keeping track of them all, you'll definitely have an opinion of them if nothing else. 8/10.
ENJOYMENT: I really don't know what it was. Could it have been the 'artsy' undertones? The score, the production, the characterization? Or maybe I'm just a mecha fan underneath who hasn't come out of his shell, I don't know, but what I do know is: I really, really liked RahXephon, and I put it up there in my top 3 favorite animes ever. I forget how I stumbled across it, really, but I'm glad I did. What began as a way to kill time ended as really something of an experience. I understand this series has many parallels to NGE (see above), and after watching this I started to understand why NGE fans so vigorously shoved it into my face, for I was doing the same with RahXephon. You COULD say having to watch the series a second time to understand everything counts as replay value, maybe, but who knows? I know I didn't fully get everything on the first go around (which is really what keeps this thing from truly, truly being perfect). 9/10.
OVERALL (aka: tl;dr version):
STORY: Ayato's journey of self discovery takes him into his own mind and places far beyond. Well written, but very complex; worth giving your full attention. 8/10.
ART: Fluid, beautifully done, smooth and nicely drawn animations that keep your attention. 9/10.
SOUND: Amazing English dubbing, and the japanese voices are nothing short of what you'd expect either. Spectacular music, OP/ED, and overall great OST/sound effects. 10/10.
CHARACTER: A (perhaps too) large and real cast of characters, very real, very human, that may or may not make or break the series for you. 8/10.
ENJOYMENT: I'm not sure on this one. Watch the first, let's say 6 or 7 episodes, wait for things to really get rolling, and if you don't like it/are totally lost/absolutely hate it, don't watch it. I for one could not stop watching this anime. 9/10.
So how do two 8's, two 9's, and a 10 average out to an overall 10? I have no idea, but I cannot recommend this anime strongly enough. It truly is a work of art.
[This was my first review; if you did not find it helpful, please let me know. I'm always happy to talk about this series!] read more
Recommendations
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I think this has been compared to Evangelion, Numerous amounts of times, mostly because of the Mechanical aspects, the characters and the fact that the Angels and Dolems kind of parallel each other.
Evangelion is the main source of inspiration for Rahxephon, many consider it a clone. Evangelion tends to be more complex and intelectual, concentrating on philosophy and psychology while Rahxephon tends to be easier and not so inteligent concentrating on a love story with harem like influences all covered up in an artsy smart wannabe story with big, complicated words used that don't have any real meanings behind them (perfect for the new generation of anime fans who love superficial stories who like to seem complex).
Similar premises, but RahXephon did a lot better job of it.
If You Watch It, You'll See Why. There Are Some Very Interesting Similarities, But The Show Is Still Unique.
Can't explain in one sentence. You just have to see it.
The mechas are similar,but they are made of "Clay",the story is kinda oriented into the same genre,but Evangelion's story is deeper moved into the religious sector,while RahXephon's is oriented about time.
NGE created the genre, Rahxephon and Eureka7 are two original creations inside that format, both are great but I prefer the original
Rahxephon is basically neon genesis done correctly!! Where Eva failed Rahxephon succeeded.
both have a very similar story lines and themes
They're both intriguing psychological dramas amongst countless of other similarities.
Both have giant mechas used by the main characters, and during various episodes like to play with your head some.
DUH? RahXephon is a direct copy of NGE but not as messed up. It is the NGE for amateurs and newbies to anime. But RahXephon has its own appeal b/c it is referenced in other shows such as Ouran High school host club. However, i have to say that i like RahXephon more b/c i can sleep at night after watching it and b/c of Quon and "Ra Ra what is it Ollin?" Who wouldn't fall in love with that?
Both are great mecha shows that deal with other underlying psychological/emotional themes, although NGE has a little more of the psychoanalytical "stuff". In the end, RahXephon is really more of a love story, but doesn't slack on the action or introspection. If you are an anime fan, you owe it to yourself to watch both of these shows, even if you don't like mecha.
You can almost call this a copy of NGE, aside from the fact that Rah Xephon tends not to mess with your mind, is not as depressing. The Story is just as epic though, the trials are just as challenging and the story is detailed enough that you do need to follow the story to know whats going on.
