006 4 Evangelion was a series that had its fair share of wierdness and religous themes . Originally the director , Hdieki Anno Meant these themes to be a sort of backstory , the last two episodes of Evangelion were episodes that very literally , delved into the thoughts and feelings of the main characters . . . and ended with the off camera , end of the world , and the subsequent long awaited maturing of series protagonist , shinji Ikari .
Most Fans were less then pleased with the End of the world not being animated . But Anno wished for the end , to focus on shinji , not the appoccalypse . But Fans demanded The appoccalypse be animated in a movie or ova , lest they come for Anno's head .
As The old Saying goes , Be careful for what you wish for . End of Evangelion Was made , And the fans were . . . Confused . Some hated the movie and wanted it to burn . Others loved it and found it to be the perfect end too the series . And many more , Just didnt know what to think , and chalked it up too too much drug use on Anno's part .
The film is not for the faint of heart . I have long referred too this DVD as THE WIDOWMAKER ; in the sense it is the DVD I show too casual anime fans too ascertain whether they will become hardcore . Those that finish watching it , and honestly say they understood , and even slightly appreciated what happened , become hardcore anime fans . Others make it up too the crucifixan of EVA 01 and the end of the world before they go pray to the porcelain god .
The opening scene is a Shell shocked shinji , desparately looking for comfort , masterbating over a catatonic Asuka . Then there was a falling out between Nerve and Seele , which results in Nerv falling under seige . As seele tries too recapture the Eva's from Gendo , In the process , Asuka will recover , Fight to the death with Eva models 5 - 13 ; Shinji will continue to be desteibly whiny and self loathing . And Fans will finally be able too see the long postponed , end of the world . So whats the problem ? ! ? !
Problem is I kinda gotta agree with people thinking Anno Was on drugs making this film . Some of these images will literally shock you to the point where you wont be able to think for at least a day . The appoccalypse combines biblical prophesy , with fiction and sciance . And the result is The most Out there animated sequance I have ever seen in my long years of watching anime . the merging of biblical prophesy with science fiction leads is a compelling idea . Like a car wreck from hell , the execution is as disturbing as it can be , yet still compelling enough that I could not stop watching . As for the ending , The last words in the film are I feel sick , which sums up my feelings exactly as the credits rolled . I felt ill , mentally numb , confused for what I had just watched was intellegent , imaginative , well thought out , but also psychodelic on a level that I cannot describe .
In the end I honestly say that I am the proud owner of this movie . But At the same time , I only watch it with friends that have never seen it . Like Grave of the Fireflies , it is not a movie you watch too lighten up or kill time . It is a film of imagination and impact , but also of grave and shocking images . You cannot not be affected by this film . The only question is , what will the affect be ? This film is a love it or hate it affair . With no room for middle ground . I personally like it . . . But I have reservations bout recommending it to others . Watch or buy with care .
001 4 This film is the second ending produced for this series . The first ending ( Episodes 25 and 26 ) left fans so dissatisfied that director Hideaki Anno felt compelled to create an alternate ending and issue it as a full length film . One should keep in mind when watching it that in the voice commentary provided in this edition this film is referred to as Hideaki's revenge . I really do not think that is true , but there is no question but that the Director / Creator of this film has made a film that challenges the view on all fronts , making it an unusually difficult film .
The film opens on the impending destruction of NERV headquarters . With the destruction of the ' Angels , ' the members of SEELE move to implement their plan for the forced evolution of humankind . Stage 1 is the capture or destruction of the EVA and their ' riders . ' For the rest of the NERV staff only a grim and violent death is offered . Shinji and Asuka manage to activate their EVAs and fight back . Meanwhile , Rei descends into the heart of NERV with Dr . Ikari to confront Lilith .
While this apocalypse occupies the first part of the film , filling the screen with both spellbinding action and some unnerving interior insights , one could argue that it is only a prelude to the real core of the film . Almost haphazardly , symbols from the Kabbala and the Crucifixion are woven into the action as SEELE prepares the ritual that will recreate humanity . Magically , Rei and Shinji become the main characters in a metaphysical play that will decide the future of man . It is no surprise that these two become bound to the moments of decision and rebirth . Both the characters are not completely whole as personalities . To each of them the conflict over individuality is both interior and exterior . Without these flaws , the decision would not have been in doubt .
As the story progresses fluid , the hurried action of the attack on NERV is replaced by a more elegiac pace . Longer still shifts and slower pacing give the viewer a rest , but at the price of an ever more complex and difficult plot . Without the film length commentary available on the DVD , much of the subtexts to the visual displays would remain impenetrable . This is the first time that I have felt that the commentary was required viewing . This film is worth seeing simply for its stretching of the limitations of anime . This is a marvelous but elusive work of art . Be warned - ' The End of Evangelion ' lacks any manner of explanation of the events leading up to the film . Thus , familiarity with either ' Death and Rebirth ' or the series itself is almost a requirement for making good sense of what is happening .
042 4 The Evangelion series has been one of the best , worst and most confusing anime in recent memory . When the OVA was released in Japan , it had a very complex cast of characters and an interesting and perplexing story of giant robots vs . aliens .
Although it sort of came out as a basic silly robot piloted by teens vs . aliens story , Hideaki Anno created a horrifying world with screwed up teenagers , an evil conspiracy and weird pseudo-judaic apocalyptic storyline . . . then he blew it all away with the last two episodes . The last two episodes were confusing and had no bearing in ending the story . This lead to alot of angry fans and death threats . So Hideaki Anno made a movie to end the series .
The End of Evangelion is an interesting but still irritating end to the series . Hideaki Anno basically made the movie as a midle finger and F-you to all the fans who complained about his ending . Instead of his original cryptic ending , Hideaki Anno basically destroys all his characters in this movie . Everything that you hated about each character comes to the surface and he makes you hate every single one of them . Asuka , the most disliked character in the original series becomes a hero and everyone else . . . just sort of self destructs . The ending is disturbing and still confusing .
Now if you're not a fan of the series and have not seen any of the other episodes , avoid it like the plague . . . Ive still not decided it I like it , or hate it .
129 4 The End of Evangelion is one of those titles that you either love to death or hate with a passion and while i'm sure i'm just repeating what other people have said it must be stressed . At times I found it very confusing and I must say there are still things which i'm confussed about relating to the film . The other thing I must say is that this is one of the most disturbing and graphic animations I have ever seen . While the pace slows down in the second half of the picture it is not one for the faint hearted . The battle with Asuka and the EVA series is one of the gorriest action sequences I have ever seen . But the reason I gave this 5 stars is because it's different and unique and it is fair to say this anime is in leauge of it's own . Aspects of the original series are only fragments of whats in store in the movie ending which is a welcome elaboration of the alternate ending . Hints of religios symbolism are woven into this masterpiece like a vivid tapestry with glimses of symbols from the crucifixion , kabbala and bible .
The psycological abuse witch Shinji has endured in the evangelion series has taken it's toll on Shinji's self-esteem and as SELEE atempts to bring about the evolution of mankind with Shinji as it's their tool . The fate of mankind hangs in the balance . In a world in which he only knows pain and suffering where will Shinji find the will to go on in a new world . Shinji controlls the fate of humanity and the difference between total destruction and a new genesis lies in shinji's hands .
The movie ending combines mind blowing action sequences with an in depth look into the human mind and soul . Similar to boogiebop phantom and Lain . This animation was thought provoking and interlectually challenging and raises many questions about humanity and religion . If your smart enough to buy this DVD you wont regret it .
130 4 It's finally here , the US release of one of the most beautiful , human , and disturbing works of art . End of Evangelion is Anno's magnum opus ; one of the great high water marks in anime , or any other artistic medium for that matter .
End of Eva picks up right where episode 24 leaves off . However , it is _ not _ an alternative ending that replaces the controversial last two episodes ( some fans disliked them so much that they sent Anno death threats , if you use the freeze frame you can actaully see excerpts from them during the movie ) , it is rather a complementry ending . If you do the work you can piece together how they're connected . Most of the TV series episodes 25 - 26 where Shinji's in the theatre take place while he's inside Lilith , and his breaking out of the theatre coresponds with EVA 01 breaking out through Lilith's third eye ( yes , this movie is _ extremely _ violent ; wait until you see Asuka's desperate 9 on 1 battle to the death against SEELE's EVAs ; probably one of the best MECHA fights of all time ) .
It's impossible to do the EVA series or this movie justice with a review . There's lots of action , loads of religious symbolism and allusions , breathtaking visual imagery , but what really makes this movie so great is the little details and that despite the world ending events going on it never loses focus on the characters . Because , ultimately , EVA is not about giant robots fighting eachother , it's about the characters . If your not human enough to care about the characters , the ending's of EVA probably aren't going to satisfy you . They probaly won't satisfy you if your not willing to think either , because you need to think to figure out what's really going on , which is one of the great things about this series . The pieces are there . If you work on it hard enough you'll be able to come up with a decent idea of what happened and what it all meant .
As for the extra's , the non scripted director's commentary is worth replacing your fansub alone . It's absolutely hilarious at times ; like MST3K , which is ironic considering how heavy and depressing the movie can get ( don't worry , their dialouge is so absorbing that you won't really notice and thus not be traumitized by the english voice acting : ) They also offer a lot of insight into what's really going on , there was a lot of little things they caught which I'd missed on my fansub . All in all , if you've got any culture at all , the Eva series and this movie is a must have .
016 4 Just to make this clear , DO NOT WATCH THIS UNLESS YOU。 VE SEEN THE SERIES ! ! ( and if you haven't go away and watch it now ) . With that out of the way ; everyone who has seen the series should buy this film .
End of Evangelion was originally created to replace the last two episodes of the eva series , although there is evidence to say that this is more of concurrent ending rather then a complete replacement . The film still keeps the detailed picking of Shinji's mind present in the last two episodes , although this is not as long , to some fans rejoice ! ( I actually liked the last two episodes ) . Although the ending to the film is completely different to the ending of the series , replacing the happy , almost hopeful ending to the series with a much more dark and devastating ending . The film keeps true to the series , however everything seems to be maximised ; violence , nudity , disturbing situations etc . From the very first scene , you'll see that this film takes on a much darker tone then the rest of the series , and this feeling carries on through the film to the brilliantly constructed ending .
This film will , however , change your view on the entire series and the characters involved ( weather that's a good or bad thing leave up to you ) . Nevertheless , this is a remarkable ending to one of the greatest anime series of all time .
141 4 The End of Evangelion , if that's what it's SUPPOSED to be , is not for the fient of heart . The Neon Genesis Evangelion series was raited 15 and up , but THIS bad boy is rated R ! First , The EXTREME violence and nudity and second for the profanity . Did they say F > ( % like what , four times ? It was just like the beginning of the TV series , hard to undestand . The animation was handled by Production I.G . so the animation's a bit new , but excellent fight between SEELE's Evas and Asuka ! I say it's the best Evangelion has to offer , it RULES !
017 4 End of Evangelion . Hmmm . Let me say this , after the whole Eva series ( even after the odd episodes of 25 26 ) , I could not wait to watch the movies . When they finally arrived and I could watch them , I was ready to be on the edge of my seat . I never expected to feel so much disgust and disappointment . My whole week was ruined . How could a series that started out so upbeat and interesting end like this ? I loved every one of thopse characters and this was how they treated them . I about had it with the whole Evangelion saga .
However , my husband wanted to watch the whole series after I ordered them in the mail . So I watched all of the episodes and movies again with him . Boy did it all make complete sense . My husband of course was completely confused .
Regardless , I was finally satisfied and happy about all of it . I could accept the fact that it was all about the beginning of a new era of life . It was all a concept of how the end of the world would be for the human race and how it was up to Shingi to decide on mankind's fate . That was why the angels were trying to get to central dogma . They wanted to join with Lilith and Adam so their their form would continue to exist . There really wasn't much else to it . Yes there were images and phrases that could lead to deeper meaning , but it was really all about another theory on how we may have come to be and how we will continue to exists .
It did help listening to the commentary . So if you need some sort of closure on this series , watch the whole series a second time and then view the movie with the commentary .
I know a lot of people were pretty disappointed about the movies and how this amazing series ended . Some may be shocked by the nudity and violence . But that is how life is and we come into this world with just our bodies and birth is violent . Made sense that the characters were naked during the final sequence .
People need to have open minds when viewing these movies and let go . No need to hold onto reality . That is the beauty of Anime ! It never really makes sense in Anime . Enjoy it .
It is like Shinji's mother said in the end of this movie , as long as the sun , earth and the moon still exist , it will be okay .
Recommend strongly to a person who enjoys a challenge .
007 4 I want to begin by saying that if you have not viewed the series , do not even consider purchasing this DVD . If you do , you will not enjoy the movie , you will not understand it , and you will not absorb how incredible it really is .
Neon Genesis Evangelion is an incredible example of intellectual anime . It begins as a simple giant robot series , but it seems that once Gainax ran out of money , the series truly began . It consisted of mostly pans across still shots in the later episodes , with characters performing long philosophical monologues that slowly hint at the subtleties in the series , and begin to give away some of the many questions that plague viewers . The series delved deeply into religious symbolic and analogous points , with the Systema Sephiroticum and the Lance of Longinus making constant mysterious appearances .
By the final two episodes , Anno and his team at Gainax had little funds remaining . So instead of the vision of the apocalypse that many fans had been anticipating , he gave them one of the deepest and incredible fourty-five minutes of video yet . Of course , many did not understand what he was trying to do , and became quite upset at the series not having a real ending . Anno at last got his funding , and created what the fans wanted : the end of humanity .
Enter End of Evangelion . Created as two episodes meant to be alternatives to the original 25th and 26th , this movie needs to be seen several times to be fully understood . Note that the movie's ending and the series's ending do differ ( Shinji accepts instrumentality in the series , and rejects it in End ) . The first half is simple enough , it reflects much of the series up until this point . Incredible battles marked by stunning animation , such as Asuka's battle against the Evangelion mass production series , make this movie question all other anime you've seen thus far . And it's just getting started .
When the mid-way credits roll ( with some very nice music , I might add ) , it starts becoming amazing . Instrumentality . Third impact . The apocalypse . The end of mankind . I've never seen it portrayed as deftly as Anno has done in this movie . This film does not wrap up many of the loose ends in the series itself ; rather , it creates one for each it ends . Do not watch it if you want a clear-cut conclusive ending , for I've yet to see two people who agree on an explanation of how it ends . It's simply incredible . Wonderful music , beautiful animation , stunning story , and talented voice acting ( even the dub ! ) make this movie the gem that it is . The finale Anno paints is haunting . . terrifying , even . Buy this movie . It will change the way you look at the world .
014 4 The End of Evangelion is a beautiful piece , completely consistantwith the rest of the series . It ( along with Death and Rebirth ) was written and produced before the last two episodes were . The purpose for the final two episodes was that the television station in Tokyo that was producing Evangelion demanded that Gainax fulfill the 26 ep . deal , even with the two movies already in production . So , episodes 25 and 26 can b seen as the alternate ending .
The movie truely is astounding , in that it provides exactly the sort of ending the series demands . It's ambiguous , and purposefully so . Throughout Eva , Shinji second-guesses himself , changing and chaing his mind and decisions . Finally , he's forced to make a decision that cannot be changed ; the outcome of Third Impact is left up to the viewer , based on the information you've collected about Shinji's characer through the series . It isn't something that can be shown .
The animation is beautiful , the story rich and complete . It may not make a whole lt of sense , but then , it doesn't truely have to . It's a story that has no ending , just as it was meant to happen .
050 4 This movie is actually a replacement of the last two episodes in the original series ( also if you heven't seen the original series , don't bother watching this , you wouldn't understand it well and it takes away from the shock value ) . This movie details the events occuring from the instrumentality project and happens after the movie , Death and Rebirth . If you didn't understand the series well , then be warned because there's some pretty deep stuff in here , you'll really have to think after this .
End of Eva is a must for Evangelion fans , most agree that this feature is a much more better ending than episodes 25 & 26 in the series . This movie is hard to describe in detail , though I can say Eva fans will not ( and are not , so far ) dissapointed with this . This movie will answer questions from the series , and brings about more questions . The animation is good , the movie itself may be very disturbing to some viewers but overall a must to have in any Eva fan's collection . I recommend you see the entire series and try to understand it well before watching this , then you'll be in for a real treat .
069 4 I first have to say Neon Genisis Evangelion is one of the most complex anime ever in my life and End of Evanglion is no different . I have seen both the whole t.v series and the death and rebirth DVD but end of evangelion is pretty more straight forward with the story . It starts of with Shinji right next to Asuka which is in some kind of coma . I am not going to spoil anything but there is a lot adult content . A scene in this movie when Asuka's eva UNIT 02 was teared apart it was just completly sickining especially when Asuka feel's every little pain that deals with the eva . What I am really trying to say is that this movie is disturbing and may make you dizzy in some parts and this is also a bit confusing soooooo . . I suggest you get the other one Death and Rebirth before you get this . This is a great movie but I don't really reccomend very much only get this if you are 13 or older because this anime DVD is really messed up but good in a anime collection .
P.S . If you really want this get it here on Amazon.com because it is cheaper .
110 4 This video is a must for any Evangelion Fan . I was new to Eva when this came out . I saw the first two episodes and from then on , I was hooked .
Eva is not just a tale about an insecure kid , but it also provides an insight into the human condition of why we are here and what is the meaning of life .
If I could give this movie a hundred stars I would because it is that good . Even the Comments on the DVDs of both End of Evangelion and Death and Rebirth are worth listening to because it provides a background of how the story came to be and some of the story elements taken from religion itself .
Again , this is a must see for anybody . The art , drama , and action , and everything else in it makes it one of the top rated animes of all time !
148 4 Neon Genesis Evangelion is the best anime ever written . The year : 2015 . The situation : rare and powerful creatures called The Angels have come to destroy Earth . At least that's what Shinji Icari , a 14 years old boy , knows about the Angels and that's why he decides to pilot a new organic weapon called the Eva01 . After 24 emotive and psychological exciting episodes of the TV series , Shinji Icari ends with all the Angels and saves the Earth . That's what he believes . However , he has lost any remaining hope in his heart , because in his attempt to save humanity he was forced to kill Kaoru , his best friend and the last angel .
In this context The End of Evangelion takes place , with Shinji facing him and the others in an attempt of saving humanity of the Third Impact and the Human Instrumentality Project .
The End of Evangelion is a physical representation of what occurred in the last two episodes of the TV series . Good if you are looking for another point of view , and if , of course , you like to enjoy of great battles , explosion of images and a mystical interpretation of what life means . An outbreak for your senses .
029 4 NGE is my second all-time favorite anime . For anime fans across the globe , this series is probably the most recognizable series ever created . It certainly pushed the limit of Japanese animation , and it certainly put anime on the map in the U.S . This series is brilliant . It is the one series that has made me think of mortality . The characters were down-right humanly complex . Probably the most interesting group of people to hit anime . Misato , Shinji , Rei , and Asuka are so memorable as characters . Although you will love to hate Shinji , just because he is so realistic , and he is so weak willed , you truly want to hurt him ( at least I did ) . Misato is my tied for my all time favorite character , she is just simply awesome ! I loved her so much , she provided the humor and the realism of dealing with a traumatic life . Asuka is truly a female dog , you laugh so much when she's in the scene , but is completely self-centered , yet carries around extreme trauma . Rei is the most secretive , unexplainable character I have ever seen . You can't describe her , because there is nothing to describe , other than she's extremely quiet , yet is protective when you least expect it . I loved this series , mainly for the characters . There was humor , action and plenty of DRAMA ! You can't get past the drama , but you can't help but being swept up and sucked into it . The original ending was terrible , as all who've seen it know , it was just plain confusing and left us totally in the dark . The new ending left me totally distraught . I couldn't help but cry and cry and cry . I literally yelled and screamed at my t.v . , I was in such a wreck . Don't believe me , watch it . You'll be left totally unsatisfied , not because it was a bad ending , but because you don't want to comprehend the destruction . This series will hit every nerve in your body , and the ending will make you be thankful that it's only a animated series .
038 4 . . watch the anime , and then this movie . You either hate it with a passion ( Don't get it ) or recognize it as the wonderfull maddening masterpiece of storytelling it is . Only bad word is the defect sound menu on the dvd , but that is manga corp . ' s fault , not the creators of the content .
039 4 There is one important thing that you must realize that many people don't , this isn't really an alternate ending . . . this is an extended ending to the original one . The series ' original ending only took place in the world of the main characters minds . You want confusing ? How about going from Shinji talking with Misato to all of a sudden Shinji suddenly getting ripped apart by the other characters in his mind . Well , that's what happens between eps 24 and 25 .
End of Evangelion is a gift from heaven . Not only does it put the series ' ending into context , but it creates the continuity needed before the mind sequencesand afterwards . If you know a lot about psychological manners and aren't too afraid to delve into the story , you will find all the answers you had about Evangelion . People complain that there's still no closure . What ? Are you kidding ? Just because it doesn't hand the character's fates to you on a silver platter means there's no closure . Come on , people , think for yourselves . Oh yea , and Asuka gets to kick some major . . .
104 4 ok . I haven't seen the whole series . But I went and rented this by accident wanting to see death and rebirth first but I must say I didn't regret it ! This made me forget the the series . The animation is beautifully animated . The art is absolutely beautiful ! This was AMAZING ! I have to say it was a bit disgusting cause well , you know . . . . but the the amazement of the movies made me forget all that . The plot is really confuseing so I didn't get it just yet . It's probaly something you have to watch over and over again . But seriousely this must have been put a lot of hard work in . The script is great ( unlike most dubbed anime . . . ) So get this ! or atleast watch it ! I'm a HUGE anime fan and I bet non anime fans would like this to ! , Yes I am 11 * points * but I think that maybe people should wait till their 13 or older . depends on how you can take it . But this is definitly not for younger people . But still don't let that ruin it for you .
030 4 After seeing this movie , I truly realized what the people in Animerica were talking about when they did a huge write up on this movie and the series ending . . . it will mess with your mind . Having watched the series and the two endings that were created , this one is more visually appealing and still presents the watcher with the same questions as the first ending did . . . only , this movie brings you to do much more thinking and forces the viewer to realize that the true final determination is only in the eyes of the one watching it . After this movie , I don't see an interpretation being much easier .
A small revelation that I gained was this . . . that man truly controls their own destiny . This fact lies in the later truth being revealed that humans were the eighteenth angel and knowing that coming in contact with Lilith , the second angel , or Adam would cause the third impact . It shows this through Shinji , as well . Shinji was the only one who could determine whether or not the human race would still exist . This one being makes the determination that all the pain he has felt or will feel is a small price to pay for living amongst the ones who care most about you . In his case , they were all dead . . . except Asuka .
I also found several other things from this series , and movie , as well , but I will allow other viewers of this great picture decide their own interpretations . Please , WATCH THE SERIES FIRST ! ! ! You can't understand this movie without having seen the series .
049 4 The most disturbing , beautiful , mindraping , sad , genious , unimanaginable story , depressing , satisfaying , wonderfull , best directed Animation Ever ! This is my favorite animation in the world and only AKIRA earns to stand by its side
I loved the last two episodes in the series but end of evangelion became my fav evangelion ending .
My favorite song in the world , Komm Suesser Tod ( Come Sweet Death )
031 4 The End of Evangelion ( which takes place directly after episode 24 of the Neon Genesis Evangelion series or directly after the Death movie ) is arguably the best anime movie of all time , boasting breathtaking animation , intriguing plot , incredible character development , and a very profound message . Gainax ( the producers of this movie as well as the Evangelion TV series ) are also known for FuriKuri , Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou , Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water , and more . Expect to see this level of animation excellence with even higher theatrical quality in the movie . Director and writer Hideaki Anno concludes this extremely controversial series with Keel Lorenz and the other members of the SEELE board having decided that the only way for humanity to achieve happiness is by merging all life into a single , consummate existence , in effect , destroying the individual - - the process known as the Human Complementation Project or Instrumentality . In order to achieve this , an army is headed by SEELE to siege NERV headquarters . The ensuing battle between the Evangelion Mass-Production Models and Evangelion Units 01 and 02 will decide the fate of all humanity . This is an absolute must see for any anime fan or simply anyone in general . The End of Evangelion is a visionary masterpiece to which this review , nor any other , can give true justice . In conclusion , at the end of the film , you will be left staring at a blank screen in utter awe , totally overwhelmed .
