Neon Genesis EVANGELION Anime Review

Here is a brief synopsis for Newbees.

At the turn of the century, the apocalyptic ‘Second Impact’ melts the polar ice caps, resulting in a flood that wipes out half of Earth’s population. In the year 2015 the mysterious alien entities known as ‘Angels’ return to Earth, seeking to wipe out humanity in an apocalyptic fury. Devastated, mankind’s last remnants moved underground to wait for the day when the Angels would come back to finish the job.

Fifteen years later, that day has come…but this time, humanity is ready to fight back with terrifying bio-mechanical weapons known as the Evangelions, Eva’s for short. Only a handful of special children are capable of piloting these Evangelions and thus, the fate of the world rests in the hands of a few 14-year-olds. Piloted by Shinji, Rei, Asuka as well as the top-secret U.N. organization code-named NERV, who use these giant bio-mechanical humanoids to withstand the force of the Angels’ defense fields long enough for the pilots to tackle the massive invaders in brutal hand-to-hand combat! To top it off, every Angel that appears is much more advanced than its predecessor, and the Eva’s can’t defeat it using the same method twice. At the same time, NERV struggles to pierce the veil of mystery surrounding the enigmatic Angels, or are they?

High-tech action, blistering battle sequences, soul ripping drama and spectacular visuals are seamlessly merged in the stunning animated series that ventures beyond the boundaries of space opera and questions the very nature of what it is to be human! Mankind’s last battle has begun in Neon Genesis EVANGELION!

Review

What makes Neon Genesis EVANGELION so great?

I have no idea… It was beyond me, I’m still dumbfounded. I mean this all in a good way.

Why don’t we have TV like this in the U.S.? I guess that’s why the people who brought us Lord of The Rings are in the process of bringing us a live action version of this film. (see images below)

I just watched all 26 episodes of the television series plus Death and Rebirth along with End of Evangelion movies, if you don’t watch these two movies you’re just asking for punishement. All the f**ked up stuff happens in these. The last few episodes of the series do nothing to explain the many, many mysteries that surface. For a more complete explanation of the back story, the two Evangelion movies* need to be watched.

I’m more of a technical person, so an interesting aspect I really enjoyed was watching the interaction of Tokyo 3 city (Nerv HQ) with the Eva’s in action. Listen people, there is some pretty clever stuff here, not just big mechas like Getter Robo with unlimited power smashing the enemy to pieces. You won’t see Shinji-Ikari, the main character, climb into a machine he has never piloted before and beat the pulp out of the Angel attacking buildings of Tokyo-3 as you may in other mecha series. You will see him thrashed by the Angel, and later you will experience his fear, his anxiety, and his need for love in all the wrong places. The Eva’s are vulnerable, like Superman with kryptonite.

Watching the 26 episodes of the series as a whole is a very moving , yet sometimes slow going experience. The first few episodes are a slide-show of action and human emotion with little movement toward any unified plot. The art by the way is sick[phat, dope, da bomb, whatever] futuristic cities, robots, weapons, action. There are memorable scenes out the ass in this series. The fighting sequences between the monstrously large EVAs and ever-evolving Angels are top-notch, and the action is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. In the middle of the series, the plot picks up the pace, and there grows the feel of an X-fileesque conspiracy. ‘Secrets and lies’ abound, and behind the scenes of NERV and Angel attacks there are mysterious forces at work, driving the very gears of human existence.

The Story line is not necessarily unique if you read hard science fiction and religious speculation stories, but you’ve never actually SEEN it. Reminds me a little of the Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons.

At it’s core, Evangelion is a study of the human psyche so it is imperative that Evangelion gets you attached to its characters. The focus is on the three EVA pilots, their friends, and NERVs adult personnel. Unfortunately, I did find that I pretty much disliked all the characters except Misato who would wake up and enjoy a few beers before heading out for the day. She’s my kind of chick. I feel that the cast of the series Rahxephon were far more appealing (Hey, this is just my opinion).

The show rapidly moves from comedy to tragedy and back between episodes and may be a little disorienting to some (unless you’re familiar with Japanese theatre). You will be hard pressed to find a drop of cheese in Evangelion. The series as a whole delivers the strongest and strangest pathos, from fear and loneliness, to heart-wrenching sadness.

The series is often lauded as genius because of what lies below the surface. Those excited by philosophy and theology will have a ball with this intellectually complex series… Extensive biblical references, an intelligent, philosophical and psychological examination of humanity will guarantee a new experience at every re-viewing. You’ll also notice if you’re paying attention the constant droning of Cycada’s in the background (weird).

I recommend this series to those who have the time, it requires concentrated viewing and it may be several volumes before you start to “get into” it.

Just see it you’ll like it.

ADV FILMS’ release of the Neon Genesis Evangelion Perfect Collection ($169.98 SRP) contains eight DVD volumes – including a newly remastered volume one – in the English language version, along with the Japanese, Spanish, and French versions with English subtitles. Each DVD also includes special features such as scene selection, character bios, and more.

Here are some books and other pieces of entertainment that have themes or ideas that are similar to Neon Genesis, you just might like.

Review by David Marini
www.everythingevangelion.com