Cowboy Bebop Part 1 Episodes 1-5

(Originally Written July 6, 2014)

2071.  As humanity flourishes across space, various disasters leave chaos to spread across the planets.  Enter Spike and Jet, lone occupants of the spaceship, the Bebop.  They are bounty hunters out to clean up the galaxy of wanted criminals…and collect the rewards that come along with them.  But the life of a bounty hunter is far from easy.  From rival competitors to sexy gamblers to spectres from their own past, not to mention the worst scum the universe has to offer, nothing is making it easy to make a living this side of the cosmos.  Spike and Jet will take the job…even if their success rate isn’t the greatest.

From the moment those first bombastic notes of the theme song (Tank) kick in, you know you’re in for something special.  I’m happy to finally begin reviewing this show that many an Anime fan, myself included hold near and dear.  This is Cowboy Bebop.

Quick mini background: Cowboy Bebop debuted in Japan in 1998 under the direction of Shinichiro Watanabe (who worked on Macross Plus with Shoji Kowamori and went on to direct Samurai Champloo and the now airing Space Dandy).  In the mid 2000’s the series premiered on the VHS American market and soon later, Cowboy Bebop had the honor of being the first Anime aired on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block.  Despite certain episodes cut from it’s initial run due to the 9/11 attacks, which occurred a week after the first episodes aired, Cowboy Bebop became a massive success on Adult Swim, running in almost continuous rotation for the better part of a decade and beyond.  The success of the series went on the spawn a feature length film as well, Knockin on Heaven’s Door (which I may or may not get to, we’ll see) and became a massive hit in not just the Otaku community but also with casual fans of scifi and action as well.

So why is Bebop such a tremendous success?  Is it the stylish action?  The lively futuristic setting?  The fun characters?  The crisp animation?  The musical score to end all musical scores?  Well if anyone watches the first five episodes covered in this review, the answer is, well…a bit of everything.

This is the perfect set of introductory episodes for an Anime series in general, quickly establishing setting, characters and general flow of each episode.  The first episode sets the tone excellently, following Spike and Jet chasing a drug addict former syndicate leader and his girlfriend across the Asteroids.  Though we do get to see a good deal of larger cities and other planets throughout the series, the Asteroids set up a pretty dead on depiction of where the future of humanity could be in the next hundred years or so.  It’s a bit of a less cluster f***ed version of Blade Runner and a lot less desolate than the Western style future of Firefly.  Times are rough for some but there is room for everyone to breathe.  We have hovercrafts and space ships zipping around but on the ground looks like a typical present day downtown or slum area with a bit of a technological advance.  Only tremendous difference are the giant Hyperspace Gateways that enable quick travel across the galaxy, enabling a ship to get from one end to the next in hours or days rather than months. 

And it’s this world that is Spike and Jet’s playground.  There’s lots to do, people to catch and cash to be made.  Spike is the pointman, albeit an occasional lazy one.  But like most Anime leads of his type (Trigun’s Vash the Stampede and Rurouni Kenshin’s Kenshin) he doesn’t preach love and peace and not killing.  No underneath this lazy façade is a bad ass who knows it and will rock your world six ways to Sunday.  Case in point, his initial encounter with Azimov in Episode 1 almost sees him dead.  But turns out it’s a clever act and when they meet up again, even Asimov’s drugged up, psycho killer state is no match for the smooth bounty hunter (who practices Jeet Kune Do, the martial arts style of legend Bruce Lee).  And there’s far more to him than meets the eye.  He may be an easy going guy but Spike hides a dark past that is only glimpsed at in what could easily be the shows best episode (I know five episodes in and I already have an all time fav) Ballad of Fallen Angels.  Spike enters a church, out numbered and outgunned, facing an “old friend” and proceeds to rip his would be killer to pieces before engaging in a life or death dual with the terrifying Vicious.  It’s epic, it’s action packed and it’s just a boat load of Wow.

