Shinseiki Evangelion

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!

Evangelion is widely considered one of the most influential anime created in the 1990's, if not of all time. It is extremely well known for it's brave attempts to turn the mecha genre on it's head, it's deep character development, and it's unorthodox storyline. Created by acclaimed studio Gainax, and written by both praised (and sometimes hated) writer Hideaki Anno, Evangelion has been called a masterpiece by anime fans. Does it deserve this praise.

Simply, yes.

Story: One of the most well known aspects of Evangelion is it's story; it is simply unorthodox, as it does the process of not feeding all of the story the viewer; ... it drip-feeds it, giving the viewer only half the story, or sometimes giving scenes without any context. For some anime, this would be a disaster waiting to happen, but in the case of Evangelion, this is done almost consistently masterfully, holding back information on such subjects such as SELEE or The Angels. Many have critisized the holding of frames later in the series, but taken into the context of the fact they were running out of money to make the show, is is understandable.

For many fans, their major criticism of the anime is the handling of the ending, which many consider far too 'out there' and simply crap. I too, am not a huge fan of the ending, but taking the ending to the TV series, inside the context of the 'true' ending movie, The End of Evangelion, the ending can make a lot more sense, and thus I enjoy it far, far more. To stop me from ranting on for ages, Evangelion's story is a master stroke in writing, one which has been a hard feat to replicate.

Art and Sound: I was introduced to Evangelion through the in-progress tetraology of films, The Rebuild of Evangelion; due to this, I became used to the cutting edge graphics employed for the higher-budget films. And to be honest, yes, the TV series art is beginning to show it's age 20 years on; however, this does not detract from the series in any major capcity, as the art compliments the anime extremely well.

The sound is also fantastic, and a very high-point for the show. Excellent music is employed to showcase the fights against the Angels, and for darker moments such as the internal struggles of the main cast of the show. Some of Beethoven's music is featured later in the series, which coupled with the emotional impact of the scene, produces one of the most excellent scenes in anime history.

Characters: By a massive leap, the highlight of the series. Evangelion features in it's story the struggles of the main characters, to devastatingly wonderful effect. Weak, timid, daddy-issues Shinji, to powerful, arrogant, egotistical Asuka, to the quiet, mysterious Rei, and the dark, apparently agnostical Gendo, Evangelion develes into the mind and motivations of these characters, showcasing exactly what makes them tick, and this is what gives us some animes most regonisable and wonderful characters.

I am certain entire essays have been written on why certain charcters tick, and that's another reason so many of these characters are so wonderful. Fans are so devoted to their favorite characters (personally I am partial to Rei and Gendo), and this creates a wonderful feeling when learning about these characters and then discussing this with other fans. Generally, Evangelion employs some of the most human characters in anime, showing us that the heroes of anime aren't always strong, both mentally and physically, or not even in control of their lives.

In closing, Evangelion is one of the strongest anime ever produced. It employs powerful characters, a deep, deep story, and art that has only just began to show it's age. What makes the show's longevity even more powerful is that even now on sites such as EvaGeeks people are still analysing this series, trying to know everything about it. I hope Evangelion will live on in the hearts of it's fans, who'll continue to appreciate it's deep, metaphorical story. I hope that Evangelion will always remain an anime that will be treasured, for all the ages.

One of my absolute favorite things about this anime is how they have implemented lots of references to old religious symbols and characters; and how it's all done. They make the series into something more by doing this; it gives it a unique feel that I still haven't seen in other series.

The story itself is made up of pure awesomeness. It has a mix of mecha (which of course includes action), slight romance, and psychological elements, and especially the latter. It progresses nicely as the episodes pass, and we get to see more back stories, more psychological struggles, and lots of neat fighting. The ... thing that drags the story down is the two final episodes - they're very confusing. Though I'm able to understand many elements of the end now, when I watched this series half a year ago, I didn't get it at all.. Also, it had some strange moments toward the end, mainly the scenes where nothing at all happens for a minute (example: Asuka and Rei are standing in an elevator for nearly a minute, and the only thing that happens is a cough from one of them).

The characters of this show... well, to quote Hideaki Anno - "It's strange that Evangelion has become such a hit - all the characters are so sick!" That's true, very true. But they are sick in a way which makes me like them, because they are portrayed in such an excellent way. The characters have really deep emotional struggles, and the way the series portray this makes them seem to me like actual human beings; I end up sympathizing with them and their tragic pasts. It also portrays their relationships and interactions with each other very well, and everything going on inside their minds.

The animation of NGE is really, really cool. The show is, like, what, 12 years old by now? That is something I wouldn't entirely believe by watching this show, as the animation style is, even today, very good - it's flawless, and the effects are really good, and not to mention that they have done the battles very well. It was amazing when it was new, and I dare to say that it's amazing even today.

I really like the music in this series too - there's some really great themes, especially the OP and ED themes. The OP is simply the best song ever, and the ED theme is a really great song named Fly Me to the Moon, or to be more specific, a version of it. That song is fantastic, and it has a place in my heart thanks to NGE.

To be honest, if you haven't watched the show yet, go watch it this instant. You've definitely missed something.

To 'Not Helpful' voters (and you 'Helpful' voters too): Feedback greatly appreciated =)

Neon Genesis Evangelion has been known to divide audiences. And despite its love for giant robot battles and generous use of fan service, Neon Genesis Evangelion is unarguably one... of the most influential sagas in modern anime. In the history of anime no series has sparked more debate than Evangelion. For every viewer who's enthralled by its mix of classic anime action, convoluted philosophy, psychological angst, and religious imagery, there's another who finds it pretentious and ponderous.

If you are unfamiliar with Neon Genesis Evangelion and have yet to watch it for the first time, you're in for a real treat it truly is an emotional ... roller coaster. On the surface, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a basic mecha series with a host of teenage pilots controlling monstrous beasts called Eva’s. The lead character is a reluctant hero trying to live up to his father's expectations while saving humanity at the same time.

Story: The story of Evangelion primarily begins in 2000 with the "Second Impact", a global cataclysm which almost completely destroyed Antarctica and led to the deaths of half the human population of Earth. The Impact is believed by the public at large and even most of Nerv to have been the impact of a meteorite landing in Antarctica, causing devastating tsunamis and a change in the Earth's axial tilt (leading to global climate change) and subsequent geopolitical unrest, nuclear war (such as the nuking of Tokyo), and general economic distress. Later, Second Impact is revealed to be the result of contact with and experimentation on the first of what are collectively dubbed the Angels: Adam. The experiments were sponsored by the mysterious organization Seele, and carried out by the research organization Gehirn.

In the year 2010, Gehirn had accomplished a number of its scientific and engineering goals and corporately changed into the paramilitary organization Nerv which is headquartered in Tokyo-3, a militarized civilian city located on one of the last dry sections of Japan; Nerv's central mission is to locate the remaining Angels predicted by Seele, and to destroy them. However, Nerv has its own secret agenda, as directed by its Machiavellian commander Gendo Ikari: the Human Instrumentality Project, which, according to Gendo in episode 25, is the task of uniting all human minds into one global spiritual entity. Associated with Nerv is the Marduk Institute, which has the task of selecting the pilots for the Evas, the most capable being children conceived after the Second Impact (14 year olds). The institute consists of Commander Ikari, and Nerv's chief scientist Ritsuko Akagi; supporting the two are 108 companies which are all revealed to be ghost companies.

Story does start off quick with a bit action in the beginning. It then becomes quite dull with how the main character acts. But by the time Asuka makes her first appearance, the show has kicked into high gear for a stunning run of near-perfect episodes.

Characters: The cast of Characters in NGE are varied, and through the course of the series the majority of them are emotionally ripped apart and left for dead. NGE holds back nothing. For most animes, a flaw of a character is usually ironed out before the end. But NGE is different. Weak characters show moments of strength, but ultimately remain weak. Arrogant characters show moments of humility but ultimately remain egotistical. Such is the nature of the series - the characters definitely go through challenging experiences that test their flaws, but they do not seem to overcome them. One reason for this may be that the challenges the characters go through in NGE are treated as though they were realistic stressful conditions that mentally damage the characters since there is always bad collateral damage even with success.

Art & Animation: While the animation looks a bit dated by today's standards, NGE is still a powerful cerebral onslaught and an audiovisual force that won't soon be forgotten.

There are just so many things Evangelion does right that elevate it beyond pedestrian anime. The world is so alive and well-developed, right down to the smallest details (like the way cars run on batteries instead of gasoline, as one would expect in a future following global disaster that would limit access to fossil fuels). Even the minor characters, like classmates Toji and Kensuke, are remarkably fleshed out. The way Misato's mature (but dysfunctional) relationship with Kaji contrasts with the teens' awkward, tentative steps towards romance is brilliant. In other words, Evangelion pulls off the remarkable trick of feeling tantalizingly real, an exceedingly rare accomplishment in anime (and animation in general).

Sound: NGE is a show of extremes. Ranging from scenes of palpable, visceral power that inspire shock and awe, to the most quietly serene, surreal, and beautifully touching moments. These scenes are woven together as fine and eloquently as the Beethoven Symphony they play in episode 24 itself. And like that symphony, even though the parts are outstanding, the whole is much greater than the sum.

Enjoyment: Without spoiling the show for those of you new to join, the replay/enjoyment value on this one is off the charts if you enjoy complex dramas and well written anime shows. Further, in the thirteen years this one has been out, you can trace almost every anime show using giant robots, psychological thrillers, and hidden cabals within society running things from behind the scenes back to this one. Sure, it builds on shows that came before it but it was more of a revolutionary step in terms of overall complexity and quality than it was a smaller evolutionary step; leading fans to discuss its nuances over and over.

Overall: Evangelion is definitely in a class by itself, and it is required viewing for any anime fan. Not just another giant robot/sexy teenager anime, Evangelion is a trendsetter and a pillar of creative achievement. While it won't answer many of those lingering questions you might have in the end, it does set up the finale, End of Evangelion, a movie that presents a more coherent ending which makes a lot more sense than the last two episodes did.

Make it a priority to watch this and see for yourself what NGE means to you. After you do, make sure you watch the movie, End of Evangelion.

This was a rather tricky programme to review. Great pains were taken to avoid spoilers so if you're a fan of Eva, please don't take umbrage with me for not going in-depth with certain areas. If you happen to dislike Eva or feel that it's overrated, I'd still encourage you to read through this entire review. Feedback is greatly appreciated, as always. On another note, this review will NOT cover Evangelion's religious symbolism at all. I tried to in earlier drafts of this review, but they just made the review much longer and more tedious than they needed to be.

The last thing I want to ... talk about before I go into the review is the current state of Evangelion's licensing. Unfortunately, Neon Genesis Evangelion is currently unlicensed. It was originally licensed to ADV Films before its inevitable collapse and then the license was transferred over to Section23 Films. Unfortunately, the license expired in mid-2012 and the show has since gone out-of-print with the official DVD releases of the programme priced as high as $300 on Amazon. I am aware that Evangelion was also licensed by Madmen Entertainment in Australia, however I'm not too sure if Madmen Entertainment still holds the license.

The best we can hope for is Funimation to pick up the show and give it a Blu-ray release in honour of Evangelion's upcoming 20th birthday in November of 2015. If you wish to watch Evangelion, you'll either have to settle for bankruptcy and buy the DVDs for an absurdly high price, torrent it, or watch it on a site like KissAnime or what have you. Sorry, that's just the way it is. ;-;

***

"Evangelion" is a name that you've either heard of in the past or have just read about now since you're reading this review. Arguably one of the most influential and yet most controversial anime series of all time, this is a show that you'll either love the hell out of, viscerally hate, or just watch once and then go on to cut your wrists and black your eyes so you can fall asleep tonight and die (please tell me you get the reference). Okay, that's not really fair but it's still something to be said that virtually EVERYONE who goes into Evangelion comes out with something different.

