Alternate Title: 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン | Shin Seiki Evangelion | Evangelion
Genre: Psychological | Mecha Action | Science Fiction | Drama
Company: Gainax
American Liscensing Company: ADV Films
Format: 26 episodes
Dates: 04/10/95 to 03/28/96
Original Creator: Hideaki Anno (director, script, storyboard, mecha design) not based off a manga
Age Rating: Not suitable for young children; 15-18 and up

Synopsis: Shinji Ikari is a fourteen year old boy who's life is pretty uneventful, even with the attacks of the freakish and mysterious monster Angels at Tokyo-3. When Shinji's astranged father requests for him to come visit him at the government facility he works at, NERV, Shinji's life is turned upside down when out of nowhere, his father demands he pilot an Eva, a mech robot used for battling angels that only special 14 year olds can pilot. Now how can he live on as a normal teen? What exactly are angels, Adam and Lilith, and what do they have to do with the the 3rd Impact that will supposedly cause the destruction of earth? And how will these battles affect Shinji's mind and who and what he is, as well as everyone else he knows?

SCORE: 75%

So, it's a cult classic? Who cares?! This series has plenty of problems and aspects of it I don't like. It's not all bad, but anyway...read on!

Plot: Plot...plot...hmmm...interesting plot. This is the series has a lot of bastardization of Chrisitianity in anime. Lol, don't get me wrong, I enjoy these incorrect symbolisms; catching all of them as you watch this series can be a favorite pastime. Afterall, how often do average American Christians get any facts about Buddhism or Shinto right anyway? So, why the hell should the Japanese get Christianity right?

But anyway, the plot isn't nonexistent, just really scattered it seems. At first you might think this is a weird mech series, but as time passes by, you really realize that this series is focusing on the characters' emotions, and especially on the personality of Shinji. This makes for a very Soap Opera atmosphere and a weird one at that.

The whole mech thing with this series just seems like a backdrop, or rather a way for Shinji to actually start realizing his deepest consciousness. This is why the series is odd, or at least the reason why I don't favor Eva all that much. While, examining psyches is nothing unusual, and normal ones are boring, Shinji more than scares me...and I don't like him. It's very hard to like our dear Shinji who is so utterly pathetic and wallowing in self-pity. That doesn't make for an unrealistic character, but it sure does make a hell of an annoying one. Maybe I just like the wickedly cool and keen kind of characters too much (and well, likeable characters are likeable after all!). But, c'mon! How much self-pity can you have? I've been a rather depressing person myself in past years, but give me a break! Just when you think Shinji might be getting some balls, he shrinks back again. Will someone slap this kid? Or put him out of his misery? Sometimes when he was so pathetically feeling self-pity, I wondered why the hell he didn't just kill himself (too afraid to do so, I suppose). Whine, bitch, moan and complain, but he sure doesn't do much to help his own situations...but I suppose there isn't much he could do...but still! So, Shinji is definitely sinfully real, but...ugh!

So, Shinji is a little bitch, Asuka is just a straight out bitch and Rei's personality is nonexistent. In fact, I hate Asuka, and I sure as hell can't see why so many people like Rei so much. Rei is devoid of personality viturally the entire series, even if her role is a very important key. And Misato is a whore with a daddy comlex, Kaji's a manwhore, Ritsuko is just like her mom and is annoying, and Shinji's dad, Gendo, is the biggest asshole of all time. Ick. Of course, these traits are the worse ones they have, but unfortunately that's what sticks out to me. That's what I remember about such characters!

And of course, you can't forget Kaworu. I actually did like him because he made me laugh. Alot ^_^. He's such a cute flirt. He's so clinging and affectionate. ^_^ His existence brings out awkward homosexual tensions for Shinji. Kaworu is one of the few things I liked about this series because of the way he affect Shinji (I think Shinji's time spent with Kaoru is probably the time when he acted like a real human being the most), even if he was only there for a short time and toward the end of the series. Lol, but, then again I just have too much of a wicked sense of humor when it comes to sexual angst in anime and manga.

So, the series does have a plot, and the characters have definite personalities. That doesn't mean I liked any of it though. Yuck.

Visual: Now, Eva has some of the best visuals I have ever seen. The fights are amazing, the atmosphere is its needed weirdness, and the angel and mech designs are very dynamic. Character designs are very good also. The animation never catches badly and is beautifully executed. But...

This show has the worst case of recapping I have ever seen. In fact, the long dramatic pause in one elevator scene was absolutely stupid, even if the animators were seeing how long the audience would put up with it, or even if the audience found the pause amusing to countdown. If I'm correct, this recapping was used because Gainax had actually gone overbudget with Eva at the time, and couldnt' afford more animation. If that's true, it's very apparent in this elevator scene and several others (which are usually several minute long looks at scenery while the characters have conversations; that's nothing new in anime, and is often a common tool used to save money, but these shots were excessively long).

Nice visuals, but few of them.

Sound: This series actually has my favorite voice actress, Megumi Ogata, performing the part of Shinji. However, this is not the series that made her my favorite voice actress (her role as Kurama in YYH is what I liked). However, she did do a good job bringing out Shinji's pathetic and fucked up personality, as did many, including Kotono as Misato, who is best known as Usagi/Sailor Moon in Sailor Moon and Excel in Excel Saga. The acting was very good, just too bad the series isn't the best with everything else.

Sound effects were not extraordinary, but were interesting. However, many battle sounds were very good and authetically gross.

The music was repetitive during the series, and I could recognize the battle music if I heard it anywhere. It wasn't overly annoying however. The opening theme was good, and the ending theme was interesting, since it was performed differently every single episode.

The Dub: I only viewed a very short part of the dub, and boy did it stink. These voice actors did not know how to act it seemed, or maybe the script made for the dub was just horrible. The lip-synching seemed a bit off. I suggest sticking to subtitles.

Extra Rants and Bitching: I do not like this series. I don't hate it, but I don't have affection for it either. I suggest watching this series to be better anime informed and if you're bored with a lot of time on your hands.

Chances are, you should check out a little of this series sometime, since there are so many references to this series and it also started many common plot devices in several anime now. However, I suggest that you either watch the series by yourself or with very open minded, patient, anime buddies. I do have to say, there is something weird about this series that suggest you at least watch a little of it sometime. But, pace yourself, don't watch it all at once (even though after watching it all, you'll either want to watch it again to try understand it better [good luck!] or not watch it again for awhile so it can sink in or so you can forget it). Also, don't watch it late at night at 2 in the morning! I mean, after all, this is the only anime that's ever given me a nightmare after watching it! (and I wasn't the only one in my anime club to have an Eva nightmare either!)

Score Comments: I didn't want to give this series a lower score than RahXephon, since it is RahXephon's predecessor and its roots are deeply influenced by Eva. However, RahXephon was executed better, if just by a little bit.

This series isn't referred as to being whack for nothing. Usually weirdness would make me like a series, but not when its weird because it's hiddenly perverted in a pretty demented way (if perhaps frightenly real). But hey, if that's your cup of tea, go for it! And, especially when it's centered on a horny, pathetic and fucked-up-in-the-head teenage boy.

This series might be deep, or it might just be utter psychobabble bull. Draw your own opinion. And I mean opinion. There's no conclusion for an anime series/anime review like this!

Websites:
Evangelion4Life
An Eva fan site

ADV's Official Evangelion Website

Gainax's Official Evangelion Website

Have a website about this series, or do you know of a good one? Want me to link to it on this review? Well, the feel free to email the sucker to me! Just make sure to put "Review Link" in the subject.