 

Balancing Spike’s “not giving a f***” attitude is his partner, ex cop Jet Black.  While Jet doesn’t get in on too much of the action in these first few episodes we do get to see that he can handle himself.  But his robotic arm isn’t Jet’s main weapon of choice, it’s his investigative nature.  While Spike can certainly figure most situations out, Jet figures them out more thoroughly and is able to guide Spike easier…more or less, toward a bounty.  I love any scene with Spike and Jet together.  There’s a good sense of history between them and they can praise, chide and kid with each other all at the same time.  There’s a great feeling of more than just a partnership, more like a brotherhood between these two.  Even if they don’t get their mark, which is often, they’re still a very effective team.

Rounding out the initial cast is the picture Anime definition of “fan service” since Misato Katsuragi, Faye Valentine.  Dressed in shorts, short yellow top, various colored thigh highs, a loose red overcoat and ankle high boots, with nice purple hair, Faye Valentine is sexy and she knows it.  From her first appearance, she is not afraid to flaunt it while firing a sub machine gun at unsuspecting gunmen before realizing she’s in way over her head.  She’s not bad when it comes to blowing things up but is never scared to use her pretty face and drop dead gorgeous bod to try and make things easier for herself…and then blow s*** up when everything goes sideways…which it does often.  Her impulsive and reckless attitude make her a nice match for Spike and their trade off of quips are both entertaining and cute at the same time.  Having her hop on the crew adds eye candy and lots of fun conflict to Spike and Jet’s carefree life.  Add in an adorable Data Dog named Ein and the Bebop gets more lively by Episode 5 than it was in Episode 1, which isn’t a bad thing in the slightest.

While the characters do drive this show there are two other elements that drive this series full throttle: the action and the music.  The action is very realistic and even though Spike’s moves may suggest otherwise, he isn’t supernatural or super strength enhanced…he’s just really good at being awesome.  There’s little laser (save for the kick ass super laser on Spike fighter hehe) fanfare and most of the action is old school shoot em ups that all play out pretty naturally.  And the music, oh man that music.  Composed by Yoko Kanno (what hasn’t she scored in the world of Anime lol, seriously Google her, it’s an impressive resume), Bebop’s musical choices are catchy, unexpected and a feast for the ears.  While most it is an excellent selection of Jazz, Kanno infuses lots of variety, giving us Blues, urban and even a stunning organ and rock guitar mix that leads up to Spike confrontation with Vicious (very In the Air Tonight if I can made that bold comparison).  The music is placed at the right moments and hits all the right notes and makes you want to track down the soundtracks for your listening pleasure (and yes I am listening to it as I type this lol).

Whew, lots of praise, and honestly, I can’t think of any real nitpicks with these first five episodes.  The stories are smart scifi and action packed, the characters are instantly lovable, the music has been talked about to death so I’ll save further praise for another review (trust me there will be more highlights) and while it isn’t always a feel good show (note the sad but fitting ending of Episode 1 aka the PERFECT PILOT) Bebop is something you never want to miss out on episode after episode.  We’ve had our fill of dismal times with Evangelion…now it’s time to lighten some things up as summer rolls on.

Neon Genesis Evangelion Part 7-Death and Rebirth & The End of Evangelion

(Originally Written June 28, 2014)

                         

The end has come.  With the Angels finally vanquished, SEELE turns its attention towards finally attaining human instrumentality.  NERV is attacked and massacared, personnel eliminated left, right and center.  In the mind of Shinji Ikari, this isn’t making his life any better or any worse.  Kwaoru’s death is weighing on his mind as his world crumbles further.  What’s left of NERV prepares for the inevitable and as Third Impact begins, the world braces for an uncertain future…a future resting in the hands of Shinji Ikari.

 

This is the end…at long last and to quote Tyrion Lannister from this past season of Game of Thrones, “If you want justice…you’ve come to the wrong place.”

As previously stated, Neon Genesis Evangelion’s series finale was met with reactions split right down the middle.  Some fans thought it was an excellent ending that kept pace with the intelligent story line established well into the second half of the season.  Others were flat out pissed off, feeling like they were denied a grand finale that tied up all loose ends and gave us the Evangelion action sequences to end all Evangelion action sequences.  Well low and behold a couple of years later, Anno decided to shut everyone up with a feature film that would encompass the entirety of what he ORIGINALLY had planned for the grand finale.  And if there was ever a better example of “be careful what you wish for?” look not further.

