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Jun 23, 2011 1:10 PM
#1
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May 2011
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seriously why did this show just fade away to never be brought up again, this is one of the best mecha's or hell just animes out there, i seriously cant understand how this got so left behind and yet evangelion (which rahXephon fixes all the mistakes of) is still so widley known, im cool with both being popular but it baffles me how this show isnt really recognised by that many,
Jun 25, 2011 8:07 PM
#2

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Jun 2010
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I hardly ever hear anyone talk about this series. And when we talk about good anime recommendations, this is never mentioned.

Such a damn shame really.
Jun 28, 2011 3:16 PM
#3
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May 2011
783
Keollyn said:
I hardly ever hear anyone talk about this series. And when we talk about good anime recommendations, this is never mentioned.

Such a damn shame really.
yah really, plus why doe sthis have a score of 7.75, i know thats not a bad score but what the hell this deserves so much higher, it is a damn shame, everyone ive ever shown this to thinks its amazing and is hooked by the first episode, hell the first 5 minuetes, this show ha sone of the bets 1st episodes ever
Jul 1, 2011 3:13 AM
#4
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Jun 2008
226
well to be fair its almost 10 years old, in 4:3 and it doesn't have naruto, bleach or one piece in the title. The title also might be working against it because if you saw something called Rahxephon you might be inclined to think wtf is that and skip it.

also most anime fans and people in general are idiots.
Dont be a chitogetard!!!!
Jul 1, 2011 9:54 AM
#5
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catullus said:
well to be fair its almost 10 years old, in 4:3 and it doesn't have naruto, bleach or one piece in the title. The title also might be working against it because if you saw something called Rahxephon you might be inclined to think wtf is that and skip it.

also most anime fans and people in general are idiots.
people in general are idiots
Jul 8, 2011 10:53 AM
#6
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Be fair to people, most of the time it's not that they're idiots, but rather that they don't know any better.

RahXephon is a show from 2002, this year is particular because it's older than the internet's globally widespread use, but later than the "age of classics" (The nineties), if you think of the most popular series from that year you'll find:
*Ghost In The Shell: SAC which is part of a bigger franchise, and the original movie was wildly popular in the west.
*Full Metal Panic is adapted from a light novel series, and got several further installments.
*Naruto is self explanatory.
*Gundam SEED: See Naruto.
*Haibane Reimei, Princess Tutu and The Twelve Kingdoms are critically acclaimed but fairly obscure, much like RahXephon in a way.

Still, RahXephon is usually not as fondly remembered as the series in this last group, I think it's the result of two things:
*NGE. Despite what people that have watched both shows (and have half a brain) can say, the fact remains that both shows have a lot of superficial similarities, and NGE is incredibly popular, leading to people watching it with a biased mindset, or just writing it off as a ripoff altogether.
*It's not that easily enjoyable. Despite having depth and intelligence to them, the other shows can be watched with a shallow mindset, and still be very enjoyable. RahXephon's complicated plot makes such a thing harder, making it less popular.

Still, most people I introduced it to liked it very much, so be sure to recommend it when you have the chance (and it's appropriate, don't be a moron).
Jul 8, 2011 11:00 AM
#7
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May 2011
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noimporta said:
Be fair to people, most of the time it's not that they're idiots, but rather that they don't know any better.

RahXephon is a show from 2002, this year is particular because it's older than the internet's globally widespread use, but later than the "age of classics" (The nineties), if you think of the most popular series from that year you'll find:
*Ghost In The Shell: SAC which is part of a bigger franchise, and the original movie was wildly popular in the west.
*Full Metal Panic is adapted from a light novel series, and got several further installments.
*Naruto is self explanatory.
*Gundam SEED: See Naruto.
*Haibane Reimei, Princess Tutu and The Twelve Kingdoms are critically acclaimed but fairly obscure, much like RahXephon in a way.

Still, RahXephon is usually not as fondly remembered as the series in this last group, I think it's the result of two things:
*NGE. Despite what people that have watched both shows (and have half a brain) can say, the fact remains that both shows have a lot of superficial similarities, and NGE is incredibly popular, leading to people watching it with a biased mindset, or just writing it off as a ripoff altogether.
*It's not that easily enjoyable. Despite having depth and intelligence to them, the other shows can be watched with a shallow mindset, and still be very enjoyable. RahXephon's complicated plot makes such a thing harder, making it less popular.

