Review of Neon Genesis Evangelion

This review contains minor spoilers to Neon Genesis Evangelion episodes 1-24, as those are different from the rest. There is a section at the end of my review addressing the two different endings, Episodes 25 and 26 of NGE or Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion. There are minor spoilers respective to the film there. After thousands of reviews and millions of different viewers of Evangelion, one thing remains clear. Evangelion is an artistic masterpiece-- one that is either loved or hated. Everything from the opening, "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" (which is regarded as the most well known anime opening ever in existence) to keymoments and sequences in the anime which I will address in my review. Ever since the masterpiece that is Hideaki Anno's creation of Neon Genesis Evangelion first premiered on TV in 1995, the philosophies and lives of many of those who have watched have changed. That is not an overstatement, by any means.

Story (10/10):

Evangelion, which was produced in the 90's about the year 2015, follows Ikari Shinji and his life as a pilot of Evangelion Unit-01. The first half the anime focuses more on the construction of many of the major plot premises that are required for the second half of NGE as well as the movie. In that sense, the second half of the anime is more memorable and where most of the dark and psychological elements of Anno's creation come to light, no pun intended. NGE was being worked on amidst a time when Anno's own self was in a state of depression, after failure of his previous work. These dark elements that Anno envisioned as a result are very intriguing-- they aren't easily explained. Even 25 years later, people still don't have all the answers to what he intended each scene to mean, and it's here where Evangelion is truly a masterpiece. Nearly every scene has a deeper meaning that requires further thought or inspection.

When first beginning NGE, a lot of questions are raised, about both the Eva units as well as the abilities and religious ideas behind them (which you will find out more about in the film). Even after finishing the anime, there are still some questions that require further thought of. Evangelion is not simple, and that is why it is so great.

It is not simply a mecha show or a show about action and sci-fi, like the tags indicate. In fact, if that is what you are looking for, turn back. Evangelion is about relationships and the human identity. What does it mean to be human? What makes a human? When a society is cornered, and humanity faces extinction, what will happen? Answers to these questions and many more are answered. Evangelion's story may seem convoluted, and trust me, it is, but after taking a step back and looking at afar, you will begin to realize why it is such an icon of the 20th century anime.

Art (9/10)

Now more than 25 years old, NGE is certainly aging. However, the art still remains immaculate and suits the story perfectly. When there are dark themes, the colors grow darker. During an action scene between Eva units and Angels, the colors are vibrant and clear. The animation, despite being quite old, is still very good. The design of the characters, not only makes it very easy to tell them apart (a plus for sure) but also accompanies their personalities and general actions as well. Nothing bad to say here.

Sound (10/10):

The sound effects and soundtrack that Evangelion has is absolutely perfect. During scenes in the Nerv HQ (the main base of operations, if you will) the radio chatter in the background is projected into each ear making the room itself feel more alive. Each of the action scenes, not to mention the dialogue scenes are balanced perfectly with each other. There are adequate sound effects and matched the story in some way.

"A Cruel Angel's Thesis" is an 11/10 opening that deserves the worldwide recognition it receives to this day. Even before watching NGE, I heard the opening several times. "Fly Me to the Moon", I'm sure has been heard before as well. Each ending has a different vocalist who sings the song, and it's also very great. Again, nothing bad to say here.

Character (10/10):

All of the characters have certain troupes or cliches that they fall into, like almost every other anime I've seen, but that doesn't stop them from being special and unique from every other anime I've seen as well. Evangelion is one of the few anime I've really felt passionate about despite really disliking the personality main character, in this case, Shinji. This isn't a bad thing however, he is perfectly implemented in the story, very well written, and often represents one of the plot barriers that the story faces. Each one of the characters undergoes some type of development, whether they grow closer or further apart.

The cast of NGE is considered to be one of the greatest of all time, to the point where it's very difficult to describe the main characters in a concise manner. Shinji starts off very closed-off, before slowly opening up to a few of the characters, and then shutting himself off from the rest of society (several times this cycle occurs). Rei has trouble with human interaction with anyone else except for the commander, and Asuka is very self-centered, believing that she needs to be recognized due to the death of her mother. Misato occasionally feels worthless and let down, feeling that what she once loved now betrayed her.

As said in the plot section, Evangelion is about the characters and the interactions they have-- the conflict with the Angels almost represents a catalyst for the problems that the cast faces with themselves. NGE enters the minds of the characters and causes us to learn about their inner thoughts and motives. Everything ties in together here, the story, the art, the sound.

Enjoyment/Overall (10/10):

With that said, Evangelion is certainly not for everyone. It's an amazing show and changes drastically throughout the course of the 26 episodes and film. If you are worried about the animation quality like I was coming into this, don't be. Although dated, it still is very good.

Short review of End of Evangelion / Episodes 25/26 (8/10):

Although beginning with a large budget, the producers of NGE faced trouble towards the end of the season with episodes 25 and 26. As a result, it is said that the episodes contain insight to the mind of Shinji after the events of NGE and that the film, End of Evangelion portrays the actions outside Shinji's mind. I really enjoyed the film, although it is certainly an R+ film. The opening scene caught me off guard and I personally think it was unnecessary, but the rest of the film was good regardless. Episodes 25 and 26 in my opinion, were certainly less good of an ending to Evangelion and are more suited as the internal thoughts of Shinji, as previously mentioned.