The End of Evangelion: A Review

In July 1997, audiences in Japan witnessed the film that is known as The End of Evangelion, and it would eventually be known as one of the most thought-provoking feature-length anime films to be released.

Before I pressed play, I had a feeling that what I was going to watch was going to be something completely different, and my mind was completely blown afterwards. Just like Death and Rebirth, the film presents itself in two different segments, but since it is considered as an alternate ending to Neon Genesis Evangelion, the segments are considered as episodes (technically as "Episodes 25 and 26").

In Episode 25, NERV is under attack by the forces of SEELE, and the lives of the pilots are threatened. As Misato takes Shinji to his Eva, Asuka is on the battlefield fighting SEELE's personal Eva army, and Rei is with Gendo to help start the events of the final episode. Throughout the action scenes, we see multiple deaths as NERV's staff is brutally shot or incinerated, and a couple of the supporting cast members die on screen. The scenes are action-packed, but it all changes in Episode 26.

Episode 26 is where the film takes a sharp turn, and it becomes disturbing and confusing like a visual roller coaster of terror. Without spoiling any of the important parts, the film goes straight into Shinji's mind as the planet begins a straight course into destruction, and Hideaki Anno goes into the territory that is somewhat familiar in several of the works of Mobile Suit Gundam creator, Yoshiyuki Tomino. Technically, everything becomes an eventual Hell for the remaining cast, and Shinji is eventually tormented with both memories and nightmares that goes into his head. This occurs in the film until the very end when we see one finally short segment that finally concludes the film.

After I was done watching the film, I asked myself one final question: Is this really what the fans of Evangelion wanted from Anno after they were disappointed by the final two episodes of the TV series? If it was, I would want to ask them if they were satisfied with the final result that Anno came up with. Before I end this review and give my final opinion about it, I want to bring up how many people who watched this either liked it or hated it, and how it's complicated to understand what type of movie The End of Evangelion really is. Those who liked this movie believe that it is a film that concludes a great series like Evangelion, but the people who didn't like it say that it's a confusing film that is hard to understand.  Now, that I watched the film, I don't really think it should be called one at all. It's a complete look into the mind, and it's also an experience that must be seen to be believed.

In short, I recommend this film, but to view it in a way that I believe Anno wants it to be seen, anyone who watches The End of Evangelion must watch it with an open mind. They should also be prepared for it before they even press play. Like Death and Rebirth, the DVD is out of print, but it can easily be found on online shopping sites. I have to admit that this was the toughest review I had to write, and there will probably be a tougher one down the road. However, I will eventually return to Evangelion, since there is the existence of the Rebuild of Evangelion film series, and there may be some topics I may want to cover more closely in some sort of analysis. Until then, I shall go back to review several series, movies, and OVAs that are very familiar with the anime/manga fan base.

Written by Nolan Schmidt

Evangelion - Death and Rebirth: A Review

Last Saturday, I posted my review of Neon Genesis Evangelion, and I mentioned near the end that I would "eventually review both Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion when the time comes." Well, the time finally came, but I feel that reviewing both films in two separate posts would be a bit better for me to do than to do them as one full review.

The concept of these films came after many fans of Evangelion were disappointed by the last two episodes of the television series. They sent angry letters to the creator, Hideaki Anno, and vandalized Gainax, the company that produced the series. This would eventually lead to the announcement of two final Evangelion films, and one of these films was Death and Rebirth.

In my post about Evangelion, I commented that this particular film was actually "a 'recap episode' that also contain a 27 minute sneak-peak for the following film," and technically, that's what the film is. The film was released almost a year after the series ended in 1996, so the producers decided that they should re-inform their fans and tell their audience of what happened in the show. However, how it's done in the film is completely different as it focused more on the characters than the actual story. The characters are separately described through certain chosen clips of those certain individuals from the show. This is all done through the first three-fourths of the film, which is called "Death," before the audience eventually gets a five minute intermission.

Really? An intermission?

Then, we have "Rebirth," which is literally the first half-hour of End of Evangelion, and this is where I personally started enjoying the film. There is action with a hit of drama, but this eventually ends with a "cliffhanger" that involves one of the main character who is about to start a battle with the enemy's backup forces.

I would like to recommend this film. However, I feel that it would be better for people to watch the show instead of this film before diving head first into the alternate ending that is also known as End of Evangelion. There is indeed some new footage in the "Death" segment, but it's mostly just introductions of the main character about to play some classical music. But, if you would like to watch this film, you may have to buy a copy online since the original DVDs provided by Manga Entertainment has been long out of print.

Make sure to stay tuned for my upcoming review of End of Evangelion.

Written by Nolan Schmidt

Neon Genesis Evangelion: A Review

On October 4, 1995, an anime that changed the Mecha genre premiered on television in the country of Japan, and it also started one of the biggest franchises that was either hated or enjoyed by many anime fans. This anime was known as Neon Genesis Evangelion.

The series, also known simply as Evangelion, was created and directed by Hideaki Anno. Anno was known for co-directing the anime television series, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, and he also animated the famous Giant Warrior sequence in Hayao Miyazaki's 1984 film, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Evangelion, to this day, is considered as Anno's best known work, and even though he is currently directing the final film for his Rebuild of Evangelion series, it's humble beginnings were a tough task for him since he suffered from an emotional break down half-way through production.

To start off, Evangelion is based around Shinji, a 14-year-old boy who is chosen to pilot a giant cyborg known as an Eva to fight against giant monsters, called Angels, that attack Toyko-3 in a post-apocalyptic Japan. Along with Shinji, there are two other pilots, Rei and Asuka, who protects Toyko-3 under the orders of NERV Commander Gendo Ikari, Shinji's father, and Misato, who is the operations commander and shares her apartment with Shinji and Asuka. Many of Evangelion's main characters have their own dark personal histories, and the audience eventually learns more about each character throughout the 26 episodes. For example, Shinji, the main character, suffers through his own problems based around the choices he has to make during the series, and that he also goes through daddy issues since he hasn't seen his father throughout most of his life until the first episode of the series. Also, there is several personal issues based around both Asuka and Misato separately, and they are strongly based around certain important plot elements and character development.

However, many fans seem to have a problem on how the television series ended. During the end of production, the budget for the show ran low, and the idea for originally ending the series was scrapped to create two intervention-style episodes based around Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and Misato. This final result ending was either accepted or rejected by fans. Those that rejected the chosen ending eventually sent letters to Anno on how disappointed they were, and a few of them actually threaten to end his life. What happened next led to the creation of two final Evangelion films, Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion. Death and Rebirth was considered as a "recap episode" that also contain a 27 minute sneak-peak for the following film. However, The End of Evangelion is considered as a proper end to the series for those who were disappointed of the aired ending.

In the case for Evangelion, I highly recommend it since it is considered a classic anime that has built a popular franchise. However, DVD sets of the episodes are currently out-of-print, and are pricey to get on online sites, such as Amazon. I will eventually review both Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion when the time comes, and I hope to get to the current Rebuild movie series in the near future as well.

Written by Nolan Schmidt