Still, most people I introduced it to liked it very much, so be sure to recommend it when you have the chance (and it's appropriate, don't be a moron).
the only reason this show is so underratted is cause people are idiots, i should just improve on this, aka they bitch about the plot being full of plotholes and not makign sense just cause they cant follow the storyline which wasnt even hard to follow, people just need somthing blatently spelt out to them in order to udnerstand it, they cant use 2 brain cells to put 2 and 2 together to get 4
Jul 8, 2011 11:52 AM
#8

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It's funny... a friend of mine has a girlfriend who is an anime fan so he naturally came to me to borrow some of my anime. I let him borrow stuff like Ergo Proxy, Death Note, and so on. Of course, I asked him if his girlfriend had seen Evangelion and, most importantly, if she enjoyed it. He said he thought so...so I thought Rahxephon was a safe bet because, though I personally think that both series are only similar on the surface, it seems that many don't think that way.

A couple of days later he returned the Rahxephon boxset to me and said his girlfriend took one look at the box art, which admittedly isn't the greatest, and decided she didn't want to watch it. I mean...really?

I don't think that story had much of a point....I just wanted to vent my annoyance.
"Yes, I have been deprived of emotion. But not completely. Whoever did it, botched the job."

- Geralt of Rivia
Jul 8, 2011 3:09 PM
#9
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May 2011
783
insan3soldiern said:
It's funny... a friend of mine has a girlfriend who is an anime fan so he naturally came to me to borrow some of my anime. I let him borrow stuff like Ergo Proxy, Death Note, and so on. Of course, I asked him if his girlfriend had seen Evangelion and, most importantly, if she enjoyed it. He said he thought so...so I thought Rahxephon was a safe bet because, though I personally think that both series are only similar on the surface, it seems that many don't think that way.

A couple of days later he returned the Rahxephon boxset to me and said his girlfriend took one look at the box art, which admittedly isn't the greatest, and decided she didn't want to watch it. I mean...really?

I don't think that story had much of a point....I just wanted to vent my annoyance.
evangelion star driver, and rahXephon dont have any point to the stories cause they dont exist, its all by the same writer, each episode is just kinda a single occurance till the end it kind agets a plot for all 3 of the shows,
Jul 8, 2011 4:04 PM

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While I can't comment on Star Driver, something has been bothering me about your previous posts. You do realize that Rahxephon and Eva only had one screen play writer for a total of one episode right? Besides most of the plot of Eva was from Hideako Anno, who had absolutely nothing to do with Rahxephon...so I have no idea why you think this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RahXephon
"Yes, I have been deprived of emotion. But not completely. Whoever did it, botched the job."

- Geralt of Rivia
Aug 14, 2011 9:09 PM

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oh my god i agree, i dont really understand why eva got popular but not this, i mean do people just prefer about a hundred unresolved plotlines in their shows
Aug 14, 2011 10:33 PM
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dont know why you think its underrated? OH you are comparing it to eva, naruto and gundam, OKAY thEN
Aug 15, 2011 10:20 AM
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RahXephon is rather boring and meaningless title, so it's unpopularity is predictable.
Oct 17, 2011 11:47 AM

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I'm not sure why this isn't more celebrated either, don't we usually praise things that come along and fix past mistakes of other shows?

But yeah, it can be summed up in one word: EVA.
Eva lovers don't like the fact that Rah isn't Eva.
Eva haters are hesitant to try it because it's so often compared to Eva.

But as an Eva hater, I'm glad I watched this as this is what Eva should have been and makes the genre now seem like a potentially good idea.
Oct 18, 2011 1:02 PM

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FallnKnightFakir said:I'm not sure why this isn't more celebrated either, don't we usually praise things that come along and fix past mistakes of other shows?
But yeah, it can be summed up in one word: EVA.
Eva lovers don't like the fact that Rah isn't Eva.
Eva haters are hesitant to try it because it's so often compared to Eva.
But as an Eva hater, I'm glad I watched this as this is what Eva should have been and makes the genre now seem like a potentially good idea.

