Evangelion Shin Movie: Jo

Pockeyramune919

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img520(https://giffiles.alphacoders.com/112/112560.gif) If you've read some of my reviews, chances are I've mentioned _Neon Genesis Evangelion_ a few times. I'd say this is a testament to how highly I regard the show. I only watched it three years ago, but it feels like such a cornerstone of my anime experience. Even if I have some misgivings about the canonical conclusion to the series, _Neon Genesis Evangelion_ has remained among my favorite anime. Shocker, I know. An anime fan who likes _Evangelion_!? In fact, it would be more marvel to state that I _didn't_ like _Evangelion_, but it took my breath away when I watched it and I still feel I need an inhaler. I think it's important context for this review to know that I absolutely love _Evangelion_, particularly the beginning. Being a fan of the series, I naturally heard of the Rebuild movies, a retelling/reimagining of the story made to be accessible to old and new fans alike. They also offered a new conclusion to boot. My mixed feelings regarding _End of Evangelion_ should have made me jump at the chance to watch the Rebuilds. When I completed _Evangelion_ in 2017, three Rebuild movies had been released. The latest installment premiered in Japan in 2012 and there was absolutely no word on when the third and final entry would release. Even independent of reviewing, I tend to prefer watching things that have already finished to ensure my experience of the story isn't arbitrarily extended. I'd prefer knowing the end was in sight so I could go into the final movie with the predecessors fresh in my mind. But, with word that the final movie, _[3.0+1.0](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NPlusOneSequelTitle)_ would be releasing this Summer, I decided it was finally time to watch the Rebuild movies… ...then the Covid-19 Pandemic caused it to be delayed. There are more dire things that the virus has caused than the delay of my Japanese cartoon, so I won't complain. I decided to begin watching the movies anyway. So, as a fan of the original show, what do I think of the beginning of this new saga of _Evangelion_? Does this retelling live up to the excellence of the original? In short yes. It achieves this by — and I say this lovingly — __being__ _Evangelion_. Save for a very select few new bells and whistles,_Evangelion: 1.0 You (Are) Not Alone,_ proceeds like a remastered _Neon Genesis Evangelion_. img520(https://wiki.evageeks.org/images/thumb/d/d9/Sachiel_Monitor.jpg/260px-Sachiel_Monitor.jpg) _Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone_ (known in Japan as _Evangelion: The New Movie: Prelude_) takes place in the post-apocalyptic haven known as Tokyo-3, fifteen years after a cataclysmic event known as the Second Impact. We follow Shinji Ikari, a meek, depressive boy who finds the world suddenly on his shoulders as he's sent by his aloof father to pilot the newly created Evangelion Unit-01 in order to combat the Angels, mysterious lifeforms who are hellbent on breaching Tokyo-3's GeoFront and accessing the secrets that lie within in order to put an end to humanity for good. img520(https://tenyearsago.files.wordpress.com/2019/07/eva3.png?w=400&h=200&crop=1) If you're a returning fan, this premise will doubtlessly sound _very_ familiar as it's the exact same as the premise for the original series. If you've watched the original series, you know exactly what you're getting into with _You Are (Not) Alone_. The similarities don't end here as it’s virtually the exact same as the first arc of _Evangelion_. Now, bear in mind that it's the same _as far as I can remember_. I concede that I have the memory of a goldfish at times, but this felt very familiar and I recall distinct story beats from the original. And to be fair, I'm not the only person who felt this way. My friend who watched it with me stated that, "[it] was exacfly[sic] the same as the anime." This isn't exactly a bad thing. _1.0_ looks absolutely beautiful in ways a TV anime budget would never allow for. Scenes from the original are just as striking, but now with the added pizazz of a movie budget to make them even more beautiful. The scene of Shinji seeing the massive