Ranked #49

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone

I'm assuming that you've already watched the original EVA series before watching the movie before reading this. If not, spoilers abound.

So yes, this is basically a retelling of the original Evangelion in movie mode, and it's the first of 4 movies. This first movie covers the first six episodes of the original series, therefore not exactly innovative or anything shockingly interesting about the story. However, they did remove most of Shinji's self-pitying/emo-ing/bitching moments, so it's definitely one improvement from the original series.

The art is simply fabulous. The original series already had excellent artwork for its generation, and they've managed to improve it. Introduction of CG was definitely a great move, and it made scenes even better, especially the fighting parts. They completely redid the scene with the Angel Ramiel, replacing traditional hand-drawn Ramiel with CG designs. Needless to say, that scene turned into absolute eye-candy. Other uses and integration of CG were more subtle, such as introducing it into the graphs, computer charts, and background. The human character designs were sharpened a bit from the original, but otherwise remained unchanged. But it was integration of CG into this remake which really stole the light.

The sound remained mostly the same, but they did add new sound effects, most notably to the EVAs and Angels, and an excellent new ending song.

Characters remained virtually the same, except they cut out a lot of Shinji's bitching/whining, so definitely a good move. Made the movie a lot more enjoyable, as we only seen about 5 minutes of whining, opposed to the half episodes of manbitching in the original series.

Seeing this movie was definitely fun to watch, because they basically took the original series, and remade with better graphics, with a few minor changes, so that it's enjoyable to watch without feeling it's the same as the original series, yet not different enough that it strays away from its original roots. This definitely will bring back nostalgic feelings from older fans whilst giving something new for them to watch and admire.

This movie is actually a good enough retelling that a newcomer to EVA can watch this instead of the original series, and will be able to know nearly everything that happened. (Of course, it's not really recommended, seeing how it's the original that was so profound and revolutionary.) After seeing this, I have high hopes for the following three movies, although I am a bit doubtful about the last one. read more

[NOTE: Mild SPOILERS in this review]

I just got back from seeing Evangelion 1.0 in theaters, and it was some experience. Though I didn't end up bringing the boom box playing a ripped CD of Prince's 1999 (and a bloody shame that is, too) it was still a real treat. The crowd was bigger than I had anticipated - I wondered if I might actually have the theater to myself, this being such a niche release and all, but it turns out I was dead wrong. While I wouldn't say every row was packed - it wasn't exactly a Transformers crowd (though one guy did have a Transformers T-shirt) - I would readily say that well over half the theater was filled out. Incidentally, I also believe I was one of roughly half the audience that was present who had bathed within the last 24 hours, and of that I am proud. There was some brief buzz and exchange before the movie started, but in quick manner, start it did.

Well, first things first: It shouldn't be hard to tell from the trailers alone, but I can confirm that this movie is absolutely gorgeous. The animation is silky smooth, the attention to detail is breathtakingly rich, the CG is (contrary to some early rumors) largely well-incorporated, the Sadamato character designs are as beautiful, expressive and subtle as ever, if not moreso. Everything from the Evas to the heavy machinery to Misato's lingerie is rendered in a level of painstaking detail that the budget of a now-multimillion-dollar franchise can allow for. (Although it seems their only revenue isn't just from moviegoers and anime fans - Doritos® brand corn-based snack chips™ from Frito Lay® are now prominently featured in Misato's apartment.) This is one visually eye-popping movie. Speaking of eye-popping, this has a shocking amount of T&A for a PG-13 movie - in addition to the most memorable fanservice shots from the show, prepare to see a lot of new takes on Shinji's and Rei's (and even Kaworu's) naked buttocks, not to mention several surprise nip-slips from the latter (Rei, that is).