Immahnoob said:
Jizzy, I know you have no idea how to argue for shit,

tokiyashiro said:

Jizzy as you would call yourself because youre a dick The most butthurt award goes to you And clearly you havent watched that many shows thats why you cant determine if a show is unique or not Or maybe you're just a child who likes common stuffs where hero saves the day and guys gets all the girls. Sad taste you have there kid you came up to me in the first place making you look more like a kid who got slapped without me even knowing it and start crying about it to me

Oct 18, 2011 1:45 PM
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this anime is an eva rip if like most pseudo philosophical anime made after 95 im not saying that as a fan of EVA im saying it as an historian of anime

look at my comment on my list of Utena and Ergo proxy is even worse it goes from a mans views on his own existential crisis displayed via a Character he created EVA RAH is the middel ground AND Ergo is just a writter wo has swallowed the complete works of Descartes

thats my view
"If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine"

When the union's inspiration through the workers' blood shall run
There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun
Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one
For the Union makes us strong
Nov 5, 2011 7:46 AM

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Akai-Ryuusei said:
this anime is an eva rip if like most pseudo philosophical anime
rahXephon has no religious or philosophical references at all, i dont see where the hell people get that from like really, one of the huge pros i see people give this show is they avoid all that bullshit

Immahnoob said:
Jizzy, I know you have no idea how to argue for shit,

tokiyashiro said:

Jizzy as you would call yourself because youre a dick The most butthurt award goes to you And clearly you havent watched that many shows thats why you cant determine if a show is unique or not Or maybe you're just a child who likes common stuffs where hero saves the day and guys gets all the girls. Sad taste you have there kid you came up to me in the first place making you look more like a kid who got slapped without me even knowing it and start crying about it to me

Nov 5, 2011 7:54 AM
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DJIzzyIzzyHitler said:
Akai-Ryuusei said:
this anime is an eva rip if like most pseudo philosophical anime
rahXephon has no religious or philosophical references at all, i dont see where the hell people get that from like really, one of the huge pros i see people give this show is they avoid all that bullshit


you chose tio quote the part that suits you i said RAH is the middle ground
"If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine"

When the union's inspiration through the workers' blood shall run
There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun
Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one
For the Union makes us strong
Feb 22, 2012 1:35 PM

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Sep 2011
33680
24601 said:
DJIzzyIzzyHitler said:
Akai-Ryuusei said:
this anime is an eva rip if like most pseudo philosophical anime
rahXephon has no religious or philosophical references at all, i dont see where the hell people get that from like really, one of the huge pros i see people give this show is they avoid all that bullshit


you chose tio quote the part that suits you i said RAH is the middle ground
......what? no i mean what the hell are you even saying, i realize your not a natural english speaker but.......what are you even trying to say, its the middle ground? you never said that, litterly your first thing you said was its a eva rip off, acusse it of being philisophical which you cant find in rahXephon anywhere cause it doesnt even attempt that anywhere.

Immahnoob said:
Jizzy, I know you have no idea how to argue for shit,

tokiyashiro said:

Jizzy as you would call yourself because youre a dick The most butthurt award goes to you And clearly you havent watched that many shows thats why you cant determine if a show is unique or not Or maybe you're just a child who likes common stuffs where hero saves the day and guys gets all the girls. Sad taste you have there kid you came up to me in the first place making you look more like a kid who got slapped without me even knowing it and start crying about it to me

Feb 22, 2012 2:16 PM

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I'm rather biased against blatant rip-offs. Sorry. People who love this usually dislike NGE or they like it, but say stupid things like "it fixes the mistakes".
Sep 12, 2012 11:59 PM

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I'd hazard a guess that Rahxephon got lost in the shuffle of all the other moe harem comedies that aired at about the same time, like Vandread 2nd Stage, Please Teacher, Love Hina Again, Ai Yori Aoshi, G-On Riders, and Tenchi Muyo GXP.

catullus said:
well to be fair its almost 10 years old, in 4:3 and it doesn't have naruto, bleach or one piece in the title.

also most anime fans and people in general are idiots.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but do people really avoid a given anime because of its aspect ratio? I've never once thought, "Oh, that show's in 16:9, I don't want to watch it / would rather watch something else." And it's not that hard to get 4:3 monitors through Goodwill Electronics, Craigslist > Free, etc.
Oct 12, 2012 8:51 AM

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What is wrong with people? I honestly believe people watch both NGE and RahXephon and think even though i enjoyed Rahxephon I'll call it shit because it resembles some other anime i also enjoyed. What the fucking fuck.
Who cares if there are similarities, it's not like the adult oriented psychological mecha genre is overloaded with ripoffs, especially compared with the shounen and slice of life genre's.