What was originally supposed to be a big single feature, The End of Evangelion was not complete for its planned release.  So the first of two films was released: Death and Rebirth-Death being a one hour recap of the television series through the eyes of various characters while Rebirth was a sneak peak at the first 15-20 minutes of the End of Evangelion (and seriously, it is just that, the first act of that movie, if you finish Death just go ahead and plug in The End of Eva, there is nothing different about the opening lol).

We’ll start at Death, which I think was my first real exposure to Evangelion after Toonami’s edited broadcast of the first two episodes.  This piece isn’t bad.  It does exactly what it sets out to do: bring us up to speed, while also giving us a final look at some beloved characters before everything goes to hell.  Shinji, Asuka, Rei, Misato, Kaji, Ritsuko and Gendo all get their own sections to observe events from their point of view and truthfully, this one hour piece does a better job at summing up and condensing story elements better than most compilation OVA’s.  There is some new footage sprinkled here and there: the frame story is a scene that is impossible for the series to have had but is interesting nonetheless-Shinji, Asuka, Rei and Kaworu gathering to practice as an orchestra quartet.  Speaking of Orchestra, Pachelbel’s Cannon and Beethoven’s Ode To Joy both make an appearance in this film and are used absolutely beautifully.  I’ve seriously never heard these two done better than here and Ode to Joy’s reappearance reminds me of why the showdown and final scene with Shinji and Kaworu is my favorite moment of the series.  Also, the film benefits greatly from having a feature film budget.  The touched up scenes from the series look incredible and the subtle new scenes fit in just fine.  This film is just plain gorgeous.  This is the ultimate Evangelion Cliff Notes film and an excellent refresher before…

The End, the brutally horrifically, excellently , beautifully executed End of Evangelion.

I should probably say before I go any further…SPOILER ALERT!!!

Now don’t get me wrong, this film is chock full of problems, plot holes and generally unanswered questions.  Plus it’s just down right depressing.  All of those visions you saw of dead Misato and Ritsuko briefly in the series finale, those happen and happen in grand fashion.  In fact, if Death was the last chance to see these characters up to this point then End of Eva is your very last time to see most of them alive.  It’s an all out bloodbath as soldiers literally butcher the staff of NERV left, right and center.  While it does give the three bridge techies (Aoba, Hyuga and Ibuki) a chance to fire some guns rather than shout situational reports, the brutality of NERV’s defeat is almost haunting.  But the one who maybe gets the worst of it is Asuka.  Granted, once she wakes up from her coma she does get to kick some serious bloody ass with Eva Unit 02.  Her showdown with the Mass Produced Eva series is very well done and one of Evangelions most defining moments, complete with Bach’s Air for atmosphere.  More so is it’s outcome as Asuka’s Eva finally loses power and is viciously mauled to death before stabbed numerous times by their lances…proceed to gasp for air and vomit at the same time.  Indeed Asuka, Misato and Ritsuko along with most of NERV meet brutal ends by the end of the first half of the film.

And where is Shinji you might ask?  Oh he’s finally hit that low where the only way to get him to do anything…besides do something unspeakably unforgivable in front of a comatose Asuka, is to drag him everywhere.  And when he does get set to battle what’s the first thing he sees…Mass Produced Eva’s chewing and flying around with bits of Asuka’s Eva…cue Shinji’s most iconic and memorable scream (Props to Spike Spencer, the immortal American voice of Shinji who gives this role his all and manages to keep his voice after the credits role ).  And that’s all before we get into the head spinning final act that is Third Impact.

Now here is where fans get really divided.  Some argue that the first half of the The End of Eva is strongest because it delivers some form of closure and action lacked in the series finale.  However, once the Third Impact segment of the film kicks in, we find ourselves transported into a more visually moving and fleshed out rendition of the final episodes of the series, complete with the end of the world and a miraculous rebirth.  Those two episodes feel like they were what was going on during Third Impact without the scenes leading up to it.  But unlike going through everyone elses mind a la the series, this is all purely from Shinji’s POV…and we all know by now what it’s like going through Shinji’s head…a heaping helping of “SHUT THE F*** UP SHINJI!!!”  His psychological torment throughout this series comes to a head as he basically denies humanity it’s future because he doesn’t want to cry or feels like no one loves him.  Granted he hasn’t had a lot of positive role models but to say that the rest of humanity should be punished because of it is one of the most selfish decisions I think a human being can make.  But the choice of humanity’s future has been given to Shinji…how did anyone not realize they were screwed from Day One.  Now if this had been the Shinji before the show took a dark turn OR the Shinji we see at the end of Evangelion 2.0 (part of the Rebuild series where he almost sacrifices the world to save Rei) the world would have a better chance at surviving the apocalypse.

