{"id":450,"date":"2006-04-16T01:40:18","date_gmt":"2006-04-15T15:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/batrock.net\/anime\/?p=450"},"modified":"2006-04-16T01:40:18","modified_gmt":"2006-04-15T15:40:18","slug":"anime-notebook-rahxephon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/batrock.net\/anime\/?p=450","title":{"rendered":"Anime Notebook: RahXephon"},"content":{"rendered":"

It appears that at least three people enjoyed my previous notebook effort<\/a>, so I shall make it a semi-weekly feature.
\nThis notebook apparently has, under City Hunter 2<\/I> episode 50: “Goodbye, Hardboiled City (part two)”, “He is skilled in panty warfare”. Fair enough. Context is nothing in the face of such a quote!<\/p>\n

This entry is slightly more serious than that; here I chronicle my experience with RahXephon<\/a><\/i>, which was really a jumble to my eyes. I’ve decided to put in every entry as this serves a more academic purpose than simply “laffs”. Which is not to say that you won’t find any humour beyond the pale … (if only because my normally impeccable punctuation gets kicked in the arse when I’m taking notes)<\/p>\n

Extreme RahXephon<\/i> spoilers ahead!<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

RahXephon<\/i> in notes<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Episode 1: Invasion of the Capital<\/b>
\nRockin’ score
\nToo shiny digital
\nNot to mention ugly mech.
\nVery careful composition
\nHisakawa Aya rockin’ out<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hisakawa Aya was already the series’ highlight for me at this early stage.<\/p>\n

Episode 2: God and Man Awaken<\/b>
\nHighly reminiscent of Argentosoma<\/i>.
\nAyato’s mother talks politically
\n^very clipped delivery
\nMan Mishima is totally fake[?]
\nEnglish is a dead language!
\nMan, so mysterious
\nShe walks on water!
\nI wish I could be surprised<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I actually cannot read what I wrote in that line about Mishima. The final word there could be really anything that starts with “fa”. And the last line clearly indicates I was already unimpressed at such an early stage.<\/p>\n

Episode 3: City of Two<\/b>
\nPretty freaky to find your mother can fly.
\nDid Ayato just kill someone?
\nThe score is great.
\nFood made by bones.
\nThe song is different each time!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I’d be freaked out if my<\/i> mother just started flying. The line about the food is because, when they were scavenging, Ayato and Haruka found BONES branded packages.
\nThe song refers to the ED being a cycle of different verses on that song.<\/p>\n

Episode 4: His own watch<\/u><\/b> – literal
\nNo OP in favour of recap
\nThe recap did a better job than the show.
\nWhat’s this Ollin nonsense?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The ironic mystic-babble begins! I think it’s quite sad that a brief two minute recap did a better job of telling RahXephon<\/I>‘s story than 75 minutes of RahXephon<\/I> had done.<\/p>\n

Ep 5: Nirai-Kanai<\/b>
\nPoor Haruka.
\nOpening with boob shot for intro.
\nThey admit psychic link?
\nFoot fetish?
\nBlue sakura story!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I have no idea what that is about the foot fetish. I was struck by the blue sakura story of this episode; it twisted the normal sakura story by making it symptomatic of the Mu.<\/p>\n

Episode 6: Obliterated Cities<\/b>
\nAyato no uniform.
\nWait, journalist with fan?
\nNo! Canberra!
\nThis show has a great sense of humour.
\n“She left part of herself behind!”
\nNo! Sydney!
\nPeople who say “we promised two weeks, not the rest of our lives” are bitches.
\nThe enemies are ugly, but efficient.
\nThe RahXephon being absorbed by blackness does not encourage me.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The introduction of the journalist! He simply wasn’t quite ridiculous enough; he clearly should have laughed coquettishly all the time. The “no!” in this episode is because I mourn every time part of Australia gets destroyed in anime.
\nThat said, one of the most hilarious moments in anime history is when Sydney gets destroyed in Bubblegum Crisis<\/i> episode six: an office lady is walking through the streets with a koala<\/i> on her shoulder. Then the city gets obliterated. But I digress.
\nKim’s parents’ death was met with no sympathy by her aunt and uncle, who refused to take her in. I thought that was really cruel of them.
\nThe “absorbed by blackness” bit was because I swore that I would try my darndest not to make comparisons to Evangelion<\/I>. It’s not my fault that Izubuchi inserted Evangelion<\/I> episode 16 into the end of RahXephon<\/i> episode six!<\/p>\n

