Forum - View topicWatching RahXephon...
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rojse
 Posts: 234 |
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I've heard a lot of good things about RahXephon, including the show being mentioned as a favourite anime by multiple people on this forum, very good aggregated ratings on ANN, and positive comparisons to Neon Genesis Evangelion (which I will confess is one of my favourite mecha shows). However, having watched a third of RahXephon so far, I'm hard pressed to see what is so great about the show. It's not that I don't like what I've seen so far, it's that I don't like what I've seen nor can I understand what others see as being particularly noteworthy about this show.
I'm not trying to troll here - there are several shows that are highly ranked on here that I consider over-rated, but at the same time, I can appreciate what other people enjoyed about the show in question, even if I do not share their opinion. In the case of RahXephon, though, I don't see what others enjoyed about the show at all. All of this leads me to two questions: 1). If you enjoyed RahXephon, what is it about this show that makes it stand out from other mecha shows? 2). Will my perception of the show change if I watch the show in its entirety? I've watched up to episode eleven, if this helps. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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As ANN's resident RahXephon expert and fanboy (I consider it to be the best Anime I've ever watched), I feel obliged to respond. However, it is 2am and I have a hell of a day lined up, so forgive me for being brief. I will chip in with a proper reply when I get the chance.
1). If you enjoyed RahXephon, what is it about this show that makes it stand out from other mecha shows? It has an amazing plot that spans twelve thousand years, a good knack for drip feeding plot details at just the right pace, diverse characters who are realistic and actually get development, great music, excellent pacing, strong production values (much of the best animation and art was in the final few episodes, unlike a certain other Anime I could name...), an epic ending and a touching central love story. The show assumes that the audience is smart and rewards those who pay attention. Some of the battles were, um, borrowed or ripped from Neon Genesis Evangelion, and I will admit that most are not as good as the NGE versions. But battles are not the point of RahXephon unlike in a lot of Mecha shows which exist to sell toys. RahXephon is more a Romance and Mystery show with Mecha in it than an actual Mecha show. At least the battles are more relevant to the plot than the ones in NGE. 2). Will my perception of the show change if I watch the show in its entirety? I've watched up to episode eleven, if this helps. I implore you to finish the show. And then a year or so down the track, after reading up on the various terms and references used or mentioned in the show, watch it again. This is definitely a show where you will simply not get everything in one go, and where a rewatch can open one's eyes as to how much attention to detail went in. Rewatching aside, it is a superb show first time through with a great ending. However, that said, if you are not into the show by episode eleven then you probably will not enjoy the rest. The tone of the show does not change all that much, so I'm afraid to say that whatever is not working for you now will (probably) not be working for you in the next fifteen episodes.
If you wouldn't mind, could you please tell me what precisely you don't find enjoyable? That will help in comparing notes. |
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GARlockSpiral
Posts: 24 |
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It's along the same lines asEva, only a lot of the pretentiousness of Eva is lacking in Rah. I'm a big fan of the aformentioned show, so, let's see
A: RahXephon may be a mecha show, but the main story lies in the cast and happenings. The RahXephon is just there to show the combat, unlike your average gundam series. B: Maybe, again, the thought i thought best of it was the story. I'd say watch it to the end simply to get through it. The last bits of the story are when the plot gets crazy. Also, episode 19. That is all. |
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LydiaDianne
 Posts: 5634 Location: Southern California |
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What GARlockSpiral said.
Plus for me, Ayato is not as big a whiney b**** as Shinji. Yeah, Ayato does whine and get mopey and depressed (and after Ep. 19, who wouldn't?). But, in the long run, Ayato puts on his Big Boy Pants and does what needs to be done. Sometimes you can't really put your finger on WHY you think a series is better than another...it just is. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 19136 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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For the record, this is hardly a universally agreed-upon statement. I would argue that RahXephon is even more deliberately pretentious. I will agree, though, that episode 19 shows the series at its very best. |
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vastoceans
 Posts: 107 |
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The biggest plus for me is that RahXephon is basically an epic and seemingly impossible love story at its core. I'm a sucker for romance and NGE is essentially void of it as far as I can see. Just like you can't exactly put your finger on why you're not feeling it, I can't even begin to fathom how you couldn't be rooting for Haruka and Ayato.
I wouldn't rate it a masterpiece or write home about it but it certainly holds its own against other titles. If you put too much thought into other peoples tastes you'll go nuts. I mean, hundreds of people voted School Days as Excellent/Masterpiece....why...? ser..iou..sl..y? ho....w....? *head explodes* |
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Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6921 Location: Kazune City |
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On my second viewing of RahXephon, I found it better not to think of it as a mecha show or a successor/whatever to NGE. Rather, I viewed it as a moe harem comedy with secondary mecha/war elements. So in that sense, it's more of a spiritual successor to the 1999 AIC anime, Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventures. Compared to other mecha shows, RahXephon has an outstanding cast of female characters, such as the moemoe adult child Haruka, tsundere little sister Megumi, emotionless innocent fanservice girl Quon, enigmatic Reika Mishima, and charmingly down-to-earth Hiroko Asahina. And true to harem lead traditions, Ayato displays indomitable indifference towards most of them until the end. And while the fanservice is fairly light compared to most other shows, few can match RahXephon's boldness in having two beach/swimsuit episodes in a row.
