2 replies to this topic

[Eeyore]

I missed the Evangelion series when it first came out... primarily 'cos it never really did come out in the UK!
But I've been aware of it for a while and so "dipped in" to the franchise with Evangelion 1.11 "You Are (Not) Alone".
Wow.
As far as anime goes it is top notch - good animation and a story concept up there with some of the best. The only bad thing for me is the whiney voice of the main boy/pilot.
2.22 "You Can (Not) Advance" was a great sequel - but ended with some brain-twisting conclusion, setting it up nicely for 3.33.
And the 4th and final part is supposedly a completely new finale, whereas 1-3 is basically a revisit/re-mixing of the original series.

So anyone else watching these "films"?
And if so, are they better/worse than the original series - in terms of animation and/or story?


Comments, thoughts, complaints, hopes, desires, confessions...?

[Sludgie-kun]

I still prefer the original anime. You get the full measure of how messed up the characters are, you get frustrated over the plot, and you have to keep your eyes open for plenty of hidden material. When I say hidden material, I mean stuff that people have been discussing in forums explaining why a character behaves in a certain way, where LCL really comes from etc. IMO it's better than the manga, the manga deviates only slightly from the anime. With colour, sound and the awesome opening and closing music...the personality deviations in the manga don't compensate that much for all the added effects.

What I don't like in the movies is this new Mari character. Why does she share Yaguchi's name? It's only supposed to be Rei and Asuka. Throwing in this Mari doesn't do anything for the storyline when it is already well established. But oh I loved it when Shinji got Eva01 to go into godlike berserk mode in order to save Rei. Eva01 never displayed so much sheer combat power in the anime. Shinji also never had the balls or the determination to do anything in the anime, so the fact that he actually lost his temper to save someone...is a miracle in itself. That's why Katsuragi was cheering him on even as Eva01 tore up the place. To see the useless filth actually do something for himself is worth cheering for.

As for the music, the Fly Me to the Moon at the end of every episode is like a healing balm to how messed up it was. If you watch the anime, the last few episodes gets seriously mental. You need the relaxing bossa nova to settle the mind down. As for the movie, Utada's Beautiful World accurately depicts the apocalyptic depressing feeling of Earth after first impact.

All in all, Evangelion is the best anime ever made in terms of plot, characters and sheer mindf**k. To turn it into a movie makes it even more awesome! Perhaps the only Evangelion movie that I will accept, because I hear Weta Workshop (the special effects studio and props manufacturer behind big time movies) is making stuff for a Westernised Evangelion (not sure if it's even continuing), complete with a Caucasian cast. Sorry, but Evangelion is supposed to be a Japanese only movie.

Sorry for the disorganised comments and thoughts...

[Cio'24]

I absolutely adore the movies. I've been a fan of Evangelion since... I don't even know I think I was around 7-8 when I first saw Evangelion so just over 10 years ago I think.... But I think the movies really do justice to the original manga and, of course, the anime. PLUS THEY HAD UTADA HIKARU! *beautiful world* And I am a huge sucker for the current anime style, especially the slight touches of CG with the amazing shading. Yes, I am indeed in love with these. I also really like how they are diverging the plot. I'm not aware of how the manga ended though so it may be following the manga ending, I don't really know... But even so it's really ADDING SOMETHING FRESH TO SUCH A CLASSIC