*OVERVIEW and EPISODE REVIEWS:
Neon Genesis Evangelion (NGE) starts out simple enough. A story about a boy named Shinji Ikari coming to a futuristic city and using giant robot-like Evas (Unit-01 himself) to fend off the invading enemies called Angels. Along the way he meets a mysterious girl and pilot of Unit-00, Rei Ayanami, the fiery pilot of Unit-02 Asuka Langley Soryu, Director of Nerv Operations Misato Katsuragi, the brilliant scientist, Ritsuko Akagi and his estranged father and Nerv's Commander, Gendo Ikari. There's also an intriguing cast of minor characters including friends from his school, Toji and Kensuke and Nerv's Vice Commander Fuyutsuki. But it ends in a completely different place than where it began, with so much filling its creamy center that it's hard to know what to cover in a review.
Yes, it indeed starts out simple enough: Through the first 8 episodes you probably couldn't distinguish NGE from any other giant robot anime ever made. These episodes, while entertaining, are as straight forward as anime gets. Then, slowly but surely from episodes 9-13, the characters are given to more detailing. We get to know them better as more of their stories and histories are revealed. A beautiful example of this is in episode 9 when Asuka falls down, asleep, next to Shinji, who is then tempted to kiss her before something makes him stop. The story is expanded upon as more secrets are revealed, which leads to more questions.
But then, during episode 14, which starts out as a boring "recap", half way through we get the first glimpse of what this series is really about. After the title card we hear the voice of Rei, giving a surreal and beautiful monologue with similar images following on the screen. This bit is practically visual/audio poetry working together, and gives the first hints of what's to come. The psychological and philosophical leanings of this episode would start to become more prominent throughout the series.
Episode 15 is really where the gears shift. The story has slowly built our interest in the characters and the many secrets up to this point, with as much humor and light heartedness as seriousness. In 15 though things takes a more mature, complex, and somber turn - with the end being the catalyst for the brilliant episodes to come. Indeed, episodes 16 and 18 are two of the most dramatic works of fiction I've ever experienced, with 17 being the calm interlude between them.
But then 19 comes along and trumps them all. If I could describe the chills I had when watching that episode for the first time... simply put, I don't think dramatic storytelling gets any better. Episode 20 is one of the deepest and complex, further diving into the psychology and symbolism behind the show. 21's back stories are woven so intricately you forget that you're watching an anime as the breadth given to the characters are incredible. 21's finale also serves as one of the most emotional in the series.
22 is one of the most disturbing episodes, diving into the psychology of Asuka this time in a way that will leave you feeling a bit shocked. 23 does what 22 did for Asuka and applies it to Rei. It also has the biggest, most stunning revelation in the series at the end of the episode, as one of Nerv's big secrets is revealed. These episodes also bring much of the "bigger" picture between Nerv, Seele, and the secrets behind the Angels and 2nd Impact into focus, which leads to the climax. That climax hits with episode 24, with the introduction of the last angel Kaworu. While one of the most perplexing episodes (due to its cryptic plot and dialogue), its magnificent finale - played out appropriately to Beethoven's final movement of his monumental 9th Symphony - serves as an outstanding closure to the main series before the final two episodes.
The final two episodes completely forego the story that's been building up, and focuses instead on the psychology and philosophy behind the show and its characters. These two episodes are brilliant in their own right. Episode 26 in particular, with its deconstructing of the meanings of reality and freedom, and examining of so many psychological hot points in the show (one's self worth, for instance) is an artistic high point in anime. They are not completely un-story related though, as the "melding of minds" in these episodes are a major plot element. But this works out great for the director Hideaki Anno who probably loved being able to get many of these feelings out through this series and these two episodes in particular.
For those wanting a closure to the story of NGE, "The End of Evangelion" is the grand finale to end all grand finales. While it won't answer everything in a nice, neat way (this is not a show that hands you answers on a silver platter), it provides an astonishingly powerful and poignant conclusion to the story and to the NGE series. I can understand the frustration of fans after watching the series and then the final two "series" episodes, thinking this was the end. In reality, the movie was MEANT to be the conclusion, but because of budget and time problems it couldn't be completed in time. The "series" finale will still stand on their own as the alternate take, but they're an essential alternate take as this is an anime whose meanings stretch far beyond the mecha-sci-fi, boy-saves-world genre. But the film sets a new standard in the art of closing a series on the perfect note.