Episode 7: Day of Assembly<\/b>
\nHey, ADV is doing the characters surname first
\nBut not the seiyuu.
\n“Hakujin”
\nAyato realises that people aren’t different.
\nDodgy long shot.
\nThe shoji metaphor.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Game metaphors; honestly I think I was just making very perfunctory observations here: the only one of note is that Ayato was beginning to get less painfully hostile.<\/p>\n

Episode 8: Bitterly Cold Holy Night<\/b>Surprised that they’d let him in.
\nNot very servicey beach.
\nWait, where did the snow come from?
\nAyato wearing a winter dress.
\nIf he “knew it” it suggests he’s using her.
\nVery good Christmas episode.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Normally I write down when new characters enter just so I can keep track of them, but I haven’t done so for this series. I think that this episode introduced Itsuki and his crazy-psycho-bitch assistant Sayoko, who Izubuchi desperately wanted me to feel for; I gave him no dice.<\/p>\n

Episode 9: Small Shrine of Memories<\/b>
\nBeach again already?
\nAyato is much nicer now.
\nMegumi will lose all relationships
\nMcMahon has boobs!
\nWater Reika!
\nRahXephon is female?
\nWhat is all this Ollin talk?!
\nThe spiriting!
\nFor days!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I think I was expecting a turning point at this part of the series; I also noticed that they had missed fan service opportunities the episode beforehand and were offering them now. And I was still confused by the mystic-babble. Not surprising, really, because the series did a poor job of attempting to explain it<\/p>\n

Episode 10: Sonata of Reminiscence<\/b>
\nFour months pass.
\nCrucifix – with Jesus<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Inspiration began to fail me at this point.<\/p>\n

Episode 11: Kyoja Circuit<\/b>
\nWhy were her boobs important?
\nAyato is “frustrated”
\nDolems as humanoid.
\nStage\/curtain metaphor.
\nKonaka wrote it! Figures.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

At this point in the series Izubuchi was trying to make up for the earlier episodes’ lack of service by making Ayato sexually frustrated. It’s easy to create service when you do “teenaged boy’s POV cam”. It’s a guilt free way of perversion.
\nAt this point the episodes began to get more oblique; it all came clear when I learned that Konaka Chiaki, lord of confusing scripts, came into play.<\/p>\n

Episode 12: The Black Egg<\/b>
\nMan, confusing territory.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Clearly I thought a lot of these events.<\/p>\n

Episode 13: Human Specimen 1<\/b>
\nService is Ayato view.
\nItsuki and Haruka were together!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ah, Itsuki; what an inconsistent bastard! Mysterious characters shouldn’t change their countenance rapidly simply so that a director may maintain their mystery.<\/p>\n

Episode 14: The Boy in the Mirror<\/b>
\nAyato’s blood ain’t blue.
\nIt acts on confusing names.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The mystic babble must have been really getting on my nerves.<\/p>\n

Episode 15: The Children’s Night<\/b>
\nHitting children makes them smarter.
\nYoung Helen is bitch[?]
\nIt’s like watching Not RahXephon<\/i>
\nThe butler is different design.
\nLimited use Dolems.
\nVery Production IG Style
\nStarring Nene!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I can’t read what I said about Helen. In this episode, which you may recall was the one that chronicled the shared childhoods of Itsuki, Helen and Isshiki, a guest designer was used and it felt more like The Big O<\/i> than it did RahXephon<\/i>.
\nIt’s part of the trend of using effed up pasts to tell a story. And the line “Starring Nene!” must mean that Hiramatsu Akiko was featured.<\/p>\n

