a review by Nalini Haynes
Creator: Hideaki Anno of Studio Khara
Cover: © khara. All Rights Reserved.
Shinji Ikari, Shinji’s father Gendo, Misato, Rei and others return in this next installment of the Evangelion story.
Evangelioin 2.22 opens with Mari Makinami piloting test unit 05 and destroying the third angel. Asuka Shikinami pilots unit 02, which is dispatched to Japan. Asuka moves in with Misato and Shinji in order to teach them to work as a team, providing numerous opportunities for character development and fan service. Shinji cooks lunch for others, which inspires Rei to cook dinner as a means of bringing Shinji and Gendo together.
Audio-only conversations reveal that the humans are split into factions based on their interpretations of legend or their drive for power. It isn’t quite clear what is going on here; this appears intended to build suspence until the true underlying agendas are revealed. More angels are killed, relationships develop, more fanservices, all in the lead up to the conclusion that will probably occur in Evangelion 3.
Wikipedia says ‘The film won first place in the Animation category of the French Lyon Asian Film Festival, narrowly beating Symphony in August in an audience vote. It won the award for Excellent Animation of the Year by being nominated for the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year in 2010.’ There are also numerous accolades in the form of reviews, to be found on the wiki.
I enjoyed this movie and I’m looking forward to the conclusion that will provide answers.
Previously published in Dark Matter issue 4, July 2011.