Review of Neon Genesis Evangelion

The Evangelion TV series is a product of its time in my opinion as a first-time viewer who finally watched this classic in 2022. While NGE's influence on the anime scene is undeniable it has many annoyances that might repel new viewers. I've been wanting to get into this franchise as it is a huge title that always comes up in anime-related conversations, but I was half-forcing myself to sit through all 26 episodes. It wasn't all bad, but I doubt I will revisit the TV series again, and I sincerely hope that the modern remake movies improve on the original. My two biggest problems withNGE are the spineless main character, Shinji, and the utterly self-centered tsundere, Asuka. Let's talk about Shinj first. He is a wimpy crybaby who simultaneously lets everyone walk all over him and somehow still manages to be incredibly selfish. I generally don't mind effeminate boys in anime, but he managed to tick me off. I understand that Shinji's low self-confidence is supposed to be his biggest character flaw to overcome, but he has zero charisma or any likable traits to make us root for him. At one point Shinji even refuses to fight against an enemy that is literally threatening to destroy everyone he knows. He is questioning the morality of killing an opponent even when he's the only one standing between that enemy and his friends. His moral grandstanding in moments like that makes him extremely unlikable in my view. His logic is literally "Yeah, all of humanity will perish because of me. But at least I didn't murder anyone!" Nothing ticks me off more than a character claiming moral high ground when their actions directly lead to more suffering.

As for Asuka, she is one of the most frustratingly mean-spirited tsunderes I have ever seen. She gives Senjougahara Hitagi from the Monogatari series a run for her money (which is not a good thing, because in Senjougahara's case, her over-the-top vitriol is played as a joke while in Asuka's case I assume we're supposed to relate to her on some level). I tend to hate tsundere characters in general, but they're especially annoying when they are mean to other characters for no apparent reason. Asuka is constantly badmouthing characters, nagging, and complaining about minor inconveniences. When you add her enormous ego and conceited nature on top of that already toxic personality, you've got yourself a supremely unlikable character.

Fortunately the rest of the cast is more interesting. I especially enjoyed Rei, the mysterious quiet girl who very clearly inspired other characters like Yuki Nagato from the Haruhi Suzumiya series. Rei is the only major character who's got more to her than mommy or daddy issues. They actually gave her a unique backstory which really makes her stand out. She's also incredibly cool, doing her job without complaints and not hesitating to put others before herself. Personally, I would have preferred if she were the main character. Other than Rei, I also enjoyed Gendo, Shinji's mysterious and distant father who never reveals all of his cards. Together Rei and Gendo provide lots of intrigue to the series, which is one of biggest reasons why I was able to keep watching despite my frustrations with Shinji and Asuka. The rest of the cast are decent, but didn't really leave a big impression on me.

Next, let's talk about the animation and visuals. I liked the design of the Angels and the Evas. The battle scenes were good and overall the show has good visual appeal. However there are some big flaws on this department as well. In the latter part of the series, the episodes become less action-oriented and more surreal and introspective. I was okay with this change in tone, because I tend to like more thought-provoking stories rather than mindless fight-scenes. However, this is where I started noticing some obvious shortcuts with the animation. There are a few scenes where it's literally just a still frame for what feels like at least thirty seconds. I genuinely thought that my TV had frozen at one point. There are many scenes of characters talking in the dark, so all you see is their silhouettes. And in the surreal mindscape scenes they use a lot of looped animation, which gets annoying and just feels like filler after a while. You can convey recurring thought-patterns without lazily re-using the same animation over and over again.

I also had a problem with the use of music. The show's original music is good and used appropriately. However, there are two specific scenes where they use classical songs that are completely unfitting to what is happening on screen. The first is when an Angel is using a psychological torture attack on a character and they play Handel's Messiah (the happy "Hallelujah" song that you hear in movies all the time). Playing a chipper and well-known church song over a character being in mental anguish just completely failed to capture the intended shock and terror of that moment. There's another scene where they play Ode to Joy over an epic battle sequence. I honestly have no idea what the director was thinking putting two happy-sounding classical songs over scenes that are supposed to feel high-stakes and intense. No music at all would have been a better solution than such unfitting music.

As for the infamous ending, I wasn't really invested enough to feel one way or another about it. But I can say that at the very least it felt like I had witnessed something unique that other animes couldn't easily replicate. I will go ahead and watch The End of Evangelion next, followed by the remake movies. Based on what I saw in the original series, I can say that this franchise has a lot of potential, so I'm hoping to get a little more into the subsequent entries. Hopefully they'll be able to make Shinji and Asuka more likable while capitalizing on Rei's already intriguing persona.