Alternative TitlesEnglish: Neon Genesis Evangelion Synonyms: Shinseiki Evangelion Japanese: 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 26
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Oct 3, 1995 to Mar 27, 1996
Duration:
24 min. per episode Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 8.321 (scored by 41541 users)
Ranked: #1422
Popularity: #11
Members: 59,179
Favorites: 4,452 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
Popular Tags
action drama mecha psychological sci-fi |
SynopsisIn the year 2015, the Angels, huge, tremendously powerful, alien war machines, appear in Tokyo for the second time. The only hope for Mankind`s survival lies in the Evangelion, a humanoid fighting machine developed by NERV, a special United Nations agency. Capable of withstanding anything the Angels can dish out, the Evangelion`s one drawback lies in the limited number of people able to pilot them. Only a handful of teenagers, all born fourteen years ago, nine months after the Angels first appeared, are able to interface with the Evangelion. One such teenager is Shinji Ikari, whose father heads the NERV team that developed and maintains the Evangelion. Thrust into a maelstrom of battle and events that he does not understand, Shinji is forced to plumb the depths of his own inner resources for the courage and strength to not only fight, but to survive, or risk losing everything. (Source: AniDB) |
Related AnimeAdaptation: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Summary: Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth
Sequel: Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion
Alternative version: Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, Evangelion: 3.0 Q Quickening, Evangelion: 4.0,
Spin-off: Petit Eva ~ Evangelion@School ~
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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CitizenGeek
162 of 297 people found this review helpful
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26 of 26 episodes seen
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| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
Note: this review is spoiler free.
Hugely experimental and wonderfully unique, Evangelion is a roaring success.
The basic, initial, plot goes thus: a 14-year-old boy named Shinji is called to NERV (an organization charged with defending mankind from extinction, no less) by his estranged, seemingly cold and calculating father. There, his fathers' first words are an order to pilot an immense robotic machine, the titular Evangelion, and fight against the monster that's attacking Tokyo-3, the city under which NERV has it's headquarters. These illusory 'monsters' are called Angels and are seemingly invincible - traditional weaponry, even in the year 2015, has minimal effect upon them. Only the Eva 'biomechs', which can be piloted solely by certain selected 14-year-olds can stop them. This [i]is[/i] merely the basic, initial premise of the series. As it goes on, everything gets a lot more complicated; There's a metric ton of mystery, suspense, twists and turns in Evangelion's plot, all routinely thought-provoking and intensely interesting.
The characters are excellent. This is an important point as the series is more about them than about the Angels or NERV. Shinji Ikari is one the most believable and genuinely sympathetic character ever conceived in anime. Though some would complain that Shinji is overtly emotional and annoyingly so. But, really, no one wants Shinji to become the 'Hollywood hero' and save the day with a smile on his face - no such human could ever really exist, and studio Gainax understand this and apply it perfectly to the series. Shinji's mental struggle is dealt with effectively by Hideki Anno, through the use of complex monologues and largely successful experimental cinematic techniques. Asuka and Rei, the other chosen children, are both polar opposites and ingenious characters. Both develop a great deal in a very interesting way throughout the series, and this character exploration and growth is at the heart of Evangelion.
The design aspects are wonderfully unique - the Evas themselves are strikingly colourful and the Angels are attention grabbing and memorable with many towering over Tokyo-3's skyscraper. The Angels appear in many different forms (one Angel takes the form of a gargantuan, blue diamond while another is too small to be seen with the naked eye and acts as an organic virus, crippling NERV's computer system) which helps Eva avoid the repetitve "Monster of the Week" format and keeps the action aspect of the series consistently fresh and enjoyable. Judeo-Christian references are famous (or rather, infamous) in Evangelion and despite widespread condemnation, I am of the firm belief that the symbolism is never obnoxious, and always evocative and visually shocking. It must be noted these references are usually fairly shallow, but they make you sit up and take notice of the deeper meaning in the series as a whole. Animation is crisp and clear for the platinum re-mastering that I watched, and I hasten to add that this re-mastering is only version of Eva worth buying. Visuals are regularly stunning and scenes from this series will surely stay with you forever. The regular provocative imagery is often times shocking and sometimes awe-inspiring. The image of a crippled Rei, bleeding and covered in bandages in the first episode provides the first real shock of the series. Such imagery contrasts with the visual gags present throughout - a toothpick container obscuring Shinji's nether regions in episode 2 being one of the most memorable.
