Shinseiki Evangelion Movie: Air/Magokoro wo, Kimi ni

Let’s get rid of the obvious first. The End of Evangelion is inaccessible to anyone who didn’t watch the series. This shouldn’t be a point against the movie, though. There are enough great sequels who needed the first film. The fact this is two episodes smashed together to form a movie has no bearings on its quality.

There are far worse problems here. Evangelion was a brilliant series with a disappointing ending. Instead of using intelligence to lift up its story of saving the world, it went full retard. The deviation is only impressive if you haven’t been to the edge of weird storytelling. It contributed ... nothing to the series but was just a scattered essay with moving pictures.

The film was supposed to fix that, but sadly it doesn’t. Evangelion was never as deep as people say it is. It attempted subversions, but it lacked a theme to unite it all together. Religious symbolism and psychological portraits do not necessarily mean there’s a grand theme. They are ways to express ideas.

The problems are already apparent in the beginning. It kicks off into a huge action sequence that lives little room for character development. It also perfectly replicates the intensity that made the TV show so fun.

Nobody talks about how fun the TV show us. The drama was engrossing and the action scenes were beautifully animated. Every metal bending, every hit, every explosion is full of power. The enemies have the unique, Angel-esque design and the scene is clean. The environment is bare, making it easy to follow exactly what’s happening. Michael Bay has a lot to learn from this film.

The film attempts the same psychological-monologue-slideshow thing, and it’s just as unnecessary and messy as in the series. It’s a little better, but the core problem remains.

Moving to such territory is unnecessary. The story isn’t made for such experimental methods. At its heart, it’s a simple story about saving the world from the Unknown Enemy while realizing that humanity can be its own enemy, too. All you need for this story are characters who are convincing enough.

The monologues just go in circles, bouncing from one subject into another with no ideas concluding or connecting. This technique works in novels, but not so for films. You read novels in your own pace, so you take your own time to digest the word salad.

Movies set their own pace, so Anno is throwing at you images and words in machine-gun velocity. This could still have a chance of being entertaining, but experimental films often have a plot that works well with the method. You couldn’t tell the story of Pi without going full retard. It’s an abstract story at heart that happens only in Max Cohen’s head.

There is something about loneliness and the desire to connect. I heard this before and searched for it in this film. While the conclusion does touch that in a symbolic way that works, everything else was over the place like I remembered. Shinji is a neurotic and angsty teen, but his type of angst isn’t focused on enough. Is he a person who gave up on connecting to people like Mirai Nikki‘s Yukki? Is he an obsessive person who sees everything in absolutes like Max Cohen?

Perhaps I missed something in the series, but nothing here connected to a single theme. It starts to look like Digimon Tamers is an attempt to remake Evangelion with coherency. At least Tamers has a theme and symbols that point to it.

I once read that Anno said Evangelion could mean anything the viewer wants to. If so, then the show is about nothing. This isn’t how vagueness works. A story should not give simple answers, but it still needs to ask questions. Asking questions means it confronts a subject, and it’s not just about anything. Medabots asks whether weapons only lead to destruction, or whether they can be used for fun. The vagueness is in how the series makes strong cases for both viewpoints.

The film still gets by because of its visuals. Despite the attempts at philosophy, the second part works in the same way the first part. Its epicness is exciting. It’s not as meaningful as before. We get monologues, instead of seeing characters in action but the visuals are still beautiful, and there’s a sense of self-importance that actually makes it fun. It stretches itself so far so just seeing how crazy it will go is entertaining. Despite the philosophizing, the film never forgets it’s a visual medium and that it should take advantage of it.

It’s an interesting addition to the Evangelion canon, but it supports the haters more than the fans. Instead of giving Evangelion a coherent ending, it shows how the series never had a grand theme to begin with. Knowing your limitations is important. If Evangelion stuck to its story of saving the world, it would’ve been fantastic. Still, a scattered but creative mind still has plenty of worthwhile ideas.

3.5 Angels out of 5

This is the first review that I've written on this site, so please, bear with me. (Might have some spoilers)

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a series that is superb not only for anime standards, but in general. I would recommend it to everyone willing to watch it because it has the ability to change a person whole outlook on life. However, this review will only focus on the movie.

Story: 9/10

The story of the entire series is something unique for it's time. This is the grand finale which has been set up throughout the 26 episodes of the original TV show, and it plays out on an ... epic scale. The pacing is fairly good, there wasn't a part in which things seemed to stop. The first half of the movie is the one in which pretty much all of the action happens. It's quick, intense and dramatic and contains some of the most emotional scenes in the series. Those include the deaths of many important characters, one of them being very memorable in particular, the main feeling about it being one of absolute hopelessness.
The second half of the movie does not contain much plot aside from the beginning of the third impact, and focuses more on the characters instead.

Art: 8/10

Even though the movie is old, the animation seems pretty fluid and I have no complaints there. The character designs aren't anything special, but they look good nonetheless. What especially caught my eye was the fairly creepy design of the new Eva Series. The visual spectacle during the later part of the movie is something I found amazing as well.

Sound: 9/10

I can't really say much about this part, save that the soundtrack complemented the overall picture pretty well and had several really memorable tracks. I found it to be overall great.

Character: 10/10

This is the best part about Evangelion. The characters, even though stereotypical to a point, are portrayed in a very realistic light. Shinji (who gets way too much hate for no freaking reason) is a good example of what would happen if a normal child were to be tasked with saving the world. He experiences a good deal of character growth throughout the series which reaches its height during the second half of this movie. The choices that he makes are a proof of that. The goal of Evangelion as a whole is to take a peek into the hearts of it's characters and it does it really well. The second part of this movie aims to show the reasons behind the characters' actions and their simplest desires and deals with themes about loneliness, the purpose of life and what it means to interact with other people and their effect on an individual person's life.

Enjoyment: 10/10

The only thing that I can say here is that The End of Evangelion has left me without words. It is pretty much impossible to enjoy this without watching the show beforehand, and I don't think it's a movie that everybody would like, but it's worth the watch. Even from people who are not into anime in general.

Overall: 10/10

In my opinion, Mr. Anno has created a masterpiece that will inspire many future generations to come. God forbid that it's ever forgotten.

As a fan of Neon Genesis Evangelion, I can say from an objective point of view that the series does have flaws. Multiple times throughout the series, I found myself dissapointed that things could have been greatly improved upon to make the series perfect. Unfortunately, though the series is great, it isn't perfect.

End of Evangelion is. The series is known for its psychological overtones, but it had a tendency to shove them down your throat at times. End of Evangelion, however, leaves them subtle, yet obvious enough to notice and interpret. The most important part, in my opinion, is how End of Evangelion is far, ... far darker than the series. The series is naturally bleak and depressing, but it seemed too tame when compared to the story it was telling. Violence and sexual interaction were slim in the series despite all of them integral to the story being told. End of Evangelion fixes this and delivers scenes truly fitting the presented story.

If you were disappointed with episodes 25 and 26 then look no further. This movie will leave you pleased with the series and even more so with the movie itself.

I finished both the televised series of NGE as well as the movie EoE. It took me over a decade to sit down and watch it, but I have to say I’m completely blown away. I was not expecting it to be THAT good.

I don’t believe it was absolute perfection, but it was pretty damn amazing. I tend to be highly critical when it comes to anime. The fact is I do enjoy psychological and heavy anime much more than the fluffy, mindless series, but after something like this, I always need to see something stupid because I’ll continue to never stop thinking about ... the very real concepts it presents.

I quite frankly enjoyed the last two original episodes of the series and was skeptical about EoE. I have come to the conclusion that I actually prefer this ending better, though I do appreciate the original as well.

I think the main gripe I had about the movie was more artistic preference than anything. The scenes that presented “real life footage” caught me off guard and I felt it didn’t mesh well. Personally, I would have like to insert a portion of the last two episodes into there to show the inter-workings of Shinji’s mind with simplicity and acceptance with himself and then cut back to the external part of showing that he rejected instrumentality.

I understand now why people say that viewing both gives you insight of what was happening. I also do applaud it for giving you conclusive info that the original show left for you piece together. That being said, I rated the original as 8/10 but would have rated it 9/10 if this was used as the last two episodes.

But let’s say in my perfect world, I could have both in one?
I can’t say I would still give it a 10. It would easily be a 9. But I can’t get over the fact how rushed Kaworu’s episode was. For Kaworu to be a vital person to Shinji, and for all the character development given to every character, his death lacked that profoundness the series gave as a whole. I was in total awe, feeling just about every emotion throughout the series, except for that particular death. I didn’t have enough time to connect and see how Shinji became so attached and was able to start expressing himself to someone.

Though it’s a bit embarrassing, I admit I do connect with Shinji and understand why there was such a need for overbearing questions and the constant repeat of it. I can say if you have not been through depression, it may be hard to understand him and easily push him aside as a "whiny, annoying character." But having the constant feeling to run away from a responsibility, but then come back because you completely comprehend why it is vital. But then freaking out half way through bailing once again and feeling even more hatred towards yourself for doing it half-assed. That internal and seemingly endless struggle is outwardly pathetic. But if you already come to that realization, isn’t it better to think that of yourself so if someone says it out loud, you can’t be that surprised? Maybe in a way you use that as a confirmation… Almost a ticket to spiral out of control and give yourself the right to end it all and care for absolutely nothing.

