Also WARNING: Some potential spoilers
StoryOriginal :The original Evangelion ending suddenly turns into an all-out psychological break down of the characters. I mean it just went there right away, with the audience getting some idea what happens, with everybody soul being connected, but it never shows us how that happens. It shows some of the characters dying, and the audience is just left with questioning what the hell happened. That being said, the psychological break down of the characters was fascinating. It manages to really humanized them, and even have me care for Shinji a bit and find him somewhat relatable. Which is a great achievement considering how much I don’t care for the character, and the ending was weird, but memorable and is something that can be analyzed and discussed. Its Shinji overcoming his own struggle and is fascinating to watch.
Movie version:The movie actually does show how they got into that state, with the military invading Nerv after they defeated the final angels, and trying to bring the end of the world to have everybody souls connected with Adam. With Shinji and Asuka mind still shattered, Misato must save them and try to get them on the Eva. The movie managed to tie lots of loose ends, even if it does raise some question, it will satisfy people who enjoy the series. It starts turning to a biblical end of time, where Shinji have to choose whether to abandoned reality and have humanity unite together.
So which is better? Honestly, as much as I respect the tv show ending, the movie actually feels like a proper ending. It has everything people wanted, unique monsters, mecha action, and some psychological breakdown. It did not lose the audience in what is going on and gives a more grounded ending compare to the tv show, while still tackling some heavy subject. The original ending felt like it could have had one more episode to get us from point A to B, instead of just skipping to B. The movie has a structure and is just a better satisfying story. So the movie win.
StoryOriginal :The original Evangelion ending suddenly turns into an all-out psychological break down of the characters. I mean it just went there right away, with the audience getting some idea what happens, with everybody soul being connected, but it never shows us how that happens. It shows some of the characters dying, and the audience is just left with questioning what the hell happened. That being said, the psychological break down of the characters was fascinating. It manages to really humanized them, and even have me care for Shinji a bit and find him somewhat relatable. Which is a great achievement considering how much I don’t care for the character, and the ending was weird, but memorable and is something that can be analyzed and discussed. Its Shinji overcoming his own struggle and is fascinating to watch.
Movie version:The movie actually does show how they got into that state, with the military invading Nerv after they defeated the final angels, and trying to bring the end of the world to have everybody souls connected with Adam. With Shinji and Asuka mind still shattered, Misato must save them and try to get them on the Eva. The movie managed to tie lots of loose ends, even if it does raise some question, it will satisfy people who enjoy the series. It starts turning to a biblical end of time, where Shinji have to choose whether to abandoned reality and have humanity unite together.
So which is better? Honestly, as much as I respect the tv show ending, the movie actually feels like a proper ending. It has everything people wanted, unique monsters, mecha action, and some psychological breakdown. It did not lose the audience in what is going on and gives a more grounded ending compare to the tv show, while still tackling some heavy subject. The original ending felt like it could have had one more episode to get us from point A to B, instead of just skipping to B. The movie has a structure and is just a better satisfying story. So the movie win.
So how did the two compare in characters?Original: The tv show manages to make the characters, more relatable. As all the Eva pilots have some common problems that most people do face. Their self-identity, complacent, low-self esteem etc. It manages to make characters that I did not care for (aside for Misato and Asuka), characters I found too 2-dimensional, into actual characters. Granted Shinji backstory and how it relates to him is still not satisfying, but that more has to do with the show as a whole, and it manages to make him at very least, a bit more likable, along with the rest. Also love one of the alternate worlds, that I am glad got a spin-off.
Movie : The movie made me hate Shinji, as in the first few minute, he sexually assaulted an unconscious Asuka. Just wow, the sheer unnecessary shock value of one scene, that somewhat ruin what is otherwise a pretty awesome looking movie. It made me want to see him die every time he was on screen. I never hated Shinji, I just thought he was boring, and not properly handle compare to the first five episodes, this just makes me hate him. I mean the show already went into his sexual problem, this was just not needed and makes it hard to root for him. Him feeling sorry for his action does not make it alright. It just makes me hate him for being both useless, a coward, and a goddamn predator. It made me fill with rage and is honestly the only reason why I am able to say that the final two episode of the tv show can be compared to the movie. Because this left a sour taste, with people who have a hard time caring for Shinji, having a reason to hate him. Screw Shinji.
