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Neon Genesis Evangelion - Perfect Collection

Neon Genesis Evangelion - Perfect Collection

List Price: $169.98
Your Price: $135.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: One of my favorite anime series to date.
Review: Neon Genesis Evangelion is probably one of the best anime series out there. An incredibly complex storyline and superbly developed characters get you much more involved with this show than with many other anime series around. I gave the DVD set a 4/5 Stars because of the technical issues and lack of any real amount of extras included in the package. While these were dissapointments, the show itself is more than worth the money you'll spend to get the box.

One word of warning however, if you don't like to think when you're watching a show, i.e. you think Dragonaball Z or Yu-Gi-Oh will always be the pinnacle of anime excellence, this show probably isn't for you, but if you're looking for something that will actually get you're brain working and actually make you notice how much can be done in 26 episodes, this is definitely where you'll find it.

On a side note, try checking out the fanfiction communtiy for Evangelion. Since it hasn't yet (and hopefully won't) been aired on Cartoon Network, the Fanfiction.net's archive hasn't yet been watered down with terrible fics.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Masterpiece of Anti-Anime
Review: I missed the entire TV broadcast of this series and the debate that ensued mainly because I was in the United States during that time period. When I came back to Japan in the spring of 1999, Neon Genesis Evangelion was already a thing of the past, and everyone was talking about the Princess Mononoke by Miyazaki Hayao.
I have just recently seen the entire series and the two theater versions and now wish that I had seen them all much earlier. As is often pinted out, this series is rather wretched largely due to the puzzling last two episodes, and I frankly do not care so much for all the psuedo-Christian icons that the work carries with it. What is of greater importance is that this series seems to delve into the ever-pervasive sense of insecurity and nihilism lurking underneath the subconsious of modern man. I also belive that this only could have come out in the aftermath of the mayhem caused by the Kobe Great Earthquake and the Tokyo subway gas attack perpetrated by the Aum Doomsday Cult.
One thing that striks me is the lifelessness of the futuristic Tokyo, the home of NERV. It is a fortress replete with all the defence mechanism. An evacuation order is issued everytime an Angel comes to attack the city, but not a soul is seen to be running on the street or anything. And then it is this series of Angels that puzzle the viewers. We are never told where they are actually coming from; they just show up out of nowhere only to be annihilated by the Evas and NERV. It is not until after the twentieth episode or so that we learn that those Angels are actually the externalized forms of the fear and insecurity that the NERV personnel carry deep inside themselves as the traumatic past that each one of them has becomes gradually apparent.
And of course the series abounds in various feminine symbols, the Evas themselves being female figures with the umbilical cable and whatnot. It is in this context that Rei Ayanami plays a pivotal role as she shows up in numerous guises: as a mother before Shinji; as an direct antithesis before Asuka; as a wife-daughter figure before Gendo Ikari; and as an archrival before Ritsuko and her mother.
All in all, this is an anime that ends all other animes as there is so much in it that goes against the traditional notion of what the anime should be like. Although I am relatively a newcomer to this series, I must admit that watching the whole series was a deeply moving experience. And I urge you all to see it as Neon Genesis Evangelion has definitely something important to tell us.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Must Own...
Review: Evangelion is my personal favorite anime series of all time. It's a deep series that combines action, drama, and a healthy dose of comedy ( penpen :D ). Giant mecha called the evangelions are piloted by 3 young teenagers fight the angels - giant lifeforms that seek to destroy humanity ( in a short non-storyline revealing manner of speaking ). If you havent seen it, buy it, or see it with a friend and then buy it. It's good.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Absolute crap
Review: The first half of the series I thought was really good, but then it started sinking quickly as it got more into the paradoxical psycho-babble. The last few episodes as well as this movies are so disjointed and incomprehensible that many say they are "profound" and I've seen constant praise for NGE as anime at its most intelligent, but I would definitely have to disagree. This series and this movie are like some idiotic Descartian acid trip. Its never absolutely clear in my mind where these angels came from (in a literal sense) or how the EVAs were made. There's never enough science in it to make the plot stick. And boy am I sick of hearing that kid whine! And of all these child prodigies, why does no one have enough familiarity with Greek (or even English) to get the semantic connection between Angels and Evangelion? Shoot, I figured that out before I even watched the first episode. The only people who should watch this anime are the people who, when faced with seeming paradox, contradiction, and confusion simple stare blankly and say "Woah. Deep." I want the 15 hours of my life that I wasted back.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: EVA RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: Do you love anime? Do you have some good money under your belt and want to add an instant classic to your collection? If you apply to what I said, then listen to what I have to say! This series is, by far, the greatest anime series of all time. The perfect collection is a great value for it's price (169.98 as opposed to the individual price of 239.84 or the vhs price of 24.95 each dub and 29.95 each sub). Plus the dvds have both versions and there are only 8 as opposed to 13 vhs tapes.