Overall, this really was a very, very good conclusion to a very, very amazing anime. I haven’t felt anything similar besides that in Haibane Renmei (which I’m sure is not a popular opinion). I think this is because it gives me hope. It reminds you why you need to survive and struggle — why it’s worth it. It reminds you that to be the very definition of human we need freewill to make our own mistakes and learn and grow from it, or it will inevitably eat you alive. It means a lot to me to explore such “simple” concepts of how we interact and see ourselves. We choose to ignore a lot it to get by in life, because pain and human interaction on the surface can be understood by everyone, the way humans think and deal with it is complicated.

Once in a generation, a movie comes out that completely changes your view about life, meaning, and purpose. For me, that movie was the 90-minute tour-de-force simply known as... The End Of Evangelion.

This is a movie that bestowed upon me a barrage of emotions, everything from sadness to speechlessness to utter shock. Going into this movie, I was anticipating loads of dark subject matter. And this movie more than delivered. All 90 minutes of it acted as if it were a tank, unleashing bombs of sorrow onto my mind. From the disturbing first scene, to the tearjerker of a final scene, all of it completely ... blew my mind.

I'll give a succinct spoiler-free synopsis: it all goes down. Hard. And everyone is affected by it.

I found myself cringing at many of the graphic scenes in this, asking myself just why in the hell I was watching this, to begin with. But I knew I had to sit through this – I had watched all 26 episodes, and I was still wanting more. Then I watched End Of EVA. And then I deeply regretted it.

Well... at first, anyway.

As a preface and prelude, I watch the four Director's Cut episodes of Evangelion, to get a better sense of understanding just where the story was headed, leading into EOE. At first, I felt alright, but getting into this movie, I knew this would change me.

I lied awake in bed in complete silence, for hours, after watching this. I felt empty, hollow, disturbed, visibly depressed. This movie did something to me that no other had ever done, before – it left me completely speechless.

Then... I did a bit more research. And everything started to make more sense.

(This can be considered just a fan theory, but for the sake of argument, let's call this as fact.)

Episodes 25 and 26 and EOE (25' and 26) happen within the same universe. They coincide and coexist together. How it works:

After the events of episode 24, End Of Evangelion begins. At to the scene where Instrumentality begins, episodes 25 and 26 happen, and soon after those events, the last 15 minutes of End of EVA happen.

Anyway, before I go off on any tangents, let me start talking about the movie itself.

The End of Evangelion is, essentially, the true ending to the Neon Genesis Evangelion television series, but because of time and budget constraints, this could not happen within the TV show, so the creative staff and producers at Gainax made two completely minimalist and experimental final episodes, which were received with, well... not the greatest response.

Roughly one year later, in movie theaters across Japan in March 1997, Gainax and Production IG made what was the planned ending for the series, a final catharsis, a nearly-2-hour film called “Death & Rebirth” was released. The first part, Death, is a condensed 70-minute cut of episodes 1 through 24 of the TV series, told in a non-linear narrative format. Essentially, though, it's just a clip show, and if you've seen the series, you can pass on this, as select scenes from Death are included in the four Director's Cut episodes. The second part, Rebirth, is the first 27 minutes of End of Evangelion's “Episode 25',” but in an incomplete format.

Because of budgetary reasons and time constraints, “Rebirth” ended without any real resolution, as it just stopped in the middle of a very important scene. (For spoiler reasons, I won't say what it is.) However, a few months later, in July 1997, End of EVA was released theatrically. Made up of two 45-minute episodes (25' and 26'), this is the true ending to the Evangelion story.

For anyone who hasn't seen it, I won't start talking about every little thing that happens, because this is a film that you absolutely have to see to believe and understand. By no means is this a movie that you'd want to watch over and over again, though, but it certainly is a MUST-watch.

Wanting to get a better comprehension of this movie, I decided to watch it over again, and I decided to look at this movie through an analytical standpoint.

And, my God, this movie is amazing.

Not just for its narrative, but for its artistic direction. Think of it like this: if Akira showed what animation was capable of, End of EVA far surpassed that capability, several times over. Gainax and Production IG created a visual masterpiece, both in the far-improved-from-the-show action animation and in the images of apocalypse, in the film's second half.

Then there's the nightmare fuel. Oh, God, the nightmare fuel...

For the sake of summarizing, this whole movie is filled with nightmare fuel. And I can't find the heart to describe all the absolutely terrifying images in this movie. Just take my word for it. But if you have a weak heart, or you don't like horror movies, then don't watch End Of EVA.

However, if you've seen the series and want a better resolution for Evangelion, watch this movie. But be warned: it is one of the most disturbing movies you will ever see, but also one of the greatest.

I give this movie a 10 out of 10 – it is THAT good. It's not something I can watch with a smile on my face, but it damn sure is something I can respect as a completely disturbed masterpiece.

The best way to finish a story. It was an extended version of 2 final episodes of the series with a slightly different approach and more intense feelings. The movie gave some of the most iconic scenes in anime history and a woderful song. The scene with ''Komm Süsser Tod'' every time that i rewatch the movie is a unique experience, i feel it to the maximum more and more.

One momment that i felt very strong recently when i watch the movie one more time was the fighting scene with Asuka and Eva Series. The feeling it gave me it was that in every ... movement the units and their weapons weighed tons, every hit, every frame was that well animated/directed that creates the picture of the battle in an amazing realistic way, the unites lost their balance, moving the weapons at 90 degrees was as difficult as it should be.

First scene with Asuka and Shinji in the hospital, Misato-Shinji scene with the kiss, last scene with Shinji and Asuka. Τhe entire length of the film was covered with such images, images with strong value in the general aesthetics of the series. A beautifully well made movie following the unique close up of the series. It came to enhancing it with the best possible way.

Emotional struggles, dillemas, great character presentation, iconic scenes, the perfect aesthetic combination. I cant image how something new will make me more excited than this movie.

What's funny about end of evangelion is while there's just a sheer number of flaws with this movie, it still is the absolute pinnacle of anime film and one of the greatest movies of all time in general. Yes, the story to this movie is terrible. Like all of eva, the story is forgettable, convoluted, and overall just shit. but i think what's different abt end of eva is how, after everything's done and the credits are rolling, you come to the realization that the story didn't matter. None of it mattered. What made this movie such an experience was its convoluted nature. Not knowing ... what the hell was going on in this movie made the character moments so much more dramatic, emotional, and important then if i knew what the plot surrounding end of eva was. There is 'some' competent storytelling in end of eva, but when i walk away from this movie, i only remember the perfect soundtrack, the character moments, and some of the most jaw-dropping scenes ive seen in this medium.

Awhile ago, I reviewed the masterpiece series called “Neon Genesis Evangelion”. While I did have a little gripe with an aspect of the plot, that minor flaw wasn’t enough to detract from what was an otherwise masterful experience that I hope to keep thinking about decades after I’ve seen it. I’m now back to tackle The End of Evangelion. Hey, it wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t review this now wouldn’t it? I won’t waste time further other than throwing out the obligatory spoiler warning. Without further ado lets review & get this off my chest. Also, as a clarification. This is a direct continuation ... of my NGE review (no shit) so I apologize if this review comes off as too short or too shallow, as I don’t want to repeat too many of the points that I made in that review here.

Story: 10/10

My oh my, if I could describe the story of End of Evangelion in one word, It’s powerful. From scenes like Shinji jacking off over Asuka’s tits. The storming of Nerv headquarters. Komm Susser Tod. The scene before Komm Susser Tod that mirrors episode 15 of the series. The moment that shows Shinji building a sand castle resembling Nerv headquarters, only to then destroy it out of anger. I can go on but the number of powerful moments throughout the movie, oh who am I kidding? Practically every scene is a powerful moment in this movie. Anyway the plot itself. Well, SEELE has had enough of Gendo’s bullshit so they decide to take matters into their own hands, start the third impact, & finish the human instrumentality project. The places this story goes though, are what takes End of Evangelion and turns it into something special. I already mentioned some of the moments, & I’ll be sure to mention more awesome moments as this review goes along. That’s all I’m going to say, because even though there will be some spoilers, in this review as mentioned earlier, I’d like to contain myself on some level so that you still have a reason to watch this.

In my review of NGE, I mentioned how the awesome storyboarding, structure, & flow is a large part of what made that series for me. It’s no different here. Actually, it is different. Because it’s even better in this movie than it was in the original series. The level of seamless flow from scene to scene housed within this movie is simply ridiculous. The structure of the movie is tighter than a quad-drouple knot, & the storyboarding, the storyboarding’s flow & seamless transitions, my god. So yeah, a large part of what made the series so good in the first place is not only housed in this film as well, but its better than it ever was in the TV series. Which I thought was already masterful to begin with, but this takes it a step further beyond. The directing is also improved over the series as well, the staging of fights. Structure of scenes. Structure of dialogue. Shots. Compositional work. It’s all insane how good it is.