Now, a lot of people say that this show is nothing more than pretentious garbage and that interpretation certainly is a valid one, given that there are some moments where this show feels like it gets up its own ass. BUT, that's not entirely the case. I don't really care how much of a pretentious fanboy I sound like when I say this, but in order for you to "properly" appreciate Evangelion, you'll have to understand the mindset of Hideaki Anno when he went on to create this programme.

Now, I'm not completely filled in on his back-story, but this is how I understand things went down around the time Eva was being produced: Anno fell into depression for four years, he became disillusioned with the otaku lifestyle, among other such things. He was angry and he needed an outlet to vent out his frustrations. Seeing as how he was an animator, he decided to come up with an anime series that would basically just be one big "FUCK YOU" to whomever he pleased (which at the time were the otakus whom he's grown to despise) and would just ruin the very things that specific group loves.

The concepts behind this programme were simple: what would happen if we took real people and forced them into similar situations that happened in any Gundam and/or any harem show? Not only that, but what would people realistically be like if a post-apocalyptic situation occurred? What would happen to the son of a man who lost his wife and was appointed to be head of an organisation which deploys giant robots to fight some unknown threat? How would common anime archetypes translate into the real world? Combine these ideas with a frustrated animator with a lot of pent-up rage against a community of people whose lifestyle he became disillusioned with plus extremely stressful work conditions and what you'll get is Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Neon Genesis Evangelion was a project that was seemingly destined to do two things: tank horribly and either worsen Hideaki Anno's depression or drive him to suicide. Gainax's poor accounting practices at the time basically meant that Evangelion was given a very small budget to work with (which was almost completely exhausted before the final two episodes were made; more on that later) and the general consensus at the time was that Evangelion would get cancelled within 5-10 episodes. However, their assumptions couldn't have been further from the truth. Evangelion was a huge success, and what probably kept Gainax from going out of business at that point in time. Why was it such a huge success? I don't know, but I'm guessing because it effectively took all of the mecha and harem tropes and then completely subverted them.

Have you ever wished that the world you lived in was more like the anime(s) that you love so dearly? Let's say for example you're an avid fan of mech shows, would you wish that your life would be similar to the main character's life in your favourite mech show? I mean... YOU GET TO PILOT A GIANT FUCKING ROBOT. Instant respect from the common bystander, girls with low self-esteem and questionable morals may very well end up dropping their panties at the sight of you, and once again: YOU GET TO PILOT A GIANT FUCKING ROBOT. Remember the MEGAS XLR theme? “You dig giant robots, I dig giant robots, we dig giant robots, chicks dig giant robots.” Well... sometimes it's not always like that.

You see, MEGAS XLR takes the optimistic route. However, Evangelion is thoroughly entrenched in pessimism. Every single character in the show has some deep-seated psychological trauma, and I do mean EVERY character. From the Eva pilots to the commanders at NERV and even the random bystander who had no dialogue, every single person in Evangelion is fucked up in the head. Why is everyone like that? Because of the eminent threat of death. The entire world as people once knew it was completely destroyed, leaving many places to be desolate wastelands. Half of humanity's population was eradicated with the only traces of their existence being grave markers. Whole cities are wiped off the map and the survivors ended up being forced to relocate. 15 years of relative peace then gets interrupted when the mysterious Angels start attacking, seemingly for no apparent reason.

One rather bizarre thing to note is that you can't really tell that since the first 15 or so episodes of Evangelion do follow a rather typical mech show formula... albeit with a special twist thrown in here and there. Jovial and upbeat music is a rather frequent sight, we get to see common harem tropes at work, etc. Hell, Evangelion actually kind of felt like a feel-good mecha/harem show (in a vein similar to Full Metal Panic!). BUT... then came along Episode 16, and then you got to see how fucked up and morbid EVERYTHING about this show is. We get to see that Shinji's lifestyle isn't a real sex fantasy, and the women in Evangelion are actual women with real problems who DON'T need a penis to feel like they're worth something. We also learn how thankless being an Eva pilot really is.

EVERYONE'S livelihoods are directly linked to the success of the giant robot pilot. Under such conditions, you wouldn't receive the praise and the respect of the people for being a pilot. If you fuck up, you're directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds upon thousands. If you succeed, you get nothing because that's what you're supposed to do. Let's not forget the fact that this EXTREMELY heavy responsibility is being placed on the shoulders of teenagers. Why? Well, it's never properly explained why but truth be told, there's no need for any explanation. Hideaki Anno wanted to create a show that would subvert common mecha/harem tropes, and one thing that a lot of mech shows at the time had in common was the fact that the pilots were very young OR had deceptively youthful appearances.

The whole point of Evangelion is to show what would happen if we took three teenagers and forced them to not only deal with the burdens of society and their own adolescence, but also having to pilot a giant robot in order to SAVE THE WORLD where the threat of their own deaths is always a very real possibility with virtually no sympathy whatsoever. An explanation as to why our pilots are adolescents would certainly be appreciated, but it's not outright necessary to the plot. With that said, let's take a look at our characters. Evangelion's got a wide variety of characters, each with their own varying degrees of depth and relevance, but let's just take a look at our three mecha pilots and their overseer.

Fans of Eva and pretty much anyone else who's ever taken a cursory look at the Evangelion franchise as a whole will pretty much come to the same conclusion about Shinji: he's a whiny, useless little bitch boy who runs away from everything and well... yeah, he's guilty as charged. But why is that? Keep in mind: he's supposed to be what our lead mecha pilot would realistically be like given the situation he's placed in. His father abandoned him so that he can work with some government organisation he's never even heard of and his mother's dead. Obviously there's going to be some abandonment issues at work but it's not just that.

The first time he's seen his father in umpteen years, and Gendo tells him to get into a giant robot and fight against some unknown threat with absolutely no prior notice, no training, or anything of the sort and there's a good chance that he may very well end up being killed. How else is he supposed to react? Is Shinji supposed to be ecstatic that he'll be piloting a giant robot? NO!!! I don't care what you say, if it were you in that very position, you sure as hell would do exactly what Shinji's doing. I mean, piloting a giant robot is cool and all, but if you have to pilot a giant robot at such short notice with no training or anything of the sort against an unknown threat that may very well end up killing you, common sense dictates you having to think more than twice about this.

He runs away from his problems rather than confronting them because truth be told, that's a relatively normal response. Think of everything I just mentioned: his pre-existing psychological trauma, the burdens of society and adolescence placed upon him, his ESTRANGED father using him as a means to an end, having to pilot a giant robot and combat mysterious beings that may very well end up killing him, all the while having to put up with all of that with virtually no sympathy whatsoever. All things considered, he's got balls for actually getting into the damn robot in the first place. When he does run away, he always returns. Sure, he can run away in the midst of an angel attack like anyone else would. But when he's confronted with the reality of the situation: where mindless destruction occurs and innocent people get caught in the crossfire, he inevitably comes back to save the day because he knows that he can put an end to all of the madness.

When you take all of that into consideration, Shinji isn't as unlikeable as he might seem. HOWEVER... I will concede that Shinji can get rather intolerable at times (alongside Asuka for reasons I'll explain later). That's his biggest character flaw: yes, he's empathetic and my sympathies really do lie with him for a good chunk of the show. HOWEVER, his constant complaining gets rather irritating after a certain point, and you're just begging for him to shut the fuck up and do something. Thankfully, we get a heaping helping of catharsis whenever Shinji overstays his welcome in the form of seeing Shinji getting his ass handed to him by Angels and the like. Okay, well he's not an incompetent Eva pilot in the slightest (quite the contrary) but I just can't help but feel immensely satisfied seeing Shinji get his ass handed to him after I just watched him do NOTHING but complain. But, I digress.

Now we come over to Asuka Langley Soryu, the Second Child. Now, Asuka actually makes her debut rather late in comparison to the other Eva pilots (Asuka shows up in Episode 8, rather than the pilot episode like the others) but regardless, she still manages to make more than enough of an impact on the story while not faltering a bit in her characterisation. One of the second biggest complaints I hear about people who don't like Eva is the fact that Asuka is an intolerable tsundere bitch. You know what? You're right on the money with that one: Asuka was specifically designed to get under your skin and make you hate her. Hell, she gets under my skin 5 times out of 10. But why is this?

Well, given that Shinji is what our lead mecha pilot would realistically be like, what sort of trope(s) is Asuka meant to tackle? Well... I've got a faint idea of what Asuka is supposed to be: she's supposed to be the embodiment of how tsunderes would actually be like in real life, while also being the complete polar opposite of Shinji. While Shinji is passive and introverted, Asuka is aggressive and extroverted. Did I forget to mention that she's also a combat prodigy akin to Mikasa Ackermann from Attack on Titan? Despite all of this, she suffers from almost the same kind of psychological trauma that Shinji suffers from.

Her aloof and confident exterior is just a mask for a gaping inferiority complex that rivals that of Mello's from Death Note. She's a combat prodigy because piloting Eva-02 is the only way for her to ever feel validated. She lives for the praise of others, and thus can't stand it whenever someone steals her thunder. When Shinji and/or Rei save her from being killed by an Angel, she takes umbrage with them because it's not the angel she lost to, it's Shinji/Rei that she lost to.

Being such an obnoxious tsundere half the time, it's only natural for her to end up like Shinji whenever she overstays her welcome. What do I mean? Well, whereas Shinji just gets roughed up by the Angels or what have you, Asuka gets taken down a few pegs if she ends up overstaying her welcome and it's just so cathartic to see her squirm whenever Gendo, Ritsuko, or Misato are favouring Shinji or Rei over her. With that said, she's also the most entertaining Eva pilot to watch given that she's great at combat and if nothing else, some of her banter with Shinji et al is rather amusing to say the least.

With so much hostility built up toward her comrades, one would expect her to not show any compassion whatsoever. BUT, that's not the case at all. Remember, Asuka is a tsundere (a rather extreme one, but a tsundere none the less). She's got an aloof exterior, but people keep forgetting that loving interior of hers... which is quite understandable since it never really manifests itself all that often but when it does, it's certainly going to catch you off-guard. The most bizarre thing is that she's 14 years old, yet she's constantly throwing herself at her "keeper," Ryoji Kaji who is quite literally twice her age. It might seem off-putting to you and you might dismiss it because it's okay in Japan or some shit like that. HOWEVER, THIS WAS ACTUALLY OFF-PUTTING TO JAPANESE VIEWERS TOO!!!! But strangely enough, her "deredere" characterisation always manages to come into play whenever Asuka is around Kaji.

So, you might think that Asuka only shows this other side of her personality to Kaji BUT you'd be sorely mistaken. You see, as bizarre as it might be... Asuka and Shinji actually have a thing for one another. The problem? They're both completely fucked up in the head. Did you honestly expect their relationship to resemble something out of a feel-good romcom ecchi harem? Oh fuck no. This is Evangelion! Whenever one side tries to make a move on the other, the other pushes them away. Asuka's aggressive attitude is what's keeping Shinji from approaching her. However, Shinji's withdrawn and passive personality is the very reason WHY Asuka lashes out at him. It's the perpetual dance of hedgehogs... which actually brings me to something I forgot to mention earlier.

