I am going to admit right off that Eva is probably overhyped. It is not an extraordinary anime... but considering the angle it takes (namely, a very unique one), I would say it is worth watching.
Everyone reading this review probably knows the basic idea. Eva takes the character set for a standard humongous mecha anime. And then it asks, what would happen if we deconstructed this over and over, until there was nothing left to deconstruct?
The main thing about eva is that it goes to the extreme in its deconstruction. For some people, this means that it's too extreme to believe. The characters might come off as being outrageously miserable and unlucky, in which case eva will seem a bit overdone, just *too* miserable, and it won't work for you.
However, if you can get over the severity of it, it makes a lot of sense. All the "bad" stuff that's happened to our unfortunate cast (both in their history and throughout the series) is justifiable and explained by the backstory. And if you get over the terrifyingly (outrageously) depressing backstories, the series works.
The first half isn't too harsh; there are even scenes for domestic comedy. But the second half really shows character development, as the protagonists experience an utterly terrible world of suck that is really quite well executed. Ignore the religious imagery; it's not what counts here. It's the battles, which are more than just mechs and flashy swords.
And then the series comes to its end, and what you think of the ending will vary.
The standard ending was a bit of a letdown for me; it seemed a bit too happy for such a painful series. YMMV of course; it might make perfect sense to you.
End of Eva on the other hand... is what you'd expect this series to end like, taken to the extreme (of extremes). Some people will find it way too much (character derailment), others will find that it fits perfectly. I liked it. However the majority of the nightmare fuel is in this section.
All in all, Eva lets the humongous mecha set a stage for an examination of the human condition. It realistically considers how a 14-year old kid would react if he had to save the world, something few mecha series actually take into account (as heavily as they should). For some it'll be too extreme; otherwise I'd recommend.
An interesting perspective on humongous mecha
I am going to admit right off that Eva is probably overhyped. It is not an extraordinary anime... but considering the angle it takes (namely, a very unique one), I would say it is worth watching. Everyone reading this review probably knows the basic idea. Eva takes the character set for a standard humongous mecha anime. And then it asks, what would happen if we deconstructed this over and over, until there was nothing left to deconstruct?
The main thing about eva is that it goes to the extreme in its deconstruction. For some people, this means that it's too extreme to believe. The characters might come off as being outrageously miserable and unlucky, in which case eva will seem a bit overdone, just *too* miserable, and it won't work for you.
However, if you can get over the severity of it, it makes a lot of sense. All the "bad" stuff that's happened to our unfortunate cast (both in their history and throughout the series) is justifiable and explained by the backstory. And if you get over the terrifyingly (outrageously) depressing backstories, the series works. The first half isn't too harsh; there are even scenes for domestic comedy. But the second half really shows character development, as the protagonists experience an utterly terrible world of suck that is really quite well executed. Ignore the religious imagery; it's not what counts here. It's the battles, which are more than just mechs and flashy swords.
And then the series comes to its end, and what you think of the ending will vary. The standard ending was a bit of a letdown for me; it seemed a bit too happy for such a painful series. YMMV of course; it might make perfect sense to you. End of Eva on the other hand... is what you'd expect this series to end like, taken to the extreme (of extremes). Some people will find it way too much (character derailment), others will find that it fits perfectly. I liked it. However the majority of the nightmare fuel is in this section.
All in all, Eva lets the humongous mecha set a stage for an examination of the human condition. It realistically considers how a 14-year old kid would react if he had to save the world, something few mecha series actually take into account (as heavily as they should). For some it'll be too extreme; otherwise I'd recommend.