Audio-wise, the music is extensively and suitably upgraded from the show's questionable production values. Shiro Sagisu's new score contains a satisfying mix of new themes, extensively reworked versions of classics (a choral version of "Angel Attack" is particularly memorable), and even some faithful rehashes of songs from the original that have earned their places in fans' hearts. His musical style is still decidedly... unconventional, and I'm still not sure if I personally prefer him to the likes of, say, Kenji Kawai or Kaoru Wada. But hey, he's Anno's choice for a composer, and I respect that. One certainly can't argue that the music for Evangelion isn't iconic. On the translation/voice acting side, there's likewise some new and some familiar (in fact, that statement could pretty much apply to anything about the movie). Spike Spencer and Allison Keith naturally steal the show with their leading roles that they only continue to perfect over time. The various newcomers all get the jobs done; I wouldn't necessarily pick them over the cast members they're replacing, but at least there aren't any stinkers (which is more than can be said for the last two times the show was recast...). Greg Ayres plays Kensuke a little too high-pitched (even by Greg Ayres standards), John Swasey is still no replacement for Tristan MacAvery, and while I'm generally a fan of Colleen Clinkenbeard, I'm just too used to Sue Ulu's voice as Ritsuko to really accept her; conversely, Brina Palencia did a far better job at Rei than I could have ever anticipated (even as REI, she still stands out), the new Keel Lorenz has the deep and foreboding voice that he always should have had, and the new Kaworu (from the maybe 3 lines of dialogue he speaks) seems to get the character just right. The translation is effective, but seems to lack just a little bit of that Woolsey-ish magic that made the original so memorable. This being a Funimation production, the general dialogue flows more smoothly and naturally than most dubs, but it's a little disappointing to see how they've altered a couple of iconic lines (fortunately, "I mustn't run away" isn't one of them). Also, SEELE no longer has fünky accents. Of this, I vehemently disapprove. It reminded me a lot of playing the newer, re-translated versions of classic video games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy IV; the translations may be more accurate and natural-sounding now, but they've lost a little bit of that 90's charm they once had. I wouldn't quite say it ruins the experience, though.

Now, for the most important part: the plot. For the first half of the movie, I really had one word going through my head: rushed. Because that's what it is. It really just seems like the movie is racing to knock off one highlight moment from the show's first four episodes after the next. The pacing and even the dialogue feels rushed. It's quite interesting, then, that by about the half-way mark (or what felt like the half-way mark, anyway - I wasn't keeping time) the movie suddenly slows down not to relish action sequences or even to recreate familiar scenes, but to linger on moments of character interaction and inflection. The familiar scenes range from painstakingly recreated to subtly altered in significant ways, but cleverly hidden among them are several new scenes that, while easy to miss, imply some crucial new angles on the plot. The shocking scenes with Lilith and the SEELE moon base have already been remarked upon by all who have seen them, but less widely noted - and, in my opinion, even more significant - is a new scene of interaction between Gendo and Fuyutsuki, in which Gendo explicitly states that "the Children are acting out the scripts we made out for them 14 years ago." More chillingly still, he states that "soon Shinji will begin to get closer to Rei", among other predictions that seem to break the fourth wall. (Keep in mind, while in Evangelion's world "14 years ago" marked the beginning of Second Impact, in OUR world 14 years ago marked the beginning of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Hmmmmmm......)

Which brings me about to what is really the #1 theme of this movie, and which I suspect will become much, much more important down the road: recursion. The film simply does not stand on its own as an independent experience; I know I personally would hesitate before showing it to someone who hadn't seen the series already. It rushes through a lot of the crucial scenes, and skips vast amounts of exposition, to linger solely on moments that are particularly potent for those who have seen the series before. I've had my suspicions for a while, but after seeing the movie I'm now quite certain that this is absolutely not a mere retelling of the series; Anno clearly knew when making this that the vast majority of the audience would be people who had already seen the series, and while it seems to play coy with this fact on the outside, it doesn't take much digging (at least as far as I see it) to uncover that film is tossing a mocking wink and nod at viewers at every possible opportunity. In addition to the aforementioned altered and new scenes that drastically undermine the plot as we know it, the theme of "recursion" seems to be a crucial new one introduced to the story. On top of Gendo's dialogue with Fuyutsuki, motifs of "fate", "recurrance" and "rebirth" are rampant. One new visual motif many have noticed is the rainbow, which shows up at a number of crucial scenes and as far as I can see is a new symbol of recurrance and rebirth. SEELE's stepped-up logo now features actual, printed lyrics from the "Ode to Joy" - a song that is primarily about fate. And with Kaworu's remarks in the final scene, he might as well be looking straight at the audience and quoting Homer Simpson: "Why are you paying to see in theaters what you could watch for free at home [or in this case, have already bought multiple times]?? If you ask me, everyone in this theater is a complete moron, especially YOUUUUUU!!!!!!" I've heard a number of things (probably too much) about the second movie, and all I can say is I am now 100% confident that the 4.0 will be a complete, unabashed mindfuck directed squarely at a base of viewers who, in Anno's opinion, should not still be paying to see essentially the same thing over and over anymore (in regards to the anime industry at large).