Considering the fact that almost EVERYONE in Evangelion is fucked up in the head, it's only natural for them to be unable to form any sort of healthy relationships. This leads to something known as the "hedgehog's dilemma." When it's cold, hedgehogs tend to huddle together for warmth. The problem is the fact that the closer the hedgehogs get to one another, the more they risk hurting each other. Character relationships in Evangelion work the exact same way, especially given how fucked up everyone is in this show. As much as you'd probably hope for Shinji, Asuka, Rei, Misato, Gendo, Ritsuko, or whatever other character(s) you've grown attached to actually improve/grow as characters, that will NEVER be the case. That's one of the more depressing aspects about Evangelion, which is such a shame given that I grew quite fond of Shinji despite how unbearable he can get. But, I digress.

Now we have Rei Ayanami... aka Hideaki Anno's greatest success and greatest failure. Rei Ayanami is one of the most interesting things about Evangelion. You see, Hideaki Anno created Rei in order to demonstrate just how creepy an emotionless doll character would be. HOWEVER, that wasn't the case at all. Instead, Hideaki Anno pretty much created the prototypical moe girl. Rei was so popular to the point where other programmes ended up creating "clones" of her, each with their own varying degrees of depth and/or development with some clones (i.e. Yuki Nagato from Haruhi) getting better character development than Rei herself ever received.

But why is Rei so popular? Well, my inner cynic tells me that given how Rei is submissive, doesn't talk back, and the like, perverse otakus took to her because they now had material to work with for their rape fantasies. HOWEVER... while I did find Rei to actually be rather creepy when I actually did stop and think, there were many moments where she was portrayed as a helpless victim (did I forget to mention that she pioneered the bandage girl aesthetic?), and I genuinely did find myself wanting to protect her. You know... I can't help but wonder how different Rei could've been if she wasn't always wearing a cast/eye patch/bandage and didn't get herself into situations that would evoke a protective instinct.

Now, as strange as this might sound... I actually could find myself relating to Rei, even if only a little. Maybe it's because I'm introverted and I don't really talk to people I don't know all that much but it's still something to be mentioned. The bizarre thing is that Rei herself actually isn't emotionless, but rather she doesn't know how to express them until Shinji asks her to smile to express gratitude after saving her in Episode 6. Okay, well... compared to how bizarre the rest of the show gets toward the end, I guess this is actually relatively normal. It's still something to be mentioned, though.

The last character I'm willing to talk about is Misato Katsuragi, who actually witnessed and lived through the apocalypse that set the stage for Evangelion. Now, as a survivor of the Second Impact, you'd think that she'd also have some deep-seated psychological trauma and well... yeah, she definitely does. However, in comparison to Shinji and Asuka, Misato is arguably the most well-adjusted of them all. She's jovial when she needs to be and serious when the situation calls for it. She also provides all three Eva pilots with much-needed emotional support... although they rarely capitalise on said emotional support.

Misato is quite likeable, and she really does help prevent the show from turning into a teenage angst-ridden melodrama. HOWEVER... there were quite a few things I found rather unnerving about her character. For example, the way she introduces herself to Shinji is with a picture of her bending over with her right hand making a peace sign... with an arrow pointing to her cleavage. However, just like how Kaji is twice as old as Asuka, Misato is twice as old as Shinji. Of course, Shinji doesn't really display the same sort of... "attraction" to Misato that Asuka displays to Kaji.

After this, Misato tries to behave more like a motherly figure to Shinji... while still hinting that Misato is a potential love interest for Shinji. You know... it's not the subliminal Oedipus complex that disturbs me. It's the fact that Misato is actually attracted enough to a 14-year-old boy to actually send a picture of herself in such a pose to make the first impression and yet somehow ignore all of that JUST to be a motherly figure to him. It also doesn't help that End of Evangelion further complicates shit like that, but let's cross that bridge when we get to it. So, as good of a character as Misato is... she just creeps me out (moreso than Rei, which is rather surprising).

Taking a break from all of that rambling about story and characters, let's get on with one of Evangelion's biggest flaws: its animation (or lack thereof... asterisk). While the art direction is pretty damn good and everything as a nice amount of detail put into it, the actual animation can just get downright lazy and there are some decisions where you'll just find yourself wondering "Really? Was it actually necessary to animate something so pointless as that?" So in some respects, the actual animation feels vaguely reminiscent of Gantz, although it was never quite THAT bad. However, there's a LOT of points in the show where you can quite obviously tell where they cut corners... or rather took out a chainsaw and cut huge segments out of.

For example, there are a lot of segments where the camera is zoomed into the characters face, so they don't have to animate anything but the mouth movements. HOWEVER, there are MANY instances where Gainax actually had the mouths covered, obscured by light, or just plain out-of-focus so they don't even have to pay to animate the mouth movements. Fun fact: Gendo Ikari's signature pose is a direct result of the lack of budget this show had! Almost all of his appearances where he had any dialogue of relevance, his hands would be covering his mouth so Gainax wouldn't even have to pay to animate the lip-flap movements.

There are also an annoyingly high number of points where we end up staring at still frames with nothing but ambient noise playing in the background for almost 3 minutes (I'm looking at you, Episode 4)! You know... if they were just doing this shit because of a corporate mandate for episode length, they could've just done us all a favour and just let us stare at a black screen for 3 minutes in silence. That would've been a million leagues more entertaining than making us sit through 3 minutes of Shinji staring at Misato while ambient noise was going on in the background, only for Shinji to say "I'm home" and then cut to the end credits.

There's also no shortage of segments where they ended up re-using the same few frames of animation in the earlier episodes where it was all jovial and shit. But, I can't really hold that against Evangelion since many anime series I watched that came from the early 90s (i.e. Sailor Moon, Gundam Wing) ended up doing that at some point or another. Eva just happens to do it on a more frequent basis across a shorter period of time. With that said... it's still rather off-putting, but then again I grew up in the late 90s and early 2000s where anime was starting to actually have a budget so hell if I'd know.

Another bizarre thing to note about the animation itself is the fact that there's no shortage of fan service available to the point where Tiffany Grant, Asuka's English VA would say that there would be more fan service in the next episode during the next-episode preview at the end of the one I just watched. You'd think that the fan service would be used in such a way where it would actually be used to keep everyone's interest in the show while the animation budget slowly went away, right? You'd be sorely mistaken. As early as the first episode, we get treated to out-of-place shots of Misato's ass and breasts among other such things. HOWEVER, the fan service almost entirely dissipates by Episode 16 as the show gets increasingly morbid.

I know I spent a great deal bitching about the how lazy/odd the animation gets, BUT thankfully Gainax manages to make up for it in almost every single episode... except the final two because of reasons I'll get into in a minute or two. Basically, the vast majority of the budget was spent animating the Eva battles, and the remainder of it was spent on everything else. The Eva battles are perhaps some of the most entertaining fights I've ever seen in any mecha anime I've ever seen, and my guess is that if Gainax gave Evangelion a bigger budget, THIS is what the rest of the show would look like. So I can't stay TOO hard on the animation.

However, that lack of budget REALLY affects the storytelling to such a negative degree that you can't even begin to imagine. I mean, we get so many stills and walk cycles of Shinji to the point where it becomes tedious and you just begin to lose interest in what you're watching. The most infamous example of how bad the lack of budget affects the storytelling is the final two episodes. Basically, there was virtually NO budget left for these two episodes and the vast majority of it was spent re-using animation and having a good chunk of the episode animated in pencil... I shit you not, that actually did happen. Basically, nothing gets explained (directly) and there's a quite obvious lack of resolution.

Now, it's not like these two episodes are pointless since they do provide quite a bit of character insight and if you pay close enough attention, you start to get a faint idea of what just went down in the real world, since these last two episodes take place inside Shinji and Asuka's heads. HOWEVER... this was such a drastic change of style to the point where fans of the programme quite literally mailed death threats to Hideaki Anno/Gainax (some of which actually do show up in End of Evangelion). Suffice it to say, this was the programme that Gainax ended up developing their infamous reputation with how they end their shows.

Hideaki Anno and Gainax did eventually go on to produce Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion which is how the final two episodes of Evangelion were supposed to be (according to Hideaki Anno), but that didn't come by until 1997 and I don't even want to imagine how long it took for Manga Entertainment to license the movie, dub it, and distribute it only to go out-of-print a few years later. As far as endings go, I have to give EoE its own review but I will say this: it does a MUCH better job of resolving the story of Evangelion while still retaining that sort of "what the fuck am I watching?" atmosphere that Eva is known for.

The last thing I want to talk about in regard to Evangelion is the audio portion of it all. Now, the OST for Evangelion doesn't really do much to stick out and with the exception of the opening and a few tracks that play whenever shit gets REALLY morbid, there isn't really going to be much that would stick out in your mind unless you pay an unusually large amount of attention to what you listen to. The OP track, "Cruel Angel's Thesis" is a beloved classic and with great reason. It's matched with visuals that perfectly flow with the tone of the song and if nothing else, I find myself humming it at the most random of times. The ED however is nothing more than Muzak you'd hear in an elevator of a classy hotel or something, so there's that.

Now we come to the most interesting part of Evangelion: the English dub. This is a pre-Bebop dub, so you might think that this dub is shit. However, that couldn't be further from the truth. With the exception of the first four or so episodes, the entire dub is quite well-cast and executed. The reason why I left out the first four episodes is due to the fact that it was quite obvious that the VAs were getting accustomed to their roles and as such, there are quite a few segments of the first few episodes that sound... off, to say the least.

Now, I can't put too much blame on the director of the dub since he/she does smooth things out rather early on. HOWEVER, Evangelion 1.0 which happens to be a retelling of the first six episodes has the same cast as this dub, but it doesn't sound anywhere near as off as the first four episodes of the TV series. To be fair, the Rebuild of Evangelion movies are licensed by Funimation and they do a great job of their dubs while the TV series was licensed by ADV Films: a company that doesn't really seem to have a standard for dubbing quality given that so many of the things they've licensed (i.e. Elfen Lied, Azumanga Daioh, 5 Centimetres per Second, Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal) have dubs that vary quite a bit in terms of actual quality.

Spike Spencer does an excellent job of voicing Shinji, as does Tiffany Grant voicing Asuka. What I love about Grant's work as Asuka is the fact that she's fluent in German. Why is this important? Because Asuka herself is German and there are a few points where she speaks in German. That's a nice little touch and it's the small things like this that make me smile. However, my favourite performance would definitely have to come from John Swasey voicing Gendo Ikari. He does a great job at capturing just how cold and emotionally distant he is from Shinji and he plays off of Spike Spencer quite well in scenes where Shinji and Gendo have a lot of dialogue together. As for everyone else, they do a great job with the roles they've been given so props to ADV for not making a dub that's complete shit in the mid-to-late 90s.

On the whole, Neon Genesis Evangelion is certainly an experience that NO ONE should miss out on. This is one of those shows that has a reputation for being one gigantic mind fuck, which is true in some cases, but the story itself is rather easy to follow... it just gets rather tedious in the beginning because Gainax. Is it as great as people say it is? Oh fuck no. Is it a pretentious piece of garbage? Pretentious on occasion, but garbage? HELL to the fucking NO. If you seriously want a good idea of what Evangelion is like, you should just do yourself a favour and watch it.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most well known anime of the 1990s. Whether someone recommended it to you or you happened to read the name in passing, Evangelion is a name that’s impossible to escape if you’re a part of the anime community. However, with its fame also comes controversy. The show has got to be one of the most divisive anime ever made. Many love it and consider it to be one of the greatest anime to come out of the 1990s and others consider it to be a pretentious mess with irritating characters. Well based on the score I’m pretty sure ... you can see which category I fall under. So without further ado let’s dig in.