Now, we go on to the material. This show, much of the time, has terrific art for a tv series and the action sequences are amazing. As a recommended language, I'd stick with the sub. Not only does it star the legendary Megumi as the first child (or, as one person on one movies commentary track calls her, everybody's favorite clone and everybody's favorite clone and everybody's favorite clone), along with 2 other roles (sorry, no names mentioned), but overall, the dub is rather hazy.

And now, about the show. The show consists of 26 episodes and aired from October 1995 to March 1996 in Japan. A rating of the episodes:

1. Angel Attack
A great way to begin the series. A-

2. Unfamiliar Ceiling
Where the action really kicks in. A

3. The Phone That Never Rings
An introduction to a few new characters, with a great battle to boot. A-

4. Rain, Escape, and Afterwards
The best episode on the disc. No action, just talk, but where the drama really kicks in. Young children, however, will be bored by the chit - chat. A+ (End of disc 1)

5. Rei, Beyond Her Heart
A strong introduction to the first child (yes, her name is Rei). A-

6. Showdown in Tokyo-3
Quite enjoyable, but just doesn't make it to my top episode list due to a weak battle. B+

7. The Human Creation
No real weaknesses. Fine amount of comic relief. Along with episode 8, lighthearted, yet enjoyable. B+

8. Asuka Strikes!
The most comical episode in the series. And yes, Asuka is the Second child. A- (End of disc 2)

9. With One Accord In A Flash
Awesome battle, great comedy. A

10. Magma Diver
Not much action, but still leisurely and suspenseful. B+

11. In The Still Darkness
Don't watch this episode if you are afraid of a power outage or the dark in any event, fact or fiction. Other than that, great. A- (End of disc 3)

12. The Value Of A Miracle Is...
Great battle! Rei FINALLY speaks up! A+

13. Angel Invasion
Dude! Naked in space! SWEET! A+

14. SEELE, Throne Of Souls
If you missed any of the series, this is a good place to start, retelling the previous battles throughout the first half of the episode. A- (End of Disc 4)

15. Lies And Silence
All talk once again. Reveals key plot points that I won't spoil for you. B+

16. Sickness Unto Death, And...
DO NOT SHOW THIS ONE TO YOUNG CHILDREN! The battle is brief but extremely gory. A

17. The 4th Child
Would bore kids to TEARS! B (End of disc 5)

18. The Judgment Of Life
Very violent and graphic battle. Starts to become much less kid friendly. A+

19. A Man's Fight
OUCH! This mans fight is pretty darn grim. A-

20. Form Of The Mind, Form Of Man
Two virgins do it at the end. Yeah! A ( End of disc 6)

21. The Birth Of NERV
One of the most important episodes in the series. Watch carefully or you'll miss the key plot points. A+

22. At Least, Be Humane
Don't watch if you're feeling depressed. Hallelujah chorus! A

23. Tear
Also quite depressing; even I was on the virge of tears. REI CRIES! A+ (End of disc 7)

24. The Final Messenger
The first and only time you will meet the fifth child. Very sad ending. A

25. The End Of The World
Shifts into a psychological drama. B

26. The Beast That Shouted "I" At The Heart Of The World
No compliment except for letter grade. As an episode: B. As an ending: D+. Get "The End Of Evangelion" for a better ending. (End of disc 8 and series)

