One star off because, and I know I may regret this one day, because as any Eva fan knows our interpretations of and perceptions of and perspectives on the characters and the stories are extremely subjective with regards to time and place and latest iteration, I simply did not appreciate Sadamoto’s Kaworu. I’m not against it, no, but I think the religious overtones suggested something about his character was edited, admonished even, for being what it was. Maybe it’s a cultural thing, but, reading this in 2023, especially after 3.0+1.0, I can’t help but acknowledge that this Kaworu isn’t characterized in a way that progresses the story except as a plot device. There’s a nuance to him, yes, but instead of developing and discovering himself and Shinji, this Kaworu is merely and self-admittedly there to facilitate Instrumentality. I’m not entirely certain that was kind or necessary of Sadamoto. But, again, I’m willing to leave that question open-ended, as I choose to revisit Eva again and again and again over the course of my life.