But like before, Anno's beloved brainchild is not merely a disgruntled, cynical commentary on the world and the anime industry. It's also a very personal journey and parable. For a good chunk of the movie I wondered if not even Evangelion could reach my heart anymore; it was once the case that I felt right there in Shinji's shoes, sharing all his struggles and tribulations. Now, at 18, I don't know if I can still relate to the 14-year-old character in the same way. I've developed differently over these years, and the struggles I face now are so different, yet so uncomfortably similar; yet all around, the ways in which I can and must face my troubles are different now. Maybe I felt so seperated from the film for the same reasons I feel so seperated from others; I've locked away my emotions, all my fear and sadness, and thrown away the key, someplace where even I can't find it. I can no longer be so open, so in touch with those things as Shinji is. But there were crucial parts of the film that, ultimately, made even me remember what I truly hope for in life. Those few, tender, tantalizing moments of closeness and understanding that Shinji has with Misato and Rei near the end of the film are a reminder, I reminder I needed so very, very much, about what can be truly beautiful about the interactions between people. That simple motif of holding hands spoke more than any words could...

And so, as an anime fan, as a film enthusiast, and as a person, I am proud to say that I am back in the world of Evangelion, and I will be eagerly following the progression of this new series. The themes of rebirth and dogged hope are those which are deeply relevant to me this time around, and while I try to put the chracked and shattered pieces of my life together, I look forward to making the journey to love and self-affirmation with my old friend Shinji once again. read more

That's right, 10's across the board. I'll go in depth a little bit about each category further proving my point.

Story: The story, as a remake of the original series, is fantastic. The plot is the same thus far (as I'm sure it will change in the next movies to come). The story has changed slightly in some aspects. Depending on how well you watched the first one, you'll see minor changes, (like the new NERV and SEELE logos). Also, there is less character analysis. You focus on the main characters (Shinji, Misato and Rei up until now). You don't see Shinji in the classroom at all, there is very little interaction other than the important ones. The reason being; you should've watched the first series first. That would've given you a little more character background. One of the biggest changes as far as the story went, was the battle with Ramiel. In the original series, it was a simple shot of the sniper rifle... Ramiel had 2 attacks. Very basic. In the new movie, the battle lasts nearly two times longer, and even though Ramiel is still killed with a sniper rifle, Operation Yashima is MUCH more thought out. Rameil's arsenal now includes about 5 or 6 attacks (which, are all impressive to be seen with the CGI enhancement)...

Art: Like I just mentioned, there is CGI enhancement. They show it a lot during the battle with Rameil, but also, it's used a lot within the entry plug, and within NERV headquarters. It's very impressive and well done; it wasn't overdone to say the least. Just the right amount of enhancement. You still get the vibe you're watching a hand-drawn anime, but, with a little kick to it.

Sound: Very impressive, as is everything else. The music has changed up a little bit from the original series' line up. It has the classical music playing in more critical areas. Aside from the music, there is also the sound effects. The sounds of shots, rawrs from angels or evas, and even just small random effects; they are all in sync and all match the correct time to be matched with.

Character: The characters, are still spot on from the original series. In some instances, I believe Shinji is a little more masculine than the original series, but, I never had a problem with that to begin with (as most people who judge the series apparently do). Misato develops her affinity towards Shinji a lot sooner. She is already holding his hand in some instances, and in one scene slaps her self after scolding Shinji because she obviously had regret for doing so. The rest of the cast are roughly the same. Minor changes obviously, but nothing huge.

Enjoyment: I've watched it twice so far...a week apart from both. The original series (as well as the manga) are/is my favorite series. They are perfect in my mind, and with the upcoming of this new series, I see little reason to say it's flawed in any way. It's just as good as the original, and with all of the enhancements, it has the capability of being better...or at least tied, to satiate you old school lovers.

Overall: Well, through the 5 previous categories, I think I basically summed up my views and hopes for the series. I am avidly awaiting Rebuild of Evangelion 2.0 : Division as I write this.

Thanks for reading,
Cory/Ikashashi read more

Rebuild of Evangelion 1.01: You Are (Not) Alone is the first movie in the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy, which aims at remaking the movies the way Anno wanted to make them originally and make it more accessible than previous versions. It was released in theatres on September 1st, 2007, and has yet to be licensed Stateside. It was produced by Studio Khara (the Rebuild series is their first major work), and directed by Hideaki Anno (famous for his work on the original Gunbuster OVA and His and Her Circumstances), Kazuya Tsurumaki (famous for his work on FLCL and the original Gunbuster OVA) and Masayuki (famous for his work on the Death segment of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth).