Characters: 10/10

Because the characters in EoE are the same as they are in NGE, & I already thoroughly discussed the characters in that review as much as I could, I really don’t have a whole lot to say or add about who they are as people, why they're such great characters, etc. So instead, I’ll list off my favorite moments of certain characters for this review. Just as a demonstration that they’re still as well written & impactful as they were in the original series

Shinji- My favorite moment from Shinji in this movie is more a sequence of events than a singular moment. But it’s when he’s in the world where human-instrumentality happens & he’s talking to Rei. The realization that Shinji comes to, that human instrumentality isn’t what he wants, & that in spite of everything, the pain he feels, how he can hurt others, & that, in spite of how painful some of those memories were, they were his memories, & a sign that he was both alive, & a person. What follows is him breaking out of giant, naked, white Rei with Eva unit 01 letting out a screech. It’s a powerful series of events & the fact that the sound design in this series of events is largely made up of ambiguity, the background is water against a red sky, oh god I love this scene. It might be my favorite moment in Evangelion, but I really can’t decide.

Asuka. Easily when she has to go up against the 9 Eva units & only has 3 minutes & 34 seconds to defeat all 9 of them. What follows in this scene is a beautiful showcase of animation, some of the finest attention to detail, beautiful fight choreography, an excellent display of Hideaki Anno’s directing capabilities, and more of Evangelion’s marvelous structure. This sequence of events houses a lot of End of Evangelion’s strongest aspects & part of why I think End of Evangelion is one of the overall best looking anime films of all time

Rei. My favorite Rei moment is when she rejects Gendo once she hears Shinji’s freakout after witnessing Asuka’s death. I love this scene because after everything that happened in the original series, it feels great to see Rei say “fuck you” without even saying it. It’s also a nice payback on Gendo after all the shit he put not only Shinji through, but everybody else at Nerv through just to achieve his selfish desires. You’re an interesting character Gendo, but you’re an asshole all the same & god does it feel satisfying to hear Rei pull a “fuck you”, merge with Adam to become giant white Rei, & go help Shinji realize what it is that he really wants.

Misato. My favorite Misato moment is before her death. When she has that talk with Shinji about “I’ve made mistakes too, some I’ve regretted”. The gut punching this scene hits me with is both tense & powerful, top that off with Misato kissing Shinji, ending with the statement ‘That’s an adult kiss”. Ohhh god I’m crying at this scene.

End of Evangelion is full of great character moments, too many for me to list off in fact. This of course falls in line with the original series having fantastic character moments. But the sheer impact that these scenes leave, the great animation showcase in the case of Asuka versus the 9 angels, really, this whole movie is a giant moment. I think that describes the film perfectly “one giant moment”.

Sound: 10/10

The sound is just as good as it was in the original series, what do you expect? All the voice actors reprise their role & do just as, if not better than they did in the original TV series. The sound design is just as amazing as it was in the original TV series. Sagisu returns to compose the OST for this movie and it’s just as great & well integrated as it was in the original TV series. Of course it’d be wrong not to mention “Komm Susser tod”. A 7:43 song with some of the most powerful imagery not just Evangelion, but film has ever seen. “Interference of Others” & “End of Midsummer” that play when SEELE invades Nerv is some really good shit. “Substitute invasion” that plays in several scenes, but particularly the Shinji, Misato dialogue scene that I mentioned in the characters portion of the review, “Thanatos” that plays over the troll credits at the middle of the film just fits for some reason. Ok, this is Shiro Sagisu’s best composition in my opinion. For as much as I praised his work in the original series, for as much as I adore Kare Kano’s compositions, I genuinely think this is Shiro Sagisu’s peak. All of his pieces are phenomenal, & their use in the film is no less.

Art: 10/10

This is most likely going to be the shortest segment of the review because really? What is there to say, it’s an artistic masterpiece. The color design, the character designs, the flow of the animation, the weight of the animation, the sound design that helps to sell the animation, the fluidity of it all? Seriously, it’s one of the best looking anime movies for a reason. The art direction, the art design, the sublime animation, what more do you want me to say without repeating myself? Of course because it’s a movie, the animation quality is obviously superior to the TV series. I shouldn’t have to say that but thanks to the Girls & Panzer movie, I feel inclined to mention rather or not anime films actually rise above TV quality or not. Jabs aside, this really is one of the best looking anime films of all time.

Overall: 10/10

It’s End of Evangelion, did you seriously think I wasn’t going to give this a 10/10 after being such a massive fan of the TV seris in the first place? The character moments are amazing, the story is powerful with many a moments of its own. The narrative structure is tight. The visual flow is some of the best anime films have to offer. The directing is one of Hideaki Anno’s best efforts. The music is Shiro Sagisu’s best composition, & the use of the pieces in the film are just as amazing as the music itself is. The way everything is wrapped up (which I purposefully didn’t mention because I didn’t want to spoil it). I think you all get it by now. End of Evangelion is a cinematic masterpiece that went down in history for a reason. If this film isn’t going to be put on an international preservation society of some form, I will go through the effort of starting my own just for the sake of preserving this film so that everyone can see it even after the world comes to an end. I don’t know how to end this review, so uh yeah, End of Evangelion is a masterpiece, end of story.

SPOILERS!:
The End of Evangelion

“I tried to include everything of myself in Neon Genesis Evangelion. Myself, a broken man who could do nothing for four years...It is a production where my only thought was to burn my feelings into film.” - Hideaki Anno
About a year after the controversial finale of the iconic anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion, creator Hideaki Anno theatrically released an alternate ending of sorts, creating what is arguably a cinematic masterpiece. The End of Evangelion is split into two distinct halves, the first being mostly straightforward, the second delving into extremely experimental and ambitious territory. The final forty minutes of the film form ... a surreal trip that is densely populated with abstract imagery, philosophical musing, and unexpected metafiction. Through seemingly boundless experimentation, Anno is able to expand upon many of the show’s darkest themes and makes what I believe to be one of the most insightful and accurate psychological dramas in film history. End of Evangelion is an incredible and important film for both its subversive and avant-garde content and its uniquely presented exploration of such themes as loneliness, sexuality, and depression.
Before diving too deep into The End of Evangelion’s content, it is important that I introduce the general storyline of the series and the film. Neon Genesis Evangelion takes place in a futuristic and chaotic version of the year 2015 in which Earth is under threat of monsters known as Angels. An organization named NERV is attempting to combat the Angels using giant mechas known as Evangelions, which are piloted by specially selected adolescents who each are psychologically explored and deconstructed as the series goes on. The main protagonist is the fragile and emotional Shinji Ikari whose father Gendo Ikari is the commander of NERV and abandoned Shinji as a child. Much of Shinji’s personal anguish arises from his dysfunctional relationship with his father, which only scratches the surface of the many layers of conflict and darkness throughout the series.
Many of Evangelion’s themes are interwoven and connected closely. Loneliness, sexuality, and depression are each shown to go hand in hand on occasion (after all, they are essential factors of the human condition). For example, the character of Misato Katsuragi, the 29 year old woman who works as the operations director at NERV and is Shinji’s (temporary) guardian-of-sorts, is shown to try to cope with her loneliness using sexuality. Sexuality’s relation to loneliness is actually an aspect that The End of Evangelion seems to explore in a very original and notable way. In the last twenty or so minutes of the film, there is a sequence in which Shinji Ikari is brought to a reality in which all human beings are unified physically and mentally, thus making the entire population one single consciousness, therefore quenching Shinji of his profound loneliness. “Is this death?” asks Shinji. “Not quite. This is a world in which we are all one.” The imagery of the character of Rei (she will be discussed in some detail later) lying on top of Shinji as both of their naked bodies intermingle in a seemingly liquidated form is rather sexual. This entire idea of being able to reach inside another person’s physical self can be interpreted as a metaphor for the act of sexual penetration. Through this lens, it can be observed that Anno is, in a way, saying that sexual contact is the only true way in which humans can, in the most literal sense, be rid of their inevitably lonely states. This theory brings us back to how Misato Katsuragi uses sexuality to cope with her unbearable feelings of loneliness. However, Misato’s loneliness is never truly quenched. All freedom from the restrictions of one’s own consciousness is temporary...if such freedom is even possible anyway. The End of Evangelion keeps itself open to many questions such as these while showing its characters attempting to answer them, attempting to escape the existential and depressive aspects of existence. The sexual content of the film fuels philosophical thought rather than having the slightest crudity or even real eroticism to it.

An hour into the film, the most directly sexual sequence is depicted with all the psychological weight one would expect from Evangelion at this point. While its focus is largely on Misato, she remains offscreen for most of the sequence. However, her voice is powerful enough to make her its central figure. “I guess I just do things like that...to prove I exist.” she says. “It makes me feel wanted,” she says, “and so it makes me feel happy.” Plainly and brutally honest statements such as these make up much of the dialogue in the most purely psychological moments in Evangelion. The characters are desperately trying to make sense of the world around them. Even more importantly, the characters are desperately trying to make sense of themselves. Misato’s method of coping with the confusing and depressive elements of her life requires physicality. “Yes,” she says to Shinji as he presumably watches her performing an unspecified sex act, “this is also me. The me that exists when two hearts are joined as one.” Sex makes her feel as if she is “needed” by another and thus it makes her feel better about herself and her life, if only for a short period of time. After all, what could possibly be more intimate than intimacy?

