Shinseiki Evangelion

When I started this anime I expected sweet mecha battle action, maybe a little bit of drama, and an epic ending to wrap it up. I recieved none of the above. Story 2 I kept watching this anime for and only for the awesomeness of the mecha's. I've heard that if you watch the movies the story for this anime makes more sense... Would you take the chocolate chips out of a cookie, to eat the cookie first and then eat the chips last? No, you would naturally eat the thing as a whole. Back to the anime, there is no explanation, no decisive battle between good and evil, no chocolate chips at all, just a terrible attempt at a psychological battle within a character who has the whiniest, most annoying and difficult to comprehend personalities in any protagonist ever. -EPIC FAILURE- Art 6 The mecha's were amazing for their time, the characters and their piloting outfits all looked sweet. Its too bad the focus of the anime is psychological and not action. There are a lot of good art sequences during the battles but the flashes of random garish colors and etc. that make up psychological segments are absolutely dreadful. About 20 percent of the anime consists of sweet mechaness. 60 percent is decent everyday life art, and the last 20 is the often annoying and senseless art thats suppossed to overwhelm your sense logic. Sound 5 Nothing to get excited over, the sound gets an average score of 6. It would of scored higher except there were far too many alarms, and annoying beeps, even police or ambulance sirens completely randomly and pointless in the middle of the night in a high tech city. Character 7 The characters were generally as bad as the rest of the criteria, there were a few saving graces. The main character was too flawed to be anything more then annoying especially during the 2 episode psychological trip. Rei and Misato were definately interesting though, as well as some of the side characters. Enjoyment 3 The battles were the only thing worth watching. Luckily enough for the first half of the anime the battles were frequent. Don't get me wrong the drama could have been okay but the resolution and delivery of it all was an epic failure. Overall 5 Most definately a love it or hate it anime. The scores represented here are all over the place as you can see. I tried to evaluate it solely with the criteria in mind but the ending average looks higher to me then i feel it should be. Watching this anime was such a disapointment to me. Ah well.

Few anime titles have the power to rile up a heated argument better than Neon Genesis Evangelion. Though successful and hugely influential, this classic of the 90's nevertheless suffers from a slew of problems that cannot be ignored even by the most rabid fanboys out there. However, the hard-to-swallow human drama presented in Eva not only sets it apart from other anime, but depending on the viewer's willingness to analyze the characters, the potential power of Eva's strikingly realistic cast makes for an unforgettable experience that should not be missed out on. The story of Evangelion is twofold: the psychological drama between the characters and the underlying plot pertaining to NERV's conflict against its aggressors. While the former is superb, the latter suffers from a number of glaring flaws that not only makes it inaccessible, but incomplete as well. Though it sets the stage for the various challenges faced by the characters, Anno's cryptic method of relaying the story to the viewers failed to answer a number of key questions that are crucial to the plot: why are the angels attacking Tokyo-3? What exactly are NERV and SEELE's agendas? What is this prophecy that's constantly referred to? Worse yet, there exists a couple of major plot holes that makes it ever harder for the view to take a grasp on the plot. Though one can try to theorize all sorts possibilities with the help of GAINAX's blatant retroactive continuity, it is still a frustrating and unrewarding experience. Like a leaking coffee mug, the plot of Evangelion is a considerable obstacle to the viewer's enjoyment of the contents. That aside, the character drama in Eva is great. Hideki Anno broke established conventions of mecha anime at the time by introducing true-to-life characters into a farfetched sci-fi premise. The result is something that betrays the expectations of many newcomers: instead of the bold protectors of humanity, the protagonists of Evangelion are a group of conflicted anti-heroes. Throughout the series the three Eva pilots wrestle with their identities as mankind’s only hope, struggle between intimacy and privacy, question their self-worth, and battle the fear that comes with risking their lives in battle, in ways that are feasible for real pre-teens. This means there will be bound to be the immaturity and angst that naturally comes with youth, but this fact really brings the characters to life and pushes them beyond character archetypes. Shinji’s character cannot be summed up quaintly as “the introverted mecha protagonist”, nor is it fair to label Asuka as “generic tsundere”, as the underlying currents that drive the actions of the characters are vivid and complex. Shinji’s of rough personal journey is very compelling, given that the viewer is able to take notice of his various inner conflicts and insecurities. The deeper one delves into the characters, the more insight and enjoyment it will bring – that is without question the greatest strength of Evangelion. The presentation value of Eva remains great even over a decade later. The character designs are instantly memorable, especially in the main female characters, who have become enduring favorites. The designs of the angels have a real otherworldly feel to them, though not all of them are very exciting. The mechanical designs are superb. The thin, tall, and sleek look of the Evas is unique, and many of the action scenes look spectacular, especially considering its age and budget. There is an issue of consistency in the art, though, as the size of the Evas fluctuate depending on dramatic effect. Sometimes their size dwarfs the tallest buildings of Tokyo-3, yet at other times they are able to hide within the urban sprawl. Evangelion is also famous for its frequent tendency to cut corners in terms of animation. While the movements of the characters and mecha are well animated, there are a number of scenes where nothing moves onscreen. Be it for the purposes of mood buildup or the peculiarities in the character’s habits, these scenes would have been better with at least some movement, perhaps in the form of mannerisms or minute movements, which can go a long away into conveying the scene. The sounds of Evangelion are also great. The roars of the Evas, the shrieks of the angels, and booms of the explosions serve their roles very well. Shiro Sagisu’s work in the music department is also splendid with a number of great instrumental pieces and battle themes. The last two episodes of Evangelion were the result of the exhaustion of budget and time in Gainax at the time. Hence, they feel far from complete and fail to grant viewers with satisfactory closure. This would heavily blemish the Evangelion experience if not for the film End of Evangelion, which retells the events of the last two episodes from a different perspective. The film, though cryptic in its own right, provides an amazing end to Shinji’s grueling story, and is a definitive achievement in anime filmmaking. Since Neon Genesis Evangelion is incomplete without the End of Evangelion, the film should not be missed by anyone who sat through the 26 episodes, under any circumstances. In the end, Evangelion is something you need to watch, if only because of its titanic influence on Japanese animation, and even Japanese culture, to a degree. That said, not everyone would enjoy it. The plot is needlessly cryptic, the characters may be hard to digest for some viewers, and the grim tone may not be everyone’s cup of tea when it comes to the idea of entertainment. Like a piece of postmodern art, Evangelion may appear daunting and inaccessible. But what lies in the end of the experience is a powerful coming of age story and an allegory to the otaku experience. A ride full of palpable genuine emotion exuded by the characters, Neon Genesis Evangelion truly lives up to its popularity and success, and should not be missed by anyone.

