Who am I? What is my purpose in this world? What is the feeling I feel inside? These questions are just a natural part of life, and as a young man or woman, it’s the only thing that matters. The truth to a closet inside of the mind which they all want to open but can not. No anime portrays human emotion and naturality as Rahxephon did for me.
Wake up. Life's calling.
In the year 2012, the Earth as we know it is practically non existent with exception to Tokyo, Japan after an unknown devastating attack kills all other nations and continents. This is the world which is familiar to sixteen year old Ayato Kamina. Just like every other high school student, he wakes up in the morning and cleans himself up for school and before leaving takes a gander at his painting he had finished the night before. Just like any other high school student, he goes to school and lives life with his friends. Just like a high school student, he boards the train for his home to live practically alone due to his mother's very busy schedule. Of course this would have been the case if on any other day. One day men in black suits attempt to kidnap Ayato and after a bit of struggling, he is saved by a mysterious woman named Haruka Stoh who kills most of the men. But that is the last thing on his mind. Each of the men had blue blood. The question circled his mind playing a furious melody of yearning for answers. Just why was their blood blue? Little time does he have to think however as a surviving man pushes him on a train and he is whisked away to a mysterious area. There he finds a large egg and as it hatches, he is transferred directly into the being that emerges. A being known as the Rahxephon. Yet as he escapes and the area he is in starts to collapse, he sees his mother bleeding after being hit by a small piece of falling rock, and to his astonishment, the same blue blood runs down her cheek as the men had. With questions burning still in his mind, he finds himself in another world which Haruka calls the real Earth and that the large sphere over Tokyo was where they had just come from. But does this mean that Ayato's life was just a lie? Only time will tell in this story of growing up, human emotion, deception, and reality.
Symphony of Life for Life
The thing which amazes me other than the grand story of Rahxephon is the amount of time which Studio Bones put into the development of every character in the show. No one person is straight forward just as some every day people are. They have angst. They struggle not only on the outside but from the inside, very much to the degree as Studio Bones previous success Wolf's Rain. Nothing is what it seems yet everything is just as we perceive it. Scenes of death, love, and betrayal all take their toll on the characters until the very climax of the show.
Art wise, it doesn't push very much but it carries the story very well. Giant "robots" which spew blue blood like fountains. The emotion reflected in the character's faces. It helps bring about a connection to the show which propels you to laugh, cry, and love Rahxephon.
The Magic Composer is Back
When people mention music within any Studio Bones animations, there is always one name which appears. Yoko Kanno has been a vital part to the music of Studio Bones' animes. From the swinging jazz music of cowboy Bebop, to the mystical wonder found within Wolf's Rain's soulful orchestra, Ms. Kanno has been behind it all. It is no surprise that she has done yet another great job in Rahxephon. As viewers watch and maybe even live the anime, they notice the opera keys and swift orchestrated music which flows through the scenes. Each piece of music fits the scenes very specifically just as Yoko Kanno always does. It is a masterpiece in itself to not only see but to hear the story within the music. From the low dark tones when Ayato sees the blue blood to the very speedy and upbeat melodies as he lives his life as teenager, every key, every drop has its importance and for it to match so perfectly to the show is pure bliss.
"I don't know if I died or if I've been born..."
To put Rahxephon into simple terms, it contains the action of Neon Genesis Evangelion and the deep story and characters of Wolf's Rain. If you’re looking for simple show to watch, look elsewhere for the souls of the characters shine in Rahxephon. Maybe that’s because we aren't so different from them. A masterpiece in itself, Rahxephon is one orchestra that is worth the ride.
~Justin "Aqua Dragon King" Vailuu~
Verdict (out of 10)
Art - 8
Story - 10
Music - 10
Overall - 9.8
Wake up. Life's calling.
In the year 2012, the Earth as we know it is practically non existent with exception to Tokyo, Japan after an unknown devastating attack kills all other nations and continents. This is the world which is familiar to sixteen year old Ayato Kamina. Just like every other high school student, he wakes up in the morning and cleans himself up for school and before leaving takes a gander at his painting he had finished the night before. Just like any other high school student, he goes to school and lives life with his friends. Just like a high school student, he boards the train for his home to live practically alone due to his mother's very busy schedule. Of course this would have been the case if on any other day. One day men in black suits attempt to kidnap Ayato and after a bit of struggling, he is saved by a mysterious woman named Haruka Stoh who kills most of the men. But that is the last thing on his mind. Each of the men had blue blood. The question circled his mind playing a furious melody of yearning for answers. Just why was their blood blue? Little time does he have to think however as a surviving man pushes him on a train and he is whisked away to a mysterious area. There he finds a large egg and as it hatches, he is transferred directly into the being that emerges. A being known as the Rahxephon. Yet as he escapes and the area he is in starts to collapse, he sees his mother bleeding after being hit by a small piece of falling rock, and to his astonishment, the same blue blood runs down her cheek as the men had. With questions burning still in his mind, he finds himself in another world which Haruka calls the real Earth and that the large sphere over Tokyo was where they had just come from. But does this mean that Ayato's life was just a lie? Only time will tell in this story of growing up, human emotion, deception, and reality.
Symphony of Life for Life
The thing which amazes me other than the grand story of Rahxephon is the amount of time which Studio Bones put into the development of every character in the show. No one person is straight forward just as some every day people are. They have angst. They struggle not only on the outside but from the inside, very much to the degree as Studio Bones previous success Wolf's Rain. Nothing is what it seems yet everything is just as we perceive it. Scenes of death, love, and betrayal all take their toll on the characters until the very climax of the show.
Art wise, it doesn't push very much but it carries the story very well. Giant "robots" which spew blue blood like fountains. The emotion reflected in the character's faces. It helps bring about a connection to the show which propels you to laugh, cry, and love Rahxephon.
The Magic Composer is Back
When people mention music within any Studio Bones animations, there is always one name which appears. Yoko Kanno has been a vital part to the music of Studio Bones' animes. From the swinging jazz music of cowboy Bebop, to the mystical wonder found within Wolf's Rain's soulful orchestra, Ms. Kanno has been behind it all. It is no surprise that she has done yet another great job in Rahxephon. As viewers watch and maybe even live the anime, they notice the opera keys and swift orchestrated music which flows through the scenes. Each piece of music fits the scenes very specifically just as Yoko Kanno always does. It is a masterpiece in itself to not only see but to hear the story within the music. From the low dark tones when Ayato sees the blue blood to the very speedy and upbeat melodies as he lives his life as teenager, every key, every drop has its importance and for it to match so perfectly to the show is pure bliss.
"I don't know if I died or if I've been born..."
To put Rahxephon into simple terms, it contains the action of Neon Genesis Evangelion and the deep story and characters of Wolf's Rain. If you’re looking for simple show to watch, look elsewhere for the souls of the characters shine in Rahxephon. Maybe that’s because we aren't so different from them. A masterpiece in itself, Rahxephon is one orchestra that is worth the ride.
~Justin "Aqua Dragon King" Vailuu~
Verdict (out of 10)
Art - 8
Story - 10
Music - 10
Overall - 9.8