037 4 Mankinds Fate is sealed . . . . The Seele organization has begun their plan to take mankinds evolution to the next level , and much like the director no detail is overlooked in this barrage of pshycological self analysis and violence that concludes this epic Sci-fi . . . Evangelion .
After the badly received last two episodes of the T.V . series This two part movie was made to replace them , and thus supplements them or renders them obsolete as the veiwer likes .
Like a piece of modern art , it thus is left to the veiwers intrepertation . . . . . mankinds fate . . . Death or rebirth . Add a
bit of Christian Symbolisim and you have the Biblical End of the world portrayed in a truly unique Sci-Fi manner . . . Is this Gods plan or simply mankinds doing unto himself . Its this portrayle of the worlds fate that sets it apart from end of the world shows such as the tired The left behinds Series . For once a origional end of the world story . . . but can you accept what it has to say about mankind . . . and yourself .
These are the questions brought up in a rather ' Space Odyssey 2001 fashion . Combined with Extreme violence on the surface and you have the human condition on film , and even though it ties up loose ends in the series , it makes new loose ends that ask you why do you live ? Existintialism has it comeback in this unusual finale , but in the end it's up to you the veiwer . . . After all , this is just entertainment .
040 4 The film we've all been waiting for is finally here ! The 27 minute long Evangelion : Rebirth feature is extended with an additional 43 minutes of new footage to provide a 70 minute long alternate ending to the Evangelion TV series . The stunning action choreography for the TV series is heightened by a theatrical budget and increased , intense violence too graphic for television . The philosophical themes and unanswered questions from the TV series are answered and addressed in a climax that will have you talking for years .
072 4 I have seen this movie twice in fansub format ( fan made subtitled ) , and I still don't honestly get all of what went on . I believe this was Hideki Anno's way of saying Oh yeah , well , put this in your pipe and smoke it in response to all of the complaints he received regarding the ending of the TV series ( one of the best series I have ever seen , everyone needs to watch it ) . The series built up to the apocalypse that would occur , but then turns and psychologically analyzes the pilots , and gives the reasoning for their actions . I found it intriguing , but not very relevant to the story . Some have said that the end of the series might be what is going through Shinji Ikari's ( ikari = rage in Japanese , just FYI ) head during the apocalypse scene during End of Eva . However , this is basically what Anno would say that the rapture or the apocalypse would look like ( the recommended reading for this book is the Bible ( old and new testament ) , the Dead Sea Scrolls , and several others I cannot recall ) . I still don't get the ending , but it is just vageuly disturbing . However , great , great movie , I recommend it heartily for those of you who have watched the rest of Eva and the movies .
076 4 This movie tends to polarize people like no other . I've heard and seen it repeated over and over ; either you hate it for its obtuse philosotheological nonsense , or you love it for its sheer style , or you think the message actually is profound . It's a lot like the latter two ' Matrix ' movies . I don't think much of the ' message , ' myself ; it just seems too diffuse , obscure and pretentious . Still , this is Evangelion , and it deserves at least two stars for that . I'd watch anything involving the Evangelion characters , even if it were just Shinji and Asuka standing on an empty stage reading the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet . Evangelion was the product of a group of brilliant minds , and it would take incredible power , some kind of anti-brilliance , to obscure that . Then there's the scene where Asuka goes berserk and starts kicking . She needed that scene .
On one hand , also , I did get some enjoyment from the trippy 2001 - esque sequences ; on the other hand , though , some things in the film are just sloppily handled , like the choice of music at certain points . It is worth seeing , but the series deserved a much better conclusion . For me , the ending will always be the final episode , and not this thing .
090 4 Anno's brilliant series finally comes to its shattering conclusion in this masterpiece of animation . This film is like the Eva Series boosted to the extreme . From the very start of the film it sets out to shock you and excellently questions the characters you thought you knew from the series .
There is also quite alot os allusions to Kubricks 2001 : A Space Odyssey From the claustrophobic camera angles , the shock ending , the 12 black monoliths of SEELE and , of course , the pychadelic mind trip towards the end of both films .
The film is way more violent then the TV series and continues the sense of impending doom that was the staple hold of the second half of the series only to break it when its finally all over . This is the only way Neon Genesis Evangelion could come to an end . I can't believe some people acctually expected a ' happy ' ending , I thought it made it quite clear from the start of the series that this was about the end of everything .
It is argued that End OF Evangelion is a complete rewriting of the end of the TV series . I personally disagree as they pretty much run parralel to each other until the end . Only the series you are seeing these events from the characters own concious whilst in the film you see what occurs in the outside world .
Even though the title of the film is quite self explainatory , the twist in the ending is truly shocking and the film drops you at the end in one of the best endings to a film i've ever seen .
This film is truly astounding from start to finish and is a feat of intelligent filmaking and philosophy . If you expected this film to wrap up the story and finish off with a happily ever after , I'd watch something else . However , if you want a film you can really think about and is treading new ground , tihs is one to watch .
047 4 Well I was disappointed at the arrival time knowing it was a rarety I waited knowing from a friend the amazon and its movies don't disappoint . Sure enough the day it arrived I watched it and loved it . I do enjoy the concept behind the end of evangelion and the feature do few it packed a big punch . I recommend the film to all anime fans especially those fund of Evangelion . Though it has aged over the years its still better then some of the current installments of animes . Like wine you know it gets much better in time . So I recommened everyone that wants to watch something out of the box and in fact disturbing to th point the it a hard swallow at the end . Again remember this is not a happy-go-lucky movie is one that gets to the point and puts the realm of reality in propective because this is as close to reality in terms of emotions and deliverance an anime can get . So I advise all to watch I guarantee it won't disappoint .
028 4 For most anime fans , there is that one series that makes your heart gush . The one that is your first love . The one you go back to . Evangelion happens to be mine . . . and this movie puts a tidy bow on the series . People claim that it is confusing . Then again , if you watched the series , chances are you will be confused . The end , however , adds to the brillant insanity from Anno and company . It does what it suppose to do : Show us the horror of the Third Impact ; A sendoff to those still alive this late into the game ; To show us the mind of Shinji ; To see the world be saved once more . It's unfair to miss this film due to its Confusion . It will challange you and will not let you be a idle member of the audience . It will make you think and ponder and question it . So , check out the series and then perpare for the end .
063 4 Wow , I need to take a vacation . The amount of emotion and time I invested in Neon Genesis Evangelion is staggering and I feel like I just completed a herculean effort of some sort . If you ever looked at art or listened to music that just made you feel like you were the dumbest person in the world and actually enjoyed it , this movie and its prequel series will serve you well . If you've seen the series and are looking for an ending more decisive than episodes 25 and 26 , then well , this film will probably make you very , very angry , as it did me . I cannot even come close to grasping what Hideaki Anno was thinking when he created this but the fact that it was able to draw such a strong emotion from me speaks volumes on its own . A truly breathtaking work of art . . . Anno , you win . You are smarter than I .
043 4 If you haven't seen the series , DO NOT watch this movie . However , if you have seen the series in it's entirety , then this is a must-have . Anyone who has seen the whole series knows that there is no perfect character . Everyone has an ulterior motive , a dark past , a secret sin . There are no innocents . And it is for this that I love the movie . Director Hideki Anno displays his mastery of the psychological brain teaser . From the series in general , not to mention the the movie , one can interpret a nearly infinite number of themes and underlying messages , views , and morals .
046 4 This movie is the most incredible thing I've ever seen . It's just too beautiful , too terifying , too deep , that its beyond anything ever made . I've seen this movie at least 10 times , and every time I have seen it I've noticed new things and felt the same waves of emotions run over me . This is a movie for the ages , and the best ending to the series , in my opinion , though due to the Rebuild of Evangelion movies , there will be a completely new ending , so you never know ! But this movie will always have a place in my heart as a sick , twisted , gory , terrifying , majestic , gorgeous , tear-jerking , thought provoking , and deep masterpiece .
064 4 The original series is the greatest thing ever in anime , I am convinced . However , the first movie is a rehash of the series , followed by the first half of this film . If you want the full set , buy both movies .
068 4 This movie is excellent . If you are going to get one of the two Evangelion movies get this one because it is way better then Death And Rebirth . I have both because i love the seris so much but if you just want one of the movies get this one .
101 4 Out of all the many , many anime series I've seen Evangelion is one of my favorites , and the End of Evangelion is my favorite movie . There's one thing some people may not like , and that's the fact that it has a really tragic ending . Through doing so , though , it makes a very deep statement about human nature . In my opinion , it's by far the best way to end the series .
121 4 I've seen it fansubbed before , and it is wonderful . This is the alternate ending to Evangelion , replacing episodes 25 and 26 of the series . This movie depicts what is happening in the physical world , whereas the episodes show us what is going in the character's minds . It is an anime movie everyone should watch , although the series must be seen first .
125 4 I've come to the conclusion that the people who didnt give this movie a 5 star rating , must have been watching the dubbed version . If you are interested in watching this series , please watch it in Japanese with subtitles . The english voice actors are terrible . The downside to the to the subs are that they are an exact translation . The dubbed voices did a better job of translating , but the actors are still realy bad . So if there is a part that didn't make sense , watch it over in the dubbed , but don't watch the entire series that way , it will ruin your eva experience .
126 4 Very moving . Visually compelling . Enter the world of angst and architype . The evaluation of this movie must be based on the feeling tone it evokes . There is no real understanding it . If you have to ask about its meaning you have probably missed the point . It is a symphony of images and words that must be taken as a whole . It is an exploration of the psyche of Shinji . If you are looking for a typical piece of Hollywood stupidity , this is not for you .
131 4 If you are new to evangelion do not even try to buy this movie , the end is the second end of the animation neon genesis evangelion , this second end has a lot more action , buy it and you will not be the same after the end .
108 4 because I left out with a lot of question after I finished watching the TV series . For example , Who is Rei ? What is the H.I . project ? So watching this movie gave me a lot of clue . I agree with another reviewer about Shinji and Asuka . They become Adam and Eve of a new world . This can be confirmed by the picture of the package as well . The picture cynically represents the scene that taking place after the end of the scene in the movie . This movie still lack some qualities to be a great ending . Comparing with the happy ending of TV series , this ending is not really leaving us in a secure mood nor with satisfaction . The ending is dipressing and shocking . Furthermore , I was expected to see Eva unit 01 ' s actions since the unit 01 had become very powerful in the episode 19 . I didn't find any beast-like action after the episode 19 nor in the movie . However , overall this movie has more logical story continuity from the episode 24 . And some details are shown implicitly in the movie . I found out a couple of stuffs after watching this several times . Definitely , this movie must be seen . I guess Director's Cut Episodes will be released soon make us understand about the plot a little better .
155 4 Having seen the entire TV series , I just had to see this one too . It is clear that this series , for all the technological gimmicks and psuedo-Christian symbols , is ultimately a story of a family disguised as a sci-fi anime . Everyone in the family is hurt deep inside themselves and afraid of getting out of their cocoon to face reality and take it upon themselves . NERV too is a family whose partriarchal structure comes unstuck as things feminine , from the awakening of the Eva to Rei's rebellion aginst Ikari Gendo , start spewing out of everywhere . This movie does not end on a happy note either , leaving too many questions unanswered . I presume that Anno , perhaps to the chagrin of many a people concerned with the production of this series , simply refused to give us an easy , convenient solution . I for one understand his stance as such and hope that he , having shown us the anguish haunting modern man in this series , will someday come full circle to show us a road to love and salvation in one way or another .
116 4 Ok , I was introduced to NGE through a music video of Rob Zombie , accidently i stumbled across the battle scene in EOE of Asuka and the Eva series , when i saw it , i instantly lusted to see more of this mysterious red head hotty beat the shiesst out of things . So i had the money , and so i bought the Perfect collection on DVD , I grew with NGE like a mother and her soap opera's ( Course this is better ) , and yes i'm a big fan of the Shinji-Asuka relationship , I own both movies on DVD now , and i must say , i've searched and searched all over the internet to figure out stuff that i jus didnt get , and after all the research of come to the conclusion that most things aren't written in stone , so you get to decide what had happen to all those things you never could understand . But I gotta tell ya people , i've seen the Jap version with English tran's and compare it to the English , English was much better , and made things MUCH MUCH more confusing to understand , but let me tell you all something for all you Shinji-Asuka fans , the ending is really sweet but also confusing , i dont wanna spoil anything but you will be happy with it and also disappointed that something this good didnt end on any note , good or bad , we will never know how it ends . I've heard rumours though of another Evangelion movie will be released , the chances are slim , the movie would be awsome , the plot seems blurry , but if your jus as big of a fan as me , I really do hope there is a conclusional follow up of the ending . And also , I highly suggest NGE and the movies to anyone who's interested in the whole Life thing , this is DEFINITLY not a series / movie where you don't take time to grow with the characters , this IS for people who like unique Screen Showings , NGE has a personal take on me , taught me more then anyone i know about life , very well put together , very awsome , very dramatic , very touching , this will haunt you for your whole life , definitly Grammy Winner if ever given the chance .
010 4 Like some people's reviews have said before this one , if you want the real effect , watch the Japanese version with English subtitles first , because it is a lot more dramatic than the toned down english version . I am not saying that the english version is bad , because it is still the best anime I have ever seen , but nothing can touch the original japanese version . My one example is at the very end where in the Japanese version when Asuka says I feel sick instead of Disgusting and then it goes into that amazing piece by Bach , you just sit there staring at the screen knowing you had just witnessed something utterly amazing . ( The song is Jesus Bleibet Meine Freud if anyone has tried to search for it like I did ) In the English version it ends in some cheesy song that just doesn't set the mood .
Ok though , enough blabbering about what was wrong , let me talk about what went right . NGE : End of Evangelion is easily the greatest conclusion to any series I have ever seen . I would rate the original 26 episode TV series as decently good , but this movie just blows everything away . Not only will it mess with your head and leave you speechless , but you will also feel a since of accomplishment when you have finished watching it , as if you have just experienced one of the finer things in life . End of Evangelion is everything an anime should be and more . It makes you think and look for deeper meanings in things . I don't really want to go into heavy detail and spoil this for anyone , so I will leave my review at that .
This movie is a must see for anyone who has watched the TV series . Like someone else said , and like I did , sit down and watch all 26 episodes in a row and then watch this . You will be totally blown away .
051 4 Okay , I got this back when it was a fansubbed import ; I've since thought about buying the DVD , but my review is based solely on the fansub I saw .
The action in this film ( for lack of a better term ) is excellent , and it really provides a great redemption for many characters in the story , not the least of which is the oft-irritating Asuka . But once you get into episode 26 , A Pure Heart for You , everything gets way too confusing . I mean , Eva was confusing to begin with , but this is just nuts . It makes even less sense than the Episode 26 that ADV released ( the [ pooy ] ending ) , despite having an excellent score ( Komm , Susser Tod was the single behind the montage ) .
I'd say that if you're a big Eva fan , or if you were seriously disappointed by the first ending , buy this . If you're a casual fan and you've got some extra cash , buy this . But if you don't really care , don't waste your money . You really have to put your mind into this one .
And what the hell happened at the very end ? I still don't get it ! * shrug *
111 4 It deserved 5 stars but
This was a good ending to the Anime series until they shortened it by almost 30 minutes . They cut out some very good parts that would of explained what was going on in a series Evangelion way . I suggest that you just buy the original Japanese version you get it all .
113 4 This has to be one of the best anime series I have ever watched .
Though the last two episodes of the tv series were a bit confusing , but eventually I understood what was goin on . The Movie is a lot easier too understand , though the outcome in the end is different from the tv series . In the tv series shinji accepts contemplation , while in the movie he rejects it . Anyways buy or rent the series and the movies because this is what anime is like at its best ! ! !
144 4 Having been heavily disappointed with the last episodes of NGE and the sub-par Death Rebirth , I was hoping for something truly great in this . Thankfully , I found what I was looking for . Having grown up with the series in elementary school , I had to see this ( I saw it about 2 years ago , being 16 ) . It was a truly moving experience . It was sad to see so many of our favorite beloved characters meet their demise ( Misato in particular ) , but the long-awaited proper ending had been found , and it was so incredibly satisfying . This is one of the best movies I've ever seen in my whole life .
123 4 GIANT SPOILER ALERT
For me the original ending to series will always be the true ending of the series . This is just empty by comparison .
Most of the movie comes off as merely a chance to show as much gore as possible . In the original series violence seemed necessary to the plot , this just seems pointless . The scenes after a time actually stop being revolting and just seem odd . The animation is amazing but it's hard to care when the story is this bad . Shocking people seems to be the main reason for making this movie .
Another thing that bothered me was we're supposed to be watching a human mind fall apart but we're still getting thought you can follow . Sorry , that doesn't work for me . I've been trained as a counselor and as such have seen people lose touch with reality while going through schizophrenic , manic and drug induced episodes . None of those people had the clarity Shinji has while he's supposed to be losing his mind . I don't find this acceptable from a writer that up until now has worked so hard trying to create realistic characters .
I've heard the argument that this is what was going on in the world while Shinji was doing his soul searching in the original episodes 25 and 26 . The major problem with that is the decisions Shinji makes here are completely different . In the original ending Shinji accepts the oneness of humanity , has a very cathartic experience and starts moving out of depression . In this version he rejects humanity and sinks into complete self-loathing . With this ending there is no improvement just wallowing in the same mistakes unendingly . They couldn't be more opposite and they clearly don't mesh .
This also disagrees with the rest of the series . Through all of this we've had the idea that humanity is hugely flawed but still redeemable constantly drilled into us . Every time one of the characters did something immoral , disgusting or shocking we were then shown something good about them or at least an explanation of why they did what they did . Slowly , but surely things actually started making sense and we got to see some improvement in the characters or at least some acceptance of their flaws .
The one thing this movie does well is show how horrible it is to be a person with major depression . The way Shinji is distant from the rest of humanity no matter how they try to reach him and his completely inability to recognize that people do care about him is just wrenching to watch . His disgust of himself is also dead on accurate . This and the fact that the animation is top quality are the only reasons I'm giving this movie any stars .
Over all , this ending seems more devoted to pleasing people who are ravenous for gore , trying to please the group of people who didn't understand the original ending and giving the writer a change to vent then being a worthy ending to a series that actually managed at times to be deep and moving . There are plenty of animes out there that have tons of violence with shoddy plots . Why , oh why , did this wonderful series have to revert to being one of them ?
I'm not looking for an ending where the Eva kids all join hands , go skipping off into the sunset and live happily ever after . There didn't need to be a ending that was in anyway happy but the writer gave us the original episodes 25 and 26 . They were about as happy as you could get in a series basically devoted to torturing the hell out of it's characters to prove a point . If he really wanted to go through with an all out Apocalypse he should have done it originally at the end of the series and skipped 25 and 26 . If you actually understood the original ending do yourself a favor , go back and watch the original series and stay the hell away from this piece of garbage .
004 4 As I read many reviews of this DVD , I can't help but feel that people seemed to have missed certain vital elements . NOTE : THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SPOILERS .
As most fans should know , this movie is an ending to NEON GENESIS EVANGELION . It answers most of the questions left behind .
Now , here is the thing . It is completely consistent with the last two episode of the series until the very end . Until then , it is a very nice external visualization of what's going on , while the last two episodes took place inside Shinji's mind .
At the end of the movie , however , Shinji rejects the Instrumentality Project . While in the series , he accepts it , here , he just flat out says no . He was egged on by Rei . . and ended up dismembering her ( thankfully so ) to achieve his goal . At the end , he and Asuka ( not some new chick . . it's just Asuka ) are the only two living human beings on Earth . The rest are LCL , and can come back to life if they will themselves to do it ( like Shinji did earlier ) .
I don't remember if DEATH AND REBIRTH had all of the deleted scenes , but there were deleted scenes in the Japan that were integral . In Japan , when the DVDs came out , they were Director's Cut and had some extra scenes . Here , they were not . The only really important ones that I can think of are when :
( 1 ) Rei defeats the angel that takes over her body . In the extras , the angel started to take over Shinji's body when he came out ( It lunged at him , he dodged , blocked , and grabbed it , but that was enough for the angel ) and started taking on the appearance of Rei , so Rei pulled the whole thing toward herself . . thus , she saved Shinji's life .
( 2 ) The episode with Kaworu ( the last angel ) has several moments . . mainly when he talks to SEELE panels ( sound only things ) and Misato spies on him . He waves to her . . which really freaks her out . It's revealed that he was made from Adam , like Rei was made ( partially ) from Lilith .
and ( 3 ) someone asks Gendo how the Adam Project was coming along , and he said Right on time or something and pulled off his glove to reveal Adam ( The first angel . . the embryo thing ) as embedded in his hand . This is why he sticks his hand into Rei in the movie . . and why she lopped it off .
Also , as for the angels , Adam is the first . He is the embryo . Lilith is the second , she is the big white thing . While the numbering does not really matter , the distinction does . Lilith is identified by Kaworu . The union of another angel with Adam caused the Third Impact . The embryonization ( or whatever ) of Adam caused the Second Impact .
This angel thing would have made more sense if they made Adam and Lilith the parents of the other angels . Referring to people as Lilum ( offspring of Lilith ) is just plain not nice to the mythology behind Lilith . Adam fathers humans with Eve . Adam fathers monsters with Lilith ( at least one , anyway ) . There were just some things in the series that were misplaced . . fans should at least admit that ( like when they showed Shinji's Eva suit in the cockpit when he turned into LCL . . despite the fact that he was wearing civilian clothes ) .
Sorry about the rant . . but things just had to be set straight . As artsy and abstract as this whole Evangelion thing was , there are some things are just plain misunderstood .
018 4 I snatched up the Neon Genesis Evangelion series almost all at once , despite having little money at the time and fell in love with it immediately .
The movies Death and Rebirth and End of Evangelion departed in much different direction than the original series in many ways . The animation is much crisper and cleaner than the series , as to be expected . The soundtrack is almost operatic at times , with very beautiful vocals . Everything seems almost an overwhelming improvement .
Now , then , the story . Without giving anything away , which wouldn't help you at all , firstly , you MUST see the original series before viewing this . Or at least watch Death and Rebirth , an abbreviated collection of the happenings in the series . This is not because you won't understand character motivation or anything trite like that , but more to the fact that even HAVING seen the story line will leave you scratching your head and saying What the heck ?
It starts off reminiscent of the later episodes , with several minutes of either silence or only very quiet speaking . For the first fifteen or twenty minutes , everything seems to be adrenaline pumped , but manageable . But about halfway through , or in episode 26 ' ( the movie consists of two episodes , 25 ' and 26 ' . These are an alternate ending to the last two episodes in the series . Each is open to their own interpretation ) , everything is turned upside down . The revelations come so fast that it may leave some spinning . In fact , you're not MEANT to come away with a clear understanding . You have to uncover your own meaning behind the events . Don't fret , though . It doesn't read like a Dali painting or anything . It's fairly clear what's happening , but not WHY . A little background in Jewish and / or Christian mythologies is very helpful , since the whole series is based around these beliefs and symbolism .
In the end though , End of Evangelion explores the characters more , answering a few questions as to Misato and Shinji's relationship as well as Gendo's and Rei's . It also helps to explain Asuka's sudden , dark mood swing near the end of the series . There is a clear-cut end to it all , which may leave you feeling any number of ways . In my heart of hearts , I wish there ` d been a clear-cut end , with character relationships resolved and everyone happy . But such details are what make Evangelion unique . The characters are real , the plot is deep and unique , and the result is nothing short of breathtaking .
