A Postmodern Masterpiece for the 20th Century

Trying to articulate a proper review for this series feels like a foolish endeavour. Both a movie and show that has been continuously conscious in the minds of anime fans since its inception. It’s a polarising and endearing work of art. Eva is both a love letter to both old mecha and tokusatsu shows from the past and a postmodern take on it. Anno is one of the most distinct directors working in the industry, and seeing how he’s evolved from craft from Nadia to here is brilliant to witness. One of the best illustrations of depression depicted in media, which makes sense with his history of clinical depression. This series has been psychoanalysed by almost everybody, and I don’t think I will contribute to saying anything new on that subject. However, I think the core of the narrative is pretty explicit about the overall message it wants to convey which is: connections and humanity's will. Shinji's arc in episodes 25-26 I thought, concluded beautifully. I know there was some controversy, but it was a fantastic ending to Shinji's character. In general, skipping episodes 25–26 to watch this movie is a mistake, as both events happen simultaneously. Both complement each other and enhance each other filling up the gaps and adding more ambiguity to certain events. I loved both endings and both worked together really well.

Now some general thoughts about the series, the characters are well fleshed out. One of the most criticised aspects of the series is Shinji's whinnying, which is unfounded as acting completely mature is unrealistic. Put yourself in Shinji’s shoes for a minute, and you realise, yeah, his behaviour makes sense. His dysfunctional and astray relationship with his father, his general psyche before the event commences, and now seeing a 14-year-old kid thrust into a position where his actions determine humanity's fate. In terms of other characters, they are very well realised, Asuka would be one of them. She’s not a typical tsundere, which is obvious from the offset, but in particular, the more you dig into her character. In general, all the characters have their own issues which makes them feel real.

Hideaki Anno's directing is phenomenal and Tatsuonoko Production who did the majority of the animation. Gainax is usually attributed to as the main company that did the majority of the animation, but during that time they lacked the resources for a full production as Eva, only having a limited number of staff members work on animation in a given time. Hence, most of the series was outsourced to Tatsuonoko and the results speak for themselves. Kazuya Tsurumaki deserves and so many people in the production. The Orchestral soundtrack, the sound mixing, colours, the art direction—basically, the production team altogether. I’m extremely grateful I watched this Blu-ray scan, which is gorgeous, and seeing those grains just gives it that sense of depth.

Neon Genesis Evangelion and End of Evangelion together create a masterpiece, one of the great works in Japanese cinema. I could examine the symbolism, philosophy and all the elements that make Eva a masterpiece however, this being one of the most talked-about anime in existence, I won’t have anything new to offer. So, to wrap it up, in conclusion, this is a masterpiece that deserves to be watched.