(Note: this review covers the whole series' content and has done so forever, but MAL stuck a little yellow tag on here that says "preliminary")
Aquarion EVOL. It's been 12,000 quarter-days since the first series came out back in 2005 and now it's been reincarnated for the new era. First, some history:
To my knowledge, not many people liked Genesis of Aquarion. It was an overly melodramatic, awkward, very episodic and somewhat girly mecha series where the robots were essentially powered by orgasms(You read that right) and it had to compete in an era where good mecha anime was still a thing. It was a show that
...
couldn't take itself seriously even when it was trying to take itself seriously. Audience response was mostly apathetic, but people loved the theme song and the OST had some of Yoko Kanno's best work. Hell, that OP was the sole reason I decided to blindly download the whole show on dial-up back on Christmas of '05. It took 4 months to finish, and was actually my first subbed anime.
I loved Aquarion. It was stupid and weird in all the best ways, and to this day it's still a very different spin on the super robot genre. The melodramatic characters and their reactions to everything, the complete nonsense shouted by the leader that would lead to victory in every episode, the omnisexual, ten-way, cross-dimensional love story... All of it was just grand in retrospect. I had no idea of what to expect from this series' new art direction and the effects of a near-decade hiatus, but ho-damn am I satisfied.
Aquarion EVOL opens 12,000 years after the end of Aquarion, with the main character, Amata, watching his favorite decade-old movie that (poorly) depicts events of the prequel series' final episode. This is followed by his boss coming out and telling him "Amata, no one likes that movie but you, really. The theme song got popular, but that's about it." So yeah, the opening of this new foray into the orgasm-powered mecha genre is Shoji Kawamori brazenly declaring that he gives not a single fuck to the haters out there. I can't even tell you how happy that scene made me, I felt like Amata.
After that, you get treated to what's easily the prettiest god damn show of the season, and maybe year, as Amata takes this big-boobed blue haired girl on a date through the rivers of neo-Venice. The environments are always painted in absolutely beautiful detail and color, and many shots are screencap worthy because of how genuinely pretty they are. I strongly suggest watching this in HD.
The character and world designs are all very unique and memorable, infused with an injection of sharp detail, personality and visual originality that you don't see in many anime anymore. The world and characters feel alive, and there's even two full fictional alphabets that show up in the show that contribute to this. Also, each scene is well-composed on screen and because of that, Aquarion Evol is never a bore to look at.
So far, Aquarion Evol's new cast of characters is what makes it shine, at least in my opinion. Rather than the really odd focus of the first episodes of the prior series, Evol began strong by introducing a cast of lively, thought-out and memorably designed little mecha pilots and having them ping off of each other.
The antagonists are presented in a very neutral and borderline desperate way. They don't appear evil and their motivations and details about their pasts are kept as a mystery for a while, but the show gives many hints and allusions as to who they really are and keep the viewer interested rather than starve them for details.
The writing is strong and sharp up until about 2/3rds the way through, and then it gets a little dumb near the end when old plot lines end in anticlimactic ways, pointless new plot lines appear and things get pretty drawn out in general. But then the final episode is pretty great and brings all the important stuff back to the forefront for the most part, and the series ends on a strong, melodramatic cheesy note that it should.
This is all in contrast to the first series, where the story and characters were a little unfocused until the final 6 or 7 and episodes, and then those were all amazing and climactic.
Then you have the titular fighting robots. Shit looks absolutely fantastic, though, honestly, the 3D animation is a bit stiff and the original Aquarion has a leg up on it in terms of good choreography and smooth movements.
EVOL makes full and complete use of the "orgasm when combining" joke throughout the first episode, but actually lightens up on it as the show has progresses. So far, the only real mecha orgasm sequences have been for particularly climactic moments and new character introductions. The gag is used sparingly and after the first series it's apparent the creators took note that it alienated some people. This whole project in general looks like it's taking the widespread criticism of Aquarion both in stride and into consideration, creating a series that satisfies both old fans and newcomers.
