Shin Seiki Evangelion, otherwise known as Neon Genesis Evangelion, was one of the most influential
anime series of the
1990's. Fifteen years after the
Second Impact, a cataclysm that caused floods, volcanic eruptions and a shifting of the Earth's axis, a young boy,
Shinji Ikari, is called to
Tokyo-3 at the beckon of his father. Upon arrival he is induced to pilot the monstrous
Evangelion Unit 01 against a foe known as the
Angels. Fellow
teenage pilots, the
enigmatic Rei Ayanami and the fiery
Asuka Langley Sohryu, join Shinji in battling these mysterious creatures, commanded in action by the beautiful
Misato Katsuragi.
The series morphs from an exciting '
monster of the week' style series into a complex and moving portrayal of human relations as the show approaches its conclusion. The final two episodes caused much
controversy in Japan, as the director
Hideaki Anno, prompted by many things, including lack of
time,
money, and
censorship pressures, opted for a purely internal look into the characters minds. The last two episodes are awash with
psychological terminology and
metaphysical discussion, and in the end the creator was happy. As he said to fans who didn't care for it, "
Too Bad". Despite this, two movies were made to complement the last two episodes,
Evangelion: Death and Rebirth and
The End of Evangelion,
The End in particular is designed as an alternate to episodes 25 and 26.
Overall this anime was influential simply in the way it changed the manner in which anime went to air in Japan. As well as that it caused a renewed interest in
mecha anime and is certainly one of the most talked about anime of the past ten years. Though often suffering from terrible
production values, it still managed to win the hearts of many people and ranks among my favourite anime titles of all time.
Update
27th September, 2000
This may seem like a silly point to dwell on but... Neon Genesis Evangelion was not an OAV or OVA!
It was first screened on TV and that is an important part of what shaped the eventual show. The 26 episodes of Evangelion were first aired in Japan in 1995 to 1996. There are a lot of budget and censorship issues that come about by screening it on TV (it screened after Ninja Turtles) and not releasing it straight to video and this affected the show.
Also the movies were not OVA's either, they had a theatrical release which resulted in people standing in huge lines to get into the cinema's screening it.
The videos were made and released after the series had been screened. In fact there are some changes made to Evangelion episodes 21 to 24 as well as some extra scenes added in the Japanese video version (the Redone Evangelion Episodes). The AD Vision dubbed video's don't have these extra scenes because when AD Vision bought the rights, the scenes hadn't actually been made yet. Also the theatrical version of the movie The End of Evangelion was altered slightly to the video version. See End of Evangelion - Theatrical release Vs. Video release for details on what the changes were.
Shin Seiki Evangelion - (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
(C)GAINAX, Project Eva., TV Tokyo, NAS
Created by GAINAX
Series Director : Anno Hideaki
Character Designs : Yoshiyuki Sadamotoi
Mechanical Designs : Yamashita Ikuto, Anno Hideaki
Music : Shiro Sagisu
Main Screenwriters : Hideaki Anno, Satsugawa Akio, Enokido Yooji
Main Storyboards : Masayuk, Higuchi Shinji, Tsurumaki Kazuya
Main Animation Directors: Suzuki Shunji, Honda Takeshi, Hasegawa Shinya
Art Director : Katoo Hiroshi
Theme Songs:
Opening Theme: "Zankoku-na Tenshi no These" (Cruel Angel's Thesis)
Lyrics: Oikawa Neko
Music: Satoo Hidetoshi
Arranged by: Oomori Toshiyuki
Performed by: Takahashi Yooko
Ending Theme: "FLY ME TO THE MOON"
Lyrics and Music : Bart Howard
Arranged by : Oomori Toshiyuki
Performed by: CLAIRE
Animation Produced at Gainax and Tatsunoko Productions
RE: the Eva
Manga. I have only been reading it for fun ever since
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto gave
Toji Suzuhara a
midichlorian count in his pilot data. Putting
SF references in is all well and good,
Anno Hideaki was a master of it, but this is just too blatant for my tastes. The
Children are
Jedi!?
Well becuase the original node containing this information was nuked I shall reproduce it here.