*SERIES REVIEW
While the layers of psychology, philosophy, and symbolism would crush most shows under their own weight and seeming pretentiousness, Anno handles them with adeptness and acute direction. He skillfully weaves them into the story to the point where everything makes complete sense in relation to the characters and storyline. In fact, if you really take time to analyze the story, the characters, and the relationship between the dialogue and visuals with the psychological, philosophical, and symbolic meanings, you'll see this series does indeed have more depth than almost all others that have attempted to tackle similar subjects. In fact, this is a series which almost has to be viewed several times, as there are recurring motifs (both visually and in the dialogue) which link important thematic elements strung throughout. And if you're not watching carefully, you'll miss them the first and maybe even second time around.
I think the reason these ideas become so important is very simple, and that's because of the characters. Anno doesn't just create a random bunch of soulless, mindless, anime characters. He creates characters that everyone can relate to on some level. Because these characters have such range and depth, we begin to really care about them and their struggles. In the end their struggles become our own and they literally become mirrors of our own psychological profiles and problems. We begin to grieve as we watch them deal with such (self) destructive behavior caused by their circumstances and consequential frames of mind. It's because of this that the viewer actually cares about the more portentous moments, no matter how grandiose they become. I think it's very important for those out there to understand that all the elaborate complexities of NGE wouldn't matter without the characters that carry the weight and meaning of it all.
NGE is a show of extremes. Ranging from scenes of palpable, viseral power that inspire shock and awe, to the most quietly surene, surreal, and beautifully touching moments. These scenes are woven together as fine and eloquently as the Beethoven Symphony they play in episode 24 itself. And like that symphony, even though the parts are outstanding, the whole is much greater than the sum.
I believe this is a work of resounding artistic depth. I'd go as far as to say it's one of the absolute greatest pieces of fiction ever made in any medium. This may sound like hyperbole, but there have been few - if any - fictional works that have effected me both emotionally and psychologically like NGE has. If you put in the time and effort to actively watch this series, it will reward as many repeat viewings as you care to give it, as new layers and meanings will be uncovered each time. And I think that is, if nothing else, the first sign of a work of artistic genius.
*DVD REVIEW:
The Platinum Edition is far and away better than the Perfect Collection. The remastered visuals and audio are extraordinary. It doesn't get better than watching the big explosions in 5.1 Surround Sound! The remastered visuals are equally as striking. The reduced frame shake and jitter is a phenomenal improvement from the previous edition. It seems like they almost went back and re-animated parts of the show, making almost every scene look more vivid, life-like and alive. The Subtitled translations is another thing worth noting, as these translations are, by and large, more accurate. Even though I now hate the English translation of the song doesn't match the melody (always found it funny why it did on the Perfect Collection), this is a more accurate translation. The packaging is the only disappointment. The box is nothing special, the DVD cases themselves contain no booklets or notes, and there's no extras on the DVDs. But you get what you pay for as the price is a bargain. If you want all the other stuff you have to buy the Platinum Collection 1+Box and the rest of the collection separately.
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Neon Genesis Evangelion: Complete Platinum Collection (Limited Edition Holiday Special) [DVD]
Rated: Format: DVD
Unrated
| Additional DVD options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
|
DVD
November 22, 2005 "Please retry" | — | 6 | $666.63 | $105.82 |
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DVD
November 18, 2008 "Please retry" | Collector's Edition | 7 |
—
| — | $599.99 |
| Format | AC-3, Animated, Box set, Color, Dubbed, Collector's Edition, DVD, Subtitled, Director's Cut, NTSC |
| Language | Japanese, English |
| Runtime | 12 hours and 30 minutes |
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Product Description
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION (PLATINUM HOL - DVD Movie
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 1.33:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : Unrated (Not Rated)
- Package Dimensions : 7.5 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches; 10.4 Ounces
- Media Format : AC-3, Animated, Box set, Color, Dubbed, Collector's Edition, DVD, Subtitled, Director's Cut, NTSC
- Run time : 12 hours and 30 minutes
- Release date : November 18, 2008
- Dubbed: : English
- Subtitles: : English
- Studio : ADV Films
- ASIN : B001GTFP1I
- Number of discs : 7
- Best Sellers Rank: #225,584 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #4,482 in Science Fiction DVDs
- #5,997 in Anime (Movies & TV)
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Case Was Broken
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2022
The case was damaged when it arrived. The case will not close and will fall open with any force. I recieved it with a piece of tape holding the case together (Making it unopenable so I had to break it to verify the disks were intact).Very disappointed for the price I paid.
