Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum - Vol. 3 [DVD]

This volume sadly only contains 4 episodes, one down from the previous two. Do I detect a bit of a money-grab from ADV? Well, onto the actual contents.Most of the episodes contained live up to the remarlable standards set by earlier episodes of Evangelion. For me, only Serial Experiments Lain comes close to the substance of this series. In this volume, it becomes plainer than ever that Eva is so much more than an ordinary mecha show. Misato and Ritsuko finally get some substantial backstory and, as far as I remember, in all of the episodes, there are some of the nice little character-driven moments which make Eva so enjoyable.Episode 11 - The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still - was really for the action-fans. Without giving away anything, we also get some inside into Shinji's motivations. Episode 12 gives some wonderful backstory and the viewer is once again forced to wonder what Gendo's up to. Episode 13 was one for sci-fi fans and again, more interesting backstory and character moments. Episode 14, however, is the one that really stands out. In fact, I would say Episode 14 is where you ultimately decide whether you love or hate this series.Episode 14 seems like a waste of time at first, being a complete recap of Angel battles at the start - but the second half more than makes up for it. The first philosophical monologue is present, and there's a whole chunk of plot to keep viewers happy. The first philosophical monologue? Yup. THIS is what made Evangelion so controversal and different. Personally, I loved it - but it's something which you either love or hate. That's the only reason, as well as the reduction in episode count, that I've deducted one star. I can't wait till volume 4!

Neon Genesis Evangelion, is by none, one of Japans best Anime series & Movie franchises.I am a big fan of Mecha Anime, even though this series is a little different, as the EVAs are actually genetically altered living creatures with armour added, essentially, but are piloted by a human.I recommend this to anyone that enjoys something completely original, strange, and pretty damn violent, & Awesome.

This Volume contains 4 episodes (episodes 11 - 14 inclusive) which is an episode less than the previous two volumes.Episode 11 sees a widespread powercut, strangely it has also managed to wipe out power at NERV headquarters fuelling fears that something has targeted NERV and is on its way. The staff back at NERV however are confident that the young pilots can manage to find their way through a series of tunnels in order to jump into their Eva devices.That pretty much confirms the formula which is becoming slightly predictable now; massive Angel attacks, it appears to be indestructible - the Eva pilots destroy it. The series is definitely risking becoming a formulaic `baddy of the week' serial, but thankfully the pace starts to change during episode 13. Now back online after a mass blackout, NERV has to deal with an Angel attack from within the organisation itself. It's a tense episode as the boffins try to stop the Angel equivalent of a computer virus from taking over the system.The first half of the 14th Episode acts as a recap to the series to far. It summarises each of the Angel attacks so far and gives an overview of the main characters and how they fit in. A lot of people aren't fond of these recap episodes but I find them a good way of cementing in your head all that has occurred - especially if you've watched the series over a prolonged period of time, it's also a good way to show how things have developed. This episode also veers away from the usual action and you get the impression that things are going to shift direction pretty quickly, Rei also gives a narrative which reveals little but adds to the mystique of her character.In a nutshell: So far I've enjoyed this series but it has never gripped me in the way that other anime series have done. These four episodes looked as though they would provide the same flavour of action from the other episodes but with less of the character development - but it saves itself by becoming intriguing once again and compelling you to watch the next volume.