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Plot Synopsis

Ikari Shinji's father is the head of a company called NERV. This company uses giant Mech's that are called Eva's, to fight against an opposing threat to earth: Angels. Throughout the 26 episodes and two movies, Shinji teams up with other 14-year-olds his age: Ayanami Rei, the quiet blue-haired girl who pilots Eva 01; Langly Asuka Shoryu, the fiery red-headed girl who pilots Eva 02; Nagisa Kowaru, the boy who loves Shinji, but turns evil and pilots Eva 03; Suzuhara Toji, the bully who hits Shinji, but in the end pilots Eva 04. These young boys and girls all fight to save the world day after day in an epic story with twists and turns throughout the series called: Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Story & Characters

END OF EVANGELION MOVIE REVIEW, NOT THE SERIES.

The conclusion to Neon Genesis Evangelion, replacing the final two episodes of the series and giving a more in depth explanation than the obscure philosophical rants which were episode 25 and 26. The Third Impact is set into motion and Seele move to control the fate of humanity, Gendo positions his final moves for his instigation of the Third Impact, in a desperate attempt to control the events that follow, every group and individual vie desperately for their hand in the last great evolution.

This is I believe the highest masterpiece of 'art-house/sci-fi' theatre, and what some people misunderstand is it was not intended to be understood in the first viewing. Unfortunately this causes a large deal of concern for viewers and puts them off it. Based closely in Esoteric Jewish religious concepts and Jungian Psychology, it portrays the evolution of man through the Third Impact, and the individual's role in it, not simply a physical evolution but the synthesis of every 'soul' and 'mind' into the one form.

Essentially ‘End of Evangelion’ is a beautiful rendition of the destruction and preservation of mankind, it feels nihilistic, but it offers something far beyond the norm, a definition of what it is to exist and to want to exist, Shinji shows the greatest understanding of the self, of what it is to be, of the inherent pain and loneliness that comes with existing and of his general nature as a human, it's all quite brilliant, I'd go further into it but I wouldn't want to spoil anything.

Rating

10 (excellent)

Art

Comparatively to the series the animation quality is massively better, but only slightly above the average anime film of its time. Character designs are left intact, no creative interpretations, backgrounds benefit greatly from the higher budget, as do action sequences and general character movement and interaction, CG is particularly noticeable for the first time in any Evangelion production.
However the movie isn't done entirely in animation and a 'live-action' sequence is an integral part of the film, more meaningful than just a distraction but interestingly largely responsible (from my experience) for the frustration viewers had with the movie.

Rating

7 (above average)

Sound

Character voicing is as to be expected, unless you are watching the English Dub in which case you’ll find a number of discrepancies between the series and the movie which can be bothersome.
This is one time when the budget finally set Evangelion free from heavily laden speeches and interactions, characterized by Shinji’s conscious and subconscious discussing things on the train, and Rei’s charming prose about the souls sense identity, which are found during the series. These things are conspicuously lacking in the movie, being replaced by a greater sense of focus regarding the supposition of emotion, the mind and the soul, we are still exposed to what is a film reliant on speech and so the quality of voice acting is important. And, it doesn’t let us down, thankfully.
Music is an integral part of the final, surreal, even dissonant in places, and totally unnecessary of any further review.

Rating

7 (above average)

Presentation

There are countless reasons to dislike Evangelion, the simplest and best reason I heard was that they watch anime and television shows in general to be entertained, and this didn’t entertain them, it required far too much thought and consideration, concentration and research. And this is true, to fully understand the series and the movie you either need to have an already existent interest in Psychology and Theology, or you have to research them.
There is nothing wrong or self-damaging about this point of view, there are none of us who don’t lend to less intense entertainment, and this particular genre may not be to a person’s liking. There are numerous other reasons’ people dislike Evangelion which are valid and appropriate as well. But the unfortunate thing which occasionally occurs is the person who is decidedly against Evangelion because it is popular, and, this is very common. Please don’t let this deter your friends or whoever from watching, recommend it to them even if they are put off by its reputation. The series and consequently the movie were the most important bits of media many people have ever seen, and I would hate for its public presentation to be responsible for any distaste people may harbor for it.

Rating

6 (average)

Final Verdict

7.67 (good)

Reviewed by elm, 2y 42wk ago