I watched NGE when it first aired in Australia way back in 2000 when i was like 10 and even though i couldnt really grasp the show i loved it. I didnt discover RahXephon til around 2008 and even though i am a die hard Eva fan i still fell in love with RahXephon. You'd think the similarities in such a niche genre would make people fall in love with it.
Nov 20, 2012 9:05 PM

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I'm honestly not that big of a mecha fan (robots do nothing for me), but both NGE and RahXephon were quite the experience. Hell, I'd even throw Fafner in that mix. Those three shows have a lot of superficial similarities. Then again, so does Gundam.

I remember watching Zeta Gundam for the first time and falling in love with the characters and story. I felt it was an extremely deep show with an intelligent script. Yes, it was probably the most political out of the four I've mentioned here, but it also had some good psychological and philosophical undertones: just like the other three. Now those are the similarities I fell in love with.

Each of those shows tackle issues such as identity crisis, perception, moral or universal truths, ideal coexistence, and the meaning of life. That's what drew me to those three in the first place. Not the mecha! Better yet, it never comes across as preachy as we're discovering these ideas through the characters. It's that relatable aspect that makes these ideas all the more empowering. One could almost say, it leads to an emotional resonance.

The mecha work best as symbols in these animes, not as the source of entertainment! ...at least in my opinion. That's what some mecha still don't get, and is why I will always cherish NGE, RahXephon, and Fafner.
Feb 4, 2013 4:09 AM
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This show is all about immersion, character driven story, and just fantastic way to blend mythos of the Mayans and the aliens. They don't make sense for shit but what does in mecha genre, especially Evangelion.

RahXephon was all experience, I gotta say. Episode 19 and last two episodes had me jerking in my bed and crying of its beauty for days. It was just so fascinating.....and the way they executed each episodes had me drop my jaw many times. I could feel the same thing in the Evangelion as well. There were so much creativity back then. It didn't have to be realistic, it had to be very creative and emotionally impacting. And that's what Evangelion/RahXephon are. It is highly underated show I think. RahXehpon doesn't suffer from Evangelion's mindfuck at the end. It is very clear that the entire world was (spoiler) as everyone was saying in the story. Not really complicated at all. It was really, really just amazingly simple and the way they ended it was so fulfilling. I had more fulfilling satisfaction from Rahxephon than Evangelion. I think that is why Rahxephon completes this genre. Know that Rahxephon is, in a way, copy of Raiden and such. They had their inspiration from multiple sources and I think that is fantastic. Paying homage to past masterpiece and doing your own twist to these shows are what makes art constantly enjoyable.

REALLY great. I can't emphasize enough I guess haha.
May 17, 2013 10:11 PM

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I'm pretty sure if it wasn't for die hard Evangelion fans and their bias, this show would receive AT LEAST an 8 score.

It's a real shame. :(
Powerful eyebrows.
May 17, 2013 10:20 PM

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Borjoyzee said:
You'd think the similarities in such a niche genre would make people fall in love with it.
Yah thats the most logical thing to expect, but die hard fans never seem to use logic. Not just for EVA really all fanbases end like this, i never understood why there always needs to be rivalries between the similar series. If something gives you vibes of something you love then thats a good thing not a bad.

But hey if they want to miss out on a one in a million series over dumb logic then let them, whether it be rahXephon or Evangelion they are forsaking they are still missing out big time

Immahnoob said:
Jizzy, I know you have no idea how to argue for shit,

tokiyashiro said:

Jizzy as you would call yourself because youre a dick The most butthurt award goes to you And clearly you havent watched that many shows thats why you cant determine if a show is unique or not Or maybe you're just a child who likes common stuffs where hero saves the day and guys gets all the girls. Sad taste you have there kid you came up to me in the first place making you look more like a kid who got slapped without me even knowing it and start crying about it to me

Jul 9, 2013 1:53 AM
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I was about to make this thread. I'm quite surprised it's not rated in the 8s or mentioned more. Between the OST, which really is outstanding, and the animation, alongside the excellent writing and characters, I'd have thought it would be in the higher echelons on this site.

