Neon Genesis Evangelion Episode 1
"Angel Attack"
Because I just can't get enough of reviewing shows that I will inevitably get flamed for saying anything bad (or good) about, I decided to check out the new Platinum edition release of Neon Genesis Evangelion, another in a long lineage of polarizing anime titles. You'll either love it, or you'll hate it, but everyone should probably watch it, just because it's such a centerpiece of Japanese animation.
The show looked great for its time (even though its age is beginning to show compared to current titles), and the character and mechanical designs still hold up.
In the first episode, things get going right away, which is a method of introduction that I greatly prefer over the usual "introduce two of the characters, then add one more character in each subsequent standalone episode before the real story starts". We're introduced to Shinji and Rei, and briefly to the conflict Shinji has with his father. There's also the matter of an enormous creature destroying parts of Japan, and Shinji's going to have to fight it (that's about as fast as Shinji finds out about it, too).
Evangelion does a good job of maximizing emotional output in a short amount of time. In the course of a few minutes, we can see a lot of Shinji's flaws, which seem to stem from his rocky relationship with his father. He thought that his father's sending for him was perhaps because his father's feelings had changed over the years, but in the end, his father had need of him, seeing him as little more than a tool.
But after Shinji begins to realize what's at stake if he doesn't do what his father asks, he rises to the occasion.
Great first episode.
Rating: A
Neon Genesis Evangelion Episode 2
"The Beast"
You have to wait for most of the episode until you find out what happens in the aftermath of the first episode and the beginning of this one (though, given the state of things, your best guess is probably right).
After a fast introduction to the series, things slow down a bit in this episode, introducing a few ideas, groups, themes, as well as letting Shinji slowly acclimate to his new surroundings (convenient for the viewers as well).
The pacing is very good, and it's one of those rare episodes where you actually feel surprised that it's over.
Rating: A