When all humans merge as one, and all beings become a single united consciousness, it is the result of what is known as The Third Impact. To explain everything about The Third Impact sequence plot-wise would take up a lot of time, so I’d prefer to examine its emotional implications. The Third Impact sequence is definitely the film’s highlight, it is an abstract explosion of color, horror, and drama, showing the end of the world as we know it, the beginning of a new era in the history of humanity. “This is the world you wanted,” says Rei. It is a scene of conflicting emotions, a terrifying and tragic culmination of the film’s darkest, heaviest thematic material. This is a world Shinji has wished for in a fit of selfishness. The scene opens with Shinji choking fellow Evangelion pilot Asuka after arguing with her (all of this is taking place entirely in his mind, as Asuka was horrifically killed a few scenes earlier), queuing the soundtrack’s most memorable piece to play. The piece is a song entitled “Komm Süsser Tod”, a song that lyrically communicates extreme misery, adding to the discomforting and disturbing power of the sequence: “So with sadness in my heart/I feel the best thing I could do/Is end it all/And leave forever/What’s done is done, it feels so bad/What once was happy now is sad/I’ll never love again/My world is ending.” All sorts of images soon clutter the screen, including some oddly dark children’s drawings followed by the sudden flash of each of the title screens of the original show’s episodes, eventually cutting to a collage of obscured, blurry, overlayed visuals taken from the Evangelion saga. Behind these visuals, Shinji’s voice can be heard musing on the existential pain and torment of life as Rei responds with such cryptic questions as “Then what is your hand for?” This brief moment ends in the image of Shinji as a toddler, crying desperately after presumably being abandoned by his father, as Shinji’s teenage self can be heard saying “Is it okay for me to be here?”

This single minute of the film is an explosive expression of inner turmoil and struggling. Before the world as man has known it is reborn into a unification of all humans into a single being, Shinji’s anxieties violently conflict, everything seems to be falling apart, and yet this is what Shinji wants, or thinks he wants. In an article entitled “The Very World You Wished For: On Cinema As Authorial Therapy”, the article’s author Christopher Runyon writes, “Shinji would rather force everyone on earth to become one with his own form than go back to the life he had before: unable to socially connect with others, or find an individual who unconditionally loves him for who he is.” This description of Shinji’s internal motivations exposes many of its beautifully depicted flaws; it shows its selfishness as well as its deep seated pain and agony. In my own life, I’ve had moments in which I would do almost anything to rid myself of depressive feelings, regardless of what it means for the future of anyone or anything, which is what Shinji is experiencing and is even acting directly out on.

Eventually, the sequence drifts out of Shinji’s mind, and instead focuses on the actual execution of The Third Impact. A seemingly endless amount of clones of Rei, who is revealed to be one of the beings conducting The Third Impact (to explain her character much further would be far too difficult and time consuming, so just go with it), appear, disappear, and reappear throughout the NERV headquarters, shape shifting and ruminating sadly on human existence, highlighting life’s loneliness, which is soon to be eliminated. Humans are caused to explode into an orange liquid (later revealed to be called LCL) as the Rei clones float throughout the scenery and embrace their victims. One of the most effective moments in the entire film is when Maya Ibuki, a secondary character in the series and film who works as a computer technician at NERV headquarters, embraces a Rei clone who has shapeshifted into Ritsuko, the main scientist at NERV who had been shot and killed a few scenes earlier. Maya clearly shows great affection for the woman, hugging her and smiling and passionately calling out her name. Suddenly, the two explode into LCL, and Maya’s disembodied hand, oozing with the strange orange liquid, is shown in a subsequent close-up, flying across a nearby screen that reads “I NEED YOU.” Those three words alone elevate the impact of the moment to new heights. Such small details are throughout this epic sequence that makes brief lines of dialogue make the power of the insanity surrounding them even more profound and powerful.

The scene continues to go down the rabbit hole of horror and chaos, soon cutting to Shinji’s father, expressing his gratitude that this moment has finally come, realizing that he will at long last be able to reunite with his dead wife, Yui. “When Shinji is around me,” he says, “all I ever do is cause him pain. It was better when I did nothing at all.” For almost the entirety of the Evangelion saga, Shinji’s father is portrayed with little sympathy, until this devastating moment of understanding. Gendo Ikari’s own vulnerabilities and regrets are most directly exposed, the spirit of his wife appearing before him. “I don’t deserve to be loved.” he says. Eventually, he commits suicide by being consumed by one of the Evangelions. The climactic nature of this entire sequence is rising, everything is coming to an end, the interiors of many characters are being exposed and subsequently disposed of. Whoever the bad or good guys are in this situation is blurred, what even is happening for much of it is even more blurred. Soon, everything has spiralled into even further chaos; a giant form of Rei grows wings, multiple mechas in outer space grow extended heads resembling Rei, great beams of light green surrounded by red dots crawl across all of Earth, etc. The entire sequence becomes dizzyingly confusing, and this is only fitting considering the fact that it is a depiction of forces that go beyond human understanding. Our entire existence is being completely reborn, shaped into a single consciousness, and it is all under the control of massive beings that lie somewhere between the spiritual and scientific. Every shot has a new surprise in store, every image triggers some strong response, and soon the idea of cinema itself is metaphorically destroyed by Anno’s boundless vision. After another psychedelic collage of obscured and colorful imagery to close off The Third Impact sequence, we are confronted with the unexpected presence of a live action scene. We see rows of movie theater seats facing us, the viewer. In the following moments, the entire idea of fiction itself will practically be deconstructed. The metafictional messaging of the following moments is mindblowing and endlessly creative. Cinema and reality collide as Anno shows images of present day Tokyo as the voices of his animated characters can be heard, questioning the face of reality and the world around them. In a following shot, the theater seats are filled by the audience of the theatrical release of a previous Evangelion film entitled Death and Rebirth (which is a feature-length recap of the series followed by the first part of what would become The End of Evangelion). The words “Does it feel good?” appear on the screen, confronting the viewer about his or her own experience with this deeply personal work of art. Due to moments like these, some people have interpreted The End of Evangelion as being a feature length middle finger to the show’s fanbase, but I cannot help but disagree. Something as brutally honest as this film cannot merely function as an intentional tool to provoke a show’s fandom. However, it is clear that Hideaki Anno is trying to subvert audience expectations, he is trying to provide people with an experience that is all his own so he can truly express his deep seated emotions and struggles using art.

However, my defense of Hideaki Anno does not imply that there is no irony or cynicism on display in the film. The death of Asuka is one of the most painful scenes in the film due to how viciously ironic it is. In the moments leading up to her death, she is shown to have a burst of confidence that allows her to defeat the Eva series units sent to attack her by the underground organization SEELE. This confidence is caused by a vision she has of her deceased mother embracing her, showing her the care and affection Asuka has secretly desired throughout the saga. It is revealed in a later episode of the series that Asuka’s mother had extreme mental health problems and eventually committed suicide after attempting to convince her daughter to do the same. Asuka’s character has kept this bottled away for years and has decided to hide it behind a controlling and loud personality and an obsession with being completely independent and responsible for herself as well as a streak of extreme competitiveness (another perfect example of how Evangelion portrays the varying ways a person may deal with depression and/or trauma). In her final moments, she seems to have reconciled with it all, and has convinced herself that her mother has been with her “all along” and is cheering Asuka on in this brutal battle. Asuka is able to fight off multiple attackers in a matter of seconds, joyous music blasting in the background. However, towards the end of the battle things seem to be getting much less hopeful. The “active time” available for the Evangelion unit Asuka is in runs out, her unit is brutally stabbed and she feels its horrific pain (NOTE: all Evangelion pilots physically feel the damage done to the units they pilot when in battle), the Eva series units she supposedly defeated reactivate, and yet she still tries to convince herself that she will somehow defeat them. “I’ll kill you,” she repeats, her hand hauntingly reaching for the audience, a look upon her face of violent anger. Suddenly, the Evangelion unit’s arm splits in two and a series of giant spears fall from the sky, brutally killing her. All hope is lost, all of the joy leads to a horrifying defeat undercut with the terrified screams of Maya’s reaction to the brutal end of this character’s legacy.

