Reviews

Perhaps I should've composed myself a bit more before deciding to write a review. I only just finished watching this film merely minutes ago, but while everything is still fresh in my mind, I want to give my thoughts and opinions on the final instalment of the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. Having followed the series for as long as I have (not at all as long as it's been around because I was only two years old when it first came out), I've grown older as the series has, and I've gotten a better understanding of- with the risk of sounding corny as hell- life, I suppose? Back in the day, I found it hard to understand Shinji, his cowardice, his depression, and anxiety. But now that it's been nearly a decade since I watched the last film, and I finally watched 3.0+1.0, a lot of it hit close to home, felt very realistic and human. The way he was after the events of 3.0, and the slow process of Shinji starting to connect with people again was so, so well done.

Rei's experiences with the people of that village, how she was slowly starting to shape into her own person were great to see... even though it ended in the most heartbreaking way. At the same time, it wasn't unexpected. Despite Asuka's fate, I also liked what they did with her storyline, how she and Shinji finally had that little heart-to-heart without lashing out at each other but instead showing how they had both grown over the years. I loved Kensuke's supporting role, how he allowed for Shinji to have that space he needed but also didn't hesitate to remind Shinji that he was worthy of living as well.

Kensuke's and Touji returning was a welcome surprise, and would introduce threads of a certain theme that would then run throughout the film- the theme being kind of like a summary. Showing us bits and pieces of everything that happened in the series over the last, in total, 23 years with flashbacks to earlier films, to what happened in the original series. One might expect such considering it's been a while since the last instalment of the series, but they could've easily gone a completely different route, entirely picking up from where they left off with no ties back to what happened before.

I was sort of worried of how I would feel about the ending once it came, but now that I've seen it (even gone back to watch the final sequence of the film once more), I'm very much satisfied with how Hideaki Anno tied it all up. I enjoyed seeing that little snippet of adult Shinji and Mari (who would've known?!), hearing a far more expressive and confident Shinji, and seeing his genuine smile. That was another great way of tying it all up, to say "goodbye, to all of Evangelion".

When I'm not as emotionally fragile about this film as I still am, I will definitely watch it again. Because I truly do think that it was worth the wait all these nine years; the animation, the music, the story, the characters... all of it. It was so very much worth it, and now I will miss the series as it has, after 23 years, said it's final goodbye.