When watching anime, controversies can never be avoided. Simply liking certain shows can be considered controversial. If a person says that X anime is the best anime ever, there will always be a group of individual that will surely bat an eyebrow. No one is safe. Everything a person say can lead to a controversy. I was watching a show at Discovery Channel about simple controversies when I think about doing this; reviewing the most controversial anime of all time: Neon Genesis Evangelion. Some consider it a masterpiece; some consider it crap, while other considers it the most blasphemous creation in history. So today, on its 20th year anniversary, a little review of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Not End of Eva (yet), not the Rebuilds (yet), just the series. Story: Evangelion starts up really slooooooow. For about 20 episodes, they followed a formulaic monster of the week kind of thing. Sure it helps the characters develop throughout the series but they can definitely cut some of it out to save some money which they can use for the animation side of things (Not now. I’ll talk about it in the animation section). It isn’t that slow that you will feel bored the entire series because almost every episode, a new monster (or in this case Angels. IT’S AN ANGERU! IT’S A GUNDAM!) appears and wreck havoc while the pilots tries to kill it. Though the story is sidelined for the most part because of the action, there’s still this interesting thing brought up almost every episode: The Human Instrumentality Project (The Human Instrumentality Whatnow?). I watched Evangelion without having seen too much anime (I think I watched it after only watching 20 shows) so I didn’t actually get the HIP that much. Though I understand its purpose, I didn’t actually get why. And that is one of the things that EVA is excellent as: Not answering questions. Throughout the series (and the Rebuilds), questions tends to pile up without Hideaki Anno (The director of the series who if you didn’t know made an anime cameo in Shirobako as Mitsuaki Kanno. Yeah. You’re welcome) answering anything out of it. Viewers tend to have the same reaction every time they watch the series: “What the fuck is going on?”. Though most people don’t understand what’s going on, that is where the magic lies. You will want to watch it over and over again (I never did until now) just to understand it. Sometimes, having things not handed to you directly is a good thing; Death Billiards (Not Death Parade) is a very good example. Characters: Almost every character in the series, though they appear to be one-dimensional, has a hidden dark inner personality. Let’s give a little example; Misato Katsuragi appears to be a happy-go-lucky guardian to the pilots but she, herself, is a survival of the 2nd impact and hides behind a façade in an attempt to forget her past. Most character suffers from this similar trait and is one of the good reasons as to why I like this series. They appear to be one-dimensional in the beginning but throughout the series, you get to see their back stories on how they became the people that they are now. In my opinion, a good character building strategy not just for the main ones but for the supporting cast as well. Now, speaking of the main characters, let’s talk briefly about the 3 main pilots. Starting out, we have Shinji Ikari, the story’s main protagonist. Many viewers who have seen the series considered Shinji as a (pussy) girl because of his lack of testosterone throughout the series. I, for one, beg to disagree. Shinji is a 14 year old kid who was thrown in to pilot the EVA not because he wanted to but because THEY (NERV. Dafuq does that stands for anyway? Nervous Erection Reaches Vagina?) wanted to. Even if he doesn’t want to, NERV wanted him to continue piloting the EVA. Though they succeeded in doing so, deep down, Shinji still doesn’t want to do it because of the pain and some other things. He clearly doesn’t care about the world because the world clearly doesn’t care about him so he lacks the resolve to save it in the first place. Being technically orphaned at a young age, he felt that the world was being unfair to a kid like him. So why not just let everyone suffer just like him? Well, that’s my conspiracy theory that Shinji is actually a God. Haha fuck me, right? Anyway, as far as I remember, never once has he willingly piloted the EVA because he wanted to (Then 3.0 happened) and he also never once said that he wants to stop the Angels in order to save the world (Which was evident in 2.0 where his actions clearly states that: “Fuck the world, all I want Rei”). Shinji is by far, the most human anime character that I have come across to. If you, or me were in his situation, we’d probably do the same things he did. In character number 2, we have the pilot of EVA 2.0, the narcissistic bitch from Germany, Asuka Langley Soryuu: The grandmother of tsunderes worldwide. In all the anime I have seen, I have never met a tsundere that is older than her (Eva came out of 1995, right? If you know someone older than her at being a tsundere, please introduce her to me. I really want to meet her). In regards to his character, Asuka is praised by many (including me) because of her badassery. Considered to be the best pilot throughout the whole franchise (I think Mari’s greater but that’s just my personal taste. *cough* Bias because of Megane? *cough*) by the fans, she definitely shows this in every battle she has participated in. Her character is very fleshed out thanks to her back story which is probably one of the many reasons that she is many viewers’ favorite character in the series. She is a bitch but we get to see why. Which is in my honest opinion, makes a bitch a good tsundere. Lastly, we have Zero. Not Lelouch, not that one from Megaman, but Rei Ayanami, which is like Asuka, the flagship and oldest (in my book) kuudere in anime. Thanks to her character, we get to see characters like Yuki Nagato, Kanade Tachibana, and Kaizuka Inaho (*grins* I know Inaho is much more of dan rather than than a kuu but fuck it. They are the same in my eyes) to name a few. In all of EVA, her character is probably the character that I hate the most (probably more than Gendo. It could be a tie). I don’t know, I think I just hate emotionless characters in general (Weird because I really like Yuki Nagato. She’s my PC, PS3 and CPs wallpaper. It must be my fetish coz she used to wear glasses. lol). Apart from being a key item in the Human Instrumentality Project, she never really did anything throughout the entire series. We see her injured at episode 1 in order to convince Shinji to pilot the EVA, but after that she almost did nothing throughout the entire series. She, like her character is supposed to be, is just like a doll in a doll-o’-rama. You’ll see her, but you wouldn’t care for her in general. A simple decoration. She can be considered a catalyst for Shinji’s character development but that’s about it. I don’t even know why Shinji has a thing for her. Mother complex perhaps? lol. Animation: The animation for Neon Genesis Evangelion was done by Gainax back in 1995. The animation in itself is really good if you consider that this came out in 1995. I think it looks better than Gundam Wing when it comes to animation but that’s just my personal taste. Yeah, when you look at the battle scenes in every episode, you might not have guessed that this came out in 1995. The details are amazing and the Angels and EVAs just look fantastic. If there’s one thing this section is bad at, that’s probably the obvious lack in budget. Throughout the series, we get to see obvious (and lame) budgeting strategies. A good example is (I forgot what episode it was) when Shinji was about to leave NERV for the first time and Misato tried to stop him in the station, there was about 5 minutes of frame silence. No movement was produced and the only thing that lets you know that you didn’t hit the pause button by mistake is the sounds in …