The OST is still amazing. If you watched the first series you'll probably recognize a number of the background tracks, remixed or reworked, along with a bunch of nice, new pieces. This show's opening theme is an orgasm of Japanese vocal work. Yoko Kanno knows what she's doing.
All of the base elements of Aquarion remain intact, for better or worse. It's still pretty cheesy and melodramatic, but this time they're hamming it up even more while at the same time keeping a good focus on down-to-earth elements like the cast, for the most part. I appreciate the hell out of it, but I'm sure some people still won't 'get' it. It's also still really, really pretty and the energy produced by the visuals and sounds carry the show's asinine writing like a thoroughly lubed bullet train.
"So should I watch the first series before getting into this one?"
Yes. Or at least maybe the OVAs to get a feel for the characters and stuff. One of the main draws of this series (for me) was that it's actively referenced Aquarion quite a bit, such as one of the main villains basically being an evil version of the main character in the first show. Kawamori's also stated that the main cast in this show are reincarnations of the previous cast. Eventually learning how the two stories and their characters will tie together is going to be, as I predict, one of the most rewarding aspects of EVOL. So if you want to enjoy Evol as much as you can, experience the previous project a little bit first.
Also, honestly, while Evol might be more "likable", Aquarion was a better put-together show in the end, in my opinion.
"They... orgasm in the robot? that's stupid!"
And ironically this show has far less ecchi and has more thoughtful writing than any series it's directly competing with. But really now, you probably just got done watching tit-infused garbage like Lagrange, you can't criticize this show lmao
"So, is it better than Lagrange, the other girly mecha show this year?"
Yes, in just about every single possible way, shape and form.
"Is Fudo Gen in it? He was the only good thing about Aquarion"
Yes, and he's a fucking pirate ohmygodit'sgreat
Aquarion Evol gave me colorgasms and excitement for something to see every week for half a year, and I hope it did the same for everyone else. Give it a shot.
Alternative Titles
Japanese: アクエリオンEVOL
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
26
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Jan 9, 2012 to Jun 25, 2012
Premiered:
Winter 2012
Broadcast:
Unknown
Licensors:
Funimation
Source:
Original
Theme:
Mecha
Duration:
24 min. per ep.
Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Statistics
Ranked:
#39042
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#2059
Members:
107,782
Favorites:
412
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 45 / 46
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Your Feelings Categories Jan 10, 2012
(Note: this review covers the whole series' content and has done so forever, but MAL stuck a little yellow tag on here that says "preliminary")
Aquarion EVOL. It's been 12,000 quarter-days since the first series came out back in 2005 and now it's been reincarnated for the new era. First, some history: To my knowledge, not many people liked Genesis of Aquarion. It was an overly melodramatic, awkward, very episodic and somewhat girly mecha series where the robots were essentially powered by orgasms(You read that right) and it had to compete in an era where good mecha anime was still a thing. It was a show that ... Jul 17, 2012
This is my first time writing a review, so please bare with me, but for this series I felt like I needed to write my opinion of it.
Story: Episodes 1 - 13 = 7 Now, the series started off very good, I wouldn't say it was amazing, but it was enough to pull me in and get me interested in the series. It was lighthearted and comedy filled at points, but it also had plenty enough action and mystery involved to keep you looking forward to what might come next. Episodes 14 - 21 = 5 Unfortunately at this point, the story seems to start getting thrown all over ... Apr 25, 2012
I haven't watched the first season (don't really need to imho since they basically bring up the past a lot of times and you really only need a few tidbits to get whats going on). However, I will be watching the first season after this season is over to get a better feel of the story.
Story: The story is really good imo. You have 2 guys who clash together in order to win over the girl they love. The season isn't over yet but in my opinion it feels like 1 side represents "old love/destined love" and the other represents "new love/breaking chains of fate". ... Mar 24, 2014
If there was one thing that absolutely stood out for me in Aquarion EVOL, it was the artwork. Aquarion EVOL shines brightest in its absolutely gorgeous setting and consistent animation. Each location is drawn with such care and beauty and there were plenty of places for us to see. The artwork is what I'd would call "eyegasmic" or "scenery porn". It was a completely positive surprise. As of 2012, I can only list a handful of TV series that had such amazing artwork on display.
