The End of Evangelion Movie
The End of Evangelion is a movie based on the Evangelion series that acts as a retelling of the final two episodes of the original series. It is split into two halves that are referred to as “25’” and “26’”, alluding to the fact that these halves are an alternate version of Episodes 25 and 26. The first half of The End of Evangelion is essentially the last 25 minutes of the previous Evangelion movie released, Death and Rebirth, although there are some minor details that were edited.
When compared to the original ending of Neon Genesis Evangelion, End of Evangelion is arguably the more grounded of the two, though it still has more than its fair share of philosophy, psychology, and existentialism. This movie was originally released on July 19th, 1997 in Japan. Much of the cast and crew returned to create this movie, although Episode 25’ was directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki. Today, it is recognized as a film of remarkable quality, ranking highly on several “best animated films of all time” lists, such as TimeOut’s “100 best animated movies ever made”, where The End of Evangelion ranks number 65.
Development and Controversy
After the strange and unorthodox finale of Neon Genesis Evangelion, many fans and critics were left either confused or disappointed. This lead to Studio GAINAX eventually greenlighting a movie project that was supposed to have a complete ending but was cut short due to time constraints and budgeting. As a result, two films ended up being made, the first being Evangelion: Death and Rebirth and the second being The End of Evangelion. Splitting the full ending up into parts garnered the ire of a number of fans, some of who took to arguably extreme measures. After the release of Death and Rebirth, GAINAX and director Hideaki Anno received letters and emails with harsh criticisms and, in some cases, death threats. Meanwhile, the Gainax office itself was vandalized with red graffiti. Pictures of both the letters and the vandalism were taken and used in The End of Evangelion (although some letters actually included praise for Anno and Death and Rebirth).
Summary
The End of Evangelion takes place immediately after the events of Episode 24. Shinji is completely lost in life and has no idea what to do or where to go. Asuka is in an unresponsive state, he had just killed Kaworu, and he is too afraid to show his face to Rei or Misato. SEELE aims to begin the Human Instrumentality Project using Evangelion Unit 01. Gendo Ikari refuses to give them the unit and SEELE begins a full-on assault on NERV, beginning with a digital attack on Magi and later a physical assault on the facility. Asuka begins fighting back against the military force attacking NERV in Evangelion Unit 02, but they manage to cut her power cord, giving her a limited amount of energy to work with. Mass Production Eva units are also deployed in Asuka’s area, giving her a group of new enemies to deal with. They prove to be too much, however, and Asuka is defeated and Evangelion Unit 02 is gruesomely mangled just in time for Shinji to find her.
The Mass Production Eva units begin the ceremony to begin the Third Impact using Evangelion Unit 01 and Shinji. A massive explosion reveals that NERV HQ is located inside Lilith’s Black Moon, which begins to float into the sky and become a part of the ritual. Rei fuses with Adam and Lilith. This Rei-Adam-Lilith being starts growing at an incredible speed and can seemingly phase through matter. The Third Impact continues and life begins to merge into a single entity. A psychological, dream-like conversation begins happening between Shinji and various characters, namely Rei. She says that this world where everyone is all a part of the same being is what Shinji wished for, but he says that isn’t quite what he wanted. A figure of Kaworu asks if he really wants a world where people can hurt each other to exist, to which Shinji agrees. Eva-01 reactivates and breaks through the giant fused being and the Black Moon begins to shatter, releasing all of the souls that were already collected. Shinji is able to say one last goodbye to his mother in Evangelion Unit 01 before re-emerging from a sea of LCL. Afterward, Shinji and Asuka are seen lying next to each other on the nearby beach. Shinji sits up and begins strangling Asuka, who does not struggle, but rather puts a hand on his cheek. Shinji loosens his grip and begins sobbing while Asuka delivers the final line of the movie: “Disgusting”.
Reception and Awards
The End of Evangelion movie received various number of accolades and awards upon release such as the below:
- Animage Anime Grand Prix prize (1997)
- Japan Academy Prize for "Biggest Public Sensation of the Year (1997)
- "Special Audience Choice Award" by Animation Kobe (1997)
- EX.org ranked the film in 1999 as the fifth best 'All-Time Show' (1999)