Rebuild of Evangelion 1.01: You Are (Not) Alone is essentially a recap of episodes 1 through 5 and a retelling of episode 6 in the original TV series. The reason I say that it's a recap of the first five episodes is that there are very little to no differences in the events of these episodes in the original TV continuity and the corresponding events in the movie. The most that is changed here is the location/timing of certain dialogues, and maybe a few changes in relatively minor events. This really kind of irritated me, as this was billed as a complete rebuild of the series, not a recap. The major changes to the story start coming around the point where they get to episode six, which corresponds to just over an hour into the movie.

And I have to say that I'm a bit ambiguous on the three big changes. Discussing them requires some SPOILERS, so read ahead at your own risk. The one that's probably going to end up altering the plot most, which is Misato showing Lilith to Shinji, doesn't make sense introduced at this point in the show, though it'll definitely have some interesting ramifications for the plot. The second most important plot change is very welcomed by me, as Kaoru was one of my favorite characters from the original series, and the fact that they chose to introduce him earlier will also do some very interesting things to the plot. The last change is mostly a change in how Operation Yashima plays out, and it frankly makes that entire event amazingly epic.

The animation for this, overall, is a lot more intricate, smoother, and, in general, fancier than Gainax's original animations. And I have to say that I really like it, even if there are a few extraneous shots which were more or less put in to say, "Look at us! We actually have a budget now! Look what we can do!". There's a lot of more emphasis on the Judeo-Christian symbolism we saw in the series, and more blood, hints about the true nature of the Evas and fanservice.

I have to call them on some continuities. Be sure you take a look at the NERV symbol when it first appears, and then compare it to scenes later on in the movie. Also, take a look at the mask on Lilith when she's first introduced and in the last few scenes in the movie. I don't know if this is on purpose or if it just slipped past the animators, but I'll wait till the next movie to make my decisions on that.

The music for this in general is quite awesome. It's, in general, very subtle reworkings of the original tracks from the series that give the series a whole new feel. Utada Hikaru also does the new ED theme, "Beautiful World", which I'm a bit ambiguous on at this point. It's a good song, but I kind of preferred "Fly Me to the Moon".

They also got all the seiyuu from the series back for the movie, so that just adds to the general quality.

All in all, the movie's not half bad. I am irritated that most of it was just a recap, and that there were some slight art continuity issues, but overall, it's a better animated piece of work and, in the cases where it's changed, better plotted than it's predecessor. Let's hope they can keep this up. read more

Unfortunately I have to introduce a little personal bias into this review. I have already seen the Neon Genesis Evangelion series in its entirety. Therefore there were dull moments in the first half of the film, given that 80% of the story was exactly the same as the original.

However the editing was executed in such a way as to eliminate some of the humor and fan-service, and various scenes were added to acheive a darker atmosphere, which better suits the overall theme of the series.

Some things to note for some of the original EVA fans is that subtle changes were made in order to connect more to the ending of the series. The ocean is now red with LCL, Kaworu is introduced earlier into the show (probably by request), Seele is introduced earlier, Misato knows about Lillith, etc..

The second half of the film is when the more notable changes start to occur. The battle with Sachiel (first Angel) and Shamshel (second Angel battle) used new animation cells, the battle with Ramiel (third Angel) is completely different in almost every aspect. Ramiel in the original series looked to be the product of budget cuts, but in Rebuild they managed to turn it into the most emotional and epic part of the film.

Rebuild of Evangelion does justice to the original intent of the series in terms of production values, plot development, and mood. I recommend this film to any anime viewer, that is when you get the opportunity.

Story - The story sets the groundwork for the finale much better than the original and the fights will keep you on the edge of your seat. 9/10
Art - The CG elements were seamlessly incorporated for the most part. Backgrounds are much more detailed and reflective of the second impact. The recycled animation, although remastered, leave something to be desired amongst the new scenes. 8/10
Sound - Just what you would expect from a theatrical experience. Personally I prefer the English voice actor, being that for whatever reason Shinji is voiced by a girl in the Japanese dub. However there's no guarantee Spike Spencer will voice the English dub. 8/10
Character - The characters are still multifaceted and interesting. Characters are a major component of the plot. 9/10
Enjoyment - 9/10
OVERALL - 9/10
read more

We all know that Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the greatest animes of all time. It has a complex story with good characters and interesting plot twists. This remake of the first quarter of Evangelion is no different. It is actually an improvement over the original, so far, in many ways.

