Top Ten Things Evangelion Rebuild Got Right

Greetings, ladies and gentlemen!  Welcome to this week’s first official edition of Evangelion­-themed Talkative Thursday!  While I’m sure there are many an anime fan that’s divided on whether Evangelion is a good franchise, I’m pretty sure there are Evangelion fans who argue over which telling was better; the series or Rebuild.  If such an argument hasn’t been made yet, well, let me be the first to defend the films.  Sure, I’m a fan of the original series as it contains the core of the franchise’s overall story.  But there are in fact some plot points and elements that these currently three films have to offer that can keep newcomers invested with the franchise as well as please veterans.  And for today’s Talkative Thursday, I’ll be talking about some of those aspects that I always look forward to when watching these movies.  So let’s jump right in and talk about the top ten things from the Evangelion Rebuild film series that were just right!

Also, to give you a fair warning, this list does contain spoilers from the next two movies, which I have not reviewed yet.  You have been warned!

10.The Condensed Plots of the First Two Movies

Kicking off the list is something that I already talked about in last week’s review on the first Rebuild film.  While many fans will find the plots of Evangelion 1.11 and 2.22 redundant- 1.11 especially-, there’s a silver lining to this redundancy.  Most of the important story arcs in the original series were drawn out pretty long.  Some were probably longer than necessary.  In fact, one of the scenes that I’ll be talking about later actually took two episodes to finish.  You don’t even find out how that scene played out until the end of the last episode!  It’s a pretty convoluted way of telling a story, especially if we don’t find out how it ended until, well, the very end.  Rebuild solved this problem by only including the most important details from the overall story.  It gave viewers what they absolutely needed to know and took away anything they didn’t.  The only downside to this is that some details that provided more context were left out, but overall, it left for a pretty decent story.  The first two films may be looked at as Evangelion Light, but both are back full of the good stuff we want!

9.The World After Both Impacts

This may be a strange point to focus on, but I think how the films depicted life after both the Second and Third Impacts was taken seriously.  The series implied there were some serious environmental changes that took place after the Second Impact happened like a rise in global temperature and several species of plants and animals going extinct, but it never really showed any of that.  Like things looked completely fine save for what’s left of the past Tokyos.  But in Rebuild, there are in fact some visible changes.  For one, the ocean was red, and they show in Evangelion 2.22 in the aquarium tour how polluted the oceans became after the Second Impact.  They also imply in the same scene that foods like real meat and fresh produce are rare.  Yes, I’m well aware that Kaji had a watermelon garden in both the films and series, but hearing someone say “90% artificial meat” seems to drive home the fact that meat animals like chicken, pigs, and cows may very well be hard to come by.  Both 1.11 and 2.22 make it obvious there are some serious repercussions from the Second Impact.  And then there’s 3.33.  This movie has one of the bleakest apocalyptic settings in the franchise, if not in all of anime.  And yes, I’m well aware you can make parallels to it and The End of Evangelion, but we’re not talking about that horse and pony show wreck.  It’s in 3.33 that the Third Impact had some pretty dire results not just for humanity, but the entire world.  When Shinji realizes that he caused the Third Impact, you almost cringe looking at the wreckage from it and almost wonder if humans even exist anymore.  It really set the stage for the bleak tone that lingers in 3.33, and that’s all because the creators took the environment seriously.  Again, this was a weird point to include, but it definitely makes you appreciate our green Earth and the world Evangelion a little more.

8.The New Animation

I’ve already talked about this in my review on Evangelion 1.11, but it doesn’t hurt to mention it again.  One of the best things to be done in this film series was updating the animation.  If it wasn’t true, it wouldn’t be on the list!  The transition from cell animation to computer animation makes everything so much brighter and colorful.  Not to mention, these films also have the advantage of using CGI for some of the effects.  The Evas, and a few of the angles (one of which we’ll talk about later) were animated using CGI on more than one occasion.  And all of it looks great!  Yeah, I’ll admit, I get nostalgic for the original cell animation from the series, but not even a die-hard Evangelion fan can deny that the films were beautifully animated.  It was certainly a much needed fresh coat of paint.  Oh, and speaking of Angels…