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2022
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 25, 2007
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 5, 2008
Based on the reviews I've read so far it would seem that when one decides to delve into the world of anime they will eventually come upon this series. While I did not give this a full five stars, I can definitely see why it is praised highly. On the flip side I can also see why a few people disliked it, thanks to the way the series ended. Regardless, I personally found it a very enjoyable series, but I don't think it's the greatest thing ever made. Not to me at least. I'll admit that at first I had a little trouble getting into the characters, but once I did I was definitely into the whole series. Shinji is just such a hard guy to like watching sometimes.
Anyway, Neon Genesis Evangelion puts us in a world that is nearly destroyed. The reason this happened is because of these strange beings called "angels". The show takes us on quite an adventure centered on a boy named Shinji who has a destiny to fulfill. The series opens with an attack by one of these angels and Shinji is caught in the midst of it, but is due to be picked up by someone. She is charged to bring him back to the secret government base his father works at called Nerv. Needless to say she succeeds, since its episode one and we wouldn't have much of a series if the main character died there. Anyway, Shinji will prove to be instrumental in the defeat of these angels thanks to a machine his father built called the Eva. They are sort of like giant robots, which is why I would class this as a Mecha, but the Evas have an organic/genetic component in their designing (you find out more about this towards the end of the series and I won't ruin the full breadth of the revelation for you). Anyway, Shinji, never having piloted one of these machines before, refuses, but is sort of forced into it and thus his career as an Eva pilot started in the very first episode. Sounds like most everything is explained huh? Not in the least, there is SO much more to this series and that's one of the reasons it's so great. You see there's more than just one Eva in the world and thus more than one pilot because the Eva has to genetically mesh with its pilot so it's a lot more than driving the machines we see in other Mecha or what we find in things like Battletech. The other requirement is the pilot has to be fourteen. The other pilot already with us is Rei, but she really was too injured in a prior accident to pilot on that fateful day while seeing her so injured and his fathers immovable lack of compassion, Shinji felt the weight of the battle was on him.
As you can see Shinji's father is not a likeable person and we are shown this in the first episode as well. From there we are introduced to an array of varying characters, especially when Shinji gets entered into the school at Nerv headquarters. Shinji is sort of out of touch with reality, but still wants something out of it, so he's kind of in between. Rei on the other hand is completely removed and she's more like a robotic human just going through the motions. We see a couple hints of her humanity show up every now and again, but she does come across as incredibly bright and observant. Later we become introduced to the third pilot from Germany, Ayako. She was one of my favorites next to Rei and she's very in touch with the world. She's very engaged with the world around her and she's very motivated to be an Eva pilot, unlike Shinji who doesn't want to be and Rei who just does as she's told. Despite the action sequences where the Evas have to face the Angel enemies there is a major dramatic component to this series that focuses on how these children have to deal with their very intense responsibility. One wonders how the mind of someone so young can truly cope with what they're doing.
If you're really just in it for the action you might not get as into this because the dramatic sequences are just as necessary and on screen just as much. In fact, on some levels, I felt like there was sometimes too much action. From the way they present the story it seems like an Angel attack is a rare occurrence, but in almost every episode there's an attack. Our characters don't even get a rest to deal with their social problems or the problems they have to deal with in their job. Shinji clearly has the most mental stress because he's now under the command of a father who doesn't even seem to like him and favors Rei over his own son! Rei... who isn't even his daughter! As you can see there's a lot of strife and struggle for this, but Shinji's father has a lot to deal with as well, especially when it comes to those who control Nerv called Seele. This doesn't change the fact that he seems to be a very immoral person, especially when we see the background episodes.
