Customer Reviews

Neon Genesis Evangelion [Platinum Complete Collection] [DVD]

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What the item description and the other reviews missed is a complete list of what you get content wise, so here goes :

The complete series, remastered from the video release.

Director's cut version of episodes 21,22,23,24.

A colour booklet.

You don't get the alternate ending contained in "End of Evangelion". So for the whole actual complete story, get this and "End of Evangelion".

And for those of you confused about the movies :

Death & Rebirth - Death is an hour long recap of the series, while Rebirth is alternate episode 25.

End of Evangelion - Alternate episodes 25 and 26 in movie format.

Revival of Evangelion - Contains Death (true 2), which is the 2nd edited version of Death, and End of Evangelion.

The "Premium Collection" is a single metal box containing all DVD discs of the Platinum version of the Evangelion series. Now, I'll be honest - it's a simple affair containing a small folded package (DVDs clipped on) and a slip leaflet with information on the series. But who cares? That's not why you want to buy it! Let's talk about the DVDs!

And our top story today is that the platinum version is honestly worth it! The discs loads up very quickly and have a simple layout, allowing fast access to the episodes (audio is a selection of English dub or Japanese & subtitles). There is a modest amount of extras, but again you're not buying the box for that! The "re-mastering" was absolutely fantastic. There are absolutely no visual blemishes, the overall impression being that the anime could have been produced much later than it really was. The audio is crisp and clear, allowing you to hear distinct sounds which previously were indistinct or inaudible.

So, in short this is an excellent buy - your favourite anime as it should have been released on DVD years ago, at great value. As someone who enjoyed Evangelion without these enhancements, I can honestly say I do not regret buying the updated DVD set at all. And I cannot believe you would regret it either.

Without the 2 closing films that end the story (Death & Rebirth and End Of Evangelion) this certainly isn't Ultimate, as you will reach the end of the last disc with a BIG sense of "What the flippin heck just happened?" - not that the films take that feeling away completely, and that is one of the joys of Evangelion.

BUT with the entire story currently being remade as a series of completely new cinema films, from the same storyboards as originally used but with MAJOR overhauls of the visuals, it might make more sense for a newcomer to pass on this completely and get the "shiny new versions" as they appear rather, than the slightly polished, but still over 10 years old tv show on sale here.

Remake film 1 has been shown in cinemas, has been released on DVD in Japan, and is being redubbed/subtitled at the moment for a Western release "soon". Film 2 is being waited for with high expectations by its Japanese audience.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is with out doubt the best anime i have ever seen and i have seen quite a few and have a pretty big collection myself. Not only is it the best anime, it's the best thing i have ever witnessed on any kind of screen. It is quite simply the most jaw-droppingly, thought-provoking, emotionally evocative visual experience of my life to date. I am writing this review having finished watching Neon Genesis Evangelion 2 days ago. I would have written this review earlier, but i have only just snapped out of my dazed confusion!

It starts out better than any other mecha anime i have seen, with really decent action scenes and some of the coolest looking characters in anime, in the Evangelions themselves. As the human characters are introduced and their personalities become apparent, the series evolves into a delicate emotional drama showcasing the social interplay between the troubled teen pilots and their guardians, friends and co workers. Towards the end of the series, you see the relationships of the main characters develop, as well as the intensely complex plotlines, before your psyche is thrown into a huge philosophical dilemma, which ultimately leaves you questioning your own reasons for living and why in fact you are alive at all!

If you thought Evangelion was only about giant robots fighting impossibly weird alien monsters, you were wrong! Watch it from the beginning to the very end! The last 2 episodes will blow your mind!

Evangelion always provokes lots of debates about being the best anime series ever. Even if Evangelion is not the best series ever in your eyes, this boxset is! The discs themselves are nicely designed and the boxset comes with 7 DVDs and a nice information booklet that has a lot of info in it. Things such as Commentary for every episode, info each angel (3 - 17) and info on the evas.

Apart from the nicely remastered Video and superior 5.1 surround sound quality, which is by far the best feature of them all, as all other eva DVDs were stereo and are nothing compared to this remastered audio. Some nice touches are the addition of more background sounds and chat, that was originally cut out so the viewer didnt miss anything, simply adds to the experience.

As for Special features, you get all the Director's Cut episodes (as well as the originals) storyboards for some episodes, and nice documentarys about the mysteries of eva.

If you have a spare £67, like eva, and love to have nice flashy and cool boxsets with plenty of extras, then buy this boxset!!!

I bought this, being a fan of films such as Akira and Ghost in the Shell and all i can say is wow!

I never saw any of the previous releases, so as another reviewer said, have no point of comparrison as far as audio/video remastering goes, but the series is amazing!

In all fairness, it took a whilst to get into, but the series really picks up around episode 8, and it just blew me away!

If you like anime/manga and have £70 burning a hole in your pocket - what are you waiting for?