Episode 16: Island of Others<\/b>
\nTriangle of interests
\nItsuki is suddenly sympathetic
\nI’m more than halfway through, but not engrossed.
\nRikudoh … Ayato’s grandfather?
\nItsuki Haruka pairing is good
\nDas ist turning point.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I was praying for RahXephon<\/I> to snag me, but it simply wasn’t near as enchanting as, say, Argentosoma<\/I>. The scale was too grand for me to really connect to it on any level; the turning point remark was me hoping that it would be an uphill slog from that point. You really would expect that a “return to the land of exile” would be a huge part of an anime’s story.<\/p>\n

Episode 17: Return to the Labyrinth<\/b>
\nHolding Quon is very familiar.
\nThey are actually sitting in hands.
\nMcBonaruds
\nThe other friend is a bitch.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I used to collect the names of the fake McDonalds featured in anime. By “the other friend”, I mean Mamoru.<\/p>\n

Episode 18: Bond of Blue Blood<\/b>
\nHis bastard friend is in on it?
\nIn a way, she’s a good mother
\nShe’s just a “nurture mother”
\nRahXephon acting as the turmoil in Ayato’s mind.
\nBlue blood nose Torigai!
\nThere is no biological link.
\nHow can you go 17 years without noticing your blood’s colour?
\nJoy of re-entry.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is where the broken Mamoru story began. I also appear to be saying that I liked the amount of care that Maya took of Ayato. Here you get the inkling that Ayato is actually a chosen one and not a human at all. You know, all of those revelations that would send any other 17 year old insane<\/i> due to the extent of “out there”ness.
\nI think the whole “everyone suddenly has blue blood” part was really<\/I> important.<\/p>\n

Episode 19: Blue Friend<\/b>
\nBlade Runner<\/i> architecture!
\nPropaganda announcements!
\nWhoo Report-san!
\nRosetta stones?
\nWall of flags.
\nAyato is not conditioned for hard labour.
\nWhat lame future mobiles.
\nHoly light.
\nThe Dolem is her, to no surprise.
\nThis Dolem was not attacking.
\nRealisation that each Dolem was a person.
\nBloody peeps.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This was supposed to be the saddest, most shocking episode of RahXephon<\/i>, but I couldn’t really feel it. When the series wasn’t making me wonder what the heck was going on, I was not surprised by anything. I really liked the propaganda reels that warned against the outside world, though; that was good stuff that actually gave an idea of society.<\/p>\n

Episode 20: The Artisan’s Battle<\/b>
\nThey’re back where they started.
\nReika! In uniform!
\nThis is messed up stuff.
\nWell, he wouldn’t know about Torigai … but please, be suspicious.
\nBlood can turn<\/u> blue?
\nThis Isshiki … bit of a bitch, eh?
\nAlpha Squadron’s going to die?
\nDidn’t he see the death connections?
\nMoron.
\nAnd Torigai will try killing Megumi.
\nOne sided personal.
\nTear drop means nothing.
\nPoor Donny.
\nWings behind Reika.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I can’t remember this episode well enough, but I think that I was angry at the characters for not noticing the “you’re going to die” symbolism that was thrown at them. I think that the Reika in uniform part of the story was one of the most messed up parts of RahXephon<\/i>, and I’m still not sure what they were trying to achieve with it.
\nThis is the point of the series where Terra was going to Hell and no one thought it weird that someone from Tokyo Jupiter turned up on Nirai-Kanai with no problems. I was beginning to realise that none of the developments had any impact because the script and direction telegraphed everything that was going to happen. I was finding it very difficult to care.<\/p>\n

Episode 21: Carved Seal of Xephon<\/b>
\nQuon and Maya – spirited fathers?
\nIsshika has such a fake smile.
\nIxtli must ay things on the edge of consciousness.
\nNiisan!
\nWait, records in 2028?
\nThey’re just throwing names!
\nMegumi, stop liking everyone!
\nPoor Megumi, being told wrong right away, then sympathising
\nPlease don’t have had sex.
\nFuture pocky!
\nMegumi pushes the limits.
\nThey do blush blue!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I remember wondering if the Mu blushed blue; it was quite gratifying to find that they did. Again I’m complain about meaningless Mayan terminology and also railing against the fact that Megumi was Izubuchi’s tool, less of a character than a way to get other characters to do the things that he wants them to do.<\/p>\n

