One of the more interesting super robot anime of the past few decades, RahXephon also marked the first time Yutaka Izubuchi sat in the director’s chair.
Izubuchi is a fascinating individual and unique in the world of mecha design. In that Izubuchi has a certain degree of artistry that’s rare in anime and with RahXephon, his talent was writ large across the whole series.
When I interviewed Izubuchi, he explained that the idea for doing a new series came from Masahiko Minami at Bones. Izubuchi also had a love for the classic super robot anime Brave Raideen and RahXephon is his homage to that.
However, that sells RahXephon very short, as this is a complex and nuanced anime that’s not at all typical for the mecha genre.
Released back in 2001, RahXephon is set in the future of 2027. Following the invasion of interdimensional beings known as the Mu, Tokyo was “captured” in 2012 and shrouded in a shield that makes it look like Jupiter.
Moreover, the residents of Tokyo Jupiter are not aware of what’s happening in the outside world and also unwittingly suffer from the effects of time dilation.
Enter high school student Ayato Kamina, who during an attack from “invaders” (actually humans from the outside world trying to liberate Tokyo Jupiter) he is lured by the soul of a giant mecha known as RahXephon.
Escaping Tokyo Jupiter with the RahXephon, Ayato is enlisted into Terra; the force that is trying to save the people inside Tokyo Jupiter and fight back the Mu, at least on the surface anyway.
The Mu also use strange mecha known as Dolem, which are ostensibly made of clay and it’s these that they have been using to cause destruction outside of Tokyo Jupiter and the necessity for Terra’s creation.
The premise and setup are carefully thought out though and actually rationalize why Ayato is fighting and what the stakes are. We also know what the threat is in quite a bit of detail, before everything properly kicks off.
There’s a lot going on in this series, and much of it is inferred and complex. While some may compare RahXephon in part to Neon Genesis Evangelion, in reality that is not all that accurate. The premise of an alternate time locked Tokyo is more akin to Megazone 23 and the general setup of the Mu and the RahXephon are much closer to what happens in Brave Raideen, which is understandable as Izubuchi himself cited that anime as an influence.
What makes RahXephon special though is how all these subtle elements are brought together and interwoven with some of the best art direction ever seen in anime.
While the music is somewhat of a mixed bag, the character and mecha designs, as well as the overall art direction are amazingly done.
Another interesting twist to this series, is that some of the Dolem designs started out as work Izubuchi initially did for Brain Powerd. When the design team changed on that anime, he ended up asking if he could use them on RahXephon instead.
As for this Blu-ray collection, it includes the series and movie, Pluralitas Concentio, as well as a bunch of interesting extras. From interviews to production artwork. The HD transfer is also pristine, both in terms of the visuals and sound. It’s a very comprehensive set and if you are in any way curious about this anime, this set covers everything really.
RahXephon is an interesting anime on many counts. From a thoughtful narrative to a genuinely beautiful and artistic production, it may have started out as a homage to Brave Raideen but the final result is arguably so much more.
The RahXephon Blu-ray collection is available from the Sentai Filmworks online store for $62.99.
Disclosure: Sentai Filmworks sent me this Blu-ray set for the purposes of this review.
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