Rahxephon - The Motion Picture + Series Box and Book

Starring:Chris Patton, Hiro Shimono, Aya Hisakawa, Monica Rial, Houko Kuwashima, Kira Vincent-Davis, Mandy Clark, Maaya Sakamoto, Ayako Kawasumi, Hilary Haag, Kevin Charles, Christopher Riley (II), Tiffany Terrell, Yumi Kakazu, Jessica Boone, Melissa Cybele Sparks, Cynthia Martinez (II), Patrick BÃ©thune, Mako HyÃ´dÃ´, Toshihiko Seki
Director: Yutaka Izubuchi
Studio: Adv Films
Product Type: DVD

Description

Return to the world of RahXephon, where humans and Mu fight for dominance over a shattered Earth, and giant statues are the ultimate weapons. Where music forms the fabric of the universe and the link between two hearts is the thread upon which the fate of humanity hangs. It is still a love story, but it is not the same story. Not exactly. Prepare for new visions and new revelations, as the other side of RahXephon is finally revealed. RahXephon was created and directed by Yutaka Izubuchi (Gasaraki, the Gundam franchise), and produced by Bones (Angelic Layer, Cowboy Bebop), Victor Entertainment (Noir) and Fuji TV (Astro Boy, Battle of the Planets). The RahXephon series debuted on Japanese TV in 2002 and became an immediate sensation, with fierce action and the multilayered complexity of the plot and characters drawing in viewers by the tens of thousands. RahXephon: The Motion Picture is a DVD-only release, containing a 120-minute feature in both English 5.1 and Japanese 5.1 language versions with English subtitles. Extras includes an 10-page RahXephon booklet and ADV previews. RahXephon: The Motion Picture also is available as a Collector's Edition which includes a beautifully durable custom series art box sized to fit the TV series (Volumes 1-7) and the movie, plus a 52-page booklet.

Customer Reviews:

Speechless.......2005-11-22

How come people are hatin' on the movie?! The movie answers a whole lot of questions! I saw the Rahxephon movie before I saw the series, and it didn't make any sense to me at first, but then I realized (I'm a dunce...so I didn't pay any attention to what I was watching) "This is only the other half of the show...Why is there a movie and I don't even know the show..." So I watched the movie all over again(^_^ Good thing I had the movie for free on demand) and I pieced some bits together without seeing the show..."So Ayato is the person who is supposed to tune the world to what its supposed to be...and that lady is his friend" (I almost spoiled it...but then again...only an idiot would watch the movie first the the show...making me an idiot...)"And Quan is also like Ayato...OHHHHH!...And his mom..." And now I'm just watching the show(starting from episode 18...like an idiot...but I'm a researcher of sorts...so i know the whole series like the back of my hand...almost) on g4 tv...where I saw lain...from episode 11...which made me really confused...cause I bought the DVDs of it and it made no sense...at all...like FLCL...or...Excel Saga...but I recommend this movie to new comers(since I'm a new comer/old fan of it...) and already fans of it! ^_^

The Parts Are Sometimes Better Than The Whole.......2004-11-12

There seems to be quite a difference of opinion on the two-hour feature film based on the RahXephon series. I find my impressions are mixed, but that overall the film provides a different angle on the original story. One that touches more on emotional factors, and ekes out several things that are easy to miss in the series.

The plot, for those who haven't seen the series, is the tale of Ayato Kamina, who is caught in Tokyo during an alien invasion. The city is separated from the rest of the world, and the human inhabitants are convinced that they are the only survivors. When Ayato reaches the age of 17, a sudden meeting with a secret agent (Haruka Shitow) turns his world upside down. He discovers the truth and finds that he is connected with a giant robotic creature called the RahXephon.

He leaves Tokyo to aid humanity in stopping the aliens (Mu). Ayato is an instrumentalist, half human half Mulan, and badly torn over the path he should follow and his true nature. He is haunted by an old relationship and faces a complicated, metaphysical crisis or two.

What I especially liked -

The story isn't exactly different, but it focuses much better on the abridged romance between Haruka and Ayato. In the series, which has time to develop the detailed characters better, let time is spent on this theme. There are hints along the way, but only at the end does it achieve prominence. In the film Ayato's female relationships are the key element. This clarifies some of the confusion of the series.

