Neon Genesis Evangelion

Shin Seiki Evangelion

Also Known As: NGE, SSE, Eva, Evangelion

Genre: Action/Drama

Format: 26 Episodes

Allegiance: Gainax

Director: Anno Hideaki

Vintage: 1995-1996

Intelligence Agency Report by: Djudge

In the near future, Earth is devastated by the cataclysmic event known as the Second Impact. However, this disaster would only be a prelude to the greater destruction that would be brought on by mysterious beings known as Angels. These engines of destruction lay waste to the majority mankind’s remaining defenses and now all eyes turn to a single remaining hope: the secret agency known as NERV and the awe-inspiring Evangelions. Now, Ikari Shinji, a timid fourteen-year-old boy, is recruited to pilot one of these instruments of man’s salvation. Is he up to the task? Or will the planet bear the crushing weight of his reluctance?

Field Agent Report by: Djudge

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

9.00
8.50
9.00
8.75
8.50

Overall

8.50

(not an average)

To some diehard fans, Anno Hideaki’s Neon Genesis Evangelion represents the pinnacle, or near-pinnacle, of what Japanese animation can accomplish as a distinguished art style. It has spawned countless analytical articles and sparked many heated discussions. In the past decade, there have been only a select few anime titles whose popularity has remained as high as Evangelion’s. Yet it should be understood that even this much beloved series has its flaws; flaws that somehow, some way, have always been overcome by the mythos that the name Evangelion invokes.

Evangelion, to this day, has some of the most visual-intensive scenes that I have ever witnessed. Several key frames in the series still linger in my mind and it can be said that the moment that they wanted to preserve in the viewer’s head, more often than not, stayed there. This well-done job of accentuating key moments helped quite a lot in my attempts to pry through Eva’s intricate saga. Moreover, for most of the series, a fluid animation and storyboard helps expedite the process towards the next big revelation. Character designs by Sadamoto Yoshiyuki are also well done. The cast members of Eva are each given a unique look and I found that the personality of each character matches the given countenance very well. However, some of these admirable qualities are somewhat dragged down by a large budget strain that cramped the animation. The most obvious of these cutbacks are the still sequences that were incorporated into the later episodes. Some arguments were made saying that the still scenes were used as much to add to the tension and drama as they were to save funds. However, it is still clear that these decisions would not have been the best that Gainax could have made if they were working under better circumstances. In addition to the adverse effects of overbudgeting, a "jittery camera" condition afflicted this series. When scenes changed perspectives the frames would shake slightly as a new sequence was played out. Although this did not seriously undermine the visual presentation of the series, it was a cumbersome annoyance. (Note: this small "jittery camera" effect was removed in the "Renewal of Evangelion" edition of the series which was released by Gainax in the summer of 2003)

Moving on to its plot, Evangelion initially starts off with a sci-fi cookie-cutter story about an alien invasion. However, by the end of the twenty-six episodes the focus of the plot begins to shift away from the purpose of the Angel invasion to the intense relationships and personal dilemmas that the cast members have to endure. In my opinion, in trying to marry the two concepts together, director Anno Hideaki ended up with a slightly confused orchestra of Freudian/Jungian notions and ideas that are obscured even more by a slathering of Judeo-Christian references. For the most part, the storyline holds together until the unsatisfying and controversial conclusion of the television series and manages to mystify fans time and time again to watch the next episode along the way. Some viewers, such as myself, look more towards the characters’ individual stories that we do to the overall plot. The past for each of the individuals in the series come back to haunt them one way or another and it is a hallmark of this title to see how Anno has the cast come to terms with them.

Although Evangelion is not the absolute perfect anime, it came to raise the bar of what the discipline can achieve and also attracted many new fans to the art medium. This title, Anno’s best known work, is today the centerpiece of many anime collections around the world with due cause. Its notoriety has made it significant in the eyes of casual collectors, but its cryptic substance has made it immortal in the hearts of fans.

Field Agent Report by: Kuzu Ryu Sen

Plot
Characters
Impact
Visual
Audio

8.00
9.25
9.50
7.25
9.00

Overall

8.75

(not an average)

Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the defining titles of the medium, as it is arguably still one of the most, if not the most, controversial and debated series to this day. Most of this debate revolves around the series' intense character presentation and development, as well as elements of psychology employed to emphasize and accentuate the character development scenes. However, at its very core, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a fairly straightforward science-fiction story that just happens to incorporate a lot of Judeo-Christian references - that's right, references, not symbols.

The core plot driving Neon Genesis Evangelion is essentially a standard "monster-of-the-week" style story. As such, it is not the plot or the premise that is the hook for this particular series, but the early character presentation and development, particularly of the lead Ikari Shinji and the people around him – ranging from his friends (Suzuhara Touji) to his housemates (Katsuragi Misato) and his co-workers (Ayanami Rei). Combined with the underlying oedipal conflict established in the first episode, the first quarter of the series is executed well enough to pique the audience’s interest in a multi-dimensional cast.

However, the introduction of Souryu Asuka Langley into the series in episode 8 destroyed the balance that had been established. While Asuka is herself a very interesting and very well-developed (take that whatever way you want) character, her introduction greatly polarized the character development. Rather than one specific lead interacting with several equally fleshed out side characters, Evangelion became the Shinji and Asuka show, with characters like Rei, Touji, and Misato only serving as the subject of plot twists. Rei, in particular, would never get the same sort of actual character development as she did during the first 7 episodes. This polarization diminished the potential of the series, and while it still finished very strong – including the controversial episodes 25 and 26 - that was due more to accelerated and more varied plot turns than to character development.

Still, despite Shinji and Asuka growing more tiresome as the series progressed, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a captivating and engrossing production throughout its entire run. Accentuated by Sagisu Shirou’s powerful soundtrack and some of the most creative mecha designs in the genre, the show will provide entertainment for both thinkers and gawkers alike (not to mention the teenage male population). Powerful and provocative, Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most well known shows in anime for most of the right reasons. Despite a few problems in terms of focus and budgeting, there’s certainly no reason for anyone to miss out on all the commotion and not see this show.