Review of Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo

Apparently, a lot of hate for the new Eva movie comes from the fact that the movie essentially pressed the reset button after the end of the second movie and threw away certain plot elements and stuff that were established beforehand. This isn’t really a surprise to me given that even before it came out, I knew that the script for the movie had been rewritten numerous times before and after the second movie came out (in fact, the second movie and Evangelion as a whole are the product of a bunch of rewrites) and I knew that the chances of seeing the scenes fromthat initial Eva Q preview were nil. I was also aware of that time skip thing due to accidentally glancing at the MAL summary (why?) when I went there to see what was up. Yeah, that time skip. That’s pretty much the reset button that apparently got pressed in the audience’s mind. What do I say to that? Bollocks. And I’m not even English.

I had an idea of what Evangelion Q was going to be like once the subtitle came out. You know, that You Can (Not) Redo thing right next to the 3.0? Yeah, the other two Eva movies had those subtitles as well and lived up to them effectively. Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone gave Shinji a mother figure with Rei when all the other characters shunned him and Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance tried to have the characters mature, only to be brought down by forces beyond their control. Since the second movie ended with the Third Impact occurring due to Shinji’s “growing a spine” it makes sense that the next movie would be set on trying to reverse the damage caused by it. And failing miserably, because Evangelion says “fuck that shit”. We’re not that Shaft magical girl show we keep getting compared too. We’re Evangelion, bitch!

Yeah, while the movie was obviously not what was originally intended, I fail to see how it has jumped the shark or reset anything of any kind, especially considering how events played out, both in regards to what happened previous and what happened here. The basic gist of the story is this: Shinji fucked up and caused EoE to happen, only people actually survive it —-> he gets thrown in a harsh world that he caused and is depressed b/c his GAR moment from the last movie worked against him —-> he tries to make things right —-> he fucks up again because the reset button does not exist in Evangelion —-> he gets sent into even more depression —-> movie ends. There’s a couple of other details, but that’s what happened in a nutshell. And I’m failing to see where Eva went wrong regarding that. Or is it the basic plot line people don’t like? To which I ask, why?

Evangelion has always been about personal failure and how it affects the mind. One of the biggest draws (and biggest weaknesses) is, and has always been, Shinji’s fall from grace. And that’s what this film gave us: Shinji going through hell and having his mind broken because he keeps fucking up. The only thing that’s different is how they put him through that hell: utilizing a trope all too common in anime, and then reversing it for maximum impact. This was done in the second movie too, except Eva Q moved on from mocking super robot shows to mocking Jun Maeda’s endings. And let me tell you right now, it was fucking fantastic to see Shinji depressed, filled with hope to the point of overconfidence, and then more depressed than ever when he realized that trying to reset everything just makes things worse. Especially since I don’t like reset button endings and I think whoever invented should be tarred and feathered for the rest of his miserable life.

And I loved how they showed it too. Similar to how AKB0048 uses its flash as a way to both support and attack the idol industry whilst giving fan service, Evangelion Q uses its flashy robot fights and other fan-pandering elements to keep the audience’s attention whilst exemplifying just how determined our characters are in their goals that are doomed for failure, particularly when Shinji is concerned. In fact, every complaint I see from a detractor is just another positive to the show to me. Shinji never getting to see the outside world, instead trapped in a dark isolated place where he can only mostly assume how dangerous it is outside? Dug it because what’s assumed is usually much more damaging than what you actually know, especially if you’re alone. Kaworu warming up to Shinji so easily? Considering Shinji’s mental state at the time, it makes perfect sense. The way we’re just thrown into this new world without much of an explanation and we’re never really given one (like how the resistance group was formed and why piloting an Eva prevents you from aging)? Reflects Shinji’s state of mind quite well, so why not? There’s even some good old mindfuck thrown into the movie. Maybe not as much as the series, but it’s still there.

I never thought this message got lost by all the distractions this movie had (and believe me, I noticed quite a few). Yes, Mari remains all but useless except to be an extra pair of tits. Yes, there’s quite a few communication problems. Yes, we don’t actually get to explore this destroyed world and what happened to characters like Shinji’s high school friends or Kaji or whatever. Yes, they might have overdone the robot fights a bit. But in the end, I don’t think any of those are important to the plot, and I think the plot itself kept its focus on what it was trying to do the entire time.

I loved the directions this movie took. And I am definitely buying the fucking Blu-Ray when Funi eventually puts it out.