One the other hand -

Either there was a very poor transfer or the film was made with sloppier artwork. Nor is the music of the same quality. Character development is seriously abridged, as is often the case in a feature length version. There are several cases, though, where it would have been better to leave out a character entirely. And poor Quon Kisaragi is barely a shadow of her series self, which is a shame. And finally there are some monologues which try to be lectures on the theory behind the action. These border on the tedious.

Since you aren't going to buy this package unless you intend to or already own the series, you will be pleased with the entire Rahxephon experience whether you like the film or not this won't be a disappointment. Collectors, after all, are happiest when they are collecting.

Appreciation.......2004-10-21

I must admit when I watched the RahXephon series I only caught it from like the last 15 episodes and truly didn't understand what the hell I was watching; yet I knew liked it for some reason. If you're the same then you have to see this movie. Some say this movie won't really bring any closure to the series or explain what's really going on, but that doesn't matter. The whole point of this movie is to truly help you develop greater appreciation for an excellent love story. After watching it you could understand the story a bit more though you really notice the relationships and feelings of the characters more in depth. The movie kept all the important scenes that portrayed that concept. The whole story with the Mu invasion, the Xephons, the instrumentalist, and the tuning of the whole world, (sorry to those if I may have given too much away), only work as a back drop to better express this scenario. There are people torn between their feeling for one person and another. In a sense all the turmoil seems to help emphasize this, and only when they all become true to their emotions does everything become tranquil you can say. So check this movie out if you're still lost about the reason for why RahXephon is about all this crap. The only way to find closure to a story is to read it from the beginning. Even if the stories condensed a little, well that's just my opinion. I give it 4 stars.

Got me hooked........2004-10-11

I like anime, but I'm very picky. I really liked the Lain series because it had me thinking, constantly. I liked Ghost in the Shell, because it made me reflect on the direction we are taking our society. I'm not an otaku, or whatever they call those crazy fanboys. Most anime fails my test. But not Rahxephon, and although it didn't make me contemplate things in the same ways as Lain, or define anime the way Ghost in the Shell did, I still fell in love with it immediatly.

I watched the movie twice in a two day period, because towards the end I became distracted and couldn't figure out exactly what was going on. If you can pay constant attention to the movie, it's wonderful. Bits and pieces of the puzzle are constantly revealed to you for you to put together to figure out the entire mystery of what is going on. Some people have complained about this. But I feel it really gives you the oppurtunity to be placed in Kamina's shoes, and experience what he is experiencing. As the truth of his world is revealed to him, it is revealed to you, too.

And who doesn't love giant, powerful robots? Giant powerful alien robots? That can destroy everything. The movie lacks a little in this department, and could have benefited from better fight scenes, but there's a lot to compact in 2 hours (it comes from a 13 hour series, I've found out) and the fight scenes they supply are somewhat adequate.

Then there's the love story. I wish I could spoil it for you, but I won't. I'll just say my heart was on a roller coaster ride throughout the movie. One moment, joy and warmth, the next moment, cold sadness.

The art style was amazing, as well. Most anime is generic, or gritty. Not Rahxephon. Its art style is amazing and more production studios should strive for this level of quality. If we compare anime to comic books, most anime is like your regular comic book and printed on that recycled paper junk. Rahxephon is that special edition issue where they print it on glossy paper and it looks a million times better.

The movie got me interested in picking up the series and really getting to immerse myself in the world of Kamina and the Rahxephon. Hopefully I can find it at an affordable price (amazon doesn't seem to carry the series!!)
If you're an anime snob, too, then you should dig rahxephon. The only people who dislike it are fanboy's gone bitter because they wasted so much time on subpar anime that their gpa suffered ;)
Stick to the good stuff. Add rahxephon to your collection.

Anime for the Ages............2004-10-02

Ok, Whats going on with all the negative reviews of this movie? The series was great and I think the movie, though it was a little bit different view interpritation on the story line from the series, is just as good as the series. I don't think alot of people truly understood the series and probably would not have as great of appricitation for this movie as other might. However if you were a fan of the 30 some episide long series, than the RahXephon movie (which runs alittle over 2 hours) is a must see. If you have not seen the series yet, it might be better to try to watch the it first and keep an open mind. Though the similarities to series such as Evangellian are there, RahXephon is truly in a league of it's own and should not be compared to past anime series!! Just watch RahXephon and experience one of the best anime story lines ever to be written....

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