Review of Neon Genesis Evangelion
How does one become a true hero? Does one eat a magical fruit and embark on a quest for gold and glory? Does one make a contract for power as a means to get revenge? Or does one use the powers of the undead to shape the world in a way he sees fit? No, the only way to become a true hero is to face one's insecurities, build courage, face reality, and do one's duty, regardless of the trials that may be just on the horizon. ...and what would be really great is if Neon Genesis Evangelion had a hero like that. Before going tothe review, I'd like to give some thoughts after just finishing this series. First of all, Neon Genesis Evangelion is certainly worth the watch. In fact, I think any fan of anime should watch it. It is something special, particularly in that it is an excellent deconstruction of the mecha genre. The impact that Evangelion has made on both the genre and anime itself is very apparent.
Going into the story, I would like to say that Evangelion exceeded my expectations. What I thought was going to be as simple as battling aliens with robots turned out to go into things like government, people, the human psyche, emotions, and family. Also, the initial execution of story was fantastic. I foresaw a clear path that would lead to a perfect end. However, the well-executed beginning of Evangelion did not manage to trickle down to the end.
Firstly, I will discuss the plot. Monsters known as angels, of which caused a cataclysmic event in the year 2000, have returned in the year 2015. Mankind must use weapons called Evangelions in order to save themselves. And the people that must pilot these weapons turn out to be 14-year-old children! Yes, our main protagonist is Shinji, the child of the commander of NERV. Shinji is not a bad character. In fact, all of the characters are fantastic! Unfortunately, the way the plot moves hinders our cast, especially Shinji.
Now, Shinji is not that groundbreaking as far as characters go. He is insecure, shy, unconfident and lonely. Some if this stems from his mother dying and his father abandoning him at a young age. He fears depending on people and having people depend on him. Suddenly, he is forced to face his weaknesses, as the fate of mankind may very well rest on his shoulders. Naturally, you would think that the story would lead to Shinji developing the courage and strength that he needs. The thing is, this never happens.
Everyone in the main cast has their own weaknesses and insecurities. This could be jealousy, lack of self-purpose, or scars from past relationships. And what Evangelion does is take the characters' weaknesses and just slowly grind the characters into dust. My favorite character from the show, Asuka, started out as a strong-willed and competitive young woman. However, as she performed less adequately and her peers improved, this consistently led her to jealousy, depression, and finally to her completely alienating herself from others. As likable as the characters are, Evangelion denies them a climatic point of resolution, a point where they can accept their insecurities and then strive to overcome them. From what I hear, the writer of Evangelion was severely depressed as the show went on, which is reflected by the direction of the show. This is, what I would call, a total drag.
In all truth, the vast majority of Evangelion is fantastic. Remember, where the story fails is its lack of resolution. Watching the journeys of our characters is a very pleasant experience. You will probably think the same thing after you have personally felt what the characters on screen have felt.
About the visuals, it’s not so simple as whether they are good or bad. Evangelion was plagued with a low budget, which is apparent in scenes with lack of movement. Evangelion also likes to skimp by with characters' mouths being hidden behind things. Sometimes, whoever is talking isn't even shown on the screen. And then, you have these intense action sequences where everything is moving all at once, and you are utterly encapsulated by what's happening on the screen. If you are willing to forgive the time period in which Evangelion was made, as well as its small budget, you shouldn't have any problems. Also, the sound and music of Evangelion is great. There are very good themes that help pump up action sequences with energy.
One more thing: at the time of writing this review, I have not seen the movie End of Evangelion. I hear it makes up for the unsatisfying conclusion of the series. However, this is not a review of the movie.
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*Edit
I freaking hate End of Evangelion, but the series is still good. Just wanted to throw that in there.
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Neon Genesis Evangelion is a fantastic, ground-breaking anime that is plagued by lack of resolution, both in the story and in characters. This anime has my full recommendation, as it is too important to ignore. Please check it out if you have not, as it is certainly an anime worth experiencing.