Will your perception change? Yes, I'd say it will, for better or for worse. While there is the episode Key cited as the best raw emotional moment in the series, the rest of the second half ramps up the (unintentional) comedy. With increasingly bizarre and illogical character actions and reactions, increased amounts of incomprehensible mythological babble, and one truly hilarious action scene, RahXephon remains a thrilling near-trainwreck all the way to the end. But at least the end is not inconclusive or disappointing, even if it might be a little too happy. |
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kyokun703
 Posts: 2505 Location: Orgrimmar |
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I agree with what others have said about RahXephon being a love story with mechas in it. Mechas are kinda the side thing. If it was a true mecha, I probably wouldn't've liked it as much as I did (a top 10 anime for me).
Also, if someone had called it a "moe harem comedy" like Zalis just did, I wouldn't've touched it with a ten foot pole. I can't tell if he's being facetious or serious. 
And yeah, ep. 19. |
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Kruszer
 Posts: 8015 Location: Minnesota, USA |
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I like it chiefly because I felt it is what Eva could have been but wasn't because of various issues. RahXephon is the basic concept done even better, less confusingly, more conclusively, with more modern animation, and a way cooler main character. In addition to that it's also a romance which is another plus in my book. Not that I didn't like NGE, I did, I just think it's over-rated and had problems which too many people tote as some kind of creative genius.
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 19136 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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How is the basic concept of the two really the same? That's a stretch. And I protest the "less confusingly" comment. Most of NGE made sense to me the first time around. (Admittedly, I had to watch the last two episodes a second time for them to sink in.) RahXephon didn't even come close - although part of the problem for me was that it got so ridiculously convoluted in the late stages that I stopped caring about trying to figure out. I will agree, though, that the series probably makes more sense overall if you look at it, first and foremost, as a love story. One other thing: I often hear comments from RX supporters something to the effect of it being more sophisticated than NGE. While I suppose I can see where people are coming from on that, if I accept that as true then this is one case where greater sophistication does not equate to being better. The raw aspect of NGE carried vastly more impact for me. Besides, I don't have a mad-on hate for Shinji; I think he's a vastly more interesting character than Ayato because he's vastly more original by anime standards and certainly more visceral. (How many people, if given the circumstances Shinji had at the age that he had them, can honestly say that they wouldn't act at least partly like he does?) Zalis116's suggestion now quite intrigues me. I'll have to remember that the next time I can kill time idly marathoning something. . . 
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Gina Szanboti
 Posts: 12733 |
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I've never understood the Shinji hate either, but it seems to come from the same place as Skywalker hate. I guess people want protagonists that behave more admirably than they themselves would in trying circumstances, or rather, who behave as they would like to think they would. When those characters instead flail as pathetically as ordinary people would, it's irritating to have that honest mirror held up when they're just looking for escapism. That's my theory. 
I think this is the most well-written provocateur post I've ever seen.
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Mr. sickVisionz
 Posts: 2187 |
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I thought it was pretty meh at first but that's because I heard it mentioned with Eva all the time. Once I got it into my head that everyone was wrong and that this is nothing like Eva and that I shouldn't expect anything that I liked about Eva to be present in RahX, I could enjoy it a lot more. I didn't think it was great when it was all said and done, but I thought it was a lot better than I originally did.
The only common things to me are nonsensical sci-fi trappings and a bunch of superficial stuff like both have boys, both have a lady who's close to the boy, and things that you could probably say are in any random movie or series that you pointed to. |
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LydiaDianne
Posts: 5634 Location: Southern California |
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You are probably quite right. I don't think that I would be brave enough to go up to some nutjob with a gun and hit him with my purse. I certainly would like to think that I would but I will NEVER know until it actually happens to me...which I sincerly hope it doesn't. But, why I think a lot of people like Ayato over Shinji, despite how similar they are, is that Ayato stops whining and bitching after a while. Ayato puts on his Big Boy Pants (as I said in my previous post) and takes care of things. He doesn't go insane (if I remember correctly). He takes care of business and fixes what needed to be fixed. |
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 19136 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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You're probably right about this. It's also probably the reason why you rarely see lead characters like Shinji. Normally they're villains or in supporting roles if they exist at all. |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 12733 |
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True. The thing is, both models are realistic. In extreme situations, some people eventually get a handle on things and move forward, and some never do. Wouldn't we all prefer to identify with the ones who can eventually muster their inner strength and cope? I'm afraid I'm the consistent whiner like Shinji, but it's nice to imagine being someone with more fortitude in adversity than that. (on the other hand, I have zero tolerance for screamers, which is why I could never get through Red Garden. Give me a whiner any day.)
Last edited by Gina Szanboti on Wed Dec 29, 2010 9:47 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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