But I suppose that's what you get for being too closely associated with Neon Genesis. Which shouldn't be bad thing, but I think people go into the series with the wrong attitude.
Sep 15, 2013 5:13 AM

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Aug 2013
722
To be fair to Rah it is a good series but at time I found it to be trying to hard to add more layers to it. But it is definitely a very underrated series IMO
Sup People and yes I am the physical manifestation of Shinji Ikari's Balls

And this what elite-sama says to incest
elite-sama said:
I'm against it because I don't have a sister. It's not fair.
Oct 15, 2013 9:48 PM
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I'm a big Eva fan, you can call me an Evatard if you like, and I really enjoyed this series and thought it was great!
Did you guys notice the English voice actors from Evangelion in it? :D
...
Anyway.. One reason I think this is underrated is because people are not that into mecha. I know this is NOT about mecha AT ALL, but that is what it was marketed and labeled as.(people are stupid)
Another arguable reason is the Opening and Ending themes. They are pretty boring in my opinion.
I know that they go along with the anime and the songs that the Mu sing, but they are not that catchy.
And of course, the main reason is that people see it as an Eva rip-off which it is not. It does share some of the Evangelion themes, but it is respectfully it's own unique series.
b4Oct 15, 2013 9:51 PM
Jun 2, 2015 4:31 AM
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catullus said:
well to be fair its almost 10 years old, in 4:3 and it doesn't have naruto, bleach or one piece in the title. The title also might be working against it because if you saw something called Rahxephon you might be inclined to think wtf is that and skip it.

also most anime fans and people in general are idiots.


Most anime fans refuse to watch old shows.
And yeah I have given up on anime fans, good to see there are a few here who like to watch more obscure classics.
Aug 14, 2015 2:03 AM

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I am currently at episode 25 on RahXephon, I like it but I have the impression that I don't understand 80 % of the plot (my bad), maybe this isn't popular because people thought it's too deep and hard to understand, and the 4:3 ratio scares anyone born after the 90s (not me though). Regarding the similarities with Eva I think you can find similarities for every anime you compare, even Naruto has similarities with Eva, like whe someone died and the mc is sad and little stuff like that.
Mar 20, 2016 12:11 AM

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Catalano said:
I am currently at episode 25 on RahXephon, I like it but I have the impression that I don't understand 80 % of the plot (my bad), maybe this isn't popular because people thought it's too deep and hard to understand, and the 4:3 ratio scares anyone born after the 90s (not me though). Regarding the similarities with Eva I think you can find similarities for every anime you compare, even Naruto has similarities with Eva, like whe someone died and the mc is sad and little stuff like that.
haha, I didn't understand some of the plot as well, you should look at the page linked on the 26 episode thread, that helped me a lot... it is also so true that people refuse to watch older shows, me being one of them, but I am so glad I gave RahXephon a chance, really enjoyed the show and great that there was 26 episodes to watch unlike the newer shows =/
Apr 12, 2016 12:34 PM

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Trying to make sense of MAL scores is bad for your health. Rahxephon at 7.5 while SnK is at 8.6 makes me question how fucking retarded your average MAL user is.
Jan 2, 2017 6:45 PM
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I dont know if that question has an answer. The early 2000 anime that werent shown in the west are just unknown. On top of that, you have a show that have the same problems of the pseudo philosofical anime: the final form is mediocre. Its just a bigger step than the director or the writer can do. Thats why you have good characters and relations, but the watcher doesnt see the point. And using occultic and pseudo-scientific symbols doesnt help at all, just give an exotic merchandise that japanese seems to enjoy. At least they used the symbols (not in a right way though) better than Evangelion, that just used them randomly.
Jan 19, 2017 4:20 PM

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I think that, in restrospect, we can safely say that Rahxephon was an influencial anime. The way the plot developes; the slow pace of most of the actions; layer after layer of implications; things that are explained very late and unsuccessfully; the idiosincratic camera angles. I see all of that in later animes of the same decade.
But I personally dont like that. I dont know if it is underrated, but I would say that its not of my taste. I can appreciate the fact that it is a well crafted anime production, and nice to look at. But I dont think it will remembered as a classic in the future.
Apr 27, 2017 1:40 PM
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ItsSoPringles said:
seriously why did this show just fade away to never be brought up again, this is one of the best mecha's or hell just animes out there, i seriously cant understand how this got so left behind and yet evangelion (which rahXephon fixes all the mistakes of) is still so widley known, im cool with both being popular but it baffles me how this show isnt really recognised by that many,


I completely agree rahxephon is my favorite anime of all time i think it is a masterpiece and a true work of art

the music, the character development, the mysteries that you have to unfold , the world building / history of the show, the musical themas and symbolism

its just brilliant IMO
Apr 27, 2017 1:50 PM
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Catalano said:
I am currently at episode 25 on RahXephon, I like it but I have the impression that I don't understand 80 % of the plot (my bad), maybe this isn't popular because people thought it's too deep and hard to understand, and the 4:3 ratio scares anyone born after the 90s (not me though). Regarding the similarities with Eva I think you can find similarities for every anime you compare, even Naruto has similarities with Eva, like whe someone died and the mc is sad and little stuff like that.


