RahXephon Vol. 5: Synaesthesia 2001 ADV Films Official US Website Buy It Now Official Japanese Website

Our past couple of months off, due to a few circumstances that were a bit
beyond control, put us a bit behind on a few series. Most of you already know
that I've been highly supportive of RahXephon since it began getting released
in the United States, although that was also the case even before the first
volume came out. I had the option to jump ahead to volume six, but being the
fan boy that I am, I decided that I should go back, purchase the fifth volume
myself, and take it from there. The point here is that when it comes to
RahXephon, there's neither a reason nor an excuse to miss a single volume, and
all that is due mainly to stories sake. While things have been getting more
intense as the series has progressed, and often times a bit confusing, the
fifth volume, "Synaethesia," is one brings in a few more interesting elements,
as well as some revelations that must be seen.

The last episode on the fourth volume left us hanging as Ayato and Quon has
taken the RahXephon, deciding to return to Tokyo Jupiter to get to the real
heart of the situation. Ayato of course has finally discovered that he's not
human like he had always believed, but instead is Mulian, and returning to
Tokyo may very well answer a few questions. Quon also happens to be Mulian, and has long had an attraction and desire to return. But now that they've taken
TERRA's one hope in defeating the Dolem's, as well as the Mulina forces, Ayato
has become a wanted man, and Elvy takes the Vermillion in after him, with
another passenger on board.

There are quite a few things here that on one side, we all should have seen
coming, but then again, they are slightly surprising. We've seen the background
of Ayato's mother, at least in part, but it seems that her role in the grand
scheme of things is much bigger than we had ever assumed, and in fact, she's
not even his mother at all, and has been working with the Mulians, and may also
be much higher in the chain of command that what anyone would have thought.
Ayato's close friends from Tokyo Jupiter also aren't what they seemed. Mamoru
is yet another government agent while Hiroko discovers that she's not human at
all, and the discovering is a bit traumatic for her.

In terms of the overall story, these three episodes are a lot to take in at one
time, but extremely well done. Thought RahXephon is a mecha series, the
tendency to forget about all of that and just focus on the characters is
something that is done in grand form, and the portrayals often result in
occasionally forgetting all together that this is supposed to be a science
fiction series. Everything has been taken up a notch, and while Ayato may have
been able to trust the members of TERRA in the past, now it seems that there
really may be no one that he can trust at all. We even get more information on
just how in tune the RahXephon itself and Ayato are, and though we've often had
the impression that as an instrumentalist, he still hasn't reached his full
potential, it's becoming clearer that when he reaches his peak, the results may
be more than devastating for whatever side he finally decides is his
opposition.

The sheer gravity of the episodes makes up for what is a rather sad collection
of extras. Thought there is a clean version of both the open and the end, and I
can still watch the opening countless times and never get board of it, a few of
the other things aren't quite what I had hoped they would be. There's a look at
the original Japanese covers for the RahXephon releases, and this is one of the
few times where I actually like the US versions better. The Japanese versions
don't really have quite the impact or eye-catching appeal that ADV's covers
have had. And while I always enjoy seeing interviews with the original Japanese
cast or staff, the interview on the disc with Hiroki Kanno, one of RahXephons
animators actually is a little slow moving, and actually boring at times. There
are some good interviews however included in the enclosed book, and to date,
all of these have been fantastic.

This disc is again, the definitive proof that RahXephon is on the same level of
episodic drama, complete with that "cannot miss attitude," that something such
as Fox's 24 would have. Sure, RahXephon may not be in real time, but that
really doesn't matter. I still go with the belief that it's going to be quite a
while before another mecha series of this magnitude comes along. This is the
perfect blend of science fiction, intrigue, and dramatic action that fans
crave, and a single episode should not be missed.

Episode 17 - Return to the Labyrinth

TERRA sends Elvy to catch Ayato and Quon, as well as bring back the RahXephon, their best defense against the Mulian invasion. Though returning to Tokyo Jupiter may have seemed like a fantastic idea, Ayato quickly learns that much has changed, including many of the more simple things in his former life.

Episode 18 - The Bond of Blue Blood

Ayato's life is falling apart. His mother isn't who she seems to be, his
friends seem to have been sent to spy on him, and Tokyo Jupiter has an even
greater Mu presence than when he left. It seems that his only salvation is with
Hiroko, and together the two decide to leave the Mu infested Tokyo and return
to the safety of the real world.

Episode 19 - Blue Friend

Now that he's left Tokyo Jupiter, Ayato seems to only have one person he can
rely on, and that's himself. He can't return to TERRA, and he and Hiroko try
and simply blend in with the rest of the world. However, little do the two know
that TERRA already knows he's back, and they are looking for him. And, another
Dolem attack reveals something shocking about their relationship with the
Mulians.

-mike-