RahXephon - although good - is more or less a rip off of Evangelion (and so is the Bible lol). It has so many subtle similarities in characters and story, but none the less it is still a good anime. Evagelion is one of the GREATEST animes and is amazing to watch and even more complex the RahXephon. If you enjoy philosophical thinking - both are good, but Eva is better.
Both implement mecha robots as well as some form of religious belief to progress each respective plot. Also both have main characters with social problems. Need I say more???
They share a ridiculous number of specific and general similarities. Essentially, RahXephon is a much lighter and brighter version of Evangelion. Evangelion has significantly more psychological and philosophical elements than RahXephon, but RahXephon sounds and looks far better (also is less screwy, if you're not a fan of mind screw). Either way, if you like Evangelion, you'll definitely like RahXephon.
Using gamer terminology, these series have the same setting: huge anthropomorphic robots save the world (or try to destroy it, according to the point of view) with a little help of brave teenagers. The formula is completed by a mere alien per episode and a big boss in the end. As a set-off against Eva, RahXephon has a great love story. By all means, those who were excited about one series will enjoy watching the other.
Both series are mechas with dramatic, psychological themes. Both are really high quality for their times and have amazing plots and characters.
The similarities are endless and there is also definitely some major differences biggest one of which being that the main theme of RahXephon is music and its power to change the world (tune the world). I think of RahXephon as being very similar to NGE (at least there seems to be slightly more similarities than differences) with a much less emo male lead and a watchable ending (more than watchable actually, compared to NGE's completely unwatchable and horrific last two episodes).
RahXephon is what Evangelion should have been like. NGE has a lot more fans than RahXephon, although i can't possibly comprehend why aside from the fact that NGE came first.
Neon Genesis has a very complicated and detailed plot, and many consider RahXephon to be a rip-off of it. However, I found that I enjoyed RahXephon much more than Evangelion. Both deal with Mechas, politics, religion, a boy struggling to come to terms with his life and what everyone expects of him. I just felt RahXephon was executed better.
Both involve around a teenage boy trying to remember and forget the past at the same time. Everyone that the boy loves has either turned away or no longer able to be there for him. Full of action, A Mecha is what the boy uses in battle to combat with the organization he has joined. Which is use primarily for battle.
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Planetary corruption/desperation with civil wars with big mechs
The Director of Eureka 7 (Tomoki Kyoda) was also involved as Assistant Director for Rahxephon, and both series share a lot in common. Rahxephon, like Eureka 7, is also a "character-driven" mecha which I'd highly recommend to anyone who likes a good love story with giant robots thrown in, or a giant robot story with a love story thrown in - take your pick, you win either way.
Quick summary: This was the previous work of the people who did the Eureka Seven anime. Both have music references, mecha, and a love story between the main characters.
Another good mecha anime from Bones.
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Opening Theme#01: "Hemisphere" by Maaya Sakamoto (eps 2-3, 5-25)
#02: "Hemisphere (Instrumental)" by Maaya Sakamoto (ep 4)
Ending Theme#01: "Yume no Tamago" by Ichiko Hashimoto and Mayumi Hashimoto (eps 1-4 -25)
#02: "Yume no Tamago" ("Fledgling Dream" English version) by Ichiko and Mayumi Hashimoto (ep 5 ; 15-16 ; 19 ; 25)
#03: "Before You Know" by Ichiko Hashimoto (ep 26)
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Related ClubsCogito Ergo Sum - Philosophy In Anime and Manga, Mecha Fans Club!, Kuwashima Houko Fans!, Super Robot Wars Fanclub, Locomotion (TV channel), Strongest, MAL's Theotech Club, RahXephon; Innocent World, Rule the World, Anime History Association, Long Black/Dark Haired Guys, Anime Experience, We don't like fringe!, Chris Pattards, Maaya Sakamoto fanclub, Fantasy Romance, Mecha Kingdom メカ王国, Isshiki Makoto FC, The Jupiter Fan Club, NERVDesigners' Clan, Vic Mignogna: The Club, Studio BONES Fan Club see all
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