077 4 Up to episode 23 or 24 of the series is great . It's somewhat light hearted with some serious issues being dealt with .
The last episodes of the series seem more like switching vehicles than switching gears . I don't know what the director was trying to do or where he was trying to go but in the end the change was to drastic from the overall feel of the series for this to work . And it answered nothing .
The first half of Death and Rebirth is nothing more than a summing up of the entire series via quick flashes of images and shorts that establish where everyone is and how they got there . The second half is another switching of gears as the government revokes all the special rights of NERV and sends in the Special Forces to kill them all . Gritty and graphic with intense violence all directed at the people who had been risking their lives to save humanity . In the end it was man and not the Angels who imposed the most death and destruction on NERV .
And in the end . . . There was no END . There was simply a set up for something else later . You have Shinji curled up in a ball in a car and Asuka back in her Eva surrounded by 9 flying Evas the government sent in to . . . well , I wont say why they are there .
The End of Evangelion . My thought is if you have watched or are going to watch the series then skip Death and Rebirth and go straight to The End of Evangelion .
The first half of End of Eva is the last half of Death and Rebirth pretty much scene for scene . Since the first half of Death and Rebirth is nothing more than a sum up of the series there is really nothing there to see unless you are really a die-hard .
The End of Eva at least puts things at a conclusion even if you don't like what that conclusion is . Everybody's cards are laid on the table and Third Impact finally arrives . And everything rests on Shinji - the weak willed little indecisive introvert . I had gone through the whole series looking for him to mature and grow but in the end he is just as weak if not more so than when he started . I suppose whether we like it or not this is the end . And the way it ends lets you draw your on conclusions on what happens or what it means . The director had three shots at a decisive ending and even though The End is decisive it is also open for a great deal of interpatation .
You may wish for more or for something different but I think that one of the points the show tried to get across is that life doesn't give you that ( and the show stays true to that point ) . I have to say that I like it . In the end , even though it may hurt the brain , it's a good ride .
082 4 Evangelion was a stunning and suprisingly good series . The last two episodes ( 25 and 26 ) were beautifully done and astoundingly deep . Though they were great , they were rejected by most . Enter End of Eva to clear things up , or make them even more confusing .
EoE is not a simple physical version of 25 and 26 , rather it is a completely different ending . Things end differently in the series . Go watch the last two eps , then watch this movie . Be warned , this is one of the most disturbing things i've every seen in my entire life . To put it lightly , its gonna drive you nuts .
The animation and sound is top-notch . I would expect nothing less of Production IG and Gainax . The commentaries are also very good on this disc .
Suggestions : Watch the series , all 26 eps . If not , pick up Evangelion : Death and Rebirth , which contains a non-linear summary of the series , as well as an Eva encyclopedia .
Warning : Contains nudity , violence , and will haunt those who watch it , GARUANTEED .
124 4 From reading other fan's reviews , I feel that I am one of the few who actually felt closure at the end of the original series . Then when I heard of this release , I was curious on the actual events that occured , not the thought processes of Shinji's mind ( although I enjoyed that ) . What is given is Episodes 25 and 26 again . Ep 25 provides gorey entertainment and the continuation of the story . I liked it . Then Episode 26 comes up and it is basically the original Episode 26 involving Shinji's mind but this time it extends ( a little ) to other people's thoughts while providing the viewer with strange apocalyptic images of what is happening to the world . However , it is so strange and bizarre that it is difficult to separate the dream images from the reality ones ( which , ironically , is a concept Shinji himself was struggling with ) . At the end of the original you were left to decide the outcome of the characters . Yet with this , Episode 25 gives the unthinkable outcomes for them and 26 just leaves you confused . This movie is disappointing because it claims to tell what happens to everyone , but the finale is not only a redone version of 26 , but leaves the viewer even more confused .
053 4 I already own both death and rebirth and end of eva but the problem is its a japanese dvd that works on my ps2 but nothing else , the other this is that those damn subtitles go to fast so i had to watch it multiple times to understand what was going on , this will be a much needed change , buy it it will kick ace
079 4 End of Evangelion is amazing . I have watched 3 times already . I am not going to go into any detail about the movie , BUT I am going to say Manga screwed up royally . The 3 times I have watched have been only on my PS2 not my DVD-player . There is a glitch on the DVD . When I hit launch the DVD player stops completely . Also the features do the same thing . And at the layer change the movie just locks up or turns off . I am not the only one with problems I have seen hundreds of posts in just one day . There are 3 things that play the movie for sure : PS2 , X-BOX , and DVD-ROMs . Also there are some DVD players that play the movie just fine . Although this is a very big release for Manga , I think is going to hurt after this mess is staightened out . So if you want End of Evangelion so bad you can chance it or if you have the patience just want and see what Manga will do . Even with the glitch I still gave it 5 out of 5 because it is just amazing .
112 4 When I first placed this DVD into the player I had to wonder if all will Go will with this finale or will I have to weep in just pure sadness . But the only answer I can give you in a nutshell , this movie is a jaw-dropping experience that will leave in wonder and in awe and some of the graphic visuals that is brings to teh plate but at the same time the music to it makes it will place you even more into the scenery . . . especially in one big scene where the beginning of the end starts its orcestrated performance will make your mouth drop at the same time leave you in awe that the visual wearness it produces . I feel that this is a great ending to a very Great and contrvercial movie . . . it answers a bit of the question that the final part of the series didn't . . .
140 4 I have nearly all the volumes in the series and let me tell you - this is by far the best . Some parts are a little hard to understand if you havent seen the whole series but the graphics and story are so good that you wont care . You must see it if you are a fan of the series ! ! ! !
145 4 First things first if your thinking of buying this make sure you have done one thing . You MUST see the entire series otherwise you will be completely lost . This series is beautiful the animimation is amazing the story is gripping . The Voice acting is great . In the dub its okay but i prefer the sub . The fight scenes are awesome . But if your in it just for fight scenes leave now because Evangelion really will blow your mind .
127 4 This really is an incredible work . It is very important that you have watched ALL 26 EPISODES of the series if you wish to understand this anime . The anime picks up at the end of episode 24 in the series and offers an alternative ending to the TV series that very closely parallels the original ending .
EoE is not simply another anime movie . There are many comments and events throughout the series and movie that the casual watcher would simply discard as badly written or nonsensical . This is not the case . Anno has done his homework . He has managed to incorporate very heavy and well researched material from the bible and several other very obscure gnostic texts referring to the true nature of angels and the origin of mankind . Anno has used the information to visually convey his idea of what the apocalypse will be . The most frequent response I hear about this film is that it is just another apocalypse anime which is only true in the sense that it IS an apocalypse anime . Beyond that , the symbolism is all founded in the Christian and Hebrew faith . Lillith , for example , is the end result of God's initial attempt to give Adam a wife . The giant symbol that appears in the sky immediately prior to third impact is the Path of sephirot or , the map of how to get to god . I have found relevant purpose to everything that occurs in this film . Even the flashframe ending that seems to bother the casual viewer has an undeniable beauty when you begin to understand what it is and it's relevance to Shinji and his companions . I can't go too much into the purpose itself or I will ruin it for the viewer who really takes the time to understand it .
My advice pertaining to this anime is to only buy it if you are very familiar with the original work . Disregarding the incredible but difficult plot , the film has undeniably fun action sequences , very good artwork and an amazing soundtrack . If you have watched the TV series , you may very well find yourself crying as Asuka hits the floor and instrumentality begins and , like me , hating the main character for his weakness when he finally makes his choice .
026 4 If the first 26 episodes that constituted the original Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series held anything back in terms of philosophical quandary and paradox , EoE is obviously the catharsis for it . Within a mere 90 minutes , viewers are bombarded with an innumerable amount of dogmatic , Kaballist and existentialist metaphors embedded in a series of cryptic and ambiguous scenes that sternly command repeated viewing to allow the audience to sort through the ambiguity to satisfy their own understanding of the ideas Director Hideaki Anno presents .
In other words , this is the type of film that will keep you awake at night . Not only is there a conundrum at every turn , but also a whole helluva lot of disturbing visuals , to boot . In fact , Asuka's death scene , while not gratuitously gory [ Anno leaves the details to the viewer's imagination ] , still actually made me feel sympathy for what I thought was otherwise a despicable character . And there were other parts , too , that had me uncomfortable and almost wishing for more of the light-hearted - alternate universe scenario - that Anno taunted us with in episode 26 .
You'll feel a lot of conflicting emotions like that while watching this film [ assuming that you've seen and absorbed the full TV series , because if that's not the case , the thought of watching EoE shouldn't even cross your mind ] . It's a brilliantly crafted animated feature that , unlike the vast , vast , vast majority of entertainment , actually challenges the audience .
056 4 This movie is so incredibly good that its impossible to express how good it really is . This is not a regular anime , its more then an Anime , Its life .
If you really want visual entertainment this is the one to watch .
058 4 -
It is not suffice enough to say that The End of Evangelion is the work of a genius .
Most people , after seeing The End of Evangelion , fail to recognize its true meaning and discard it as the ramblings of emotional disturbed man . They fail to comprehend and simply cast it away as failure . Once director Hideaki Anno was quoted saying :
If you dont understand it [ Evangelion ] then it is your own problem . . .
That is exactly how Evangelion is , it was deliberately made for one to question , and Anno certainly has succeeded that with The End of Evangelion . It is the ending where SEELE finally instigates Third Impact using the completed Eva Series with Unit 01 as their medium . It is the ending where limits will be tested , where all souls will be merged , and where the human race will complete its ultimate step in evolution .
The TV series eminent Judeo-Christian references , seemingly to have been weaved throughout the story from its beginning , will come full circle . The answers to understanding everything are right here . The full meaning of the film lies in relating its unique symbolism to biblical references and applying them in context with your ideals . The issues raised by the movie span everything from the origin myth , to Freuds psychology , to moral values . The way Eva forces you to think in new ways is uncanny , anyone who is human deserves to see this film .
If you have the intellect to interpret The End of Evangelion , I guarantee by its end youll be left stricken with a thundering philosophical and moral statement , forcing you to question the meaning of your life and your surrounding world . The movies impact is incredibly profound . If youve not seen Evangelion in its entirety , go , get up and pay what ever you have in order to see this series . Im telling you now its one of the most worthwhile things you can do . Also , if you dont understand Evangelion it means you havent been faithful enough to it . Watch it again , take what you can from it , and look up what others have figured out . Theres a plethora of websites , books , and information devoted only to interpreting the inter-workings of Evangelion . Once fully understood itll make more sense to you then anything else . The End of Evangelion is worth more then its weight in gold , it is a film that will forever stay with you , check it out or you will never have seen anime at its best .
081 4 This is the conclusion of evangelion , again !
This ending features a lot of insight into the mind of shinji ikari and the mysteries surrounding the people he has encountered in his life .
A lot of this movie focuses on the importance of the A.T field and the soul , so if you find you're totally confused , then youve been paying full attention .
If you havent seen all or any of the series and you havent seen death and rebirth , dont watch this yet . Buy and watch everything else first , this movie has so much more impact on you when you are familiar with everything .
085 4 My girlfriend and I are big fans of anime and really enjoyed the TV series up until the last 2 episodes . As many people have already written , you're hoping that many questions will be answered in the final 2 episodes , but most aren't . Or maybe they are and you just have to suffer through those 2 episodes 10 times to figure out what the ' acid trip on film ' is really trying to say . It's unfortunate that such a great series could fail so miserably at the end .
So we watched this alternate ending hoping it would deliver a better performance than the last 2 episodes of the series , and for 45 minutes it certainly did . It does answer some questions that the original ending doesn't , but the the last 45 minutues of this movie turned out to be the same crap found in the last 2 episodes of series . We sat there , again , watching and saying , Oh god , here we go again with the acid trip . Some pseudo-intellectuals will call both endings ' artistic ' and ' thought-provoking ' , but the endings are really just a bunch of nonsense that really close an awesome series miserably . If you watched the TV Series , you should definitely check out this alternate ending , just don't get your hopes up too much .
great animation , great sound , thrilling scenes and the evangelion fights make you wish you have more fights in this movie . I like this movie , and i have seen it like a zillion and a half times ( actually just 4 ) but i didnt understood the movie . Its too complicated . The movie show you so many things that you dont start saying ok , this is great movie or man , this is just great but you just say it because of the animation because when you ask yourself what the end is about . . . . you say i like the animation . That is one of the main problem i found in the movie , personal problem and some people i know , you have to know a lot of stuff so you can start understand the whole movie , and the end of course . that end where you just ask to yourself : Why is he . . . . Why is she . . . . Where is . . . . . Are they gonna . . That is one big trouble i found in the movie . Maybe i just wanted more action , more revenge or more blood in the movie . But you just found some stuff to think about after the movie , which is great . i mean , movies that makes you think about the whole plot after you seen it . . its great but then makes you want to see it again and again and again so you can just try to do some research in order to get to a clear idea of the movie . i like this movie , but in my case i had to buy some anime magazine so i can understand some parts of the movies . its great watch this movie , so just go buy it and be ready to do some research .
052 4 The original series was begging for an ending like this only to have an hour of insanity as the answer to the call . I felt betrayed . This movie made everything better . Closure at last . . . ( sigh of relief ) . . .
086 4 The perfect review for this movie is that of imperium2000 . I totally agree with him and can't really add anything else . This end is not just confusing and irritating like the original but also is disturbing and - unlike the series - heavy with religious emphasis . It left me with a hollow feeling and I felt - quoting from Asuka in the movie - . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . disgusted .
089 4 The apocalyptic visions this feature provokes are nightmarish and fantastic . It was the perfect end to a masterpiece . And although it is a bit grousome at times the movie an epic and climactic ending to the series !
091 4 In this review , I will attack some common arguments against this movie .
1 . It is too philosophical : The movie has a theme , and it communicates ideas about people's relationships to each other and themselves . It does not present a developed system of philosophical thought , and thus is no different from any other movie that has goals beyond entertainment . If you want simple entertainment , then avoid this and rent Dude , where's my car ? As Andrei Tarkovsky said , entertainment as the primary goal in movies degrades the artist and the audience . However , it is no more a vehicle for a philosophical system than Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is a refutation of Descartian dualism .
2 . It is too gory / bloody / sexual : Come on , you whining Tipper Gores ! This isn't half as gory / bloody / sexual as your average R-rated American buddy comedy , while eschewing the downplaying of violence and rampant misogyny that those movies wallow in .
3 . It is hard to understand : The plot is not developed in an entirely linear fashion . It is not an episode of Blue's Clues . If you have no inferencing ability , then you are probably not mentally capable of handling this movie . If , however , you have at least 5th grade critical thinking skills , you should be able to understand the plot by putting together the many clues dropped throughout the series and the movie . Actually , the plot is quite linear , just not the way in which it is presented .
094 4 This is not a film , this is a masterpiece of the modern age . Like one reviewer said , do not watch this movie to pass time it simply cant be done it will engross you and make your brain ask a million questions at once and not find answers for hardly any of them . Now to be honest it takes more than one viewing to fully appreciate the beauty ( or disgustingness however you look at it ) of this film , I myself have seen it no less than 10 times and im still seeing new things . So in short , this the most beautiful , disgusting , thought provocing , insane masterpiece ever so do yourself a favor and buy it right now
096 4 This movie brings it all together . They did a great job to end the series . I loved it .
122 4 Lets go to the facts : great animation , great sound , thrilling scenes and the evangelion fights make you wish you have more fights in this movie . I like this movie , and i have seen it like a zillion and a half times ( actually just 4 ) but i didnt understood the movie . Its too complicated . The movie show you so many things that you dont start saying ok , this is great movie or man , this is just great but you just say it because of the animation because when you ask yourself what the end is about . . . . you say i like the animation . That is one of the main problem i found in the movie , personal problem and some people i know , you have to know a lot of stuff so you can start understand the whole movie , and the end of course . that end where you just ask to yourself : Why is he . . . . Why is she . . . . Where is . . . . . Are they gonna . . That is one big trouble i found in the movie . Maybe i just wanted more action , more revenge or more blood in the movie . But you just found some stuff to think about after the movie , which is great . i mean , movies that makes you think about the whole plot after you seen it . . its great but then makes you want to see it again and again and again so you can just try to do some research in order to get to a clear idea of the movie . i like this movie , but in my case i had to buy some anime magazine so i can understand some parts of the movies . its great watch this movie , so just go buy it and be ready to do some research .
152 4 I love NGE i own all the shows and movies ( including end of eva ) and think its is one of the best series around . ( second only to Samurai X and Ruroini Kenshin ) One thing though was I was very dissapointed with end of eva , it really didnt resolve anything . It just proved to you that shinji was just a loser like everyone thought he was . The animation was ok it was not done by the same people and is a lot more simplified , but still it is pretty cool to see Asuka fight units 5 - 13 , which by the way look really disturbing . Other than that it is very eva like and so many will enjoy it , the thing im looking for most though is Spike Spence , ( shinji ) Amanda Winn ( rei ) , and Tiffany Grant ( Asuka ) screaming at each other in english because the Japanese voices were just not the same . over all even though it is still frustrating to me id get it to complete the collection .
I Need You is concurrent with the series episode 26 The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World / Take Care of Yourself .
Much like the NGE series , the End of Evangelion ( EoE ) weaves a complex story where images and dialogue are closely related to the philosophy and symbolism . These themes are played out through the psychology of each characters ' own mind . It is essentially a microcosm of the entire series . The opening scenes before the Air title card of Ep . 25 of Shinji overlooking the ruins of the city , and then entering Asuka's hospital room and , ( I'll leave it there ) set the mood and atmosphere . Showing effectively and very disturbingly that this is NOT going to be an easy film . As the first half roars out of the gates at breakneck speed , we see the hostile takeover of Nerv by the Seele organization and each Nerv member's desperate attempt to hold it at bay .
We also see the mental states that the two main Eva pilots - Shinji and Asuka - have been reduced too . Shinji is severely depressed after killing the last angel , Kaworu , whom he had formed a close bond with . Asuka is in the same mental boat as Shinji as she sits at the bottom of the lake in her Eva , which she feels she can't pilot anymore . What's interesting is the paths that have driven these two characters to this point . The ideas of finding one's self-worth ( examined perfectly in the final two series episodes ) , and what happens to a person when that is taken away .
At the same time Seele is trying to initiate their plans for Third Impact using Unit - 01 and the downright creepy looking Mass-Produced Eva Series , Gendo has his own plans involving Rei and Lilith . As Asuka , ( with a little help and inspiration from her Mama ) rages an extremely violent battle with the Evil Evas , Gendo takes Rei down to Lilith . He does this to unite the souls and bodies of Adam and Lilith only to find his scorned lover , Ritsuko there . It's interesting that two of the most shocking and violent scenes ( the Asuka / Eva battle and the Gendo / Ritsuko confrontation ) are played out to Bach's beautiful Air . The infusion of the music in this film is truly brilliant and a major reason why many scenes are so effective .
However , this is the point in the film where most people will start to become completely lost . Without a really good understanding of the NGE story ( and perhaps even with one ) , it's hard not to . It's very difficult to make the extremely complex simple , however I'll try without many spoilers .
Suffice it to say that Seele were trying to initiate Third Impact and reduce humankind back to its original form - the Primordial Soup of Life where all souls and beings are one . Gendo had different plans and just wanted to see his ' dead ' wife , Yui again . Neither Seele's or Gendo's plans go exactly as they were meant to . Unit - 01 , along with Shinji , ends up becoming the Tree of Life , and the ark in which all souls are ushered through and into Lilith's Egg . Understanding the idea that in NGE , humans - Lilim , as we're called - were born from Lilith , and Rei is essentially Lilith helps make this clearer . What's happening near this point is 3rd Impact is occurring because of the Unit - 01 and the Mass Produced Eva encounter . This returns the Geo-Front ( the sphere like cavern where Nerv HQ sits ) to its original form , the Egg of Lilith ( we see this during the Eye - like explosion ) . After the Giant Rei / Lilith forms , Shinji is essentially given reign over the future of the human race by Rei / Lilith herself .
At this point , the tempo of the film slows to a crawl and the most surreal images and scenes begin creeping in . Even the most seemingly simple scenes such as a young Shinji playing in a sandbox with a swing , mountains , and a setting sun in the background is just rife with symbolism ( hint : try to relate everything in this scene with something in the show , be it scenes , characters , or themes ) . Here , the psychological interplay between the main characters is crucial , as Shinji's wishes are played out in the real world . When he feels that everyone has deserted him and essentially says ' everyone can just die ' is when the Instrumentality and joining of all souls through Lilith really begins .
What's important to note is Shinji's thoughts after his ' choice ' has been made . The place he escapes to - the world of Instrumentality where all souls are one - and his questioning of this choice and all his choices is what we see here . More than just his questioning of the choice , we also hear him questioning the meaning of reality and dreams . This is not just random philosophical ramblings . It's a study of a character's , as well as the creator's , thoughts and feelings . Shinji holds all of humanity's future in his hands or , more accurately , his own mind . When you consider how psychologically scarred Shinji is , the idea that he can completely shape the future of Earth and all of humankind is what makes this so interesting .
Once he is allowed to be in the world he escapes to , he's faced with another choice of whether to stay or come back . As he discusses these things with Rei and Kaworu ( Lilith and Adam ) , we hear his final choice and reasons why . The ending of EoE , titled One More Final : I Need You is rightfully confusing to almost everyone who sees it . However , it's also the perfect note to end the series with . Not only does it leave us as uncertain as the characters are about the future , but it also expresses the frustration and realization of Shinji's choice and the culmination of all the struggles that has lead them there .
This film is simply a divine marvel . Much like the series it has to be watched multiple times for one to uncover all of its hidden layers and meanings . But it doesn't lose its ability to invoke emotions and thoughts even after several viewings . There are scenes of immense power and drama in the film - many that match the best of most films I've seen . But I think it's the quiet moments that make this film so moving and memorable . The Sandbox scene is one I've mentioned . Another is the live action shots with the monologue and Bach's magnificent Jesus Bleibet Meine Freude ( Jesus , Joy of Man's Desiring ) playing along on piano with it . Even more subtle moments , such as Shinji's SDAT ( walkman type ) player out of batteries ( more significant than many would think ) , and Gendo's broken glasses in Rei's place . With the vivid beginning of Instrumentality played out to the appropriate sad-song-with-a-pop-beat Komm Susser Tod ( Come Sweet Death ) , it's these scenes that never fail to give me chills .
There's a great quote that goes something like A truly wise man always has more questions than answers . This is a series and film that asks more questions than it provides answers . What it tries to do is make you think about those questions , rather than provide an easily digestible story . Some may call the story incoherent and disjointed , but what many don't realize is that the deep psychological and philosophical leanings behind the show are inextricably linked with the storyline itself . So to distinguish one from the other is impossible without realizing how the two intertwine and effect the other . If you merely try to breakdown the sci-fi storyline , then you will be confused by much of it . This is because the story is so big and so encompassing that many finer details can't be uncovered without diving deep into the inner workings of the series .
In the end , I can only speak for myself when I say NGE did a superlative job of doing everything a great work of art should do . It made me laugh , it made me cry , it gave me chills on more than one occasion . . . . but most of all it made me THINK . Anyone who wants to enjoy this show as just a meaningless work of science fiction can do so , but will be baffled as they're crushed by the multiple layers of extra contextual meanings . So , if you want to understand NGE , you have to not only pay close attention to the small details within the show ( small scenes from many episodes back play a role in the film ) , you have to really open your mind up to the ideas being presented , and how they effect the story .
However , taken as a film , and the conclusion to the NGE series , End of Evangelion is a staggering achievement and powerful last testament to what is , in my opinion , the greatest visual series of all time .
