Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion1997

99/100 Transcendently beautiful and abstract experience which serves as an excellent ending to an excellent show, as well as a masterpiece in its own right. Once again, I find myself struggling to describe exactly why this is so good, other than just saying "It just is." I will say that I connect with the themes here much less than the psychology displayed in the show, but they are similar enough that I can still enjoy them and view them as a natural evolution. The storytelling here is off the charts, with characters being developed and given the chance they never had in the original series. Somehow, even previously underdeveloped characters like Maya and Makoto are given development enough to be memorable. The best part of this movie, though, is the satisfying sight of watching Gendoh be rejected by Rei right before she fuses with Lilith. I know he is part of the Instrumentality Project as well, but I'm going to cope and pretend he died alone after that without becoming LCL. Brings a smile to my face. Speaking of Rei and Asuka, this movie also removes an issue I'd forgotten to mention in the original series: the fanservice. While there are some scenes which could be considered fanservice, they're far more vehicles for the plot and not really all that focused on how hot they are. Really, this movie is a lot like the show, offering psychological contemplation without easy answers while adding awesome action, without many of the issues that plagued it. A new and awe-inspiring addition to some of my favourite movies of all time.