That being said, Asuka character was great in this one. Last time we check, Asuka was mentally broken. In the movie version they have her overcome it, and while cheesy, it works due to the dark material in the show and the movie. Is nice to have some light in a bleak world. Asuka was a character I was rooting for, and to see her having a moment to shine was great, even if she was assaulted in the beginning by a piece of crap.
As for the rest of the cast, they are fine. Rei character was somewhat interesting, but she was never focused on that much in the show, making her struggle with having her own self will as the catalyst for the end of the world, not as strong as it could have been. That being said her design was really creative and creepy. Also, Misato is the same likable character she always is, get a moment to be a badass, and have a send-off that does not make the audience question why she in the floor lying on her own pool of blood.
Also, the last angel from episode 24 comes back, and he just as pointless. Also, we do get more of the other characters motives, like the guys in the conference room, and Shinji dad. Granted I did not care for them, but it does tie more loose end.
So which was better? I said a tie. The side characters in the movie were dealt with better, while the tv show made the main character Shinji more relatable. While I think the movie was hurt more by having Shinji be unlikable, it did close more loose end with the other characters and their arc and motivation. It gave us a more satisfying conclusion overall, but the tv show gave us a more satisfying conclusion of the main character, who basically overcome his psychological problem and be relatable. That being said it also has Misato lying on the floor in her own blood with the audience asking wtf is going on, so I can’t give it to the tv show, but I can’t give to the movie either.
The show deals with lots of psychological trauma and was one of the things I really love about the series. So how do these two things compare?
Psychological:Original: The tv show main focus is the psychological aspect. Showing all their problems in surreal imagery that gets more and more intense, breaking down the characters. Showing how they all are similar, and having Shinji be more relatable. As he has to be forced to self-analyzed and determined what defined him. Is both fascinating and very engaging.
Movie : The movie does do more or less the same, in fewer minutes, but still does deal with the same subject of escaping into fiction, and gets more surreal than the tv show. It should be better, tackling the same thing, with a higher budget, but the problem lies in Shinji. The tv show made him more relatable, the movie already fail when they had Shinji essentially being a rapist. They never made him be able to connect with the audience, and even his self-realization of the answer, is nowhere near as satisfying as the tv show. Is more focus on being grand, when the problem Shinji has, is something most people have.
Which was better?The tv show wins, by having it be more relatable, instead of focusing more on being a grand religious apocalypse and having Shinji be likable enough.
Animation
Original: While it might seem unfair to compare a tv show finally that had to use crayons versus a bigger budget movie, the people in Gainax manage to pull something visually great. They were always great with psychological imagery, with rapid frame, repetition, visual symbolism etc. They manage to make the small budget they have and make the descent into madness be visually great. The simple animation work with the surrealism and how Shinji view reality, and the mixture of media actually helps with the experience. If anything I wanted to see more different forms of media. It manages to show the torment the characters are facing, in scenes that match the show previous mental break down. But that is also the problem, is arguably at the same level. While still great, and have some memorable scene, it is also missing lots of things people want from the shows, like mechs. Which is somewhat a disappointment.
Movie:The movie, of course, blows the final episode away with some of the most amazing religious apocalyptic imagery, that sound just as cool and surreal as you would think it be. It manages to use it’s mixed media more effective, using the live-action shot to comment on escaping to fiction, which was actually really trippy but also fascinating. It had Asuka having an awesome mecha fight with other Evas, in a bloody mecha fight that will quench bloodthirsty people. The psychological aspect might not be as strong as the tv show, it still has more memorable imagery that is used by many other media, from self-reflection and self-doubt. It manages to be both awesome, and surreal. I can see all the inspiration other anime have from this and is just visually amazing.
Which was better?So no surprised, the one with the bigger budget, has better animation. I can respect what the tv show did with their limited budget, but the movie made use of that budget to make something visually amazing.The Movie version wins.
So overall the movie version is the superior ending. I think both of them are worth watching, but the movie version definitely feels more like a true ending, and will satisfied people who actually
really enjoy the show, unlike me. If I had to give them a rating, honestly they both be C+, with me
liking the movie a bit more. They both have their flaws, and honestly can’t call them masterpieces.
That being said the good parts about them, are too great for me to call them terrible even if I want
Shinji to die and get set on fire. Many shows I love took inspiration from this, and at that aspect, I
can see why this is consider a classic. Is something that will definitely stick with me. I am glad,
I watch it at the very least.
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