Nearly 26 years after Neon Genesis Evangelion saw the light of day, Hideki Anno brings his Rebuild saga to an end with the long-awaited Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, and he achieves that by borrowing and enhancing narrative elements from the first two finales he conceived for his masterful creation, that remains to this day one of the best anime ever made.

At its finest, 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time recreates the simple charm of day to day life sometimes seen in the original anime when its protagonists were not immersed in fighting off impending apocalyptic doom, all before spiraling on an all-action Eva blowout that crescendoes into introspective musings on human existence, consciousness, nihilism, and the meaning of life. However, at its worst, the movie’s incredibly dense plot can be outright confusing or even disturbing for some, while the end result of some modern CGI effects leaves much to be desired.

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3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time is the longest film in the Rebuild series clocking in at just over two and a half hours that are divided into two main parts, with the first one picking up almost exactly where the previous movie left off, leading to a quiet passage that explores the lives of Asuka, Rei, and whatever is left of Shinji’s troubled psyche after 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo. Before that, the film opens with a WILLE operation in Paris to rescue spare parts to build a new and much-needed Eva Unit-02 in a scene that not only reestablishes Mari Makinami’s fighting capabilities aboard Unit-08, but also shows the mechanics behind the red L Barrier that covers the planet and the some film's best music.

Rei in farm Evangelion 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time

After setting up the wandering trio adjusting to life in the small village where survivors of the near Third Impact have set up camp, everyone has their own journey. Regardless, Rei’s is definitely the focal point when she begins to find herself as this new Rei Ayanami variant that’s completely detached from her previous clones, all among the normal people that try to live their everyday lives, in a small area protected by an Anti-L System.

Meanwhile, Shinji spends most of the time stuck in a catatonic state, much to Asuka’s frustration, since he can’t bear with the fact that not only did he not save Rei but he also had to watch Kaworu being blown up right in front of his face with the same kind of DDS choker Asuka is wearing, leaving him so haunted he vomits at the mere sight of it and even lacks the will to eat.

Watching the nameless Rei learning how to live is truly endearing; her becoming familiar with simple words such as good night, good morning, thank you, and goodbye; the mere existence of children and cats; the children's book reminiscent of the hedgehog's dilemma; her complete lack of memory of Toji and Kensuke; plus, her programmed affection for Shinji even when he’s at his absolute lowest depressive state (and that says a lot). It’s all meant to show Shinji and the viewer that there is a possibility for another way of living out there, that despite all the destruction and suffering there’s happiness out there too.

Depressed Shinji in Evangelion 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time

Of course, this comes to an end when Rei notices her life is not sustainable without the constant LCL exposure she got when confined at NERV, but even in this form, her bond with Shinji is what pulls him out from his trauma. This entire part of the story is crucial to Shinji’s personal story arc and luring viewer's interest back into all of these characters, with Shinji finding out Ryoji Kaji and Misato had a son probably being the cherry on top to get him and the audience ready to go back to Captain Katsuragi’s ship.

After leaving the calm surroundings of the village, Shinji goes back to his prisoner treatment aboard the AAA Wunder, while Asuka, Mari, Captain Katsuragi, and the rest of WILLE’s members get ready to hijack NERV and SEELE’s plan to finally trigger the Fourth Impact. It’s here when things can get bafflingly hard to follow, which kind of makes it crucial to watch the previous Rebuild of Evangelion films uploaded on Amazon Prime.

As it’s noted by Gendo Ikari and Fuyutsuki, SEELE has pretty much gone off the radar (which helps to simplify the plot) believing their plan to start the Human Instrumentality Project is perfectly on track, regardless of the NERV men being clearly in control. As the battle heads to the site of the Second Impact, the revelations begin to cascade on with almost every action sequence being followed by an equally important piece of information and strengthening the idea that Mari is the real combat MVP here, so maybe she deserves as many cosplays as Rei and Asuka get.

Gendo Ikari’s plan results in what is believed to be no more than a clone of Asuka triggering his vision for the second impact, Shinji’s father confronts Misato and the rest of WILLE to reveal his ghastly dehumanized form, sending Shinji, Misato, and Mari chasing after him in the depths of the anti-universe. Even if both Anno and prior Evangelion films left fans with interpretative freedom over the series' canon, what unfolds pretty much tosses that idea out the window when Kaworu reveals to Shinji they've lived out these moments is past occasions, and yet everything is set for the outcome to be different this time around.

Mari Makinami in Evangelion 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time

It would appear then that the Rebuild saga's purpose then is to craft a different type of timeline for Shinji, one where his wish to reset the world when in control of human instrumentality doesn't end up like The End of Evangelion. The rare one-on-one conversation with his father instills the idea that this conflict is no longer physical but emotional instead, as Gendo Ikari's true motives and trauma are finally shown to Shinji.

Now armed with new emotional awareness, Shinji's growth is what truly empowers him to end the series on a high note as he's no longer so afraid to make decisions or lose the people he's attached to that the entire human race must pay for it. What follows are some of Evangelion's most pivotal and sensitive moments because just like Rei Shinji is finally ready to say thank you and goodbye to Asuka and Kaworu, all to build a new world free of his father and the giant Evangelion mechas.

The film closes with a glimpse at a new reality that suggests Shinji, the rest of the children, and possibly Anno have finally found closure as it cuts to a real-life shot of modern Japan. Overall, 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time gives off some serious End of Evangelion vibes, however, thanks to character growth the movie showcases its outcome turns out to be more of a happy ending than the previous finale was much more wrapped in Shinji's cynicism.

When Anno created Neon Genesis Evangelion in the 90s he was submerged in a deep depression and that was evident from the series' own nature, yet his work and vision 26 later shows his own growth and desire to send off Shinji on a very different and much more hopeful note. 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time is far from perfect, but it's the real standout from the convoluted Rebuild saga that delivers a fitting ending that should leave most fans quite satisfied.

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