And while all of this leads to one of the most visually stunning sequences in all of Anime, it once again doesn’t give viewers everything they want.  There are plenty of water cooler questions left unanswered: like how could SEELE count on Shinji to be that freaking depressed to pull off the mental unification of humanity?  Was Gendo really going through all of this just to get back together with his dead wife, why?  Could this whole event had gone another way if someone gave Shinji a hug or if Asuka or Rei 2 or Misato were put in his place?  And more importantly, after Shinji makes his mind to let the world return to normal, where does humanity go from there and is that really Askua with Shinji on the beach?  It’s funny, despite the lack of answers I still think it helps strengthen Eva’s appeal for fans of its intellectual side.  It’s what prompts multiple viewings to try and guess the answers and formulate some theories that Anno could confirm, deny, and just snicker about in the shadows. 

Visually, The End of Evangelion is hands down some of the best Anime out there and is a feast for the eyes: from NERV’s demise to Asuka’s Eva throwdown to the nice live action segments leading into the films final sequence.  And it looks like the budget was given in full and put to good use.  This looks so much better than the TV Series (as it should for a film) but still keeps the aesthetic look and feel of the characters and mecha.  The end of the world sequence is just as spectacular, with a chilling song to go along with it.  Rip the story to pieces as much as you want but the visuals cant be touched (kind of like Ghost in the Shell 2 but I liked that one more lol).

Final Judgment Time-What did I think overall?
I thought this was quite a fun ride to kick off the summer.  Somehow I think I enjoyed Evangelion as a whole more this time than any other time I had watched it prior.  Was it because I was doing it to review and share?  Eh…maybe but frankly I was having a nice fun romp down Nostalgia Lane with a series that still stands the test of time, flaws and all.  The characters are memorable but grating, the mecha battles are epic if few in number, the story is fascinating if way too complex and head scratching at times.  It has all the elements that keep viewers new and old coming back for more.  The Rebuild of Evangelion series may be attracting new viewers and otaku eyes to the story but the classic remains the top contender.  If you are an Anime fan, this is series that should part of your collection if not viewed at least once.  It changed the rules, pissed us off and made it clear it is here to stay…and stay it has.

Final Score

Neon Genesis Evangelion-9/10

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth-7/10 (points docked for the second half being totally skipable)

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion-7.5/10

Overall-8/10

Neon Genesis Evangelion Part 6 Episodes 25 and 26

(Originally Written June 23, 2014)

Kwaoru and Kaji are dead, Shinji is broken, Misato is vengeful, Ritsuko is imprisoned, Asuka is comatose and Rei is…well not the same.  With NERV in shambles, Gendo Ikari seizes the opportunity at hand.  What begins now is a bizarre voyage of the mind that hopefully ends with humanity’s secure future.  Is this the end of everything? Or the beginning?

Here we are…24 episodes of action, chaos, existentialism to the max and some of the most hearbreaking moments of any anime ever.  It’s all be building to this.  The final showdown, the Third Impact, the great resolution…so what in God’s name did I end up watching here?

I decided to do a review on these two episodes solely on the basis of the great controversy surrounding them.  Episodes 25 and 26, the series finale of Neon Genesis Evangelion, is a deep study of several of the characters as it examines where they are now and just how messed up mentally they have become.  We get looks at Asuka, Rei and Misato, however the main subject of this 45 minutes combined study is Shinji…because we need to be reminded of how truly f’ed up this kid is more than anyone…NO!!!!  The best moments of this two parter are not the extended look at his needy subconscious.  The best thoughts come from Rei, who finally begins to show her true feelings behind her existence and how she wants herself to die so she won’t have to serve Gendo’s needs.  That is great character growth, even if it is from the third in a series of clones.  Even Misato gets some good moments.  Her declaration of wanting to be so imperfect and dirty so the world can hate her is deep as is her fear of Shinji seeing her in such a light.