Unfortunately, aside from the delightfully eyegasmic setting it was in, the story and characters leave a bit to be desired. At ... Oct 27, 2013
I saw this anime because of a Funimation Trailer on Youtube. And when i saw the trailer i saw Good looking characters and animation, and i could tell right away it was of a Romance genre. This show has alot of Fan service, but some of the fan service thats shown is shown when they begin to use the Aquarion as a group and i wont spoil what its called
(Im guessing thats what those robots are called since they always shout out "GO. AQUARIOON" when they start to fight which can give a corny feel. I watched it all but if i sound ignorant of ... Feb 13, 2014
Aquarion Evol is not an anime to be taken literally. It is saturated with an abundance of metaphors and symbolism; some painfully and intentionally obvious whiles others subtle. Nevertheless, it is not particularly intelligent and never makes any attempts at being profound. Aquarion Evol distinguishes itself from others with its ostensibly ludicrous gimmicks: homosexual angels and donut philosophy to name a couple. Most significantly, however, is the amount of passion and love that pervades the series. Evol spelled backwards is love, and is filled to the brim with exactly that.
Aquarion Evol is a dog bereaved of life, revived, and bestowed with wings. It ... Jan 11, 2012
“To inherit a legend is to become a legend”
I first started this anime because I thought it would be about evil fishes, no joke. I translated the words at random and developed this idea that it would be like Finding Nemo with a twist. Don't find that too surprising, it insults my creativity (lets call it that) since my mind read the title as "Aquarium Evil." Anyway, I was a tad disappointed. Don’t get me wrong; evil fishes would have made my day but I’m trying to be “cup half full” for the New Year’s crap. So I decided to watch even after the first ... May 13, 2013
The orgasm powered robots are back and ready to kick some ass. Now at this point I would like to say that if you dont already know, this is a sequal and I will admit that you dont need to see the first to understand this, I think you still should, because you will be able to appreciate this more.
The original was good but the main problem I had was that I didnt really think a whole lot of the characters. There wasnt that one guy that I was like, hey I can relate to this; it just didnt happen. Here however they did ... Aug 19, 2013
This Is the 2nd season Of Aquarion. Its By Kawamori Shoji and is currently writing the manga as well. I officially liked the ending but really needs a third season because it didn't describe or answer many questions about the previous series. I'm happy for this anime but a few of the fans are hating cause it had an alternate ending to it.The other Aquarion was more serious,in a way. This starts with a boy named Amata who goes to a village and meets a girl named Mikono, they share deep love connection to each other. This season is about destiny,faith and Forbidden love(That every
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Jun 25, 2012
Mikono X Amata..........awesome, so finally this 26 episode anime has ended, so what now? Duuuuh, I guess, I'd probabaly say that this is all good, the genres indicated like Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Mecha, Romance and Sci-fi did proved well for this anime, ok so there is that fujoshi element in the last episode of this thing which for me is EEEEEEEWWWWW. But then again the romance genre has the most impact in the story so for the "Story" part I'd give it a "Very Good" number 8, since I like the main plot were there are challenges that comes with Amata's quest for
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Mar 14, 2012
This anime is just outstanding !
When I watched the first episode I though I will stop,but then I heard ending song. Its words are beautiful and music is just great. The more I'm watching this anime the more I feel like it's going to be my favorite ! Story is awesome,art is awesome,sound is awesome,in short this anime is just awesome. I don't like mecha very much but here it's different,mecha is combined with ecchi and romance,perfect ! Every character is different. I know I didn't watched the whole anime cause it's still airing but I still love it. I founded Aquarion Evol ... May 27, 2012
I don't normally watch mecha animes but this is definitely an exception.
Aquarion Evol is no doubt better than the original considering that the original (Sousei no Aquarion/Genesis of Aquarion) was already one of my top ten favourite anime. Having said that, Aquarion Evol is far more superior than the original in all aspects be it the story, the character development or the overall enjoyment factor. The new characters all share traits with characters from the original Aquarion series which makes it a delight for those who have watched the original to guess the identities of these "reincarnated characters". Some obvious similarities are drawn in the first episode ... May 13, 2015
Hello, fanservice my old friend!
