did evangelion ruin anime tropes

Is Neon Genesis Evangelion the best anime ever?

Widely regarded as one of the most important and influential anime ever, traces of Evangelion can be found in anime that came before it and after it. The 1995 classic Neon Genesis Evangelion, directed by Hideaki Anno and animated by Studio Gainax, is one of anime's all-time great achievements.

Is Rurouni Kenshin inspired by Neon Genesis Evangelion?

Nobuhiro Watsuki designed several characters for Rurouni Kenshin based on characters from Neon Genesis Evangelion, namely Uonuma Usui, Honjō Kamatari and Fuji. Anime director Makoto Shinkai declared that the genre of anime owes a cinematographic debt to Evangelion.

What happened to the Evangelion TV series?

Sequel Escalation: The TV series / End of Evangelion ended with Third Impact. In this version, "Near" Third Impact happens at the halfway mark, Fourth Impact partially occurs in 3.0, and there's still one more movie to go. Additionally, each film becomes gorier and darker than the last.

What anime influenced Evangelion?

While series such as Space Runaway Ideon were an apparent influence, it was clear that most of Yoshiyuki Tomino’s works played a part in inspiring Evangelion.

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Is Neon Genesis Evangelion problematic?

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a show that has a lot of great ideas that gives up on its plot roughly half way through, with incredibly problematic issues. But despite all of that, the show also captures the despair, frustration and anger that defines depression in a powerful and sobering way.

Is Neon Genesis Evangelion traumatizing?

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a mecha anime far more concerned with the psychology of its characters than skyscraper-sized battles. The series deconstructs its casts' traumas while subjecting them to ever-escalating torment and investigating the pain that comes with human connection.

What is Shinji's mental illness?

Shinji's personality traits have been linked to psychiatric conditions, such as depressive disorder, anxiety, social phobia, avoidant and borderline personality.

Is Evangelion a depressing anime?

Evangelion has a reputation as a notably depressing anime, but there are a number of mecha series that wallow in comparable levels of nihilism.

Is Neon Genesis Evangelion nihilistic?

Observing the monologues of Neon Genesis Evangelion before the ending, one probably feels that this drama series is nihilistic rather than existentialistic. The characters negate their personal value and explore mainly the emptiness and meaninglessness of existence.

What is Shinji's trauma?

Shinji's traumas are the most fleshed out: from witnessing his mother being consumed by Eva-01 (a memory the show suggests he has repressed), to the emotional negligence and abuse from his father, to the emotional damage he does to others due to his insociability and awkwardness.

Was Shinji supposed to be a girl?

Shinji was supposed to be a girl, but they changed her into being a boy because GunBuster and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water both had female protagonists.

Is Shinji a psychopath?

He's grown a near sociopathic inability to understand other people's emotions, only believes what he wants to believe, but in his rationale, nobody wants him, so they can all just die. Nobody cares whether or not he exists, nothing ever changes, so they can all just die.

Who is Shinji's love interest?

Throughout the majority of the manga, Shinji appears to be attracted to Rei Ayanami, and their relationship is far more developed than in the anime. After the battle against Ramiel, Shinji offers support to an injured Rei to walk to the rescue team, in a similar way it is implied at the end of Evangelion 1.0.

Why is Evangelion so creepy?

That's because Neon Genesis Evangelionis a kaleidoscope of psychological horror and a philosophical monologue under the guise of a mecha anime. Anyone who looks is risking their innocence and optimism. In hindsight, that's to be expected in an anime where traumatized children are forced to fight apocalyptic beings.

Why does Evangelion end so badly?

In the end, we encourage you to think of Evangelion as a series that doesn't have a “right” interpretation. Because of its troubled production, many plot elements and themes changed course over time, which makes explaining what the ending actually means a mess from a structural viewpoint.

What mental illnesses do Evangelion characters have?

At the center of the story is our main character, Shinji Ikari, a young boy who struggles with depression and anxiety. Much of his internal conflict stems from his father, who abandoned him when he was a young child.

What is neon evangelion?

Neon Genesis EVANGELION [3 Years After] -ANIMA- (alternatively shortened to Neon Genesis Evangelion -ANIMA- or simply Evangelion -ANIMA-) is a Light Novel series written by Ikuto Yamashita , set in the same world as Neon Genesis Evangelion. As the title suggests, it follows an Alternate Continuity and is set three years after the events ...

