Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth
Synopsis — from MyAnimeList
In the year 2015, more than a decade has passed since the catastrophic event known as Second Impact befell mankind. During this time of recovery, a select few learned of beings known as the Angels—colossal malevolent entities with the intention of triggering the Third Impact and wiping out the rest of humanity. Called into the city of Tokyo-3 by his father Gendou Ikari, teenager Shinji is thrust headlong into humanity's struggle. Separated from Gendou since the death of his mother, Shinji presumes that his father wishes to repair their shattered familial bonds; instead, he discovers that he was brought to pilot a giant machine capable of fighting the Angels, Evangelion Unit-01. Forced to battle against wave after wave of mankind's greatest threat, the young boy finds himself caught in the middle of a plan that could affect the future of humanity forever.
Audience Consensus
The audience is significantly divided, with many viewing "Death and Rebirth" as a blatant, unnecessary cash grab that poorly recaps the original series and offers little new value. However, a segment of dedicated fans appreciate the enhanced recap, its artistic presentation with classical music, and its function as a bridge to "End of Evangelion," particularly for those seeking completeness or a refresher.
Strengths
- Cleverly edited recap with new footage and narration that clarifies series events.
- Effective use of classical music to enhance the recap's elegance and intensity.
- Sets up the subsequent film ('End of Evangelion') compellingly with high production values.
- Good art and animation, with a lovely classical music soundtrack.
Weaknesses
- The 'Death' segment is a recap and can be redundant for those who have seen the series.
- The 'Rebirth' segment is largely redundant as it's entirely included in 'End of Evangelion'.
- Flashing text in 'Death' disappears too quickly to be read.
- Shinji's actions in 'Rebirth' are inconsistent with his established character and feel like shock value.
- The extended intermission adds unnecessary dead time.
- The recap is convoluted, poorly edited, and omits significant psychological depth and character development from the original series.
- Chronological displacement of clips and lack of context make it difficult to follow, even for existing fans.
- Considered a blatant cash grab by many, lacking original purpose or value.
- Visual and audio quality are worse than the TV series due to lazy reuse of footage.
- The film is pointless and should be avoided in favor of the original series or 'End of Evangelion'.