Undoubtedly one of the best anime series of the 1990s, Neon Genesis Evangelion both revolutionized and revitalized a weary medium. It also wrapped with an infuriating, controversial conclusion, inspiring puzzled fans to demand an alternate ending to clarify the series' many nagging mysteries. Rather than fully satisfying viewers, iconoclastic series creator Hideaki Anno offered fans not one, but two Evangelion movies, both of which were perhaps even more idiosyncratic than the ...
Undoubtedly one of the best anime series of the 1990s, Neon Genesis Evangelion both revolutionized and revitalized a weary medium. It also wrapped with an infuriating, controversial conclusion, inspiring puzzled fans to demand an alternate ending to clarify the series' many nagging mysteries. Rather than fully satisfying viewers, iconoclastic series creator Hideaki Anno offered fans not one, but two Evangelion movies, both of which were perhaps even more idiosyncratic than the original series. The first, Death & Rebirth, summarizes the series in preparation for the requested finale, The End of Evangelion. This second film is an epic canvas of apocalyptic imagery, depicting the end of the world in both beautifully symbolic and gruesomely literal terms. Heady without limit, it may also be nothing less than the most aggressively experimental anime film ever released to Japanese theaters. Unlike the TV show ending, which denied curtain calls to much-loved characters especially female leads like Rei, Asuka, and Misato, closure here comes in a steady stream, albeit several shades darker and more bizarre than one typically expects. Ultimately, the film's breathtaking complexity makes it nearly impossible to summarize; it is rather meant to be experienced, much like Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Anno clearly plays with anime taboos and viewer expectations, but with such artistry and vision that one never suspects a diabolical act of self-sabotage. By violently shedding all remaining genre shackles, The End of Evangelion triumphantly completes the long, strange, and influential trip begun by the Eva series. Volk Lindsay
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Editorial Reviews
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Undoubtedly one of the best anime series of the 1990s, Neon Genesis Evangelion both revolutionized and revitalized a weary medium. It also wrapped with an infuriating, controversial conclusion, inspiring puzzled fans to demand an alternate ending to clarify the series' many nagging mysteries. Rather than fully satisfying viewers, iconoclastic series creator Hideaki Anno offered fans not one, but two Evangelion movies, both of which were perhaps even more idiosyncratic than the ...