RahXephon Recommended

Publisher
ADV
Director
Yutaka Izubuchi
Production
BONES, Fuji TV, Project Rahxephon
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Year
2001

RahXephon Orchestration 4: Dissonance

By John Huxley
21st May 04

RahXephon takes great pleasure in feeding you tidbits of information; enough to keep interest levels high, yet not enough to really satisfy your curiosity. Characters will end sentences abruptly, omitting the single pivotal word that will help clarify the situation, or they'll relay information that is meaningless at the current time and only serves to confuse matters.

This may read like it's an unbearable determent to the series, but that couldn't be further from the truth. As the first episode on this disc illustrates perfectly, this method of storytelling gives RahXephon much of its impetus. Through a series of underhand dealings between some of the more nefarious characters, we're led to believe that some important piece of information regarding the recently hospitalised Quon has been leaked from Terra HQ. We're never told the details of this mysterious document or its significance, we simply see the expression of shock upon the characters who are fortunate enough to read it. Eagle-eyed viewers will probably be able to piece the puzzle together before the solution is presented in a more soluble form, but the less attentive among us will just have to wait. To its credit, RahXephon is not anime by numbers, it refuses to cater for the lowest common dominator.

That's not to suggest that RahXephon never aims to please its audience, however. The second episode, which sees the introduction of brand new mech to fight alongside the RahXephon, should be a welcome surprise for those fans expecting a little more action than we've been exposed to in recent episodes (most fights have lasted no longer than a few minutes). Somewhat conveniently, an enemy Dolem appears on the scene - the perfect testing ground for the new Vermillion mech, under the control of none other than pilot-extraordinare Elvy. The ensuing battle is nicely animated and lasts a good portion of the episode, taking an unexpected turn when Ayato and the RahXephon arrive on the scene to steal the show. This fight is lent a little extra spice when a minor revelation sparks an unexpected rivalry between Elvy and Ayato which is imprudently taken to the battlefield. It remains to be seen if the introduction of the Vermillion mecha is a worthy inclusion or little more than a marketing gimmick (the Dolems don't make very saleable toys), but the early signs are positive.

This second episode also introduces a new character, who we briefly met towards the end of the last volume. She's connected to the mysterious organisation called the Bahbem (there's an umlaut in there somewhere) Foundation who fund Terra's defence operations and already have several operatives installed within the Terra HQ. The character's name is Helena, a blonde, blue-eyed woman with a refined fashion sense and a superior attitude to match. She's not particularly likeable nor particularly liked amongst the Terra staff, so her appearance makes for some potentially interesting developments.

Helena's relation to the story and the cast is put into perspective during the third episode, which takes place almost exclusively in the Bahbem Foundation's mansion, some 10-20 years before our story begins. Here we meet a young Helena, Isshiki (the creepy grey-haired guy with shades that's been sulking around Terra HQ for some time now) and Kisaragi (the doctor who takes care his 'sister' Quon). They're under tutorage from a young man who looks remarkably like an adult Isshiki (minus the stylish rounded shades), learning the art of the Instrumentalist, the power to control the mysterious technology behind the RahXephon and the Dolems. Their story is remarkably well animated and beautifully realised with intelligent and effective use of CGI enhancements that reminded me of the show's unparalleled beginnings, a quality that has been sadly absent from recent episodes. It also plays host to the most coherent, consistently enjoyable story to date, with plenty of invaluable background information that should help piece together a few more pieces of the puzzle. The relationship between several key characters has certainly been clarified after watching this episode, as has the structure and hierarchy of the various organisations involved.

The final episode on this disc (the tally has risen to a more respectable four), which returns to a more familiar time line, doesn't slow the pace. While Megumi is preparing for her test to become a fully-fledged member of Terra, plans are made for Quon to shipped to the Bahbem Foundation's mansion and Ayato is becoming increasingly paranoid and confused as he beings to distrust those he considers to be his friends. It's all plenty dramatic, with tears and anguish left, right and centre. The cliffhanger ending leaves the prospect of a return to Tokyo Jupiter a real possibility, while the hint of more revelations to come whets the appetite.

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English 5.1 audio, Japanese 2.0 audio, English subtitles, production sketches, clean open/close, interview with English cast II

Release information: UK release date: 20th October 2003, ADV

Notes: This time around, the most notable extra is the second instalment of interviews with the English cast of the show. Although I hate to criticise what is essentially a complete freebie, it must be said that this feature is overly long (being as it is a good 40 minutes or so) and mostly unrelated to the show. Still, it's not exactly detrimental and nobody's forcing you to sit through the whole thing. Thankfully that gorgeous booklet makes it's triumphant return with yet more character profiles, colour artwork and interviews with cast and crew. If you're anything like me, you'll probably intend to watch the show, only to find yourself embroiled in this fantastic little extra.

-- John Huxley 21st May 04

RahXephon Images