Instantly thrust into the action and introduced to not only two new Angels, but also two new Evas and their gutsy female pilots. The second installment in the Evangelion film series is all about how the Eva pilots must learn to exist together, form important bonds and try to protect each other like no one else can, especially the adults that are their superiors. In the end, everything will fall on the shoulders of these four teenagers. Can they save humanity or will they bring on the end of the world?
What I love about this series, both the original tv show and the theatrical version, with every viewing I find more. More depth to the overall story, more details about the characters and more clues to the backstory of Nerv and the man who is Shinji's father.There is just too much information to be absorbed in an initial encounter. That is the beautiful genius of Evangelion.
These films really do rank with the true classics of the anime genre like Akira, Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D and the films of Hayao Miyazaki.
2.22 starts to push the boundaries set by the original film. This is where things start to get real. There are real consequences to the Eva's actions now. We, the audience, will start to understand more about the world around the story now. There is more discussion of the second coming and how it devastated the Earth 15 years ago. We also start to learn that Japan is not alone in the fight against the Angels. Apparently Europe and America have Eva's as well and that is where these new pilots, Asuka and Makinami, come into play. And we start to ask new questions about the organization above Nerv, Seele. Are they the new UN or is it more corporate in nature...or more sinister.
One of the greatest additions to this installment of the series is the new adult character, Ryoji, who is Misato's ex. He not only stirs up old feelings from his friends, but he also takes a special interest in educating the children on what the world was like before the invasion of the Angels. By showing them that the world wasn't always like the one they grew up in, they can truly understand what they are fighting for. Water used to be blue, animals lived in the fields and people grew crops. These are all new concepts for Shinji and the others. But there is definitely more to this mysterious new man and we can see that he will have some impact on the future.
Again, I have a great love for all things Evangelion...ok, maybe not everything. I will take a moment to voice my annoyance at the merchandise for the series. In the anime world, there is a lot of what is usually referred to as fan service (aka pandering to the idea that all anime fans are young males that just watch for the busty women with hourglass figures in shows that have lots of shots showing off the girl's panties). Because of this belief set, it is very hard to find figures of the male characters from some anime shows. This is obviously ridiculous, but I am extra offended when it is for a show like Evangelion that have strong, powerful female characters! Well, apparently the people who made the decisions on what toys and models to produce thought that no one would ever want a figure of Shinji. I mean he's only the main character!! So it took years for me to find a figure of Shinji...and I didn't even find it, my nephew did. Ok. Ok. I'll stop venting about the male dominated world of otaku culture. Back to the movie. Yes, I love 2.22 and recommend it to fans of sci-fi anime, but only if you've seen 1.11!
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