There a lot of little clues and hints into the past of the world / story of rahxephon that you have to piece together if you want to understand everything, although it is not necessary to understand the bulk and most important parts of the plot, it really shows you how much forethought went into creating this masterpiece of an anime.

Anyone who has watched this show and feels a little lost and wants to understand more i highly reccomend going to this site-

http://www.kenoki.com/nko/faqs.html

this faq as well as timeline explains just about every secret/fact that is not clear as day in the show and once you read it every little thing in the show is explained / makes sense.

blew my mind.
Apr 28, 2017 11:37 AM

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@GarudaAiacos
I understood the show just after I finished and I really loved it.
The world history, the Mulians, Bahbem dude, the stuff with Ayato's origin,
why are Quon and Maya sisters, all of it. I enjoyed the ride.
Thanks for the link.
Aug 25, 2017 3:32 AM
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Catalano said:
@GarudaAiacos
I understood the show just after I finished and I really loved it.
The world history, the Mulians, Bahbem dude, the stuff with Ayato's origin,
why are Quon and Maya sisters, all of it. I enjoyed the ride.
Thanks for the link.


Awesome!

It's always good to know there's someone else out there that can enjoy this awesome show! I rewatch it quite often ... the music is one of the best parts of it to me which is awesome because it goes along with the whole musical theme of the show I.e. Rah and the dolems singing to attack, the singing to tune the world, the art theme, etc ...

Some of the music pieces in this show are are so deep and hit me so hard ... either chill out jazz that makes you feel good or think or some heavy hitting classical for action scenes . It's amazing.


Oh and for all the people complaining about the aspect ratio in Japan they released this show remastered on blu ray . Apparently it's not popular enough to release the blu ray in other countries to release in English other wise I'd have bought it long ago but there are 720p and 1089p bd torrents of this rahxephon bd box out there..

It's what I've watched last couple times I rewatch this show on my big HD tv n it looks amazing.
removed-userAug 25, 2017 3:38 AM
Jul 26, 2019 7:50 PM

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I wonder if Eva fan reactions prevented us from getting more Eva inspired shows like this?
Oct 13, 2019 8:05 PM
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My faith in humanity is restored. There are those who put in the effort to search for masterpieces such as this. I applaud you fellows, even though I know that I may very well be speaking to graves. Graves of my fallen comrades. You will be remembered. You are the ones who put in the extra mile, took the road less travelled. Others may not know your names, but I will give you this eulogy and a tearful salute. In your stead, I will carry on the fight for you all, I will continue spreading good taste in anime as long as I still draw breath. As you look down from Anime Heaven, please pray that I not be alone in this task. *wipes tears, sets face towards horizon, and walks away*
Dec 6, 2019 8:45 AM
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Catalano said:
I am currently at episode 25 on RahXephon, I like it but I have the impression that I don't understand 80 % of the plot (my bad), maybe this isn't popular because people thought it's too deep and hard to understand, and the 4:3 ratio scares anyone born after the 90s (not me though). Regarding the similarities with Eva I think you can find similarities for every anime you compare, even Naruto has similarities with Eva, like whe someone died and the mc is sad and little stuff like that.


I have rewatched RahXephon multiple times to understand every part of RahXephons plot, the character relationship web , the world building, character motivations everything is not spoon fed to you, it is something slowly revealed and not even said many aspects of the plot you have to realize yourself from the dialogue or settings. I’ve never seen a show follow the “show, not tell” rule like RahXephon does.

The plot is beautiful and has a great ending. Btw this ending is set up as early as episode one unlike some shows. Once you have the complete understanding of everything and watch again lines of dialogue, character interactions , hell even facial expressions from all the way back in episode one take on new meaning, meaning it’s great even on a rewatch.