That pretty much covers the premise for episodes one through twenty-four and if you like a dramatic based Mecha with some decent action sequences you'll love this. However, when we get to the last two episodes things make almost no sense... to the point where the creators have actually already tried to rewrite this ending twice! I will admit that the last two episodes are awesome, especially on a philosophical/psychological level. They are absolutely profound and they really moved me to think about things in a very strange and new light. You can get a lot out of those two episodes if you view them in their own right, however, if you try to put them in conjunction with the rest of the series it makes almost no sense. On the "Platinum" edition of the box set there are director's cut episodes and upon re-watching those I see hints of the "Human Instrumentality Project", which is where I think the last two episodes seem to culminate, but again, it really doesn't mesh with the rest at all. It just leaves us with no sensible conclusion to what was going on with the angels and Nerv in general. The built up such a mysterious world in the first twenty-four episodes that to have such an off key conclusion... we're just left feeling unsatisfied. Apparently I'm not the only one who thought these things made no sense, because I've talked to a few other people and they definitely agree. In the end, after watching these two, I'll call them "wtf episodes", I'm left wondering if Shinji just made up this whole thing in his head and it never really happened. Apparently that's a very real possibility.
The art and premise of the show is very well done. It just begins to fall apart towards the end and there's no major ending that really turns the light on in our heads to make us understand. I'm not looking for a blatant hand out, but at least a somewhat logical progression would be nice and this show never really ends that way. I think it's good for what it is, but I think it had so much potential that never got truly fulfilled. I realize everything has meaning, I mean they went to the lengths to name the angels and give them REAL angelic names so there must be some relational concept between apocalypse and angels. After the last two episodes I'm less sure of what that concept is, even though I felt like I was on to something to figuring it out at first. In the end if you enjoy Mecha's with very deep concepts and drama then you'll love this. If you like the philosophical aspects found in Anime you'll love the last episodes too, but treating them as separate works seems to make more sense. Both things are great in their own right, but together it just doesn't flow, if you know what I mean. It really is difficult to convey in words, especially if you've never seen it before. I still recommend watching it at least once.
Anyway, Neon Genesis Evangelion puts us in a world that is nearly destroyed. The reason this happened is because of these strange beings called "angels". The show takes us on quite an adventure centered on a boy named Shinji who has a destiny to fulfill. The series opens with an attack by one of these angels and Shinji is caught in the midst of it, but is due to be picked up by someone. She is charged to bring him back to the secret government base his father works at called Nerv. Needless to say she succeeds, since its episode one and we wouldn't have much of a series if the main character died there. Anyway, Shinji will prove to be instrumental in the defeat of these angels thanks to a machine his father built called the Eva. They are sort of like giant robots, which is why I would class this as a Mecha, but the Evas have an organic/genetic component in their designing (you find out more about this towards the end of the series and I won't ruin the full breadth of the revelation for you). Anyway, Shinji, never having piloted one of these machines before, refuses, but is sort of forced into it and thus his career as an Eva pilot started in the very first episode. Sounds like most everything is explained huh? Not in the least, there is SO much more to this series and that's one of the reasons it's so great. You see there's more than just one Eva in the world and thus more than one pilot because the Eva has to genetically mesh with its pilot so it's a lot more than driving the machines we see in other Mecha or what we find in things like Battletech. The other requirement is the pilot has to be fourteen. The other pilot already with us is Rei, but she really was too injured in a prior accident to pilot on that fateful day while seeing her so injured and his fathers immovable lack of compassion, Shinji felt the weight of the battle was on him.
As you can see Shinji's father is not a likeable person and we are shown this in the first episode as well. From there we are introduced to an array of varying characters, especially when Shinji gets entered into the school at Nerv headquarters. Shinji is sort of out of touch with reality, but still wants something out of it, so he's kind of in between. Rei on the other hand is completely removed and she's more like a robotic human just going through the motions. We see a couple hints of her humanity show up every now and again, but she does come across as incredibly bright and observant. Later we become introduced to the third pilot from Germany, Ayako. She was one of my favorites next to Rei and she's very in touch with the world. She's very engaged with the world around her and she's very motivated to be an Eva pilot, unlike Shinji who doesn't want to be and Rei who just does as she's told. Despite the action sequences where the Evas have to face the Angel enemies there is a major dramatic component to this series that focuses on how these children have to deal with their very intense responsibility. One wonders how the mind of someone so young can truly cope with what they're doing.
