Released by: Madman Entertainment.
Region: Four.
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Disc 1:
Things now explode into action as the pieces that have been moving reach their destinations and Ayato's world changes forever. As a result of his willfulness in stealing the RahXephon he has created the opening Isshiki Makoto needed to take command of TERRA directly. The freedoms he once enjoyed are curtailed severely, Isshiki even goes sufficiently overboard to threaten him with execution. On top of that Mamoru Torigai has also escaped Tokyo Jupiter and is now asking awkward questions about where Asahina has got to...
Ayato also finally begins to realise that Haruka has gone to a great deal of trouble for him, something he has been largely oblivious to. Complicating matters is Ixtli's interference and insistance that the tuning of the world is now imminent. It is all epic world changing stuff seen through the eyes and ears of the various well crafted characters we have come to know over the course of the series. It is nice to see that focus on characters is still what is driving this series and as the Mu launch a heavy assault on Nirai-Kanai we see that it is all breaking loose for the conclusion of the story in the final few episodes next volume.
In many ways this is one of the most satisfying volumes because various character arcs begin to head toward their conclusion. The series actually does start laying its cards out on the table plainly for people to see making this entry most satisfying as niggling questions that have been posed earlier in the series finally are answered. Of course the really big revealations are kept for the final volume but I doubt anyone seeing Episode 23 will be unhappy with the way this volume concludes. Truely this is a series that has been maintaining the high standards it set early on throughout it's run. Now all it has to do is end suitably. There is an awful lot left to cover in the final three episodes but given the clever storytelling shown thus there is every reason for feeling that all which needs to be told will be by series end.
Continuing as I did for the other volumes I have some speculation and thoughts here coming from watching the sixth volume. This is spoiler rich so read it only if you have seen the episodes in question.