Unit-01 for the first time comes to mind. img520(https://i.imgur.com/4pBy2jA.png) Shinji's distinct personality shines through _You Are (Not) Alone_ and I can't help but be compelled at how depressingly real he feels. This kid is a broken doormat and it shows in how he reacts to his duty piloting the Evangelion, feeling both used yet ignored. Realistically, this is a kid who won't jump at the call to arms. Some might find this frustrating, but I appreciate its genuineness and it makes it all the more satisfying when Shinji does pull through in the end. We don't really see anyone nearly as much as we do Shinji, but others are strongly characterized as well. Rei's robotic lack of emotion despite the embarrassing situation she finds herself in during the signature scene in her room is quite chilling. This might just be my memory, but I think the movie did a better job of characterizing Misato than the show did. We still see the lighter, jocular side of Lt. Colonel Mitsuragi, but I feel like the movie emphasizes the serious, no-nonsense side of her more. This could simply be a product of her newfound rank, but I appreciated the change. It made Misato easier to take seriously, which helped foster the dire tone of the film. img520(https://cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/galleries/display/61/61061.jpg) Speaking of which, one thing that I've always appreciated about _Evangelion_ is that tone. The world is a mess and it always seems that with one false move, humanity will be wiped out. This combined with the strained character relations makes everything feel tense: from simple conversations to heart-pounding battles between the Evas and Angels. I know how vague it sounds, but this contributes to the movie feeling very "real.” There wouldn't be much glamor to be had being thrust into the pilot seat of a mech; it would be grim and nerve-wracking and _1.0_ captures this feeling very well. The OST is great, too and also feeds into the tone. Listen to Bataille Decisive and tell me it _doesn't_ get your blood pumping. youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV1Sm-bU82E) But these are all things that I could say about the first six episodes of the original series. It doesn't really seem like _Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone_ brings anything significantly new to the table. Oh sure, the ocean is red, we see important plot information much earlier, and Kowaru briefly appears at the end of the movie, but these additions feel more superflous than anything. I'm not sure what veterans really get out of _Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone_. img520(https://33.media.tumblr.com/10df4a7f5439ba533d6f1cc0a8ec99be/tumblr_noit4nfs5F1rb06tgo1_r1_500.gif) Incidentally, I happen to be going through another reimagination as I embark on the Rebuild series — _Final Fantasy VII Remake_. From my experience with that game, I know that opposing arguments can be made in regards to the beginning of a remake. I believe I'm roughly a fourth through the game. On one hand, I've already experienced a number of drastic changes from the original game and one could make the argument that, so far in, significant changes are necessary lest it feels like nothing more than a slight edit. On the other hand, the Bombing Mission, the first section of the game, is pretty identical to its original incarnation. From this, the argument can be made that it's necessary for a remake to play it safe at first, allowing viewers to get acclimated to the new continuity by utilizing familiar aspects. img520(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6c/36/82/6c368216106bb2256f4876ec46ea1d2d.png) So what about me, do I ultimately praise _1.0_ for sticking to the source material or do I criticize it for playing it safe and feeling uninspired? At the end of the day, I don't really care. It feels weird to praise something for lack of innovation, but as the adage goes, if it's not broken, don't fix it. _Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone_ ultimately reminded me what I loved about _Neon Genesis Evangelion_. As of late, I've thought a lot about why I don't really care for _End of Evangelion_, but this made me think about why I loved those first few episodes: the somber tone, the tenseness, the gripping mecha action, the mystique, the lack of Asuka. Even if there isn't much new brought to the table, I'm not going to complain because I already love what's on the plate. Besides, the ending is the whiff of the new aroma from the kitchen. I'm excited to see what Anno has cooking up for us in the kitchen. img520(https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/797/729/8af.gif) I'm sure newcomers will appreciate this movie, even as a standalone fare. Shinji's narrative ties the whole movie together, his loneliness driving him further into depression. This culminated in a touching climax wherein he discovers that his belief is false: the entirety of Japan is behind him and his fellow pilot is behind him. The title of the movie, "You Are Not Alone" ends up ringing true for Shinji. Evangelion was as good in 2007 as it was in 1995 and the improved visuals only make 1.0 even more appealing for newcomers looking to get into the series. You could watch the movie alone as a decent mecha/coming-of-age movie. For veterans, it might seem like a big ask to watch a glorified recap of a show you already watched. Hopefully, it seems like less of an ask when I stress that it's a recap of _fucking Evangelion_. It's a very entertaining watch if you've seen it before and I can't see how it's a bad thing to start off the new journey with something tried and true, something you know and love. I'm sure more radical changes are on the way. The only veteran that might not like _1.0_ is one who didn't like the original _Evangelion_ in which case, it might behoove them to conduct research to see if the other movies go in directions they're interested in. Ultimately, I’ll have to hold off judgement regarding the new continuity until it becomes, well, new, but it was nice revisiting a show I love in a fancy coat of paint. From the ending, I know changes are coming and I'm excited to see where the reimagining takes us. 8.8/10 B+

Santt

~~~__Considerações iniciais__~~~ Nesta _review_, irei utilizar de tópicos que considero relevantes a serem analisados sobre minha experiência ao assistir o filme em questão. Nestes tópicos, irei falar mais detalhadamente sobre os pontos citados. Tentarei ao máximo não colocar qualquer tipo de _spoiler_ sobre o filme, mas recomendo fortemente você ter assistido ao filme antes de ler essa _review_. A sinopse citada à baixo foi algo pensado por mim mesmo, tomando como base a minha experiência com o filme. (Tempo de leitura: 5 minutos) --- ~~~__Sinopse__~~~ Em um mundo altamente futurístico, criaturas denominadas de "anju" atacam e ameaçam a civilização. A grande arma da humanidade para combater essas criaturas é desenvolvida e se é chamada de "EVA", que operam com pilotos adolescentes. Combate e sentimentos são misturados nesse mundo caótico. ---- ~~~__Introdução__~~~ Neon Genesis Evangelion, qualquer um que transita no mundo dos animes já deve ter se deparado com essa obra que, por muitos, é considerado um clássico cultural. Então, do que se trata esse "Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone", que também é conhecido como "Rebuild of Evangelion 1.0"? Como o segundo nome citado já diz, "Rebuild of Evangelion" é uma reconstrução da aclamada obra do também aclamado diretor Hideaki Anno. Como já citado acima, o próprio nome do filme já diz que isso será uma reconstrução de Evangelion, ou seja, uma nova visão da obra. Mas esse filme não teve tantas coisas diferentes do começo do anime de 1995. No máximo, senti alguns cortes que muito provavelmente foram feitos para caber no pouco tempo de filme. Porém, mesmo que seja uma reconstrução que não teve muitas mudanças com relação a série de 1995, não vou considerar se houve mudanças ou não com relação ao anime passado. Portanto, vou analisar o que foi apresentado nesse filme, desconsiderando quaisquer mudanças com o anime da década de 90, só queria deixar isso claro. ----- ~~~__Enredo__~~~ A história de Evangelion gira em torno de criaturas que atacam a humanidade, sendo a única linha de defesa robôs gigantes que são controlados por adolescentes, robôs esses que foram desenvolvidos por uma organização intercontinental chamada "NERV". Além da questão de combates entre monstros e