If you were waiting for a direct sequel for Sousei no Aquarion, you will be disappointed. But if you don't have anything to watch and are itching for some corny romance and fanservice aboard big mechas, then go ahead and enjoy the show. Once I got what the show was about, I was able to enjoy it fully. I was drawn to the series by its colorful and pretty animation, and the show doesn't disappoint in this regard.The story as a whole doesn't make much sense to me but, as stated before, we are not here for the plot ... Jan 12, 2016
Before I begin let me say that I used to kinda like the series when the first episode came out. Then as the series progresses it began to suck even more and more. To the point of feeling unconformable to even watch an episode due to the plot and character interaction. That reminds the the PLOT.....YEAH THE PLOT after 12000 years after the first series the new characters have some similarities of the old series back in 2005 but that didn't help from preventing itself from SUCKING EVEN MORE. I forgot about most of the story because it became convoluted to the point of confusion
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Jan 11, 2012
Let's be honest. How many of you actually watched the original Aquarion 7 years ago?
it came at a time where anime was just starting to be popular where i came from, and where i lived, to love anime as much as i did, or rather, japanese games, art music, etc etc, was anathema to the social ladder. didnt really care. point being i watched it years ago. i still watch it. i have the damn thing in my hard drive right now. when the characters said that the movie the characters were watching was a let down and only the music was good, good ... Jul 2, 2015
SPOILERS AHEAD:
So, as always, Aquarion as a franchise is a mixed bag. The original series received quite a bit of criticism for both its throwbacks to older style "Super Robot" anime, as well as for an at-times silly set of subplots surrounding its characters. The original conceits of the series were often cringe-inducing as well: the action of the series focuses aroudn Aquarion, which is a giant robot formed of 3 "vectors" which combined into a giant robot, accompanied by the pilots undergoing a "gattai" (union) which results in them, well, orgasming. Aquarion Evol is not going to do much for people ... Feb 8, 2015
Story - The story for AE seems more progressive and less episodic than the previous series (Sousei no Aquarion), it is has some good action and comedic scenes which are good, but as a whole, the anime suffers unfortunately because it incorporates the easily misunderstood belief of reincarnation. That combined with some people's disagreement at the coupling at the end despite being obvious from the beginning, it does have a lot criticism, which I feel is unfair. I think it has one of those plots in which you either like it or hate it.
Art - The art is very good and detailed, all ... Feb 26, 2012
This is my first review so I'm sorry in advance.
After watching the first episode, all i can say is that i got really into it. not to mention about a boy liking a girl, super powers, robots and separating the boys with the girls in a school to stop them from becoming in love. I would always wait every week for this anime. This anime has everything I'm looking for; Cute Girls, Robots, Comedy and Romance. At first i had no clue where this anime was going, so i deiced to watch the first season "Genesis of Aquarion". It was okay, i ... Jun 23, 2015
[SPOILER WARNING]
An ok anime! I would recommend this anime to people who like to see people having orgasms powering up robots! A funny anime, but the ending was like WTF! So the evil Kagura who was pursuing the amazing Mikono, just suddenly gave up on her! Then Amata the most weak-ass character of all time just took her! Though I do prefer Amata over Kagura, Amata barely did anything outside of his stupid robot! I may be a little harsh on this anime, but I cannot say I absolutely enjoyed it! The plot was great! The mechs fights were ok, the romance was a bit ... Jul 11, 2012
The series definitely started off strong, and had alot more going on between characters then the prequel which focused mostly on slyvia and apollo's relationship. It was great all the way up till they throw in probably one of the most pathetic plot twists I've ever seen, that being completely ruining the story of the first one, which had a pretty much well ingrained fact that apollo was the reincarnation of apollonius. But they throw that out and say that he wasn't bust instead hes the reincarnation of the dog, which isn't shown in the previous series at all, maybe the other retelling they show
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