On the other hand, there are some genuinely hopeful moments towards the film’s end. When Shinji finally concludes that a world in which all individual forms must create a single consciousness is not finally worthwhile, his wish for things to go back as they once were seems to be granted. His attempt to run away from reality and terminate all feelings of loneliness and uncertainty has not had the desired results, and thus he comes to terms with himself and the world around him. To the spirits of Rei and another character named Kaworu he asks, “But what are the two of you within my heart?” “We are the hope,” answers Rei, “that people will one day be able to understand each other. “And we are the words,” says Kaworu, “‘I love you.’” Sweeping violin music plays in the background, and this time there is not a hint of irony to the score. There is a genuine beauty to the words, images, and concepts now being presented, and things seem to have finally come to a resolution in Shinji’s mind. He so desperately desires the existence of individuality to revive, and he accepts that it will occasionally lead to feelings of alienation and frustration. Negativity will continue, but he has learned to accept it. As his body drifts back to the reality of separated human forms, he admits that he still doesn’t know where his happiness lies, that he still will question why he’s here, whether or not it was good to come back to a world of individuality and free will, but he expresses his own inner realization that these things are necessary pieces of his own identity. There are some things that will never be resolved in life, there are always doubts and problems and feelings of emptiness or loneliness. That’s just the human condition, and it’s an important thing to learn to somehow accept.

This leads us to the final few minutes of the film, in which Shinji has drifted back to Earth as an individual being. The ending is perhaps the ultimate example of the film’s conflicting aspects of hope and cynicism. In the previously mentioned article “On Cinema As Authorial Therapy, Part 3,” the final scene is interpreted in a much more positive and resolutive manner than I, and many other viewers of the film, necessarily agree with. When Shinji awakens in a practically abandoned, post-apocalyptic world surrounded by a red sea of LCL, he sees the sleeping body of Asuka lying beside him. He gets on top of her and begins to choke her. And in a move that breaks the hearts of Shinji and most fans of the show,” writes Christopher Runyon, “Asuka gently places her hand on Shinji’s cheek instead of fighting back. And just like that, Shinji loosens his grip on her neck, and experiences the warmth and affection he’s been searching for his entire life in that one, small act of forgiveness. And for him, it was all worth it.” There is a validity in this interpretation, but there are some key details in this sequence that are left out. When Shinji lets go of Asuka’s neck, he breaks down into tears, and they don’t come across to me as thankful tears, tears that would express something being “worth it.” Even more importantly, Runyon’s description of the ending omits the final line which adds a layer of cynicism to the entire scene that I believe to be undeniable. Asuka’s eyes look down upon Shinji (Asuka now seems to have dominance over Shinji despite him being literally on top of her), and she whispers the line that closes off the entire Evangelion saga: “How disgusting.” If these details were not present in the ending, I would likely agree very much with Runyon’s interpretation, but considering how absolutely bleak that final line and its delivery are, I find it to be in many ways a brutal closer. It’s also cryptic to a potentially stressful degree, making me question what exactly it was that went wrong or right during the reversal of The Third Impact. Was it even truly reversed? Have Rei and Kaworu betrayed Shinji despite their seeming kindness? Anno refuses to answer any of these questions, and it’s best that he doesn’t. As I already pointed out, this film deals with forces beyond our comprehension, so naturally it is going to be confusing. This is also a film that deals with depression and loneliness, so naturally it is not going to have a clear conclusion. Anyone who is truly depressed may see much improvement over time, but there will still be traces of their depression left in them. It would be unrealistic to end this story on a completely positive and hopeful note. However, there is still room for hope in there somewhere. It isn’t as if Shinji refused to hold back on his action, and actually succeeded in strangling Asuka to death. When Asuka reaches for his cheek, it does seem like a genuinely merciful gesture to some degree. It seems as if she may be able to accept him, even if she will still berate him on occasion. It seems as if there is some odd chance that she could possibly be a partner for him, somebody who will unexpectedly help quench his loneliness. At the same time, the film ends on a note of misery. Neither of the characters on screen are expressing any hope in its final shot, they are both feeling greatly negative emotions just as they had been throughout the entire series. There is no concrete answer as to whether or not things will get better; characters such as Misato, Ritsuko, and Gendo still died on screen, and the victims of The Third Impact are not actually seen to be returning to their states of individual consciousness. There is an uncertainty and confusion to everything, the resolution of a few minutes prior has been almost entirely wiped, and it’s hard to exactly know what to feel.

While The End of Evangelion’s runtime is just over 85 minutes, there are still many more elements worth discussing. So many sequences inspire reactions that are both heavily emotional and intellectual. It’s a film with the power to make a viewer think and feel like few other films can, and its insight into issues of all sorts is unbelievably brilliant. By subverting audience expectations and exploring the human psyche in a stylized and creative fashion, Hideaki Anno was able to create a masterpiece that is worthy of all the discussion, analysis, and admiration it has earned over the years. The End of Evangelion may be the finale of an iconic anime series, but it is also a profound and unique work of art that perfectly expresses what it is to be human.










Works Cited

Anno, Hideaki and Kazuya Tsurumaki, directors. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion. Gainax, 1997.

Anno, Hideaki. Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gainax, 1995.

Atkinson, Ryan. “20 Years Later: How The End of Evangelion Perfectly Depicted Depression.” Cultured Vultures, 9 Aug. 2017, culturedvultures.com/end-evangelion-depicted-depression-better-film/.

Runyon, Christopher. “On Cinema As Authorial Therapy, Part 3: ‘The Very World You Wished For.’” Movie Mezzanine, 3 Nov. 2013, moviemezzanine.com/on-cinema-as-authorial-therapy-part-3/.

WARNING SPOILER!!

Story: 10/10
The delivery of the story is easier to understand even though it is still difficult to understand as a whole, but it is better than what was shown in episode 25 and episode 26.
The definition of the sea of lcl itself is astonishing, taking reference from gnostic beliefs.
I was shocked that the mental problems of each character were explained in depth.
Uncertainty is primarily for evangelion, because it's completely beyond what fans might think. From this film understands the true meaning of the first ancestral race to allow only one seed to live on each planet, referring to Eve eating the khuldi fruit.
It's a ... great thing to gather references from different religions and then come up with a story.
the depth of the mental problems is told quite well and in detail, so that the audience seems to feel the suffering experienced by the characters.

Art:9/10
For art I really like it when all souls are taken up by Lilith, it looks like lives are taken by force. All the effects like the awakening of the Sephirot (Tree of Life), the widening of the Anti-A.T Field, to the appearance of a Black Moon, are all displayed subtly and feast on the eye.
The rest of the depiction is still the same as that shown in the TV series, so there isn't much change, although the animation is really good.

Sound:9/10
Eva's music always interprets the meaning of a story, and is in harmony with what happens in the story, so that it seems as if the music is the manifestation of the story in the form of sound.
Sound effects for every event are always in tune, creating comfort and harmony when listening to them, for example, the sound of birds, the sound of busy vehicles, and various other sounds.
For example, the song Komm süsser Tod is perfect for accompanying every death when Lilith takes the life of every human.

Character:10/10
Each character that is presented has its own meaning and always draws from certain references with definite intent and purpose.
The plot twist that is presented in each character development creates a new atmosphere, for example Rei III who betrayed Gendo and chose to help Shinji because he heard his scream.
I can't even forget what Yui Ikari said means a lot, even every character that is not featured in the entire series has its own value, for example Kyoko, Naoko, and Yui.

Enjoyment:10/10
I really enjoyed this film, I'm not lying. Maybe this is one of the coolest anime films I've ever watched besides Perfect Blue, maybe because it has some of the same genres as Perfect Blue so I like xD. Kidding, but the point is that the story is very unique and different from the others, that's what makes it cool and I like it.

Overall:10/10
It's amazing, I won't say it again because I've said a lot of the above.

Thanks for reading my review :)

After finishing the main series of NGE I felt something was missing. The ending left a lot of loose threads to say in the least, and the steep drop in animation quality really left a bizarre final impression.

Well, thank based Anno for bestowing this masterful ending upon the highly acclaimed series.

To give a general gist of the movie, it's basically what NGE's ending should have looked like in the original run if they didn't run out of money to animate the last quarter of the series. It's much more easier to grasp and follow (relatively speaking of course, it retains its trademark 'mindfuck' ... quality that NGE is known for), and many of the questions asked in the last two episodes of NGE are answered.

Now, the biggest and greatest feature of this film by far (and in that sense, the series as a whole) is it's absolutely IMMENSE scale. People can nitpick all they want about this movie, but they cannot deny the absolute immensity and ambition it holds. You'll understand once you see it, but if there's one word you should be saying after you finish this movie it should be "wow" with your jaw hitting the floor.

When it comes to how I score anime, a solid 10 simply means my enjoyment of the anime was perfect, even if it may or may not be technically perfect. However, if you were to ask me what was a true 10, what I would think of instantly is nothing less then The End of Evangelion, probably my favourite anime film and favourite films overall.

The final episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion were controversial to say the least, adopting a much less conventional style of storytelling that proved to pull a negative reaction to fans - and before I viewed End of Evangelion, I agreed with ... these views. However, The End of Evangelion gives us a 'true' ending to the story presented in the TV series whilst giving context to the events of the final two episodes. The film is divided into two rough sections, referred to as "Love is Destructive" and "I Need You".

In regards to the TV Show, small snippets of the final two episodes show events that correlate with the events of End of Evangelion, which gives me the strong reasoning that the End of Evangelion and the negatively received ending of NGE actually happen in tandem during the climatic events of the 2nd half of the film. I much prefer this explanation to the reasoning that the film is made to replace the TV series' ending, as it just adds to the sizable and amazing depth this film provides.

