So, without any further delay...Hit it!
First impressions mean a lot for a series, and this one is looking on the up and up so far. These first two episodes are a good enough set up for the events that are taking place. Occuring in 2015 (go figure!) Japan is under attack by an Angel. And it's not the one you're thinking of right now. These hideous lovecraftian monstrosities are no joke, and this one is absolutely decimating the opposition. The UN's military are throwing everything and the kitchen sink at it, and it's still alive and kicking. Not even a nuke can stop it! The most it does is tear off the Angel's arm. But that's not the unsettling part. It's the fact that it can regenerate said arm and grow smarter that worries me. Can anything stop it?
Apparently so. Shinji Ikari is commanded to pilot humanity's last hope against the Angels: the Evangelions. Created by his father and the military organization NERV, they are massive mecha that look both incredibly creepy and unbelievably awesome. After a bit of kicking and screaming, he agrees to piloting the Eva and is launched into the heat of battle. Here's the thing though: he's never even seen this robot before and is expected to pilot it! OK, pause. I know it's a common element in fiction, but in a realistic world setting...why in the world would you send an untrained, timid teenage boy to fight possibly the greatest threat to humanity? What kind of sense does that make? Shouldn't it be more like Pacific Rim, where there are fully trained adult operatives on the battlefield? Never mind. In any case, that's as basic as I can make it without going into a full on spoiler ridden plot summary. If you guys want me to give you a live reaction, I'll do that next time...but there's more ground to cover.
We're introduced to a few characters in a way that showcases a little of what kind of person they are. I won't spoil who they are too much, but I do want to address our main protagonist for a moment. Shinji Ikari is, as mentioned before, a timid teenage boy. He has a bit of snark in him, but he's ultimately a rather isolated kid. He has a hard time accepting acts of kindness from others, and is rather broken. Shinji seems to have a negative complex relating to his usefulness, and I personally can connect with him a bit in that regard. I can't help but feel rather sorry for the guy...I digress. He also has some issues with his father, which go way back to his childhood. A certain intense glance they have in Episode 2 showcases the deep tension between them. It just makes me wonder... what happened that cause such a conflict between them? And for that manner, where's Shinji's mother? All of these questions give an air of mystery to his character, and I'm interested in how this most likely scarring for life experience will change him.
Now to address everything else. Before the story actually starts, there's a rather upbeat and active intro. It's quite flashy, and very fast. No. Seriously. If you so much as blink, then you've missed something. I understand if you do blink though. If anything, it's a plus for the animation. Considering this is all hand drawn cel animation, this is pretty intense! On the other side of the spectrum, the outro is much more calm and subdued. And what's this I hear in the background? Fly Me to the Moon?! ...Interesting song choice. It's not everyday you hear such a classic song in a series. Anyways...the animation is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, the action scenes are incredible. The animation becomes very fluid and the movement is really believable. However, when there isn't much action...the animation quality can fluctuate. It can go from a decent amount of movement to simple still shots. And while I can appreciate the smoothness of a late 90s anime, there a handful of moments that I was bored with the lack of movement of any kind on the screen.
Speaking of the late 90s, I'm watching the English dubbed version of Evangelion. I'm the kind of person that doesn't really care about hearing an anime in anything other than its original Japanese, so I don't really hate on a dub unless it's particularly bad. With that said...the voices may be fitting, but it's a bit rough around the edges. It isn't terrible, but it will take some getting used to.
Overall, the show is off to an interesting start. Next week looks to be promising, with a new Angel on the rise and Shinji being able to interact with the people that he helped protect.
Until then: Good Night everybody. Take care.
The fact that it has Frank Sinatra might just persuade me to watch this show. It is quite humorous that they would send an inexperienced child to divert this threat but it's a show. There's hardly ever any common sense in shows, *shrugs* what can you do?
ReplyDeleteAh... the original by Sinatra isn't in the show. It's a well done cover by various Japanese singers and voice actors.
DeleteI probably should have clarified that. Anywho, it's great to see you're interested!