Neon Genesis Evangelion Highly recommended

Publisher
ADV
Director
Hideaki Anno
Production
GAINAX, NAS, TV Tokyo
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
26 episodes
Year
1995

Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum: 01 (eps 1-5)

By John Huxley
28th Feb 05

It seems like only last month I was settling down to write a review of the Evangelion Perfect Collection boxset. Wait a second...it WAS only last month! There's no doubting that Neon Genesis Evangelion is a seminal anime series, perhaps even the best of the last decade. But isn't releasing four (yes, four - count 'em!) different versions of the same series in the space of a single year going a little too far? Confused? Let me explain as best I can. First there was the regular DVD release; spread over eight volumes this was little more than a DVD edition of the VHS tapes. Then came the two-volume director's cut which retold the last six episodes of the series with brand-new scenes that expanded on Anno's original masterpiece. Late last year ADV released the 'perfect collection' boxset which included all eight volumes of the regular series but was sadly missing the director's cut. With all this to choose from plus the two feature films released by Manga Entertainment you'd figure that Evangelion fans would be more than content - well, ADV doesn't think so!

The main selling point of the latest iteration of Gainax's seminal 1995 series, dubbed the 'Platinum Edition', is its entirely remastered audio & visuals. One of the major criticisms of ADV's original DVD release was the near-VHS quality transfer that resulted in a fuzzy picture that was prone to jump around in a slightly annoying manner. With the jumping entirely eliminated, they have cleaned up the picture to such an extent that the vibrant colours, crisp lines and clear backgrounds almost look as if they were inked yesterday. If you're an Eva fanatic your heart will skip a beat as mine did when you first catch sight of the tiny, tiny blue dot that signals the opening theme, Cruel Angel Thesis. No longer a indistinct sphere, this clear, bright circle may be utterly insignificant (or is it? Maybe it symbolises Shinji's hidden desire to return to his mother's womb...no...it's just a blue dot) yet it's indicative of the improvements that can be seen throughout the Evangelion Platinum Edition.

You're bound to notice little details that passed you buy watching it on VHS or the original DVDs; the dirt on the wall outside Rei's apartment that was previously hidden amongst a shroud of fuzzy darkness, for instance. Perhaps my noticing these details has more to do with the fact that I've seen the series umpteen times on TV, VHS and DVD, leading my eyes to wander around the screen in search of new stimuli. Whatever the exact reasons, there's no denying that this much enhanced picture gives Evangelion a new lease of life. Watching the now-iconic fight in which Eva Unit-01 defeats the fourth angel against overwhelming odds will have most Eva fans salivating, the newly restored picture accentuating the vivid purple and greens of the evangelion's restraining armour to such an extent that you'll have hard time believing this sequence isn't entirely new.

Unfortunately my puny stereo speaker setup unsurprisingly wasn't able to do the 5.1 surround sound audio track justice, although I'm sure it's every bit as impressive as the visuals. Along with a couple of neat extras and some classy presentation, this represents the best edition Neon Genesis Evanglion money can buy. Of course, despite all the marvellous enhancements, it's essentially the same old series that was released way back in 1995 so I really can't recommended it unless you're a dedicated Evangelion fan or you haven't yet bought a copy on DVD. But that's exactly why ADV are releasing the platinum edition - it's for the legions of dedicated fans that rightly recognise Neon Genesis Evangelion as the single most important anime of the last decade. And it's finally got the DVD release it deserves.

NOTE: I've included a few new screen grabs to give you a rough indication of the quality of picture you can expect. But please bare in mind that my PC's DVD player is more than a little ropey so they're by no means definitive!

R2 DVD Notes

Features: English 5.1 and Japanese 5.1 audio, English subtitles, 12-page profile booklet, commentary with Matt Greenfield and Spike Spencer, clean open/close, ADV previews

Release information: UK: Feb 2005, ADV

Notes: My review copy came with an attractive silver artbox featuring Shinji in school uniform with a lightly patterned effect on the reverse that helps to give it a slight sheen when held towards the light. It's a nice piece of presentation which I'm glad ADV saw fit to bring to the UK. The standard box boasts an equally attractive Japanese style design with a vertical logo dominating the composition and a scattering of Japanese text on the reverse, the same picture of Shinji in his school uniform the only similarity between the two designs. It's certainly an improvement on the original release's more minimalistic approach and one of the better covers around at the moment. The extras include the familiar clean open/close and a selection of previews, although it's the two commentaries that will surely grab your attention. The first features a lonesome Matt Greenfield, ADR director on the original series and this re-release. His agreeable tone takes you through 25 minutes of interesting tidbits regarding his involvement with the show, never relegating himself to tiresome subjects or straying too far away from the subject matter. Unfortunately the presence of Spike Spencer during the next episode dilutes the proceedings somewhat, although it's still well worth a listen. Easily the most interesting inclusion in this package is the 12 page full-colour booklet that includes plenty of artwork, character profiles and a relatively detailed synopsis of each episode. Although nothing particularly revolutionary, these are quite well written and informative; almost recompense for a genuine Evangelion documentary.

-- John Huxley 28th Feb 05

Neon Genesis Evangelion Images