Now, I did say that End of Evangelion did provide a concrete ending to Neon Genesis Evangelion, however the film still contains a TON of the strange sequences, bizarre symbolism and just plain insanity that was present in the TV series - but the film takes it to a whole new level... Not that that is a negative in any way. About midway through the film, when the second segment begins, the mecha fights truly cease and the film is plunged into a long, half an hour sequence that is open to a large amount of interpreation, and when viewed in-depth actually reveals a fair amount of the characters.

It's madness, it's crazy and it's just downright weird, but the symbolism is there and it's there in spades. It reveals hidden details on the characters and their views and will reveal more on subsequent viewings. I've seen the film more then a few times and I probably would discover a couple of new things if I were to sit down and watch it again. (Not a bad idea, y'know.)

On that note, the characters are, just like in the show, the focus and highlight of the film. Each of the characters reach the final stage of their development, particularly for Shinji, Rei and Asuka. But none steal the stage more then Asuka, as her greatest impact on the film, her battle against the new era of Evangelions, which arguably stands as one of the greatest mecha fights in anime history due to the choreography, animation quality and sheer visceral brutality of the battle. But the meat of the characterisation lies with Shinji, and it is so deep and interesting, and it's with him we see the final progression of one of the core ideas of Evangelion, the deconstruction of the mecha genre - and it does so gloriously.

Also, I personally feel in comparison to the series, EoE feels far more... raw, for lack of a better term. The film is brutal in many, many ways. The action, the events the characters are subjected to, the whole feeling of the movie is just turned to 11 and it never really stops. It amps the stakes of the first half of the film particularly that pushes the film to the incredible climax.

One of my minor criticisms on the TV series was simply that the animation and art was beginning to show it's age so long after it's initial airing. I can say with certainty that this is NOT an issue with End of Evangelion - nearly 20 years after it's release, the animation and art of End of Evangelion is simply astounding in it's quality - the major Evangelion Unit 02 fight stands out as a major highlight of the film and an incredible example of animation in anime in general.

The film is beautiful, far and away from the rather frugal budget that the television series had to suffer by due to the various constraints forced upon the film. There are probably hundreds of shots one could pause on and just look at for minutes at a time and see hidden depth within the frames. I'm sorry to reiterate my earlier point, but the film has just aged that damn well, it's honestly kind of staggering.

I'd also like to highlight the audio and music used within the film - as per the course, a large amount of orchestral music is used to back up the dramatic events of the film, but they pale into the effect the song "Komm Susser Todd" is played during one of the major climaxes of the film. What's also amazing with the audio is how powerful it's abscense is; the final scene of the film, titled ONE MORE FINAL, features no diolouge or music, simply the ambient noise of the setting. The directing of the scene is absoloutly perfect, the audio playing no small part in this scene which I consider one of my all time favourite moments in anime.

I'm the first to say that The End of Evangelion is probably not for everyone - Hell, when I first saw the film, I was both floored and confused and really didn't know what to think of it. But after some time I thought it over and the more I thought, the more I loved it. The End of Evangelon is my prime example of a technically perfect film, and I hope that it remains in the minds of anime fans for a long time, as this is one of the marks that should be the goal for directors of this level.

A MORE THAN WORTHY followup and closure of the serie´s ( and i cast aside the socalled new remastered, re-done 1.11 and further crap cus thats basically raped )
and DAMN the end of evangelion was and mindtwisting piece of work that left me totally in a vegative state!! after death& rebirth i finally was able too witness it all, The overminded dark back story , the violence, the grotesque kaworu/lilith/rei/eva-01 statue, and most of all: the weirdest rebirth of humanity ever animated on paper!Part 2 was all over the place, great art, music thats too fitting and the nice 3-d elements , part ... 1 had all the violence ,dark stuff and chara. involvemend thats just intense.
Dementia is the word here, and i can't believe ever since 1999 i survived this movie!

"Somewhere right now, 'The End of Evangelion' is f@#%ing with someone's mind."

While I loved last two episodes and feel that they give the series and emotional conclusion, we all had to know what happened outside of Shinji's mind during instrumentality.

Just like the series, I'm drowning in a sea of symbolism and meaning. This movie is really what you make of it, if you only watch it with an open mind. Such an incredible conclusion to an amazing series.

End of Evangelion is a hard movie to review.

As the end of the TV series Neon Genesis Evangelion, it's a pretty shocking conclusion. The series was definitely violent, but it's not even close to the level of violence in this film. As an entry in the Evangelion franchise, it sets a new standard of sheer insanity and over-the-top violence which 2.22 would attempt to match 12 years later. As a movie independent of the franchise, it's animated extremely well, experimental in a way I've failed to see before or since, and... well, so frigging VIOLENT.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. End of Evangelion is the ... 1997 follow-up to Neon Genesis Evangelion - who'd have guessed - which brought the story to a close after the last 2 episodes of the show ran out of budget and had to get creative with the storytelling. It starts off almost directly after the end of episode 24 and "replaces" those last 2 episodes, if I'm not mistaken, so if you haven't seen the series, the first half of this movie will probably be confusing and unsatisfying.

Story: Personally, I think the story is incredible, in-context of the series or not. It's coherent for one half of the movie, but then it goes off the rails and everything goes to hell. And I love that. The underlying theme in both the series and this movie is Shinji growing up and learning to connect with people, and it all comes to a head in this movie. The plot might get very confusing and impossible to explain, but keeping in mind that it's a story about Shinji connecting to people and how he feels about humanity, you might be able to relate to him enough to stay invested in the story. Whether you're looking at the screen and asking yourself "what happened?" or empathizing with Shinji as everything goes to hell, this movie will throw you around like a ragdoll. And personally, I loved every second of it.

Art: The animation in this movie is second to none for 1997. I think it holds up exceptionally well, but it's not going to be the same quality as the Rebuild films if you've seen them first. It's a definite upgrade from the series - which wasn't bad, mind you, but End of Evangelion blows it away in pretty much every department. There's a mech battle in this movie that must have cost about as much as 7 fights from the show. The movie also makes use of rotoscoping in a very unique sequence late in the movie, as well as live-action sequences and hand-drawn images that flash onto the screen for about a second each. The animation in general, just the regular stuff that makes up around 85% of the movie, is very well-done, managing to bring to life scenes I never thought would have been possible otherwise. The art, in one word, is incredible.

Sound: This movie has some great music. This is legitimately one of my favorite anime soundtracks - the score is loud and bombastic in parts, but also has a lot of sad and even peaceful tracks, and each song really complements the scenes they appear in. And the movie makes great use of dissonance - Jesus Bleibet Meine Freude, one of the most serene and satisfying pieces of music I've ever heard, is used in one of the bloodiest and most violent scenes of the movie, and the song Komm Susser Todd - a soft rock jam with depressing lyrics - plays over a scene which I can't mention due to spoilers, but which I can assure is horrifying on a major scale. But the music that fits with the mood of each scene fits well - The classical song Il Air is used on one of the most breathtaking scenes in anything I've ever seen, and contributes to that atmosphere a lot. This movie knows how to use its music very, very well.

The voices, though... Okay, I know this breaks up the review a bit, but this is probably an important detail to mention. I personally subscribe to the dub of this movie for reasons I will get to in a bit, which varies from the original (of course) and is disputed regarding its quality for a few reasons. Please try and bear with me on this.

Dub-wise, they're competent at the least, but there are some cringe-worthy moments in this movie due to the voice-acting. Shinji screams a few times in this movie, and while I get that it's meant to be a kid screaming in despair and all that, it just sounds so bad. I like a good scream in a show or movie - something that rushes down your spine and captures your attention. This movie doesn't have that scream, in my opinion. The voices are good - Rei's voice is pleasant as always, Asuka's angry barking is motivating, Gendo has a great moment which is helped along by his vocal performance and Fuyutsuki - while not being the same VA from the dub I watched - was great fun to listen to. There were downsides, though - Until the last quarter, I didn't like listening to Shinji talk. His opening lines are great and help sell the scene, and his dialogue with Misato is understandable, but I just can't enjoy how he sounds until nearly the final quarter of the movie. Otherwise, great performances all around - Shinji's unique voice is a reason I stick with the dub, even with his downsides.

Character: Remember when I said this movie was hard to review? This section is a major contribution to that. The characters can be a bit flat unless you know the source material, though Fuyutsuki, the bridge bunnies and Ritsuko are all pretty good consistently throughout the movie. Shinji is relatable in a way, but the fact stands that he does something awful at the start of the movie which drives home that he is not a healthy person. Without the context of the show, Rei is incredibly flat until the big catalyst that kicks the movie into overdrive. Asuka's alright as well - she chews the scenery to the point where the scenery is decimated - but she's very one-note in her major appearance, and her later appearance is basically her usual volatile behavior on steroids. Gendo has a powerful moment, but without the context of the series it might just come across as confusing and meh. Misato, another compelling character who might not have the best performance if you don't know her throughout the series, is a bit better in that she has some insight and some action scenes. But Gendo and Shinji are both horrible people, Asuka has a moment where she just yells abuse, Misato spends a lot of screentime being abrasive towards Shinji and it's all a big misery circlejerk. The characters are still good - but they really aren't great, especially if you don't know them from the show.