If you're really just in it for the action you might not get as into this because the dramatic sequences are just as necessary and on screen just as much. In fact, on some levels, I felt like there was sometimes too much action. From the way they present the story it seems like an Angel attack is a rare occurrence, but in almost every episode there's an attack. Our characters don't even get a rest to deal with their social problems or the problems they have to deal with in their job. Shinji clearly has the most mental stress because he's now under the command of a father who doesn't even seem to like him and favors Rei over his own son! Rei... who isn't even his daughter! As you can see there's a lot of strife and struggle for this, but Shinji's father has a lot to deal with as well, especially when it comes to those who control Nerv called Seele. This doesn't change the fact that he seems to be a very immoral person, especially when we see the background episodes.
That pretty much covers the premise for episodes one through twenty-four and if you like a dramatic based Mecha with some decent action sequences you'll love this. However, when we get to the last two episodes things make almost no sense... to the point where the creators have actually already tried to rewrite this ending twice! I will admit that the last two episodes are awesome, especially on a philosophical/psychological level. They are absolutely profound and they really moved me to think about things in a very strange and new light. You can get a lot out of those two episodes if you view them in their own right, however, if you try to put them in conjunction with the rest of the series it makes almost no sense. On the "Platinum" edition of the box set there are director's cut episodes and upon re-watching those I see hints of the "Human Instrumentality Project", which is where I think the last two episodes seem to culminate, but again, it really doesn't mesh with the rest at all. It just leaves us with no sensible conclusion to what was going on with the angels and Nerv in general. The built up such a mysterious world in the first twenty-four episodes that to have such an off key conclusion... we're just left feeling unsatisfied. Apparently I'm not the only one who thought these things made no sense, because I've talked to a few other people and they definitely agree. In the end, after watching these two, I'll call them "wtf episodes", I'm left wondering if Shinji just made up this whole thing in his head and it never really happened. Apparently that's a very real possibility.
The art and premise of the show is very well done. It just begins to fall apart towards the end and there's no major ending that really turns the light on in our heads to make us understand. I'm not looking for a blatant hand out, but at least a somewhat logical progression would be nice and this show never really ends that way. I think it's good for what it is, but I think it had so much potential that never got truly fulfilled. I realize everything has meaning, I mean they went to the lengths to name the angels and give them REAL angelic names so there must be some relational concept between apocalypse and angels. After the last two episodes I'm less sure of what that concept is, even though I felt like I was on to something to figuring it out at first. In the end if you enjoy Mecha's with very deep concepts and drama then you'll love this. If you like the philosophical aspects found in Anime you'll love the last episodes too, but treating them as separate works seems to make more sense. Both things are great in their own right, but together it just doesn't flow, if you know what I mean. It really is difficult to convey in words, especially if you've never seen it before. I still recommend watching it at least once.
Top reviews from other countries
Brian
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Show, Not for Kids
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on January 5, 2019
Incredible story line, amazing character development, it does go very dark into some issues (no spoilers). If you aren't aware of the general topics of the show before watching be prepared for a bit of a heavy emotional ride. I went into this totally unaware of what it was about and had to watch it twice to really catch and understand the imagery and depth of the story.
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M. Stuckart
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Pinnacle of Modern Anime
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on November 1, 2007
Evangelion is the most stylish. most strikingly original anime in the medium in the last 10 to 20 years. With a heavy dosage of Christian and Jewish Symbolism and a Heart wrenching story with flawed characters in an equally flawed world the viewer is pulled threw what might be the most utterly amazing 26 episodes of television ever filmed. Yes as one reviewer noted the ending is ambiguous, but it is not truly the ending. Ganiax the studio that produced the anime became embroiled in tax fraud and funding for the final episodes of the series were slashed, thus resulting in the animators being forced to use left over concept art and what little they could pull off to animate the "end".
Luckily they were able to create a movie to complete the series entitled, "the end of evangelion" required viewing for anyone who watches the series. This to has an ambiguous ending which includes the main character having long discussions with... well with himself and an ending that is left up to the viewers own interpretation. But this only add's to just how truly awesome in scope evangelion is, from its amazing animation to its incredibly detailed and heart wrenching story. It is truly required viewing for any anime fan.