Who is the character designer of the anime?

Character design and character illustrations are done by Hiroyuki Utatane, with coloring by Ryou Ramiya. The series also features additional mechanical designs by Seiji Kio and, in a few issues, models built by some of the Dengeki Hobby modelers as well as Bandai prototypes.

When was the first chapter of Evas published?

The first chapter was published in the January 2008 issue. The chapters are accompanied by numerous illustrations of the characters and many redesigned and upgraded Evas.

Who is the class representative in Shinji's school?

Hikari in particular goes from being the Class Representative at Shinji's school to becoming an Evangelion pilot. Brainwashed and Crazy: Hikari , the trio's classmate and class representative, became an EVA pilot for the European army at some point and got herself brainwashed. Thankfully, they get better.

Is Eldritch Abomination the Big Bad Armaros?

Eldritch Abomination: The Big Bad Armaros. Whatever the hell it is, it's just as alien, if not more so, than the Angels. Even stranger still is the fact that Armaros is a seemingly sentient Evangelion that doesn't have a soul in its core, much less a pilot.

What is the title of the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion?

Title Drop: A reference to the title of the series original 1995 anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion at the end of 3.0+1.0, where Shinji is about to rewrite reality into a world without Evas and Angels by calling it "Neon Genesis". Tokyo Is the Center of the Universe: Naturally, considering it's where Lilith is kept.

How did Anno retell the Evangelion saga?

Anno made plans to re-tell the Evangelion saga by giving his Byronic Hero cast a second chance ( literally or figuratively ), making them (somewhat) more emotionally stable, and showing them a light at the end of the tunnel.

What happened after the Eva 03 incident?

Calling the Old Man Out: After the Eva-03 incident, Shinji attempts mutiny against Gendo by attacking Central Dogma with his Evangelion, and was only stopped by the timely application of excessive LCL cabin pressure. The Cameo: Kaworu after the credits of the first movie. Rei in the third.

Who wrote the screenplay for Rebuild of Evangelion?

Thus begins the salvation of Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, and Asuka Langley Shikinami in the four-film saga known as Rebuild of Evangelion. In addition to serving as chief director of the films, Anno also wrote the screenplays.

Characters

See the Character Sheet for more spoilerific details, particularly with the main characters.

Narrative

108: The number of dummy corporations set up by SEELE and NERV to fund the Marduk Institute.

Themes

108: The Marduk Institute, ostensibly an advisory group put together to select EVA pilots, is actually just a group of 108 dummy companies owned by NERV and SEELE.

What happened to Kaworu after Shinji met him?

Mercy Kill: Just after Kaworu and Shinji meet, Kaworu kills a very malnourished kitten. When Shinji reacts with shock and horror, Kaworu reasons that doing so was more merciful than letting it starve to death. This scene is the foundation for the "Evil Manga Kaworu" meme.

How many volumes are there in Neon Genesis Evangelion?

This adaptation would eventually take up 14 volumes.

What is the relationship between Kaworu and Shinji?

Belligerent Sexual Tension: Compared to the immediate friendship the two develop in the anime, Kaworu's relationship with Shinji in the manga is built around tension and the uneasiness Shinji feels around him. Kaworu is also no less interested in Shinji, but is presented as far more naive and a rather big Jerkass.

Is the manga ending bittersweet?

On the other hand, the main characters (especially Shinji) are generally more mentally stable than in the anime, and while the movie had an ambiguous ending that's subject to a variety of interpretations to this day, the manga ending is more of a clear-cut Bittersweet Ending, if not a downright Earn Your Happy Ending.

Is Shinji a Tsundere?

Tsundere: Some fans view the manga's version of Shinji as a tsundere character, mainly in his sarcastic treatment of Asuka and Kaworu. Wham Shot: In Chapter 96.5, a unnamed friend of Yui Ikari grows jealous of her budding relationship with Gendo Rokubungi and her upcoming hiring at NERV.

How many anime are there in Rebuild of Evangelion?