* DVD NOTES :
Those considering whether to buy just the EoE or the EoE / Death & Rebirth 2 - pack , I suggest you go with the EoE unless you don't own the director's cuts of the last several episodes ( available in the Platinum Collection ) . ' Death ' is mostly a muddled re-crap of the entire series , while ' Rebirth ' is merely the first 30 minutes of EoE . Death also doesn't contain remastered visuals or audio like the Platinum Collection does , so you'll be getting a low quality re-cap at that . Death really doesn't even work as an introduction to NGE , because most everyone not aquainted with previous episodes would be confused by the structure of the recap . The only thing worthwile in ' Death ' is something called The Magi Archives which provides great information about key people , places , events , and thing in the series . This is very helpful to those who feel completely lost by all the jargon in the series and will help clear some things up , even if it won't answer any of the bigger questions . So just stick with EoE unless you feel the need for completeness to get Death & Rebirth as well .
002 4 Having read numerous reviews of this film , I feel it to be necessary to clarify several issues .
Most prominent among them is the common misconception that this film is an ' alternate ending ' . Though it is , of course , different from the version seen in the television series , it results in the same essential end . This is actually a physical depiction of the end of Neon Genesis Evangelion , as the first ending was , in fact , the more psychological , ' post-apocalypse ' ( if you will accept this description ) ending . The end to the television series occurs not during the ' third-impact ' ( yes , this is a spoiler ) , but a year afterward , when instrumentality ( or complementation , which is what the official Manga subtitled version addresses it as ) has succeeded , and mankind has been merged . This film doesn't disregard the scenes in the final two episodes , as , in fact , every ' anomalous ' scene from episode twenty five ( The Ending World ) from the series is seen in its true form in this film .
Of course , in the end of this film itself , it's far different from the end seen on television , but this is intentional , as Anno intended to destroy any preconceived notions established about the answers to the anomalies presented in the original series , and , also , to frighten and disturb the viewer out of complacency . Having seen this film in both the ' official ' ( Manga subtitled ) version , and the Fansub version , I can honestly state that this is , perhaps , one of the most frightening and disturbing anime films ever , but , also , it is my favorite ( of course , I'm biased , as Neon Genesis Evangelion is my favorite anime , and , in my opinion , the greatest ever created ) .
I can't wait to see this film in its English glory , as I prefer the English vocal actors to the Japanese ones ( though the Japanese VAs certainly do justice to the characters ) , and am incredibly pleased to see that all of the original VAs are reprising their roles .
However , as a warning , this should not be seen until one sees the entirety of the TV series ( not Death and Rebirth , as Death is only a brief digest with new footage , and not a true synopsis { plus , why would anyone only want to see a synopsis ? ! } ) , as the series itself is so incredibly wonderful , and it is also essential to understanding The End of Evangelion .
In summation , if you are only able to make two purchases , purchase the TV Perfect Collection , as well as The End of Evangelion . I can assure you that you won't be at all disappointed .
P.S .
As mentioned previously , I'm a complete Eva fanatic , so don't believe that this is even remotely objective . Also , don't believe that seeing this will destroy any joy in the TV series , as I've seen The End of Evangelion twice and I am enjoying the series just as much as the first time on my ( I believe ) fifteenth viewing ( yes , I am also a college student and a writer , so I do have the capacity to make an informed opinion ) .
003 4 I just wanted to post this quote because I think it's something people should know regarding the relationship between the TV series and this movie :
According to ' The Red Cross Book ' ( which was sold at End Of Evangelion screenings during its original theatrical release in Japan in 1997 and was officially endorsed by Gainax , ) the original scripts for the final two episodes of the TV series were scrapped at the last minute . The reasons are not divulged , but there are rumors that sponsor funding was cut due to controversy about the content , and that Hideaki and Gainax were pressured to end the series differently , in a very short time frame . The result is that the final two episodes of the TV series bear little resemblence to the rest of the show . The book then goes on to say that the original scrapped scripts were essentially fished out of the garbage and that they became the basis for the feature film End of Evangelion . In other words , it's arguable that the final two episodes of the TV series are invalid , and that End of Evangelion is in fact the true ending to the series as envisioned by its creators .
005 4 For those turning to this film to answer all the questions that the last two episodes of the Evangelion ( NGE ) series didn't answer , I suggest you look elsewhere . If anything , this film will provide you with precious few answers but a multitude of new questions . For those wanting a highly provocative , thought-provoking , intelligent and most poignant conclusion to the NGE series , then have no fear . I will try to explain some of the more perplexing elements in this film , without giving too much away , as well giving my thoughts and opinions at the same time .
The film is structured to be the final two episodes of the series . So the first half , Ep . 25 Air / Love is Destructive is concurrent with the series episode 25 The World Ending / Do You Love Me ? . The second half , Ep . 26 . My Purest Heart for You / One More Final : I Need You is concurrent with the series episode 26 The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World / Take Care of Yourself .
Much like the NGE series , the End of Evangelion ( EoE ) weaves a complex story where images and dialogue are closely related to the philosophy and symbolism . These themes are played out through the psychology of each characters ' own mind . It is essentially a microcosm of the entire series . The opening scenes before the Air title card of Ep . 25 of Shinji overlooking the ruins of the city , and then entering Asuka's hospital room and , ( I'll leave it there ) set the mood and atmosphere . Showing effectively and very disturbingly that this is NOT going to be an easy film . As the first half roars out of the gates at breakneck speed , we see the hostile takeover of Nerv by the Seele organization and each Nerv member's desperate attempt to hold it at bay .
We also see the mental states that the two main Eva pilots - Shinji and Asuka - have been reduced too . Shinji is severely depressed after killing the last angel , Kaworu , whom he had formed a close bond with . Asuka is in the same mental boat as Shinji as she sits at the bottom of the lake in her Eva , which she feels she can't pilot anymore . What's interesting is the paths that have driven these two characters to this point . The ideas of finding one's self-worth ( examined perfectly in the final two series episodes ) , and what happens to a person when that is taken away .
At the same time Seele is trying to initiate their plans for Third Impact using Unit - 01 and the downright creepy looking Mass-Produced Eva Series , Gendo has his own plans involving Rei and Lilith . As Asuka , ( with a little help and inspiration from her Mama ) rages an extremely violent battle with the Evil Evas , Gendo takes Rei down to Lilith . He does this to unite the souls and bodies of Adam and Lilith only to find his scorned lover , Ritsuko there . It's interesting that two of the most shocking and violent scenes ( the Asuka / Eva battle and the Gendo / Ritsuko confrontation ) are played out to Bach's beautiful Air . The infusion of the music in this film is truly brilliant and a major reason why many scenes are so effective .
However , this is the point in the film where most people will start to become completely lost . Without a really good understanding of the NGE story ( and perhaps even with one ) , it's hard not to . It's very difficult to make the extremely complex simple , however I'll try without many spoilers .
Suffice it to say that Seele were trying to initiate Third Impact and reduce humankind back to its original form - the Primordial Soup of Life where all souls and beings are one . Gendo had different plans and just wanted to see his ' dead ' wife , Yui again . Neither Seele's or Gendo's plans go exactly as they were meant to . Unit - 01 , along with Shinji , ends up becoming the Tree of Life , and the ark in which all souls are ushered through and into Lilith's Egg . Understanding the idea that in NGE , humans - Lilim , as we're called - were born from Lilith , and Rei is essentially Lilith helps make this clearer . What's happening near this point is 3rd Impact is occurring because of the Unit - 01 and the Mass Produced Eva encounter . This returns the Geo-Front ( the sphere like cavern where Nerv HQ sits ) to its original form , the Egg of Lilith ( we see this during the Eye - like explosion ) . After the Giant Rei / Lilith forms , Shinji is essentially given reign over the future of the human race by Rei / Lilith herself .
At this point , the tempo of the film slows to a crawl and the most surreal images and scenes begin creeping in . Even the most seemingly simple scenes such as a young Shinji playing in a sandbox with a swing , mountains , and a setting sun in the background is just rife with symbolism ( hint : try to relate everything in this scene with something in the show , be it scenes , characters , or themes ) . Here , the psychological interplay between the main characters is crucial , as Shinji's wishes are played out in the real world . When he feels that everyone has deserted him and essentially says ' everyone can just die ' is when the Instrumentality and joining of all souls through Lilith really begins .
What's important to note is Shinji's thoughts after his ' choice ' has been made . The place he escapes to - the world of Instrumentality where all souls are one - and his questioning of this choice and all his choices is what we see here . More than just his questioning of the choice , we also hear him questioning the meaning of reality and dreams . This is not just random philosophical ramblings . It's a study of a character's , as well as the creator's , thoughts and feelings . Shinji holds all of humanity's future in his hands or , more accurately , his own mind . When you consider how psychologically scarred Shinji is , the idea that he can completely shape the future of Earth and all of humankind is what makes this so interesting .
Once he is allowed to be in the world he escapes to , he's faced with another choice of whether to stay or come back . As he discusses these things with Rei and Kaworu ( Lilith and Adam ) , we hear his final choice and reasons why . The ending of EoE , titled One More Final : I Need You is rightfully confusing to almost everyone who sees it . However , it's also the perfect note to end the series with . Not only does it leave us as uncertain as the characters are about the future , but it also expresses the frustration and realization of Shinji's choice and the culmination of all the struggles that has lead them there .
This film is simply a divine marvel . Much like the series it has to be watched multiple times for one to uncover all of its hidden layers and meanings . But it doesn't lose its ability to invoke emotions and thoughts even after several viewings . There are scenes of immense power and drama in the film - many that match the best of most films I've seen . But I think it's the quiet moments that make this film so moving and memorable . The Sandbox scene is one I've mentioned . Another is the live action shots with the monologue and Bach's magnificent Jesus Bleibet Meine Freude ( Jesus , Joy of Man's Desiring ) playing along on piano with it . Even more subtle moments , such as Shinji's SDAT ( walkman type ) player out of batteries ( more significant than many would think ) , and Gendo's broken glasses in Rei's place . With the vivid beginning of Instrumentality played out to the appropriate sad-song-with-a-pop-beat Komm Susser Tod ( Come Sweet Death ) , it's these scenes that never fail to give me chills .
There's a great quote that goes something like A truly wise man always has more questions than answers . This is a series and film that asks more questions than it provides answers . What it tries to do is make you think about those questions , rather than provide an easily digestible story . Some may call the story incoherent and disjointed , but what many don't realize is that the deep psychological and philosophical leanings behind the show are inextricably linked with the storyline itself . So to distinguish one from the other is impossible without realizing how the two intertwine and effect the other . If you merely try to breakdown the sci-fi storyline , then you will be confused by much of it . This is because the story is so big and so encompassing that many finer details can't be uncovered without diving deep into the inner workings of the series .
In the end , I can only speak for myself when I say NGE did a superlative job of doing everything a great work of art should do . It made me laugh , it made me cry , it gave me chills on more than one occasion . . . . but most of all it made me THINK . Anyone who wants to enjoy this show as just a meaningless work of science fiction can do so , but will be baffled as they're crushed by the multiple layers of extra contextual meanings . So , if you want to understand NGE , you have to not only pay close attention to the small details within the show ( small scenes from many episodes back play a role in the film ) , you have to really open your mind up to the ideas being presented , and how they effect the story .
However , taken as a film , and the conclusion to the NGE series , End of Evangelion is a staggering achievement and powerful last testament to what is , in my opinion , the greatest visual series of all time .
* DVD NOTES :
Those considering whether to buy just the EoE or the EoE / Death & Rebirth 2 - pack , I suggest you go with the EoE unless you don't own the director's cuts of the last several episodes ( available in the Platinum Collection ) . ' Death ' is mostly a muddled re-crap of the entire series , while ' Rebirth ' is merely the first 30 minutes of EoE . Death also doesn't contain remastered visuals or audio like the Platinum Collection does , so you'll be getting a low quality re-cap at that . Death really doesn't even work as an introduction to NGE , because most everyone not aquainted with previous episodes would be confused by the structure of the recap . The only thing worthwile in ' Death ' is something called The Magi Archives which provides great information about key people , places , events , and thing in the series . This is very helpful to those who feel completely lost by all the jargon in the series and will help clear some things up , even if it won't answer any of the bigger questions . So just stick with EoE unless you feel the need for completeness to get Death & Rebirth as well .
008 4 When i started watching NGE , i thought of it as a little strange . The mecha scenes were pretty cool , so i got the second disc , which got me completely hooked into the series . The series was incredible , so when i heard that EoE was available , i went out and bought it .
First of all , i would like to say that i liked the original end of the series . I thought it was an accurate representation of how the director wanted the series to end . The alternate reality has to be the funniest ten minutes of the whole series .
Back to EoE . . . this movie will BLOW YOUR MIND . It is possibly one of the best movies that i have ever seen ( even in live action movies ) and has so many layers that it is impossible to tell where one stops and another begins . If you're watching this expecting closure , you're not going to get it . There are more questions opened up by the last scene ( with Asuka's last word being Disgusting ) than are answeared in the entire movie . Warning : You will think about this movie months after you've finished it . The dub is excellent , and the audio commentary not only adds insight to the end , but is also very funny at points ( such as when they refer to one place as the Evil girlfriend sanctum - you'll have to watch the movie ) There isn't really any much more that i can say without spoiling many of the plot points other than to say that if you are an Eva fan , get this movie . It doesn't disappoint .
009 4 Having watched the ' End of Evangelion ' many times over , I still find it as baffling as ever . Watching this movie is much like watching the climax of 2001 A Space Odyssey where David Bowman enters the ' stargate ' at the monolith and undergoes his psychadelic trip to nowhere . After such a bizarre parade of juxtaposed images , events and themes ( often splashed around like images in a Picasso painting ) you wonder what the hell it means .
The End of Evangelion is the alternative ending to the 1996 anime television series directed by Hideki Anno . Anno produced several works , however Evangelion proved to be the most popular ( and controversial ) .
On the surface the premise of the series is fairly straightforward and similar to many other science fiction anime series ; a group of humans living in a post-apocalyptic world are fighting to defend humanity from alien invaders . In Evangelion the aliens are called ' Angels ' , powerful and dangerous beings who appear to come from another dimension and cannot be defeated except by giant robots piloted by young children .
The main character in the series is the anti-hero Shinji , a cowardly , indecisive , apathetic and introverted character who is frequently depressed and gripped by anomie and acedia and seems to be unable to do the most basic tasks without being forced by other people . As the series unfolds it is clear Shinji and how he relates to others is somehow central not just to the angel-human conflict but even perhaps to the salvation of mankind itself .
Shinji relates most closely to three characters , Azuka , Misato , and his father , Gendo Ikari . As the series unfolds each of the characters is revealed to have a deeply tragic past which has resulted in all having very severe neurotic and psychological problems which border on hysteria and nervous breakdown . Indeed virtually all the characters come to pieces , either mentally or physically , as the series progresses and darkens .
The End of Evangelion seems to complement the interior fragmentation and destruction of the selves of the main characters by telling the ' narrative ' of events in the external world . NERV is invaded and destroyed by a human invasion after the last angel is defeated in battle and the main characters are killed , including Azuka ( in a rather horrible and gruesome way ) . Shinji , trapped in psychotic shock at the death of Azuka , enters his evangelion but is then taken by other evangelions who seem to undergo a bizarre ritual which reforms the ' Tree of life ' , the central symbol of kabbalastic mysticism . This leads to a giant Goddess-figure called Lilith rising to life , who proceeds to bring about the end of the world by merging the souls of all individual humans back into an undifferentiated unity , while Shinji looks on .
For some reason the process seems to fail and Lilith dies , perhaps because Shinji exercises his free will to remain an individual being rather than to re-merge his self into God . Azuka , perhaps also merged with aspects of Rei and Shinji's mother , also reemerges beside him along a deserted shoreline , while the rest of humanity and life remains as a red soup , an undifferentiated unity from which all things began . At the end Shinji attempts to strangle Azuka but relents , and then Azuka says ' How disgusting . '
The ending of the world and the ' recreation ' of a new world seems to contain some very complex themes , such as free will , the relation of humans to the Absolute , how we relate to the ' Other ' and existence in an incomplete world where the paradox of reality is where we suffer but suffering is also part of growth . Anno seems to draw deeply on Kabbalistic mysticism , Existential philosophy ( many of the themes in the end are allegories of themes explored by philosophers like Heidigger , Sartre , Gadamer and Emmanuel Levinas ) and Christian symbolism . Why Anno chose to use symbols from the Judeo-Christian tradition ( in particular Kabbalah ) for the series and the end I am not sure , but perhaps Anno felt the Zohar's profound sense of exile in a world where the divine is deeply hidden and absent and associated existential themes of angst , alienation , being in relation to death and nothingness were appropriate when dealing with psychological themes such as repressed emotions , the unconcious , introversion and extroversion , sexual desire , and frustration of our dreams and goals , and suffering .
I get the sense the ending of Evangelion is open , and I think Anno intended it to be so . To ' close ' Evangelion where everyone is happy and gets what they wish seems to negate the deeper premise of the series which pointed to the universality of human suffering in the inner and outer worlds ; the extremes of torture and pain all the characters endure to the point of death seems excessive but perhaps makes the important point there is no safe refuge in this world of change where the divine seems absent . While using Christian / Jewish imagery and western philosophical themes , I get the sense in the end Anno's message is Buddhist ; we learn to grow through suffering , pain and evil and by accepting ourselves as we are , and we must accept there is evil and pain in all of existence and there is no escaping it , as evil and good exist even in the Godhead itself . In this sense Anno approaches the Gnostic systems of Jacob Boehme and also some of the more radical forms of Kabbalah , where humans must restore a broken world by experiencing good as well as evil .
Certainly the End of Evangelion is a multilayered world with extremely complex imagery , and cannot be watched as most other ordinary movies would be .
011 4 The End of Evangelion was originally scripted to be the now infamous existentialistic , soul searching , and ultimately inconclusive episodes twenty-five and twenty-six that made up the ending to the hit anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion . However , due to budget constraints , it never saw the light of day , presented only briefly in the debut of Death and Rebirth . Now , director Hideki Anno brings us the final , conclusive chapter in the Evangelion series , a gut wrenching two hour finale that shocks , horrifies , and depresses on a scale that only the sinister themes of Evangelion could possibly present . For any true Evangelion fan , this is a must buy .
With the Angels defeated , the unity humanity enjoyed rapidly deteriorates as the world turns against each other . SEELE , a collation of allied nations , betrays their former military ally , NERV , and launches a surprise attack on their base in order to obtain the key to humanity's destruction and eventual rebirth : Evangelion Unit - 01 . Stuck in the middle of the unprecedented war is Evangelion's protagonist , Shinji Ikari , who , without the guidance from his friends Asuka and Rei , finds himself rapidly losing his grip on reality and returning to a state of helpless self-pity . As the battle rages and SEELE introduces its own line of MP Evas , Shinji finds the fate of humanity thrust into his unwilling hands . Once again at the helm of the creation he has grown to hate , he must decide the outcome of the world .
In my previous review of Evangelion I thought the ending was more than satisfactory . While I still stand by that , the Ending of Evangelion blows it out of the water . It has the action that made the series enjoyable to watch , the thought provoking ideology that forces one to ponder , and all drama that made the characters seem so real . In keeping with the trend presented by the series , about halfway through the End of Evangelion , Hideki Anno jumps off the tracks of traditional story telling and returns to the whirlwind of incoherent thoughts and images blurred together in a cyclonical representation of the human psyche . It's insane , but brilliant . Disturbing , but beautiful . Confusing yet intriguing . Half-story , half-art , that's the way Evangelion , has always been , and it's wonderful to see it conclude this way . The soundtrack is integrated brilliantly within the movie . Each track kicks in at exactly the right moment , and the theme song Komm Susser Todd ( Come Sweet Death ) could not have been played at a more suitable moment . The appropriateness of it is overwhelming , and accentuates the emotions in scene in which it's presented .
A warning to younger audiences : the Ending of Evangelion is not for kids . There is not an ounce of humor or cuteness that filled some of the episodes of the series . The violence is quite graphic , but even more terrifying is the disturbing imagery that is used prevalently throughout the film . While far from tasteless , some of it will leave you rather shaken , especially if you're familiar with characters from the series .
Like Evangelion , the End of Evangelion does not end with a happy ending . Far from it , and yet it forces the viewer to look at the story from several different angles . If the symbolism can be interpreted differently , then perhaps the ending can also be perceived in a different light . Either way , I left with a raw feeling in my stomach , a sad hopeless feel that made sure I would never be able to see the series the same way ever again .
Conclusively , the Ending of Evangelion is recommended to only those who have seen Evangelion solely because only those who have seen and appreciated the series will be able to enjoy the film to its fullest . If you hated the series , then the Ending of Evangelion probably won't change your mind . If you loved the series , then there's no reason why you shouldn't add this to your collection .
JA_Japster's Final Score : 10 / 10
012 4 After experiencing all of Neon Genesis Evangelion it was absolutely imperative for me to see this , the BETTER ending to the show . It ties up most of the loose ends left by the series ' original finale . However , the end of this movie isn't much more forthcoming in explaining itself than the series ' end was . It was more physical , perhaps , but still not satisfying enough in my opinion . There's closure here , no doubt , but not the kind I was hoping for .
Luckily the disk has an amusing and interesting commentary from 3 individuals who worked on the show . It's a godsend because it explains a great deal of the movie's bizarre imagery . Without that commentary I would have been lost in trying to understand some of the key plot developments .
I really liked the overall quality of this film . You can tell the production values were higher here than in the series because the animation is a significant step up . And geez , talk about graphic ! Unless you're terribly desensitized to violence and gore , be prepared for some harsh visuals ! The action sequences are brutal , yet gratifying at the same time . The music was mostly impressive but towards the end it gets strange . It sounds kind of odd considering the events during which it plays . You'll just have to listen ( and see ) for yourself .
This film entertains while making you feel for the characters . For that reason alone it is a success . But Evangelion viewers will get much more out of it . Any fan of the series would be crazy to miss this final chapter . After all , you have to know what REALLY happens to everyone at the conclusion , right ?
013 4 So is it really worth all the hype ? The frustrated answer seems to be yes and no . Advertised as the definitive conclusion to this dense , complicated TV series , THE END OF EVANGELION * does * provide answers to some of the many questions we have during the show , and offers some of the most impressive visuals I've ever seen in any movie . The animation is spectacular , particularly during the climactic sequences , and , although seemingly out-of-place in an animated movie , the integration of live-action sequences are beautifully shot and edited . If anything , the movie is like a tour-de-force as an experiment in visual cinematography .
As incredible as the visuals are , however , they seem to be the only real prize of this movie . The storyline really could have used some work . As mentioned , this film ties up some of the more loose ends of the story , but the overall production feels every bit as disjointed , confusing , and unconventional as the original finale of the show .
I really don't know what to think about this film , except that , if this is Hideaki Anno's personal work , then I think he must be a very tormented and conflicted artist himself . He has a lot of talent and interesting concepts for art - - as mentioned , the visuals are incredible in the movie - - but he seems to have a screwed up view of the world . He also must have had trouble deciding how he REALLY wanted to resolve the conflicts in this puzzling tale of his , as this picture is incredibly dense and interpretative . It almost appears , to me at least , that he is almost like the Stanley Kubrick of Anime - - a talented artist who conjures visual tricks out of his magic bag while leaving us with a rather mind-bending plot .
As an expressive form of art , this film ( and the series , no doubt ) is exceptional and brilliant , but for others expecting a cohesive and clear storyline , this will probably leave you in the dark . This is not to say that EVANGELION is bad - - it isn't , but it feels disjointed and strangely incomplete . Still , the cast of characters are interesting and believable , and this picture's music by Shiro Sagisu is probably his best ever - - he features a chanting chorus and some of the most passionate melodies I've ever heard from a composer who occasionally churns out bland compositions . In that sense , EVANGELION is more like a case of artists expressing themselves - - their strengths and weaknesses - - in ways that we , the audience , may not always understand .
The DVD , like the film , seems to be every bit as flawed . Produced by MANGA ENTERTAINMENT , who also released EVANGELION : DEATH & REBIRTH , the presentation is uneven . Again , the audio mixing on the English dub is not as good as on the Japanese language track , and , strangely , the Japanese trailer for the film is featured BEFORE the movie itself begins . ( What happened ? Were the DVD producers on drugs ? ) There were a lot of extras promised , but unfortunately , they never made it . All that's available is an enjoyable commentary track by Amanda Winn Lee - voice of Rei and director of English dub - and voice talents Jason Lee and Taliesin Jaffe .
