RahXephon

I can't believe I actually watched all 26 episodes. But I did it so you don't have to. The cringe attempt to copycat everything NGE was, was a mistake. The "story" of RahXephon is virtually impossible to follow (Steins;Gate is more clear), and the plot is so complicated I began to suspect they were just throwing things in as they went and it got boring. The main characters are absolutely bland, I wasn't invested in any of them, therefore I honestly didn't care what happened to them. I was relieved when it was over. If you love NGE avoid this at all costs. If you like good anime, do yourself a favor and skip this one, because it's not.

Defined as : attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed. Sums this series up pretty well.

OK, I have just finished watching RahXephon and I mean it when I say that RahXephon is a show that should not be missed by anybody who's a mecha fan, a drama type fan or an anime fan in general cause the show is just that good. The story is such an incredibly detailed story, every character is likable and has a story to tell, the art is fantastic and the animation for a lot of the battle sequences are great also. The music is wonderful and addictive and I have both the opening and closing themes. The extras on the all seven volumes are really detailed with interviews with a lot of the English and Japanese cast. Lots of production sketches that are great and a nice music video as well. A lot of fans will say that RahXephon is similar to Evangelion, in a way its similar but its a lot more of a joyful series than Evangelion, I mean Evangelion is like the black series while RahXephon is the white series. Well thats the best way I can compare it. At this point cause no doubt I will have to watch the series again to fully understand the series cause it is mind boggling like Evangelion accept no religious questions thank goodness but still I would love to watch it again.

So right now I give it a 9 out of 10 but who knows it could be the only series that I own to get a 10 out of 10 and I find it very hard to give something that but RahXephon is very close.

I'm not going to give anything away nor try to even explain the plot. Believe me, just watch it! It is somewhat like the Evangelion series and made by ADV; it's got the whole Mecha thing going and has shown a lot of depth like Evangelion. The character design isn't bad. It's just beautifully done. Again, just watch it and don't miss out!

'RahXephon' is an engaging, stunningly crafted series, possessed of an emotional depth rarely seen in animation, Japanese or otherwise. Critics often compare 'RahXephon' to 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', even accuse Bones of plagiarizing Gainax's intellectual property, but this is both inaccurate and unfair; while the broad strokes of premise and plot are similar, the two shows are wildly different. At its core, 'Evangelion' was an action series with elements of psychological drama, collapsing into a confused muddle of arcane symbolism and overcomplicated plot twists. 'Eva' was entertaining, even enthralling, despite its flaws, but 'RahXephon' leaves it in the dust.

'RahXephon''s biggest advantage over its contemporaries is its character development. Virtually everyone who appears on screen is given a complex set of motivations and a significant amount of personal depth, and it is in watching these well-developed characters interact that the series' biggest is found. Personal conflicts--between Matoko and Kisaragi Itsuki, between Haruka and Megumi, between Ayato and, well, everybody--are given an emotional weight that invests these situations with a real feeling of tension, as well as sympathy for one, if not both, of the characters involved.

As intricate as the writing is, it would not be half as convincing without the stunning animation throughout the series. The animators imbued every person on screen with a personality displaying in their very appearance, and allowed subtle changes in facial expression and body language to speak as much as the dialogue. There is a shot in a latter episode of the expression on Haruka's face changing so subtly, in tiny movements of her eyebrows and lips, that one doesn't even notice until it's almost complete. The attention to detail is awe-inspiring.

As the series builds towards its thrilling climax, the emotional stakes rise higher, and the characters' situations become increasingly desperate, the show violently plays on the viewers' emotions-impressively enough, -without- being blatantly manipulative. I was lucky enough to watch a bootleg of the entire series in two sittings; I cannot imagine the torture of having to wait a week between instalments.

There are so many elements, so many fine details in 'RahXephon' that are beyond the scope of this review to explain. Whether or not you are an anime fan, whether or not you care for -any- form of animation, you absolutely -must- watch this series. It could change your view of the art form forever.