Beyond the philosophical stuff, the story and characters are just amazingly developed. The soundtrack is my favorite soundtrack to an anime of all time. But RahXephon is certainly not like modern anime, it requires patience and thought. So while I understand why everyone might not love it, their reasons for not loving usually do not detract from the quality of the show itself it’s more on their preferences which is unfortunate. Regardless of what it may be rated, or how many people like it, RahXephon is a beautiful show that a lot of thought, hard work and soul was poured into . If you are one of the few people that have discovered this masterpiece and love it count yourself lucky.
Dec 6, 2019 8:46 PM

Offline
Oct 2010
20628
AyatoKaminaSama said:
Catalano said:
I am currently at episode 25 on RahXephon, I like it but I have the impression that I don't understand 80 % of the plot (my bad), maybe this isn't popular because people thought it's too deep and hard to understand, and the 4:3 ratio scares anyone born after the 90s (not me though). Regarding the similarities with Eva I think you can find similarities for every anime you compare, even Naruto has similarities with Eva, like whe someone died and the mc is sad and little stuff like that.


I have rewatched RahXephon multiple times to understand every part of RahXephons plot, the character relationship web , the world building, character motivations everything is not spoon fed to you, it is something slowly revealed and not even said many aspects of the plot you have to realize yourself from the dialogue or settings. I’ve never seen a show follow the “show, not tell” rule like RahXephon does.

The plot is beautiful and has a great ending. Btw this ending is set up as early as episode one unlike some shows. Once you have the complete understanding of everything and watch again lines of dialogue, character interactions , hell even facial expressions from all the way back in episode one take on new meaning, meaning it’s great even on a rewatch.

Beyond the philosophical stuff, the story and characters are just amazingly developed. The soundtrack is my favorite soundtrack to an anime of all time. But RahXephon is certainly not like modern anime, it requires patience and thought. So while I understand why everyone might not love it, their reasons for not loving usually do not detract from the quality of the show itself it’s more on their preferences which is unfortunate. Regardless of what it may be rated, or how many people like it, RahXephon is a beautiful show that a lot of thought, hard work and soul was poured into . If you are one of the few people that have discovered this masterpiece and love it count yourself lucky.


wow, my post was from 2017, now I rewatched it 2 times and it's in my favorites, truly a masterpiece, and yeah, the ending is forshadowed in episode 1. Funny how the movie tries to spoonfeed you about the xephon and bahbem and the origin of mu and even the sisters where in the anime you have to put all the mega pieces together to understand.
Dec 24, 2019 1:33 PM
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Dec 2019
384
I think the series is underrated and I can see why- it doesn't hook you in with bombastic mecha action nor oversaturated emotional drama. Its battles are cerebral experiences and its characters are relatively subdued. Character motivations and emotions take a while to unearth and understand. This is a series that takes at least two rewatches to appreciate, as the first time around viewers' confusion is going to get in the way of some of the emotional weight. It's a slow and meditative burn that culminates in a grandiose ending that ties the fate of the world to the emotional stakes of the main characters.

At the same time, I think it doesn't exactly succeed in what it's trying to do. I think the crux of Rahxephon's argument is that people should connect with those that love them, even if they're afraid of being hurt from being so close. Red is used to symbolize human warmth and affection, whereas blue is used to symbolize Mulian coldness and detachment. The false reality is embodied by Tokyo Jupiter, which is a symbol for the mind bubble that a person puts himself in in order to cut himself off from others. Tokyo Jupter was created at the same time that Haruka was cut off from Ayato. In this bubble, he doesn't have to worry about much. At the same time, the person closest to him, his mom, never shows him much motherly affection. Tokyo Jupiter is also a time bubble- time passes slower so people age slower here while people in the outside world move faster. Haruka becomes a woman while Ayato remains a boy. Later, when he finally grows taller than Haruka in the outside world. Ayato only exits the outside world when he is pulled by Haruka and Misshima. Yet when he enters the outside world, he still purposely protects himself from being hurt by not seeing the truth. When he finally sees the truth, that he's a Mulian, he gets hurt from the lies and the betrayals. The real world hurts. So he goes back to Tokyo Jupiter and he doesn't care if it's real or not. However, he can't stand the fakeness of this world either, as he's horrified to learn that his mother is so far departed from the woman he thought she was. He leaves with his classmate Asahina while still questioning what he is and what his purpose is. The events in episode 19 teach him the consequences of ignoring the love from those around him, allow him to accept that being a Mulian is OK, and give him a purpose--- to protect those that care for him. In the end, Ayato is only able to reshape the world when he recognizes Haruka's love, returns that love, and makes it his purpose to protect her. His arc is completed when he finds Ixtli, his true face, AKA his heart's true desire, which is getting with Haruka. His role is that of Ollin, which means movement. The show is saying that the power of love is the key to reshaping the world.