The dub itself is good for the most part ; the actors give their best performances ever , but many fans complained about the addition of sound effects from the crew . This didn't bother my mom when we viewed it together ( she , like myself , is not as rabid or picky as some Anime fans seem to be ) , but the sploosh sound effects feel out-of-place with the rest of the film . Thankfully , this doesn't occur often , but it's an oddity that doesn't exist on the Japanese language track .
For an improvement , though , there are 6.1 , 5.1 , and 2.0 tracks for both English and Japanese , which should satisfy fans . But it's weird that the disc itself appears to be a double-sided DVD when in reality it is not .
I'm not saying that this is a waste of time at all ; the movie is worth a look for its incredible visuals , but it's best to be warned - - this is a very dark , depressing movie , and the DVD feels disjointed . It's probably best to keep these factors in mind before deciding to dive into a web of puzzles and visual splendor .
015 4 Evangelion is one of my favorite Anime series , and like most fans , I really dislike the show's original ending . And so , Gainax gave us End of Evangelion , a 90 minute feature length movie composed of two alternate versions of Episodes 25 and 26 , complete with episode title cards . This is hardly a straight-up movie .
The movie itself is very well animated , and gives fans the massive , climactic battle that was pined for , as well as what's quite possibly the most visually bizzare climax I've seen in an Anime .
The storyline in EoE is actually much more straight-forward than you might expect , however it gets kind of bogged down with the frequent injection of strange imagery that isn't really connected with the main story . There is even a portion of the movie featuring live action footage , and it will not really make sense to you unless you know the story behind why it was put in there . This movie is definately not for people prone to optic siezures , either !
I think I'd say this is probably an R-rated movie . In addition to the violence and gore , there's more profanity than the show with the F-bomb being dropped at least twice , and there is also a lot of nudity . It wasn't as rampant as Ghost in the Shell , but it's still worth pointing out . And , there is some sexual content as well , including a scene at the beginning where Shinji masturbates off-camera ( and we see the aftermath all over his hand afterwards ) , and there's also a sex scene that happens mostly off-camera , however we do see the woman's feet accompanied by muffled sound . Consider yourself warned if you're planning to show this to younger teens , but chances are if they've already seen the show , this won't be much further beyond that .
Overall , I'd say it's a decent movie , and you should buy it if you already own the series . When coupled with the director's cut episodes , you have a full replacement for episodes 21 - 26 . If you've only seen the show on TV , then try to find somewhere to rent EoE , because you owe it to yourself . It's hardly perfect , but it at least leaves you with the answers to some questions that the original leaves burning in your head , and gives you some really well animated ( although often VERY weird ) imagery . The DVD image quality itself isn't particularly high unfortunately , and it's not even in animorphic widescreen ( you get good ol ' crappy letterbox widescreen instead ) . But at least the movie itself is there and perfectly watchable , and seeing as this is the only version avalible I'd say you should buy it rather than holding out for a re-release .
I'm really very interested to see what ADV does with the live-action Evangelion movie project . I want to see if when they get to the series conclusion , they'll be able to adapt it in a way that makes it less confusing and more palletable , or if they'll cop out and change it to something completely different . I guess we'll only be able to wait and see .
019 4 This review is from :
Neon Genesis Evangelion - The End Of Evangelion ( DVD )
Where do I begin ?
How do I begin ?
It's extremely hard to describe how I feel about this film . . . And I know I won't be able to express my feelings about it . There is no way I can do it justice , so I will keep this brief . I will say that it is the deepest , most moving thing I have ever seen . ( And maybe will ever see ) .
A review on Imdb said EoE delves into the deepest , darkest human emotions This is probably the shortest yet most fitting way to describe it . Hideaki Anno ( the anime director and creator ) put it as ;
' Eva ' is a story that repeats .
It is a story about understanding self existence and self worth in the eyes of others and ourselves .
It is a story where the main character witnesses many horrors with his own eyes , but still tries to stand up again .
It is a story of will ; a story of moving forward , if only just a little .
It is a story of fear , where someone who must face indefinite solitude fears reaching out to others , but still wants to try . - - Anno
Much of the psychological aspects of the anime are based on Anno's real life experiences with clinical depression . It is important to look beyond the fictional characters when watching Eva . You need to realise what they are going through is what Anno went through and is what other people are going through in real life .
And don't be fooled by first appearances ; this is NOT just a cookie cutter mecha-anime . Giant robots are to Evangelion what Fighting is to the film Fight Club .
I honestly believe that Anno deserves a Nobel Prize for this . I have read the work of many Nobel Prize winning writers , and none of it has come close to matching EoE in any way .
If you are thinking of watching EoE , just know that you must watch the original anime series beforehand .
020 4 Where do I begin ?
How do I begin ?
It's extremely hard to describe how I feel about this film . . . And I know I won't be able to express my feelings about it . There is no way I can do it justice , so I will keep this brief . I will say that it is the deepest , most moving thing I have ever seen . ( And maybe will ever see ) .
A review on Imdb said EoE delves into the deepest , darkest human emotions This is probably the shortest yet most fitting way to describe it . Hideaki Anno ( the anime director and creator ) put it as ;
' Eva ' is a story that repeats .
It is a story about understanding self existence and self worth in the eyes of others and ourselves .
It is a story where the main character witnesses many horrors with his own eyes , but still tries to stand up again .
It is a story of will ; a story of moving forward , if only just a little .
It is a story of fear , where someone who must face indefinite solitude fears reaching out to others , but still wants to try . - - Anno
Much of the psychological aspects of the anime are based on Anno's real life experiences with clinical depression . It is important to look beyond the fictional characters when watching Eva . You need to realise what they are going through is what Anno went through and is what other people are going through in real life .
And don't be fooled by first appearances ; this is NOT just a cookie cutter mecha-anime . Giant robots are to Evangelion what Fighting is to the film Fight Club .
I honestly believe that Anno deserves a Nobel Prize for this . I have read the work of many Nobel Prize winning writers , and none of it has come close to matching EoE in any way .
If you are thinking of watching EoE , just know that you must watch the original anime series beforehand .
022 4 This review is from :
Neon Genesis Evangelion - The End Of Evangelion ( DVD )
This film is a rarity in the world of film making and in TV production . The first important thing to note is that you will never be able to fully appreciate this film until you've seen the TV series - this has been touched on by others , but it truly is important . The film compliments the final two episodes of the series , and was a labor of love for the creator of the series as well as many dedicated production companies who helped it get made ( look at the list of credits ! I think it's the entire population of Japan ! ) .
While the last 2 episodes of the series eschew the Eva action scenes of earlier eps ( a necessary evil . . . the production team completely ran out of money ) , they unravel the workings of the mind in an absolutely brilliant way . It was basically a self-help guide for viewers , showing them the way towards happiness and fulfillment . Plus , it was nice to see Shinji stand up for himself for once . However , as an end to a series , it fell short . What IS the Human Instrumentality Project ? How was the plan initialized ? What the hell happened to all of the characters we got to know ? They wanted to show us , but they knew they couldn't in such a small time span and with so little money . Luckily , we've got this movie .
And what a movie it is . On visuals alone , it stands above practically every animated or live action film I've ever seen . The imagery and the symbolism ( especially in the last half of the movie ) is amazing and would cause a theologian's brain to explode . The film combines animation and live action , as well as interesting filming techniques like producing animation to look like it was filmed with an 8mm camera . There are important reasons for all of this . It is to create mood , moods that range from fear , hopelessness , loneliness , to utter ecstacy . It's a movie with religious symbols and religious names that , when you watch it , feels like a religious experience . But in a strange way , it has nothing to do with religion at all .
The main focus of both the series and the film is on the self ; filling in the holes in each one of our souls with parts of each other , and identity and how it requires human interaction ( in spite of how painful it may be for some ) to be formed . In short , this film comes closer to explaining the meaning of life than anything I think I've ever seen . Wow , what a statement !
All of this would mean nothing , however , if we didn't care about the characters , or if the movie was boring . Neither of these are true . All of the characters , whether it be Shinji , Asuka , Misato , whoever , are people you can relate to in a very true way . They are all flawed . No one is a hero in this film , no one is completely virtuous . This is another brilliant aspect of this story : these humans attempt to become God while blind to their inherent problems .
The action scenes in the first half of the film more than make up for the lack of it in the latter episodes of the series . To see one of the main characters we've cheered on for so long finally kick some ass is a beautiful thing ( until we're brought back down to earth in the most painful of ways ) . It's in part 2 of the movie that the visuals become overwhelming , however . I never thought the end of the world could be so beautiful .
The music ? Perfect . That's all I'll say , because I've rambled on too much .
You know , for a guy who is not much of an anime fan and who is in no strong way a religious person , it's pretty amazing that a movie like this can affect me so much . All I can say is , watch the entire series first . Buy it , borrow it , I don't care . Get through the slow beginning episodes , stare dumbfounded at the confusing ending , and then watch the movie . Then do it all again the second time . You'll either hate it , love it so much your life will change , or you'll get so confused your head will explode . But you won't forget it and you won't have a neutral reaction to it , and that's the sign of a truly wonderful work of art .
023 4 This film is a rarity in the world of film making and in TV production . The first important thing to note is that you will never be able to fully appreciate this film until you've seen the TV series - this has been touched on by others , but it truly is important . The film compliments the final two episodes of the series , and was a labor of love for the creator of the series as well as many dedicated production companies who helped it get made ( look at the list of credits ! I think it's the entire population of Japan ! ) .
While the last 2 episodes of the series eschew the Eva action scenes of earlier eps ( a necessary evil . . . the production team completely ran out of money ) , they unravel the workings of the mind in an absolutely brilliant way . It was basically a self-help guide for viewers , showing them the way towards happiness and fulfillment . Plus , it was nice to see Shinji stand up for himself for once . However , as an end to a series , it fell short . What IS the Human Instrumentality Project ? How was the plan initialized ? What the hell happened to all of the characters we got to know ? They wanted to show us , but they knew they couldn't in such a small time span and with so little money . Luckily , we've got this movie .
And what a movie it is . On visuals alone , it stands above practically every animated or live action film I've ever seen . The imagery and the symbolism ( especially in the last half of the movie ) is amazing and would cause a theologian's brain to explode . The film combines animation and live action , as well as interesting filming techniques like producing animation to look like it was filmed with an 8mm camera . There are important reasons for all of this . It is to create mood , moods that range from fear , hopelessness , loneliness , to utter ecstacy . It's a movie with religious symbols and religious names that , when you watch it , feels like a religious experience . But in a strange way , it has nothing to do with religion at all .
The main focus of both the series and the film is on the self ; filling in the holes in each one of our souls with parts of each other , and identity and how it requires human interaction ( in spite of how painful it may be for some ) to be formed . In short , this film comes closer to explaining the meaning of life than anything I think I've ever seen . Wow , what a statement !
All of this would mean nothing , however , if we didn't care about the characters , or if the movie was boring . Neither of these are true . All of the characters , whether it be Shinji , Asuka , Misato , whoever , are people you can relate to in a very true way . They are all flawed . No one is a hero in this film , no one is completely virtuous . This is another brilliant aspect of this story : these humans attempt to become God while blind to their inherent problems .
The action scenes in the first half of the film more than make up for the lack of it in the latter episodes of the series . To see one of the main characters we've cheered on for so long finally kick some ass is a beautiful thing ( until we're brought back down to earth in the most painful of ways ) . It's in part 2 of the movie that the visuals become overwhelming , however . I never thought the end of the world could be so beautiful .
The music ? Perfect . That's all I'll say , because I've rambled on too much .
You know , for a guy who is not much of an anime fan and who is in no strong way a religious person , it's pretty amazing that a movie like this can affect me so much . All I can say is , watch the entire series first . Buy it , borrow it , I don't care . Get through the slow beginning episodes , stare dumbfounded at the confusing ending , and then watch the movie . Then do it all again the second time . You'll either hate it , love it so much your life will change , or you'll get so confused your head will explode . But you won't forget it and you won't have a neutral reaction to it , and that's the sign of a truly wonderful work of art .
024 4 This movie surprised me to no end ! A great deal of fans were outraged by the deaths of many important characters , but I see this as adding to the film's overall effect on the audience after all , no one saw it coming . The ending can also be seen as too apocalyptic , as you are left unsure whether Shinji and Asuka are the only ones who didn't give in to the Human Complementation Project .
Just to clear something up , the two characters at the end are Shinji and THE REAL Asuka . This has been debated because of Asuka's bandages and eye color , which are for some reason popularly seen as symbolic . This is not so .
But one shot in particular shows that her eyes are their natural color , just a bit off because of the scene's lighting . Her bandages are not meant to portray her as a combination of characters - she was merely injured herself earlier in the film . Finally , the reason that Shinji is choking her at the end is to make sure she can feel pain , which she indeed does , making her the real Asuka .
The FACT - not opinion , FACT - that Asuka is alive at the end made the ending much more acceptable for me than when I agreed with the ridiculous rumors surrounding the last scene .
If you disagree for some reason , you'll agree once you read about it at EvaOtaku.com .
I hope you've been enlightened !
032 4 This is one of those rare instances in which a simple sci-fi plot has been utelized to create a display that is much more than cool - it actually represents the depth of humanity itself .
The steryotypical hero in films like these is usually someone who is stronger than the viewers - whether on the inside or out . But Shinji , this film's focus , is pretty much weak in every way a regular troubled teen would be . He doesn't like himself , he's unskilled socially , he runs away a lot - and he can only work up the nerve to confess love to a girl once she's in a coma .
Also , even weak movie heroes usually find their strength just in time to save everyone else - but not in this case . Shinji finds strength at about the same time that the person he cares about more than anyone else is being mauled by monsters - and the realization that his cowardice caused her death horrifies him so much that he literally-though unwittingly - brings about the apocalypse .
But this movie is all about moving on and finding the will to face the future . Shinji rarely showed strength in the series . The finale's title I Need You means one thing : Shinji still has not changed . He cannot change without Asuka - a person who has motivated his strength on many occasions throughout the series . She is the only girl he ever willingly kissed . She's a tough one all right , but underneath , her situation matches Shinji's in every sense . Their romance was a tragedy - they both had a longing for each other , but they could never express that properly , which ended up causing them a lot of grief . I believe they are soul mates in a sense true to life ( if there was any doubt , a series of cards that explains this movie confirms the relationship between these two characters )
The ending is hopeful - not just for Asuka and Shinji , but for a rebirth of humanity .
033 4 Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of about four anime series that I have ever watched more than a couple of episodes of and is one of my favorite fictional works in any medium . I greatly enjoyed its incredible and complex plot , its convincing and sometimes unconventional character development , and its incredible designs and animation . Its underplayed and abstracted ending made the perfect denoument to the incredible series .
So why the movies ? Basically , they're there to provide an alternate high-budget ending for dissatisfied fans .
The argument for watching the movie as a opposed to the television ending is that the plot is addressed more clearly and literally , which it is for about its first half . It clearly elucidates upon the circumstances leading up to the fates of some characters shown in scenes of the final two episodes of the series .
However , after that the movie must again resort to abstraction - it's the only way to convey the message that director Hideaki Anno means to express . However , rather than the thoughtful introspection of the series finale , it is more disjointed and includes far more Judeo-Christian elements , which were used by a Japanese director with the intent of mystifying a Japanese audience . They weren't intended to make sense to someone from an Asian background , and as a result they make no sense to anyone from a Western background , either .
There's some interesting metaphysical ground that you could cover with some of the ideas presented , even the disjointed religious iconography . However , most of them are better conveyed in the television ending , in my opinion .
The movie is still very technically solid - the animation is beautiful , if somewhat disturbing at points , the English voice-over dubs are top-notch , and the design work is just as incredible as in the series . It boils down to personal preference , I suppose . Just keep in mind that the ending of Evangelion is essentially the same regardless of the incarnation ( the exact same events are portrayed in both endings ) , save for the final resolution , which actually makes more sense in the TV version .
If you were unhappy with the final two episodes of the series , you can try the movie for a different presentation of essentially the same thing . If you liked the television ending , the movie is a needless re-hashing of the same events with a less satisfying ending .
034 4 My name is Sam Allen . I bought this flick soon after it came out and have had it for more than 9 months and still love it ! Don't get me wrong - I don't just love it for the shock value , but I , along with owning Death And Rebirth and the series complete collection , now fully understand the plot of this movie .
These are the episodes 25 and 26 , but they are redone ( and make . . . a lot better ending than the last two television episodes , which I liked even so ) , uncut , put into movie form , and begin where episode 24 left off ( no spoilers ) . Oh yeah , and it is VIOLENT ! Although the series isn't kid appropriate to begin with , this is so amazingly disturbing that kids would be either of three things : scared out of their wits by some particularly horrifying scenes ( like one EVA after it is knawed to pieces ) , in a lot of trouble if their parents caught them watching it , or nauseous because of all the gore .
However , this does NOT mean that it is a bad movie : I was wowed the first time by the astounding art and CG's ( and still am today ) and having watched the tv collection through and through , I got it better the second fifty times around ( not literally with the fifty times part ) . An added goodie is the fun ( and funny ) commentary track by Jason and Amanda Winn-Lee and Talliesin Jaffe ( all three of whom are actors in this film and much more ) .
Like the tv series , the dub is somewhat hazy , but I'm a sub enthusiast anyways , and no true fan could resist having the legendary Megumi play . . . a VILLAIN ! If you are an anime fan and have good cash on you ( 200 bucks , to be exact ) , buy the series box set and this together , and wait on D + R . Either that , or buy the series now and wait for the film boxset to come out in September .
This is a terrifically disturbing conclusion to the series , but is definetely for a mature audience ( I was only 13 when I bought it , knowing perfectly well how disturbing it was after reading that the violence was too graphic for the tube ) , . . .
035 4 When I picked up this movie , along with the series that precedes it , I was nothing short of dumbfounded . At best , I hoped for some cool action scenes , because that's usually all that Japanese animation is good for . What I got with End of Eva was entirely different .
Like in most anime feature films , the battles sequences of End of Eva are beautifully orchestrated , and believe me when I say that there is no shortage of blood . However , the true strength of the movie is the multi-faceted nature of the plotline . The story is complex enough to give you a migraine , and it is in fact the deepest movie I have seen - anime or otherwise .
Critics quickly point out that the characters of this movie are simple stereotypes of classic anime characters ( the reluctant hero , the pretty lady-in-charge , etc . ) . While that is partly true , there is nothing simple about these characters . As the story progresses , it evolves into a sort of psychological examination , and it is here that the essences of the characters are revealed . We are literally taken inside the minds of the troubled protagonists of the story , as well as the antagonists , and we are shown their fears , their desires , and their personal views of themselves - and , amazingly , this is portrayed in a way that is not boring .
All good things said , this movie is more than enough to really confuse you . If it does , I recommend entering evaotaku.com / frequently asked questions using a search engine . Enjoy it !
036 4 At the end of the original Evangelion T.V . show , we watch Shinji as he looks at himself from all different angles trying to figure out what worth he has in this world . Eventually , he decides that he is worth something , and breaks out of instrumentality , returning to reality . Shinji is welcomed by his friends ( in his mind ) , and we're left to think that it's a completely happy ending .
End of Evangelion essenitally tells the same story . However , instead of showing the thoughts of Shinji inside his head , this show deals with happenings in the outside world . You will see that many different events in the original T.V . episodes , correspond with events that take place in the movie . For instance , Misato's body lying on the ground , Ritsuko's jacket lying in the L.C.L . , and the movie will explain how these events take place .
And these events surely took place in a most drastic way . The opening scene is one of the most infamous scenes in anime . The End of The World sequence is both very sexual , and violent in its imagery . However , that is not to say that these events don't have a subtle sense of beauty to them . The movie also ends on a much darker note , despite ending the same way .
Overall , this is movie is the storyline , and the other is the analysis of the storyline . Put them together , and you get one great ending !
041 4 End of Evangelion starts where Rebirth started , but continues on where Rebirth leaves off .
Finally Asuka struts her stuff . This final movie / episode is really good because it tells you the things for certain that where only hinted at in the series . You understand Rei's purpose , or at least , why Shinji's father made her , you get to see the new Evas purpose , and why they were really produced . You get to see unit 01 ' s true purpose too . EVERYTHING becomes clear in this movie , all the things you thought were true are for the most part confirmed .
The only confusing thing is the VERY VERY end , if you don't catch what Shinji's parents are saying while you are looking into space , you won't quit catch why Shinji is doing what he is doing or why it's so quiet . But because of his still continuing struggle he can't bare loneliness . . . but he can't stand to have someone else be miserable because of his choice . . . but he can't bring himself to do what he thinks he should .
SPOILER BELOW DON'T READ . . Well sort of spoiler
In the end it can be assumed the human race is repopulated by the two remaining humans , I only guess Asuka is around because Shinji still feels he needs her , It will be a lonely existence But as long as one human remains , it will be a testament for eternity that humans existed ( not exact quote ! ) So I assume that Shinji was meant to be the only human left , but again , because of his weakness Asuka is there , cause he thinks he needs her . But he realizes he should be the only human so maybe that's why he's trying to . . . well do what he's doing . . . I'm not sure , but then he can't do it . And her reaction is kind of odd . . . at first she seemed to sooth him but then she hates him . . . I can't blame her though . ANY way it seemed a better ending in my opinion than the series .
048 4 Lots of animated movies show great animation , but few have tackled multiple depths of plot and character with success . Neon Genesis : End of Evangelion is a rare gem that many consider an unrivaled mastery of the genre . The viewer is treated to some world-class anime battles , as well as very deep looks into the minds of the characters .
Asuka , who is not done justice during the series , is a main focus in the movie . Her rise from depression into rapture is a truly exciting , mood-lifting scene - which makes her apparent death at the hands of the Eva series one of the most brutally sad scenes in any movie , anime or otherwise . More of Shinji's inner thoughts are revealed , most notably his apparent longing for Asuka's affections , confirming a love that both the anime and manga strongly hint at .
However , you probably won't be able to make heads or tails of the story if you're unfamiliar with the basic plot . In fact , even hard-core fans often miss some basic points of the story , so many that ADV Films and GAINAX have had to release a lot of info regarding the plot .
Here's a few solid facts ( NOT opinions ) released by the studios :
1 . ) The final scene takes place IN REALITY after Shinji rejects Instrumentality .
2 . ) Although popular , the notion that the Asuka at the end is a combination of characters is simply wrong . Some supporters of this outlandish theory argue that Asuka has brown eyes like Misato and bandages like Rei in this scene .
In truth , it is unknown how she became bandaged , but the wounds were received in her final fight .
On top of that , her eyes are their natural color-BLUE . They are somewhat grayed by the lighting of the scene , but so are Shinji's , whose natural eye color is also BLUE ( they are often portrayed incorrectly brown in artwork , even on some DVD covers ) .
3 . ) Sure , it's up to the viewer to decide what happens next , as you are pretty much left hanging . But it is TRUE that Shinji and Asuka are alive and back in reality ( in their NATURAL forms ) at the end .
Some details are up to opinion . For example , one sensible opinion is that Shinji is crying at the end because Asuka has revealed her love for him . During Instrumentality , it is shown that Shinji hadn't revealed his feelings for her because he was too afraid of rejection . He cries upon realizing that they could have been open with each other much sooner . In other words , he should have realized that Asuka and the others cared for him , and he should have been willing to save them earlier .
The up-side : now that they have been honest with each other , Asuka and Shinji have a chance at happiness - hopefully with each other .
055 4 The first time I watched this , I had to stop the DVD half way through so I could cry a little . . . ^ _ ^ ( ) In all of my life , I never thought someone could put my most horrifying nightmares into reality . Anno acomplished this with no flaw . Though I will admit , the imagery is disturbing beyond imagination , and sometimes down right disgusting , it will only add to its power . I have seen most of the Evangelion series , but not all of it . When I heard how popular this movie was among fans of the show , I just had to pick it up one day while walking around Suncoast . I didn't regret it .