But let’s face it as interesting as some of this might be it’s not what was expected after 24 episodes of build up.  Be forewarned going into these two episodes: there is no action, no real character resolution, it’s all in everyones head and do I dare mention the STILLS, LOADS AND LOADS OF STILL PHOTOS.  Yes this was definitely a point where the infamous production and budget issues plaguing the series real their ugly head in the worse way.  Save for one notable sequence ill get to in a moment, this two parter could just be a slideshow of images ranging from what we’ve come to expect from the series to the earliest of sketches for the show.  The only real bit of movement we get is from a fascinating alternate world in which everyone is…well…happy.  Shinji’s kind of a smart ass and likes girls (except for Asuka), Yui is still alive and happy with a carefree Gendo and even Rei is a bouncy ball of energy.  This sequence is in and around five minutes long before the final “resolution” and could have benefited from being it’s own episode.  Kind of sort of sadly there is no animated continuation of this world.  HOWEVER it has spawned a number of manga spinoffs, most notably Angelic Days and the Shinji Ikari Raising Project.  If you have ever wanted to see the Evangelion cast in a far more happy and positive light like seen in this alternate world then please check those titles out.

So we conclude with Shinji realizing he doesn’t want to be alone like he thought and that he wants to feel emotions with others…culminating in a final image of him being surrounded by Misato, Asuka, Rei, his parents and all of NERV’s essential personnel wishing him “Congratulations.”  Has the world been saved?  What about SEELE and Lilith?  What about Gendo’s master plan and Rei’s part in it all?  What about the cloud of doom looming over NERV?  So many questions left unanswered…leading to one of the most mind boggling but ultimately disappointing endings to any Anime ever.  I think there are some good ideas here but not enough for me to label this as a great ending. 

Now there are some who disagree and like this ending.  Some thought that given the philosophy heavy turn the series took that this was the logical ending the show was heading for.  Most others were…not as kind.  Hideki Anno, the director, even received written death threats from fans over his shows ending.  That’s serious.  In fact, I should note that despite these being the last two episodes, I am not going to give my final series judgment yet.  Anno did respond to the backlash in his own way.  His angry fans wanted an ending…oh they were going to get one…just be careful what you wish for.  Ominous enough ;)

Macross Plus Part 2 Episodes 3 and 4

Isamu and Gould’s bitter rivalry intensifies after Gould throws Isamu in the hospital.  Their anger drives Myunng away, the poor girl unable to watch the two men she loves tear themselves apart before her eyes again.  As Myunng returns to Earth for a special Macross themed Sharon Concert, Isamu and Gould find their competition halted due to the emergence of a new AI controlled fighter, the Ghost.  Though they are both determined in their own way to prove a human mind is still relevant to air and space combat, Isamu and Gould will have to settle their personal feelings once and for all when the Ghost is hacked by an increasingly maddening Sharon.  With Myunng her prisoner, the two will have to decide if their unsettled past is more important than the woman they both love.  It’s a showdown of epic proportions on Earth…and even the legendary Super Dimensional Fortress itself might see a bit of action.

Macross Plus has always been a title among titles, a name recognized as representing some of the best Anime has to offer.  And after a great opening set, it’s great to say that it has lived up to that hype. 

After a super mecha smack down brawl, it was nice for Macross Plus to take a moment to step back and breathe.  Like Isamu riding out with Myung to the forest to recoup, the story seems to get a nice chance to air out and bring tensions to the surface.  Gould and Isamu’s second dual, this time with fists, is mixed very well to a recipe of rain, piano and just a lot of anger that needed to be resolved.  Myung getting caught up just made the situation all the more important, allowing her to vent her frustrations about the past and her own role in Sharon’s existence in front of both her former friends.  I really liked Lucy, who we know has pinned for Isamu, tell Myung that Isamu knew the entire time about where Sharon’s true voice came from.  It’s a strong moment for a couple of reasons.  First and foremost it shows that while he doesn’t want to admit it like Gould, Isamu does give a damn about Myung and second, Lucy is willing to put Isamu’s happiness ahead of her maybe ending up with him.  Lucy may be a cute tech girl and a helpful ally to Isamu in the testing of the YF-19, but this selfless admittance earns her so much good cred.  Scenes like the fight in the rain solidify that the human drama works just as well as the science fiction action element.

