Rahxephon, Vol. 1

Much like it's animated counterpart, RahXephon is a excellent example of Japanese storytelling and will appeal to any sci-fi or romance fan. Although the two mediums share the same name, the manga does not follow the exact same story as the animated series. Not only is the storyline a little different but personalities of all the characters have changed, some for the better and some for the worse. Unfortunately this manga series is only three volumes long so whether you love the new style of the story or not, you will only have a coupe hundred pages to read. Because this is a condensed retelling of a 26 episode show not all the characters from the anime play a big part in the manga. The story in the manga really only involves the core story elements; the RahXephon, The Mu, Ayato our main protagonist, and the women he falls in love with and love him. Ah the women....since this is a Japanese magna made for young adults (16+) you will find a certain amount of fan service in this title, especially in this first volume. Rather than seem totally out of place, the fan service acts as a reminder that this is just a normal teenager thrust into extraordinary circumstances. The eye candy also serves as a nice break in the story when it becomes a little tense or serious, and the story does get very emotional and compelling. All of this is told in three volumes filled with some of the best artwork I have seen in a manga title. The art style is very typical of modern day manga but the quality is outstanding and the quality never falters. Bottom line? If you love the animated series, you will also love the magna. As a fan of the series I found the new little insights about the main story line to be absolutely captivating and although its just a condensed retelling of the anime, it is still exciting and fresh to read. A fine read and easily worth your $10 ($30 for all 3 books). My grade is 5/5