The show is basically set 15 years after a global cataclysm and revolves around a secret organization called NERV which combats mysterious creatures known as Angels using things called Evangelions which are essentially mechas that are piloted by 14 year olds. Sounds simple enough right? The show starts off with a “monster of the week” narrative as Angels arrive in Tokyo 3 to fuck shit up and our three heroes use their Evas to combat them while employing different strategies each episode depending on what the Angel can do. These early episodes give us a basic albeit solid understanding of the setting as exposition is given through older characters as well as TV news reports, newspapers and the like. The early episodes also give us a solid understanding of a lot of major characters as some episodes don’t even feature any Angel battles and are just there to flesh out characters and their relationships with other characters. This is also done through fantastic character interactions that are, a lot of the time, filled with subtext. And speaking of subtext, there is a lot of foreshadowing in the show’s first half. It can be quite apparent when you eventually get to what it was foreshadowing later on or it can be oh so very subtle and thus the show is something that should be viewed more than once. It’ll set you up for a different experience each time knowing what is revealed to you later in the show. The tone of the first half can be very tense during its battle scenes considering what’s at stake and certain variables can get thrown in that make it all the more tense. Couple this with top-notch fight choreography and entertaining strategies and tactics and you have yourself a hell of an entertaining viewing experience. In contrast to this the moments off the battlefield are highly entertaining as well with well timed and very amusing comedic relief as well as the occasional dosage of fanservice (yummy).

The show’s second half however is where shit gets real and the tone gets darker. The tense and entertaining battle scenes are still there, but they’re a lot darker and have more psychological implications than those of the first half. The encounters with the Angels start to reveal the personal flaws and mental states of the characters as well as force characters to make tough decisions and witness traumatizing things. The comedic scenes are still there, but used a lot more sparingly and the fanservice virtually disappears from the show altogether. The show begins to get inside the heads of the characters and peels back their layers, revealing them as more complex than we were initially led to believe. The second half of the show also contains a lot of revelations, many of which were foreshadowed during the first half so as not to feel contrived. The conspiracy subplot involving NERV’s true purpose that was very briefly touched upon in the first half is now a lot more prevalent, character motivations are revealed, key plot points and mysteries are explained and tragic backstories are revealed.

The show is rather vague with certain story details and those looking for straightforward answers might be disappointed but it dangles the carrot close enough for the viewer to reach without it being too confusing. It goes for visual rather than verbal exposition at times and this is yet another reason the show should be watched more than once.

The show’s ending is…perhaps the most controversial thing about the show aside from the characters. The original TV ending for the show was made due to Gainax running out of funds and thus having to scrap the original ending for a more minimalistic one. While this ending does provide fantastic insight into the characters’ motivations, goals, emotions, wishes and fears it does leave quite a bit to be desired with regards to the story. Key plot points are left unexplained and this does leave the viewer feeling somewhat confused and maybe even a tad pissed off. However there is of course the film ending that is just as if not more controversial than the TV ending. That film is The End of Evangelion. It ties up the loose ends left by the series and provides us with fantastic and much needed closure for the character arcs. It also provides a context for the ending of the TV series, and the two surprisingly go hand in hand very well.

Now lets talk about one of the most divisive aspects of the show; its cast of characters. In my opinion, this is where the show shines brighter than most others as it has one of the most complex and fleshed out character casts I have ever encountered in any story.

The protagonist Shinji Ikari gets a lot of shit from both fans and haters of the show for being a “pussy” and an “irritating brat”. Well I’ll let you in on a nasty little fact about me; Shinji is one of my favourite anime protagonists of all time. Granted he’s angsty and whiny but he has good reasons for being the way he is. His mother died under dreadful circumstances when he was very young, his father had been absent for most of his childhood and when he’s reunited with him he chucks him into a situation he knows fuck all about and makes him carry the heavy burden of the fate of the city by making him pilot a mecha he initially knows fuck all about in order to fight a gigantic monster he knows fuck all about. Yeah, I don’t think I’d be a happy chappy either. In spite of this he’s thankfully given more depth than simply “being a pussy”. He’s given moments of levity in order to make him feel more human and said moments of levity make a lot of the things that happen to him throughout the show feel all the more poignant.

Another character who gets a lot of flack is Asuka Langley Soryu. She’s another pilot and serves as Shinji’s foil. While Shinji is shy, quiet and introverted, she’s loud, egotistical and energetic. A lot of people hate her because they see her as annoying, vain and bitchy. Quite frankly I find her obnoxious too and fail to see what all the lonely weeaboos see in her but I digress as that’s beside the point. She is an incredibly well written character and I find her intriguing in spite of my contempt for her personality. Her chemistry with Shinji is fantastic and she too has reasons for acting the way she does, which I won’t spoil.

The third pilot in the series is a girl named Rei Ayanami. She’s a seemingly emotionless girl who is very subservient. Her initial ambiguity is intriguing and she provides us with plenty of foreshadowing throughout the show, including foreshadowing regarding her origin. In spite of her lack of emotion, her interactions with the rest of the cast are interesting to watch and their feelings towards her tell you a lot about them. Much like everyone else, her layers are revealed later on as we get to see what her true motivations and emotions are and the show does an excellent job at making this feel natural and this is tricky to do as suddenly giving an emotionless character emotions can feel very contrived but the show avoids this through foreshadowing and hints.

The cast of this show is incredibly complex as all the major characters have backstories which make the way they act and think believable and realistic. All of the characters have motivations that are more complex than what they initially appear to be and their chemistry and interactions with the other characters is interesting as well as really believable. Overall the cast of this show is an achievement that shall likely go unrivalled for a long time.

The show’s animation is quite inconsistent and easily the show’s biggest flaw. At times (specifically the action scenes) the show can look absolutely incredible and able to rival some of the stuff coming out today but at other times it can be pretty damn lazy. The series was made on a low budget and it shows. It likes to cut corners and this is evident in scenes where a character’s mouth may be moving yet the rest of their body isn’t and scenes where one cell is used for a number of seconds. The art of the show on the other hand is excellent. Sadamoto’s character designs have their own unique flair while maintaining an obvious anime aesthetic.

The show’s soundtrack is pretty fantastic. First there’s the iconic opening, Cruel Angel’s Thesis, which is easily one of my favourite openings of all time. It’s catchy, memorable and really quite powerful. The show’s ending track is the famous Fly Me to the Moon. Hold your horses guys it ain’t the Sinatra version, each episode has a different singer covering the classic song. These covers can range from really good to FUCKING ENGRISH. The show’s OST is absolutely brilliant too. It has some bombastic John Williams-esque orchestral pieces for the battle scenes, giving them a grand scale. The other tracks are great too, all of which are memorable in some way or other. The tracks can range from melancholic and somber to lighthearted and wacky, depending on the scene in question and the tracks fit their respective scenes to a tee. The show’s Japanese voice track is excellent with actors portraying their characters wonderfully and expressing emotion very well. The English dub is a mixed bag however. Spike Spencer, Tiffany Grant and Amanda Winn Lee, the people who played Shinji, Asuka and Rei respectively, really have a grasp of the kind of characters they’re portraying. The same can be said about the rest of the cast. However, this being a 90s pre-Bebop dub some of the delivery is a tad cheesy, particularly from NERV’s ground crew (“Its an Angel!!!”).

Not everyone will like Evangelion. It has a story that’s hard to follow at times, inconsistent animation and characters that some may find obnoxious. However it is something that all anime fans need to see due to its legacy and its impact on the medium of anime as a whole. As for me I absolutely adore the series and consider it to be one of the all time greats. While many see a pretentious show about a whiny kid piloting a mecha, I see a wonderful coming of age story about a troubled kid learning about his place in the world.

STORY:
Neon Genesis Evangelion... one of the most controvercial animes of all times, with legions of determined fans and legions of convinced haters this is one anime that hasn't gone by without leaving some feelings behind and so how can we not recognize it's value.

There are a lot of guys that say Evangelion was a great mecha/action anime for it's time but the confusing and boring ending and the fact that Sinji is a very weak character pulled down the anime... in my opinion they just didn't get the show at all... that is the beauty of NGE, the story is to deep for some ... to appreciate for a reason, I'll give you a hint... it doesn't have anything to do with robots, fighting, love, or heroes...

NGE is actually a story that uses action, mecha and pseudo-religious symbolism to advance philosophical and psychological depictions and theories about the concept of freedom, self determination, decision and responsability, about the final stage of human evolution and human nature of the dark side, anxiety, the relation between the individual and society, the relation between humans and divinity... all hidden in an seemingly insane but yet very logic story. It can be compared with a complex spider web, a labyrinth. What is interesting in my opinion is that the story doesn't threat you as a fool by throwing the clues in your face, it just shows you a glimpse of it without focusing, it lets you think and put pieces together, and you slowly start to discover new things and form new theories and you soon realize how really extraordinary the anime really is and how much thought, planning and calculation was put into it to make it so complex and mysterious.. and in the end the anime makes you form your own conclusion, your own ending using your own free will.

It incorporates many of Freud's ideas (the father of modern psychology) such as "hedgehog dilemma","oedipus complex","separation anxiety","thanatos","oral stage" which can be seen in the characters actions, especially Sinji, Asuka, Rei, Misato and Ritsuko.

From the philosophic point it deals with the question posed by many great minds over the centuries, what is the human, what is freedom and what is the final stage of evolution, confronting the SEELE's plans (which have clearly an idealist Friedrich Hegel philosophy) against the existentialist view os J.P. Sartre and Kierkegaard... for those who don't know Hegel, Sartre and Kierkegaard are all famous philosophers... the ideea of Human Instrumentality Project is also inspired from Arthur C. Clarke's novel "Childhood's End".

For more just check Evangelion of Wikipedia and you'll be amazed how interesting this anime really is if you have some culture and brains to actually see it's real meanings.

Animation:
The animation still is decent even after almost 10 years and the Eva fights can still impress you, and i really wouldn't imagine characters like Sinji, Asuka, Rei or Misato in any other form.

Sound:
Voice acting is one of it's strong points, the script has some very hard to play out lines and emotions, but as all the seyuus are some of the most experienced ones out there, we get as a result one of the best and most emotional voice acting ever, Oscar worthy for shure.. a great example of that are Sinji and Misato. The music containing mostly classic music also fits every scene and every emotion, and if you have the surround version you couldn't ask for more than this.

Charactes:
The characters are just great, none are perfect, none are good or bad, this isn't a black and white story, all characters have good points and bad points, complex feelings and personalities, most have a tragic past that still haunts them, that has a huge toll on their present, emotional wounds that would never heal. So much lonliness, so much despair, dissapointment, hate and passion. Some are like the storm some like a leaf in a storm but they are all going fast on the one way road to destruction... Trully memorable characters... And for all those who claim to hate Sinji cos he's a coward, and prefer an unrealistic Naruto like kid that has unmeasurable courage in impossible situations, I have to remind them that this is a SERIOUS ANIME where chars act like real humans.

Value:
This is a true classic that any anime fan has to have a real jewel among all SF and psycho animes. We can all accept it's contribution to the anime kind and we know about the copies that appeared after it. Nowbody can remain cold and without feelings after this anime, either you'll love it or hate it, you'll consider it a masterpiece of a genious or the dangerous work of an insane person, you'll still remember it and you'll have to respect it.

People who watch NGE usually feel 3 reactions afterwords: They loved it, they hated it, or they didn't understand it.

Before I talk about why I love this series I have to list the flaws. 1) Due to budget issues some episodes were... not exactly episodes. Watch the show and you'll know what I mean. 2) The main character comes off as a whiny coward. 3) Repetition.

With that being said, I love this series with a passion. Philosophy, violence, themes of growing up, puberty, the conflict, the (extremely) well developed characters, overcoming low self-esteem, etc., etc., etc. They are all the things I love and ... they are the things that make Evangelion stand out as a series.