Story: The story is just about the same as the original Evangelion. Maybe some slight changes, but it all works out perfectly fine. It's the same old story we all love.

Art: The art is fantastic. The art style is perfect for this anime and couldn't be better. I for one am very satisfied with it. It's not the most stylish art style but it has a nice clean look and a mild sense of realism. Not too much, though. The animation was very nice, it could have been a little better, but it was good enough. I really would like to see it on an HD TV.

Sound: The sound is the absolute best part of this movie. You can already tell the sound will be amazing once you hear all the noises in full detail caused by the environment. When the air shakes the electrical cords move. When the giant mechs crash the breaking buildings crumble. On another note, the music is near perfection. It ALWAYS fits the mood and does its job, to create the overall feel of the scenes. My personal favorite was the music that was played during the ending fight. Absolutely outstanding. It was epic in the true sense of the word.

Character: The characters are the same as they've ever been. They all are fairly interesting in their own ways. Shinji is the same average, whimpy teenage boy, Rei is the same mysterious girl we all know and love, Gendo is as kickass as ever, and so on. All the characters are as they should be.

Enjoyment: I really enjoyed this movie. Truly, it was one of the best anime movies I've seen in awhile since Princess Mononoke. It had very few flaws as far as I could see and did it's job well: to entertain it's viewers.

Overall, this movie is the beginning of a seemingly great series of movies. everything is done fantastically and I couldn't have asked for too much more. I truly hope all the next Rebuild movies will continue being great, all the way to the end. read more

First off I just want to say it's about time. I'm from the generation that was around to watch this show as the episodes were released, and over time the inconsistencies in the series made the heart grow somewhat less fond. I guess I have to blame Anno's suicidal depression as the hodgepodge focus the series tired to show off. Rebuild 1.0 is like an attempt for Anno to validate his feelings at the time by redoing the series in the way it might have been done if he hadn't been psychotically depressed, and the result is good.

First off I'd like to comment on the revived story. Its nice to see a lot of the tolerable scenes kept around while a lot of the annoying or confusing scenes were taken away. It certain parts of the movie there are scens that bear no resemblance to their old incarnation, usually better appealing to the fresh audiences, or simply for the sake of the constrained format. Shinji no longer
comes off like the weakest, most annoying character to ever be conceived of. Both he and Rei now benefit from a more healthy emotion set (even though Rei seems only slightly altered), and it looks like they're going to be more maturely fleshed out this time around. This is good because Asuka stands to benefit as much as Shinji does with a more stabalized personality, probably even more considering her poor psych track record.

While I can appreciate the old art style of the anime, this new version manages to use just enough sprucing up with the new animation technology to give it a very refined look. The beam effects now have an ethereal glow, animations are smoother in the higher speed action, characters have a more normalized clean look, and the definition of detail is definitely a few steps up on the original. CG is present with an almost intentionally downplayed role. Very few objects and such bear the obvious mark of CG rendering where most of the time its serving a much more muted role as a scene enhancer, rather then as a dominator. The angels and Evas in particular benefit a lot from the new style. Angels are more animated and complex, where as the Evas have more human characteristics that can be observed about them. Certain aspects of the show, Like Lillim or the the blasted Japan landscape, have a much more 'biblical disaster' feel to them, which only hints at what the story is going to morph into down the line.

The sound is a definite step up from the old days. Weapons fire, creature noises, character foleys, and even the random background noises are much clearer then the original incarnation. Music is definitely the cream of the crop in the sound department here. Some of the tracks are now more quiet then they at one point were, adding an ambiance to scenes where they were desperately needed. During a few of the fight scenes the new tracks that are featured even have some limited vocals which is an appreciated touch in my opinion, again, as it is aiding ambiance. Some of the beam firing effects were a really fun thing to hear this time, which is something I never get tired of hearing. One of the things I'm not happy with is the sounds That Eva 01 made during its berserker charge on Sachiel. I honestly don't know if that's how they were in the initial Japanese series release all those years ago or not, but it definitely sounds out of place.