7.Ramiel

Of all the Angels to get the animation treatment, this one got the mother of all CGI makeovers.  Ramiel, or the sixth Angel in the film (fifth in the series), is infamously known for its iconic diamond shape appearance in both series and film.  But in the series, Ramiel stuck to it’s static octahedron shape.  It was powerful and gave Nerv a run for it’s money, but it didn’t really do anything else but shoot lasers.  That’s not necessarily bad, but in the films, Ramiel did more than just shoot lasers and drill holes into the Geofront; thanks to the new animation the franchise got for the films, the use of CGI allowed this Angel to morph at will.  In fact, Ramiel morphs into different shapes to best accommodate its next attack.  This was shown when Eva Unit 1 first encounters it in the film.  I’ve mentioned it once before and I’ll say it again, this was some of the best CGI I’ve ever seen, and not just in anime, but in animation, period!  It was also a brilliant addition to an already intimidating foe.  Heck, it’s no wonder it was the only Angel that wound up on Watchmojo.com’s Top Ten Scariest Monsters in Anime (which is a load of crap because I think most of the Angels were terrifying in appearance and ability)!  This Angel definitely shown bright like a diamond in the original series, but thanks to some CGI, Ramiel got a nice polishing!  And yes, I’m well aware of the Rhianna joke I just made here.

6.The First Angel Fight in Evangelion 1.11

I put this particular moment on the list for two reasons.  First off, the way this scene played out in the series was kind of weird.  The battle initially starts at the very end of the first episode, then picks up at the very beginning of episode two…and then cuts away to the aftermath after Eva Unit 1 takes on some serious damage.  It’s not until the very end of the episode that we finally learn how that fight played out.  Why did we need to cut away here?  Wouldn’t it make more sense to show the full battle?  Well, 1.11 picked up on that and put the scene back together, showing us the entire battle from beginning to end.  And sure, it wasn’t anything different from what we saw in the original series minus one little detail that got left out, but it was still really nice to see the entire fight play out.  And two, I just really like this scene.  As I said before, it was nice to see the whole battle play out from beginning to end.  Plus, I thought this was a great introduction to Eva Unit 1 and perfectly displayed the kind of power it possesses (well, a small amount of it anyway).  Though it took ten years for the series to literally put two and two together, we got a spectacle of a battle and an idea of what was to come!

5.Shinji

The face of the Evangelion franchise, this mentally unstable fifteen-year-old has been a thorn in the back of otakus who’ve seen the original series.  In fact, many would argue he was the worst character in the franchise-but if you read my “Should we Hate Shinji Ikari” and “What Should Have Happened to Evangelion” posts, you’d know that I’d disagree with this opinion in that there is a far worse character to gripe over.  On top of that, people have purposely avoided watching the series because of Shinji!  But I think what many people will pleasantly find surprising is that this moody teenager is surprisingly better in the films.  While the moody part is still there, Shinji actually acts like any other teenager.  He’s shy and quite, sure, but the moments where he acts like a total emo are far and few in between. He also shows some drive and aggression when need be, too; at the end of 2.22, he actually tries to save Rei, which is something that never would have happened in the original series.  If I had to decide where Shinji was at his best, I’d have to go with 3.33 mostly because of the full naivety he shows to the reality that surrounds him.  It really cements the fact that he’s just a kid being thrown into a very complex and adult situation.  What ever movie you liked him best in, you really can’t deny that Shinji was way more likeable in these films.  Shinji’s still a wimp who won’t get in the robot, but at least you can like him a little more.

4.Lack of Introspection

I originally intended to lump this in with my point on Shinji, but I decided to split it because it’s something that the original series was iconic for.  But of course, not in a good way.  For those who watched the series, you’ll know that the majority of the last few episodes consisted of nothing but Shinji and company examining themselves and basically throwing crap at each other.  But the most memorable of these moments was that of Shinji examining himself mostly because much of it comes from him.  If it wasn’t Shinji being emo that turned viewers away from Evangelion, then most likely the constant introspection would.  And while I praise the movie for exploring the inner psyche of its characters, these moments were tedious and boring and took away so much from what was going on.  In the films, there is fortunately very little of this.  Well, what introspection there is, you know that it’s coming.  Much of these moments took place on the train Shinji got on after he was abandoned by his father.  Other than that and maybe a few comments Shinji makes about past events and actions of friends and Nerv staff, that’s pretty much it.  And honestly, I think it really helps the films focus on what needs to be the focus.  There are so many interesting things going on in this world, and the last thing you want to hear is your lead character going on and on about how his life sucks.  Thank the Lord that the films decided to avoid that as much as they did, because nothing says downer like delving into one kid’s depression and lack of focus! 