The animation and abstract imagery is enough to buy this movie . To Rei's head slowly decending from her body while she is morphed with Lilith , to Asuka being finished off by nine Evas , who cleverly enough have the feel and comparison to vultures . I will say openly , the plot is confusing , and will still be hard to follow even for hard core Evangelion fans . But in a way , the plot never really mattered to me while I watched it . I was too hypnotized by how lively the characters emotions and terrors were portrayed , and I felt deep inside of me turmoil when I heard Shinji's cries for help and screams .
To pay attention to who the characters are and what they are basically feeling is what I believe was tried the most to be portrayed in this movie . After all . The people who saw the end of the T.V series were fairly satisfied . The movie itself is brilliant for its deep and disturbing meanings . Not its plot .
All in all : If you are looking for a movie with a plot that stays strong throughout it and does not have many ups and downs , perhaps it might be better to look for something different , or open your mind more while watching this movie . But , if you're the kind of person who loves beautiful , if slightly disturbing imagery , along with mind blowing beliefs and mysteries about what everything along with life is really about , then dive right in . This movie is just for you .
If I could give one ounce of advice to the world , it would be to just forget about what sense is . What follows along perfectly , what makes sense or not . In the end , it really doesn't matter anymore . And it certainly doesn't matter while watching this movie . This will stay with you for months to come . Enjoy it .
060 4 The End of Evangelion is one of the most bizarre , but brilliant films made in any medium , be it live action or animation . Studio Gainax teamed up with the animation stuidio Production I.G in 1997 to create the theatrical conclusion to their most famous work , Neon Genesis Evangelion .
Picking up right where episode 24 left off , EoE acts as an alternate ending to episodes 25 and 26 , which abandoned the narrative to give the viewers an abstract view into the minds of the main characters ( though the television ending may be the same story presented in the film from a different perspective ) . As such , this movie should not be viewed before watching the series , as you will be completely lost .
The animation is beautiful in this film , a huge step up from the TV series . Two scenes in particular that I found impressive were Asuka's fight scene against the 9 Mass Production Evangelions , and the strange but beautiful take on the Apocalypse presented in the second half .
This film is not suitable for younger viewers . It has many disturbing psychological themes ( particularly the scene in the beginning ) , and the action is brutal and gory . One of the main characters is also nude for the duration of the movie , but it isn't too graphic . The film poses many questions and doesn't deliver the answers in a clear cut manner , instead allowing the viewers to come to their own conclusions . It is not for viewers who are seeking a fun blockbuster movie that doesn't require much thinking .
I gave this release 4 stars due to the poor video transfer on the DVD . It looks fine , but compared to the release from Japan , it's lacking . The English dub is also very poor in my opnion , and I highley reccomend watching this in Japanese with subtitles .
061 4 I've seen more than my share of deep , artsy psycho-dramas , but I'd have to say this one approaches the top of the list . However , if you can't relate to the characters , it's a lost cause . ( I.E . A deep thinker on any level will unquestionably love this , but more kinesthetic viewers shouldn't waste their time )
It starts off with some as-good-as-you-expect action sequences that are typical of animes . But at about the halfway point , the film's remarkably original plot seamlessly intertwines itself with the psychological issues of the main characters . I won't go into detail , but if you're anything like me , you'll find that as the story progresses , the person under the microscope is no longer Shinji Ikari , but you yourself .
P.S . - Go to a search engine and type in animenewsnetwork / understanding evangelion . It provides an excellent analysis of the series .
062 4 Here's the deal if you have not seen the series don't watch this movie . It would take far to many words to explain the series it is something that has to be watched to get .
My only notes are that it's not that hard to follow as long as you are good at paying attention to details ( and of course you have seen the series and did honestly pay attention to it ) . Other reviewers I'm sure have summed up what it's about . The movie is basically the action packed , mine-trip , fight scene , blood-n-gore of the end that many said was lacking in the last twp episodes of the series ( I.E . what ` s happening out side of the characters minds in reality ) . This movie is just as deep and sometimes down right confusing as the series , and that ` s why I like it . For me mixing parts of this movie with the series episodes 25 and 26 was vary satisfying . Many say watching the movie between episodes 24 and 25 seems right . But really it would take a huge edit job to get it right . All the parts are there you just need to rearrange them the to make them right in my opinion .
065 4 This movie wraps up Evangelion like the series never could , answering most of the questions that you were left to answer all on your own during those final two episodes of Evangelion . Instead of Shinji sitting in a chair in a black room , pondering his own sanity , we see him sitting in a chair next to a comatose Asuka as teenage fantasy flies through his mind . Though surely a disturbing start , it's more than what was given in the final episodes of Evangelion .
The story itself takes place after the end of episode twenty-four . Nerv is on the edge of destruction from outside agencies . Stormed by soldiers bent on killing the Childs ( Asuka , Shinji , and Rei ) , the people of Nerv must not only save these children , but also attempt to stop the impending destruction of the world . The one person able to keep her head during the crisis , Misato , and truly the only person who cares for the children , does everything in her power to save Shinji and the others . What follows are tense battles between Nerv personnel and an outside force of murderous soldiers , charged to kill on sight . That's basically the first part , and I'd hate to ruin this for the few Evangelion fans who haven't seen this movie , so I'll quit now , leaving the rest to be seen .
I will say that Asuka finally gets her moment to shine in this one . In what is perhaps the greatest piece of action I've seen out of an anime , Asuka takes on nine mechs on her own , and does a hell of a job . Another bonus is the updated music , which got better since the series . And , of course , the animation quality is higher in this because it was a theatrical release . Manga also respected the fans of dubbed titles by bringing in the original ADV voice cast .
Though I'll give this movie a 5 , it wasn't all praise . They still stole a lot of time by using constant still-imagery . The story itself gets a little more disturbing , especially with the fact that two fourteen year old girls are almost constantly running around nude . The blood and gore is also upped in this ; there's one moment where we watch a head slowly separate from a neck and fall away . Now , this isn't rare in anime , but it was rare in the Evangelion series , and it seemed to me that the creators took every possible liberty they could to make their teenage anime seem adult . Though it doesn't take much away , it doesn't quite feel the same .
Still , that doesn't explain for the fact that we were left without this ending for some time . Though I wasn't personally disappointed by the ending to the series , I was left confused and wanting more , especially with the alternate reality they presented . The End of Evangelion is what we should have seen .
Not only is this a masterpiece of animation , but , as a whole , Evangelion has one of the best stories ever written , with plenty of Biblical symbolism and the taboo presented so often it seems normal here . And when combined with the End of Evangelion , the story actually wraps up nicely . However , I'd only recommend this to fans who have seen the series , because everything that goes on in this movie correlates directly with first twenty-four episodes of the series .
066 4 i remember reading off of someone else's review that the ending in the series was not the intended ending by the original creator . something about some beuracracy that got in the way and thus he wasn't allowed to let everything out . well , this is his rebuttal and a real good three fingers up and read between the lines to those folk . whether or not this is true , i do not know . ( but i sort of got a hint that the series ending wasn't the actual ending when watching in one of the last episodes there was a scene where the chick-general was telling pen-pen that she was sending him away because things were about to get ugly . . . . but then they never did . . . ) what i do know , though , is that this is one serious in-your-face , raw , kick-ass , flick , with lots of anime-syle-die-die-die-screaming . and it's got one particular soundtrack piece that has the hannibal lector style calmness . . . .
but i digress .
this dvd is basically a movie release of the ending to the series . in my opinion , it has one person's view into the human psyche , at least his interpretation of it . it really shows the rawness of the human psyche . and when i say rawness , i mean that when you watch it , you really have to suspend your own judgement of things and allow yourself to immerse yourself into the minds of each of the characters . he gives you perspective on things from the first hand standpoint which can easily deter many people from the actual meaning . an example of this would be to stop and think about sex right in the middle of doing it . now , first hand , the mention of sex would turn some people off ( or on , lol ) . but he'll throw this sort of thing at you . the intent is not to get your jollies off , but rather to get that feeling sparked in you , and then for you to begin asking deep questions about it . this is definitely not everyone's cup of tea . but for those that follow this leader , i assure you won't be disappointed .
sometimes , indulging in one's own fantasies requires a reflection into why we need to indulge in the first place . that's what this gets you to think ( or at least tries to ) .
although it felt as though there was a bit of a jump from the initial start of the movie from the series , i was far from disappointed from what followed . the flick has a lot of soul searching involved along with some serious angel arse kicking . ( arse kicking first , then soul searching ) .
this is seriously a rated r whereas the the series ending in the dvd-box set is a rated g .
very good dvd . you won't get the full appreciation of everything unless you watch the entire series , though , so try to make the effort to watch those first .
067 4 Basically what I mean is that this film is so strange and complex that you'll love it ( or hate it , no middle ground here ) even if you don't know what the hell happened . It's probably the best example of a film that clearly defines WTF ? yet it manages to bring out emotions . Be sure to watch it with the commentary too as some of it will be explained or at least interpreted .
Without getting into too big explanation of who characters are and whatnot I'll just say the plot as is . You should really watch the entire series , including the infamous episodes 25 and 26 to understand . Why infamous ? Well fans got so involved in the plot that when the last 2 episodes aired ( which from what I can tell is more the metaphysical meaning or the psychological actions behind the characters ) fans were in an uproar , even sending death threats to series creator Anno . FYI : Some of those death threats are including in kanji at the end . So End of Evangelion is what really happens to the characters .
SEELE is trying to cause another Impact ( again watch the series for everything ) and they send in troops into NERV Headquarters to start it . Only thing stopping them is EVA pilots Shinji who's in serious depression mode and Asuka who's rather comatose . This goes into a bunch of stuff that is too hard to understand , let alone explain .
One can't help but feel the movie is like a big up yours to fans ( which Amanda Winn Lee , voice actor for Rei and other stuff ) says in the commentary . It's like Anno said ok you want a real ending to Evangelion ? Well here it is but boy am I gonna really mess you up with it . Characters die rather gruesomely and half of it barely makes sense but Evangelion in a way was always designed to make you puzzle over it .
If you were one of the many fans that were dissatisfied with Episodes 25 and 26 then this is for you but be warned it's quite brutal and really hard to understand but you'll sure enjoy it ( if you're in the group that loves it )
073 4 In writing a review about The End of Evangelion , I honestly do not know where to start . To begin with , it is my favorite movie of all time . I will not bother reviewing the plot or setup here , since so many other reviewers have already done so perfectly well . Instead , I will try to shed just a smidgeon of light on the immense literary and artistic depth that this fim encompasses .
There is so very much to say about this film . Its depth , emotion and meaning are unsurpassed by nearly any other film I've seen , from the East or the West . Every minute of every episode of the Evangelion TV series has led up to this film . Every character's personal quest is resolved , for better or for worse , and all the fundamental thematic elements ( if not every aspect of the plot ) are resolved in truly mind-blowing fashion . Practically every shot of the film is loaded with complex Freudian and / or Judeo-Christian symbolism . ( On a side note , many have dismissed the religious symbolism in this series as being frivolous and unnecessary due to the unfortunate comments to that end made by assistant director Kazuya Tsurumaki a number of years ago . However , those who possess an extensive familiarity with both the subject matter and the series find it , to say the least , difficult to accept that such elaborate symbolism could be merely coincidental . ) It is not only a fine work of unconventional directorial artistry , but quite possibly the very pinnacle of the literary potential of animation as a medium . The film pushes its medium - one which is frequently condemned to be overlooked by serious critics due to its employment in children's entertainment - to the very limits and beyond , accomplishing true exploitation of its potential for expressionistic value that has never been rivaled before or since , even by the many other great figures in the field of anime . The flash montages that Evangelion has become famous for are used to the very maximum of their potential , and the brilliant incorporation of live action into the whole postmodern flow communicates its message to the viewer on a level beyond words - something many films strive to accomplish , but very few ever achieve . The dialogue is concise , powerful , and well-chosen , and is translated into English with exceptional care for both the subtitled and English versions by anime-whiz Amanda Winn Lee and her jolly band at Gaijin Productions . ( With the exception of one line of plot exposition that may make viewers ' interpretations a little hazy therein . ) It is clear , as it has always been , that director Hideaki Anno went to great labors to find the perfect lines for each scene , and just when and how to have them delivered for the greatest possible emotional impact . A previous reviewer has stated of the highly postmodern psychological sequences that the viewer will soon find that the person under the microscope is not Shinji Ikari , but you . I could not agree more . This film is personally affecting in a way that none other has been , or perhaps ever will be .
The voice acting in both the English and Japanese versions is beyond superb . While the English has a couple of flat deliveries ( mostly by stand-in actor Keith Burgess , who took on and subsequently butchered the role of secondary character Makoto Hyuga since the original voice , Matt Greenfield , would not work on the Manga Entertainment dub ) , none of them truly mar the onscreen drama , and even some lines that might make us laugh in other contexts ( Sweet Jesus , an Anti-AT Field ! ) are delivered with such confidance and sincerity that we have no choice but to take them with all seriousness . Furthermore , almost all of the beloved cast from the Eva TV series return to their roles in the movie , with leads such as Spike Spencer , Tiffany Grant , Amanda Winn Lee , Allison Keith and Tristan MacAvery delivering what could well be the performances of their lives . The original Japanese cast is just as good , with Megumi Ogata , Yuko Miyamura , Kotono Mitsuishi and the rest pushing their characters to the very limits . Any argument as to which version is superior seems ultimately trite , as both versions are delivered with stunning expertise and emotion .
The visuals of the film are stunning , overwhelming and beautiful . The animation is fluid and stunning , and the shades of gray communicate the melancholy mood of hope , loss and destruction that pervades the film . Even the incredibly graphic violence is delivered with a sort of horrific beauty that makes us reflect upon its greatert significance , not to the story , but to humankind itself . The Beast is brought out within all the characters , as the grim slaughter of the first act turns out the ugliest aspects of humanity in an apocalypse that is as emotional as it is visual . We truly FEEL every loose end of the story coming together , as it all falls apart at the same time .
The musical score for the film is unconventional , to say the least . While the TV series fell back to extensive use of synthesizers and small musical ensembles due to budget , Shiro Sagisu's oddball talent finally graduates to a full orchestral range for the big screen.This proves invaluable to the film's delivery , with several key themes from the series making their return in orchestral reprises , most notably including a sweeping choral reprise of the contemplative and bizarre theme Mother is the First Other from the later TV episodes . Also unforgettable is the eerily catchy Komm , Susser Todd , played during the most apocalyptic segment of the film , which extends the already-disturbing imagery to nightmarish proportions .
While the DVD itself does not contain nearly as many extras as one would hope a film of this caliber to receive , the commentary by English-language director Amanda Winn , her husband Jason Lee , and coworker Tallison Jaffe is both refreshingly humorous and helpfully enlightening in regards to the labyrinthine abstraction of the film . Some have criticized it for taking the film too lightly , but I , as a truly sincere fan , must protest . I , for one , would certainly not have sat through the commentary track for the entire film if it were NEARLY as serious as the film itself . The commentators more or less excuse themselves for their lighthearted tone by coming right out and saying that if they were to do a deadpan commentary to one of the most horrific pieces of violence ever put to cel , that they would probably be jumping in front of a truck or something . A humorous excuse , of course , but one that , at least to me , endears them significantly enough to allow me to get caught up in their delightfully childish humor . Of course , it's not just Mystery Science Theater here - there are serious insights on many of the more abstract images or potential symbols found in the film , and ones that I probably would not have caught onto myself if I had not listened to the commentary track . If the viewer is concerned that they do not have sufficient respect for such a fine film , well , one need only look as far as the film's aforementioned brilliant English adaptation to see otherwise . Despite the fact that there is no laughter to be found within the film , I think it is safe to say that Ms . Lee and her colleagues are laughing with the drama , not at it . ( Even in Japan , Hideaki Anno himself decided to parody the film in an audio drama entitled , After the End . )
I could go on about this brilliant work of art forever and ever , but why should I ? If you , the reader of this review , have seen the TV series of Neon Genesis Evangelion but have not seen this movie yet , you should feel downright obligated to secure and view it as soon as possible . This is one of the finest achievements in the history of anime , if not Asian cinema itself .
Final Verdict :
Rating : M + ( recommended for 17 and older , with strong content ) - For graphic violence and gore , nudity , brief language , sexual situations and disturbing themes and images .
Score : 10 / 10 - Perfect ( or as close as you can get )
Bottom Line : Any fan of anime , Asian film , or just fine cinema owes it to him or herself to see this film . Period .
074 4 On the technical merits of the movie :
Quality of transfer : average , washed out at times , grainy
Quality of sound : average , not a lot of surround , at times you have to strain to hear the dialogue
But this was a TV series so all is forgiven .
This movie is certainly a lot more serious in tone than the series . The series has the baka moments when certain characters do or say really silly things and make their faces . The penguin is completely absent . It reminded me of the experimental movies in the 60 ' s and 70 ' s with odd stills and psychadelic live action footages inserted in places to emphasize the despair of the main character . Many have complained about the psychobabble of anime movies like this one . But so what , if someone is willing to take the time to explore life from another angle , it makes it all the more interesting . And to think all this came from mainstream TVin Japan , it is astounding , this would never happen here . The closest thing right now is Battleship Galactica , an excellent series , but it's on a cable network .
If you want something thought provoking and challenging , get it . If you are someone who doesn't care for alternate world views , then better save your money .
075 4 End of Evangelion is one of the most amazing anime movies ever captured on film . The point of this movie is that the creator took this movie as a replacement for the last 2 episodes which dissapointed over thousands of fans which thought that the original 2 episodes were way too complicated and to confusing to understand . But because Anno ( da creator ) is so damn generous he remade the last episodes into a theaterical film which was viewed in Japan a couple years ago .
Summary .
Nerv has defeated all of the 18 angels and all is well until the tokyo 3 government has decided that there is no need for NERV anymore so they decide to take the evagelions and ADAM & LILITH by force . AAlso another organization has sent 9 eva units to destroy the evangelions . This is where it gets way too violent . to be honest the movie is almost as confusing as the series but it ends so cruel . Anyway Asuka is forced to fight off all of the eva series by herself and in only 3 and a half minutes , it ends so cruel altough she does take them all down for a minor minut the vea sereis come back alive and completly tear EVA unit 2 limb from limb they take apart Asukas left eye ( in the movie it shows tons of blood flowing of here left eye ) and it presumes she is dead . And when Shinji coming from all that trauma back at headquarters when Misato and almost every staff member dies , he comes into the line of battle where the first thing he sees is parts from EVA unit 2 being carried into the air by the evas and he begins to go crazy . That was just the first half which contains all the gruesome blood and horrible battle scenes , although the second half is still a lil bit over the edge , it is placed in Shinjis mind where all his thoughts and ego is considered whether or not the world is doomed or not . The second half is is very much alike the last episode in the sereis , extremely confusing but makes a lil bit more sense than the series . In the end all of the philosophical trauma that SHinji goes through he comes up with a conclusion , ( as long there is one person living , that alone proves that humanity does indeed exist ) . In the movie Shinji wishes that he was dead and that he hated everyone else , but it would seem that the exact opposite wish he wanted appeared , everyone in the world is dead and he is the only humaan being except for Asuka that is still alive . And this is all of the events that happened during what was called THIRD IMPACT >
078 4 Those that are a fan for the evangelion series will come to understand the power of the final evangelion epic . Thus , strangly weird with its insights and visuals profounds but very intelligent mixing in religous theories with contrversial themes making this an epic adventure truly worthy of praise by the fans of this show . In this movie , Shinji is facing a life and death struggle for mankind while also facing the fears of doubts within himself only to come out of it alone in a battle to end all battles . . . and when they mean The end of evangelion they truly mean THE END ! ! ! or is it ?
With all the death threat that the director been getting by the fans of this show . . he wanted to make a ending that was truly psychodelic but yet strangly true to its meaning giving the charaters life in a despirating time when the end of the world is immenate . All of the characters as you watch this movie you can't help but to either cheer for them . . or cry and the music is so beautifuly done it truly goes with the movie . . espcially a certain Orchestra piece during the movie that makes the fundemental changes to the end more demanding and puts strength in its changes . . . it was beautifuly done !
In a nutshell , the fans won't be disappointed ( depressed a bit maybe for some of the scenes ) for the simple fact that the end is only the beginning with a suprise ending that would make a person happy of at least a good outcome . . this movie is one of the best epics and a great end to such a demanding and contrversial show , its religous insight and good fight scenes makes Neon Gensis the show and movie to watch . . if you need to be at the edge of your seat with an ultamate finale then the end of evangelion is the movie for you . . . see it for yourself .
Hopefully there will be a new generation to neon gensis since the ending kinda made an opening to a new change .
080 4 If anyone was confused by the last two episodes of the series , this is the last part of evangelion that attempts to explain it all , this time with action as good as if not better than the first battle Shinji was in . Each character recieves there ultimatum , though often unhappily . The last half hour is confusing , but the ending is one i didn't see coming at all .
Basically if you like the series you'll like this .
083 4 After watching the End of Evangelion , I was under the full blown delusion for a short time that I was Shinji Ikari . Did this happen to anyone else ? ! When Shinji descends into schizophrenia , it was exactly like thoughts I used to have , and then at the end Shinji has become God , and it felt like myself the person watching the anime was in fact a reality Shinji created for himself to avoid the pain of the whole huge mutant Rei sucking him in thing . Therefore , this movie was the scariest thing I have ever seen . I was even thinking in Shinji's voice for a few hours afterwards going , I don't want to pilot the EVAS anymore ! and What is this ? Where am I ? Was my whole life a cartoon ? It's not possible ! Asuka ? ! Misato ? ! Where are you ? ! No they're all gone ! Were they ever even real ? ! Was I ever real ? ! Yes , that's what I was thinking , only in Shinji's voice , but they seemed like my thoughts .
Of course , since no one can say for sure what reality is , I can't be proved right or wrong . The point of this review is , this movie is good , but be careful it doesn't get you committed to the psych ward . Man , I really need to go to a psychologist .
084 4 End of Evangelion - - what can I say about such a brilliantly incorehent and horrifying film ? A lot !
But before I review this , a message to other reviewers - - please , try and get your facts straight before you do a review . There are too many common misconceptions going around , of them being . . .
Misconception : This movie was just a big FU to the fans because they wanted a better ending than the original .
Truth : A little bit , it is , but EoE was essentially the original ending they wanted to make in the first place . The reason the ' original ' ending we have to the series was made was because they ran out of money near the end , plus it was too violent for television . So Anno and team basically chose to string together half-assed philosophical discussions to save cash on animation .
Misconception : Everyone dies , and Shinji is going to repopulate Earth with an incarnation of his 3 dream women in Asuka's body .
Truth : Asuka is just Asuka , and no one else . She is beside Shinji at the end because , if anyone can recall , anyone can return to physical form if they want to . ANYONE . And Asuka and Shinji were just the first to do so . They are not the new Adam & Eve .
There , with that out of the way , maybe a few more people will not believe those annoying misconceptions . ( The truth stated above is from the actual creator of the show as well , if you're questioning my sources . )
This movie is pretty good for a few reasons , one of them being , it's very messed up , and I would definately recommend it for a horror movie marathon . Cause although the average horror movie will startle you , EoE will MESS YOU UP AND PUT YOU IN THERAPY ! Which , of course , is always a good thing . . .
So next Hallowe'en , when you and your Eva loving friends get together , pop in EoE , and watch them soil themselves . . . or kill themselves . Whichever comes first . EoE is excellent horror movie material , if only you didn't have to watch the whole series to know what's going on .
What else makes EoE great , is it's so disturbing you may just throw up . And isn't throwing up fun ? It is ! Unless you do it too much . . . than it's sickening . Yeah , I know , who could imagine that throwing up could mean you being sick ?
