Neon Genesis Evangelion Collection 8: Episodes 24-26 - Revolution SF
- Revolution SF
- Kevin Pezzano
- 09/01/01
- click here
Neon Genesis Evangelion Collection 0:8
Reviewed by Kevin Pezzano
Rating: 9/10
This is it. The earth-shatteringly dramatic climax to one of the most artistic and groundbreakingly controversial anime series ever created. And the really scary thing is that nothing in that previous sentence is hyperbole.
After spending the last 23 episodes building up and then systematically destroying psychologically its main characters, Evangelion takes a turn for the eerie and abstract in its last three episodes. First, there's the final Angel to battle... an Angel that takes on a very different form than the biomechanical monstrosities featured in all previous episodes. In a final blow to his crumbling self-esteem, Shinji Ikari, alone, has to choose between the life of his best friend and the fate of all humanity.
Then things REALLY get freaky in episodes 25 and 26. We leave the physical world behind, and get a ringside seat as the main characters have their egos dissected and examined in unflinching detail. Every character flaw, every self-incrimination, every element of angst and terror and feeling of isolation is presented to the audience, using a very arty, minimalist presentation. A lot of Evangelion fans were disappointed with this vague, Kubrickian climax to the series, feeling a little unfulfilled by scenes of Shinji sitting in a chair in a darkened room, arguing with his own inner demons...especially after the gut-wrenchingly kinetic and bestial action of the previous 24 episodes.
That's missing the point of what Evangelion is all about, though. Despite the anime-standard trappings of giant robots and cute girls in tight suits, Evangelion is all about the search for self-worth. The creator, Hideaki Anno, suffered from clinical depression for years, and Evangelion was his way of describing what he was going through, in anime form. In that context, the strange images of floating abstract figures and the seemingly interminable cries of self-pity on the parts of the main characters all throughout these climactic episodes are NECESSARY. Shinji and company have learned, all too well, that life hurts a hell of a lot. Now they have to realize that, despite all that, it's still worth living. The trippy final episodes on this DVD are the way Anno chose to resolve those issues for his characters (though he later slightly modified his vision through the Evangelion movies).
This is not to say that the final episodes of Evangelion should be skipped. They may not be as action-packed (or even as understandable!) as the rest of the series, but they're still required viewing for Evangelion fans. The abstractness of the animation is fascinating, and when combined with the harsh, direct look at just what makes all the characters tick make the episodes on this disc more than just the climax to a cool anime series. They become a look into the mind of the creator himself, stripped bare in all its ignominy and torment. Very few creative works, especially in this format, are that raw and personal, and these episodes are worth seeing if only for that. Plus, fanboys and fangirls of every stripe will have hours of fun arguing about just what the hell happens in them!
On a technical level, this last DVD of the series is exactly like the other seven. Japanese and English audio tracks are available, with additional Spanish and French language options (lemme tell ya, watching these last episodes in French makes for a really freaky foreign-art-house experience!). Extras are limited to some character bios and the usual fantastically nifty menu designs. In terms of picture quality, it's kind of hard to tell, since the original animation was of such disappointingly low quality to begin with (Gainax was suffering from a budget crunch by the time they finished up Evangelion). For DVD, it's okay, but this is not the disc to go showing off your new flat-screen hi-definition TV to your buddies with.
Overall, while the unusual nature of the episodes on this disc may disappoint a lot of viewers, if you've come this far in the Evangelion series it would be almost criminal to duck out now. This is an appropriately mind-bending climax to one of the most mind-bending anime series ever produced, and it's a shining example of just how far animation can go in terms of true literary merit, when given a chance. It may leave you feeling happy, it may leave you feeling cold, but it WILL leave you feeling something. Don't miss it.
Posted on Saturday, September 01, 2001 (Archive on Monday, October 01, 2001)