robôs gigantes, há também bastante abordagem para os sentimentos e a forma de pensar de seus personagens, principalmente voltado para os personagens principais, mais precisamente ainda o protagonista Shinji Ikari. É notório que sentimentos de depressão, auto depreciação e carência de reconhecimento são recorrentes com o desenrolar dos acontecimentos, além dos problemas familiares envolvendo o protagonista e seu pai. Tudo isso se interliga ao controle dos robôs chamados "EVA", já que é importante que o piloto saiba controlar seus sentimentos ou ao menos deixe eles estáveis para poder combater os "anjus". Portanto, Evangelion interliga de uma forma extremamente boa questões dos sentimentos do protagonista e combater as criaturas que ameaçam a humanidade. Com uma forma que posso chamar de "crua" para poder transmitir os sentimentos dos personagens, principalmente o do Shinji. ----- ~~~__Personagens__~~~ Há uma boa variedade de personagens no filme, que vai dos genéricos operadores até os que são mais interligados na trama principal envolvendo o ataque das criaturas e o desenrolar do protagonista. Tirando esses "operadores genéricos", os personagens mais ligados a trama principal são bons. Eles tem suas devidas "funções" e características que variam de um para outro. Evangelion não carece de bons personagens. O protagonista, que é o foco principal, é, ao mesmo tempo, visto como chato ou complexo. Complexo por sua boa abordagem dos seus sentimentos e forma de se pensar. Chato por ser irritante devido a suas escolhas que facilmente é visto como um mau protagonista. Mas, minha visão dele é boa. É um ótimo personagem tomando como base todos os acontecimentos para que o enredo se desenrole. Pode até ser taxado como chato, mas é esse resquício de característica que dá a ele um diferencial. ---- ~~~__Mundo e mecha__~~~ O mundo em que se passa a obra é extremamente desenvolvido, provendo de equipamentos altamente tecnológicos e estruturas gigantescas. É normal que obras com coisas assim exagerem e saiam da realidade de convencer o telespectador de que aquilo fosse possível, não que seja algo possível no mundo real, mas que fiquem no limite que o próprio mundo naturalmente estabelece. E realmente, apesar de muitas coisas irreais para o nosso mundo atual, as coisas presentes lá são plausíveis de acordo com o que foi apresentado e mostrado. Já os "mechas", também conhecidos como robôs gigantes, são extremamente importantes para a trama, tanto da perspectiva de defender a civilização, quanto da abordagem dos pensamentos dos personagens que os controlam. Aqui também não há algo tão exagerado, considero, também, bem plausível para o que foi mostrado. ---- ~~~__Produção / animação__~~~ O estúdio responsável pela produção do filme não é tão conhecido assim até o lançamento dos filmes da série, mas ele disponibilizou uma forte equipe para poder lidar com tudo, desde as grandes e difíceis ambições do diretor chefe, Hideaki Anno, até as cenas das lutas entre as criaturas e os robôs. Realmente uma excelente produção que entregou uma incrível animação. Diria que a trilha sonora, além de clássica, é muito boa. Não só a trilha sonora, toda a direção de áudio é muito bem elaborada. ---- ~~~__Conclusão__~~~ Um bom e divertido filme para dar início a essa nova visão da série (mesmo que aqui não haja tantas mudanças com relação ao anime da década de 90). Nada de tão extraordinário e nem de tão ruim, apenas alguns momentos que careciam de um melhor foco foi prejudicada pelo pouco tempo disponibilizado pelo filme. ----- ~~~__Considerações finais__~~~ Muito obrigado por ler até aqui! A _review_ pode ter ficado um pouco grande, mas tentei ao máximo minimiza-la, dando atenção aos detalhes que mais me chamaram a atenção. Aqui termina minha _review_ do primeiro dos quatro filmes dessa nova visão de Evangelion. Irei fazer uma _review_ para cada filme, então já gostaria de convida-lo para ler o do segundo filme. Qualquer comentário que deseja fazer sobre essa ou qualquer uma das minhas _reviews_, é só comentar no meu post no meu perfil aqui mesmo no AniList ou lá no Twitter que estarei fazendo sobre a _review_ em questão. Gostaria muito de saber se acharam bom ou ruim, sou muito aberto a esse tipo de coisa. Novamente, muito obrigado!

