Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth DVD Review
Note: As Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth retells many of the events depicted in Neon Genesis Evangelion, this review may contain spoilers for those who haven’t seen the complete series.
Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most well-known and influential anime programs ever. Some have called it the best anime of all time, while others froth about the psychological drama and symbolism that engulfs what at first appears to be a standard teenagers-in-giant-robots-save-the-world plot. Although the show attracted legions of fans in Japan and overseas, many were disappointed by the show’s enigmatic ending.
In response, the show’s creators presented an alternate take on the concluding episodes. Originally planned as an OAV (Original Animated Video), Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth was released instead as a theatrical feature, followed by a sequel, End of Evangelion. The two films retold the Evangelion story, offering slightly different version of the events at the conclusion of humanity’s conflict with the terrifying beings known as Angels. Now Death and Rebirth is available on a handsomely presented double-sided DVD from Manga Entertainment.
The film basically consists of two connecting segments. “Death” retells the Evangelion story, from the Second Impact whose effects killed half the world’s population and heralded the appearance of the Angels to the climactic—and traumatic—confrontation with the final 17th Angel, using footage from the series combined with original animation. It focuses on the series’ main characters, in particular the 14-year-old children who must pilot the fearsome Evangelions. The second part, “Rebirth,” features original animation that depicts a climactic battle as the secret organization NERV fights for survival against an unexpected enemy.
“Death,” the movie’s first chapter, recaps the first 24 or so episodes of the series. Initially, the film jumps about quite a bit, skipping forward and backward in time like Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five. Although a trifle confusing, the device allows viewers to witness early events in the characters’ lives while knowing of their later effect. Title cards herald a shift in scene and also appear during the introduction of the various Evangelions. In the latter case, descriptive titles flash on the screen at a rapid pace; while sometimes difficult to read, they convey the impression that the EVAs, while humanity’s last hope, are also objects to be feared.
The movie’s compressing the events of more than 20 series episodes into about 45 minutes of screen time gives prominent focus to the emotional trauma the show’s unlikely hero, young Evangelion pilot Shinji Ikari, and his fellow pilots suffer through the course of the series. Initially reluctant to take the controls of EVA Unit 01, Shinji defeats the first angel only after he blacks out and his EVA goes berserk.
Throughout the series, the burden on Shinji’s psyche from having to fight and kill—and risk his own life—in order to save humanity grows steadily heavier. Shinji’s cup of misery is made more bitter with the realization that he can’t always control Unit 01’s violent potential, and that he sometimes has to watch helplessly as friends are placed in mortal danger. He deals with the conflict by doing what he’s told, but his non-confrontational attitude leave him unprepared when faced with a fateful decision.
Where a conventional series would probably depict its young hero as growing steadily more confident, giving him the ability face a climactic challenge, Shinji becomes more tormented and withdrawn. This fact is hammered home by the final, life-or-death decision Shinji must make that concludes the “Death” segment. The screen holds a long shot of Shinji’s motionless EVA for an agonizingly long time; Unit 01’s expressionless face leaves the viewer to imagine Shinji’s inner conflict as he’s finally forced to make his own choice, one that will affect the fate of all humanity.
Shinji’s depression—and the introspection that followed his traumatic encounter with the 17th Angel—apparently mirror the experience of series creator Hideaki Anno, who suffered from depression during the series’ creation. The movie departs from the series’ introspective finale in the “Rebirth” segment; in its stead, there’s plenty of action as the secret organization NERV is attacked by an unexpected and relentless enemy. As Death and Rebirth is a bridge between the series and the movie End of Evangelion, the story ends with a cliffhanger, offering tantalizing hints of the no-holds-barred EVA rumble to come and of the cataclysmic fate that awaits humanity.
Neon Genesis Evangelion was rife with symbolism and psychological subtext, and Death and Rebirth is true to that legacy. As with any symbolic work, individual viewers might perceive Evangelion as thought-provoking and profound or as bewildering and obscure.
Music, for example, has always been a strong theme running through the series (the show’s soundtrack, with its wonderful—and incongruously upbeat—opening theme, is popular among anime fans), and the Death and Rebirth feature expands on this notion by framing its focus on the four young pilots around their arrival for a string quartet rehearsal. As each child arrives, he or she tunes his or her instrument and then runs through a brief warm-up of a classical piece (helpfully identified with a title card in English).
Once they’re all assembled, the group launches into a rendition of Johann Pachelbel’s Canon. This piece—wistful, a touch melancholy, yet hopeful—is a perfect analogy for Evangelion’s emotional themes, and returns during the closing credits in place of the series’ jazzy rendition of “Fly Me to the Moon.” (The series’ peppy opening theme, “Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” is reprised in a more introspective classical guitar version during the intermission.) The students’ individual tuning and solo practice may be analogous to their efforts to synchronize with their EVAs, and their subsequent merging into a unified quartet seems to reflect on the Human Instrumentality Project that the EVAs are a vital component of.
Besides being a difficult physical skill to master, playing an instrument is also incomplete without the musician’s ability to express emotional content. Once again, the theme of music counterpoints the emotional trauma the young EVA pilots carry inside. And yet the children’s practicing of classical music in the face of Armageddon seems a deliberate act of hope and an assertion of the beauty humanity is capable of creating.
The prominent use of Western classical music also signals the show’s drawing on mythological elements from outside Japan. There’s prominent use of Christian imagery, from the cross Misato Katsuragi wears around her neck (it’s even present during the opening flashback of the Second Impact) to the importance of a unique lance (reminiscent of the legendary magical powers of the spear that pierced the crucified Christ’s side) to the cross shape some of the angels’ energy beams assume.