Now I'm not going to lie, if you can't look past the flaws and if you are a happy person who considers everyone with emotion issues 'emo' then you'll probably hate this series.

However whether NGE is hated or loved, nobody can deny that it is a classic and every anime fan should give it a shot.

WARNING: This is going to be a very long review, as there's a lot of content to cover. Bear with me, please. Also, note that I watched the remastered version of the series, and the Revival of Evangelion (which contained only the Death segment of Death and Rebirth, combined with the End of Evangelion). Also, this review may contain some SPOILERS.

Title: Neon Genesis Evangelion

Manga, Anime: Neon Genesis Evangelion has, at this point, three manga incarnations. The first, which shares the same title as the anime, was released to drum up interest for the anime TV series, though originally publishers thought that ... it was too out-of-date to actually earn money. It was authored by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (famous for his character designs for the .hack series and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time), and began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's Shonen Ace in the February 1995 issue (actually released on December 26th, 1994), and is still running at this point in time. Viz has licensed it Stateside, and it stands at 10 volumes of the 11 currently published volumes, with a total of 12 volumes planned. The second, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days, is an alternate retelling of Evangelion, using the high school romantic comedy scenario shown briefly in Episode 25 and expanded upon in the video game Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel 2. It was authored by Fumino Hayashi (who is also working on a Terra E spinoff called Aoki Kobo no Kiss for Square Enix), and was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Asuka from the November 2003 issue to the November 2005 issue. It has been licensed Stateside by ADV Manga, and ran in Newtype USA from the August 2005 issue to the January 2006 issue, and the sixth and final volume was released on August 31st of 2007. The newest incarnation, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Gakuen Datenroku, focuses on Shinji's attending NERV Academy, and being roped into helping the Samash Guardians (Rei, Kaoru, and Asuka) find and protect Cores, which are gems that, if they fall into the hands of Angels (which are only consciousnesses, not actual physical beings) will end up in humanity's destruction. It's authored by Min Min, and began serialization in Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Asuka in the October 2007 issue, and is still ongoing. It also has yet to be licensed Stateside.

At this point in time, Neon Genesis Evangelion has four anime incarnations, three of which are movies and will be covered later in this review. Neon Genesis Evangelion's original anime incarnation was a twenty-six episode series that ran on Japanese TV from October 4th, 1995 to March 27th, 1996. It was produced by Gainax (famous for their work on His and Her Circumstances and FLCL), and directed by Hideaki Anno (famous for his work on the original Gunbuster OVA and His and Her Circumstances). It has been licensed Stateside by ADV films, and the latest remastered box set was released on November 22nd, 2005.

Story: After not seeing or hearing from his father for several years, Shinji Ikari is summoned to Tokyo-3, Japan's new capital after the original capital was nuked in the chaos after the Second Impact, which was caused by a meteorite slamming into Antartica, killing off about half of the world's population, submerging a good deal of the continents, and tilting the Earth's axis, which caused major climate change. He is then ordered by his father to reluctantly pilot a robot known as the Evangelion Unit 01 in order to defeat a strange invaders known as Angels.

So, yeah. Sounds fairly generic, right? And for about the first half of the show, Evangelion is not really anything new in the post-apocalyptic mecha genre. Episodes are, for the most part, either Shinji angsting about piloting the Eva or a monster of the week episode, and you can start to predict what's going to happen after a few rinse and repeats. The characters that are introduced are all fairly messed up, and you might form attachments to them, but it's not enough to really keep you interested. I was seriously considering dropping it at about the halfway point.

And then the second half of the show hit, and it hit hard.

The second half starts to focus more on the psychological aspects of the characters, and the truth behind NERV and its goals. You knew before that these characters were messed up, but now you get to find out just how messed up they are. And the unfolding mysteries behind NERV and the Evas are nothing short of amazing. It also gets a lot more violent and sexual.

The reason that this change happened was partially because it was already in mind, but had to do a lot with what was going on behind the scenes. At this point in time, Anno was suffering from severe depression, and you can see it reflected in the show and its characters. Also, right around this time, funding for the show was starting to run out, and they were failing to meet deadlines.

And, then, of course, there's the infamous Episodes 25 and 26.

Oddly enough, the original ending, while it didn't address any of the issues and mysteries that had built up over the last half of the show, was actually kind of satisfying to me. It shows the actual process of Instrumentality, even though it doesn't really explain what it is, and it ends up being a kind of cracked-out therapy session for the major characters of the show as they take part in Instrumentality.

Also, know going into this that there's a lot of psychology and philosophy and religious symbolism in here, that, if you know it, will definitely help with your understanding of the show. On the other hand, if you don't, be sure to keep Google up, or see if you can find a version of the show with the equivalent of footnotes.

Overall, the story's a bit dense, a bit generic for the first half or so, and doesn't really resolve its issues, but, once it gets to the second half, it kicks into high gear and doesn't look back.

WARNING: As you get into the second half of the show, there's a lot of graphic violence and gore, and offscreen sexual happenings. Be aware of this going in.

Art: Compared to other shows that were airing roughly around this time (Fushigi Yuugi and Sailor Moon SuperS and StarS), the animation, for most of the show, is pretty good. The designs for the Evas and Angels are amazingly varied and just amazing to look at in general, as are the character designs and the way the battles are done.

There's a fairly obvious dip in quality towards the end of the show, but, again, that has to do with the fact that they were unable to meet deadlines and were running out of funding for the project in general. Though I have to admit that they did come up with fairly creative ways to work around the lack of budget, even if some of them could probably cause seizures.

Music: The music for Evangelion is done by Shiro Sagisu and is one of those soundtracks that sticks in your head and one that you actively notice throughout the show, like I did with Gankutsuou, Bokurano, and Code Geass. I'd say some of these themes are probably some of the most recognizable from any anime. And there are some classical themes that end up being used for background music in some of the more EPIC moments of the show, which only helps the moment.

The OP, "Cruel Angel's Thesis", is amazingly catchy. And the ED, a cover of "Fly Me To The Moon", has several different variations that are used, depending on which episode it is.

All in all, awesome music.

Seiyuu: There are some fairly well-known seiyuu in here. Misato's seiyuu, Kotono Mitsuishi (aka the voice of Sailor Moon and Juri Arisugawa in Revolutionary Girl Utena), Shinji's seiyuu, Megumi Ogata (aka the voice of Sailor Uranus), Rei's seiyuu, Megumi Hayashibara (aka the voice of Atsuko Chiba and the title character in Paprika and Lina Inverse in the Slayers series), and Aoba's seiyuu, Takehito Koyasu (aka the voice of Touga in Revolutionary Girl Utena and Hotohori in Fushigi Yuugi) all do excellent jobs for thier characters, and it's nice to see them in this production.

Length: Overall, pretty good. It doesn't feel like it drags in any places, though, realistically, they could've cut out some of the filler at the beginning. They didn't really address all of the mysteries of the show, but, then again, that's what the three movies are for. Still, twenty-six episodes is pretty solid.

Overall: An excellently scored and seiyuued show that starts out generic, but, with budget cuts, deadline issues, and the depression of the director in the second half, takes the story into new, violent, symbolic places, even if the quality of the art goes down a bit and the ending doesn't quite resolve things.

All in all? A fairly solid series.

Story: 8/10
Art: 7/10
Music: 9/10
Seiyuu: 9/10
Length: 8/10

Overall: 41/50; 82% (B)

"Endeth mine life, f'r I hast committ'd the sineth of watching Neon Genesis Evangelion." - karlstein12 2k15.

You ought to be living under a stone all this time if you are reading this review in order to understand or what is Neon Genesis Evangelion. It's a show every anime fan knows of.
Although I've known this show for quite a while I needed the help of the Internet and some dank ironic meme pages to go an actually give it a shot.

NGE starts off like almost any other typical Mecha anime you see these days but soon transcends all the barriers any anime at the ... time had the audacity to. We get into the show with a 14-year old teenager named Shinji Ikari, who is called over to a mysterious organization "NERV" who is fighting beings known as the "Angels" who are trying to invade the city of Tokyo.

While the storyline doesn't seem to be legendary in any way, it's the characters that are one of the strongest points of success for Neon Genesis Evangelion. Below is the list of four of the main characters in the show.

Rei Ayanami: The first child to pilot the Eva Unit 00, Rei seems to be a cold and a character with little emotions and doesn't get along with people at first. She is seen for the first time in the starting episode of Evangelion as she is rescued by Shinji following a shake when an Angel attacks.

Shinji Ikari: The main protagonist of the show, Shinji is a 14-year old kid who is summoned to pilot Eva Unit 01 and is the third child to do so. Throughout the entire show, Shinji is depicted as a very isolated person who fears being alone and who believes he has no sense of self-worth whatsoever. If I do say so myself, Shinji is one of the most relatable characters in the entire anime history.

Misato Katsuragi: FANSERVICE. The one thing Misato's character is for for almost the entire show. Although quite cheerful and enigmatic, Misato's backstory is quite similar to that of Shinji's. As a young kid, she was saved from her Father from the Angels, and whom she hated for not spending and caring for his family. She then joins NERV in order to take her revenge and defeat the Angels for good. Oh and she's also the guardian of Shinji while they both work for NERV.

Asuka Langley Soryu: Asuka is mostly like Misato, enigmatic, cheerful and quite arrogant. She's the second child and the pilot of the Eva Unit 02. Asuka is the exact opposite of Shinji. Confident in herself and the things she does, but also gets along quite well with Shinji. Both have a pretty good relationship in the series before Asuka moves into a depressive state because of losing the lead spot to Shinji as Eva's pilot.

Asuka's childhood is pretty dark, where she lost her mother at a very young age and since has taken an oath to herself as to never cry and depend on others. She's the type of character either you love the most or hate to the core. Much like the anime itself.

Considering Neon Genesis Evangelion came out in 1994, the art is pretty nice and packs a punch. Although at times it gets really underwhelming, a good example is the last two episodes of the show. Other than that, the art done by Gainax is fine and watchable to say the least.

"A Cruel Angel's Thesis" is a true classic and stands out throughout the show. You'll never get tired of hearing it and it's still one of the greatest opening theme songs ever made to date. The soundtrack of Neon Genesis Evangelion is really good. The battle themes, slow paced scenes and almost in any other part of the show it's well done. The ending, "Fly Me To The Moon" is a classic ending as well. It has multiple versions, even for the characters like Asuka and Rei, which perfectly suits the personality of the characters and also that certain episode.

All in all, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a classic and a joy to watch. Although a deconstruction of the Mecha genre, which is the first of its kind and not suitable for everyone, this still stands out as one of the most influential anime's to this day.
As of now writing this review, I'd like to mention that I have yet to watch The End of Evangelion, which is the true conclusion of the controversial episodes 25 and 26, the show still did enough for me. Even if I don't watch EoE(Which I will of course) the ending was satisfying although it did not completely tell some of the plotholes left in the series such as "What is the Dead Sea scrolls?", "What are the Angels actually?", "What's the human instrumentality project?".

And since I'm a good guy I'd like to give the people who have yet to watch the series a piece of advice: Go into watching Neon Genesis Evangelion in a positive way and don't overhype it. If you do that you might actually enjoy the series for what it is.

This is the anime that made me fall in love with anime and rejected everything else-movies, friends, TV, family etc.
This is the anime that launched millions of dedicated fanboys and countless obsessions.
And this is the anime that has an unbeatable level of character depth and symbolism.
So lets get down to the basics:
Story-10: There's nothing I can say to prepare you for the level of depth in the story, although giant mechs being piloted by anxty teenagers who are fighting against giant monsters has been done over and over again, no over anime can even compare to the deepness of the symbolism in the series ... and more importantly the psychological struggles of the characters. Though the first 15 episodes are action focused and like I said earlier, have been done before, from episode 16 onwards the plot shifts its focus onto the psychological side of the characters, with some episodes taking place entirely inside the character's mind.