TheAnimeBingeWatcher

How does one judge a piece of media that’s almost exactly the same as another piece of media that’s come before? Sure, the anime world is no stranger to remakes. FMA 03 vs Brotherhood, HxH 1999 vs 2011, the old and new versions of Fruits Basket, all the different interpretations of Fate/Stay Night... there are plenty of anime properties that have been made anew and reinterpreted for new generations of fans. And there’s plenty of interesting conversations to have surrounding what these different versions were going for, how well they succeeded at their goals, all that good stuff. But the first Evangelion Rebuild movie isn’t just any ordinary remake. It’s a near shot-for-shot recreation of the first six episodes of the original TV show. If you decided to start Evangelion with the Rebuilds and put this movie on, you’d get a nearly identical experience to if you decided to put on the show. Sure, I know future movies will move the story in a new direction and fully cement this series as its own unique take on Eva, and that’s where the really meaty discussions are sure to begin. For now, though, our starting point is almost entirely composed of imagery, sequences, dialogue, and ideas we’ve seen in this exact order before. How do you judge something like that on its own terms? _Should_ I judge it on its own terms? Is it even possible? How different would my experience with this movie be if it was my introduction to Evangelion and I was experiencing all these moments for the first time? For now, I can’t answer those questions. Perhaps my opinions will evolve the further I get into the Rebuilds. Until then, though, all I can do is talk about how this movie affected me now, reliving old memories in a slightly different context. If I’m being honest, there’s something almost uncanny about Rebuild 1.0′s slavish devotion to recreating the first six episodes. It’s not just the scenes themselves that are the same; it’s how they’re shot, how they’re edited, which music cues are dropped when. Hell, even the animation itself feels lifted wholesale from the show at times, as if they literally just traced over the cuts from ten years ago and redid them in a new engine. That alone creates this fascinating stylistic contrast; you’ve got these very 90s keyframes and animation techniques, but now they’re in widescreen with smooth digital lighting effects and the occasional high-quality CG assistance for some of the more complex mechanical tech. This is probably the closest we’ll ever get to a 90s-style anime made with modern animation technology, and that itself is pretty cool. I’d even argue the overall effect is so seamless that it’s just as beautiful and evocative as the show. But it’s definitely _weird_ re-experiencing an aesthetic that was very much of its time updated for modern technology. I spent so much of the first half-hour of this film experiencing what I can only describe as a reverse uncanny valley, trying to wrap my head around how well this twenty-year-old visual storytelling still conveyed its meaning in this new context. There should’ve been so much whiplash from fitting the styles of different eras together, and yet it just... works. That's somehow more unnerving than if there _had_ been a disconnect. What wizardry did you employ to make it so seamless, Anno? Of course, this movie isn’t literally just the exact same shots as the show. If it were, it would be over two hours long and the pacing would make no sense. There are a few cuts, a few additions, a few re-ordered sequences to make the story flow better as a cinematic narrative. And I could honestly spend the rest of this review talking about how those minor changes affect the experience overall. Some moments I desperately love are lost to cuts, but I can understand why they needed to go; as much as I adore the end of episode 4 where Shinji and Misato stare at each other across the train tracks, that kind of emotional catharsis plopped right in the middle of this movie would slam the brakes on Shinji’s arc and ruin the power of seeing him finally stand up to his demons in the final act. Some moments I feel should’ve been left in; Kensuke and Toji’s subplot is so stripped down that they barely register as characters, which makes their big inspirational speech to Shinji near the end ring hollow unless you know them from the show. Most of the additional scenes are welcome; I like the extra time with Misato and Ritsuko’s relationship, and introducing Shinji’s mental train conversations and Lilith earlier on helps the show’s slow progression of abstract, cosmic weirdness feel more natural. And when the final battle rolls around, the animators really get to cut loose and showcase the full power that modern technology can bring to Eva-on-Angel conflicts when they’re not just reusing blueprints from a decade prior. If that’s a sign of how hard the action is gonna go once these movies come into their own, color me excited as fuck for what’s still to come. What really hurts, though, isn’t losing any one big moment or subplot. It’s losing all the tiny, incidental moments that are peppered throughout