All the characters mirror this theme of connecting with people who care for you instead of ignoring them. This means that there are a ton of "I love him but he doesn't notice" dynamics between every female and male character. The most prominent are Itsuki and Sayoko. Itsuki, being a literal clone of Ayato, is the show's way of saying, hey, look what happens when you don't return a woman's affection: you don't succeed in becoming in instrumentalist and you can't tune the world. Sayoko is the embodiment of that song "It's a thin line between love and hate" and the saying "Hell hath no fury like a woman scored". Even Elvy gets her own "I love her but she doesn't notice" dynamic with one of her crewmates.

So what do you mean it doesn't exactly succeed in what it's trying to do, you ask? I think for most people, this kind of relationship dynamic and moral-of-the-story works. It doesn't work for me, because for romance to work for me, or any kind of fictional relationship for that matter, the story has to put in the work to craft strong character connections through their interactions, dialogue, and individual qualities. You have to show actual chemistry, whereas it's all too easy and cheap to have one character pine after the other. It's really easy to write "I love you" but it's hard to write characters that feel lovable. Rahxephon, in purposely having Ayato behave coldly and yet having every girl fall for him, tries to have its cake and eat it too. This is because Ayato's personality is protagonist. He's a generic nice guy with good looks, and this is enough justification for every girl that he meets to fall for him. Yeah, he's polite, but you'd be hard pressed to find a scene where he actually has a natural conversation with someone that reveals more about both himself and the other person. The first three episodes were great in that they allowed him to spend time with Haruka. After that though, I was waiting for them to develop their relationship, even on a platonic level since the theme is him not returning love. But no, there are hardly any scenes where the two talk or bond after that. the best we're given is him trying out a weird combination of food that only Haruka likes. There needed to be more scenes like that. The same goes with his relationships with Megumi and Hiroko. In both of them, he was just being a generic nice guy but never actually bothers to sit down and connect with them or ask them what's wrong. Instead, he's preoccupied with his own struggles and his reflections about himself are taken as an understanding others. When Megumi talks to him about finding out her crush is already dating someone, he just talks about himself and then Megumi says he's a nice guy. With Hiroko, the writers use the old trick of having one character cling to another character out of desperation and necessity and selling that off as love. You never actually hear Ayato ask Hiroko about her thoughts. Most of the scenes with them two are just her clinging to him. In short, his detached attitude towards others and boring personality is incompatible with others developing a romantic attachment to him. Perhaps friendship, but to say that it's love is to cheapen what love is since those that "love" him barely know anything about him. With Haruka, the writers use memory loss and past experiences as a way to have one person love another person despite the other person not being shown as worthy of that love. Ayato doesn't have to do any work to have someone there that cares for him and understands him, which is much more fitting for a parent-child dynamic imo. I think a few flashback scenes with the two of them together, combined with instances in the present reminiscent of those scenes would have done wonders to strengthen the romance.

In addition, instead of the final scene showing others confessing their love/affection for him, it should be showing moments that he's had with those characters that he didn't think much of before (or moments of the characters by themselves that show them to be sympathetic or likable people). These moments make him cherish his friends more, which now motivates him to make the world better for them. The show could have also done a better job to have stronger characterization for the female love interests because basing characterization on who loves who does not make for three dimensional characters by itself.

I can see how well made the show is. It has a strong focus and uses all the story elements at its disposal to develop a well defined idea. I think inserting a few character interaction scenes and giving Ayato a more distinctive, likable personality would've cemented this anime as a masterpiece. As of now, the terrific setup is wasted because the character dynamics are built on shaky foundations. There's also the fact that in real life just because one person has a crush on another person, the other person is not obligated to return that affection. Sometimes the person being crushed on just isn't interested and that's the truth.

I would love to hear opposing thoughts on this topic. If you felt that the romance was well done or that I missed something crucial, please explain with evidence from the story.
RecynonDec 24, 2019 4:37 PM

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It’s time to ditch the text file.
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