Evangelion, RahXephon, Argento Soma, and Fafner - Aged Anime

Four Related Classic Mecha Anime

Neon Genesis Evangelion was the the first of a new generation of mecha anime that started in 1995 and ran until 2004. This generation of show had more angst, deeper stories, big super powered robots, and giant alien invaders.  The mecha shows RahXephon, Argento Soma and Fafner followed the path lead by Evangelion.  These are four giant robot anime that I watched in my early years as an anime fan and helped to cement my love for the genre.  Gundam is always in the background to these as its own juggernaut franchise, but these shows took a different fork in the road.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is considered a highly influential and important show in the mecha genre. It challenged the conventions of the genre and brought a psychological and introspective angle to the typical giant robot narrative.  Evangelion was released in 1995 and marked a turning point in the evolution of the mecha genre, inspiring many shows that followed in its footsteps.

RahXephon is considered a spiritual successor to Evangelion and takes many elements from the show, including its themes of identity and introspection, its musical elements, and its focus on relationships between characters.  RahXephon was released in 2002, several years after Evangelion and I remember there was even a controversy about it ripping off aspects of Evangelion.  I thought it was a good original show that had different robot designs, a whole musical / reality tuning element that didn't exist in Evangelion, and alien enemies that were nothing like Angels.   

Argento Soma is a lesser-known mecha series, but it still holds its own as a unique entry in the genre. It was released in 2000, several years after Evangelion, but before RahXephon.  It was an interesting story that was darker in tone than the others, but this show's characters and story failed to grip viewers.

Fafner is a successful show in the mecha genre, with its focus on character development and the psychological toll of war on the youngsters that have to pilot the Fafners.  It was released in 2004, several years after both Evangelion and RahXephon, and reflects the continued evolution of the mecha genre after Evangelion and RahXephon influential shows.

In terms of their temporal relationship to each other, Evangelion is considered a groundbreaking and highly influential show in the mecha genre, with RahXephon and Fafner being spiritual successors that build on its themes and elements. Argento Soma is also a product of this same era of the mecha genre, but is now largely forgotten.  These are also classics as they come from the hand drawn anime era or age of early CG.  These shows have alien invaders, world-wide conflict, a military organization to combat the invaders, reluctant protagonists, and pilots undergoing psychological stress, big mechs, coverups, and and underlying mystery to it all.

Neon Genesis Evangelion
Major characters: Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, Asuka Langley Soryu
Plot synopsis: The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity is threatened by creatures called Angels. Shinji, a teenage boy, is recruited by his father to pilot a giant bio-machine called Evangelion to fight the Angels and save humanity. As Shinji struggles with the burden of being an Eva pilot and the truth about his father, he also begins to uncover the hidden motivations and secrets of NERV, the organization in charge of the Evangelion program.

Argento Soma
Major characters: Takuto Kaneshiro, Soshi Komiyama, Ryogo Nagare
Plot synopsis: In the future, a mysterious life form known as the UNKNOWN threatens the existence of humanity. Takuto Kaneshiro survives a horrific lab explosion that was trying to create a construct called Frank from UNKNOWN parts.  He is recruited into an an anti-alien task force called FUNERAL under a new identity, to get his revenge on Frank.  As he works with FUNERAL fighting the aliens he meets a little girl that has a connection to Frank and begins to realize his vendetta is just the tip of a conspiracy iceberg.

RahXephon
Major characters: Ayato Kamina, Haruka Shitow, Reika Mishima
Plot synopsis: The series takes place on an Earth that is attacked by mysterious beings known as Mulians. Ayato Kamina, a high school student, discovers that he is the pilot of the RahXephon, a giant mecha that holds the key to humanity's survival. As Ayato uncovers the truth about his own identity and the true nature of the Mulians, he must decide where his loyalties lie and what he is willing to fight for.

Fafner
Major characters: Kazuki Makabe, Soshi Minashiro, Maya Yoshida
Plot synopsis: The story takes place in a near-future island microcosm of Japan, where humanity is threatened by mysterious beings known as Festum. Kazuki Makabe, a high school student, is recruited to pilot the Fafner, a giant mecha, to protect his town and fight the Festum. As Kazuki and the other pilots face the realities of war, they must also come to terms with their own feelings and beliefs about what it means to fight for their future.

If you haven't seen these shows, other than the ubiquitous Evangelion, you should try RahXephon first and then Fafner.  Argento Soma is going to be difficult to find, and it isn't all that memorable to me over the decades, but it is an interesting niche show spawned from the success of Evangelion.  RahXephon never went beyond its original series except with a move version which is nicely done but different from the series.  Fafner was running decades later with sequels and while it has never been one of my favourite shows, I do really like how the series starts. RahXephon has a very interesting premise and has remained one of my favourite mecha anime over time.

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