the show. Moments like Shinji teasing Misato when they first meet, or Ristuko joining them for dinner in their cramped apartment, or Shinji finding refuge with Kensuke out in the wilderness for a brief night of comfort. As brutal a show as it was, Evangelion always contrasted that darkness against the simple, ordinary lives of its characters, the scattered moments of humor, sweetness and light that made us care about their fight against the darkness. These are the moments that _make_ Evangelion, and I just wish so many of them hadn’t been cut from this movie. I understand the time constraints; there was no way a 100-minute film could keep every last detail from 150 minutes worth of TV. But even just five more minutes to keep some of these details in, even just one more scene in Misato’s apartment to make it feel like home, even just one more scene with Kensuke and Toji to make their big finale speech hit home, would have made a world of difference. Honestly, I think the pacing overall works really well cinematically, building to a natural climax point and shifting just a few details around to give Shinji a single continuous arc en route to that finale. But those extra five minutes could have pushed it into “This could’ve been initially conceived as a movie and I’d never know the difference” territory. You know what, though? More than anything, watching this movie just drove it even further home how much Evangelion fucking _owns._ See, I bring up the changes and cuts and additions because talking about what’s different is the most obvious thing to talk about in a product that’s otherwise mostly the same as something you’ve already talked about. But for the 80% of the time where 1.0 is just Neon Genesis Evangelion again? Folks, it was like nothing had changed at all. There I was again, getting swept up in the drama, gasping at the brutality, biting my nails in terror for Shinji’s safety and well-being, devolving into an emotional mess over his growing connection with Rei, howling with fury at Gendo’s cruelty, marveling at the visceral way Anno directs action, even cringing at the same overt fanservice that still hasn’t grown on me after all these years. The coat of paint may have changed, and some details may have been shuffled around, but this is still the same haunting, gut-wrenching, breathtaking, extraordinarily beautiful franchise that broke the world of anime open back in 1995. Not even literally repeating itself is enough to take away its power. If anything, it just makes it even clearer timeless Evangelion is, how its storytelling and conception of humanity transcend the context of their time to speak to audiences of any era. Evangelion could’ve come out for the first time ten years ago, five years ago, yesterday, or decades into the future, and it would still hit just as hard no matter what. It’s a shining star that will never truly fade, a story that will forever remain just as jaw-dropping, just as agonizing, and just as revolutionary no matter how much time passes since it was first released. So in the end, maybe Rebuild 1.0 is nothing more than a rehashed starting point that begins to set the stage for the real changes to come. But so what? That starting point is every bit as electrifying now as it was when I first laid eyes on it, an eternal reminder of the unmatched power of Neon Genesis Evangelion. I may not like all the little changes it made, but I will never grow tired of revisiting the beginning of anime’s undying masterpiece. So as we prepare to see how these Rebuilds will chart their own course moving forward, let’s raise one last toast to the moments that started it all... and look forward to the new heights this old foundation will take us to.

adrnil21

Re-posting this here from my notes. !!!SPOILER WARNING!!! A decent enough adaptation of the first few episodes of Evangelion. We follow Shinji Ikari's personal journey toward self acceptance and watch him learn what it means to be alive, and what his purpose in the world is. This is before Evangelion gets to all the truly crazy insanity that unfolds later on, so we get a more personal tale which explores the psychology of Shinji and the people around him. It's pretty inspiring stuff, especially toward the later parts of the film where Shinji struggles to choose between his own priorities and the priorities of those around him. Still, we are left with mixed feelings about his actions, seeing as he is pretty much dictated into committing acts that can and most probably will get him killed. The audience is left to figure out for themselves if what Shinji is doing for humanity is a good thing or not, and if we should root for or against NERV. It's a fascinating topic of discussion. As for the adaptation itself, I feel it does certain things well and others not so much. The soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal, to start. The visuals are also gorgeous, but that has both a positive and negative effect, depending on how you look at it. In one way, it is nice to see the source material elevated to new heights with stunning visuals on screen, but on the other hand, I feel it