What is this?
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a drama mech anime produced by studio Gainax and Hideaki Anno in 1995. The show takes many anime tropes and plays them both straight and flipped with a cast of developed, relatable and most importantly, human characters. It ranges in tone from a light-hearted action series to an arthouse style introspective narrative. The show’s striking imagery and use of religious mythology is also part of its 26 episode package.
The original show was extremely popular and influential and has launched a multimedia franchise. Fans often refer to it as NGE, Evangelion, Eva or “what the fuck did I just watch?”
That's nice and all, but what is “NGE” about?
15 years after a near apocalyptic event, giant monsters known as the “Angels” have begun to attack the city of Tokyo-3. Seemingly the only thing that can fight them are massive robots developed by the mysterious company “NERV” – The “Evangelions”.
The problem is that the only ones who can pilot the Evangelions are 14 year old children. These kids aren’t exactly the most well put together, and NERV has plenty of secrets of its own...
Say I’m interested. How can I get into this?
Unfortunately, the official route is rather difficult at this time. The rights for the original series within the US are in a strange place and so there hasn’t been a DVD release since the mid-2000s (currently rather out-of-print). No streaming services offer it up and the most recent Japanese Blu-ray will set you back about $300 USD (and it has no English subtitles). The original movies that follow the series are even more difficult to come across – and never had a decent release in the first place!
Other franchise material is fairly easy to find. The manga is still in print in the west and the Rebuild movies are available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Rebuild movies? What are they?
The Rebuild of Evangelion is the theatrical “retelling” of the original show. It started in 2007 and currently has three films (the latest released in 2012) with a fourth coming sometime in the future. While they aren’t really a great introduction to the series, meant to spin the original story in a different direction, they are a good jumping off point for those short on time.
Shinji Ikari
Pilot of Evangelion Unit-01. After being abandoned by his father at a young age, Shinji developed severe issues in getting close to people. This is made especially problematic when he is forced to pilot an Eva Unit at the behest of his dad.
Rei Ayanami
Pilot of Evangelion Unit-00. Rei has a quiet and understated personality, but is not quite as unemotional as she may appear on the surface. Her past is as mysterious as she is.
Asuka Langley Sohryu
Pilot of Evangelion Unit-02. Energetic, overbearing and extremely prideful, Asuka is a child prodigy who tries to be the best at everything. There may however, be more to her brash personality than one might assume.
Misato Katsuragi
Director of Operations at NERV. Part sloppy drunk, part professional commander and part sexual deviant. Misato often offers guidance to those around her in battle and in life, although she has problems of her own.
Other Franchise Characters:
Gendo Ikari | Ritsuko Akagi | Ryoji Kaji | Kozo Fuyutsuki | Mari Makinami Illustrious
Toji Suzuhara | Kensuke Aida | Hikari Horaki | Pen Pen | Kaworu Nagisa
The Original 26 Episode TV series (1995-1996)
Here is a trailer produced by American dubbing company ADV to give you an idea of what to expect (that music is used in the show). Here is the show’s opening.
Episodes 21-24 have director’s cuts that add additional, important scenes and have slight animation fixes. It’s generally recommended that these are the versions watched.
The Original Films (1997)
Two films were released after the series had finished airing. Death & Rebirth is a recap/clip show movie, made up mostly of old footage. There is some great new stuff involving characters playing instruments though. The End of Evangelion serves as a second finale to the series and is a must watch for anyone wanting more. Here is the Japanese Trailer for the film. It contains no footage from the movie, and is very strange.
The 14 Volume Manga (1994-2013)
Made in tandem with the original TV series, a slow schedule caused the manga by Yoshiyuki Sadamototo to finish long after the show even though it started earlier. This story is considered a separate continuity that has a similar synopsis, but different plot and character developments. It’s considered more “shonen”, being less artsy and more light-hearted (although still fucked up).
The Rebuild Movies (2007-????)
A (possibly) four film retelling of the series made with a modern context. More than just beautiful updated animation, the series takes many different turns in plot and character and will probably end very differently to the original series and movies. The films are:
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone | Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance | Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo
Short Films (2014-2015)
For Hideaki Anno's and Studio Khara’s Animator Expo, a few short films taking inspiration from Evangelion have come around. These are mostly to show off animation or directorial ability, so don’t expect many deep story connections. These aren’t hosted on the Expo site anymore, but are easy to find if you go looking:
–until You come to me (Tadashi Hiramatsu) – An interesting take on events set after the third Rebuild film. With no dialogue, the message (whatever it may be) is conveyed through the visuals.
–evangelion:Another Impact (Confidential) (Shinji Aramaki) – A fully CG short. In another place and at another time, a new Eva Unit is activated and things go terribly wrong.
–Neon Genesis IMPACTS (Yūhei Sakuragi) – Depicts some of the events of Tokyo-3 (in the Rebuilds) through the eyes of a schoolgirl idol group. Shit gets dark. The Love Live character designer gives the characters looks unique to Eva.
Links to the films' pages (which include credits and behind the scenes stuff) on the Expo site:
Video Games (1996-????)
They’re all Japan only, so I won’t go into too many of them.
–1st Impression (Sega Saturn, 1996) – A non-canon side story featuring RPG elements, but mostly plays with newly animated FMVs.
–2nd Impression (Sega Saturn, 1997) – Similar to the previous game. Features a new, original character.
–Girlfriend of Steel (Windows, 1997) (Windows, Mac, PS2, 2006) (PSP, 2009) – An alt-universe visual novel/dating sim featuring a new, original character.
–Neon Genesis Evangelion (Nintendo 64, 1999) – A combat RPG focusing on the battles throughout the series.
–Neon Genesis Evangelion 2 (PS2, 2003) (PSP, 2006) – Similar to the previous except containing more story elements, covering the entire series.
–Shinji Ikari Raising Project (Windows, 2004) – A simulator focusing on Shinji in a more “slice of life” situation.
–Girlfriend of Steel 2 (Windows, Mac, PS2, PSP 2005) – A spiritual sequel to the first. A visual novel/dating sim that takes place in an alternative, fully slice of life universe.
–Evangelion: Battle Orchestra (PS2, 2007) (PSP, 2009) – An aracde fighting game featuring every Evangelion and Angel featured in the series.
–Evangelion 3nd Impact (PSP, 2011) – A rhythm music game based on the Rebuild films.
Other Stuff (1995-The End of the World)
Merchandising and spin-offs. There’s a lot of it:
–After the End Audio Drama – The characters of NGE attempt to find a way to reboot the show with a larger audience. Hilarity ensues.
While there shouldn’t be any need for spoiler tags unless something new comes out, please be considerate to any newbies that come in here.
If there’s any stuff you think I should add/remove from here, feel free to say so.
Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars…