Art-8: Although its dated now, at the time the animation of the series was truly spectacular and raised the bar for what was expected of anime art. But it still continues to look great, this is mostly due to the stunning lighting effects of the animation where the art's only real downside is in the character designs, which, apart from a few, are rather boring despite the fact that rei, asuka and misato have millions of people of all ages obsessing over them, myself included.

Sound-10: Not only is the soundtrack truly spectacular, with my personal favourite being "hedgehog's dilemma", but the sound effects are also triumphant especially in the amazingly detailed effects of the physical damages, every bone that cracks and snaps, every vain that gets sliced open, every organ that oozes out-all of it can be heard perfectly.

Character-10: The depth of these characters is truly remarkable, and even though the series's main character is famously a giant pussy, the level of depth in how he is evaluated truly explains his lack of manliness fully. If I say any more I fear I might ruin the mystery of these characters so lets just skip ahead.

Overall-10: Interesting, mysterious, powerful, emotional, intense, visceral, haunting and overall: Fucking amazing.

(I promise not to write any spoilers in this review.)

Back when I was eleven, I had heard about "an anime with a kinda cute blue-haired girl, angels and science fiction stuff" around the net, and thought it looked good. I looked it up on YouTube, and- not to sound cheesy- my life was changed forever. That did sound cheesy... nyoro~n...

The story, quite simply, is legendary. It's surprisingly deep, thought-provoking and, in bits of the later episodes and movies, oddly beautiful. I can quite honestly not say just how brilliant it is in words, or in anything else. It goes far beyond the basic idea of ... alien lifeforms invading the planet, causing the apocalypse and having to be defeated by a group of fourteen-year-olds who are being forced to pilot (what they think are) mechas. Far from being cheesy, pretentious or immature, as it could have been, it is, quite simply, perfect.

Next, the art. This can be summed up in five words. "This is a 1995 anime?!" The art in Evangelion is amazing, in my opinion, beating some modern anime. The style is strangely realistic for an anime style, weird as that might sound- no giant eyes, and no crazy hair color without some reason for it. Even in the non-remastered version, the visuals are mostly crisp and clean, providing you don't watch it on low-quality blurry Youtube videos.

Now, the sound. This is, again, incredible. The voice acting is perfect (providing that you ignore the dub), especially for Ayanami Rei, the introverted, slightly workaholic, mostly emotionless but still clearly human pilot of Eva Unit 00, and Nagisa Kaworu, who I can't explain about without spoiling a lot. The music is, if possible, even better. The mixture of original score, new versions of existing songs (examples; Ode to Joy in episode 24, Fly Me To The Moon as the ending theme to most episodes) and J-pop is just perfect. There's no balance problems or distortion, either.

The characters are among the best I've seen in any anime. They are surprisingly, almost painfully, realistic, and strangely relatable, odd as that might be. None of them come over as excessively emotional, ridiculously optimistic, out of place, or Mary-Sue-ish at all. I have a kind of attachment to all of them. You know you shouldn't like them so much; they're destructive, highly flawed, and, in the case of a few characters, sadistic, but you can't help but love them. I pretty much agree with other positive reviewers on the individual characters, so I'll skip over that.

Now for the enjoyment factor. This is not the anime to watch if you only enjoy cutesy happy fluff. This anime is pretty much tragic. By the end, almost all the characters have gotten themselves destroyed, emotionally, physically or both. However, it manages to be just so enjoyable to watch. For some reason, you find yourself totally addicted to it. In some parts, it's oddly beautiful without you quite knowing why.

Overall, this is one of the best anime out there. If you like drama, sci-fi, mecha, theotech, psychological stuff, or deep stories, you'll love Evangelion. Even if you hate all those things, watch it anyway. And if you hate the actual series, watch End of Evangelion before you consign it to the rubbish-heap. If you watched the series, you pretty much have to watch EoE; it answers almost all the unanswered questions and makes for a much more satisfying ending.

Unlike most I came into Neon Genesis Evangelion without getting caught up in lots of hype so certain aspects this anime were not ruined and therefore more shocking. Since then I've come to know that the anime fans are divided between praise and hatred of this anime due its nature. Anyway let’s gets this review underway.

Story- 8.1

The story revolves around the trials and tribulations of 14 year old boy by the name of Shinji Ikari and his massive mech, known as EVA Unit-1,who fight for NERV, a human organisation, in order to prevent the end of the world occurring in an event known as the ... ‘Third Impact’. For most of the episodes he and his "friends",piloting other EVAs, fight weird and wonderful creatures called, somewhat ironically, "Angles". However, there is more here than meets the eye initially. As you peel back the layers of Evangelion you see that there is a conspiracy of biblical proportions, unveiled slowly with the degeneration of Shinji's psyche, and a deconstruction of the mech genre. But with all these elements and ideas being converged the plot itself loses some of the brilliant substance it began with and begins to derail, culminating at the ending.

This is where many fans of the original anime were divided. Some saw it is a very good psycho-analysis of Shinji, whilst most saw it as a massive departure of tone from what the anime was originally built on and what made in their eye enthralling. I can respect the earlier view, but I find myself wishing that they had done it in less radical method. On the whole the story and plot was very good and highly enthralling at times but the story took blow due to the ending and the number of layers which were attempted to be implemented within it.

Art- 6.9

The animation for Eva was done by Studio Gainax. The animation quality does not really hold up with anything recently but for things made in the 1995 it is very good. However the throughout the anime we can see evidence of the tight animation budget that Gainax had. On occasions the level of detail dropped and the fluidity of the movements becomes fragmented. At other times all things in the anime stop moving for minutes at a time. But the worst offender is the last two episodes which we lose all sense of the word animation and turn into lines scribbled across a page. Even with all these flaws and idiosyncrasies the animation for the whole series was good with the battle scenes being executed very well.

Sound- 8.5(Soundtrack-9.1 and Voice Acting-7.9)

The OST for Eva is very good with each track more than adequately, in some cases exquisitely, fitting the mood and the setting which is on screen. The OP and ED are brilliant, even if the ED is cover, and are extremely memorable. If there is any qualms that I have with the OST it is the there is slight repetition in the usage of each track but on the whole it is a quite excellent OST.

The Dub, in the other hand, is a completely different matter altogether. Initially a lot of the lines feel very forced and the cast seem to struggle to fit into their characters roles. This uneasiness fades away the further that we go into the anime. Eventually the cast fit their roles very well and deliver their lines to great amounts of effect. However it is the initial harshness that detracts from the overall quality of the acting.

Character- 9.4

This is where Eva comes into its own. The characters are what set this anime apart from all of the “copycats” that have come out after its release. I have heard many people complain about the about this aspect of Eva but this is where the most of my enjoyment comes from. Each decision, each reaction, each emotion and each interaction reeks of reality which creates a cast of characters who are human to their very core. Yes, like most, I wish Shinji would grow a backbone every once in a while but does this mean I hate him, maybe, but, for me, it creates a very interesting character who can be looked into and analysed with great depth. And the thing is you could do this with every character in Eva as they all have their own psychological issues ranging from parental issues to isolation to love, or lack of it. It is this great depth and variety that interests me and makes me love watching Eva and greatly immerses me in this fictional world.

Enjoyment- 9.3

I loved watching nearly every minute of Eva, notice the “nearly”. The action sequences were entertaining and the plot was interesting, albeit a bit convoluted. However, as mentioned above, it is the characters that really sold Eva to me and made my enjoyment the level that it is. The only part of this anime that detracts from my enjoyment is the final two episodes, which greatly reduced my immersion. Nonetheless this is a series that I had no regrets in watching.

Overall- 8.44

Eva is a series of many layers and does require some heavy concentration at some points. But the satisfaction that one should get out of this series, in most cases, is diminished by the execution of the final two episodes. However if you are looking for an anime which has great psychoanalysis of characters I will tell you to look no further than Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Thank you for reading my review and I hope it was Helpful. Also any feedback would be greatly appreciated =D

This year, I finally re-watched all of Evangelion for the first time since 2006. After experiencing the series again and seeing it in a new light, I've decided to write an entirely new review. I'm going to touch on some of the ways my views have changed over the years and what opinions have remained constant. As a result, this review isn't going to follow a conventional format like I would use for a seasonal anime. I probably don't need to give a general plot overview of one of the most watched anime of all time, right? You guys already know this is a mecha ... series!


So how am I going to open a review talking about one of the greatest anime of all time? I'm going to cover the religious symbolism controversy and get it out of the way right now. It's traditionally been the elephant in the room when discussing Eva and I might as well get it over with. The religious symbolism in Eva is pretty shitty in my opinion. The art director added all of this Christian symbolism and references to Jewish Kabbalah and Gnostic Christianity solely because it looks cool. This wasn't even Anno's idea. The Freudian and Jungian references are actually backed up by Eva's psychological themes. They aren't just randomly inserted. The references to Schopenhauer and his "Hedgehog's Dilemma" are also fully justified because it's one of the main points of the entire series. The religious symbolism serves absolutely zero purpose besides window dressing, which is why early Western critics of Eva kept calling it "pretentious". Meanwhile, Japanese viewers also made the mistake of hugely overestimating the importance of the religious symbolism. Book sales on Gnostic Christianity and Kaballah exploded in Japan after Evangelion came out because Japanese otaku were convinced you needed to understand them in order to "get" Evangelion. This misguided obsession directly led to the creation of both Xenogears/Xenosaga and the Persona games!

Hilariously, these games inspired by Eva actually used religious symbolism far more effectively because they at least gained a Wikipedia surface understanding of Gnosticism and what they were referencing. It's easy to just dismiss the bad symbolism in Eva and say it's not important. So why am I talking about it? I would argue it's still an unfortunate blemish on an otherwise brilliant series. It's not just a single cross shaped explosion that we can close our eyes and ignore. It was so prevalent that it misled many Evangelion viewers on both sides of the Pacific into thinking it was important. I have a friend whose father worked for a Christian publishing house and watched Eva because he heard it was a Christian anime! Of course, he hated it SO much that he refused to try another anime for many years. I'm not going to harp on this much longer, but it's actually funny how shitty and pointless the Christian symbolism is. Even anime that are widely considered to be bad can use Christian symbolism WAY better than Eva. Compare the Virgin Eva with the Chad Elfen Lied. Correctly uses El Greco's famous hand gesture to show penance. Correctly uses the lily as a symbol of rebirth through its connection with Christ. Uses extreme, unrealistic forgiveness in keeping with East Orthodox values of Universal reconciliation. Uses a holy fool character who gets crucified (3 times) in keeping with East Orthodox portrayals of the naivete and foolishness of Christ!

The other thing I'll address before getting to the good parts has to deal with the animation budget in the second half. The story that was told for years and years was that it was simply a case of "Lol, ran of budget!". However, it was actually more complicated than that. While there were budget issues according to Anno that left Gainax with inadequate material and staff during the second half, another problem was that Anno couldn't decide on an ending and the series ran into a time crunch. It's an absolute miracle that Evangelion was finished at all considering the crunch they ended up facing and their lack of staff and resources in the last few episodes. One notable example that I still disliked my second viewing was the death of Kaworu. I think it would have been a lot more effective if we could see Shinji's face as his soul struggles over the decision and contrast that with Kaworu's calm, serene face as he fully accepts death. Instead, we just get that still frame of Unit 1 holding Kaworu for 3 fucking minutes straight! It's pretty frustrating but thank God Eva could fall back on classical music from the public domain they didn't have to pay for! Having said that, I actually adored the last 2 episodes this time around. Yes, the psychological power point presentation won me over this time and emotionally resonated with me in a powerful way. Almost teared up during that ending. Bravo Anno!

