-Navigation-

Back to Reviews Main

Back to Anime Inferno Main Page

Article Info:

	Author:
	Sean Boden
	Date:
	5 - 1 - 2001

Anime Info:

Anime Review: Evangelion: Death and Rebirth

Say the word ‘EVA’, and if you happen to be speaking with anyone who has even the slightest comprehension of anime, rest assured you’ll see their eyes light up with recognition. Just as Robotech (Macross) and Akira have ushered respective generations of anime fans in their time, arguably Neon Genesis Evanglion has managed to do the same. After the conclusion to the television series (which was somewhat of an anti-climax), many waited for a more conclusive ending to the series. While this job was left predominantly in the hands of ‘End of Evangelion’, Death and Rebirth, the first Evangelion movie, does a nice job of filling in some of the blanks and gives a nice round-up of the series.

So, what does the feature entail? It begins by being kind enough to show the Second Impact, something that’s a bit of a thrill since it’s something the viewer often hears about but never really witnesses in the series. This is then followed by a general follow-up of the TV series with extra bits added in to help patch a few of the holes in the series. This is the interesting bit, firstly as it helps to put the series in perspective, and secondly because it’s nice to see some extra bits thrown in to help explain the plot a little more. The purpose of this is to basically prep the audience for the second-part of the presentation – episode 25, or the first half of ‘End of Evangelion’. The latter is well discussed in the review of ‘End of Evangelion’, so I won’t worry about going into detail here about it.

So, where does this release sit, then? Well, it’s a nice compliment to the TV series (especially for the extra footage) and sums the series, angels and characters in one neat package. The second-half is a beautiful teaser for what’s to come. That’s about it. Don’t get confused; this isn’t required viewing before watching the second theatrical release, ‘End of Evangelion’. It’s simply a nice bit of prep stuff (and a nice way to cash-in on EVA fans ^_^), but nothing that will make you feel out of whack with the second movie. The screening of episode 25 is the first half of ‘End of Evangelion’ anyway, so don’t worry, you aren’t missing out on anything if you don’t catch Death and Rebirth before ‘End of Evangelion’.

So, a conclusion? Good, but nothing overtly required. Kind of like some background notes and a convenient overview of the series, the perfect thing to watch before catching ‘End of Evangelion’ to refresh your mind.