Review of Neon Genesis Evangelion

Okay let's get the big dog out of the way, let's talk about the plot. Now the way it starts off is rather decent, it's laid out simply as "Angels are attacking and we built these robots to stop them." but within the last episodes becomes a complete and total mind fuck. If I were to commend the story for one thing, it's the pacing. It starts off easy to follow, but as it progresses the tension builds more and more until it's just as hard for you to bear as it is for the characters, and instead of that tension being released in aclimactic explosion where it's all let out in the open, Evangelion opts to instead let all that tension crumble into a dark, brain melting chaos. I can't help but commend the execution of this as one of the first anime to attempt this, and the deconstruction of tired mecha anime tropes, instilling new tropes that other dark psychological anime will follow in the future. However I don't think that can redeem the extremely unclear plot of the show, earning it a 4/10. I would recommend watching an explanation video upon completion of this and the movie "End of Evangelion"

Next is the art, recieving a 6/10. The art style itself is very similar to other anime of that era, so Evangelion's art direction is distinguished mostly by the neon high tech looking aesthetic found in works like Akira. I personally am a fan of this art direction, but I can hardly say it's unique. The visuals do complement the story in the sense that you will be shown random sequences of images along with random pieces of information. The fight scenes had a lot of energy, I liked the sheer brutality and high stakes of the show, it actually felt like plot armor wouldn't save them, there was weight behind the fight, and there was weight behind the punches, the fights felt very kinetic, you could feel the force and the tension of the battle. Also I'd like to say that the fights never defy the logic of the show, there are very few bullshit asspulls saving them in the fights.

Cruel Angels Thesis baby 8/10 ost

Characters. Know there's much to say so I'll be talking about each member of the main trio individually.

Shinji. People ask a lot for realistic protagonists, and Shinji is one. he gets a lot of shit from people because he's frequently not okay with the situation and questions his every action. And yes it can be frustrating, but Shinji is a mentally traumatized 14 year old boy, and despite that, in most situations he is the most mentally stable one in the group. And even though he doesn't like it, he stills ends up saving the day. He's a reluctant protagonist, but Evangelion is a deep show that wants you to read into it's intentions, so I can't just dismiss Shinji's character as a whiny crybaby bitch.

Asuka. Asuka is a stereotypical tsundere, however in the context of the time this character was written it was probably not considered a cliche character trope. In fact Asuka was sort of a revolutionary character for her time, and is a big reason why the tsundere trope is so popular in the first place. She starts off as very overconfident and arrogant, but like most characters in this show this is not surface deep. Asuka suffers from deep rooted insecurity and as a result seeks the attention and approval of others around her.

Rei. Oh dear....... She has no clear emotions or convictions in any situation, and I get that's the point, but she's easily the the most shallow character, most of the events in her backstory are not a product of her actual self, and Rei never really has that same deep and complex personality that Shinji and Asuka have. She feels more like a plot device than an actual character

Now the rest of the cast are certainly commendable for a supporting group, I liked that when everything goes to shit, nobody just sits around and watches, everybody's always doing something, everyone has a role and a purpose, and everybody tries to make the Eva project work. There is no "Waiting for Goku" there is just "Do shit without Goku" or "Help Goku", nobody ever truly gives up. And it is amazing that as the show progresses we see each characters mental state crumble, and we get a very real and haunting feeling as we peer into the true inner psyches of these characters. I mean it really feels like you're reading their soul, each characters eventual breakdown is horrifyingly fascinating. 7/10

I don't really know what to say about how I actually felt, the show made me very claustrophobic in a sense, that the world was closing in and ending around me, by the time I was done I wouldn't be surprised if I went outside and everything was destroyed, it was an immersive experience, but also, it didn't make sense. The story I mean, it does no good to be immersed in an story you don't understand, though strangely I felt it was relatable, like these same thoughts and same psychedelic experiences were things I had experienced myself, and all this time Evangelion was barely scraping some deep human origin I can't understand but I can feel inside me, drifting away as I desperately reach for it. This show can only keep me wondering..... I don't know whether I like that or not, so I'm giving it a 6/10.

Also there is an unbearable sexual tension, if only I could fuck the characters like this show fucked my mind. 7/10