Evangelion: 1.01 - You Are (Not) Aloneby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Studio
Credits Grade: 9 The wait is over! The rebuild of the classic sci-fi, mecha series has been released. Now just called Evangelion it has been completely redrawn, recreated, and redubbed by the original creators. Why? For the fans and for the series itself — the series for some left things a little confusing, open, or messy. The art and voices are all the same for the most part but the creators have taken advantage of the improved technology they now have to work with and made some scenes better or more filled out or detailed differently. This first disc is the first several episodes compiled into one feature. Shinji arrives and they defeat Angels 4, 5, and 6 with him as the pilot of Eva Unit 01 and Rei piloting Unit 00.Granted it has been a while since I last watched Neon Genesis Evangelion but I don't remember seeing this much blood before. I'm not complaining. I think it adds something to see massive volumes of blood spewing out of the Angels and covering the landscape in dark red. Each Angel is different, and there are details of each — and of Lilith — that shine through better in this version. Angel 6 especially seems more flexible in the forms it can take and the types of destruction it wields. Eva Unit 01 is colored differently as well. Yes, it's still purple and green, but often in battle all you really see is bright, shining neon green details on a black, shadowy Eva Unit. It really takes away from the details of the Eva. My favorite scenes are when Unit 01 and Unit 00 respectively, go berserk. Unit 01 throws itself into battle which Unit 00 beats its head against the wall. It makes you wonder what the Evas are and what's going on inside them... I would recommend viewers new to the series to watch this version, and not just because it has been updated. The format is more feature film than television series making it much more viewable in one sitting. Fans may think the whole thing is flying by, but the main thing in format — no opening, no closing, no commercial break interludes, and no recaps. I recommend the sub over the dub. Both are good, but there's just something raw and real in the original voices that the dub doesn't quite catch (at least not all the time). It's a fascinating, exhilarating, cutting-edge series. There are so many layers of information to take in — about the past, about this future, about the Evas, Angels, and Lilith, and about the children with Destiny in them. Sci-fi and mecha combine with religion and symbolism for an otherworldly creation that will send your mind reeling and hold it enthralled at the same time. Written: November 29, 2009
|
|
|
Home | Features | Columns | Culture Vultures | Report Card Tart Store | Indicia | Contact | Archives © Sequential Tart, 1998 – 2020 |