(BACKLOG) Couldn’t put this off forever huh? Love it, hate it, heard of it or not, Neon Genesis Evangelion remains of of the most controversial anime of the 90’s, a show that deconstructs the mech genre, delves deep into the psyche of its characters, has more pretentious symbolism than I care to list, and all this leads to one of the most infamous last two episodes in the history of anime. Some declare it a masterpiece, many say it’s complete sh*t, but I’m going to do my best on telling you guys what I made of of the strange show unraveling before me. And for heaven’s sake…… Fast forward 15 years after the cataclysmic event known as the Second Impact wiped out half of the world’s population. Huge mysterious alien beings known as Angels have appeared in Tokyo, and since Earth’s military forces are no match for these alien war machines, the Japanese government do what they typically do in such a situation: establish a secret military force known as NERV who build giant mechs named Evangelions to combat the threat. But by some arbitrary rule of anime, the pilots of the Eva’s have to be 14 year old children, one of those children being Shinji Ikari, the last person on the planet who you would chose to save the world from horrifying alien monsters. The show then follows an Angel of the Week type setup; as Shinji whines, Tokyo gets destroyed a few times, and we witness a downward spiral of all of the characters sanity meter’s. But as the show wears on and typical mech stereotypes begin to peel away, it becomes clear that something huge is going on behind the scenes, and a truth about the Angels, NERV, and the entire nature of the Evangelions is waiting to be revealed that could ultimately mean the end of the world. Now, all of this makes the set-up to Evangelion so goddamn interesting. I was completely immersed in the story, the characters, the mystery behind the Angels, and I found myself ready to commit; all Evangelion had to now was blow me out of my seat…..and then it begins to go wrong. You see this series is infamous of its ending, and for good reason, because for all these interesting questions Evangelion raises it never seems to answer to a satisfying degree. OK, let me get something straight, standard definitions aside, there is a big difference for me between a complicated plot, and a convoluted one. Something can have a complicated plot, in fact, I love complicated plots, but there’s something wrong with your plot being needlessly complicated. Evangelion adds on so many subplots that it’s hard to keep count, everyone of them needing a lot of explanation to make sense. Evangelion has enough religious symbolism to write an entire book of symbolic pretentiousness, these things being added to an already grand and confusing plot, so by the time the last 5 or so episodes are rolling, you, the viewer, will have about 1,000 questions, and hardly any answers. This is ultimately Evangelions downfall. It gives half truths, ones that you really need to examine in order to piece together some kind of meaning from the story they come from. It gives you a couple stems to work ideas, and then says “right, you work out the rest.” And I’m sorry, but this is not OK. Sure you can have different experiences every time, have a different outlook on the series, even realize a piece of the plot makes sense when it didn’t before but even me, who had a great deal of knowledge of the series’ plot and twists and symbolic meaning before I ever watched the show, could hardly work out what the hell had happened by the end of the series. Sure, after thinking for awhile, and with some of the movie’s help(see End of Evangelion) I think I know mostly what happened…..I think. In the end, for the amazing plot it had going for it, Evangelion never tells you what happened, why everything happened, how. After watching the show, the follow up movie, the Rebuild Movies, reading multiple interpretation and reviews, and thinking on my own for quite awhile, I still don’t know what exactly happened. And again, that’s just not OK. Christ, have I still not got to the characters? Right then, let’s start with our protagonist Shinji Ikari. Having lost his mother at a very young age and being heavily neglected by his father Gendo Ikari, this leaves Shinji with a confidence and mental state so low that he can hardly even function on his own. So to everybodies great surprise I”m sure, when Shinji is chosen as the pilot for Evangelion Unit 1 and tasked with saving the world, he just elects to run away. It kind of becomes a running theme(sorry) with the series; Shinji deciding to try to run away from his problems, and it’s not like I can’t see where he’s coming from. He already had a crappy life, and now he’s being told to pilot a giant mech he’s never seen or heard of before in order to fight ungodly terrifying creatures, but the problem here is that Shinji never really changes. Almost through the entire series, Shinji continues to whine and say how nobody cares about him. If he had ever grew confidence with his victories over the Angels and actually grew a backbone, he would have a been a good character, but this really never happens, all the way up to the end of the show. OK, there is a part like halfway through the show where he starts to develop relationships with his teammates and grow confidence, but due to a truly traumatic event that I won't talk about it detail, that get stunted pretty quickly. Asuka Langley Soryu is the redheaded German pilot of Evangelion Unit 2, and pretty much the exact opposite of our unconfident awkward protagonist. Appearing later on in the show, Asuka is a skilled pilot of the Eva Unit 2, and has a head that’s too big for her own good. She has a very outgoing personality, is much more socially adept than Shinji is, and this, combined with her condescending tone of voice, can make her even annoying at times, even if she does become kind of a badass during the Angel fights. As the show continues through, her anxieties come to light as her backstory is revealed, which I’m not going to spoil because course it’s completely horrific, but just trust me, she’s as emotionally broken as basically everyone else on the show, and I think you’ll like her by the end. Honestly, even though the cast of this show is actually quite large, I’m going to restrain talking about them. I’ll just say the interactions and relationships between these characters are some of the most interesting I’ve ever seen, so I’ll let you experience them for yourself when you go watch the show for yourself. And yes, you should go see the show despite all i’ve been saying, if just to experience this interesting and mentally broken cast. Problem is though, despite how well written they all are, none of them are particularly likable, being all equally terrible people in their own right, but I think if you can look past that, you’ll begin to appreciate their complexity and motivations. It’s pretty much general knowledge that the budget for Evangelion was extremely small, and leads to a very tightly handled show. Nothing really moves much when an Angel battle isn’t occurring; the characters faces are covered in shadow, a still frame is shown playing ambient noise etc and it becomes really frustrating after a while. Though you can see why. because when an Angel battle is occurring, everything is moving in unison, and the battles become freakin’ awesome. Unfortunately, as the show progresses, the animators decide to skimp even more, and this leaves the Angels battles severely underwhelming. One is defeated in a goddamn montage, one battle lasts literally a minute, and one is just a giant shadow so not much animation to worry about there. Even the music just sees either unfitting or underwhelming, leaving these battles lacking impact or tension when they’re occurring; not making these battles against awesome alien monsters as cool or epic as they really should be. Granted, there is a pretty cool fi…

Neon Genesis Evangelion (NGE) is the most polarizing anime of all time, no question about it. It's the father of all anime, without NGE where would anime be today? Most likely not existent. Neon Genesis Evangelion premiered in 1995 during a time when anime was in dire straits; Japan's economy crisis was calling for the dispersal of anime. Who saved the dying anime market? Neon Genesis Evangelion. Honestly, if you know what an anime is, then you've heard of Neon Genesis Evangelion at least a couple times in your life. Many say that the anime is the greatest thing ever made, while many others claim that it's so boring, and overrated. Now, which is it? NEITHER. But people that hate NGE are dumbshits, or they are anime haters. You CANNOT hate NGE and love "anime". I'm going to cut through the hype behind the anime and provide a rather fair review. Now, I hope you actually read my review instead of just bashing on it. NGE was heavily influenced by the creator, Hideaki Anno's depression at the time, which had morphed what was originally intended for young kids into a older teen - adult animation series. NGE is violent, dark, disturbing, confusing, deep and incredibly mature. NGE is a series that every anime fan must see, regardless of your preferred genre. Unless you're some dipwit, the concepts in NGE will influence your life and thoughts about life forever. In the 21st century, humankind faces a threat from giant space creatures known as "Angels". In search of survival, the humans form an organization known as "Nerv". Nerv builds giant robots called Evangelions to fight off the Angels. In 2015, fifteen years after a global cataclysm known as Second Impact, fourteen-year-old Shinji Ikari (main character) arrives in the futuristic city of Tokyo-3 in response to the summons of his estranged father Gendo Ikari, the director of the special paramilitary force of Nerv. Upon reaching the city, Shinji witnesses the Nerv forces battling an Angel, the large monstrous beings whose awakening was foretold by the Dead Sea Scrolls. Shinji then proceeds to become a pilot of an Evangelion. Along with the battles against the Angels, the main characters struggle to overcome their personal issues and personality conflicts, which factor heavily into the events of the series eventually leading to the ideal conclusion. Throughout the series, many of the main characters constantly have to cope with several social and emotional problems: characters are unwillingly forced to confront socially complex and challenging situations; unresolved sexual tensions grow between numerous characters; injuries, deaths, and defeats cause blows to their psyches; and previously steady relationships begin to falter. Questions begin to arise about what reality is. Towards the end of the anime, the characters begin to learn of the true plan of NERV and SEELE, the Human Instrumentality Project. Its purpose is to force the completion of human evolution, and thereby save it from destroying itself. But what does that even mean? Like many works of fiction, NGE is an allegory. Most allegories function on only two levels: the story itself and it's symbolic meaning. One of the remarkable things about NGE is that it functions on no less than four distinct levels. It can be enjoyed at face value as an epic sci-fi action adventure, a gradual coming-of-age parable, ingenious dark conceptual lesson, and a treatise on confronting loneliness, scars and uncertainty in the real world. Early episodes contain the true nature of the series, and indeed after viewing the first few installments one wonders what all the fuss is about, as NGE appears to be nothing more than another ho-hum entry into the already overcrowded Boy-Pilots-Giant-Robot genre. But very quickly it becomes apparent that there is much more here than meets the eye, as a global conspiracy of literally Biblical proportions is slowly revealed in tandem with the degeneration of each character's psyche. If there is one thing that Evangelion tells us, it's that life sucks as a whole. The show is cruel and unforgiving, not even hesitating for a second to completely shred all your happy hopes while watching the anime. The brightest spots in the show are "minorly" dark and grim. The plot, the characters, the themes, everything is presented in a brutal and sinister light. Evangelion is an anime which defies common stereotypes and conventions to take the viewer on a ride to the depths of the human psyche and the limits of sanity. It is a one way ticket through the psychological disorders and subconscious self loathing deep within the human mind. Confused about what the anime is gonna be like yet? Watch it. To the uninitiated, Evangelion may look like a simple "We, the Humans Vs Them, the Bad Guys" mecha anime. But that's not even close to the truth. The story is intricately woven into a very detailed and dubious conspiracy. The whole conspiracy theme is played to maximum effect throughout the anime. I will say that a problem with NGE is that it seemed like they "tried too hard to make the entire anime symbolic and deep". For example, almost every explosion that happens makes some kind of symbolic shape; and characters spew all these "deep" words 24/7 making it seem like they're always talking about deep conceptions when they really aren't. But that's not saying this anime isn't deep, because it really is deep. Also, NGE goes a little bit overboard with the whole "the world is disgusting and screwed up" concept. I do agree that our world is repulsive and corrupt in many ways, but this anime just overdoes it. Nothing can possibly be this screwed up in any reality... I certainly think and hope. Another problem with NGE is that there's no character that the viewers can truly love. many of the characters were whiny and useless, such as the main character, Shinji. I knock the characters in NGE because I don't personally like any one of them. BUT from a writing standpoint, all the characters were well thought out, and masterfully written. We can relate with what many of them feel/are questioning in reality; Who are my friends and who are my enemies? Why am I in a situation like this, and why am I doing this? Why me? What is my role in life? What is reality? What is the truth? Is what I'm doing right? Anyways, I didn't hate the characters as much as other people did (although characters definitely isn't NGE's strong point). Anno created characters for the Neon Genesis Evangelion series that reflected different parts of his own personality. The characters of Evangelion struggle with their interpersonal relationships, their personal problems, and traumatic events in their past. The deeply human qualities of the characters have enabled some viewers of the show to identify with the characters on a personal level, while others interpret them as historical, religious, or philosophical symbols. The relationships, deceptions that roam all the characters was intriguing to say the least. Just like the plot, the characters also have a fair amount of depth to them. The coming of age, as they were experiencing traumatizing things; all the characters change from the beginning of the anime, to the very end. Something to watch out for indeed. Unfortunately for everyone, Shinji, the main character was way too whiny and pathetic for my liking (but that doesn't mean he's a badly created character). While watching NGE, I had really wanted to bitch-slap Shinji. The other characters were all "meh", as well... Now, allow me to talk about Shinji a little bit. At the heart of this maelstrom in this deep story (allegory) is Shinji Ikari, the classic Tragic Hero. Imbued with character flaws that ultimately prove his undoing as he spirals into depression and insanity by the series' end, Shinji is a departure from the more idealistic heroes commonplace in mecha anime (or adventure fiction in general, for that matter). Adventure heroes customarily represent the audiences' aspiration…

Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most controversial anime in the whole anime history. You will be intrigued by the story and characters as well. Gainax has been known for their works like FLCL, Gurren Lagan, Panty and Stocking and more. If you are intrigued in why people liked and disliked this anime, then give this a try. Sure, NGE has a interesting plot. Its all about humanity, EVA's, Angels, NERV, religion-themed issue, inner thoughts of 4 Main Characters of this anime and more. Its story is very controversial and when I saw its videos on youtube, it caught my interest to watch this and I'm pretty glad that I watched this anime thats why, the story score for me is 10/10. The Art. This is '90's anime but Gainax did a very well job in handling the art. The EVA's was pretty awesome and baddass. But the Angel's looks kinda let me down, they look like weirds but at least they are already defeated. 9/10 About the Sounds. Personally, the OP song is still in mind, I'm having an LSS of this song and the animation of the Opening Songs is very unique, its very fun to watch the Opening all over again. The Ending Song is refreshing to hear and it had a lot of versions which is very good. The OST was great too, the background music when the action scenes will come out is fitting and hooking too. The voice acting is good. I watched the Japanese Version and I think that all voices fit to the characters though when Asuka speak in German and if you're a German, you know what to say. I also think that Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara and Akira Ishida did a great job for voicing their characters. Some said that English dub is good too so its up to you what version will you watch. 8/10 I understand why many people hate Shinji and Asuka. But I tried my best to understand them and its worth it. Shinji is your weak type of character, had the greatest development through the entire series and a relatable character in my opinion. For his age, you will understand why he runs away, why he hates his father and why he pilots his EVA. He was the main focus in the last 2 episodes so you will understand him very well. Its the first time that I saw a character that don't want to do a stuff. Usually, in a mecha-anime, the MC voluntaries to pilot a robot but here, nope. Its pretty hard to have the responsible to protect the humanity in the age of 14 years old, so Shinji, even though many hates you, I still salute you because of your quote "I must not run away." Asuka is a 'b' and annoying character at first, but her backstory made her strong, I admire her for that. She is energetic type of girl but in the same time, she hated everything even herself. But also, I am in the verge of giving her 'my favourite female character' but she lacked developments. I also like her chemistry with Shinji, they are like 'dog and cat' Rei Ayanami, she had a shocking plot twist but I think she also lacked in development like Asuka. She is very a very interesting character which will want you to know more about her. I still want to know more about her and her relationship with Shinji is good. Misato Katsuragi, she and Asuka had similarities. You will find her likeable character but once you learned the truth about her, I wish that you'll not despise her. I think that she and Shinji had this 'mother/sister-son/brother' relationship which I find very fun and heartwarming. She had a lot of developments too throughout the series. As for the other characters, you will have this 'hate-love' feeling for Gendo Ikari, I don't know, I just find him likeable and not-likeable at the same time. The other ones was pretty interesting too. But for me, Kaworu Nagisa is one of the most interesting character. 8/10 Although there are a lot of elements that I did liked and loved about this anime, the ending made me down. Sorry but even if its quite good, there are still some problems that aren't resolved so go watch 'The End of Evangelion' if you hated the ending. And also, Kaworu... I loved his smile, but where's the justice for him? But overall, I really enjoyed NGE and if you are into mecha-animes or psychological animes, give this one a try but I can't assure you if you will regret watching this. But for me, NGE is a one heck of anime.

What happens when you mix Mecha, Drama, and Sci-Fi in one anime, set it in a post apocalyptic era, and add deep psychological elements to the anime? Neon Genesis Evangelion happens. Set in future Japan, where science has brought us much forward from where we are now, humans created the evangelions to destroy the Angels; giant creatures from what seems to be extraterrestrials who are out to get us. The main characters are the three pilots of the Evangelions: Shinji Ikari, an always depressed and afraid of being hurt kid, an arrogant brat, Asuka Langeley, and Rei. Also, the head of NERV, a base bent upon destroying the Angels, Shinji’s father, Gendo Ikari, Ritsuko Akagi, the head scientist, and Misato Katsuragi, the chief operations officer. The plot goes on about how these children fight the evangelions and live their lives, and then the plot thickens, as they all struggle from past scars, and overflowing emotions. Which I find cliche. Almost all anime I've seen have this main character who is struggling with past memories, and emotional instability, and generally feels like a nuisance. Evangelion is filled with creative ideas of angels (their shapes, their behaviors their natures, their abilities), and how the heroes defeat them, almost like they are major influences for a lot of videogame and anime developers. And the angels here aren't like normal enemies from other anime, they feel real, and hostile, equivalent of bosses in videogames. They won’t ever hold back on killing the evangelions. You’ll get your fair share of action and blood and gore here, along with all the suspension there is. The anime’s themes sometimes change rapidly, but not in an overwhelming manner, in other words, it won’t exhaust your mind trying to comprehend what is happening, but I can assure you that it will surprise you… in a disappointing way sometimes, even. At least that’s what I felt. From delivering an awesome story, to teaching you high values of life, Evangelion excels in one, and fails miserably at the other. Some episodes here are really strange, and surprising, as to show you how weird the anime can be, but not in a good way, unfortunately, which is a turn off. But you’ll find other moments, where the anime is heading the course it should take, and it can’t get any better. Simply compelling at times. Once you watch the first episode, you won’t stop until you finish the whole anime. A splendid experience, from start to finish….. At least I wish it was from start to finish. There are parts in the anime that seem lacking, and there are parts where the anime is just better without. You’ll encounter a long psychological part, where the minds of the protagonists are being messed up, and most of these parts seem elongated, and are tedious. With that said, the rest is just pure excitement. I’ll say especially at episode 18 and 24 where the anime reaches its climax. Evangelion perfected the twisted feel most anime try relentlessly to give, but it failed to show you the beauty of the world. It made me cringe, and by that, I honor it. And I honestly, didn't think it would go this far. You know how a lot of normal movies start out, and continue normally with nothing worth noting, nothing really interesting, and then by the end, it all hits you? Evangelion is the opposite of that. You’ll see later on. Just try not to be disappointed. I know many people who liked the ending, but since a lot of the fans complained about the terrible ending, Gainax made the movie, The End of Evangelion, to replace episodes 25 and 26, which were pretty neat. And wicked. You’ll see a lot of things in other anime which were ripped off from Evangelion, which is very nice to see, and add up to the actual experience. In the end, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a remarkable anime, and one of the best out there. One that should be added to everyone’s anime experiences. You probably should avoid it, if you hated a nagging protagonist, but it wasn't that much annoying to me. 10 hours of pure fun, and 1.5 of not so pure fun.

