Cheap RahXephon - Threshold (Vol. 1) - With Series Box and T-Shirt (DVD) (Yutaka Izubuchi) Price

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Customer Reviews of RahXephon - Threshold (Vol. 1) - With Series Box and T-Shirt

Ayato Kamina's mundane life comes to a shattering halt during an attack on Tokyo by "invaders." Ayato rushes from his friends and the subway wreck they are in to find help, instead separately meeting two women who will put his ideas of "reality" to the test. Soon, he finds out that he has been actually living in a enclosed space on Earth called Tokyo-Jupiter, ruled by an invading species of Murians, where time passes at a slower rate. The outside world, some 13 years ahead in time, has been trying to recover Tokyo-Jupiter and its oblivious inhabitants. Ayato, who is the only one able to pilot a giant robot--which battles with a variety of weapons, and uniquely with sound--called RahXephon, seems the outside Earth's only hope.

The beginning parts of the series move with a medium-pace, despite the giant robot battles and the numerous realizations Ayato begins to reach. They aren't as fast as they should be, but each episode is crucial to the series. Things pick up just after the 15th episode, when Ayato makes a return to Tokyo-Jupiter. The series shifts into overdrive at this point, with battles, revelations and emotions all running high and fast. Unlike Evangelion, however, RahXephon does provide the viewer with a sense of closure.

Whether you like the art or not is subjective; it falls exactly between the clean, flat, thick-lines of Gasaraki and the detailed, liney art of Evangelion. The CG effects are some of the best in anime, not for how spectacular they are, but how well they blend in with the regular art (it's extremely difficult to tell which is which). The music is predictable in most places (battle scenes, somber, sadder scenes) but also throws in some stranger selections (i.e. a techno beat, off beat to a chase sequence) that are slightly off, but create a good effect.

This is definitely a three-watcher: watch once to get acquainted, twice to understand, and three times for a fully enjoyable viewing effect. The characters (other than Ayato) are all well-developed, and explored. Each shares some significant role within the series, with many strange connections and relationships unknown to most of the characters. The series doesn't quite go as deep as Evangelion, the fault of its broader focus. The series covers racism or speciesism, identity, human relationships, and the all-important factors of sound and time.

RahXephon will live up to all your anime and giant robot expectations, with a superior storyline, and original ideas. Highly-recommended.

One of the best anime series in recent memory
It's been a while since I've seen an anime whit as much depth as RahXephon. Although many people have compared it to Neon Genesis Evangelion this is really not a correct comparison. Although they share similar themes their stories and the way the plot unfolds are total different. While in Neon Genesis Evangelion the anime revolves around the mecha and the pilot's reaction to them and through them, in RahXephon the mecha is just a means to an end. The story is more about the main character, Ayato Kamina come to terms whit him self and the two worlds he is a part of. In Evangrlion the story was forced on the characters. In RahXephon the characters actions force the plot. There is no predicted dooms day approaching and there is never any feeling that he is the only hope for mankind. He is just a kid whit a talent and the world will not end just because something happens to him. This allows for a more realistic character that's easy to relate to.

The Artwork and CG is some of the best that I have seen in anime. They blended the two together so well that in many scenes it becomes hard to tell what is CG and what is drawn. The music very well done, it is predictable enough that it easily brings out the proper emotion for the scene but also surprising and strong enough to be remarkable and memorable.

Rubbish
What a complete and utter pile of crap. I cannot believe people are praising this anime. It is so unoriginal it makes me want to spew. I didn't pick up one thing that wasn't borrowed from Neon Genesis Evangelion and I don't know how the director can live with himself. If you're the type thats into pretty looking anime then sure, watch it. But if you have respect for anime, do yourself a favour and watch NGE instead.