Petit Eva: Evangelion@School

Needless to say, Petit Eva: Evangelion@School defined my personality and changed my life. Before I watched this anime, I really didn't know what living was really like, but Hideaki Anno's masterful work on this anime really allowed me to understand myself and the world around me in much better ways and has left me with infinite questions after watching about psychology and the spirit. Story: 10 The story is near the bible-tier quality of story-telling and masterful world-building. Episode 1 started the anime off strong, showcasing the duality of man versus machine. While man must eat food to survive, machines must eat batteries, and life must prosperas such. Philosophical questions such as these continue into the anime's runtime, and I really started to ponder the nature of the human experience thanks to this series. When Shinji, our reluctant but brave protagonist gets a massive load of crap dumped on him, it was actually a metaphor for creation of man, and how god rested on the 7th day, declared sunday. Needless to say, this is a masterpiece in storytelling. Art: 10 The mix of traditional hand-drawn backgrounds combined with modern, gorgeous CGI animation makes this anime a real treat to the eyes. The combat between Gendo and Misato was something that I could've never imagined being as beautiful as it is. For this review, I tried hard not to compare this masterpiece to the filth that is Neon Genesis Evangelion but, it's a simple fact that animation on the berserker mode on Unit 01 in this anime is unbelievably just jaw-dropping compared to the stinky trash that is Neon Genesis's "beserk" interpretation. Clearly, Hideaki Anno knew what he was doing. Sound: 10 From the very minute I heard the opening theme song, I knew that I was soon to be immersed in a world of auditory pleasure. The sound design in this beautiful anime is just amazing. It really makes me feel like I'm actually there, inside Unit 01 while he's cleaning the floors. The audio is unbelievable, and this extends to the voice acting. The VA is able to break the language barrier, and I can confidently say that I watched this anime without subtitles and still understood everything that they were trying to convey with no Japanese knowledge. The dedication of the EVA voice actors in this anime was incredible. Character: 10 Oh my god. I don't even know where to start. Asuka's character is the deepest in this show by far, but the other 3 rei characters also get extremely deep character development. This is yet another example of how this anime really beats out Neon Genesis in every way. Shinji by far proved to really redeem himself in this anime. Although in the original, disgusting filth that's known as Neon Genesis, Shinji acts like a whiney little kid, in this anime Shinji has really redeemed himself, and although he has a bad past, he's moved beyond and it really accepts who he is. It's also shown that Shinji is a real puller of women now, something that I think really fit his character. As seen in the biking episode, Shinji is able to get both Rei AND Unit 01 (who is, in the canon, technically a woman) to ride on his bike with him. This is redemption to who he is, and a beautiful sign of what's to come. Enjoyment: 10 Watching this anime really brought me closer to god. I can't say anything other than Petit Eva: Evangelion@School could be better because this anime really represents how I truly feel, and will always be an inspiration for me in my future projects. I hope to go into the anime industry producing a masterpiece someday like this anime. Overall: 10 Absolutely stunning.

I never suspected myself to rate something with 1's across the board. I don't even have to get into detail. The biggest question is: Who is this for? A child could watch it, but then they'd be interested in NGE, and I don't think a child should watch NGE. So, in that respect, it's inappropriate to introduce a child to this ONA. And, since it's not appropriate for children, it's easy to see how this definitely isn't for adults. I mean, it's just bad. Not even going to break down each category. Just trust my 1-rating for each category and avoid this. ((If you liked this review, checkout my other reviews by going to my profile and clicking the 'reviews' tab. I review virtually all anime and manga I find!))

I finally got around to watching the two DVDs of the "Puchi EVA - Evangelion School" box set. This is a set of 3D CG chibi character stories based upon the characters from EVA, but set in a junior high. The collection is from Star Child, KIBA 91633-4, and consists of a "Nice Rainbow Disc" DVD with 9 short episodes, and a "Xebec Disc" with 15 short episodes. The total time of the material is 134 minutes. The box set was released on March 3, 2009. There are TV ads for the series on both discs, as well as interviews with the creative teams, andsome rather unique "making of" shorts on the "Nice Rainbow" episodes, and music videos of the opening and closing theme songs on the "Xebec" disc. The box also came with a little model of EVA 1 in its "Evanchou" form, along with a number of accessories, including a Gurren-Lagann drill. (Gainax will be Gainax…) The best way for me to describe the series is: EVA meets Dr. Slump, directed by Mamoru Oshii, inspired by Chuck Jones, and set in an out-of-control Second Life world. The "Nice Rainbow" episodes are fairly straightforward gag-comedy shorts. The episode where Misato-sensei attempts to wake up a sleeping Shinji in class by throwing chalk is probably my favorite and it channels some of the best of the old Looney Toons escalating "battle" cartoons from the 40s and 50s. The episodes on the "Xebec" disc are much stranger, and at times are profoundly disturbing, but are never-the-less quite interesting thanks to their added depth. If you liked EVA you really ought to look up these short animations. You don't have to search for subtitled versions because there is no dialog, only music and sound effects. If you haven't seen EVA you should skip "Evangelion School" because it won't make much sense in that case. All-in-all I found it to be an interesting, sometimes intriguing, often hilarious, and always challenging set of little stories.

Do you want to watch hollow caricatures of your favorite eva pilots getting shit on, again and again, until they're unrecognizable monsters? No, I'm not taking a jab at the Rebuild series, I am asking you a genuine question: Do you want to see Shinji Ikari literally covered in feces? If your answer is yes, then I have just the show for you: Petit Eva: Evangelion@School My relationship with this ONA starts a few years ago in Akihabara. I was burning time at a second-hand store, looking for nothing in particular. Rummaging through a clearance bin, I stumbled across a chibi Asuka figure in a boxlabeled "Evangelion@School" and priced at ¥400. I looked up the figure and found it going for a lot more on auction sites so, of course, I bought it. Now, listen. I'm not a big fan of cutesy things, but a deal is a deal, and like my father and his father before him, I'm a sucker for a good deal. Years later, on this very day, I watched Petit Eva and have come to regret my purchase. Shinji is just a normal boy. He is not the "hedgehog" that we've come to know and love (or love to hate). Asuka is feisty and Rei is quiet - that's about it. Evangelion Unit 01 is a Bansho, booger-flinging schoolboy for no particular reason. Kaworu shows up as a friendly, bed-sheet ghost. This is all understandable, given how this is (assumedly) a gag anime for children, but Evangelion isn't exactly a child friendly franchise so I don't feel comfortable with this spin-off conceptually. Also, Gendo is portrayed as a voyeuristic hebephile with romantic and sexual feelings for Rei, in a world in which he is her principal and his wife is still alive. Do with that info what you will. As for the technical aspects of the spin-off: the cgi, animation, and music are all sub-par, and there is no voice acting. The jokes are, for the most part, not funny; a single frame in the final episode made me chuckle, but it wasn't worth the slog. I give Petit Eva 1s all around. If you want to see Shinji become Shit-ji, watch episode 1. If you want a serviceable End of Evangelion joke, watch episode 24. If you value your time in the slightest, watch no more.