"Essentially a 'Power Rangers' episode writ large: i.e., super-teens piloting big, powerful machines and saving the world from monsters. We've seen it all before [...]" - Mark Schilling; Contemporary Japanese Film 1999. When talking about Evangelion, it's imperative -and inevitable- to also digress about the people and elements involved with the production of the anime. It's already inserted in the common sense the idea that this series isn't a "regular" one, however most people don't know why is it neither what makes it different. That said, the objective here is expose a bit of it, starting with its director/creator. The name: Anno Hideaki. Hideaki is one of the most notorious and referenced names in post-modern anime, being one of the strongest names into mecha/SciFi series and the precursor in the use of surreal/psychedelic elements as a tool to tell the story in the major anime industry. He became famous undeniably because of Evangelion, but sure had other great works before and after it, being Gunbuster and KareKano wonderful examples. However, besides being personal favorites of mine, for the general masses "what the hell is KareKano?". This success with EVA, putting in simple terms, can be explained as a series of factors that (by luck perhaps) came together. First, in 1996 we were living the "era of the mecha" so an anime about giant robots was absurdly popular. At the same time it content was a epic about Japanese people fighting to protect the humanity against the forces of evil, an (nationalist) trump card that always works. This mixed with bearable animation, with interesting scenarios and a gorgeous OST was enough to catch a decent audience. Still, it wouldn't turn out as the phenomenon EVA is today. What made it grow in audience and in "importance" was the perfect symmetric balance between these elements mentioned above and a pretentious -and well played- christian/jewish symbolism, which concealed a metaphorical meaning for the entire story. Anno sure did his homework and most of this symbolism is placed and act at perfect continuity and follows the same school of thought during the entire series, but at the same time, by being eccentric it also got the attention of the people who weren't interested -or didn't even get- this symbolism using it as an excuse to push the story to deeper and deeper levels of complexity that anime as an entertainment usually didn't/don't have. We've all seen things fail at this before. It's easy to cite series that tried to bring this complexity to the story and failed to it or didn't succeed at commercial (profitable) areas. EVA did it, and continue to do it throughout the years as we see the re-popularization of it now in 2014 with the "Rebuild" series and its conclusion coming up soon. Other key factor at this scenario is GAINAX. Perhaps if EVA was produced by any other anime studio we wouldn't see the same results and -I dare to say- it (maybe) wouldn't reach the same levels of popularity. It's well known that GAINAX likes surreal scenarios and eccentric angles/settings in their series. An easy to spot characteristic of their productions is definitely the deconstruction of the linearity of a storyline. It shifts from past to present, with flashbacks and memories introducing new characters and explaining past events thru monologues and -strongly in EVA's case- imagery. Another characteristic of the studio, which also fits Hideaki's style is the extensive use of black screens with huge text. Sometimes part of the dialogue, sometimes just words. The use of this resource at the time when EVA aired can as well be related to the financial issues the studio was going through. Simply, right during the conclusion of the series eps 16 onwards, they were running out of money. But what does it means? It means that they had to cut production value and with that reduce the effects, the rendering and the expenses with intricate battle scenes or editing/coloring and probably the most dangerous part of it, deviate from the original script in order to shrink and compact it. This resulted in longer static scenes, repeated footage and more black screens with text, however -an this is were the "magic" exists- due to the series' extensively explored symbology, it didn't feel awkward, it just fit perfectly the whole piece and the mood of those last episodes in a way one could hardly tell the company was bad at their financial sector just by watching it. It's definitely a question without an answer what would be of NGE if it wasn't produced under those specific circumstances. The story is simple and the quote at the beginning of the review explains most of it. The pacing of the beginning of the story is typical of a battle shounen and there's nothing exceptional to it. things will get interesting middle on. First of all, there are no biblical undertones in this series, those are OVERtones. So if you find something in the series "similar" or that "might" be a reference to a real object, happening, history, whatever you can bet it is. It's extremely hard to "review" this story without getting into the badlands of the spoilers section, so let's just leave pieces of advice. Anno wrote Evangelion after recovering from clinical depression, that's why the story has this feeling of self-discovering and self-analysis. Some of the struggles the characters face during the development of the plot are reflections of things he went through himself. Besides other things, EVA strongly addresses violence of all kinds and intensities. Mostly shown through symbolism but also graphically. It's not "inappropriate" but I personally wouldn't recommend for children or anyone PG-13. The show indeed leads to a psychoanalysis towards the ending. No need to question of you missed something or is watching the wrong sequence of episodes, that's how it works. If the ending isn't satisfying, try the End Of Evangelion (movie, 1997). It's not allegedly a sequel, but could be considered one. Characters are also "spoilerful". To be honest, the series itself will review them for you. Every single aspect of them, even more than you'd be interested to know. There are some reasons why people come to NGE's page or get interested in the anime. One, is the already mentioned GIANT FREAKING ROBOTS. Another reason -more hilarious than the first- would be because you encountered an Ikari Shinji MEME, joke or even a "hate-thread". Things like "Get in the f**king robot, Shinji!!" could be considered anime pop culture. Shinji is our male protagonist and as will be shown in the very first episode have some issues that will conflict with his "duty" that is riding the giant mecha. He ends up as the Christ for all the mocking and jest, but the point of the story is show that every single character have issues, after all, we're all humans but at the same time we can all deal with it and move forward and sometimes... -"Shounen become a legend!" The third reason why people get interested in this anime, the opening. It's addictive, it's beautiful, the instrumental is wonderful and those first 17 seconds are priceless. Even the harsher critics I've read this far all agreed with one thing about the series: The opening was great. You watch it 26 times and it never gets boring. Not only the audio segment but also the animation and editing of it. As the review have been suggesting 'till this far, you might imagine that the OP also holds a symbolism to itself. Well, guess what, it does. It's interesting that you will get it piece by piece as the series progress, just like completing a puzzle. Shin Seiki Evangelion, literally "Message/gospel of a new century/age" translated to 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' basically because it sounds "cool and complicated" set a cultural landmark to 90's anime and a new anchor point to many drama and mecha series that would come after it. Its references and symbolism requires at least one rewatch for fully comprehension and if one is intereste…

Awful. I'm 100% certain sure that everyone who recommend this either wants to make the people suffer or want to pretend to be an intellectual because "It's a hard to understand piece" NO IT'S NOT. This thing is literally: "Deppression for dummies", "We live in a society for dummies" and "I'm an intellectual, I'm an intellectual... LOOK AT ME" Crap from the very first second to the end. Characters are horrible. Shinji it's the worst main character I ever saw in any type of fiction work. Crying baby+"I suffer a lot"+"I am the worst type of introvert" Asuka, the supposed waifu... Every second she appears makes me want more and more tho hit her face with a hammer. Shinji's dad could be replaced by a photo or a statue making no difference, he did LITERALY NOTHING during the whole anime. Oh yea and lets talk about Misato aka "I seduce a 14yo child to manipulate him" a literal criminal who must be in jail. 1/10 it's the worst rating I can give here, sadly cause I would give a -100/10

This is the anime that started my fascination with anime. In the beginning of the series it fulfilled my thirst for action when i was a kid. But after watching it years later, i realized that Evangelion was so much more than giant robots fighting each other. Every character in this series could have been picked directly out of the real world. Every single character is deeply, emotionally flawed, but entirely believable. While some people may complain that characters are whiny or annoying, they are real. The characters aren't some all powerful person who was chosen to save the world, they are normal*(they have some extreme issues, but they are normal). The art style of the nineties is definitely showing it's age, but I have seen worse. What is done with what they have is amazing. They use every scene to symbolize something vital to the story, and if you aren't paying attention, you may not understand the big finale. The sounds of this movie still give me chills just thinking about them. The sound of the cicadas screeching in the air as everything goes to hell around them sort of symbolizes the whole story. There is only one flaw to Evangelion that i see for new audiences, you may have to watch it twice. There is so much symbolism and other events going on in this series that it's impossible to understand everything in the first run through. But if you have the time, i recommend this 100%. Before with the final two episodes, i would suggest watching the movie End Of Evangelion in order to fully understand what is happening in Tokyo 3. I have read alot of manga and have seen alot of anime, but nothing has compared to the quality, beauty, and scale of Eva.