I have to say with this masterful job of a revival I feel I can believe in Eva again. I'm putting high hopes in this quadrilogy and I'm expecting a more agreeable ending, so heres to hoping for the best for once. God is in his heaven, all is well with the world.
read more

Rebuild of Evangelion: 1.01 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE is the first of 4 movie adaptations to the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. The movie series is not to be taken as a complete retelling of the original NGE series as it will eventually contain new content never before seen in the original. The first movie starts off relatively similar to the first few episodes of NGE up to the 6th Angel's battle.

Story: Ikari Shinji is the 14 year old son of Ikari Gendo, the commander of NERV. Shinji arrives at Tokyo-3 to find out he will be piloting Eva Unit 01 to fight off against the Angels. He questions why he is doing this but pilots Eva anyway in an attempt to find the answer to his question. The movie ends with the decisive battle against Ramiel, the 6th Angel.

The story removes plenty of excess interaction Shinji had in his school in the original show. The story still flows well though, all the important scenes are still in place. Ramiel's battle had the most change when compared to original battle. Operation Yashima was lengthened and more refined. It definitely gave the movie a worthy finale battle. The movie ends with the introduction of Seele and Kaworu (who was introduced late in the original series), to open up a more refined transition to Rebuild 2.0.

Art: The art was completely upgraded with today's animation and there are several small changes that brings the life of Evangelion through even more. The movie makes use of subtle CGI effects and makes the animation seem more natural when flipping through the CGI scenes. The scenery is much more apocalyptic looking to really drive in the world of Eva.

Sound: Most of the NGE music can be found in the movie as well as new tracks. The music playing during Ramiel's fight probably stands out the most for me. The movie also included Utada Hikaru's Beautiful World as its theme.

Character: Shinji once again returns as the emotional and distraught young man along with Rei and the original cast. The relationship between Misato and Shinji is shown more apparent and earlier than the original series did. There didn't seem to be too much of Rei interaction in the movie though as compared to the original.

Enjoyment/Overall: I am not a huge Eva fan as a lot of other people are. I personally did not find NGE super amazing but the movie does well in transitioning a decade+ old show into the new age. I will be looking forward to Rebuild 2.0 and hopefully there will not be as much inner-soul-seeking-distraught-emotional-journeys as the original series had in its final episodes. read more

I'm not going to write about the plot of this movie since its essentially a remake of the first 6 episodes of the show shot for shot but with better animation and crisper visuals. But let me get one thing out of the way first, I FREAKING LOVED the original EVA series. Here we were with our boring and repetetive mech shows, and there came EVA to turn it all upside down along with all of anime. Also, End of Evangelion is not only an anime masterpiece, but a masterpiece in pure animation filmmaking.

I'm going to jump right in and tell whats different in this remake. Not a lot actually. The first 2/3s of the film are essentially hi-def remakes of the first 4 episodes. Its not until the last 1/3 when the sniper angel fight is fought where the changes start coming at you. The final angel fight is way different, and almost better than the original. Some important stuff is revealed to Shinji a lot earlier than before, and Kaoru has a grand entrance on the moon. Yep, you heard me, on the MOON (that big object in outerspace that orbits the earth, in case I didnt EMPHASIZE that last point enough.)

The best thing about this film is revisiting this universe. Hideaki Anno, the show's creator, is striving to reinterpret his masterpiece with this new set of moives, and this first one does a great job of setting up new material to come, while at the same time remaining completely faithful about what EVA is really all about.

However, that's also where part of the movie's problems lie. Most of the movie is nothing new though, and you'll have to wait unitl the next 2 movies and the finale to really see the drastic changes Anno is making in this reinterpreted version of EVA. Also, this really isn't an issue, but as such a fan of the original series, this new movie set will never replace the original. The original Evangelion series inspired me to study animation filmmaking, and this new set of films simply doesnt have the same effect. Its still REALLY DAMN GOOD, just not as meaningful or revolutionary as before.

In conclusion, Rebuild of Evangelion 01 does its job and sets up the overhaul of the EVA series that Anno is striving to do. Its not at all revolutionary like the show, but it is still an interesting experiment in filmmaking, and I'm definately intrigued by how this story can be reinterpretted by Anno after all the stuff he went through making the show and End of EVA (mental breakdown and all). Watch the original series and End of EVA first in order to appreciate what these movies are really trying to do as a requirement though. read more

For those who have or for those who haven't seen Neon Genesis Evangelion, Rebuild of Evangelion 1.0 will not disappoint. The story of the original series has been captured and remade with a drastic art improvement (it was beautiful) and upgraded soound effects and music. Totally worth checking out.