Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV Series) The Beginning and the End, or 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' (1996) User Reviews

Didn't like it on first watch

[bardy9 · 10/10 · 12 April 2021]

I think that was because I didn't know how to process the emotions it made me feel - it was vastly complex and often confusing.

What they speak about is so monumental that it can often leave you with this indescribable sense of dread - I also think this wonderful sense of dread has the location design to thank; there are these big, futuristic, open spaces in this episode (the showers, where Lilith is etc) that are so vast and isolating yet beautiful at the same time.

The music asserts its cosmic power over the episode, and helps elevate the wonderfully written dialogue and action sequence to divine heights. You really get the sense that something important is happening, you may not be sure WHAT exactly is happening, but that almost doesn't matter.

I am really struggling to express what I like about this episode, but I think that is what makes it so great; it's intangible and cosmic, yet extremely human. IDK.

"Knocking on heaven's door" is the greatest single episode of all time

[sebastiancalderonlabarca · 10/10 · 1 October 2019]

Even if your not a big fan of animation it's very important that you watch this episode at least once. It's simply a great peace of audiovisual art, pacing and choreography. Beautifully arranged in 24 minutes and finished with a shocking quote.

Every minute of this episode is made with the intention to making you cry.

Most confusing episode yet, so hard to rate

[sevskirita · 8/10 · 31 January 2023]

It's really hard to rate this one because it makes everything very confusing. So now there are three Adams, the body within Ikari, Kowaru as that body's soul, and the crucified Adam? This is so confusing. And then is he an Angel or Adam? What's going on man?

The visuals are outstanding but the plot got really confusing really fast. I'm rating it so highly because I don't know if this stuff will be explained later. That said, even if it is, the Eva sitting there about to crush Kowura was annoying. The similar Asuka elevator scene was funny, but this is a serious moment. I think I've read somewhere that they were tight on budget, but would it really be much more to add a little movement to the Eva to show the scene isn't completely static? Idk, it takes away from the episode imo.

Nagisa Kaoru

[ajtwlsalsdl · 13 January 2022]

Kaoru's appearance was short, but he influences Shinji a lot. I was impressed about him, but his talk including Lilim, Lilith was too hard to understand. And the music "Ode to Joy" was fantastic choice. It made me excited and afraid at the same time.

Good episode but lots of shoehorn

[shakedatjunk · 8/10 · 3 August 2021]

This episode was a very poor attempt to execute the bait and switch and to try to explain plot points by throwing in new and barely used terminology and expecting the audience to be able to piece together everything. I'm sure most people know what I'm talking about, but for example suddenly learning about Lilith and Lilan, Angel being used as an umbrella term so not being able to fully distinguish whether or not the 5th child is Adam, Adam's offspring, an Angel or an Evangelion.

I could keep going but man there is no way to understand this series properly only seeing these 24 episodes. The explanation of things is very sudden and badly worded sometimes.

I paused this episode so many times to rethink all my theories and thoughts just to realize after this series is over that I was actually right and following things correctly but the show just explained and executed things poorly.

End of Evangelion thankfully fixes everything and the Rebuild movies lay out the plot wayyy batter. The original series was trying a bit too hard to push character psyche and themes rather than properly telling the plot.

conundrum and existentialism

[soyalsh · 10/10 · 5 March 2023]

Last minute discussion betweeen shinji and kaworu left me with existentialism crises.

It really amaze me with its idea of humanity future if alienss, god like creatures exists.

It was physiological when angels was enlightened about human physiology and heart.

Angels are also a life same as lilith but with narcissi more knowing about universe . The truth of meaning is the biggest Conundrum of humans we have ever witness .

Human, angels and seele this is he episode where seele interact with both. Seele leads to another question about AI and consciousness this is classic 90's si-fi thought loved it.

Had promise but it did (not) fulfill it

[EuropeanQoheleth · 1/10 · 12 July 2021]

Shinji meets a boy called Kaoru and it seems that Kaoru has a crush on him but that could just be a ruse since he is in fact an angel, apparently sent by Seele to set things in motion. He and Shinji have a very tense fight but with Misato on the verge of ordering a self destruct of the base Shinji gets the upper hand and traps Kaoru in his Eva's fist...for a minute and 3 seconds. Another pointlessly long scene due to Fianna Fail level bad budgeting. The last 2 episodes await me...the only ones bar the first episode that I expected to hate. Oh well, as Magnus Magnusson would say ''I've started so I'll finish.''