Okay let me try and review one of the most complex anime shows every created. Now im not going to tell you the huge, detailed world that is evangelion. However, im am going to tell you why I consider it to be a masterpiece. This show dares to go places you never even thought you would see in an anime, or anything in that matter. I kid you not, there are jaw dropping scenes in this anime that will literally blow you away. Suprise after Suprise after SUPRISE. You think you know how its going to end, but you really have no idea. Yes this show is disturbing. Some scenes in this will most likely make you want to turn away. The good thing about this show though is that those scenes arent done just to do it, but with a purpose. Now i must add that the first 15 episodes are more focused on action and destroying an angel in every episode. This may seem like your typical anime at first, but after around the 15th episode, things change in a big way. So stick though it. Characters---- character development is the best your ever going to see in a show. Thats all I got to say about that. The only real downside I can tell someone who is considering watching this show but has no idea about the Evangelion universe is that it can be extremely confusing at times. Im not embarrased to say that I had to look up wikipedia numerous times to see what exactly was going on in the anime. Thats really all I can think of about this anime. Its PERFECT. Great opening and closing scenes, great animation and detail, great everything. It made me feel for the characters and what was happening to them. It made me feel happy one minute and sad the very next. No anime has ever done that to me. Perfect 10/10 ps. dont listen to negative buzz people give about the last 2 episodes. Give them a chance.

Before I start off, I should inform you that this is a review of both Neon Genesis Evangelion and End of Evangelion, as End of Evangelion serves as an ending to the television series. This show is very special to many people and it is one of the classic animes. After watching it, I understand why. It is extremely unique and engaging, the animation is great, the song-choice and music are phenomenal, the characters are outstanding, and overall it is a very enjoyable experience. However, it is not without its problems. I will quickly highlight some of the positives and negatives as I see them, as to give people who haven't watched this series an idea if it is something they might enjoy. First, I will start off with something that this show gets incredibly right: the characters. Whether it's Shinji, Asuka, Rei, or one of the other great characters, this show manages to encapsulate them fantastically. Yes, they can be incredibly frustrating, but, strangely enough, that's where some of their charm comes from. To call them likable would be incorrect; they are, however, completely relatable. This show shows mental illness and depression in such an empathetic light, and it shows it amazingly - better than I've ever seen it otherwise portrayed in fiction, in fact. Of course, this is probably because director Hideaki Anno was suffering from clinical depression as he worked on the series. For showing it so well, so honestly, I thank him. The complexity of the characters will sometimes leave you in horror of what they are doing, but that's where much of the shows power comes from. Unfortunately this show is not without its potential faults. The plot is very complex, which, in itself, is not a bad thing. (Actually, it's a good thing that it makes its audience think, and it wouldn't be NGE if it didn't.) However, the plot is also convoluted. Many important points are quickly passed over, many characters end up having no real purpose at the end of the show and are almost forgotten by the writers, and plot points are often spoken about as though we, as viewers, already know what's going on, when in fact we have no idea. Often I found my enjoyment of the show impaired by being totally uncertain as to what was going on. Mystery is good, however, total confusion is not. Although, some people may love that about this show, and I know some people do. The positive of this is that the show constantly keeps you on your toes. For my taste it simply went a little bit overboard in that department. If you love to slowly pick apart at a show and gradually figure out what's going on, then this is for you. Of course, that's only in referencing the plot. These characters are incredibly important the anime and I think any anime fan should give this show a chance. Whether you end up liking it or not, I sincerely believe it will be worth your time. The characters are too unique and interesting to not try it. However, I will leave you with one word of caution: the series does suffer from an inconsistent tone, and the series only truly finds its footing in the second half. If at first you find yourself not enjoying the show, I would recommend continuing.

This review is not entirely spoiler free, as I find it quite difficult to write about Neon Genesis Evangelion without any spoilers. So yeah, save yourselves. Let's begin. Neon Genesis Evangelion: the legendary mother of mecha genre, and probably one of the most discussed animes of all time. This anime divides opinions quite harshly; you either love it, or despise it with your whole heart. Neon Genesis Evangelion is not for everybody - yet I do recommend it for everyone, just so that you can form your own opinion of it. For me, Neon Genesis Evangelion was a solid 10, even though my theories of the whole series vary from extremely deep explanations, to utter confusion, as in: "I have no fucking idea what this whole anime was about". So, what is so great about this anime? Let's start with the plot; Neon Genesis Evangelion (or NGE shortly) tells the (confusing) story of 14-year-old Ikari Shinji, commonly known as "spineless coward" in reviews and on forums. Shinji Ikari fights with daddy issues, like every self-respecting anime protagonist does. In addition to having to fight with daddy issues, Shinji is chosen to pilot a massive-robot-like-mecha-humanoid-thing called EVA. Along with other 14-year-old kids, he fights against monsters that are ironically called 'Angels'. Evangelion's plot isn't unique, we've seen all of this before: monsters fighting other monsters is nothing new. In the beginning of the anime, the story seems very simple and most of the episodes follow the same routine - characters interacting, monster (/angel) appears, there's a problem, the monster's destroyed. Only at the end of the series things are starting to get serious. How the anime progresses, is what makes it so outstanding. The story progresses gradually, never actually giving you the whole story. Some of the questions are left unanswered, giving the viewer a chance to form their own theories and opinions based on the anime. Especially the ending leaves the viewer a lot of space to think. I've heard somebody say that 'everybody sees the story of Evangelion differently', and I think that is quite true. One of the reasons why I liked this anime so much, was its characters. They appear very human-like, realistic, and you can easily identify yourself with them. Every single character has their own vulnerabilities, and as the story progresses, their backstories are revealed. Evangelion's characters have a lot of depth in them. During the last two episodes, we even get to see what's going on inside their minds, as the story switches from the outer world to inside of the minds of the main characters. Neon Genesis Evangelion had many good characters, but the ones that stood out to me the most were Shinji's cold father Ikari Gendo, the egotistical Asuka Langley Soryu and Nagisa Kaworu. I especially liked Nagisa Kaworu, who seemed to have a great impact on Shinji, even though he only appeared in one episode. In a matter of minutes, he helped Shinji change from an insecure 'emo kid' to a blushing, smiling boy. I would've loved to see more of these together, but... yeah. The art style of NGE is really good, considering the fact that it's almost 20 years old. The designs of the EVAs are really well made, as are the character designs. The battle scenes are also nice to watch. Everything about the art is good if you just don't mind the usage of the stills, especially at the end of the series. This however, is understandable when you take in consideration the fact that they were having difficulties with budget. The lack of budget really shows in the last episodes of the series, yet they've tried hiding it with really creative ways. I don't have anything bad to say about the sound, neither. I'd just like to give an honorable mention to the opening song, "Cruel Angel's Thesis" (/Zankokuna Tenshi no These) by Takahashi Yoko. This is by far one of my favorite opening songs in the whole anime history. A great song you'll never grow tired of (...that might be just me though). All in all, Neon Genesis Evangelion is an anime worth watching. Hate it or love it, you can't deny the fact that it is one of the most legendary animes that shaped what the anime industry is nowadays. Watching Neon Genesis Evangelion is an adventure you shouldn't miss.

I'm not going to structure this review as is custom here, since I'm sure many people have done that already with an anime like NGE. I'm simply going to say what I felt about the show. I watched this show when I was in middle school and I loved it from the first time I saw it, I actually still watch it from time to time. What makes NGE such a good anime for me is that it destroyed the mainstream attributes of mecha anime. The protagonist is not heroic, brave or cool but rather he is a colossal coward. His fellow pilot, Ayanami Rei feels almost lifeless as she hardly talks and even when she does you can hardly hear her. The third pilot, Asuka, is just a cocky brat who lives off own her ego, but perhaps the most dynamic out of them all. None of them have any trait that is admirable, but that is why I like the show, because it shows mankind for who he is: the imperfect, greedy and a selfish creature that would sacrifice everything at his disposal to achieve its goal. The nerve synchronization theory to pilot the EVA's provides a more understandable explanation than most other mecha anime which almost always uses 2 joysticks. The action scenes are quite gory and brutal (maybe even badass) and it left me with a rather... dirty feeling after every battle. It emphasizes the emptiness of the battles they fight and actually makes the task of protecting mankind look somewhat evil. I also liked this because it was so different from what I expected, different from other series which tries to put hope in mankind and his good nature through those dramatic battles etc. I mean, it was really refreshing to see NGE do this. (ironically enough) The psychological instability of the pilots are quite severe and is explored in detail in the series, which is understandable given that the pilots are kids who experience the pain of a limb being ripped off or getting a hole in their head as they fight the angels. I mean, if one had to go through all that every time they fight with the chances of success of about 1%, I wonder how many of us would remain sane or willing to go on fighting. Thus most of the episodes are dominated by a somewhat peaceful but despairing atmosphere. Together with all the depth and symbolism in the plot, the conspiracies, religious references and the hints of hidden motives of individual characters, it creates one of the most accurate depictions of mankind and this world. It represents the ugly side of man and displays a future that fits that image. Weirdly enough, that was what was made this show enjoyable to me. But that is not to say that other elements such as depth, symbolism etc mentioned earlier does not deserve equal attention and study. I'm sure there are tons of reviews commenting on those so fill yourself in there for more. In conclusion I loved this anime and although it is highly controversial, it is a classic and a must-watch for any anime fan.