Enjoyment: I enjoyed this movie very much, to the point where it's currently the only anime on my list with a perfect 10. Like I've mentioned, the art is out of this world and creative as hell, the music is spectacular, I love the story and I empathize with Shinji even with his worst traits. But there's another reason.

I found this movie on late-night TV when I was 11 or 12. I was being pretty viciously bullied at the time, and also having a hard time at home due to my sister. You're expected to be happy when you're a kid, and even if you're not, a lot of media aimed at you is pretty positive and about sticking together with friends, overcoming challenges and all that. I didn't have any friends, I couldn't overcome my challenges, and everything was just piling up. I was diagnosed with depression around the same time, because I told my mother how awful I felt and she booked me in to a child psychologist. Nothing could make me feel better, everything was just getting overwhelming.

Then I found End of Evangelion on late night TV.

Half the movie had already played, so the second half had just begun. And what I saw was legitimately terrifying. I'd never seen something so balls-out insane. There's a scene with Asuka later on which leads into the whole depressing-soft-rock-playing-over-horrific-imagery scene, and it took my breath away. It was like catharsis - it was the first time I'd seen something that wasn't some dumb action shoot 'em up movie or some optimistic cartoon movie about overcoming adversity - it was a downward spiral that never ended. And for the first time in years, I was legitimately happy. I realized that there were things to watch that weren't all smiles and "the day is won, hooray!" - and I finally began being able to feel okay with being depressed. I wasn't alone, and there was a world of content that showed that the world wasn't okay, that not everything is better at the end of the day.

Yes, that led directly into my grimdark tween period, but without that catharsis I wouldn't be how I am today. I enjoy this movie on its merits alone, but just for having the audacity to go as far into the realm of nihilism as it does, I love it that much more. It doesn't toy with the audience until the end - It starts off horrifically, it gets a bit better, it gets even worse and it doesn't let up until the last quarter. Even when the movie gets happy in some way, the outcome is horribly grim and dark and you know that. It's exceedingly true to itself. That's also why I stick with the dub for this show - I can't separate the english voices from the characters who helped me when I needed it most, because in my mind they are the character.

Overall: I have to give it a 10. This film isn't perfect - the characters are a bit flat unless you've seen the show and connected with them, the story is incredibly grim and loses most of its structure about halfway in, and the dubbing is decent enough but has it's downsides. But this movie led to a very transformative period in my life, and I can't thank it enough for helping me out like that.

This is going to be my first movie ever I will make a review in MAL

Movie review No.1

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion is the 2nd movie which ended the events of the anime series but still make many question if the ending is possible or did the events really happen. So many questions so many mysteries but hey this what make Evangelion stand out among the rest of mecha with human psychology involve.

Plot 10/10
Why would I give this series a 10? if a lot question about the events have no direct explanation? Well the answer is that Eva series make hidden ... messages and hint's of what will happen in the future which gives intriguing interest. Another factor why the plot is good is that it's open minded about concepts and ideas that media and masses don't want to see or even want to share which make this anime stand out it is not afraid to express it's ideals to the masses even it will be negative or positive this what make creative writing good for it refreshes us with new ideas that we don't usually encounter or even cross which will make us creative and have a new perspective about life. Something that we can think about deeply which will not make us a total idiot overthinking some dialogues. The show make us think in a whole about it meaning we question everything about it. We don't question the small pictures or the big picture but we question the show entirely which make the plot so fun and so intriguing to understand.

Art 10/10
Even I watched this series in the year 2015 where art style are stylish and well colored I should be underestimating it's art but NO! This is 1997 anime movie which have been funded with good production and greatly animated during it's time so I will say that Evangelion art style is very good and well made. The symbolism use by the series to enhance the plot and creative art make the characters appeal their inner emotion to the public which give us better understanding on what's going on the premise of the show. The art made a special purpose in the movie. Artistically creative which make another good score for Evangelion.

Sound 10/10
The sound of movie is life reviving for the sound effects and background music make the movie freshly alive and thrilling. The sound made the events of the movie intense and attentive for you won't get out of your seat just to see what will be going next. The sound greatly supported the movies presentation and it's message about the current scene of the movie earning another admirable praise.

Characters 10/10
This is the strongest point of the series and the movie. The realistic psychology of human emotion and it's struggle in escapism. The state of pretending to accept reality but instead extreme denial about everything and escaping everything that make conflict in our believes, ideas and personal emotion. Eva portrayed this critically which made Eva not your typical mecha save the world thing but an extremely opposite one. This series just show how young pilots really react in the situation they need to pilot mechas with their selfish need not to be heroic. I will say even the supporting cause have great contribution in building the series all of them are likable for they share different stories and different view point making the show "real". Gainax really did make a good job in managing it's characters and it's purposes in the plot.

Enjoymet:10/10

I really enjoyed the series for it made me think out of the box without making me overthink about irrelevant things. I love how creative the studio in the production in the series which never fail me to be surprise the plot is not predictable it uses complicated formulas which why I enjoyed the series very well for it's not boring from the action, interaction of the characters and the conflicts the show is really a good time spender.


Overall 10/10
I highly recommend this movie but first watch the original series first for it will be the building block for you guys to better understand and better appreciate the production of the movie. Eva is not recommended for everyone but it you really want to watch a very different anime which far different from those generic and over use material series we see today I highly recommend Evangelion.

"Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful Sea
...So farewell hope, and with hope farewell fear,
Farewell remorse; all good to me is lost.
Evil, be thou my good.t"

- John Milton (Paradise Lost)
...
Evangelion is a special type of anime to discuss. It's a classic that has seen both endless praise and criticism. Depending on who one talks to, it can be seen as the coming of Christ or a colossal waste of time. I sit in the former category, but I still remain critical on the series. However, I can't criticize The End of Evangelion simply because it's perfect.

You know that feeling you get when you finish a film?

When you are left petrified by what you just witnessed?

When you look up to the stars, buckle to your knees, and mutter, "That was the greatest thing I ever witnessed in my life...."

When you finally finish Neon Genesis Evangelion?

To call The End of Evangelion the most profound film ever made is an understatement. EoE is a turbulent masterpiece of emotion, depth, horror, and religious damnation. People wham on this film by saying "It's not deep! It's nonsensical!" and while it is true a first viewing is the most overwhelming and seemingly incomprehensible thing ever, once you let it sink in, allow Evangelion to consume your life, calm down, stop trying to kill yourself, and actually sit through the film, watch the Director's Cut episodes, maybe read a few paragraphs on backstory, and pay close attention, it is actually a very very linear film but still riddled with endless symbolism and profound depth unrivaled with any other film I have seen, and that's a big deal since I have seen over a thousand.

From high tech mecha fights to deep horrifying philosophy and what-not, Hideaki Anno creates the most beautiful, yet grotesque ending conclusion to one of if not THE greatest modern day saga ever made, Neon Genesis Evangelion. In the anime there's a rather sharp tonal shift as the anime becomes less of kicking monster ass and becomes a disturbing and claustrophobic view on what makes a Man, what exactly IS religion in our minds, and, well, everything else.

Anno brings forth a relentless action film in the first half and a savage psychoanalysis in the second, delivering both the satisfying finale fans wanted and his own personal vision. As Third Impact draws nearer and the Human Instrumentality Project comes in full swing, the fate of mankind lies in Shinji's hands, and that's not much a guarantee for humanity's salvation at all. Here the series has lost all recognition, now being a relentless saga of brutal shocking gore and depraved psychotic visuals.

n this film, nay, this artistic masterpiece, there is a enormous emotional flowing, where all kind of extreme feelings get together in the best way possible. We absorb the most sincere demonstrations of despair, grief, lost of hope, emotional and physical pain, insanity, and all together with some subtle moments of melancholic happiness. This "emotional flowing" haves a perfect background of images, actions and sceneries, and there are some complex ideas that force us to reflect about our own lives after seeing the dramatic and ultimate ending from this movie. It truly leads us to despise the cold and obscure truth of the futile existence that humanity is taking. Everyone that is still around gets a satisfying ending, even those we didn't spend much time with in the series. Evangelion's cast is a highly touchy one that remains inside of everyone who watches it's minds and hearts.

This beloved cast makes the film all the more harder to watch. Quite an End this truly is. I'd be a fool if I could find a more morally corrupt and haunting ending in television or film. It makes you feel empty, depressed, and ultimately betrayed. It's perfectly okay to hate the film due to this. In fact, it's almost expected. EoE is as dense as it gets, one of the hardest pills to swallow. To accept it, you must accept the moral corruption and sinful religious indoctrination that exists within all of society. Despite this, I actually find it a really hopeful ending after dozens of re-watches. Only for Shinji would it take the end of the world for him to get his life straight.