takes a bit away from the feel of the original show. Evangelion originally came out in the 90s, and although you can easily tell what time period it is from, it still looked great for its time. I personally think this movie looks almost too nice for its own good; it takes away from the raunchy and gritty feel of the original, and makes it look too clean-cut. The best way I can describe it is by comparing it to a street fight where everyone is wearing a nice suit and tie. It just doesn't feel right. The movie is also incredibly fast paced and cuts out everything that doesn't directly drive the plot forward. For some, this can be good, as it reduces the amount of filler and makes the movie more exciting (something I feel the first Code Geass recap movie really benefitted from), but for me this movie suffers a bit from a lack of context for characters' feelings and misses out on some important character development that make the scenes where they experience hardship feel more impactful. There is also a lot of technobabble that gets thrown around that doesn't really mean anything, but still takes up a lot of screen-time. 7/10 TL;DR "Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone" is a decent adaptation of the first part of Evangelion; it doesn't add much of anything new or meaningful, but it doesn't take much away from the original either aside from some minor grievances here and there. I would not start with this movie if you haven't seen the series before, but it's a good companion piece when you need a refresher on the plot after having finished the original series. 7/10

Zigeuninja

~~~ #__This review contains very minor spoilers__ --- After watching both _"Evangelion"_ the series and _"The End of Evangelion"_, both of which I really didn't like, I decided to watch the rebuilds hoping I would like them more and for once I'm positively surprised. I actually enjoyed this movie even though it's pretty much just a recap. Now, you might be wondering how I can enjoy this movie while disliking the original series and I have a very simple answer to that question: Pacing. The pacing in this movie is way better than in the original series and it focuses more on the characters than on the story, which I was a big fan of. '95 Eva tries too hard to convey an incredibly convoluted plot while also trying to make you care about the characters and imo it fails to deliver on either end. 1.0 on the other hand, decides to keep the story more in the background and instead let the characters carry the movie. For the first time, I think I understand why people can sympathize with Shinji, but more on that later. Now, all of this might not be the movie itself, but also me simply paying more attention to the characters this time around, but nevertheless, I feel like this is a result of cutting out some of the less important parts of the story and I think it works really well. img500(https://giffiles.alphacoders.com/111/111986.gif) Not only is the pacing a lot better this time around, the art and animation have also seen a big upgrade and it's overall a lot more pleasant to look at. It feels new while not taking away anything from the atmosphere and vibe the original series had. The use of CGI is definitely noticeable but not to a point where it gets annoying or takes away from the immersion. One thing people often seem to overlook when it comes to the use of CGI is that it can also be beneficial and this movie is the perfect example of that. A lot of the fights have noticeably better animation, most likely due to the fact that this is a movie and has a bigger budget but also the fact that it uses CGI. The 16:9 aspect ratio also gives scenes, especially the fights, a more cinematic feel. Just compare these 2 shots of Unit 01 running and you'll see that there's way more detail and depth and it's like this in pretty much every shot. img400(https://c.tenor.com/Xx6tKOLgq5YAAAAC/evangelion-rebuild.gif) img400(https://64.media.tumblr.com/b177b1f79b14f07b8613550b75d34f98/tumblr_o4rhh0L2HY1udh5n8o1_500.gifv) Now, Shinji is a character I've always despised, I would go as far as to say I hated him both as a person and character, however, after watching this movie I think I've started to understand not only him, but also other characters like Misato a little bit better. The reason for his behavior isn't just that he doesn't want to pilot the Eva, or is too scared to do it, he also struggles with the fact that he doesn't have anyone he can truly rely on and seeing his dad care more about another person he doesn't even know, rather than his own son, makes him even more depressed. It's not like this wasn't shown in the series, but because I was too focused on trying to understand the plot and why everything was happening, I didn't really catch onto this. All in all, I think I'll enjoy the rebuilds a lot more than the previous parts of Evangelion. --- #__The improvement in art, animation, pacing and focus on the characters not only make this movie a lot more enjoyable, it also gets the point the show was trying to convey across more clearly. I am hopeful about this franchise once again.__ ~~~