The music is, much like the rest of Eva, superbly memorable. It excels at setting the right mood and tone, using inspirational trumpets to highlight Asuka and Shinji's success in battle, and nuanced reflective tunes to convey the character of Rei. The OP is among my favourites of all time and you'll not tire of hearing it throughout the 26 episodes of the series.
The final two episodes are controversial (more controversial than the rest of the series at least!) because they are both the peak of experimental Eva. While I certainly wouldn't call them "bad", they are frustratingly unsatisfying as an ending. Thankfully, the subsequent movie release titled 'End of Evangelion' rectifies this with bombastic aplomb. EoE - which essentially tells the story of what happens in eps. 25 and 26, but this time outside of Shinji's mind - is truly magnificent, and definitely lives up to the sky high standards set in the series, and perhaps even exceeds them. As well as being one of the greatest anime movies ever made, EoE gives the series an extraordinary conclusion.
I haven't even mentioned the dub, the pacing or the sound effects, but rest assured that they are all of a fantastic standard. Overall, I think this series deserves it's iconic status - it's easily one of the absolute best TV series (anime or otherwise) that I've ever seen. Every single episode is nothing less than a masterpiece and an utter joy to watch. I whole heartedly recommend Neon Genesis Evangelion. It is imperative that you watch this anime!
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Archaeon
186 of 349 people found this review helpful
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26 of 26 episodes seen
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| Overall |
5 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Character |
3 |
| Enjoyment |
3 |
Okay, I'm REALLY going to upset a lot of you out there with this review.
Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most mediocre animes I have EVER seen.
I watched this when it first came out, and I wasn't overly impressed with it to say the least.
The story is okay. The idea of earth being assaulted by unknown, quasi-supernatural/technological beings is one that has been handed down through the years, the most famous example being The War of the Worlds (which wins hands down by the way).
The animation was actually one of the few plus points for this anime. The art style and use of colour made this attractive to many when it was first released. The sound was also of a high standard, and the catchy J-pop intro jingle was forcibly lodged into many peoples craniums.
Now we get to the good part - the characters.
Ayanami Rei was okay as a character, but what on earth possesses everyone to raise Ikari Shinji to almost godlike status? The guy is biggest loser in anime (with the exception of Makoto for School Days - Nice Boat), and one of the biggest losers I have even seen in ANY story since Thomas Covenant. I honestly found myself wishing he was a real person so I could smack some sense into him. I've heard it mentioned that he is the most realistic character in the anime, and I have to wonder what planet the people who say such things were born on. I mean honestly.
Okay, rant over, here's why this character is THE MAIN REASON why this anime was mediocre. NERV is a military organisation whose SOLE objective is the protection of the planet, by whatever means. This being the case, WHY THE HELL is Ikari Shinji the main focus of the story? He doesn't want to pilot an EVA, and doesn't want to fight. Any self respecting organisation WOULD HAVE FOUND SOMEONE MORE WILLING AND MORE ABLE to do the job. There's such a fuss over how special Shinji is, but surely with 6 billion people on the planet there would be someone better equipped for the job.
But I understand the anime only had so much budget so they couldn't really conduct a global search.
The most believable character is Asuka Langley Soryu, as her reaction to Shinji's ineptitude and cowardice is similar to that of any reasonable person.
I'm not going to mention enjoyment as I've already made it clear that this was mediocre at best.
This wasn't Hideaki Anno's best work by far. Top wo Nerae (Gunbuster), was a far superior sci-fi anime, and the characters were MUCH more believable. The story for Top wo Nerae beats Neon Genesis Evangelion hands down.
As for his other works, watch Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou (KareKano or His & Her Circumstances). Hideaki Anno proved his talent with this anime, and Top wo Nerae, so I can only assume he was suffering from dementia when Evangelion was written.
Overall this anime will NOT appeal to anyone who knows what a good story is, or who has actually had an original thought in their lives. It WILL appeal to all the EMO fanboys and fangirls out there as there is enough unjustified emotional self-trauma and angst in this show to sink a battleship.
A suggestion if I may, to end this rant. If you want emotion, trauma, passion, a great story, and all the rest, then watch some of the following animes:
Fullmetal Alchemist
Barefoot Gen
Flanders no Inu (movie)
Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid
NHK ni Youkoso!
Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou
Top wo Nerae
Grave of the Fireflies
Mushishi
Chrno Crusade
There's a lot more that fit the bill. Watch them, then re-watch evangelion and see if it has the same feeling it did before (I would advise removal of the fluffy pink clouds of nostalgia in your head before rewatching).