Shinji, love him or hate him, is a great protagonist who defies all of the viewer's wishes. He's as emotionally broken as they come and stands out even in the multitude of nutcases that is the cast of Evangelion. This is his retribution, and his final transition of a character. Same goes for everyone else, here is when their arcs finally conclude seamlessly into LCL. Asuka graduates from bitchy tsundere into the badass she always dreamt of being and her previous actions justified. We finally learn what is Gendo's deal and though it may to justify him it really makes him a three dimensional figure, though he (Aoba, and arguably Ritsuko) are the only characters to not reach peace of mind in the end.

It's not nonsensical wholly though it does have its unfair share of obscurity to the audience and was created to polarize fans of the anime. It is impossible to understand everything, especially first viewing and there is so much in it you find new things and views every time this is watched. So far I understand everything leading up to the actual End (The final 4 minutes), which is just, oh, oh man.... I am one of the few people who actually loved the ending for the TV series and it's hard choosing which end I prefer. I like to imagine they both exist in parallel dimensions, but if you're part of the vast majority and hated the TV ending, chances are you'll find this one much more fulfilling, or not. It's polarizing to say the least.

s it "2DEEP4U The Movie"? No, that's an unfair label. However, you do need your fair share of knowledge on religion and philosophy to uncover the entire series. I found myself scourging through various religious texts trying to make sense of it all, and it all paid off. The series doesn't use religion as a means of shoving it down the audience's throat, it uses it to craft some great analogies, symbols, and imagery relating to all religious texts of Christianity, Judaism, Muslim, and more. The stunning animation only pushes it, and if animated films can have "cinematography" this ranks among the Top 10 in film. Without a doubt a monumental improvement over the series.

I don't think I have ever been more traumatized by a film, and there were many sleepless nights after watching it where I imagined the horrific events of the film, watching everyone I cared for explode into LCL and watch giant Angels wreck havoc on the souls of the planet, living and dead. It's vulgar, it's disturbed, it's shocking, it's enlightening, it's poetic, it's beautiful, it's art. It's all subjective and is still one of the most polarizing film I have ever had discussions with, truly a "love it or hate it" scenario. If you love Evangelion and want to see a deep and profound ending that will make you question all of existence, or simply are a deep respecter of art and film, you'll love it. For anyone else though, just step back into your Sea of LCL...

6/5, 11/10

Ok, just a word of warning to those who have seen Neon Genesis Evangelion, the rating from the show took a giant leap forward when this movie came out, it's definitely R+. In the show, nudity was mostly blocked out, profanity stopped at s*it, that kind of stuff. The movie has nudity, sexual content and themes, strong language (I caught at least 2 f*ck's in the english dubbed), and the entire movie is just plain disturbing.

Let it be known I'm not amazing with reviews, so go easy on me. I liked the movie overall, but like the ending of the show, it made me have ... to rewatch it at least 3 times to get a full understanding, and in all honesty, I really didn't want to rewatch it. Once every few months is ok, but not 3 times in the same day. This was by far one of the most confusing and disturbing movies I've seen. I don't mean like "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" disturbing, I mean like psychologically disturbing. The whole movie is based on Seele trying to kill everyone in NERV, and cause everyone on earth to die because they want to remake the world.

I'll tell you upfront, if you aren't a big fan of watching your favorite characters go crazy or die, don't watch this. I think you should stick to the original ending of the Eva series and not watch this alternate ending, because I had to sit through the entire thing as I watched people that I liked from the show loose their minds or get brutally murdered in numerous ways, it wasn't pleasant.

The thing that really had me speechless was the ending to this movie. It's ending was a mixture of satisfying and disappointment. I wont be spoiling it if you haven't seen it, but I'm guessing you already know what happens.

I can't tell a lie, but I really couldn't enjoy this movie. Why? I spent the entire time trying to make sense of what was happening. I guess I had been so used to the original ending that I couldn't figure out what happened to cause this alternate universe. I even had to go online and ask for help explaining the ending to me because I was so confused, and the answers made me think even harder about it. Psychological doesn't even begin to categorize this show.

BUT... I'm not giving it a low score, in fact I'm giving it a 9. It was put together so well that I can't give it a low score. It really is a masterpiece, and I'm glad I saw it 'cause all good shows seem to have alternate endings.

I really hope this review helped some of you.

First of all, it's important to note that End of Evangelion takes place during the last two episodes of the TV series. Some have described End of Evangelion as a retelling of the original ending. Although in a sense, End of Evangelion mirrors episodes 25 and 26. You might think of the TV ending as taking place entirely within Shinji's mind, while End of Evangelion depicts what is physically taking place. This does mean that you have to watch the TV series first. This movie doesn't work well as a stand alone film. If you haven't yet watched the TV series it's strongly recommended that ... you do so.

The first half provides the audience with a barrage of action and throws in all the big events we'd expect from the climax of the series. The second half of the film starts to explore Shinji's mind, similar to the ending of the TV show. Albeit in a manner much easier to understand. The second half is essentially a work of art, and it's here that Hideaki Anno completely loses his mainstream audience. Is that a bad thing? Not by any means.

We're presented with a wonderful analogy which explores how Shinji pushes others away due to his fear of being hurt, yet at the same time, can't stand the idea of loneliness. Evangelion is a story which struggles with the resolve to want to be together, despite how frightening it can be to have contact with others. Evangelion is honest. Brutally honest. And it's for this reason that Evangelion is able to understand people in a way that no other anime could possibly begin to accomplish.

Evangelion is a rather polarizing anime. Is it a show for everyone? Certainly not. Evangelion is a plunge into the depths of the human psyche and is by no means a straightforward anime. Evangelion is like a puzzle, the only difference being that there is no correct answer. People might have written essays trying to explain Evangelion, but this isn't what this show is about. If you're able to view it for what it is, it can be an immensely satisfying experience, and End of Evangelion is the perfect accompaniment.

Despite how much hatred people tend to direct towards Shinji, he is undeniably one of the most realistic characters created. Sure, he's weak, afraid, unsure of himself, and by the end of the movie so wrapped up and self absorbed that the human race itself seems trivial compared to his internal strife. But can anyone really claim that they'd act any different? End of Evangelion offers some useful character development for Shinji. He might not be the most likable protagonist, even by the end of the film he remains a rather flawed character, but by no means does that mean that he is badly written.

Asuka and Rei are also given more depth, with Asuka snapping out of her coma and coming to terms with her mother's mental breakdown and eventual suicide, while Rei becomes more independent and evolves beyond being a mere doll.

Almost every character is given a certain amount of depth and complexity. Even the seemingly irredeemable Gendo Ikari manages to draw some sympathy from the viewer. The film offers further development for most all of the characters, and by the end it's rather difficult to dislike any of them.

The art in End of Evangelion is beautifully done, and the animation is extraordinary during some scenes. Most notable would be Asuka's final battle, which might be one of the most brilliant fight scenes I've ever seen. While the TV series had one or two issues, namely using too many static frames in order to reduce costs, End of Evangelion is flawless.

The artwork is nothing short of a cinematic masterpiece. The visuals are pleasing to look at and at times manages to be rather creepy, yet breathtakingly beautiful.

Shiro Sagisu offers a beautiful score. There are plenty of classical pieces and some viewers may point out Bach's 'Air' during one or two of Asuka's fight scenes. They blend together extremely well and fit perfectly with Evangelion's visuals.

Komm, süsser Tod may be one of the most memorable tracks from this film. The sudden introduction of an upbeat J-Pop track contrasts sharply with the events on screen, and the lyrics betray the songs seemingly jovial nature.

The voice acting is perfectly fine, and there isn't much to say other than that they couldn't have done a better job

Eva is a scathing exploration into the human psyche. It's not always pretty, but the truth rarely is. As I've previously mentioned, Eva is one of the most brutally honest anime you will ever find, and at the end of the day, is an show that you're either going to absolutely love, or absolutely hate. Either way, I consider it one of the most influential anime to date.

End of Evangelion. is a great accompaniment to the TV series and is a must watch for any fan of Eva. It's personally one of my favourite films of all time and it's definitely worth a chance. If you haven't watched the TV series yet, then check it out. If you end up liking it, I'm sure you'll end up thoroughly enjoying this film.

I'll admit, I wasn't a huge fan of NGE the series. However, End of Evangelion (EoE) for better or worse does provide a real sense of closure. What really sealed the deal for me was that the overarching instrumentality point of EoE is more tightly connected to the Shinji's and Asuka's view of the humanity based on their own personal experiences. On a more technical side, EoE features much improved animation and audio compared to the main series. Also, the dub has really improved as Spike Spencer and Tiffany Grant have mastered the ability to convey despair and hopelessness.

On a separate note, I'd like to ... say that I've gained a new sense of appreciation for Evangelion after watching Madoka Magica. By comparing the two series together, I was able to have a better understanding of Eva influences Madoka Magica's story and characters (Shinji = Madoka, Asuka = Kyouko, Gendo = Kyubey and etc.). If anything, I'd really think Eva has had a really positive affect on the anime world even with all warts and iffy moments. After all, why else would most anime copy Eva if it at least does something right, right?