Episode 22: Operation Jupiter Oblivion<\/b>
\nThere being an infant clone of herself running around …
\nKunugi and Ayato getting along
\nSeventeen is important.
\nSayoko is mad!
\nWhere is<\/u> Mamoru?
\nSouichi is so obviously sarcastic
\nQuon sure has been sexualised.
\nIxtli – the guise of the person your true heat desires.
\nNani?!
\nReika is a guidepost.
\nRahXephon’s hands … Reika’s hands?
\nIxtli in sexual throes.
\nThe painting was his “instrument”.
\nIxtli works in mysterious ways.
\nMan, now we’re confused.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Good old Sayoko. “Herself” in this instance refers to Helen, whose story turned out really freakishly. Look! The series here is imploding into a bunch of self importance, and forgetting what has happened to characters that it brought back for nefarious purposes several episodes previously.<\/p>\n

Episode 23: From Here to Eternity<\/b>
\nwtf
\nTheme of “protect them”.
\nWhere did the complete painting come from?
\n“Marriage can not survive the death of a child”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Why did I write down such a trite quote?<\/p>\n

Episode 24: Doorway to the Tuning<\/b>
\n“Within you” is lame.
\nSou-chan = dead.
\nGreat ED remix.
\nVermillions are organic.
\nGood animation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

More deaths; I honestly have no idea what I was talking about.<\/p>\n

Episode 25: God’s Uncertain Music<\/b>
\nTransformation very Rei like
\nEpisode 26 to be epilogue?
\nThis episode is called “Deus Ex Machina”
\nLook, it’s “internal king”
\nEveryone disintegrating!
\nThe rainbow removed all colour.
\nI mean, Elvey, come on.
\nIsshiki has a lot of ammo.
\nThat was actual Oz.
\nLots of deaths.
\nQuon is so naked.
\nI think I’ve turned on Konaka.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yes! My favourite part of RahXephon<\/i>: the part where it takes concepts from every SF anime ever and jams them in to make a conclusion. What a mess this is becoming.<\/p>\n

Episode 26: Far Beyond Eternity<\/b>Faulty DVD encoding.
\nNo OP = good.
\nThe wing background.
\nBloody Ninamori
\nProgrammed? Bloody hell.
\nThis is just fucked.
\nLook, it’s Mamo.
\nMichiru is everywhere.
\nBlue is everywhere!
\nRestoring colour to the world.
\nA space cross? Please.
\nReika was 14 year old Hikaru!
\nBECAUSE HER NAME CHANGED<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yes, despite all of the pastiches of everything in human history making RahXephon<\/i>‘s conclusion the single least original 50 minutes in all recorded history, both human and alien, I found the last minute of this 26 episode series highly gratifying.<\/p>\n

And that was the roller coaster ride of my notebook; I’m surprised how many memories of a show that I watched and didn’t overly like almost a year ago were stirred by its contents. I wanted to really<\/I> like it, but I couldn’t. It wasn’t bad anime, I suppose, but there is no way this was excellent stuff; it simply couldn’t deliver that which I expect in SF anime, and one thing I expect is to be grabbed like nothing else can grab me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It appears that at least three people enjoyed my previous notebook effort, so I shall make it a semi-weekly feature. This notebook apparently has, under City Hunter 2 episode 50: “Goodbye, Hardboiled City (part two)”, “He is skilled in panty warfare”. Fair enough. Context is nothing in the face of such a quote! This entry […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[133,95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-notes","category-rahxephon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/batrock.net\/anime\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/450","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/batrock.net\/anime\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/batrock.net\/anime\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/batrock.net\/anime\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/batrock.net\/anime\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=450"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/batrock.net\/anime\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/450\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/batrock.net\/anime\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/batrock.net\/anime\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/batrock.net\/anime\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}