Evangelion: 1.01 You are (Not) Alone — anime dvd review
A few months back I posted my review of the theatrical release of Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone. As you might recall, I was less than enthused with what I saw. Still, I thought it might be good to go back and revisit the original series, and see exactly how the story was originally presented, and thus, what, if anything, was particularly novel about 1.0’s re-visitation (Note: Yes, the DVD is called Evangelion 1.01, but for convenience’s sake, I’ll just continue with 1.0).
The first thing that became apparent in re-watching the first six episodes is that a lot of Shinji’s early character development was stripped out. In the series, Shinji usually is presented with a situation that frustrates him at the start of an episode, but which he learns to overcome or even appreciate (in the case of Misato Katsuragi’s perceived immaturity and irresponsibility at home) toward the episode’s end. The film tended to focus on the earlier whining, while eschewing the scenes of emotional maturation, making Shinji into something more the likes of a whiny Luke Skywalker than a strengthening youth/warrior. A number of key interactions with his classmates have also been removed, and in the cases of home-life interactions with Misato, shorter alternate sequences presented in trade (with added fan-service), lessening the audience’s perception of Shinji’s connection with the outside world, possibly to further the non-parenthesized variant of the film’s title.
As far as the overall narrative is concerned, the events of Evangelion 1.0 are presented in more or less linear fashion throughout. All the flashbacks and interweaving of the narrative timeline found in the series are avoided, making the already streamlined story even easier to follow. Allusions to Biblical entities are made a bit more obvious, possibly to quell long-standing debates on fan forums. These are relatively minor changes if you’ve seen the series before, but for those coming to the world of Evangelion for the first time, it cuts out a fair share of essential mystery.
The film does expand on a few key battles, in particular the climactic battle with the diamond angel (Sorry, I’m not sure of the name). The battle in the series is relatively short, with little to no buildup and an all-too-quick conclusion. The battle of the movie lasts a near twenty minutes, with (CG) shape-shifting, bloodletting, and multiple sniper shots. Having freshly viewed the same battle from the series, the film’s version was a great deal more exciting. Furthermore, the final sequences following the battle conclude entirely differently than the 6th episode in the series, but in a way that brings new mystery to the world of Evangelion.
I’ve already discussed my issues with the CG in my previous review, but on my second viewing they seemed a little less obtrusive, and more of a treat. This could have been due to my viewing the film with the Japanese language track rather than the annoying American dub, or it could just be that I had time to come to terms with the changes. Either way, it was a bit more enjoyable than I remembered.
As for the DVD itself, it’s up to Funimation’s usual high standards. Video and audio is crisp, though there’s nothing much in the way of extras (For that you need to see the 2-disc special edition, appropriately titled Evangelion 1.11).
In closing, I believe my original evaluation of the film stands for the most part. The series is a far superior way to experience Evangelion’s story, and the value of the film’s new elements are debatable at best. However, if you’ve seen the original series, and the story is fresh in your head, the film makes for a nice bit of Cliff’s notes.
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