When I heard the premium Collection was coming out I pre ordered instantly, based on what great things I had heard about it from others. Although I hadnt watched any previous versions of Eva the sound and picture quality is great, even though I have no base of comparison in terms of previos NGE releases. What I can comment on fully is how great the entire series is in terms of its plot, characters and pace. Few other series have you fascinated by the characters as much as Eva (Cowboy Bebop and Fullmetal Alchemist also have great character development). The series has something for everybody including humour, tragedy and amazing giant mechs. The English voice actors are also very good and seem to convey the same emotions as the Japanese guys. The layout of the DVD's are also really top quality- clear, subtle and stylish layout. Unlike other anime box set releases Eva comes with a 60 page booklet with info on each Angel and features 26 episode commentaries. I dont want to go into too much depth about the characters but there is a good variety of characters favourites being Shinji, Misato and Asuka, their relationship unfolds nicely and is fun to watch as the series progresses. The Special features are top notch with several episode commentaries and two mini documentaries which are interesting, best feature must be the English voice actor for Asuka's huge room of Asuka merchendise, very funny!

All in all I would recommend Neon Genesis Evangelion to any Anime fan as it soars above the majority of anime released the ten years following its original release.

Eva is an amazingly deep anime that has stood the test of time. A super classic! And this is the 'ultimate editon'. With regard to other comments on this page, 'Death & Rebirth' and 'The End of Evangelion' were never part of the original series. They are a 2-part alternative ending which was created because many fans found the original ending (last two episodes) just too deep and confusing and not action-packed enough. I personally think that this, the original ending is the definitive version. And regarding the 4:3 comments - The original series is very old and was never designed for widescreen TVs.

I highly recommend this anime to everyone. It's rather epic and deep but it's very unique, and I love it!!!

If you have even a passing interest in Japanese anime or Japanese culture, you're sure to have heard of the groundbreaking series Neon Genesis Evangelion. Over the years, this series has garnered an incredible cult following and has inspired many newer animes. However none have surpassed the this great show.

The series focuses on the organistaion known as NERV. It's 2015 and Nerv is fronting the battle against the villainous Angels with their own powerful weapons - The Evangelion's. These gigantic, towering robots are piloted by 14 year old kids who have the ability to synchronise and control them. Such a person is Shinji Ikari, who is also known as the Third Child. Throughout the series we see Shinji, along with his fellow 'chosen' children as they combat the invading Angel's and try to prevent the Third Impact.(anihilation of all living things). However, this is no easy task and soon the physical and psychological impacts of piloting the Evas begins to take it's toll.

What ensues is a intelligent and thrilling sci fi series that brings forth an incredibly well told story, great characters that the viewer can empathise with and eyepopping mecha action sequences. The production of this series looks flawlessly high budget and big in scale that sometimes you have to remind yourelf that it was made way back in 1995. While some of the animation shows it's age, some of the action sequences are outstanding. The sheer attention to detail and the smooth animating makes this look and feel extraordinary. Furthermore, there are some truly excellent character designs that are widely recognised in the world of anime. The majority of the episodes see the young heroes battling angels, while also fleshing out their characters. All of the characters in Evangelion are simply classic and are hard not to like. Everything about this show oozes with quality and pure class which has stamped it's position as one of the best and most influential animes ever created.

This show has often been critisised due to the intense mental and psychological aspects towards the later part of the series which often results in inconsistent and surreal story telling that can be rather confusing (to say the least). While the obvious goal for the story is following man's battle against the Angel's, there is also a strong theme of identity loss and the purpose of living (as well as other similar themes), which can be attributed to creator Hideaki Anno's depressive problems prior to making the show. The shows tendency to delve into this surreal story telling was taken with critisism among man fans due to over-complication and loss of focus to the story. The later part of Neon Genesis is certainly a head scratcher on the first watch, however it is truly intriguing and captivating and the fact that the characters are so likeable and relatable makes the experience even more meaningful.

Filled with philosophical questions and biblical references, Evangelion is a series that has been analysed and discussed since it's inception and it has become a landmark anime series that has stood the tests of time and will continue to do so for years to come. A truly fantastic anime series that needs to be on everyones shelf now!

Despite the other reviewers rating (2 stars?), this is the definitive edition we've been waiting for in the UK. This set comes with a fairly sturdy tin box, a 60-page booklet with Eva/Angel info and a glossary of terms you'll hear in Eva. It also, obviously, comes with the 7-disc 26-episode run of NGE, remastered especially for this set. While the picture quality dips at times and occasionally shows its age, its much better than the VHS/DVD releases of the past. This set comes with director's cuts of various episodes, commentaries and 4 documentaries. It's the best boxset were likely to see in the UK and at £72, I was very happy with what I got. If you havent seen Eva before, then I'd be wary about your preconceptions or word-of0mouth reviews. Different people take different things from it, as it can be viewed as a metaphor for religion. On the flipside, if you just enjoy giant robots putting each other through skyscrapers then you'll no doubt enjoy it too. There's a strange directorial style throughout with the focus quite often on mundane objects for lingering periods and there are times when dialogue is repeated a few too many times. But for this amount of money, the only boxset out there to beat it in value is the Wolfs Rain Definitive Edition. Highly recommended by a serious anime/manga fan