Luckily they were able to create a movie to complete the series entitled, "the end of evangelion" required viewing for anyone who watches the series. This to has an ambiguous ending which includes the main character having long discussions with... well with himself and an ending that is left up to the viewers own interpretation. But this only add's to just how truly awesome in scope evangelion is, from its amazing animation to its incredibly detailed and heart wrenching story. It is truly required viewing for any anime fan.
2 people found this helpful
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Rosscoe
5.0 out of 5 stars
Since-Fiction what can I say?
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on October 24, 2010
A good short series as it was, the extra directors cut addition on dvd6 makes it worth while however the sale price is a tad more then what its really worth. Still none the less a good buy for those who are into Mecha (or this case bioengineering Mecha) let alone since-fiction.
However if you can not stand the sight of blood, some gore, Violence, this may not be for you.
However if you can not stand the sight of blood, some gore, Violence, this may not be for you.
wwh
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on November 3, 2007
***First, I wanted to suggest you people in Canada who wish to get this item go to Amazon.com (the U.S. based Amazon) and check out the price of the exactly same item there - you will be completely blown off - as noonies soaring past U.S. dollars, $60 of difference is just a complete rip-off!!!!
Don't buy this item here, go to Amazon.com or get it from the independent sellers here. You save about 150% (110-50=60, 60/40=150%) there! Check it out yourself*****
Now, NGE itself...
It's, absolutely, a masterpiece., period.
No matter how you look at any aspects of it, it just stands out of the crowd.
Animation/Graphics + Sound - I'd give 4.5/5 . This is obvious. The original series was made in 1997, if you look at some of the anime made around that time, you'll see how totally outstanding Evangelion's graphics are. Totally outstanding. You HAVE to admit that some of the animes made nowadays have worse graphics than the original series. Plus this platinum edition has a remastered graphics as well as sound (surround Dolby 5.1 for both Japanese and English dub). However, the graphics and sound are not perfect, still some distorted faces/shapes occasionally showing up - well, I bet every anime series have this kind of problem.
Storyline/Characters - 4/5. Evangelion is probably one of the weirdest anime ever made . It has a storyline that is extremely hard for some to perceive and understand, many "broken" scenes and sometimes even episodes that feel like coming out of nowhere. However, you have to watch the entire series, even with the two movies, to be able to see the whole grand scheme of things. The various aspects of psychology, religions, politics as well as common human relationships, etc. that are involved in it are the core of this anime. Shinji, Rei, Asuka, Commander Ikari, Misato... - every character in it has some different not-so-pretty past and they all ended up in some different paths. Nevertheless, the storyline/character development in this series is very depressing and sometimes "maddening" - a bit too "dark" theme.
Don't buy this item here, go to Amazon.com or get it from the independent sellers here. You save about 150% (110-50=60, 60/40=150%) there! Check it out yourself*****
Now, NGE itself...
It's, absolutely, a masterpiece., period.
No matter how you look at any aspects of it, it just stands out of the crowd.
Animation/Graphics + Sound - I'd give 4.5/5 . This is obvious. The original series was made in 1997, if you look at some of the anime made around that time, you'll see how totally outstanding Evangelion's graphics are. Totally outstanding. You HAVE to admit that some of the animes made nowadays have worse graphics than the original series. Plus this platinum edition has a remastered graphics as well as sound (surround Dolby 5.1 for both Japanese and English dub). However, the graphics and sound are not perfect, still some distorted faces/shapes occasionally showing up - well, I bet every anime series have this kind of problem.
Storyline/Characters - 4/5. Evangelion is probably one of the weirdest anime ever made . It has a storyline that is extremely hard for some to perceive and understand, many "broken" scenes and sometimes even episodes that feel like coming out of nowhere. However, you have to watch the entire series, even with the two movies, to be able to see the whole grand scheme of things. The various aspects of psychology, religions, politics as well as common human relationships, etc. that are involved in it are the core of this anime. Shinji, Rei, Asuka, Commander Ikari, Misato... - every character in it has some different not-so-pretty past and they all ended up in some different paths. Nevertheless, the storyline/character development in this series is very depressing and sometimes "maddening" - a bit too "dark" theme.
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SMW
4.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Anime
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on December 1, 2012
This is a must have for almost any serious anime fan. You are owning one of the most influencial animes of all time. The story is great, and the collection includes directors cuts of many otherwise incomplete episodes. Also includes bonus features.
One person found this helpful
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