I cannot even fathom why people think this anime is even remotely watchable. Oh wait, yes I can. Throw in some symbolism and some vague concepts that take a few seconds to comprehend, and ta-da, according to almost everyone, you have a frigging masterpiece! Are you kidding me? This is literally what I see when I read positive reviews on this anime: "this is the best anime EVA (hur see what I did der), omg if u dont like it 5deep6u, yoiu just no understand the symbolism and the magic dat is the evangelion omg" I understood the symbolism. I understood the ending. I am very sure that I am not the only one that understood it and absolutely hated it. Oh wow, it had some symbolism? Oh wow, you had to think? It must be a masterpiece! AHAHAHAH NO. This feels exactly like the positive reviews of school days: Oh wow it made you feel emotion? HOW UTTERLY FANTASTIC. Sure, it had symbolism. Sure, you had to connect concepts. Does that change the fact that it was boring as hell to watch? Does that change the fact that the story sucked? Does that change the fact that we had to sit through the same finding-yourself-through-psychotic-mumbling over and over again? Does it change the fact that we essentially sat through the "endless 8" arc of The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi for 26 episodes? The answer: No. No it does not. And the 2deep4u ending? It is terrible. It is one of the most pathetic cop outs I've ever seen. The entirety of the anime could be summed up in that one episode were the last enemy appears, as he just conveniently and transparently explains absolutely everything through his pseudo-philosophical rantings. Yes, I understand that there were time constraints. But it doesn't change the fact that it was still terrible. It was a terrible end to a terrible anime. This anime is literally only praised by people that are too enthralled in their mediocre ability to understand the simplest and most transparent of symbolism, which by the way, appears to be the only thing that they actually praise. If they praise something like character, I'm going to go ahead and say they are lying, because they character development, if you can even call it that, is the most ridiculously shallow thing I have ever witness. Makoto from school days developed more than Shinji, and Makoto is a piece of shit. And you know what? I'm usually fine with transparent symbols. Unless the only thing the anime has is these transparent symbols and attempts to purport these symbols to greatness. Symbols were the sole virtue in this anime, but they were so overly used that the end result was just awful. I actually enjoyed the 5 minute cliched fantasy world at the last episode more than the entire anime. The rebuild movies exist for a reason, people! Even the original writer hated this version! If you plan on wasting 26 20-minute episodes of your life, go ahead and watch this. If you want to pretend to be smart and connect shallow symbolism to a shallow and repetitive story, go ahead and watch this. If you want to pretend that over use of symbols makes an anime a masterpiece, go right ahead and waste 520 minutes of your life. Otherwise, just stop.

Watching Neon Genesis Evangelion for the first time is an experience I don't think I'll ever forget. While just as mindbendingly convoluted as my peers had warned me it would be, after finishing it I felt an unbelievably satisfying sense of accomplishment that no other show has matched thus far. While I will recognize the popularly-criticized lower points of the show related to its budget cuts later into the series, I must say these hardly affected my overall enjoyment of the show in an signicant way. The complex yet deeply intriguing plot, in-depth character development, phenomenal soundtrack and often beautifully vintage imagery all together completely earned my personal ranking of my favorite anime series I have viewed thus far.

It’s only once in a blue moon when you write a review about an anime that felt so mediocre with how have been standards charting so high in present times, but I have to at least give credit that the show is almost 17 years old already, and it was ridiculously low budgeted during those times. There is a single aspect about the show that I’ll have to tackle before I start the review, the fact that I have absolutely no idea how to put it in good terms with the type of standards that we have for current generation shows. But just in case, people should know that people shouldn’t compare a show to other shows (unless it’s just begging to be compared due to the utter shocking display of similarity in themes, sequencing and/or character design), the problem at hand is that standards change over time. If you dare say that you use the standards of today to criticize Neon Genies Evangelion (NGE for short from now on), it would end up a mediocre ‘meh’ to the tickle bone, which would be wrong to describe the show over-all, but if you criticize it in standards that go back to the 90’s, it would be like a relaxing hand-rub to the privates where masturbating hasn’t been invented yet, which is also wrong if you want to describe NGE in its over-all aspect. So generally speaking, reviewing NGE is going to be different in its aspect because you cannot review it in the conventional sense without it feeling lacking. So I have decided to review it using standardization from both the present time and during the 90’s. It will get confusing from this point onwards, but I would like you to bear with it for the sake of properly understanding that it’s glamorous and at the same time, it’s bland. To start off, NGE’s overall story is basically a generic foretelling of any other anime that has existed as time tells, but what separates NGE from the other mecha shows out there is the how the characters in in the anime was individually portrayed. The show basically revolves around the protagonist who dislikes becoming a pilot of a giant robot, but was forced by everyone for the sake of the survival of the human race, even if he’s against the idea piloting and/or surviving. The theme depicts also of that of a generic mecha anime as well (being that the protagonist fight giant aliens inside a similarly sized robot), but what makes it stand out from the rest is its other theme (which is basically the psychological part of the story). With that said, the main problem concerning NGE is its extremely slow paced start when the show begins. It starts off so boring and the boredom doesn’t disappear completely until you reach the part where almost all of the characters are properly introduced, which takes more than half of the whole show sadly. The progression during the first half of the entire show is just so slow, that it’s just not even comparable of that of a sloth, turtle, or a snail, it is Internet Explorer slow. But even so, it at least did try to give us a small portion of character development and some, slightly off, battle scenes that are not as satisfying for the usual mecha standardization chart (but then again, it’s not the usual mecha anime that everybody thinks it should be). With that said, it at least gave a big impression in the lesser half of the overall show span because the good parts are starting to piece out, pop out, and is starting to shine bright like in that similar song where a precious gleaming gem was commonly pronounced in an annoying tone (what was that, diamonds? I have no idea what you’re talking about). It’s the point of the show where almost all the significant characters were given the most interesting background check and character build-up (in a gaming sense, buffs), but I’m still going to point out that the all the exciting tidbits in the story only showed up during after the half of the whole show which, in my opinion, is still sad to begin with. If you’re probably the type of person that drops shows if it doesn’t get interesting very quickly, you’ll probably drop this faster than a certain comical shady trio speeding in the speed of light and go for a quick surrender without even giving a fight, Meowth that’s right! But if you did manage to get to the good part of the whole anime, it still depends on your opinion on whether it was really all worth it or not because it’s still questionable to your taste if it was or wasn't delicious. Just to share some things, being in the field of psychology myself, I find the psychological parts of the show just utterly shallow. It’s mostly about teenagers having extreme amount of anxiety, parental issues, identity crisis, and just general insecurity over themselves. Basically, what every teenager face in their so called ‘emo stage’ but only a lot worse than the normal. All of those things could have been easily prevented if they went into some sort of self-help program, which is weird because (POTENTAIL SPOILER WARNING!) the last two episodes was like being in a psychological help center for troubled teenagers (END OF POTENTIAL SPOILER), which was a big facepalm for me because I felt that all these retarded issues could have been managed beforehand during the early-mid of the show but they only did it when the show was about to end (but then again, who am I to dictate how the devs want the anime to go). There was also the issue where the show went too fast paced in the near end of the whole anime. The devs tried to patched up so much holes near the end that they ended up either missing some holes, or the holes that they tried to patch-up was too big for a brief explanation, leaving people needing a rewatch or two just to fully understand the story (given that the fact that the likelihood of wanting to replay the whole thing is equal or lower than 20% unless you’re a fan-boy of the series, the fan-service and/or moe, or the mecha/psychological genre). But with that been said, I’m continuing to the fact that the good parts of the show was too fast paced. It went so fast that I barely had time to absorb anything that’s happening during the near end without having to pause the damn thing every time they talk, and even with the pausing, it’s still a vague explanation of events overall (that or maybe I just don’t understand sci-fi science, or so help me). I’m just gonna go through the overall art style quickly because there was nothing special in the art style used in NGE. It was your typical 90’s anime style, with shaky outlines, and dusty feeling of oldness that you can only see when you watch other shows made in the 90’s, like that one show where this guy got an X in his face. But I have to admit that they went through some intense work designing the mechas and the, minimalistic yet well polished, antagonists. Character design in NGE was the usual 90’s character design yet very daring as well. I mean, I have no issue with the male and female character design because it was the typical people design that was being used during the 90’s, but having 14 year olds with proportions of 17 year olds and the protagonist’s senpai being bodacious wasn’t a bad touch, but it gets very unsubtle when they started to show off a lot of skin (fan-service as they say). It even gets harder to explain in front of family members when they start showing off naked girls with missing private parts (I’m no longer going to dictate which episode that was, go find it yourselves). But what really spiked the show above the charts that made it the standards of its time of being a psychological genre anime of it's time was the character development and presentation of every individual, yet significant characters in the story. I like how the devs managed to make a big impression in the lesser half of the show by showing the viewers how deep and twisted the characters mind is in such a short span, although it was as vague as it was short because they crammed it all in the end and made it look too fast paced. But of all the characters the dev…

