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R2 DVD Reviews
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Written by maehara
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Monday, 29 September 2008 16:00 |
 More existential angst from Ayato as he grapples with who & what he is, and more details about the inner workings of the mysterious Bahbem Foundation, who I somehow doubt have humanity's best interests at heart. It can only be another volume of RahXephon...
13 - Human Specimen 1 -Sleeping Beauty-
Itsuki's been trying his best to keep Quon to himself, feeling that it's the safest place for her, but the Bahbem Foundation has found out that her abilities are on the verge of awakening and arranges to have her transferred to their care. Haruka, meanwhile, has been doing some digging into Quon's past, and has uncovered some useful information about both her & Ayato, while a Dolem in orbit has an effect that only Ayato and Quon can hear...
14 - The Boy in the Mirror -Time After Time-
The Bahbem Foundation's latest 'gift' for Terra has arrived - the Vermillion, a combat mech with capabilities approaching those of the RahXephon. With their new weapon, some of Terra's combat pilots are becoming a bit on the arrogant side now that they've reduced their reliance on Ayato. There's also some animosity when it's accidentally revealed that Ayato may be a Mulian - something he himself didn't seem to know - while Futagami again feeds some surprising information to Haruka...
15 - The Children's Night -Childhood's End-
A trip back into the past for a look at the relationship between Makoto, Helena & Itsuki. Each brought up by the Bahbem Foundation as potential Instrumentalists, their somewhat dysfunctional relationship when they were children sets the groundwork for how they interact now. As children, Makoto was alwas seen as inferior to Helena, lacking the abilities she had that seemed set to make her an ideal Instrumentalist. When Makoto discovers a half-grown Dolem beneath the Foundation's mansion, he decides to nurse it back to health before releasing it - it's something he can work on and use to prove himself. Thanks to Helena, however, things don't go entirely to plan...
16 - The Moon Princess
Ayato's having problems dealing with the revelation that he may not be entirely human - the discovery has left him in a deep depression, and nothing anyone else does seems able to lighten his mood. He also feels he's being called back to Tokyo - a call that Quon is also feeling, from her new home with the Bahbem Foundation. Meanwhile, Megumi's finally lost her Trainee armband & is planning to celebrate by confessing her feelings to the one she loves, until she finds out that her best friend has already beaten her to it, while Haruka confronts her grandfather about past events kept hidden...
When I first reviewed this volume of RahXephon, the strangest thing about this disc was that, while I definitely enjoyed watching it, I could remember next to nothing about it after I'd finished (other than the Childhood's End episode, which is probably the highlight of the disc). I had to spend time going back over the episodes before I could write the review - the series seemed to be getting tied down a bit too much in the minutae of the main characters' personality flaws to keep my attention at anything more than a superficial level. This time around, I came prepared, and with nothing to distract me was able to give my full attention to the four episodes here. Perhaps surprisingly, it worked.
Seeing the full detail of the story across these episodes brings a thought to mind that some would consider heretical: for this arc of the series, Bahbem Foundation = SEELE. TERRA = NERV. Fill in the other comparisions yourself - but for as much as many RahXephon fans vehemently deny it, it's at this stage of the story that the influence that Evangelion has on the show - and it's never been hidden - becomes most apparent. RahXephon/Eva01 must deal with a Dolem/Angel in orbit, and uses a giant arrow/spear to shoot it down. Influence? Oh yes. But don't misunderstand me - it's not a bad thing. RahXephon is incorporating some of Evangelion's better aspects, and the series is all the stronger for it.
It's also a disc where the revelations come thick and fast, if you're paying attention (and maybe benefitting from a little bit of hindsight). Ayato's tangled family tree is looked at in episode 14; Futugami's skill at uncovering uncomfortable truths is a running thread, as is his habit of feeding that information to those who he thinks can make best use of it. Away from the main story, there's personal betrayal to deal with on several levels, and hopes raised and dashed along the way. As the disc ends, we have Ayato making a major decision - one that he knows he may not be able to go back on - that throws a number of issues wide open and just leaves you wondering why there couldn't be another episode right now. And that's just what you want from any series - hooked.
So yes, this is another very enjoyable volume, one that you can just immerse yourself into and emerge from four episodes later, wondering where the time went. On first viewing, it may be a little confusing - a second viewing, and it all just clicks into place in the most satisfying way. Hugely impressive, and leaving the story poised almost perfectly. Absolutely worth picking up.
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