Evangelion may start out kind of silly with Pen-Pen and Misato's wild driving and some slapstick, but few shows have come close to Evangelion's insightful portrayal of depression, loneliness, self-loathing, and inferiority complexes. Forming relationships with other human beings is HARD and Eva is fully aware of this in a way most anime aren't. That's why few anime have been able to speak to otaku in the way that Evangelion has. Shinji's level of self-loathing and horrible relationship with his father remind me of something straight out of Kafka, which is about the highest compliment I can give to a show! Evangelion is powerful and moving for pretty much everyone who watches it. I've known some VERY cynical bastards who were stilled moved to tears by this show! Evangelion's overall message of self-acceptance that's independent of external approval is powerful and relatable for all that struggle with their own concept of self-worth. Shinji isn't worthy of love because he pilots a giant robot and fights aliens. He's worthy of love because he's a human being. Just because you don't make all the money in the world or aren't the coolest or the smartest or the most athletic doesn't mean that you aren't deserving and don't have value! Evangelion at its core is a deeply Humanistic and beautiful anime, which allows it to resonate so widely across the world.

Evangelion's characters are the absolute core of the show and what makes it work. Shinji, Asuka, Misato, Kaji, and even Gendo are layered, complex characters that wear different masks depending on who they're interacting with. The side of Misato that she shows to Shinji is very different than the side she shows as Major Katsuragi at work. They each have parts that they keep only to themselves and have parts of themselves that not even they are able to understand or accept. Rei is easily the least developed of the main cast, but even Rei has a clear character arc towards self-acceptance when she refuses to be a puppet and stands up to Gendo. I HATED Rei the first time I saw Eva, but even she has grown on me upon re-watch. I know I'm not covering new ground by saying that Evangelion has good character writing. I'm sure if you've spent any time on Youtube you've already seen hours of Eva character essays on what makes Ritsuko or Fuyutsuki tick. I'm just covering this to say how much more I appreciated the subtle character-building moments my second time around. Personally, I think the Japanese subs really help since the old ADV dub is kind of uneven in my opinion. For example, I really don't think Spike Spencer was a good Shinji at all. Megumi Ogata's Shinji is a fragile, traumatized youth who is forced to face otherworldly motricities against his will. Spike plays Shinji as this whiney brat who just really doesn't want to take out the garbage. It's less existential dread and more like he just doesn't feel like it. It really does an incredible disservice to the character, which is why Shinji was so much more hated in America than elsewhere.

This time around, I paid attention to Eva's plot as closely as I possibly could. I watched video essays. I looked stuff up on the Eva wikia....and sadly I still think the series' plot is overall kind of a mess. This time around, I appreciate that the themes and character psychology are far more important than the plot, so I don't have to be upset when things aren't adequately explained. However, it can still be a little frustrating at times just how unfocused the show can seem. For example, let's look at Evangelion episode 13. In this episode, an Angel somehow transforms itself into a computer virus and infects the heroes' base of operations. The entire point of this episode is to flesh out the background of the tertiary character Ritsuko and learn that her mother placed her brain into the base's super-computer. That's it, that's the whole episode. Since that episode exists, we never learn exactly who Kaji was working for and if he was a double or triple agent. We don't learn how Gendo's version of Human Instrumentality differs enough from Seele's that they are forced to attack NERV. We don't learn what an S2 Engine actually is. We don't learn what the Dead Sea Scrolls actually are in the world of Eva and how they're important to the plot. ALL of those things would actually be far more important to the plot than learning that the computer has the brain of Ritsuko's mom. Ritsuko didn't even get a chair in the last 2 episodes! She's not a main character! Who gives a shit about her mom? The issue with Eva's plot isn't just that it's needlessly confusing, it's that it feels incredibly unfocused. It's almost as if Anno kept changing it and had no idea where he was going.

Back on the positive side of things, Eva's visuals and direction are some of the best in anime history, hands down. Very few anime can claim to have half as many iconic shots as Evangelion. It's not just that Evangelion is popular and that's why we recognize these shots. Even if you've only seen it once, a lot of these images stick with you. Evangelion is visually an absolutely brilliant series! Even when the budget ran out and it ran against the deadline wall, we still get stuff like the iconic "Congratulations" scene. Anno is a spectacular director and deserves full credit for Eva having aged visually as gracefully as it has.

It's now been 27 years since Evangelion came out. Does it still hold up after all these years? Hell yes it does! If you've still not seen Eva or have only seen it once a long time ago, you definitely should check it out again. It's been re-released on Bluray for dirt cheap and it includes End of Evangelion, which was previously SUPER expensive! End of Evangelion is also very good BTW, but that's a different review. Not only is Evangelion still a great anime, but it's very fun to view as a historical series. This completely changed the landscape of anime and led to a new era of greater directorial freedom and creative expression. The decade that Eva birthed from 1995-2005 is in my own humble opinion the best 10 years in the history of anime. It's not even close in my mind. If you too love that period of anime history, you have Evangelion to thank for it! My old review was kind of amusing in its pettiness and nitpickiness, but I was happy to re-review this series and give it more of the praise it deserves.

**SPOILER FREE REVIEW INCLUDING THE "END OF EVANGELION" MOVIE**

"Neon Genesis Evangelion: The most influential anime of the 90's, and arguably of all time. This anime entirely changed the rules regarding what an animated series could convey and how it could convey it. Virtually every anime released after 1995 draws at least some inspiration from NGE, meaning that the anime industry itself would not be what it is today without the not-so-simple simple tale of a quiet boy named Shinji Ikari."
-A synopsis of what everybody says about Neon Genesis Evangelion

Wow. With a reputation like that, I really had no idea how to feel when I ... started watching NGE. I wanted to feel excited, but I didn't want to get my hopes up only to be disappointed; after all, there are many people who absolutely despise this anime and consider it to be vastly overrated. NGE is one of those shows that you either love or you hate, and I was unsure about what category I would fall into.

Well, after watching the series, watching the "End of Evangelion" movie that concludes the storyline, deeply contemplating it, rewatching several parts of several episodes to try to make sense of the complex plot, analyzing the behavior of the characters, and further researching several things I didn't understand , I think I finally have grasped the series well enough to write a review on it.

Basically, NGE is simply unlike any anime you have ever seen before, and you will never see another anime that parallels it. It is incredibly complex and very difficult to understand, but if you do understand it, you will view anime differently for the rest of your life and you might even learn something about yourself. It is certainly not without flaws, but NGE is a must watch for anime fans aged 17+ who are mature enough to handle its content.

Plot: 8/10
When watching the first few episodes of NGE, it's hard to understand what all the commotion is about. It comes across as a relatively generic installment to the already stereotype-heavy mecha genre. It isn't until the show starts hinting that there is some kind of conspiracy going on that things start to get weird. Then it gets weirder, and weirder, and weirder, until finally, all hell breaks loose. Actually, that is an understatement; things get absolutely INSANE by the end of NGE, and no matter how many times you hit the pause button to collect your thoughts and try to figure out what the hell is happening, you still probably won't get it. Understanding the plot of the show requires you to think very hard, rewatch episodes, and research certain aspects of it on the internet. This, of course, is the reason this is a love-it or hate-it anime: people who hate it despise the "wild goose chase" that the plot sends you on. I don't deny that NGE goes around its elbow to get to its thumb, but when you finally realize what is going on, you start to develop an appreciation for it's intricacy.

NGE does not tell its story in the traditional fashion because it is not a traditional anime; in fact, NGE draws more similarities to literature then it does to anime. This is because NGE is an allegory; just about everything in it stands for something much, much more significant then it's face value. The show explains very little and most of what we know about the plot comes from subtle hints and personal interpretations rather then proper explanations. If all of this sounds like way too much to think about, NGE is likely not for you, because this anime is more then just a piece of entertainment; it is a journey into the human phycology. NGE made me contemplate things that I've never contemplated before, and I legitimately think I learned a few things about myself by watching it. I also loved the ending and thought it was a perfect way to end the series, but that is just my own personal interpretation as I know that many people did not like it.

So why only 8/10? Because NGE simply does not provide explanations or meanings to EVERYTHING it throws at you. There are still several things about the plot that could have been handled better and there are still minor plot points that are so ambiguous that even trying to loosely interpret them is a shot in the dark. Ultimately, certain aspects of the show simply feel unfinished due to the well documented financial problems that NGE experienced towards the end. Despite this, NGE's story is a powerful and very enjoyable experience.

Art: 7/10
While the animation was outstanding for its time, it is beginning to show its age. However, that doesn't bother me much because some of the scenes that are being animated are so awe-inspiring and thought provoking that it doesn't have to be recent to be good. The animation style becomes more and more shocking as the show goes on

Sound: 8/10
An interesting and largely indescribable choice of music, in my opinion. I thought it fit well with the tone of the show though, and lets not forget that NGE's OP is arguably the most influential OP of all time; it set the new standard of what a show's opening theme should be and what it should accomplish, and that deserves tremendous amounts of credit.

Characters: 10/10
In an industry that is (and was) overpopulated by characters with no flaws who are based on the aspirations of the audience (such as being a lady's man or a total badass) like Kirito from Sword Art Online or Shirou from Fate/Stay Night, NGE opts instead to write it's characters based on the realizations of the audience.
All of the characters in Neon Genesis Evangelion are symbols for the insecurities that all of us have deep within us and for the methods we use to cope with those insecurities. Specifically, NGE's characters all have a deep rooted hatred for themselves; they all feel that they are unworthy of any sort of love or acceptance, but all of them cope with this insecurity in a different way. This is especially the case with the protagonist, Shinji, whose flaws we are able to recognize in ourselves so easily, allowing the meaning of the show to really get across. By basing the characters of the show on actual human emotions/flaws and executing the portrayal of those emotions/flaws to perfection, NGE has arguably the most realistic and relatable cast of characters in anime history.
The symbolism of the characters (which I won't discuss in great detail) flies over the head of a lot of people because Shinji is the only character that has his insecurities specifically stated. It is not clear until much later in the series that the other characters have very similar problems that Shinji does. For example, Asuka appears on the outside as the complete opposite of Shinji; she is extremely confident, outspoken, and self-assured to contrast with Shinji's shyness, quietness, and self-hatred. As the show goes on, however, it becomes increasingly apparent that Asuka isn't exactly as comfortable with herself as she acts (that is quite the understatement). I don't want to spoil anything, but watching all the characters slowly spiral downward until they hit their breaking point is very fascinating, incredibly thought provoking, and most notably: applicable to real life.
The characters in NGE aren't great for the reasons that characters in other anime are great; they are great because the viewer can relate to all of them in a way that makes him/her question their own life; there is a piece of Shinji in all of us, a piece of Rei in all of us, and a piece of Asuka in all of us. Their quest to obtain inner piece is portrayed so passionately and convincingly that it holds the audience's attention through thick and thin.
Coping with loneliness and self-hatred is something that we all have to go through, and NGE's characters provide the perfect vessels to raise the questions that NGE was intending to raise, and I give the show a tremendous amount of respect for that. Masterfully written characters.

Overall: 8.5/10
Neon Genesis Evangelion is NOT your average anime; it cannot be watched in the same way that you would watch other shows. If you not prepared to think extremely hard and put forth a significant amount of time into watching , rewatching, and analyzing the show, then I recommend you steer clear. This anime is an allegorical, symbolic journey more then it is a television show, and people who don't understand that are going to hate it. NGE stands as the pinnacle of psychological anime after completely destroying the previously perceived limitations of the industry. However, perhaps NGE's greatest accomplishment is that it made us think about our own lives and problems in ways we never had before, and that is outstandingly hard to do even for something that isn't so seemingly simple as anime.