I went in to Evangelion with the assumption it was an overrated anime exclusively loved by pretentious hipsters with a deep hatred for 21st century anime. But by the end of it I can honestly say it is in my top 5 shows of all time. This anime definitely isn't for everyone, but i'll try to explain why I loved it so much. PLOT (8/10) The basic plot follows a "monster of the week" style, in which a new giant more powerful angel levels the city on a weekly basis and is then destroyed by a screaming 14 year old in a giant robot. (Not the most appealing premise I know, considering this is considered an "intellectual" anime by many). There are also plenty of ridiculous moments, such as sniping a giant cube with all the country's electric and synchronized dancing (yes really) However the show has some very good action scenes as you would expect from the genre. There is also a good element of mystery in the series as the characters begin to question what the eva's and angels actually are. The show has many shining moments and continually improves as the show goes on, with my personal favorites being episodes 13, 16,18, 19, 23 and 24. The film "End of Evangelion" is also necessary to watch after the show is over in order to get full closure on the plot (it's awesome to). CHARACTERS (10/10) A lot of people will hate the characters of evangelion because of how flawed the pilot's personalities are (i.e. they're whining little shits) However it was just how flawed each character was that really made me love the show. Each character is a psychological mess, clearly suffering from a complete cocktail of mental disorders including: Post Traumatic Stress, Parental Issues and a self esteem level in the third floor basement. Watching each of the characters scrape together their shattered psyche and stay sane just long enough to delay the apocalypse another week was incredibly interesting, particularly towards the end of the show where they truly begin to totally break down. ANIMATION (6/10) This is arguably the weakest point of the show, the series came out in 1995 so naturally the art style is very dated and unappealing to those not used to older anime. The quality of the animation varies a lot, with the fight scenes being amazingly fluid, especially for the time. But as the budget runs out we're left with long still shots descending into basically audio only. SOUNDTRACK (7/10) The opening song is very good and suits the anime well with its fast moving visuals. The ending however is a still shot and an "engrish" song that doesn't suit my personal tastes. The rest of the OST is fairly decent (even if a certain song was a james bond rip off) ENJOYMENT (10/10) Not much more to say here as I hope I've explained why I personally like it so much, I hope you do to.

A masterpiece of modern animation or art for that matter, Hideaki Anno's Neon Genesis Evangelion, is without a doubt the deepest, most brillaint and profound anime I have ever seen. Prologue: In the year 2000 a giant being explodes, destroying nearly the entire continent of Antarctica, consequent global flooding and causing the deaths of half the human population. The impact also caused a change in the earth's axial tilt and subsequent unrest. Basic Plot: Shinji Ikari is called to pilot a giant mecha by his father, head of the secret government organization, NERV. Shinji is picked up by Misato Katsuragi, who soon becomes his guardian. When Shinji gets to NERV, he is asked to pilot a mecha known as an Evangelion. After some hesitation, Shinji reluctantly agrees to pilot the Evangelion unit 01. With the Evangelions, Shinji and the other pilots fight the giant creatures known as the Angels, to stop them from causing the third impact and the end of the world. Story: 10 Evangelion's story may seem to be that of any other mecha anime at first, but soon shows it's true genius and originality. Evangelion is much, much more than just an entertaining mecha anime. The overall plot is layered with many levels of depth and meanings intertwining to produce Hideaki Anno's message. It should also be noted that many of the plot details are subtle some seem to be left unexplained but fear not, they can be found out with analysis and research. Before director Anno started work on Evangelion, he was going through a time of deep depression and Anno once said that through Evangelion he sought to express his innermost thoughts and that he was trying to "burn his feelings into film" in making Evangelion. Art: 10 The art in Evangelion is used to it's fullest. Anno uses rich visual craft to express his ideas and reinforce the narative. Whether it be Shinji's headphones, Gendos glasses the AT field, etc. being used to demonstrate the hedgehog's dilemma or a medium shot of Gendo and Shinji/Misato standing at opposite ends of the frame, at a completely inverted angle, Evangelion is rich in visual genius. Sound: 10 The music in Evangelion is appropriately used to reinforce the narrative as well. With a mix of classical music and synthesized rythmic tracks, Eva's sound distinguishes itself quite well. Characters: 10 The characters conditions and how they interact with others play a huge role in Neon Genesis Evangelion. Each character is in some way, psychologically troubled an their individual situations are revealed and analyzed throughout the series. Shinji, for example, lacks self worth and suffers from chronic depression throughout the series. It should also be noted that the characters draw many parallels to Anno's own personality and characteristics. Enjoyment: 10 One of the things that makes Evangelion so great is that it can be enjoyed on many levels. It can be enjoyed at face value, as an expertly done apocalyptic mecha series and a satire of the mecha genre and at the same time viewers can enjoy it on its deeper levels, as a story of depression and psychological rejuvenation. Understanding as close to 100% of NGE as possible requires a great amount of analysis and research, so much so that I doubt if any human being will ever understand it fully. Knowing this, Evangelion provides for countless re viewings. Evangelion was extremely enjoyable for me. Overall: 10 Whether it be the expert entertaining qualities, the genius use of visual craft to express the narrative, the realism and complexity of the characters, or the relate-ability to it's audince, everything about Evangelion makes it a masterpiece in so many ways. Hideaki Anno, in expressing his feelings in Evangelion, has given a resounding sense of understanding to all vievers who have ever felt the same. Not to mention push the limits of what an anime can do. That is what makes Evangelion stand out from almost every other anime as a truly profound, influential and meaningful work.

It may not be the anime with the lowest rating I've given, but I still think it deserves it. For example, because of the strange pacing, which at times was a 40-second scene in complete silence/with classical music in the background, and at other times several scenes flashed by in 4 seconds, not to mention that they resembled a slideshow more than full-fledged episodes. Another example is the sexualization of teenagers (typical for anime from the 80s/90s) and their strange interactions with adults, which translates into the psychological theme of this anime (which is addressed poorly). I won't even mention Shinji - the worst protagonist I've ever seen. The worst - in general, fairly good - in terms of the anime in which he is set, which still doesn't show him in the best light. The only thing I can consider a plus is the fact that NGE has great artwork, well-developed mechanics, and interesting mechs... (despite the very "meh" combat) and the audience liked it, in one way or another, because everyone perceives it differently.