Some of you are probably wondering why I wrote this review if I dislike the show so much. The reason is simple. I'm sick to death of seeing the show aired on the various channels that show anime, and I'm even more fed up with the fact that newcomers to anime are indoctrinated by magazines and other people into liking this piece of tripe, especially when there are far superior animes out there that rarely get mentioned anywhere.
I'm going to end this review here. I'm not going to tell you all not to watch this. I just hope that this review makes you consider what actually IS good in anime.
I hope I haven't upset you all too much. read more
Recommendations
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I think this has been compared to Evangelion, Numerous amounts of times, mostly because of the Mechanical aspects, the characters and the fact that the Angels and Dolems kind of parallel each other.
Evangelion is the main source of inspiration for Rahxephon, many consider it a clone. Evangelion tends to be more complex and intelectual, concentrating on philosophy and psychology while Rahxephon tends to be easier and not so inteligent concentrating on a love story with harem like influences all covered up in an artsy smart wannabe story with big, complicated words used that don't have any real meanings behind them (perfect for the new generation of anime fans who love superficial stories who like to seem complex).
Similar premises, but RahXephon did a lot better job of it.
If You Watch It, You'll See Why. There Are Some Very Interesting Similarities, But The Show Is Still Unique.
Can't explain in one sentence. You just have to see it.
The mechas are similar,but they are made of "Clay",the story is kinda oriented into the same genre,but Evangelion's story is deeper moved into the religious sector,while RahXephon's is oriented about time.
NGE created the genre, Rahxephon and Eureka7 are two original creations inside that format, both are great but I prefer the original
Rahxephon is basically neon genesis done correctly!! Where Eva failed Rahxephon succeeded.
both have a very similar story lines and themes
They're both intriguing psychological dramas amongst countless of other similarities.
Both have giant mechas used by the main characters, and during various episodes like to play with your head some.
DUH? RahXephon is a direct copy of NGE but not as messed up. It is the NGE for amateurs and newbies to anime. But RahXephon has its own appeal b/c it is referenced in other shows such as Ouran High school host club. However, i have to say that i like RahXephon more b/c i can sleep at night after watching it and b/c of Quon and "Ra Ra what is it Ollin?" Who wouldn't fall in love with that?
Both are great mecha shows that deal with other underlying psychological/emotional themes, although NGE has a little more of the psychoanalytical "stuff". In the end, RahXephon is really more of a love story, but doesn't slack on the action or introspection. If you are an anime fan, you owe it to yourself to watch both of these shows, even if you don't like mecha.
You can almost call this a copy of NGE, aside from the fact that Rah Xephon tends not to mess with your mind, is not as depressing. The Story is just as epic though, the trials are just as challenging and the story is detailed enough that you do need to follow the story to know whats going on.
RahXephon - although good - is more or less a rip off of Evangelion (and so is the Bible lol). It has so many subtle similarities in characters and story, but none the less it is still a good anime. Evagelion is one of the GREATEST animes and is amazing to watch and even more complex the RahXephon. If you enjoy philosophical thinking - both are good, but Eva is better.
Both implement mecha robots as well as some form of religious belief to progress each respective plot. Also both have main characters with social problems. Need I say more???
They share a ridiculous number of specific and general similarities. Essentially, RahXephon is a much lighter and brighter version of Evangelion. Evangelion has significantly more psychological and philosophical elements than RahXephon, but RahXephon sounds and looks far better (also is less screwy, if you're not a fan of mind screw). Either way, if you like Evangelion, you'll definitely like RahXephon.
Using gamer terminology, these series have the same setting: huge anthropomorphic robots save the world (or try to destroy it, according to the point of view) with a little help of brave teenagers. The formula is completed by a mere alien per episode and a big boss in the end. As a set-off against Eva, RahXephon has a great love story. By all means, those who were excited about one series will enjoy watching the other.
Both series are mechas with dramatic, psychological themes. Both are really high quality for their times and have amazing plots and characters.
The similarities are endless and there is also definitely some major differences biggest one of which being that the main theme of RahXephon is music and its power to change the world (tune the world). I think of RahXephon as being very similar to NGE (at least there seems to be slightly more similarities than differences) with a much less emo male lead and a watchable ending (more than watchable actually, compared to NGE's completely unwatchable and horrific last two episodes).
