Customer Reviews

RahXephon Bible

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rahxephon, a series that is constantly being compared to Evangelion rather unfairly, boasts strong characters, wonderful artwork and an intriguing, if not easily grasped plot. Even by the penultimate volume the series plays its cards close to its chest, revealing little of the grand scheme of things until the end. This level of mystery is a hallmark of this style of science fiction, and while a lot of people find it fun, some will no doubt find it frustrating.

Enter, the Rahxephon Bible, a book any fan of the series should seriously consider buying. It serves two purposes, as a gallery for the series' wonderful art, and as a guide to several of the plot details. What is odd is that the plot guide (Or more accurately "Mysteries" guide) stops at the 15th episode. So those looking to find an overview of the entire series won't find it here, there are no views presented of the end. So perhaps that is a good thing for those who haven't seen the entire series but still want to get their hands on some Rahxephon merchandise, but as it has many spoilers up to and including episode 15, I would recommend it for people at least halfway through the series, as half the fun of the show is seeing the great plot twists develop.

This book reads from right to left like a Japanese book would and the entire volume is full color with illustrations on every page. The pages are glossy and thick, and the book is sturdy. The first few pages are full page illustrations, wonderful paintings that are very well printed. Then there is a graph of the many character interactions, and following that is a substantial informative essay on the world of Rahxephon, exploring the background of the world's various aspects and even offering up some scientific explorations. After that is an episode-by-episode guide to all the very minor clues littered through the series, offering insight on things like offhand comments or visual elements that have a deeper meaning. This section is very informative, even to someone like me who had viewed most of the episodes several times. Following that is a guide and picture gallery for each of the characters, with a short biography, another area where the art really shines. Then a guide to the technology of the series, like the mechas, and finally a lot of interesting information on the talent behind the series.

Overall, this book is a great complement to the series, and while it may not cover absolutely everything a die-hard fan would want, it more than satisfies. Well worth it.

The art of RahXephon, if anyone has seen the series, is obviously top notch. And it is distilled and published here. For anyone who loves the art in the series, this book is perfect. They display characters, colors, backgrounds and props with some description.

For those who couldn't make it through the less then adequate story and writing of the series, this book is ALL you need. I sat through the anime knowing I would treasure the book far after the DVDs had collected a thick layer of dust.

The RahXephon Bible is essentially a guide to the complex world of the anime. It is nicely illustrated and gives valuable insights, pointing out some things most viewers wouldn't even notice watching the show. However, the book only covers the first half of the series, so does not offer any information from the last episodes. I recommend the RahXephon Bible highly for what it is, but caution potential buyers what it is not; if you want a guide to the second half of the series, this isn't it.

I bought this hoping to answer some questions on this amazingly complex series. Well, it only covered the first 15 episodes. So, I did not have any of my questions answered. Bumper! On the plus side, it did have some nifty illustrations, and it did summarized the plot up to episode 15.

Now I probably have to buy that movie that comes with that box and 52-page booklet. I think that that booklet may have the information I needed.