Evangelion Shin Gekijôban: Ha

First let me state that I was not a fan of the Neo Genisis Evangelion series. I found the main character's constant self pitying weak and annoying. Hence I couldn't connect with the character which of course affected the story and the philosophy behind the story. Out of boredom I decided to watch the rebuilds 1.0 and 2.0 (this a review for both). The rebuilds basically takes story archs from the series to make into a new movie with some new graphics, new characters and new story arch. I found the new graphics and the new story arch very interesting as its faster pace and of course with new graphics. It also left out a lot of Shinji's self pitying patheticness which allowed me to actually connect with the story instead of trying not to throw up with disgust. The battle scenes are superb. I cant wait for rebuild 3.0 and 4.0

The second movie of the evangelion rebuild. I have to say it was one rollercoaster ride.Though it seemed less "thematic" or less "psychological" the directors certainly took quiet a different approach in this movie and I was really happy with the outcome.

Story was very good and took a interesting turn compared to the series and oh my did I love it. With it somehow a good pacing which was consistent. They added and removed some scenes and changed up the dialouge quiet a bit and these were all changes that I was pretty happy with. The city scenes which just made the world feel so much more alive and real. And they removed some of the "disturbing" scenes which I was fine with. The transitions between atmospheres were well done, one moment they are upbeat and happy and the next they are sad and lost but it's not in an instant, they do it gradually. Also they add some new worldbuilding details.

Asuka's characterization is a bit different in rebuild and I mean a good different she seems far less annoying and has some new traits that make her quiet different from the original. And we are introduced to a new character that wasnt in the rebuild which is Mari and even though she probably had the least screentime she was a very interesting character and the oddball from the rest of the pack. We also get some new background details on some of the characters and some changes to characters's relationships.

The visuals and music were well done. The animation, the lighting it was pretty much in par with the prequel but a bit better especially with the action scenes which were awesome. Though I hate Unit 00's color scheme. The music was quiet different in this movie and it had a more upbeat and chill vibe to it though some of the action scenes's music was just crazy and hype and the songs were well picked.

Overall a very enjoyable movie. Somehow similar yet different to the series. They certainly invested the audience emotionally in a different way compared to the series and they did it excellently.

The first Rebuild Of Evangelion gave audiences and fans just about the first 6 episodes of the original series with some small differences but showed promise and pointed to the fact that Anno might be heading to a different direction with the Rebuild series than his original Anime show.

You Can (Not) Advance does take the series into a completely new direction and actually changes situations that fans of the original series are familiar with for the better and actually drops the angsty over-philosophical dribble that hurt his original engaging creation. Characters develop new relationships and interact differently from the show. The three EVA pilots from the original series get some great development here and differ a lot from NGE in a very good way. New characters are introduced, stakes are raised and the film has a lot of build up which boils down to one hell of a climax.

The film has a more intense tone this time around and is very fast paced. The action is incredibly engaging and the film is the first in a while that has gotten my heart beating like crazy during the intense action on-screen. The film does give you breathing space with lighthearted interactions between characters and humor and thus makes it less heavy overall than NGE and EOE even though it certainly is more gruesome and still has it's moments of pure nightmare fuel.

The Score of Evangelion is at it's best in this film and truly delivers. It varies from beautifully orchestrated racing score to sweet and engaging J-pop and Anno sure makes the out-of-place songs fit as well as he did in the show and EOE. The entire experience watching this addition to the series is unforgettable and gives me much hope for even more improvement in the next two installments.

Overall the film is a vast improvement for the series and hints at better things to come with it's significant changes and has raised the stakes for the Evangelion universe. Anno seems to have gotten over his depression completely and bloomed into a true crafter of worlds and emotionally charged storytelling.

Following the events of the previous film, Shinji Ikari is still working for Nerv, the clandestine organization headed by Shinji's father, Gendo, tasked with defending Earth from the attacking creatures known as Angels. Shinji continues to reluctantly fight against the angel threat in Eva Unit 1 while dealing with his complicated relationships with his guardian Misato Katsuragi, Eva Unit 0 pilot Rei Ayanami, and newly arrived Eva Unit 2 pilot Asuka Langley Shikinami. As Shinji deals with his own personal issues, Nerv's overseeing organization Seele continues moving forward with the Human Instrumentality Project.

The second film in Hideaki Anno's Rebuild of Evangelion, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance covers the material from episodes 8-19 of the TV series but also is the part where the rebuild begins to veer away from its source material. A post credit scene in Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone showing the awakening of Kaworu Nagisa was a telling sign of Anno's intent on creating new spins on the series characters and would not be beholden to the layout as presented in the original series. While the characters remain mostly intact, Anno takes them through different directions story wise as well as expanding and adjusting the character and story progression to meet the needs of feature film format. For the most part the movie does this very well, but there are a few hiccups in the translation.

If there's a central theme present in You Can (Not) Advance, it's in Shinji's relationship with his father, Gendo. The story begins proper with Shinji and Gendo visiting Yui Ikari's (Shinji's mother and Gendo's wife) grave, it effectively establishes the dynamic in Shinji and Gendo's estrangement with Shinji having processed his grief with feelings with isolation, inadequacy and worthlessness, and Gendo having sever ties to things he considers "frivolous" down to the fact Gendo has discarded any photos or mementos of Yui's existence which is yet another point of unspoken contention in their relationship. Shinji's complicated relationship with his father is further examined via his relationships with characters such as Asuka and Rei, who both give their input to Shinji in different ways. Asuka's abrasive personality is mostly in tact here, but admittedly it has had its edges softened in comparison to the TV series with remixes on scenes such as her sleeping in Shinji's room now with added exchanges including Asuka exhibiting a greater level of vulnerability in not just this scene, but also a remix of the elevator scene with Rei.