But that scene is just a simple set up for the perfect pay off-The final duel between Isamu and Gould in the only way they could decide it: pushing it to the limit in air combat.  Here just about everything ive bragged about in this two part review is live and on display in spades: the fast paced action, Yoko Kanno’s whimsical and exciting score and, probably my favorite part, the truth of seven years ago.  The look on Goulds face when he thinks he’s killed Isamu following his memory coming back to him says more than any line of dialogue ever could…even though he does say it a moment later, heartbroken.  Cue the piano version of “Voices” as the two friends fly together softly and without quarrel, their rivalry behind them and a hearty laugh shared.  We’ve been waiting to see who would come out on top in this competition…and the winner was both pilots, no longer enemies but once again friends.

That being said, the finale of Macross Plus does kind of peak at the end of that duel.  Not to say I didn’t think it was well done, I just like the Isamu/Gould fight best in the entire story.  I was a bit skeptical about a new AI controlled fighter being brought in if only to give Isamu and/or Gould something to go up against.  But once I heard that the chip used to complete that fighter was the same chip Myung’s boss used in his crazed attempt to complete Sharon, then it became clear as day.  Hasn’t this guy seen Small Soldiers (forgettable flick but the example remains the same)?  You don’t put military hardware into a rather peaceful project for mankind (in Small Soldiers it was toys, in the Anime case a sexy songstress), it just wont end well for anyone.  And sure enough, Sharon hijacks not just the Ghost fighter, but the legendary Macross fortress itself for the final battle.  As far as upping the scales go for a finale, that’s a pretty sweet set up.  It even allows Myung a small bit of Die Hard/Ripley time as she is forced to ditch her dress top and shoes (no nudity guys sorry) and pick up a machine gun to try and kill Sharon…I just thought that was pretty funny even though she was trying to be serious.

And appropriate enough for the final countdown, Sharon’s tunes take a more heart pumping techno enthused route with my favorite track “Information High”.  While some of her songs from the concert do make an appearance as well, this is the call to arms, race to the battlefield track that you could mix perfectly with any fight scene.  Special notice should also be given to “A Sai En”, the tune Sharon sings as she launches the Macross.  Haunting and foreboading, it’s like the entry music for the endgame boss battle, starting unexpectedly and then ending in a sudden drop of sound as if to strike fear in a sea of beautiful imagery as the transfixed/possessed audience and Macross crew look on in awe.  I wasnt very clear on Sharon’s ability to hypnotize a crowd with her singing but I can sort of overlook it just because it demonstrates clearly, the power of song in the Macross universe.  Oh and the image of Sharon’s face projected against the Macross as the cannons fire away?  Simply gorgeous.

As “Voices” played one final time once the battle concluded, a message from the first episode flashed on the screen, “Dedicated to you, our future pioneers”.  I always wondered what this could mean exactly and in a way, it’s a shout out to anyone watching this show who wants to take to the skies, the stars, even pushing the boundaries at how detailed you can make a piece of animation on a piece of paper or a computer.  Macross Plus pushed boundaries for scifi and mecha, taking what Macross did wonderfully in the 80s and updating, even surpassing them for the then present day audience.  A collection of fast paced action packed fights, music that will stay with you forever, and characters at the heart of a tale who manage to be worthy of time invested and are well rounded even in 4 short episodes, even the love triangle wasn’t incredibly annoying as all parties involved: Isamu, Gould and Myung, all had their fair share of hurt and dealt with it in a natural way.  It never felt like it detracted cause it felt so integral to the plot that it’s hard to think of removing it at all…way, WAY better than the awkward love triangle from Escaflowne.

