RahXephon (Review)
A plea to all robot-haters
I love those giant robots. Can’t get enough. Well, that’s not true. Currently, I’m thinking that by the end of Gundam 00 I’ll have had more than enough. But ever since the original Macross, mech shows have tackled the kind of big stories that satisfy something in me that even the best soaps of this or any season can’t give me. Maybe it’s the size of the robots, lending itself to similarly big stories.
However, lately I’ve seen a disturbing trend in modern anime fans who don’t seem to care for the robots. The robotic fanservice rather than the panty-shot kind? Is it the convoluted stories? Can’t do epic? I don’t get it.
And speaking of story…
RahXephon’s story is so big and epic, in fact, that it barely fits into 26 episodes and would hardly come close to fitting in a paragraph recap. But here are the basics. The Earth has been invaded by transdimensional beings called the Mu, either recently or thousands of years ago. Ayato, a 17-year-old kid with a head for not much other than painting, is blasted out of Tokyo — which happens to be a fictional world with time-displacement issues, sort of a Matrix in a bubble — by a woman named Haruka who works for a strange paramilitary type organization called TERRA. Apparently, they’re charged with saving the world from the Mu, and he’s the key to operating their secret weapon: a giant semi-organic “robot” called RahXephon.
And that’s just the first couple episodes. The story quickly becomes one of the most complicated ones ever to grace a genre rife with complicated plots. But unlike some other robot shows which won’t remain nameless for long, it all ties up and seems very intentional and well thought-out.
Animation and Music
Music is central to the plot. Both RahXephon and the Mu’s Dolems “sing,” Ayato’s fellow “Olin” Quon plays piano, and there are plenty of recurring melodies that tie things together. So it’s very appropriate that the music for the series is not just acceptable, but awesome most of the time. Classical and opera mingle with horn-inflected techno, and the lush Yoko Kanno-penned theme is fantastic.
Character design and animation is not going to surprise you if you’re a fan of BONES. If you liked the visual panache of Fullmetal Alchemist, Wolf’s Rain and the later Eureka Seven, you’ll have no problems enjoying the soft features and smooth execution. Characters have an appealing look, the living robot designs are cool as hell, and the dolems are more disturbing than the faceless Angels of Evangelion. And to top it off, the visual inspirations from Mayan art and Rene Magritte paintings are a unique touch.
The elephant in the room
I guess it has to be addressed at some point: People love to compare this show to Neon Genesis Evangelion. Special kids with robot-piloting ablities, somewhat gimmicky invaders (in this case inspired by Mayan rather than Gnostic Christian mythology), and a shadowy plot to manipulate people into altering the world when they think they’re saving it — all are common to both. But these are surface comparisons that don’t address the actual experience of watching.
The plot is actually more complicated but easier to follow. It’s more intentional, and obviously well thought-out beforehand. Hence, rather than raising more questions at the end, it resolves satisfyingly, if not neatly. It’s up to you whether you find that resolution satisfactory; personally I enjoy both styles, but RahXephon leaves its mark on both the brain and heart.
And that’s the other bit. Aside from its disdain for the viewer, Eva’s contempt for humanity is its greatest marker. It’s stacked with hate and utterly devoid of characters to love. RahXephon, on the other hand (much like BONES’ successor Eureka Seven) is chock-full of noble, likable, well-made characters. Eva condemns ambition and regret, while RahXephon celebrates love — romantic, familial, and for the world.
Dangers of watching
- Inevitable attack by Gainax fanboys
- A sometimes Byzantine plot
- Romantic elements that (very) occasionally threaten to drag it into more typical anime level
Benefits of watching
- Great music
- even better animation and design
- a meaningful and character-driven story with themes of family, love, and belonging.
- mental and emotional involvement
- it’s, dare I say… moving
In the end
I’m not 100% on this yet, but I’ve only just now seen RahXephon, and it’s in my head right now as one of my favorite animes ever. Perhaps it surpasses Eva, but perhaps not — even though I don’t consider it too directly inspired, it probably still wouldn’t exist without the forerunner.
Regardless of where it stands in the pantheon, it’s one of those series that elevates both the mech genre and anime as a medium. And I’m begging even the robot-haters to watch it.
Nice summary. How’d you hear about this series? *ahem*
Now, go watch RahXephon: The Movie and compare the two.
well. and I appreciate it.
Is there any point to the movie? I heard it was a chopped and shortened version of the series.
It is. With a slightly different and more confusing ending. Just thought you’d want to compare/contrast.