5 Star

A Choir of Angels.

For forty years now, Hideaki Anno (Sugar Sugar Rune (TV Series) (51 episodes)) has been involved with Evangelion since it’s conception back in 1995. Now Anime.Ltd has brought it to the UK for the first time on Blu-ray. All twenty-six episodes and the two Forty-five minute films that retell the contentious final episodes concerning the “Human Instrumentality Project”.

A great Christmas gift for any fan of the series or anime in general.

The face of planet Earth looks far different in Neon Genesis. In the year 2000 a disaster in Antarctica change sea levels as the ‘Second Impact’ melts all the ice of that Continent, and kills half the population of the planet. Unbeknown to the population that survived the impact, is that the event was caused by an Angel.

The U.N create NERV organization in Tokyo-3, there they work on creating giant biomechanical robots that are capable of defeating any further attacks from these Angels. The head of this secret organization is Gendo Ikari, and he is the estranged father of fourteen-year-old Shinji Ikari who has just been summoned to Tokyo-3, not knowing why he has been summarily called. He is met by the unconventional Captain Misato Katsuragi of NERV.

What Shinji doesn’t know is that his life is about to be altered forever, as his father has only connected with him because he has reached the age of fourteen and that means that he is capable of piloting EVA 01. Shinji is not a fan of this plan, but events command that he does as after fifteen years the Angels are back, and he is the only one that can pilot 01.

I needed a rose… So I sent for you.

Unsure what he is doing, he is launched by Katsuragi into the centre of Tokyo-3 to do battle with Angel Sachiel. As to be expected it doesn’t go well for Shinji and the EVA has to go berserk to defeat the Angel. The Injured Shinji spends a few days in the hospital before he meets the pilot of EVA 00 the shy and retiring Rei Ayanami, who is surprised as is everyone else that Shinji had managed to synch to to EVA the first time he piloted it as Rei took seven months before she could move the monster sized robots.

Center on target and pull… trigger.

The connection with the EVA is via a liquid that the pilots must be submerged in, and this makes it possible for their thoughts to control the movements of the robot. But this goes two-ways and if the robot is damaged the pilot feels that damage and this can cause psychological damage, which is hard to deal with when you are only fourteen.

Behind all this trying to save the planet and humanity, there is a secret cabal that is pulling invisible strings to take the human race to the next evolutionary level. They will do it using the controlled Angel, destroying EVA’s.

Only those who have the will to live, can survive

Angels come in many forms, and the EVA’s have to defeat them all to stop the destruction of our home planet, and humanity.

There are many things to be taken from this amazing anime, it has stood the test of time and is still thrilling anime fans of all ages now.

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION will be available on Blu-ray from 6th December 2021