That's all. Enjoy!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: (Had to post this again because I got a new user name)
Review: One of the most popular anime of all time, Neon Genesis Evangelion has a rather large fan base in the Anime Community, I personally do not like it to much, the last two episodes, a long with a few other perks like the Kawrou episode and Magma Diver were preety much it, the animation is standard. While I do not put much stock into animation, I do put a lot of stock into mech desing, of which the series is lacking really good ones, Eva 03 and 02 were the best, at least the movie had the Mp evas. Evangelion begins with a standard story, which I have no problem with, I have seen plenty of standard stories, and peopl will argue with me when I say the story is standard, how ever they give out summaries rather then stories, the Story is its the year 20something, and strange monster aliens attack tokyo and it is up to some crazy drugged out kid to stop them using a robot that for some reason only lets him pilot. I know they explain that last part latter but if I invested stock into explaining that here this would be more of a summary then a story, so thats the story, it sounds a lot like a standard Super Robot show, but in the end Evangelion is just a bad mix of an old SR show and every religous document in the world thrown together. The characters are also bad, none of them seem to have a real chemistry, Shinji is the angsty whiny teenager, Asuka is the red headed demon woman, Rei is the quiet pale type, Shinji's dad is sooo much like other "Ahahah I am a bad dad, behold as I make you pilot this robot!" characters its funny, none of these characters seem to mingle and get a long, because they are all closed off to interaction with other characters so they do not allow a chemistry to be made. Every one will hate me for saying this, but there are a lot better Mech animes, and a lot better "thinker" animes out there, pass this, and its 120 dollar price tag up.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Ultimate Series
Review: Someone once told me a few years back, upon advice on which anime to watch, to start with Neon Genesis Evangelion since it was a 'beginners anime'. Well in my opinion, anime is not like music where you have the commercial scene and the underground scene. I highly doubt any anime gets more complex then NGE and there is no classifying this as a beginners or an advanced anime - it is something you watch if you have a deep interest in psychology, philosophy, our purpose in life, human conditions - it is about the characters and it's about mysteries, intrigues of life and consipiracies - just as much as it is about the cool giant mecha. It is more then a story - it is a work of art, a representation of Hideako Anno's troubled mind. Anyone with emotions can appreciate that there's more the NGE then just an anime. For those of you who cannot see much beyond Ninja Scroll-type hack and slash or SailorMoon-cutsie characters may be a bit frustrated with it at times, but it still offers many surprises and action for those types too. One thing's for sure - you won't ever forget NGE, and you will be left hungry trying to comprehend what you've just seen.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best animated series from begining till end.
Review: It dosen't get better than Neon Genesis Evangelion PC, this series is top of the line the plot is great and the eva's are even better. When you watch this series you will be stunned by the way this story unfolds not everyone will like it and if they dont there crazy! When i first saw it in stores i hesitated to buy it because it was $169.99 witch is kinda high for a series, but i came to my senses after i read the sticker on the front that said (Best anime series ever) so i said what the hell and took it home with me, as soon as i finished the first disc i was hooked i couldn't believe it was that good, i just wanted to watch the next one but i restrained myself so i could watch it over a period of time. I definitly recomend this series to everyone even if your not to big on animes.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A masterpiece of anime with some major flaws
Review: Neon Genesis Evangelion is an amazing anime series. At first it may seem like just another kids mecha anime but in reality there is much more depth in the storyline than any other anime series that I have watched. As it progresses you will see there are layers upon layers of political deceit and hidden agendas. Even the true nature of the Evas, the robots piloted by the children, are not fully revealed until near the end.

Ultimately the series is actually intended to explore the very existence and meaning of life. Many religious elements such as "the dead sea scrolls", Adam & Eve, the cross etc are brought into play. The creator of this series was very ambitious in what he wanted to do and like an artist that cannot get the perfect vision in his head onto canvas, he was only able to get a flawed version of his vision into this anime.

Some of the flaws are in my opinion somewhat unrealistic behaviour of some of the main characters and lack of early explanation of key elements. For example, why are certain 14 year old children the only ones that can pilot the Evas.

As many have said, this anime finishes with many loose ends. In fact the last 2 episodes are simply crudely put together slides with a vocal overdub. Although some fans claim to read a lot of meaning into these episodes, the real truth is that this ending was because they ran out of money to do it right. Anyone buying this should be warned that they will probably feel very unsatisfied with the ending. Fortunately, the last 2 episodes 25 and 26 were re-made in the DVD "the End of Evangelion" which will almost be a must buy if you buy this collection. However, be warned that even this remake of the ending although much better, is not completely satisfying.

Despite these flaws, Evangelion has been the most thought provoking anime I have ever watched and it begs to be watched many times as each viewing often reveals another hidden layer of meaning. If you like thought provoking animes and can deal with lack of closure, buy it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: great anime
Review: Enjoy it before the makers of the live action version rape its cult status.


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