Neon Genesis Evangelion What can I say about this show that hasn’t been said? It is the ultimate masterpiece: Its dense, thought provoking, controversial, deep, rich… It starts as a normal mecha type anime, but you start seeing the change in tone early on, in episodes 4 and 7 and 10. Anno’s focus was from the start the characters of the show, and with this particular anime, the character study and the way it delves in the human psyche: craftily constructed and executed, is unmatched by, as far as I know, by any other anime or movie. The story is irrelevant, but it is not light or incomplete or disposable by any means, the complete opposite is true, however it isnt the main focus of the series. I think that going into eva, Anno wanted us to focus on what’s going on inside the characters rather than outside them. The episodes are constructed in a puzzle-like manner. It is an anime that has something to say and will say it heedless of your opinions, you will always be surprised, none of your expectations will be realized. Furthermore, it does not give you the answers directly, you have to look for them, make up explanations at times. This abstract quality to it yet its relevance and how concrete and relateable it was, for me, makes this anime THE MASTER of all anime. The characters develop wonderfully, the religious and philosophical and psychological themes make it such a dense and rich flavored experience. The use of music and color and experimental nature of it matches the way we process thoughts and thus realizes the aim of this anime. The contrast between Rei and Asuka from one side, the relevance between them, the same with Asuka and Shinji, Shinji and Misato, how complex that web is! And how relatable and realistic! These anime characters and the cast… I never felt anime characters come to life as much as they did in Evangelion. I know their histories, their relations, and their psychology… what a supreme feat to accomplish! Away from any stereotype and so unapologetically. Bravo! I am an apologist for the ending, it makes perfect sense to me, Shinji never wanted to save the world but to stop being afraid and passive. What a great metaphor the “outside” of the show was, how we feel forced to daily “ride in our assigned eva” but how that is not definitive of us. I can go on praising the show forever and never fully give it enough credit. The end of evangelion movie is, needless to say, the perfect icing on top. So in short, Evangelion is the ultimate master in anime, and to this day, it remains unmatched. Therefore, here is my humble rating to it Story 10/10 Characters 10/10 Animation 8/10 (with the budget they had, the experimental results they achieved is monumental, it more than made up for it in the End of Evangelion)| Sound: 9/10 (Favorite Track: Borderline Case) Enjoyment 10/10 For an Average of a whooping, but fully deserved of 9.4/10 Watch it as soon as you can kissanime/Anime/Neon-Genesis-Evangelion
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 00:04:15 +0000