The
Neon Genesis Evangelion series is made up of 26 episodes, each having a
Japanese and an
English title, the English title not always being an direct translation of the Japanese one. The names of each episode are as follows:
Format
Japanese Title
(English Translation)
English Title
Episodes
- Dai Ichi Wa Shito, Shuurai
(First Episode Angel Attack)
Episode 1 Angel Attack
- Dai Ni Wa Mishiranu, Tenjou
(Second Episode Unfamiliar Ceilings)
Episode 2 The Beast
- Dai San Wa Naranai, Denwa
(Third Episode A Phone That Doesn't Ring)
Episode 3 A Transfer
- Dai Yon Wa Ame, Nigedashita Ato
(Fourth Episode The Rain, After You've Run Away)
Episode 4 Hedgehog's Dilemma
- Dai Go Wa Rei, Kokoro no Mukou ni
(Fifth Episode The Other Side of Rei's Heart)
Episode 5 Rei I
- Dai Roku Wa Kessen, Dai 3 Shin Toukyou Shi
(Sixth Episode Showdown : Tokyo-3)
Episode 6 Rei II
- Dai Shichi Wa Hito no Tsukurishi Mono
(Seventh Episode That Which Man Builds)
Episode 7 A Human Work
- Dai Hachi Wa Asuka, Rainichi
(Eighth Episode Hurricane Asuka)
Episode 8 Asuka Strikes !
- Dai Kyuu Wa Shunkan, Kokoro, Kasanete
(Ninth Episode A Moment When Hearts Are As One)
Episode 9 Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win !
- Dai Juu Wa Magmadiver
(Tenth Episode Magmadiver)
Episode 10 Magmadiver
- Dai Juu Ichi Wa Seishi Shita Yami no Naka de
(Eleventh Episode Within the Still and the Dark)
Episode 11 The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still)
- Dai Juu Ni Wa Kiseki no Kachi wa
(Twelfth Episode The Cost of a Miracle Is)
Episode 12 She Said, "Don't Make Others Suffer for Your Personal Hatred"
- Dai Juu San Wa Shito, Shinnyuu
(Thirteenth Episode Angel Intrusion)
Episode 13 Lilliputian Hitcher
- Dai Juu Yon Wa Seele, Tamashii no Za
(Fourteenth Episode Seele, Throne of the Soul)
Episode 14 Weaving a Story
- Dai Juu Go Wa Uso to Chinmoku
(Fifteenth Episode Lies and Silence)
Episode 15 Those Women Longed for the Touch of Others' Lips, and Thus Invited Their Kisses
- Dai Juu Roku Wa Shi ni Itaru Yamai, Soshite
(Sixteenth Episode A Sickness Into Death, And What Comes After)
Episode 16 Splitting of the Breast
- Dai Juu Shichi Wa Yo Nin Me no Tekikakusha
(Seventeenth Episode Fourth Children)
Episode 17 Fourth Children
- Dai Juu Hachi Wa Inochi no Sentaku o
(Eighteenth Episode A Choice for Life)
Episode 18 Ambivalence
- Dai Juu Kyuu Wa Otoko no Tatakai
(Nineteenth Episode A Battle for Men)
Episode 19 Introjection
- Dai Ni Juu Wa Kokoro no Katachi Hito no Katachi
(Twentieth Episode The Shapes of Hearts, the Shapes of People)
Episode 20 Weaving a Story 2 : Oral Stage
- Dai Ni Juu Ichi Wa Nerv, Tanjou
(Twenty First Episode The Birth of Nerv)
Episode 21 He Was Aware That He Was Still a Child
- Dai Ni Juu Ni Wa Semete, Ningen Rashiku
(Twenty Second Episode Humanly, If Nothing Else)
Episode 22 Don't Be
- Dai Ni Juu San Wa Namida
(Twenty Third Episode Tears)
Episode 23 Rei III
- Dai Ni Juu Yon Wa Saigo no Shisha
(Twenty Fourth Episode The Final Messenger)
Episode 24 The Beginning and the End, or "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
- Dai Ni Juu Go Wa Owaru Sekai
(Twenty Fifth Episode An Ending World)
Episode 25 Do You Love Me ?
- Saishuu Wa Sekai no Chuushin de Ai o Sakenda Kemono
(Final Episode The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World)
Finale Take Care of Yourself