3.The Soundtrack

This was definitely more of a personal pick cause let’s face it, I’m a sucker for epic battle music.  It’s not something that I listen to all the time, but if I need something spectacularly awesome or epic, then I’ll play me some Two Steps from Hell or something else grand.  And some of the tunes that came out of this movie are hot tracks on my epic playlist.  Imagine if Shiro Sagisu and Two Steps from Hell had a baby; that baby would be the soundtracks for all the Rebuild movies.  The soundtracks for the second and third movies have most of the epic pieces, but that’s not to say the first movie has its fair share of awesome music.  Besides the upgraded animation that the franchise got, some of the iconic themes from the original series got an upgrade, too, as they’re replayed in some portions of the movie.  So whether it’s an epic battle march or something from the golden oldie itself, definitely give the soundtracks from Rebuild a listen!  You won’t be disappointed!

2.Kaworu

Of all the characters who had so much wasted potential in the original series, it was Kaworu.  I know I said in my “What Should Have Happened to Evangelion” that Asuka was a wasted opportunity in the series, but Kaworu is probably more fondly remembered because he actually had some importance to the series.  The problem with Kaworu is that he didn’t have enough screen time to really develop as a character.  In fact, Watchmojo put him on their list of characters who died too soon because of this.  While the argument is sound regarding the series, I’d have to disagree if you were to say he left too soon in the films.  Kaworu, throughout the entire film series, makes several appearances before he makes his official debut in 3.33.  Sure, there’s no real development happening, but with each appearance he makes, you’re given the impression that his contribution to the films will be big.  And it is!  He not only plays a role in comforting Shinji in all that has happened, but he also plays a crucial role in starting the Fourth Impact.  His part in the overall story is taken seriously, and each film wants you to be aware of that.  Also as a bit of a side note here, I absolutely loved the English dub performance given by Jerry Jewell.  For those who don’t know, Jewell is known for playing Russia in Hetalia, Lao in Black Butler, and of more recent fame, Viktor Nikiforov in Yuri on ICE!, and he did a fantastic job of bringing Kaworu to life in the films.  It definitely sounded better than the performance done in the original series, which I’ve felt could offend any gay man of the 90s.  I don’t think I could say anymore than Kaworu went to wasted character to spotlight stealer in Rebuild!

1.The Ending to Evangelion 2.22

Remember what I said in my “What Should have Happened in Evangelion” post about how 2.22 knew where to end?  Well, it’s that thinking that lead it to the number one spot on my list.  The ending to 2.22 was nothing short of a marvel both in visual and contextual aspects.  While I’m on the fence about having the end be the start of the Third Impact, I can’t tell you how giddy I was knowing that the film was going to end where the series should have ended.  Again, I don’t know if having the Third Impact happen was needed, but it made for one heck of a climax!  For me personally, it’s one of the most jaw-dropping endings in anime.  Besides what a satisfying end this comes to, there are some other great things that come out of it.  For one, before this even happens, Shinji is actually trying to save Rei.  In fact, that’s what starts Third Impact.  It shows how Shinji has grown and bonded with Rei as the films progressed, going as far to show that he’d literally let the world die just to save his friend.  It shows some major development from Shinji.  Sure, it may have not been the ending that I wanted to see in the series, but it was just perfect to satisfy this Evangelion fan, making it the number one moment that Evangelion Rebuild got right!

And so that ends this Talkative Thursday!  What do you think?  What was your favorite moment from the Rebuild?  Was there something I missed?  And did you think the ending to 2.22 was awesome?  Let me know what you guys think!  Speaking of 2.22, stay tuned for this Sunday when I tackle the second film in the Rebuild films, Evangelion 2.22 You Can(Not) Advance!

-Hanime on Anime