And l forget the awesome Asuka vs . Mass Production Evas fight scene , because it was truly incredible and beyond freaking belief ! Almost beyond the belief that the religious symbolism had a purpose ! So , I say again , THE ACTION IS IN-FREAKING-HOLY-PLASTIC-TOILETS-CREDIBLE ! ! !
* calming down overacting fanboyness . . . . *
End of Eva , see it , or don't . Either way I really don't care cause your decision doesn't effect me in any direct way whatsoever . But if you are going to see it , please make the effort understand it , and perhaps , just perhaps , the overall baka level of the world will go decrease . ( Though I doubt it . . . )
087 4 I threw in this DVD tonight because I'm about to show it to a friend and I wanted to see how it would look on my new tv . Wow . . . a truly horrible release from Manga Entertainment .
If you own a widescreen TV and plan on watching this with subtitles good luck because when you zoom the image the subtitles are cut off due to this not being an anamorphic release .
If you plan on watching this dubbed be prepared for some pain even if you've been watching the dub of the TV show . Important actors are gone , technical terms are mispronounced , and lame sound effects are added because the ADR director thought it would be a good idea . It's unwatchable if you are at all accustomed to the TV dub .
For the apparently legendary amount of money Manga paid for the domestic rights to this they sure managed to make it one of the most sloppy DVD releases in their catalog . I can't imagine the rights lapsing even though this DVD is out of print so you may want to find another way to see this film .
088 4 EOE is the conclusion to one of the most contreversial animes in all history . The movie replaces episodes 25 , and 26 of the tv series . The movie starts off from episode 24 where Shinji has just killed Kawauru and Asuka is in a coma . The first scene ( which should be known by many who have seen this movie ) was disturbing ; however it help set the mood of the story , the mental state of the main character . End of Eva sets itself apart from many other animes by the sheer mental beating it gives and the abillity to used songs like Air Symphonic Suite in very gory scenes . End of Eva ironically was not truely different than the original ending . Events and many other things changed , but its essential roots , its message was still basically the same . Considering that the hostile takeover of NERV was originally supposed to happen in the tv series ( but they ran out of money ) EOE can be considered the same ending as the tv series except a MILLION times more planned out .
Its obvious that EOE had great direction and ALOT of help . ( the ending credits listed over 400 names ps Anno Hideaki was listed twelve times . . . . so thats why he couldn't direct the movie . . ) Symbolism is pulled out by the truckfull . One can spend hours and hours just figuring out all the symbols used . There are also a lot of little additions that could truely only be seen by the DVD version . ( freeze framing ) This aspect as well as the commentary makes the DVD worth buying . ( ps Amanda Winn Lee did a great job directing and voicing as Rei Ayanami and Yui Ikari )
093 4 This review is from :
Neon Genesis Evangelion - The End Of Evangelion ( DVD )
This is not a film , this is a masterpiece of the modern age . Like one reviewer said , do not watch this movie to pass time it simply cant be done it will engross you and make your brain ask a million questions at once and not find answers for hardly any of them . Now to be honest it takes more than one viewing to fully appreciate the beauty ( or disgustingness however you look at it ) of this film , I myself have seen it no less than 10 times and im still seeing new things . So in short , this the most beautiful , disgusting , thought provocing , insane masterpiece ever so do yourself a favor and buy it right now
095 4 This review is from :
Neon Genesis Evangelion - The End Of Evangelion ( DVD )
This movie brings it all together . They did a great job to end the series . I loved it .
097 4 Now , I don't know the complete whole story about how this movie was made ( although I'm close ) , but I have watched NGE throughoutly , including the last two episodes , and since I went into those final two episodes expecting them to be wierd , I wasn't two suprised .
However , when I saw this , I was VERY suprised . When you scrolled down here , you may have seen that this is listed as NC - 17 . The guy who put this there needs to work at the ratings place . While this isn't quite true , as the movie has no American rating , this is what it should be . Just because this is animation doesn't mean that this has to be for kids ( screw you , 4Kids ) . No kiddies allowed . I mean it .
I really won't spoil anything , except that if you haven't invested time in watching every NGE episode up to at least #25 , then you won't get this at all . So don't watch it .
I can't stress this enough-I hate censorship , but if you have a kid under 13 , I don't care what he watches on Adult Swim , I don't care if he watches South Park , I don't care if he watches the SERIES , it would be wise not to let him / her watch this . And no matter what age you are when you watch this , you will be scarred for life . In the good way . I think . So point ended-if you've seen the series and like it , rent this and buy it afterward if you really like it .
Closing comment-keep in mind that the South Park movie is only rated R .
That scare you ?
098 4 The title shows another ending , but more understandable . I was very upset with the ending from the TV serie , I could not believe that kind of ending . I almost throw out the whole TV serie pack through the window !
Fortunately , there is a better ending , which in my opinion , is more suitable . I rated with only 4 stars because of its sad ending .
100 4 Posted : Wed Dec 28 , 2005 11 : 44 pm Post subject : Review : The End of Evangelion ( spoiler alert )
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Along with Akira and Vampire Hunter D I think this is the most lyrically graphic and beautiful anime film I've seen . I have a problem with the fact that for some reason there's drastic lighting changes almost every scene on my DVD , but I wonder if that's just mine . Still the images represented here are like great heavy music , they are totally outside of trends , truly uncompromising , and completely without taboo . The blood flows freely and quite graphically throughout , but you learn to accept it , and the deaths they represent , because in the end this film is an allegory around the roles of humanity and God , and the ultimate consequences of death and rebirth .
This is a movie that the first 7 or 8 times even that you see it , especially if you have not finished the series , like me , that makes you go ' WTF ' . Nothing makes sense at first , especially the ending when Rei becomes Lillith and Shinji takes on the role of the new Christ or the new Adam , not quite God the Father in the purest form but undoubtedly the maker of all humanity . It will really mess with your head at first , but that's the goal really , to make you think , perhaps deeper than you ever thought . It challenges the notions of humanity trying to become God and presents a truly appocalyptic vision of if that ever happened . It also challenges the ideas of linear story-telling .
As usual the characters are well thought-out and very relatable on some level , in spite of the grandiose situations they are presented in . You respect Rei , the shy , quiet , but caring ( secretly of course , she's not really designed to be caring , but is ) one , for accepting the responsibility of becoming in essence the mother of us all , and hence the mother Shinji never had . The first half of the film we view Shinji as we always do , with the right amount of sympathy and revulsion at his self-loathing and weakness . As the movie progresses and we see him finally accept himself for who he is and what he is , and decides he does have a purpose and as long as he's alive he will find his happiness in some way , we respect him at last . Asuka we can never make heads or tales of anyways , but when she dies about halfway through the film , and we see her torn apart eva bleeding and dripping everywhere with it's spine sticking out , and we know she's dead , ripped apart inside the bellies of the EVA's , we are deeply disgusted , as well as extremely angry and violently sad . The other characters in the end we feel sorry for , but besides Misato , who does not deserve to die like she does , we aren't really that connected with so our sympathy is not totally heartfelt .
I want to thank the guy that wrote the kids review explaining the ending for me on Amazon , so now I can say something about that . Some people might wonder why Shinji , who is given the chance to create whatever he wants , chooses to have the same Asuka who loathes his weakness and his crying , and even at the end of the movie after he weeps when he sees she's real says How disgusting . I know I did . But now I understand why . He wants things the way they were . He wants to try to find his own strength in the world of pain he's always known . He wants to make himself stronger , and in doing so win the love of the real Asuka , for in the end he chooses her as the one he loves and the one he wants back , instead of Rei , who he lets become Lillith and take on that responsibility . Now that I understand the scene , I think it's one of the most psychologically impactful of the movie . I think the movie ends in a superb fashion , because like all great endings it leaves you craving more . You want to know if Shinji and Asuka ever do become one heart , ever learn to love and accept eachother . You want to know if this new world is ever repopulated . Endings like this are annoying at first , but are brilliant because they allow YOU to create the ultimate ending , and once you do that you are finally satisfied .
This is almost perfect , a true artistic dream . I hope you all enjoy
102 4 * Silence * Jesus , Mary and Joseph ! This movie was great ! I have been a fan of the series for about a year . I started collecting the platinum editions ( recommended ) of the series . Well here we go !
A little summary of this movie / series is that Shinji Ikari , the protagonist , is stuck in between a rock and the end of the world . For a movie that was released between episodes 25 and 26 , was a great concept . The series is like the entire movie : Shinji is afraid , Asuka Langly Soryu tries to be a hot shot , and Rei Ayanami is still quiet and alien-like . Not much character development from the series to the movie .
Next , is the music . The music was great . With composers and bands such as Shiro Sagisu and VOX , this was what really made the movie ; the score .
Graphics were great and , like all anime movies , more . . . energetic then the stop and talk motions you would normally see . If you have a weak stomach and faint when you see blood , rent The Passion of Christ because this movie is beyond gory and violent ! It's like Armageddon meats Pokemon !
One issue I had wasn't the blood , but the language . The DVD received a R - like rating ! ( The rating systems differ in Japan than here . ) I guess when they had all the violence and gore , they decided to kick it up a notch and add the language . Something that doesn't really rock my boat .
My final rating is four stars out of five . The language could have been toned down a bit , but everything else from the score to the graphics was great .
My name is Amone , adios !
103 4 Wow . . This is the end . End of Eva is supposed to be a replacement for the original episodes 25 & 26 , but I'd still watch them before this . The first 45 minutes are what one would consider normal : SEELE launches an all-out invasion of NERV HQ to retrieve EVA Unit - 01 , and we get a view of the personalities of some of the very minor NERV employees . I wont tell anything else .
DO NOT WATCH END OF EVANGELION BEFORE WATCHING THE REST OF THE SERIES AND DEATH & REBIRTH .
All I'm going to say about Episode 26 ( the second half ) is that you wont evpect it . Enjoy . . .
106 4 Well , there's not much left to say about this movie as the countless other reviews point out the pros and cons ( most of which are uneducated one star reviews . Most , not all ) of this movie . I , however thought the original ending was superior . Anyways , the movie is great , from the dub to the special features there is plenty to see . Just make sure you've seen the series first . . . that's just common sense . In the end this review is only here to counter act all the stupid one star reviews .
Some things to check out on the DVD :
* The commentary
* The 5.1 dolby Digital surround sound
* THE MOVIE ITSELF !
107 4 Truth be told , I saw End of Eva before I saw the series .
And as I am writing this , I've still only seen 8 episodes of the series , including the highly contreversial ending .
End of Eva still doesn't make as much sense to me as it probably does to many , but it still awes me every time I watch it ( which is often . . . still waiting for my Evangelion boxed set to arrive in the mail ^ _ ^ ) . It's simply brilliant ! I love an anime series that makes you think , and after the disappointing ending to the series , is a welcomed addition to the Eva series ( pun intended ) . I was actually a fan of the ending of the series , I thought that Shinji's contemplation was clever and while not providing the closure that End of Eva provided in a sense , was still good .
I would definitly not recommend End of Eva to the kiddies , o'course , when I watched it I let out my share of ews and oh my gods . But one thing that shocks me is that some people in their reviews stated that End of Evangelion was poor because it of its cryptic nature and all the questions it surfaces , not to mention its less-than-clear ending . I have but one thing to say to this - if you were looking for something that ties up all loose ends and gives you a positive ending , then why did you watch Evangelion in the first place ?
For a series like Evangelion , the possibilities are infinite ! After all , isn't one of the many on-going themes of Evangelion that life is what you percieve it to be ? End of Eva provides no less , and no more . ^ _ ^
A must-see , that is for sure . Now excuse me while I go watch it once more . . .
114 4 This film will finally show you what 3rd Impact was supposed to do , why the clandestine committee wanted to bring it about , and some more details ( some quite visceral ) of what the Evas and Angels are / were . No , I'm not going to spoil it for you .
If you were left with these questions burning in your mind after the end of the Neon Genesis : Evangelion series , they will be settled for you . And you can skip forward to learning them from this movie and miss watching Death and Rebirth without any significant loss ( imho ) .
115 4 Well , with all the dispute over the last two episodes of Evangelion , it was obvious that Anno had to answer back and give the fans more . End of Evangelion was a result after the fan-donated Death and Rebirth ran in theaters . Even though it is used to replace the last two episodes in the series , it's still a great movie .
The film is pretty much explaining everything you've seen in the last two episodes of Evangelion , except there is more action and imagery to describe it better . Now I have had common knowledge of the film before it was released in the US . I've read the script and everything , but this is one anime title that can't be appreciated through the script alone . It has to be seen to be beleived . The movie deals with what all humans fear : The end of the world .
Much of the film won't make sense to anyone who is not familiar with psychology or philosophy , but for fans of the series , it should be impressive to watch all your characters get down and dirty right to the core . In a way , its almost one of the scariest anime films ever created . Filled with frightening and violent imagery , End of Evangelion pretty much breaks the barriers of the original series . And get ready to see a lot of Rei .
The audio for this title was done with extreme care for the fans . It comes in 5.1 EX , 6.1 DTS and 2.0 Stereo in both English and Japanese . Plus , there is the option of audio commentary by the English cast ( continued from Rebirth ) where they make many comments of Evangelion relating to the Bible , Babylonian mythology and much more . Very helpful for those confused . With the exception of the audio commentary and trailers , there are no other extras on this disc . However , I am still impressed with the menus . I thought nothing could topple the Death and Rebirth disc and after I saw the End of Evangelion title menu , I was wrong .
Overall , End of Evangelion is a very deep film that should speak to pretty much anyone out there . Highly recommended to all .
117 4 To start , I must emphasize that you should own NGE the series . Or at least have access to it so that you can watch it .
Then , after watching it and before watching this movie , make sure you think you understand everything and know what the important points and important people are .
Then , crack open the box and put this feature in .
End of Evangelion picks up where Death and Rebirth left off ( roughly ) , though Death and Rebirth is more a link between the series and End of Eva . Though the movie is split into two episodes ( to fall into sequence with the series ) , it really shouldn't be viewed as an alternate ending . Though that's what many sites and even the box says , I agree with the crowd that feels the ending in the series is Shinji's mental battle that takes place during complementation , whereas this movie is a depiction of all the physical events occuring world-wide , as well as more of the mental aspects of several of the characters .
This is a must have for all EVA fans and most all anime fans . There should be no reason for you not to own this : )
And kudos to the people who put together the cover - it captures almost the whole meaning .
118 4 There is a glitch on the DVD of End of Evangelion . Certain DVD players reject the movie after the Manga intro and at the layer change over . Also it rejects the disc when the features are selected . Another thing what ever sound and subtitle options you choose don't stay when the movie starts . They have to be changed once the movie has started . If you haven't ordered or gone out to buy this WAIT ! ! ! I have seen over a hundred posts in just one day address this problem . Some people returned the movie 4 to 5 times with still no luck . There has been no statement from Manga yet addressing this problem . There are some things that play the movie fine though : PS2 , X-BOX , DVD-ROMs .
End of Evangelion still gets 5 out of 5 just because I got to watch it on my PS2 ( not my normal DVD player ) .
119 4 To sum up Evangelion for a non-viewer it is best to say that the entire evangelion story is realy many stories that complement each other ( no pun intended , you will get that after seeing the movie ) . It is the story of a group of people who are struggling with their personal demons , a story of mysterious beings know as angels and how they relate to humanity , a story of political power struggles and finally and in my opinion least importantly
a story of giant robots fighting . It is one of the greatest anime films or any films for that matter that have been ever made .
I find it not surprising yet at the same time appalling looking at many people's views on this movie . One unfortunately has to look at the typical anime fan's expectations and the general calibre of most anime produced to put this movie and people's review of it into perspective . If you are looking at this review you are no doubt a fan of anime or a curious onlooker . If the latter applies to you and you enjoy films or something above the latest kill the bad guys action movie then this movie may well appeal to you . It stands as the most engaging and thought provoking anime produced so far . If you are an anime fan and you believe gundam is the pinnacle of anime then you should probably pass it by or buy it and watch with an extremely open mind . The main thing to keep in mind is that anime is not a genre but a medium . Just like you can not say that everything on television is the same the same goes for anime . This is more in the style of Lain than it is Trigun let's say . The story is not very straightforward or quick moving but at the same time compelling . Also , please don't believe these perception of the director Hideaki Anno being insane . A small mind is scared of what it can't understand and unfortunately has to lash out with such derogatry remarks . He is extremely intelligent and a master story teller with with a complex and thorough understanding of both psychology and Judeo-Christian mythology .
120 4 this movie should have been the one that ended the series in the first place considering this is just about how it actually ends , in the manga . but , we all know that not everything is translated literally and the director does get to put in his / her few cents . in my opinion , this is more or less the ending the viewers wanted because would it have been made if so many viewers didn't cry out about how bad the last two episodes were ? i , for one , actually like anno's original , underappreciated , intellectual happy ending . this is not to say that i didn't like this movie because i love it . like i said , this should have been the ending from the get go .
this movie is action pack for the first fourty-five to sixty minutes or so and than it delves right back into the realm of religious analogies , towards the end . it isn't as heavy , as it is in the original , but it is there . it puts the audience in place of shinji and the audience will once again have to decide what's going on .
i haven't received my preordered copy , as of yet , but have seen it as a fansubbed . i just hope manga doesn't ruin the movie by putting in the mokuji interactive feature , as they did with death and rebirth . the greatest thing about eva is that the viewers gets to decide what is going on , in the storyline , and different people will see things differently . for example , my friend and i can't decide who or what seele really is . i think it is an organization working for God the whole time whereas , he thinks they are just using nerv to get the evas for themselves so that they can decide the fate of the earth . it doesn't mean that one of us is right and the other is wrong now , does it ? it is an opinion , an observation of the surroundings .
i did watch about fifteen minutes or so of the mokuji , for death , and i was basically spot on on most of the information given . i stopped it , at this time , so that i can enjoy the series the way it was meant to be seen and that is through my own eyes not through the eyes of manga entertainment and what they think or says it is . if hideaki anno wanted everything to be explained from the get go , he would have done so by leaving out the religious analogies and just turn eva into another robotech / gundam or something ( two great classic series that doesn't take any brain power to watch ) . appearantly , he didn't .
128 4 The ending of the Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series has been the cause of controversy ever since it first aired . It's a widely known fact that the TV production had run out of money by the final episodes , and one has to wonder how close to director Hideaki Anno's original ending the two-episode mindtrip that capped the series is . Many fans hate the TV ending with a passion , although I found it to be a fascinating and appropriate end to what was essentially a character study with sci-fi trappings .
That said , there were a whole lot of plot threads left dangling by the TV series , but luckily Anno made End of Evangelion to fill us in on all that . Originally planned as an OVA rewrite of the final two episodes , the scripts got so out of control that Anno decided to just go ahead and make a feature to fill us in on what happened to Shinji and company once all hell broke loose . The result is one of the most violent and psychologically disturbing anime films I've ever seen , and if you thought the characters in the TV show were messed up the movie goes a long way toward explaining why .
Yet there is something about the pacing , storytelling , and cineamatic flair Anno brings to his film that lends the violence meaning beyond shock value . This film takes the head games of the TV show to an extreme , forcing the audience to think about and evaluate the meaning of what its seeing . Like the TV show , Anno doesn't always spell out what we're seeing , leaving some things for the audience to piece together . The clues are there , but its up the viewer to put the puzzle together .
This movie also sports some brilliant acting moments for the characters . For me , the most striking image in the film is Asuka curled in a fetal position mumblings I don't wanna die while bombs go off all around her . This is a powerful moment of cinema , and takes a widely reviled character and for a brief moment makes her a real person who you understand and empathize with . There are also some strong moments for Misato and some of the lesser , secondary characters .
The End of Evangelion does everything it sets out to do . It clarifies the end of the TV series and answers many of the questions left dangling from the show . It puts a definitive cap of the story and satisfies the fans ' lust for some big budget battle sequences ( with some truly creepy foes ) . And though the ending can be interpretted in a number of ways , I find it on a whole to be a tad more upbeat than the TV ending , providing a glimmer of hope among all that chaos and destruction . And this DVD has a very informative commentary that will point out all sorts of things you probably missed the first time around , as well as give you tidbits into what the dub producers think it all means .
Although most considerer the movie an alternate and / or real ending to Evangelion , I find the film to be complimentary to the TV series ending . Neither one fully makes sense without the other , and taken together they form a compelling , albeit very disturbing , take on the end of the world .
133 4 This review is from :
Neon Genesis Evangelion - The End Of Evangelion ( DVD )
I'm probably going to get flack from both sides for my relatively neutral rating of this attempt to rewrite the ending of the series Neon Genesis Evangelion . How do I know it's an attempted re-write ? Because there are episode numbers in here and they're clearly marked as the last two episodes from the full series boxed set ( at least that's how I'm interpreting these numbers ) . Now for the most part I liked the series and the world the author tried to create , but like the final two episodes before , these episodes are also fairly confusing . Let me try to explain as best I can .
How do you explain an extremely confusing life experience such as depression , when you're having a difficult time with concepts like self worth , your usefulness in the world , or even who you are and how you relate to others ? The answer is surprisingly simple , you simply don't . I can't think of a coherent way to include all of these elements given the two episode time frame the author appears to be giving himself to work with . I think this , single handedly , is the downfall of this series . Instead I think these themes should have been slowly introduced to the audience over the entire series , not all at once . Granted I'm sure it accurately simulates the confusion the author went through in his personal life , but it's just not a good idea if you want to try and convey this message to a very broad audience .
Strangely I think the last two episodes on the main series were a little easier to understand . I understand what he was trying to do with The End of Evangelion and visually it feels like it integrates into the series more . In this re-make there is another Mecha battle and it seems to flow from the series in a smoother fashion . However , the content is a lot stranger , where Shinji doesn't want to help fight with his Eva unit . Not to mention there is an allusion to a past intimate relationship between Shinji and Asako . . . I don't remember this ever happening in the series . . . other than the time they kissed , but it didn't seem like that manifested into anything beyond that one act . Anyway , the imagery and art is beautiful and I really thought it was cool when one of images of ascension was the Ten Sephirot found in Kabbalah . Seemed like a rather interesting choice . I get the feeling like the main purpose of the message was something of primordial unity between all beings ; at least that's what I gather from the last scene concerning Shinji and Rei . However , I just thought its execution was overtly confusing . The message didn't really need to be told in such an obtuse fashion and I just felt like it lacked the clarity that even the original version of the ending had . I liked the fact that the imagery integrated with the main series more , but the explanation of the human instrumentality project seemed stranger . Honestly , if I hadn't seen the ending episodes of the series to really reinforce my understanding of this re-write I don't think I would've been able to figure out what the writer was talking about .
Overall this was a nice try and I certainly enjoyed the animation , but once again I felt the final message was weakly conveyed . Trying to grasp something this complex into the time frame they've given themselves makes it nigh impossible to succeed ! This is a shame to me , because I think the message they are trying to send to the world is incredibly profound on many levels ; psychological , philosophical or even theological . I'm honestly not sure if I would recommend this to Evangelion fans , because I think most people will walk away feeling this isn't a suitable substitute . Instead , what I think Anno should have done was actually build on what he already started . Like continue Evangelion from where he left his audience in that confusing state then take this 90 minutes to sort of explain it in finer and more coherent detail . Instead it feels like he tries to be too artistic or too poetic and presents it in a more convoluted manner . Don't get me wrong , I certainly appreciate the art , but I think a great series is when you have balance between absolute clarity and some ambiguity . This is all ambiguity and it's up to the viewer to try and discern what's going on . One thing that I felt was wholly strange was in the beginning and in the end there is live video footage of real people . The first is primarily of a girl doing everyday things . . . like going to the bathroom , and the final shot is of an audience . I personally have no idea why . . . maybe someone can let me know in a comment , I'd like to know the purpose behind that . Anyway , take it for what it is . It has some merit , but I wouldn't expect it to have any ground breaking content like fans were hoping for .
