Review of Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of those "you either hate it or you love it" type of shows, judging from what I've seen online. You either think it's the worst show ever created, or the best. I lean towards the latter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [CHARACTERS] Let's start here with the characters.Evangelion is not a show about giant robots fighting monsters. It's about the people who are piloting those 'robots'. It's a show about mental health and human nature.
While shows like this are a dime a dozen nowadays, Evangelion is one of the first to do it so well, and is a big reason why so many shows try to tackle similar themes today. The characters are deep, complex, and have layers. There is so much going on beyond the surface of every single character, even ones that I didn't personally like all that much, such as Asuka. They're all extremely well thought-out and executed, especially Shinji.
Shinji is one of the most hated anime characters of all time. Before I went into this show, I was expecting the worst.
But man... after watching Evangelion, I think he's one of my favorite anime characters ever.
I really don't understand why people dislike him so much. The most common complaint about Evangelion that I see is that Shinji comes off as an annoying coward, pretty much solely because he isn't a generic shonen badass.
I don't know about you guys, but if at age 14, I left my whole life behind to go fight giant monsters, I would probably be a little bit afraid too. He has no friends, no real family, and no purpose in life. Of course he comes off like an awkward loser in the beginning.
Over the course of the show, due to the people around him and the lessons that he learns, he slowly begins to accept himself, and come to terms with who he is, resulting in some incredible moments in the last few episodes. His character arc is one of the best in all of fiction, and I'll die on that hill.
Characters: 9/10
[STORY]
Evangelion has a confusing story, to say the least. As much as I loved watching this show, even I can admit that. There were times when I would literally say "What the hell is going on?" out loud while watching the show. It gets absolutely crazy sometimes, especially in the last couple of episodes. I think that's one of my favorite parts about Evangelion, to be honest.
I absolutely love shows that mess with your head and make you think. If I have to rewind a scene and watch it like 3 times just to understand what is going on, I think that means they're doing something right. Of course, I completely understand why this would be a negative thing for a lot of people, but it's where I got a lot of my enjoyment while watching NGE. Even now while writing this review, there are still some things that I'm not really clear on. I think this is the type of show that you'll have to re-watch a few times to get a full understanding of.
Like I said in the characters section, Evangelion is less about the actual story, and more about the characters themselves. Despite that, they still managed to craft a world with an incredibly interesting, albeit sorta confusing lore. It was always exhilarating to learn more about NERV, the angels, and the Second Impact. Despite technically not being a mystery show, the mystery aspect was done exceptionally well. It never really explains anything until the very end, leaving you to think on your own about the hints and info that it drops along the way. I love when shows do that.
Story: 8/10
[ART]
The best part about Evangelion is the art.
For a show that came out over 2 decades ago, the art not only holds up well, but still puts a lot of current animes to shame. Everything about the art direction is perfect. The designs of the cities, Evas, and the Angels is incredible. There's nothing that I can even compare it to. Every time a new Angel came onto the screen, it looked completely different from the last, while still retaining the same feel as the rest. The same goes for the Evas themselves. Each one's design has become so iconic, that you probably know what they all look like, even without knowing anything about the show.
Almost every shot in Evangelion is like a work of art, the way all of the scenes are set up is masterful. I could sit down right now and draw about 20 frames from memory, just based on how impactful they were. The religious imagery, while being extremely obvious and on the nose, is stunningly awesome at some points. There were so many moments during this show where I thought "So this is where that scene is from" or something along those lines.
'Iconic' is really the only word I can use to describe the art in NGE.
Art: 10/10
[SOUND]
The sound in NGE is pretty great.
The voice acting, especially for it's time, is excellent. I don't really ask for a lot when it comes to voice acting, the main thing I look for is emotion. Evangelion's voice actors show that better than most. When the characters are in pain, you feel it. When they're sad, you feel it. There was never a time where it felt like a person in a studio, it always felt like I was listening to Shinji, Asuka, Misato, etc. I almost can't imagine the voice actors in different roles.
The music speaks for itself. Before I had ever even heard the name Evangelion, I had heard the opening song. The popularity of a Cruel Angel's Thesis almost transcends that of the show. There's good reason for that. It's easily one of the best anime openings ever made. You most likely already know what it sounds like, so I'll just leave it at that.
The rest of the soundtrack was pretty good, as well. There were a few scenes where I thought the music felt a little bit out of place, but it didn't make all that much of a difference to the overall experience.
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Overall: 9/10
I was really close to giving this a 10/10, but I'm going to settle on a 9. I can definitely see why some people don't like it as much as I do, but I think that's okay. Go watch it for yourself and form your own opinion, like I did.
Evangelion truly is something special, and it's a show that every anime fan should at least give a chance. It's considered a classic for a reason.
Thanks for reading.