Just as silence is an important—but underrated—component of music, silence is a crucial element of Evangelion, not to be confused with inactivity. Time and again, Shinji appears withdrawn and motionless (often using music, via a tape player’s headphones, to retreat into his own introspective world), yet these scenes convey his inner conflict and self-doubt. Too, the normally brash Asuka is shown several times in a nearly comatose state, whether from injury or psychological trauma. Rei’s notorious silence masks a much more complex character than appearances indicate. By contrast, Misato Katsuragi is shown as catatonic following her near death in the Second Impact, but emerges as a highly competent—and equally extroverted—young officer.
Psychological themes are another constant undercurrent in Death and Rebirth—hardly surprising, considering the trauma the young EVA pilots have suffered and suffer again. (The film’s commentary track notes that the opening sequence features three overlapping conversations that can be interpreted as representing Freud’s id, ego, and superego construct.) Shinji, estranged from his father Gendo, wants his approval but knows that Gendo only sees his son as a means to an end. Asuka’s hypercompetitiveness masks deep-seated insecurity. And Rei’s remoteness is so acute that Asuka compares her to a wind-up doll, yet it’s the supposedly robotic Rei who several times makes a profound personal sacrifice.
Of course, no psychological drama would be complete without an element of sex, and here too Evangelion tantalizes its viewers and then forces them out of their comfort zone. The series was notorious for its fan service, and the movie continues that tradition, borrowing several affectionate shots of Misato from the series.
But while there are several brief instances of nudity, they don’t carry an erotic subtext; far from it, in fact. For example, in the “Death” segment, Shinji accidentally encounters a nude Rei Ayanami. Profoundly embarrassed, Shinji is further mortified when Rei proceeds to dress as if he weren’t present. There’s also a disquieting scene at the beginning of “Rebirth” as Shinji encounters a sleeping, half-clad Asuka and vents his frustration and self-loathing.
Indeed, Evangelion: Death and Rebirth, like the original series, is at times somewhat uncomfortable to watch. Provoking this discomfort seems a deliberate choice by creator Hideaki Anno’s, as suggested by the horrified reactions of NERV personnel when EVA Unit 01 goes berserk. (Indeed, the ordinary NERV personnel can be seen as proxies for the audience; even Misato Katusragi’s alternating affection for and impatience with Shinji reflects the audience’s perception of the troubled protagonist.)
But for viewers prepared to accept Evangelion’s unconventional themes, Death and Rebirth offers a rewarding experience.
The Manga DVD is packed with special features. The film is presented in 1.85:1 non-anamorphic format (which actually results in some cropping of the original footage, which was formatted for TV); soundtracks include Japanese and English in Dolby Digital 2.0 and a Dolby 5.1 Surround version of the English track. English subtitles are available, and there’s a welcome option to invoke subtitles only for the many Japanese title cards that appear.
The dual-sided disc features the film with all three language tracks and subtitles on side 1. The other side offers a number of other special features, including the disc’s answer to Akira’s “pill” pop-ups or the “white rabbit” features found in The Matrix. The “Mokuji Interactive” feature lets viewers click on occasional pop-ups for background information on the various characters, organizations, and events the film refers to.
In a welcome feature, the DVD also makes these information snippets available separately, along with a brief photo gallery, a series of Japanese theatrical and TV trailers for the film, and a preview of the concluding movie End of Evangelion along with previews of other Manga productions. Side 2 also boasts a chatty commentary track by voice actors Amanda Winn Lee, Jason Lee, and Taliesin Jaffe. (Many of the voice actors from the ADV Films dub of the series reprise their roles in the movie.)
As the commentary applies to the English version only, it spotlights some of the differences in translation and interpretation between it and the original Japanese film. The commentators obviously have great affection for Evangelion and each other—not surprisingly, as voice director Amanda Winn Lee, who plays Rei Ayanami, and Jason Lee, who voices NERV operations officer Shigeru Aoba (the control room guy with the long hair), are married. The commentary also provides some fascinating insights into the series’ history and use of symbolism.
A final assessment of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth can be as vexing as some perceive the series. The original series’ conflicted characters and cryptically symbolic nature can be perplexing to fans accustomed to generic giant-robot heroics. Yet these same factors can render Evangelion much more captivating and involving than most mecha anime.
As much of the animation is borrowed from the TV series, the series’ original budget constraints occasionally show through (as in Gendo Ikari’s notorious habit of speaking with his hands in front of his mouth, thus sparing the need to animate his mouth moving). Too, Death and Rebirth doesn’t relate any of the Evangelion story that isn’t found elsewhere (End of Evangelion reiterates the “Rebirth” segment).
But just as an overture quotes parts of a familiar score, the way the movie tells its story is an important bridge between the series and the concluding movie. And the DVD itself is superbly presented, offering a wealth of background info on the series. While the fact that Evangelion isn’t everyone’s cup of sake prevents an unhesitating recommendation, the Manga disc is sure to satisfy both hardcore Evangelion fans and anime newcomers.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth
Director: Hideaki Anno
Starring: Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara, Kotono Mitsuishi (Japanese version); Spike Spencer, Amanda Winn Lee, Allison Keith (English version)
Publisher: Manga Entertainment
Review by: Mazinga
Order this item Amazon!
Related Links:
Evangelion Death and Rebirth official site
Manga Official Site
Evangelion Death and Rebirth IMDb entry
Evangelion Library at AnimeInfo.org
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment