Whereas Evangelion: 1.11 You Are [Not] Alone was essentially a re-tweaking and fresh coat of paint over the now 15-year old series, the second in the movie reboot trilogy(/quadrilogy?), Evangelion: 2.22 You Can [Not] Advance, is a whole new animal, barely recognizable from the events in the original anime.

Similar to another strong second installment, The Empire Strikes Back, new characters are introduced, the world is expanded, and the true stakes going forward are revealed in a brutal and shocking climax. (more…)