Was there anything to nitpick about?  Well one thing I think the OVA and the Movie Compilation both had a small problem with was the pacing of the very end.  Without spoiling anything I think that the OVA went a little too quick with events and in contrast, the Movie Compilation kind of drags things out longer than it should and does drag down the built up momentum more than it should have by that point.  I guess I would have also liked to have seen a bit more of the big past sequence but the way we are shown it makes sense for the moment in which it is revealed…plus hey some things are just that more fun to speculate.

Still, it didn’t make me dislike the final part in anyway.  This anime in rewatch as a whole is about as close to a perfect Anime as one can get.  It’s a technical animated wonder that still hold up more than 20 years after it was released.  Macross Plus set the stage for many a mecha/scifi series to follow, some successful, others not.  And I think it’s fitting that it ends with the song that opened it.  Like I said in Part 1, hearing “Voices” at the beginning made me know I was going to be watching something special…and closing out with it, Macross Plus proved to be just that all around…special.

 

10/10

I was going to review the movie compilation next week but I think I will come back to that later in the year (thinking of a special feature ill mention later).  Next week, it’s the long awaited (I hope) return of Section 9 with the second season of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, 2^nd Gig.

Neon Genesis Evangelion Part 5 Episodes 21-24 (Plus the Director's Cut)

(Originally Written June 15, 2014)

 

 

Following Shinji’s reemergence from Eva Unit 01, the world descends further into a dark unknown future.  The fates of several key NERV members are finally determined, some the only way any of their existences could have ended.  And when a powerful Angel attack nearly cripples Asuka, another pilot is found to replace her.  Kwaoru Nagisa may be the friend Shinji has forever needed in his life…but is he also the end of the world incarnate?

In some ways, the start of the 20’s of any Anime is a time to get some last requests out of the way: some more backstory, some questions answered, some Earth shattering revelations or battles to occur.  In the case of Evangelion, all three are done in their own way…just not the way many would expect some of them.  In this set of episodes we take a look at some of the deeper workings of several cast members: what has been making them tick all this time and has it been good for them to bottle up their sorrows and not confront their feelings til now…when everything is on the verge of going to hell?

For Misato, Ritsuko and especially Asuka, the answer to that is a very big NO.  Losing Kaji pushes Misato on a more vengeful track than ever before while Ritsuko finally realizes she was just as expendable to Gendo as anyone else is…anyone else who isn’t Rei but we’ll get to her.  And then there is Asuka.  She doesn’t want to be helped, she doesn’t want to be saved, like Shinji she doesn’t know how to deal with life but she’s just more annoyingly loud and vocal about it.  What is kind of funny is that there are a couple of nice glimpses that if this show had gone another direction, Shinji and Asuka could have been better friends if not more.  But Asuka’s mental assault from an Angel pushes her over the edge and it’s more than likely she’s out for good. 

As for Rei man do we get some dizzying new hints and winks as to who she might really be.  Is she part Angel?  Is Shinji’s mother tied to her somehow?  Is this “Rei III” somehow aware of her current state of being when she tries to destroy Gendo’s glasses, an item that was so near and dear to her predecessor’s heart?  You want more questions heading into the home stretch? You got em dear viewer.  Speaking of Shinji’s Mom, we finally get to see her in some great flashbacks to the birth of NERV.  Yui Ikari is this show’s unsung hero: beautiful, intelligent, kind and loving.  It almost makes one wonder how she could ever love Gendo but Yui is so kind she no doubt looked for and found some good in him.  Though it is hard to imagine Gendo loving anyone really (the look on his face when he makes out with Ritsuko’s mother is hilarious…he’s so bored).

But really, the biggest moments of the series and some of Evangelion’s most stunning imagery (besides the End of Eva) come from Episode 24.  Kwaoru Nagisa is a fascinating character who I wish had been brought on much sooner than he had.  I would’ve loved to see him interact with Asuka and especially Rei more given his cool, calm and generally warm personality.  But sadly this is not to be as one of Evangelion’s biggest weaknesses ironically becomes on of it’s greatest strengths here.  That amazing still image of Eva Unit 01 holding Kwoaru, leaving viewers to ponder for almost a minute and a half as Ode To Joy plays in the background, will Shinji do it?  Will he kill his only true friend (someone who actually told Shinji he loved him and opened the door to an ocean of YAOI fanfiction…that’s m/m love stories mind you) to prevent the end of the world?  The answer to that might be pretty obvious but it’s crushing and effective nonetheless.

