Customer Reviews

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Platinum 06 (ep.21-23)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ouch! These 3 episodes were hard to watch the first time around. They were very disturbing, because the violence was absolutely mind numbing and gory.

Since I have been reviewing this series one DVD at a time, it has finally occurred to me that readers are tired of being told things like 'even better,' or 'adds a whole new level.' There isn't much question but that is exactly the effect that Gainax and director Hideaki Anno intend. We have reached the stage where the mysteries will be peeled away in layers like an onion, and this isn't intended to be a 'comfortable' process.

The twin focus of these episodes is the nature of the EVA, and the still developing character of Shinji. In a sense, the series comes into its own now, shedding any remnant of the children's mecha appearance that it initially wore as a disguise. We are being drawn into a startling investigation into what is human, and what is not.

In 'The Judgement of Life' Toji Suzuhara, the fourth child, is set to testing EVA 03. But the terrible happens, and the 13th Angel (Bardiel) interferes, seizing control of the EVA. When Gendo Ikari orders Shinji to destroy the EVA the boy refuses to kill his friend. Gendo orders EVA 01 into auto pilot mode and Shinji mush watch in horror while his father forces the EVA to become a raging killer.

'A Man's Fight,' find's Shinji repelled by everything his father stands for and refuses to pilot an EVA again. He is on his way home when a new Angel (Zeruel) appears and makes short work of Rei and Asuka. Shinji forces his way back to NERV headquarters and demands to pilot EVA 01. When the Angel nearly destroys EVA 01, Shinji achieves total integration with the EVA as it develops a life of its own... as a cannibalistic killer!

'Form of the Mind, Form of the Man' finds Misato and the NERV staff desperately trying to separate Shinji self back out from the creature that EVA 01 has become. Inside, Shinji is forced to deal with all aspects of his personality as he strives to understand his own purpose.

I often see Shinji referred to as a weak character that flees from difficulty and is overly dependent on what others think of him. I have to disagree. While the boy is not a willing hero, he has proved repeatedly that he will do what has to be done with his own sense of ethics. Considering his age, and the enormous responsibility he bears, I think he does extremely well. With a father who is always either cold or abusive, Shinji's need for approval is more than understandable.

As I've already indicated, these are pivotal episodes, intense and compelling. Entirely rewarding.

This is the best part of the series, however, ADV didn't do justice on the DVD either. The picture is somewhat hazy, and the English dubbing isn't up to par. The voices of the characters are kind of bland. I've seen the entire TV series on KTEH (a PBS station in San Jose). I like the Japanese version a lot better, just turn on the English subtitle and watch the entire thing. In the Japanese version when Shinji screams in terror, it makes your skin crawl.

In Vol.6 the EVA mystery is kind of answered,as much as anything is on the series,Shinji is proven to be the best pilot and the ony one to really pilot an EVA.Technically the animation is as usual flawless. The climax of the story is the true nature of the EVA-pilot bond which you have to see to believe.
Trully a fine anime!

This is my personal fav volume of EVA and this was because this trio of epsiodes totally blow your mind with acts that are totaly socking that will make your draw drop when you first see them.

Well, this is my favourite DVD on eva, i have been watching eva for 3-4 years and loved the series. The first time i seen the series was on SBS and it was my 2nd favourite episode, Ambivalence (Eva Unit-03 is an angel) And i bought all eva DVDs when they came out. Episode 19 is the ultimate ep. This is the DVD. Episode 18 is excellent in action and shinjis drama, episode 19, i never got to see this episode because my retiler didn't have episode 19 and 20, but when i watched them, i always wandered what was missing in eva, but now i get it finally, never skip a SINGLE episode, watch ALL of em' 1 by one, second by second. If anyone here likes anime, sci-fi, comedy, action and violence, eva is for you, excellent series, if anyone is a bigger fan than me, i don't believe em. (...)

Also watch out for mid next year, for the new series of eva REVELATION (i am not kidding !!!) and End Of Eva 0mn DVD and Death and Rebirth on DVD should be out April !!! KEEP WATCHING!!

I just saw the show where the Eva unit 01 goes nuts and starts tearing 03 to pieces, and I must say this really shocked me! The Eva 01 grabs 03 by the neck, tosses it to the grounds, stomps it, and then proceeds to rip the 03 to pieces. There's blood galore, this DVD is not for the weak stomached!!!I hear the angel getting eaten is pretty nasty, too. This DVD is not for anybody under 14!
Actually though, afterwards I must say Princess Mononoke is alot bloodier...If you were allowed to see Mononoke, you should be able to see this.I took away a star because of the violence.

When you make it this far in the series, you think you wouldn't be shocked by many things. I can tell you only one thing, THAT IS WRONG! When Unit 01 devours the Angel that defeats Rei and Asuka, it is truly shocking. You see for once what the Evas really are. They aren't juse giant biomechanical robots used to protect mankind, they're monsters just as the Angels are. Incredible storytelling, wonderful score, and all the rest are what makes this anime series great.

Go buy it.

Someone in this review section said, "rent the rest, own this one," and I gotta say I couldn't agree more with that statement. The events that take place in the ep 18 and 19 (ESPECIALLY 19!) are simply jaw-dropping and mind-boggling, and the ep 20 is a very poignant start to the psycho-analytic drama that'll unfold later in the series. And I consider ep 19 to be the very best episode in the whole TV series. (I say 'TV series' because the "End of Eva" movie is just as awesome. Man, I want that movie on DVD)

Heck, I think Eva ep 19 to be one of the finest and the most awe-inspiring moments in all the anime I've seen. And having watched anime for over 20 years, I've watched quite a few. :)

Utmostly recommended.

Quite simply, this is the place the plot was building to. The tension, the personalities, the people all reach their head here.

Shinji finally starts making decisions of his own- much to the chagrin of everyone around him.. and Kaji, well, Kaji proves to be the most inciteful and insightful character of the bunch. Thank you, Kaji, for your sermon amongst the watermelons, its simply the best scene in modern anime.

The DVD is fairly light on the features and functionality, but that has been a gripe from day one about the Eva DVDs. Thankfully, their story is carried well enough that it doesn't matter.. But still, this is a popular series and really deserving of better presentation. Sadly, the series ends in many ways after this DVD. They mix the psychological and the physical so well for this DVD that everything afterwords seems like an Epilogue. The choices were made here, fates decided on the spur of the moment. In short, this is a must-have dvd in the series. Rent the rest, own number 6.