134 4 I'm probably going to get flack from both sides for my relatively neutral rating of this attempt to rewrite the ending of the series Neon Genesis Evangelion . How do I know it's an attempted re-write ? Because there are episode numbers in here and they're clearly marked as the last two episodes from the full series boxed set ( at least that's how I'm interpreting these numbers ) . Now for the most part I liked the series and the world the author tried to create , but like the final two episodes before , these episodes are also fairly confusing . Let me try to explain as best I can .
How do you explain an extremely confusing life experience such as depression , when you're having a difficult time with concepts like self worth , your usefulness in the world , or even who you are and how you relate to others ? The answer is surprisingly simple , you simply don't . I can't think of a coherent way to include all of these elements given the two episode time frame the author appears to be giving himself to work with . I think this , single handedly , is the downfall of this series . Instead I think these themes should have been slowly introduced to the audience over the entire series , not all at once . Granted I'm sure it accurately simulates the confusion the author went through in his personal life , but it's just not a good idea if you want to try and convey this message to a very broad audience .
Strangely I think the last two episodes on the main series were a little easier to understand . I understand what he was trying to do with The End of Evangelion and visually it feels like it integrates into the series more . In this re-make there is another Mecha battle and it seems to flow from the series in a smoother fashion . However , the content is a lot stranger , where Shinji doesn't want to help fight with his Eva unit . Not to mention there is an allusion to a past intimate relationship between Shinji and Asako . . . I don't remember this ever happening in the series . . . other than the time they kissed , but it didn't seem like that manifested into anything beyond that one act . Anyway , the imagery and art is beautiful and I really thought it was cool when one of images of ascension was the Ten Sephirot found in Kabbalah . Seemed like a rather interesting choice . I get the feeling like the main purpose of the message was something of primordial unity between all beings ; at least that's what I gather from the last scene concerning Shinji and Rei . However , I just thought its execution was overtly confusing . The message didn't really need to be told in such an obtuse fashion and I just felt like it lacked the clarity that even the original version of the ending had . I liked the fact that the imagery integrated with the main series more , but the explanation of the human instrumentality project seemed stranger . Honestly , if I hadn't seen the ending episodes of the series to really reinforce my understanding of this re-write I don't think I would've been able to figure out what the writer was talking about .
Overall this was a nice try and I certainly enjoyed the animation , but once again I felt the final message was weakly conveyed . Trying to grasp something this complex into the time frame they've given themselves makes it nigh impossible to succeed ! This is a shame to me , because I think the message they are trying to send to the world is incredibly profound on many levels ; psychological , philosophical or even theological . I'm honestly not sure if I would recommend this to Evangelion fans , because I think most people will walk away feeling this isn't a suitable substitute . Instead , what I think Anno should have done was actually build on what he already started . Like continue Evangelion from where he left his audience in that confusing state then take this 90 minutes to sort of explain it in finer and more coherent detail . Instead it feels like he tries to be too artistic or too poetic and presents it in a more convoluted manner . Don't get me wrong , I certainly appreciate the art , but I think a great series is when you have balance between absolute clarity and some ambiguity . This is all ambiguity and it's up to the viewer to try and discern what's going on . One thing that I felt was wholly strange was in the beginning and in the end there is live video footage of real people . The first is primarily of a girl doing everyday things . . . like going to the bathroom , and the final shot is of an audience . I personally have no idea why . . . maybe someone can let me know in a comment , I'd like to know the purpose behind that . Anyway , take it for what it is . It has some merit , but I wouldn't expect it to have any ground breaking content like fans were hoping for .
135 4 This movie replaces episode 25 and 26 of the original TV series as an alternative ending persay . This movie came as a result of the complaints Evangelion fans had about the end of the TV series , so the new movie was a form of revenge .
If the end of the TV series was from the viewpoint within Shinji's mind ( entirely ) , this movie is of the same events . . . . but through a third person viewpoint with a bit of a twist at the end .
The ending leaves open a wide range of options in plot ( for which many fanfiction writers have taken advantage of . ) This is a must for any Eva eatcher or collector , but be prepared for a Shakespearian Tragedy .
136 4 In my opinion , most anime series to come out of Japan are one-sided thrill rides that hardly merit a second look . The stories are ridiculous and drawn-out , their characters look and act like freaks , and the animation generally looks far too weird .
This movie is a very notable exception .
Unlike most animes , End of Evangelion has all the aspects of a great movie :
1 . ) The plot is refreshingly original and creative as far as scifi goes .
2 . ) The characters are completely fleshed out , and it is easy to relate to them .
3 . ) This movie has an incredible depth to it which is characteristic of all truly good Asian cinema . In films like this , the creators take risks in the story that most American filmmakers rarely do . This makes the film more grotesque but , ultimately , much more efficient in portraying the underlying message .
Despite the respect I have for this movie , I must admit that it is much too weird at certain times to be able to watch it freely with whomever you like . To be more specific , people who love this movie tend to be a bit strange .
Watch it for its depth and its message , not for its weirdness .
137 4 This is by far not only one of the best animated movies but one of the best movies of all time . This is a must see for all anime fans . If you haven't watched the seris then it might be a little confusing for you ( to tell the truth it will be very confusing ) . It has AMAZING action and great music . It continues where the series left off and it ties up a lot of the loose ends that were left at the end of the series ( note : this pissed off not only me personally but aparrently the creator recieved death threats from many people ( japanese ) who were so mad that he ended the seris without tieing up all the loose ends ) . There is so much hidden meaning and symbolism in this movie its ridiculous . It's very hard to find the hidden meaning or even to understand the importance of much of the images the first time you watch it . But seriously this movie will blow your mind . It will have you thinking stuff you never thought about or even dreamed of thinking about . If you dont like movies that make you think then dont watch or buy this . But if you enjoy a little mental workout then this movie will be a real treat for you . Plus it has some pretty hardcore fight sceens ( lots of blood ' n guts and shooting and explosion yeah yeah fire fire BURN ! ) Just to spoil some of the mystery alot of the main / reappearing characters die in the end . In lesser words this movie will freak your sh * * out
So be prepared to watch an amazing , thrilling , and down right awsome movie .
PS :
By the way you should watch it with the commentary on the second or third time around . Its really funny and also insightful at the safe time .
138 4 This review is from :
Neon Genesis Evangelion - The End Of Evangelion ( DVD )
Its a strange mix with the live footage . I haven't seen all the episodes until this disc , but I have seen two or three of the first discs . This was supposed to be a great battle but the action was not as explosive as I expected for a finale to such a series .
142 4 Alright . The End of Evangelion is an alternate ending in place of the less-satisfying , original one . This one leaves the veiwer a bit more content . I must say , though , it is very thought-provoking and sensual . Maybe the sort of tear-inducing techinques used in EoE are not going to work on everyone . I gotta admit , though , that when Asuka is piloting eva unti 002 for the last time , and she's curled in a ball whispering ' I don't want to die ' , well , that was a bit odd . I think that that scene hung on to my captivation only when Asuka screamed her words . Even still , it was pretty cliche . ( Kind of ) But in the second and last episode , when Shinji is going through his pain and suffering and ouch , everything changes . It's not really an anime anymore . THat's all I'll say , becuase this part , especially when all of the balck scribbles cover the screen , is awfully terrible ( I mean that in a sad , beautifull sort of way . I cried . I watched this with two friends at a sleep over . We were all on the couch . They were making jokes about it , while I was in a ball , biting my fingernail and crying . And really , I don't cry to often , unless soemthing means a lot to me . AND I KNOW that it's only anime , and there are much bigger problems in life that would make one cry , but maybe I was relating to how everyone felt in EoE at the time of the third impact . WOW .
TO CONCLUDE :
SOOOO worth you money ! There's running commentary availiable to have goign on throughout both episodes . ( hehe it's quite funny , really , compared to the somberness of the EoE alone )
Please , I REALLY , REALLY reccommend this EoE to
^ _ _ ^ * Shinji is felt for *
143 4 I must begin by saying if you are either : a . New to Evangelion's complex world of storytelling or b . You didn't understand Evangelion : The Series , don't watch this . This movie takes everything you've learned in the series and makes it weirder . Note , I'm basically explaining most of the movie here , so spoilers ahead .
The movie actually begins where Rebirth of Death and Rebirth started off . This is a nice little recap and since you already know what happens , your left waiting until they reach the point we all were left anticipating , SEELE sending nine EVAS against the lone EVA UNIT - 02 and Asuka , newly recovered from her mental issues . This was a VERY bloody movie , Asuka fights the SEELE Evas and actually seems as though she might win , until she finds out the double-bladed swords these EVAS are carrying actually are Lance of Longinus ( See VOL 7 of Evangelion anime ) duplicates . The way she finds this out is after she's smashed almost all of them , they regrow limbs and a Lance is thrown into UNIT - 02 ' s head , causing Asuka great pain .
Shinji , meanwhile , is still trying to get to UNIT - 01 with Misato . She is shot on the way into the vents and just before they reach their target , Misato says she can't go on and kisses Shinji ( on the mouth for more than five seconds ) before sending him down to UNIT - 01 .
She dies not soon after as Shinji races to the Geofront's surface where he sees a grisly sight : the SEELE Evas have become vulture-like and have ripped most of the biological matter from UNIT - 02 , meaning we have eyeballs , flesh , and organs sticking out of UNIT - 02 . Of course , Shinji suddenly goes insane again at this sight .
In Central Dogma , or one of those Dogma Sections , Comm . Ikari and Rei are in front of Lilith , the supposed First Angel but revealed by Kaoru as a fake . Now , Ikari wants to start Third Impact by having himself , with his hand fused with the real ADAM I think , come into contact with Rei ( to initiate Third Impact ) . Well , Rei says to him she isn't a puppet and fuses with Lilith , creating a giant Rei . This is where the movie becomes very psychological and I found myself asking what I was watching .
What happened in that psychological period became reminiscent to the original episodes 25 and 26 . Shinji has internal conflictions with his schizophrenia-induced illusions and by the end , he finally relizes that he doesn't want a lonely world populated by just one person .
By the end of the movie , these facts were prevalent : Third Impact had happened but Shinji and Asuka , able to fight the fusion into one body , one mind , had been able to escape ; everyone was dead ( or at least there was no one in the LCL submerged area that was Tokyo - 3 ) ; Shinji and Asuka are obviously going to have to repopulate the planet .
All in all : This was the single most confusing movie I ever watched , until my second viewing when I understood most of it , but if you get past the weird psycho-insanity and very depressing ( and disturbing ) mental instability these children go through , and watch it again , you can finally see what happens to every Evangelion member . Five Stars !
146 4 After reading some comments I have decided to write my own .
Firstly , the entire series requires you to pay alot of attention and be quite perceptive . I have seen the directors cut ' of episodes 20 - 26 and they explain alot of plot points differently in the scenes of the non-directors cut ' and includenew scenes which answer questions otherwise left up to the imagination entirely .
In the whole of the Evangelion Series ( movies included ) the English subtitles and dubbing vary , thus I highly recommend watching both the dub and the japanese w / english subtitles . Besides the varied explanations / alternative dialog-script the second screening will probably reveal images you may have missed on the first veiwing and the japanese dialog may invoke different emotions , possibly clarifying a given charecters actions and choices .
If your on the up and up with Evangelion you know ( or will now ! ! ! ) that the LIVE action movie is in the works ! ! ! . . . The directors cut's include information about this wonderous news as does newtype magazine . As End of Evangelion was the retelling of episodes 25 and 26 the live action film will be the retelling of the entire saga .
149 4 This review is from :
Neon Genesis Evangelion - The End Of Evangelion ( DVD )
Having seen the Japanese release of End of Evangelion , I can honestly say I've been waiting for years for the US release . This movie carries the series to new heights , and provides a much better ending than the last two episodes GAINAX was forced to use by the Japanese TV networks . It's much darker and more adult than the series , with none of the humor seen in some episodes . It will definitly make you think .
151 4 So many people view this movie as the alternate ending to NGE , but it is far from the truth . Episodes 25 and 26 represent what's going through Shinji's mind during the events of the movie .
Now to the experience itself . . . if you've not experienced the series , you will not understand anything this movie has to offer . A suggestion . . . buy the NGE disc set and the movie ( inlcude Death and Rebirth if you like ) and sit down and watch it all in one sitting . And then sit around for a week contemplating what you just witnessed . It is a mind - job that will have you reeling for a long time .
The movie . . . frightening , morbid , mind-bending . . . only a few words that can be used to describe this [ a nearly ] undescribable masterpiece . Hideaki Anno was one truly twisted person when he created NGE and this movie , but I am thankful for it . It's a wonderful story ( and I shall not spoil it . . . it needs to be experienced , not read about ) and has made me look over my life .
154 4 ok . I think it sort of get it now thanks to EoE sites .
Warning spoilers ! ! ! ! Only read IF YOU SAW the end and don't understand ! ! ! !
now this isin't my text it came from this ( . . . )
I'm useing this cause I don't know a way to put it in my own words because mine would just confuse you so here . It's about the end
Q : What does Asuka mean by the last line in the End of Evangelion movie , How disgusting ?
In this sequence , Asuka essentially says that she is sickened and disgusted by the idea of sharing herself with others ; the knowledge that other people exist and have an effect on her . In effect , with this tremendously important sequence , Asuka reveals herself as the antithesis of Shinji and the opposite thematic pole of the Evangelion animation . Throughout the Evangelion animation Shinji is torn between his fear of human relations and companionship and his natural desire for affection , acknowledgement and acceptance . Shinji wants to belong . On the other hand , Asuka is disgusted by social relations and other people . She tries to force herself into interpersonal relationships by kissing Shinji , but even that fails . While Shinji represents the desire for companionship ; Asuka represents the desire for isolation .
I warned you tere were spoilers ! !
YOU WILL BE COMPLELETY LOST IF YOU DON'T BOTHER WITH THE SERIES AND SKIP TO THE MOVIE ! ! ! ! ( Click on my name and follow a link to my review of the series ) . The end of Evangelion is a beautiful well deserved ending of how the series should have ended . Should have ending ? your wondering . Well , many fans of the series disliked the direction in which episode's 26 and 27 of the series concluded the story . Basically it's like watching a huge action movie , then once the ending is about to happen you suddenly see The End pop up on the screen . The series might not have ending as boring as that , but episode's 26 and 27 gave no indication as to how the crisis of the Evangelion story ending . And so End of Evangelion was created , the true ending of the series , well more like a more involved ending that the series should have concluded with . But I do suggest , if you can sit through it , to watch episode 26 and 27 of the original series too since in a way , both endings deal with the same issue of Shinji acknowledging his humanity . Don't worry , that wasn't a spoiler , the true ending of the series goes far beyond that .
Story : The movie begins where episode 25 left off . The final Angel has been killed at the cost of Shinji's metal stability with Third Impact is looming in the distance . The movie begins with the initiation of the Instrumentality Project , the heart of the entire storyline of the series . What happen to the project if it even was implemented was a subject episode's 26 and 27 completely dismissed . As the Instrumentality Project is initiated Nerv is . . . . oh wait , don't want to spoil it for ya . WATCH THE MOVIE ! ! !
Animation : The new animation is excellent . You can see the different between the animation here and those used in the series . This animation , though sometime a bit less detailed as the series , gives more in a way of emotional expressions and real life like fluid human movement in the characters . The action never skips a beat , and the ending , my goodness , you will never see true animation as superb as this once the Instrumentality Project is initiated . Pause the movie if you want to blink , you do not want to miss anything . WATCH THE MOVIE ! ! ! !
Characters : You should know the characters by now . But now , we are given more of a brief look into Seele , the organization behind Nerv and their true want for the future of humanity . WATCH THE MOVIE ! ! ! !
Conclusion of Series : Many people might disagree with the ending since , in a way , it takes some of the negative aspects of episode's 26 and 27 , though shorten . But the overall ending is well done . Almost all your questions will be answered . What is Adam . What are Angels . What is the Instrumentality Project . Who and what is Rei . Her purpose and role in the Third Impact and what the Third Impact is . So many issues were perfectly addressed in order to give this superb series a glorious ending . Don't look any further folks , this is it . Read the title , this is the End of Evangelion .
045 4 Finally , IT'S HERE ! I know you were anxious to see this very last episode of Evangelion . . . after what happened at the end of Evangelion Death & Rebirth . . Don't worry , this last episode will not only overwhelm you with confusion , inspiration , and questions What just happened ? ? ? , but also surpass your expectation in every way imaginable . Let me tell you , there's no way , just no way to predict or even imagine what will happen .
I know lot of people were disappointed by episode 24 - 26 , where it shows psychomental status of Shinji , instead of showing what really happened at the end . This last episode will show you what really happened at the end . Yes , not only it will show you what really happened at the end , but also it will show you some inside story , insights , which will help you to understand the difficult part of previous episodes .
The very reason they put this episode apart from previous 8DVD , not including ' Evangelion Death & Rebirth ' , will become apparent as you watch them . They needed to separate this one because it needs special attention , special recognition , as it really sums up all the episode in this grand finale .
Not only they've changed the intermission ( with ' Fly me to the Moon ' ) but also changed the music as well . The ending music used to be this variation of ' Fly me to the Moon ' , however , the music was tastefully done , adding this feeling you get when you question ' Who am I ? , what's is human , or orgin of it , the existence of GOD ' .
SERIOUSLY , DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS NEEDLESS TO SAY THE BEST EPISODE OF THE NEON GENESIS EVANGELION SERIES . IT WILL ROCK YOU .
054 4 This is by far some of the most vivid , compelling , and great anime's i have ever seen , I have been collecting this series from the start , and finally got some time to watch the End of Evangelion . Said to be on of the greates anime saga's of all time .
Asuka ( pilor of eva ) after being in recovery , is suited up , once the special forces invade NERV and is sent under water so they do not kill her , the team of forces kill nerves personal as they see them and are looking for the pilots , to execute them so they can not pilot the EVAS anymore .
KEEP IN MIND THIS IS IN PLACE of FINAL GENISIS the last video , and with Death and Rebirth , which should be watched before this .
After Auska is awoken the forces launch depth charges in the lake try to kill her . SHe then awakes and the battle begins , as the 9 eva series arive from the skies .
And i will leave the rest for u to watch .
This Story may take time to understand . If you ponder it for a while it may make sense to you , i highly suggest buying the rest of the series , and Death and Rebirth , the companion to this .
YOU WONT BE DISSAPOINTED.The movies have been RATED BY SITES 17 + as the rest of the Series is 15 + , this has nudity , and very graphic violence ( which ovcourse makes this movies awsome )
and the original series is not published by manga , its by ADV .
OVERALL THE STORY LINE OF EVANGELION IS FLAWLESS , JUST WATCH IT AND SEE
059 4 Before purchasing this movie I would recommend one small thing . . . WATCH THE TV SERIES ! ! ! ! ! ! End of Evangelion is simply , the end of the Neon Genesis Evangelion saga . Nope there will be no new series , and nope no new movies either . End of Evangelion takes place in a two part episode closure to the 27 episode epic series . Another note : YOU WILL BE COMPLELETY LOST IF YOU DON'T BOTHER WITH THE SERIES AND SKIP TO THE MOVIE ! ! ! ! ( Click on my name and follow a link to my review of the series ) . The end of Evangelion is a beautiful well deserved ending of how the series should have ended . Should have ending ? your wondering . Well , many fans of the series disliked the direction in which episode's 26 and 27 of the series concluded the story . Basically it's like watching a huge action movie , then once the ending is about to happen you suddenly see The End pop up on the screen . The series might not have ending as boring as that , but episode's 26 and 27 gave no indication as to how the crisis of the Evangelion story ending . And so End of Evangelion was created , the true ending of the series , well more like a more involved ending that the series should have concluded with . But I do suggest , if you can sit through it , to watch episode 26 and 27 of the original series too since in a way , both endings deal with the same issue of Shinji acknowledging his humanity . Don't worry , that wasn't a spoiler , the true ending of the series goes far beyond that .
Story : The movie begins where episode 25 left off . The final Angel has been killed at the cost of Shinji's metal stability with Third Impact is looming in the distance . The movie begins with the initiation of the Instrumentality Project , the heart of the entire storyline of the series . What happen to the project if it even was implemented was a subject episode's 26 and 27 completely dismissed . As the Instrumentality Project is initiated Nerv is . . . . oh wait , don't want to spoil it for ya . WATCH THE MOVIE ! ! !
Animation : The new animation is excellent . You can see the different between the animation here and those used in the series . This animation , though sometime a bit less detailed as the series , gives more in a way of emotional expressions and real life like fluid human movement in the characters . The action never skips a beat , and the ending , my goodness , you will never see true animation as superb as this once the Instrumentality Project is initiated . Pause the movie if you want to blink , you do not want to miss anything . WATCH THE MOVIE ! ! ! !
Characters : You should know the characters by now . But now , we are given more of a brief look into Seele , the organization behind Nerv and their true want for the future of humanity . WATCH THE MOVIE ! ! ! !
Conclusion of Series : Many people might disagree with the ending since , in a way , it takes some of the negative aspects of episode's 26 and 27 , though shorten . But the overall ending is well done . Almost all your questions will be answered . What is Adam . What are Angels . What is the Instrumentality Project . Who and what is Rei . Her purpose and role in the Third Impact and what the Third Impact is . So many issues were perfectly addressed in order to give this superb series a glorious ending . Don't look any further folks , this is it . Read the title , this is the End of Evangelion .
132 4 I love the movie * so far * , but DUE TO DISC DEFECTS , HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO WATCH THE LAST 20 MINUTES OF THE MOVIE . MANGA YOU HAVE TOTALLY DROPPED THE BALL ON THIS ONE . I have two stand-alone players that BOTH completely freeze at the layer change . I have returned the DVD 5 times . Every single disc does the exact same thing on both players ( Sony DVP-S530D Apex 1100W ) .
Unacceptable . I'd have better luck with VCDs off Ebay . Unacceptable . Completely unacceptable . Unbelievable . This is probably the only important anime release that will ever pass through Manga , and thank goodness ; they seriously f * * ked up . I can't believe this foolish , utterly careless treatment the End of Evangelion . Blasphemy . All buyers beware .
153 4 Starting at the end to the series , we leave Shinji Ikari accepting how he is and that his actions werent useless and he found happiness . Yay happy ! !
Now we start the movie . If people would just WATCH the movie and LISTEN to it they may actually get it . The movie is not an alternate ending it is a parellel ending , more like a physical ending . The movie starts wright after Shinji kills Karou . Seele attacks NERV in effort to take the EVA units . Gendo knew this would come and he knew that this would affect The Instrumentality Project . So he sent out Asuka to fight them of . Gendo's plan was to use EVA Unit 1 to attack lilith with the Lance of Longinus which would create an Anti-At Field ( just like in Second Impact ) to end humnity ( Third Impact ) . The Instramentalaty Project . Before he did this he needed to use Rei to unite with Yui and they would become the Adam and Eve of the new earth . However Rei betrays Gendo and choses Shinji to be the new Adam . Rei , Shinji and EVA 1 join together and enter Lilith to create the new world . Shinji becomes the key to the new world , weather people would be given another chance or ended all together . But he needed an Eve . Shinji always secretly desired to be with Asuka , so he asked her to be his companion . Asuka painfully rejected him though , telling him that he doesnt like anyone , not even himself . Shinji becomes enraged because even as he is creating this new world , he feels only pain . Since Shinji has been hurt so much , he believes that nobody wants him . The selfish thought that had been in his mind emerged : If nobody needs me , everybody should just die . This is contradicted by his belief that he is no good to anyone else , and therefore he is the one that should die . As Lilith was being formed , all of the souls were gathered from Guaf's room . Shinji spoke to his mother . He realized that the real world was not a dream , there is always sadness somewhere , but that there was also always the chance to find happiness . He accepted that his actions were not meaningless as long as there was such hope , and so Asuka accepted him . Shinji and Asuka became the Adam and Eve of the new earth . They woke up on the beach of an ocean of blood spilled by Lilith and Eva in the creation of the new world .