I should also note that Episodes 21-14 contain Director’s Cut versions that I was going to do as a separate entry but opted to watch them right after their original cuts.

Here’s a brief overview of what was added or extended:

Episode 21-New intro featuring the final moments in Antarctica just before the Second Impact.  Extended look at life for Fuyutsuki following Second Impact, Fuyutsuki sees Yui again before confronting Gendo, Fuyutsuki and Yui have a moment where Fuyutsuki voices his concerns for Yui’s safety-he also sees Shinji here as an infant

Episode 22-Another new intro with Asuka and Kaji the evening before their first appearance on the show, Asuka mentally berates Shinji for just moving on from his Eva imprisonment in Episode 20, Asuka has a mini breakdown in the bathroom expressing her hate for pretty much everyone including herself, Asuka’s mental attack under the Angel has extended scenes with Asuka exclaiming her arrogant and confident self is “the real me”, she also has a moment where she begs Shinji to look at her and hold her

Episode 23-Extended clash with the 16^th Angel-it begins to morph Eva 00 and merge with Eva 01 when it attacks Shinji-when he stabs it he injures Rei by accident, the 16^th Angel infected Unit 00 morphs into a giant Rei, reaching for something before it is destroyed, Gendo and Fuyutsuki observe Rei’s pod before Rei III appears indicating Fuyutsuki knows exactly what Rei is

Episode 24-Shinji tells Asuka that Kaji is dead, SEELE talks with Kwaoru about Gendo and urging him to find “Adam”, Misato attempts to spy on the meeting but Kwaoru notices her

Of the four episodes, EP21 has the most new footage, mostly focusing on Fuyutsuki and his coming into NERV as well as his close relationship with Yui.  We also get a new intro featuring the last moments in Antarctica before Second Impact occurred, chilling stuff.  Asuka gets some stronger stuff in the EP22 Director’s Cut as well, showing both her disgust for the world and her admittance (FINALLY) that she wants Shinji to love her (too bad it took an Angel Mind Rape to make her admit that in some way).  Everything else is really brief in the DC’s, EP23 has some minor moments with Rei right before her brave sacrifice and EP24 has one additional Kwaoru scene where we see him being coaxed into the final act of the episode by SEELE itself.  All in all nothing too tremendous but I get the feeling that a lot of these previously unshared story tidbits will come into play in the final episodes or even the movies.

I’ve been talking a lot of in depth about the story and characters and not the action but really those former two were at the forefront of everything here.  The Eva’s barely make an appearance themselves but are used very effectively when they do appear.  The story can be trying at times and it is frustrating listening to all of these characters who don’t know how to help themselves or reach out to others finally have the breakdown that’s been building for twenty episodes or more.  Oh and I should note that side characters Toji, Kensuke and Hikari are brushed aside as simple as a quote from Shinji saying they’ve been evacuated.  I get that it’s kind of meant to isolate Shinji further but a farewell would have been nice, especially between Shinji and Toji, who is missing an arm and a leg after his minor stint as an Eva pilot.  One minor character who does get a sad farewell is Misato’s pet penguin Pen Pen.  You know it’s serious when the show’s lovable mascot is shipped off to a safer home.

And if SEELE’s mysterious ramblings are any indication, the sad deaths of Kwaoru, Kaji, the second Rei and the departure of Pen Pen signal an ending of biblical proportions (not surprising given all of the imagery throughout this show).  Oh and that’s NOT Adam locked up in NERV’s basement but LILITH?  What does this mean?  In the span of four episodes, Evangelion has ratcheted up the questions sky high and a lot needs to be resolved in two episodes.  Is it capable of doing so?  Hard to say.  This has become a far different and darker show from when it started.  How can NERV survive the end of the world if they can’t survive each others dark secrets and lack of communication?  And the biggest question still remains…can I somehow write a decent review of the final two episodes which may contain one of the most ambiguous and confusing finales of all time?

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!!