What can I say? People are calling this the greatest anime of all time. If you want to call yourself an anime fan, you should know it. The greatest thing about this series is that everybody has their own unique interpretation of it. The reason why I gave the animation a 9 is that, during the time the show was being made - especially near the end - Gainax wasn't really confident in the show's potential for success (at the time it was being aired on TV Tokyo, which had 5 affiliates, and only became successful after word of mouth had ... spread rumor of the show all over the place and a larger broadcast network decided to pick it up... or something like that) and so they cut both the budget and scheduling for the Eva project, so later in the series, the animators didn't have time to make as many frames as they would have liked, and eventually they ran out of time to complete all the frames they needed, so in the last 2 next episode previews and even the last episode, they had to use macro shots of storyboards and the like. You'll be so wrapped up in the show at this point that you'll probably think it was intentional. Original and intriguing characterization is one of the strongest points of the show. The story is compelling. There is some interesting use of music in some parts of the show. Most likely, Eva will either send you on a trip or throw you for a loop. It'll put your brain in a blender and kinda rearrange it a little bit. If you just finished watching something like FLCL, I suggest putting this one off for a while. Go watch Gundam or something. Come back after that.

"I mustn't run away, I mustn't run away, I mustn't run away..."

Neon Genesis Evangelion is arguably one of the best animes that came out in the 90's, along with Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal and Trigun. Hideaki Anno, the creator of the Eva series, might not have known this at the time when this show first aired, but he had created one of the most memorable animes in existence, which is also arguable depending on who you ask.

As far as story goes, it peeked my interest while watching the first episode. However, when watching the series, I was wondering if I had skipped a season, ... just due to the fact that all the characters seemed to know eachother already. Later I found that out to be the work of a top secret organization. I had never watched Gundam as a kid, nor did I like Transformers at the time. I was never into mecha shows or movies. I think when I first started watching this, the only thing mecha-related I had in my life was the few hours spent on MechQuest Online, and that was quit a while back. But, Neon Genesis Evangelion was the anime that changed the genre for me, mainly due to it's story, but also due to the action and suspense in it. I can't really say whether it's considered "unique" or not, due to the fact that I haven't seen many animes that air before the 90's, but I found it to be interesting and enjoyable every episode.

Judging from any of the other 90's animes I've seen, the Eva series had some of the best artwork for it's time. It's nothing like today's anime art, but considering this show is almost 20 years old, you gotta give them credit for making it look so extraordinary. I liked the battle scenes, the character art, even the scenery was something to gawk at. It's not often you get to see a freaking city sink into the ground and have it replaced by a battlefield designed for Evas and Aliens.

Sound is always something that I have trouble with when it comes to English Dub, and I preferred to watch this in English instead of having to read subtitles due to the important fact that I may miss something that is vital to the show and then have no idea what happened later. But there weren't too many issues with the dubbed cast, which is surprising, because I've seen a lot of bad voice acting in my days (Doki Doki School Hours? Anyone?), but the cast pretty much nailed it. I can't say that I thought the actors chosen to play some of the characters were perfect, there's always at least 1 character's voice I hate, but overall I didn't really have a problem.

I liked most of the characters. Occasionally there were a few moments where I'd just love to punch someone because of their idiocity, not really gonna give any names *Cough* Shinji *Cough* though. There seemed to be a lot of characters, and most of them had a past that you'd eventually need to learn about, and there are quite a few moments explaining more about the characters' lives and such, so getting to know them wasn't a problem. Liking most of the characters though isn't always easy... there were a few I had problems with, and again, not gonna give any names *Cough* Shinji *Cough*. I did however like Asuka, just because she brings that comedy feel to the show, and she's not as annoying once you start to like her.

I can say I enjoyed this show for the most part. Last 2 episodes seemed to go on forever, leaving an ending that'll make anyone scratch their head and wonder, "Wait, congratulations for what?". But that's why the series gets better and there are alternate endings! (Referring to Death & Rebirth then The End of Evangelion) Overall, it had tons of action, some good comical moments, plotline was good, not every character was hateable *Cough* Shinji *Cough*... for most of you fans of the mecha genre, this is definitely a series to get into.

5 WORDS OR LESS REVIEW: Confusing Ending

I always wondered why people made such a big deal out of Neon Genesis Evangelion. They always talk about how confusing it is and there was no real conclusion to it. When I first watched it, it didn’t really seem confusing – until the ending. Since I want to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, I’ll just tell you to watch it yourself to witness the confusion on your own *wink*

I rarely watch mecha anime, and it’s even rarer for me to find mecha anime that I like. Guess what? I like NGE. It’s interesting, it’s weird, it’s ... unique, it’s mind boggling, maybe too mind boggling but I don’t really mind because I like series that require my attention. Another thing I like about it is that it’s not too serious – it has its funny parts too so I rarely got bored with it.

One important aspect of NGE is the characters. Each character is unique and has his or own story, but all of them are yearning for acceptance, I think. My favorite has to be Shinji. I know there are people who don’t like him but he really is my favorite. It’s because I love how he reacts to his circumstances – it’s exactly how I would expect a 14 year old boy to react if he were thrown into a similar situation. In fact, Shinji, Rei and Asuka were all very childlike and acted like their age, which is something you find rare in anime. I also like Rei and Misato, by the way.

A lot of well known VAs for this anime, but my favorite has to be Megumi Ogata. When I first heard Shinji’s voice, I immediately thought it was perfect for a boy like Shinji. I love it when female VAs play male roles, but most of the time you can tell that right away. In this case, I didn’t even notice it was a female VA at first, because he really did sound like a pre-teen boy. Megumi hayashibara was also perfect for Rei Ayanami (and Pen Pen I guess), but then again, everyone was perfectly suited to play their respective roles. I guess this is one of the series I’ve seen that has impeccable voice casting.

I would say storytelling and visuals were great if it weren’t for the last 2 episodes that made me dizzy. It was a splice of different images that seemingly had little connection. Character design was great. I appreciate the wonderful design of the female characters’ figures – unrealistic, but nicely drawn. The colors need some work though, since I thought they were kind of bland and clashed with each other. I don’t understand why Eva unit 01 had to be purple and neon green, but the Evas looked great, especially Asuka’s.

I absolutely love the opening theme. I liked it ever since I first saw a Tagalog dub version of NGE on local TV. All I did was watch the opening credits and when it was done, I wouldn’t stick around for the actual episode. Of course, I watched the whole thing this time around but I still like that song. As for the ending song, “Fly Me to the Moon” and it’s different versions were okay, but I don’t really see why they decided to use it as an ending theme. It’s one of my mother’s favorite songs, and it’s kind of weird for me to hear it each time I watch an episode of NGE.

It definitely was worth it to watch this anime. I guess I can say that Neon Genesis Evangelion changed my opinion on mecha anime. I’d probably watch more mecha after this.

What more can be said that hasn't already been discussed with regards to Neon Genesis Evangelion? How Gainax nearly went bankrupt in developing this series. How TV-Tokyo chopped the studio's budget. How impacting the final two episodes were, and how they still create a maelstrom of controversy to this day. How Hideaki Anno nearly lost his nerve (pardon the pun) just making NGE. You name it, and the lunatics at Gainax practically did it while working on NGE.

It's easy to attack NGE today - yes, you can strike at the characters and the somewhat loopholed story. But the truth ... is that everything done in NGE was intentional; you're not supposed to relate to the characters as easily as you would in a typical anime, nor are you supposed to interpret the story with a wink and a smile coming from every frame. Neon Genesis Evangelion is to be taken with a grain of salt, and it would be a good idea to throw away all preconceived notions of anime and take it for what it is, which remains to this day one of the finest pieces of animation in recent history.

The best part of NGE is how well it holds up to this day, even though we are now past the year 2000 AD and quickly approaching 2015 AD. Like a good movie, you can take NGE and watch it at any point in your life and find new things about it. The longer you stand away from NGE, the more you begin to truly appreciate the artwork, the soundtrack, and even the voice work. It is still a ton of fun to analyze it like a therapist getting into a patient's head and to try to make sense of NERV, SEELE, Second Impact, Human Instrumentality, etc. (if you don't know what those are by now, you need to educate yourself quickly.) ADV practically owes everything to NGE, and thankfully they have been so generous in treating us fans with a multitude of DVD releases and other products for us to keep appreciating NGE.

There's never such a thing as watching anything right or wrong, but there is such a thing as seeing something in a new perspective. NGE is one of those rare gems that always asks its audience to view it with different eyes each time, to try and understand its message better if you didn't get it the last time. When I first saw NGE, I hated just about all the characters in it, especially Shinji. Later, as I grew a little bit older, I have related myself to him, and now, older still, I feel as if I know him personally. I am nothing like Shinji, but there are times when I feel as if I could be. That is how well I feel like I know NGE.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (A+) – groundbreaking series, the entire show is classic with iconic images coming from everywhere. It is a smart, confusing, deep and polarizing series, with possibly the greatest ending in all of anime (for good or bad).

The characters are all distinct personalities, and have huge gaping flaws that they hide behind talent, duty and sealed lips. But many have the added of effect of being creepy (possibly because they hold onto so many secrets, personal or otherwise). Shinji is probably the original antihero in anime, not in the way Hellsing is antihero, but in being like a sad mirror ... image of most coming of age boy anime heroes.

Shinji Ikari is a coward, weak and wishy-washy, kind of like a screwed up Charlie Brown. He is someone who you have fun comparing to other characters in his role. He doesn’t seem to permanently develop and mature over time like Kamille in Zeta Gundam or Ayato in RahXephon. He is not a smooth talking, professional James Bond-esque adult like Roger Smith in Big O. And he’s definitely nothing like the super macho super robot heroes like Domon Kashu of G Gundam (hell, he piloted a robot called God Gundam). But you can see his effect on the genre after his appearance in Eva and you can see his origins in characters of the past. And when he did get a backbone… wow!

The plot is… well its hard to explain, which says a lot about the show. The first half reels you in to believe it’s a traditional robot of the week anime, except with the twist of fighting the Angels (or Apostles) of God. THE most memorable image for me in Eva and possibly in my time viewing anime is the first time I saw an Angel. Without knowing what to expect, it shakes you to the core.

And like the Angels, the plot is a shocker too, there are so many symbols and twists and red herrings that you start to fill in the blanks in your own way. And that is the beauty of Eva’s plot, it becomes a personal experience. Because so much is left to the imagination that you start build a story in your head that is completely different from what someone else might pull from it. Like the religion it uses so often to tell its story, Eva becomes open to interpretation. Which leads to the infamous ending.

Obviously a lot can be given away by talking about the ending, but I am only going to skim over the reactions to it… or them (I told you the plot was confusing). The last two episodes are shockers, more than likely downers and possibly a wall. Many people were confused by it, me included. But after a second viewing, the ending I originally thought was just confusing and sad became a happy ending. Like I said, a lot is left up to interpretation. And that is the beauty of Eva.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is in essence another boy becoming a man robot anime, but it is told in the most unique and engrossing way. Empathy, apathy, action, tension and terror come together to paint a chilling picture of a world on the brink and the people trying to live normal lives with that fact. With characters and a plot that have become legendary, iconic and almost mythic, it is no wonder that this show is my #1.

Note: I wrote this review long before I found MAL, so I apologize if I don't address all of the subjects pointed out for review. I hope the numeric scores will be enough.