While the movie mostly gets the major story developments right and the new elements presented are mostly unintrusive, there are some stumbling points that I was disappointed by. For those familiar with the original series, the two most horrific scenes by far from that show involved were in regards to episodes 18 and 19 with Eva Unit 1's brutal evisceration of Angel hijacked Eva Unit 3 or Eva Unit 1's devouring of the Angel Zeruel. While both scenes are still present, the soundtrack choice of what sounds like a children's choir in place of the original score doesn't fit all that well and I found it had the effect of lessening the impact of these sequences. In the case of the Zeruel scene there's also been a major change for the sake of I guess making it feel like a suitable ending climax which I suppose makes sense to a degree, but I'm not sure where I fall on liking or disliking the direction.

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance continues Anno's Rebuild of Evangelion revisiting and remixing elements with contemporary polish and designs. While the character dynamics are on point with some good expansions on Shinji's relationships with Rei and Asuka in particular yielding some strong emotional pathos, certain presentational decisions I felt called attention to themselves and lessened their impact. Overall Evangelion: 2.0 is a worthy entry in the series and makes for satisfying if flawed viewing for series veterans and franchise newcomers.

I watched Evangelion as a teenager and liked many aspects of it. However the series was very weak and repetitive in the middle and clearly suffered production difficulties near the end. The movies didn't do much for me after the initial epic-scope aesthetics of End of Evangelion had worn off. Now more than 10 years later I'm pretty happy that things have been reordered and re-rendered to make the series into what it should really have been in the first place.

I don't like the fact than Anno Hideaki has been able to milk the somewhat unfinished series for so much cash and so many editions (not to mention pachinko machines) so far, but taking 1.0 and 2.0 as stand-alone works (and ignoring their pretentious titles) is pretty satisfying.

Story 8/10 Good: much more than a rehash of the series. The story is fleshed out in some of the most necessary places and feels so much tighter and more concentrated than anything that has come before. Some awesome new snippets of what is to come later in the series add some satisfying excitement.

However, there is still an element of "here comes the next baddie" which gets a little tiresome. It is dealt with much more effectively here than the series, but it's still predictable. Nevertheless, despite giving the impression of being about to enter the full-on "monster of the week" barrage, it never really does, which is a blessed relief. The interactions of the characters are becoming more believable, and individual personalities are being better exposed and explained.

But, and it's a necessary but, what's the deal with the fan-service? Come on, man. Take yourself seriously, won't you? Animation 9/10 Well, it teetered between absolutely superb and a little disappointing. The budget was clearly insanely high. Action sequences are fantastically detailed and choreographed for the main part, although suffer from gratuitous flailing of limbs and ridiculous acrobats which unfortunately dumb it down a little. Backgrounds are simply amazing. The detail and range is incredible. The failings lie in the characters. Sometimes character faces and expressions look out of place by their simplicity. The broad pen pines and over-simple shading are a bit of a let-down.

Sound 7.5/10 Not particularly amazing. Again we see the technique of using a mixture of classical and children's music for depth and vulnerability. I'm surprised at some of the choices though. For example, one of the children's songs used is very popular in Japan and often used in elementary schools. The manner in which it is normally used makes its appearance in the film almost comical; which can't have been the intention. Not really knowing many Japanese people who care that much about anime I haven't been able to ask what they though, but it seemed a bit silly to me.

The Japanese people speaking English throughout the film are incredibly embarrassing. What a huge mis-calculation. How hard is it to train people to say a small number of lines in a natural way? Characters 8.5 Although some of the characters (particularly Asuka) seem to have become even less likable, for the most part the big-hitters have only improved. Although there is little time left for the minor-characters to develop or even really be involved, the well-developed personalities of the leads take somewhat new directions in their relations to one another. The relationship between teen-sap Shinji and his father has a more satisfying and somewhat relatable edge to it now, and Rei's annoyingly hyperbolic meekness has been flatted out to something more forgiving. All in all, satisfying.

And the new lead, Mari, is much better than (at least I) predicted. She has a very interesting relationship with herself, and pain. I am definitely looking forward to her future development.

Eva designs seem to have changed slightly around the waist which was a curious choice, and doesn't add much to their attractiveness. In contrast, the Angels have been changed for the better. The old, sometimes Ultraman-ish designs were sometimes a little... Ultraman-ish. The reduced number and better designs have helped things along well.

Overall 8.5/10 Overall satisfying. For me the film didn't quite have the intensity ascribed to it by others, and the ending I thought actually lacked a little emotional attachment. I also thought that the amazing animation and choreography discussed above wasn't nearly as good near the end as it was earlier in the feature. But despite this, as a whole this movie blows the series out of the water. So much which was unsatisfactory is now shiny and new. Whether or not I would feel this way about the film without having seen the rest of the franchise is anyone's guess, but I really enjoyed it. Good work, keep it up.