Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most influential, divisive, and discussed anime ever made, and for good reason, boasting striking animation, strong action scenes, deep themes, fleshed-out characters, tons of plot twists, and a lot of emotion and drama. It's easily one of the most unique and thought-provoking series I've ever seen, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't totally enjoy it.

The main story of NGE is incredibly complicated, but to put it simply, there are these monsters called Angels that are trying to attack the Earth and cause its destruction (also known as the Third Impact). A government agency called NERV is tasked with destroying these Angels, usually using their mechs (called Evas). The pilot of the mechs have to be 14-year-old kids, meaning that Shinji, Asuka, and Rei have to deal with the pressure of saving the world along with their own teenage angst.

Right from the start, you can tell that the show is trying to deconstruct the mecha genre. The fight scenes are terrifying and can cause serious damage, characters deal with the trauma of such violence, and the emotional immaturity of these 14-year-olds end up resulting in tragedy near the end of the series. It's a compelling form of conflict that leaves you on-edge throughout the whole show. But despite that, there are still tons of moments of humor, so it's not relentlessly depressing. 

The characters are excellent, all containing their own backstory and baggage that they need to deal with. It's hard to even pick my favorite, as they're all so good. Shinji is a great audience surrogate who can be painfully relatable at times, Asuka embues the show with tons of energy, Rei is fascinating and gives some badass monologues at times, and watching Misato try to piece together the mysteries and secrets of NERV is endlessly compelling. The first half of NGE is fairly standard mecha fare, but the second half is packed with devastating twists, emotional moments, and creative imagery.

As the series nears its end, NGE leans more into psychology and character drama rather than mecha action. If you're not into this kind of stuff, then the show might end up losing you with its trippy mind screw sequences, long shots, and clip shows. But for me, this drama packs some of the highlights of the whole series. There are so many moments of introspective, symbolic imagery, and multi-faceted character moments that if I were to go in-depth on all of them, this review would be longer than my ten Friends reviews combined. My only gripe in this aspect would be that I do think Shinji gets a bit too many character studies that all seem to cover similar ground, as this technically occurs in episodes 4, 12, 19, 25, 26, and arguably 14.

The biggest controversy in NGE is probably its ending, between the more psychologically-driven original ending and the more closure-heavy movie ending. I actually prefer the TV ending, as it ends NGE on a surprisingly happy and life-affirming note as Shinji finally makes a breakthrough in regards to his mental state. Despite its low budget, there are tons of unique shots and creative imagery that I'm doubtful I'd ever forget. End Of Evangelion, the movie ending, took me a while to fully appreciate, as its nihilistic tone and plot directions (especially regarding Shinji). However, I eventually grew to admire it as well for its stunning visuals, great character development for Asuka, emotional moments, its powerful ending, and for providing the closure that the TV end couldn't.

Neon Genesis Evangelion has tons of strong episodes and standout moments, but these are some of my favorite of the bunch:

Mind, Matching, Moment: Arguably the most fun episode in the series, Asuka and Shinji get a ton of comedic moments as they grow to get along with each other, all culminating in the stunning final dance battle.

Life and Death Decisions: The final sequence where Shinji loses control of his Eva was probably the heaviest moment in the series for me. It's so intense, bloody, and relentless, and it feels like the point at which his relationship with his father, Gendo, reaches a head.

A Man's Battle: Probably my favorite episode, A Man's Battle is a slow, brutal build up to Shinji's reluctant return to the mech, culminating in one of the strongest fights in the show. It's tense, dramatic, and ends on a stunning sequence as everyone finally sees Eva-01 for the monster that it really is.

Staying Human: This entire episode is devoted to watching Asuka's mental state decline and it's hard to watch. There are tons of uncomfortable and brutal moments like the elevator scene and the mind rape. We finally learn Asuka's backstory, and it's probably the worst out of the entire cast. A great episode to watch if you want to get depressed super quickly.

Tears: The constant plot twists that this episode packs are insane, from Rei's shocking sacrifice, to Ritsuko's breakdown, to the final reveal of what Rei really is. It's fast-paced, constantly surprising, and overall one of the best episodes of the show.

The Last Cometh: Despite only appearing in this episode, Kaworu makes a strong impression with his oddly kind personality that only leads to a heart-breaking betrayal. The final battle with Kaworu, the final Angel, is climactic and tense, all culminating in one of the show's staple leave-the-camera-running moments.

The Beast That Shouted "I" At The Heart Of The World: I already wrote about how much I loved this finale. Despite the low budget, the showrunners packed in tons of unique imagery like the scribble sequences, the breakthrough scene, the AU sequence, and the final moment of Congratulations. I think this episode resonates even more now that mental health is given more of an importance, and I feel it's truly ahead of its time given that this episode was made in the 90s. Although, in all honesty, if you're expecting plot resolution or didn't know about what these episodes entail ahead of time, you will definitely be somewhat disappointed.

Overall, I loved Neon Genesis Evangelion. It's easily one of the most thought-provoking, depressing, and unique shows I've seen. Even with its ending issues, NGE left me thinking about it for days after I had finished it.

5/5 Stars

Favorite Episode: A Man's Battle