RahXephon is what Evangelion should have been like. NGE has a lot more fans than RahXephon, although i can't possibly comprehend why aside from the fact that NGE came first.
Neon Genesis has a very complicated and detailed plot, and many consider RahXephon to be a rip-off of it. However, I found that I enjoyed RahXephon much more than Evangelion. Both deal with Mechas, politics, religion, a boy struggling to come to terms with his life and what everyone expects of him. I just felt RahXephon was executed better.
Both involve around a teenage boy trying to remember and forget the past at the same time. Everyone that the boy loves has either turned away or no longer able to be there for him. Full of action, A Mecha is what the boy uses in battle to combat with the organization he has joined. Which is use primarily for battle.
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Characters' style in the beginnig of the story.
Eureka7 was clearly influenced by NGE
Eureka Seven takes many MANY things from Evangelion, such as characters (i.e: Rei Ayanami = Eureka), use of mecha, some things from the plot, etc. Sometimes when I was watching Eureka 7 I felt i was wachting eva, altough Eureka is not as sad or phsicological as Evangelion.
The LFOs in Eureka are similar to the Evas in NGE.
The story is deep very envolving, really when I first started watching it, I thought it reminded me alot of evangelion.
Both main characters are boys. Both go through things that make them go through developement. Theres plenty of Mecha battles and drama in both of them and both can get psychological at times. Also, in both NGE and E7 the mechs make up a lot of the mysteries in the plots.
Eureka Seven is very similar to Eva. They both have mysterious mechs. The main male characters think alike and go through a lot of change, there is a lot of character development.
Few anime series can compare to the masterpiece that is Evangelion, but if you are looking for something similar then Eureka Seven is more than likely a series you'll enjoy. Both stories' central focus is around a young male and his search for belonging, as he's thrown into the midst of a giant conflict. Giant mechs, young love, and large casts to boot, these two series are both quite similar to each other in a number of ways. Spoilers and synopses aren't my type, so ultimately I'll leave it for you to decide. Eureka Seven certainly isn't as timeless as Eva, but it's one of the better series one could compare it to and it still does a great job of keeping its audience captivated up until the final curtain falls.
Giant robots. Strange creatures to fight against. Protagonists with f***'d up lives. What more could you ask for? It's all right here in these two great anime series. Check them out!
Both have strange, simillar mechas, some psychological problems and mystery. However NGE is more .. mature (?).
Both are sci-fi, both of them have a main character who follows his evolution, and a lot of good action and sci-fi scenes :-)
well they're both similar because of the whole child growing to an adult thing. if you like mecha then you'll love these
Both include romance, action, and mystery.
Mysterious female characters and the one's that fall for them. Plus the disasterous plot of the world ending, fighting with machinery/robots.
Cute relationship that starts to form between main characters, and how they try to save the world.
Both question human nature, and humanity.
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Opening Theme"残酷な天使のテーゼ [Zankoku na Tenshi no Te-ze (Thesis of a Cruel Angel)]" by Yoko Takahashi
Ending Theme#01: "Fly Me to the Moon" by Claire
#02: "Fly Me to the Moon (Rei #5 Version)" by Megumi Hayashibara (ep 5)
#03: "Fly Me to the Moon (Rei #6 Version)" by Megumi Hayashibara (ep 6)
#04: "Fly Me to the Moon -4 Beat Version-" by Yoko Takahashi (eps 7,12)
#05: "Fly Me to the Moon (Aya Bossa Techno Version)" by Aya (eps 8,22)
#06: "Fly Me to the Moon (Yoko Takahashi Acid Bossa Version)" by Yoko Takahashi (eps 9,13)
#07: "Fly Me to the Moon (Yoko Takahashi Version)" by Yoko Takahashi (eps 10,14,21)
#08: "Fly Me to the Moon -4 Beat Version (Off-Vocal)-" by [Instrumental] (ep 15)
#09: "Fly Me to the Moon (Off-Vocal Version)" by [Instrumental] (eps 16,24)
#10: "Fly Me to the Moon (Aki Jungle Version)" by Aki (ep 17)
#11: "Fly Me to the Moon -B22 (A-Type)-" by [Instrumental] (ep 20)
#12: "Fly Me to the Moon (Rei #23 Version)" by Megumi Hayashibara (ep 23)
#13: "Fly Me to the Moon (Rei #25 Version)" by Megumi Hayashibara (ep 25)
#14: "Fly Me to the Moon (Rei #26 Version)" by Megumi Hayashibara (ep 26)
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