Other anime continuities. Rebuild of Evangelion, a retelling consisting of four new animated movies, the last one of which has been completed and is awaiting released. First arriving in 2007 in Japanese cinemas, Rebuild is a reimagining of the series serving as an Alternate Continuity to the original anime.

What is Detective Evangelion?

Detective Evangelion, a 2007 Japan-only PlayStation 2 Adventure Game taking place in an Elseworld, wherein Shinji is a teenage Private Detective hired by NERV to solve supernatural murders. Notable for not only its rather bizarre plot, but also for featuring all of the original cast reprising their roles.

What is the name of the high school manga that uses Evangelions as mechas?

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Campus Apocalypse (aka Gakuen Datenroku ), another High School A.U. manga; this one involves a Catholic school setting, the Evangelions as Empathic Weapons instead of actual mechas, aspects of Norse mythology, and body-swapping Angels.

What is the name of the pilot in Evangelion Battlefields?

Evangelion Battlefields, a smartphone game based on the Rebuild of Evangelion universe. Introduces another Canon Foreigner pilot named Kotone Suzunami to the franchise's universe as well as a new instructor named Hitomi Amagi, who serves as the game's tutorial character.

How many episodes are there in Neon Genesis Evangelion?

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The original anime series, which ran over a course of 26 episodes from October 1995 to March 1996. Evangelion: Death and Rebirth: Feature-length film released in March 1997. Consists of the titular two parts:

When did neon Genesis Evangelion end?

It finally finished its run in June 2013 note. , after starting out as promotion material for the upcoming anime back in December 1994.

Is Evangelion a Gundam show?

Evangelion -ANIMA-, a Light Novel series set in 2018 in an alternate continuity where Third Impact never happened. It's been described as if Anno made Evangelion like a Gundam show. It contains (among other things) Evas duking it out in space, three Reis (again), and Fanservice. Available here and here.

10 Influenced By: Ultraman

While the classic tokusatsu series Ultraman might not actually be anime as such, it is a formative influence on Hideaki Anno's work—so much so that his early works as a college student included his short fan film Return of Ultraman— and therefore is incredibly important to Evangelion itself.

9 Influenced: Kill La Kill

Hiroyuki Imaishi is the renegade director of classics like Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, and of course, Kill la Kill, which are both notable for their outlandish, confrontational animation style and eye-catching action scenes. Although Kill la Kill might have a unique identity, the importance of Evangelion to its production shouldn't be overlooked.

8 Influenced By: Naussica Of The Valley Of The Wind

Although it's important to cite the importance of Studio Ghibli's work to Anno's career overall, particularly where the works of Hayao Miyazaki are concerned, there is perhaps no entry in the venerated studio's filmography that's as relevant to Evangelion as Miyazaki's Naussica.

7 Influenced: RaXephon

Perhaps no other anime bears as much of an immediate resemblance to Evangelion as RaXephon does, which is a comparison that has worked for and against the anime in online discussion spaces.

6 Influenced By: Devilman

The classic 1972 manga from Go Nagai, Devilman, has experienced something of a resurgence in popularity in recent years thanks to the premier of Devilman Crybaby on Netflix in 2018. The story, similarly to Evangelion, follows a protagonist struggling with their own identity as he uses the powers of an otherworldly beast to battle demonic enemies.

5 Influenced: Revolutionary Girl Utena

The close personal relationship between Kunihiko Ikuhara and Hideaki Anno, as well as the notably surrealist and unsettling presentation of Ikuhara's magnum opus Revolutionary Girl Utena, has led many anime fans to draw an apt comparison between the two. The most frequently repeated adage is that what Evangelion is to mecha, Utena is to shoujo.

4 Influenced By: Mobile Suit Gundam

Evangelion is frequently lauded for disrupting the power fantasy at the core of many anime titles; its protagonist, Shinji Ikari, is not a straightforwardly heroic character. He struggles immensely with his role as Unit 01's pilot, and the psychological pressure incurred by operating the machine takes a serious toll on his personal well-being.

What is the Evangelion story?

Despite that, Evangelion is rooted in Christianity. Its story inspired (very, very loosely) by the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are referenced throughout the show. Christian symbolism permeates every episode. Biblical figures like Adam and Lilith appear while crucifixion and the Lance of Longinus are also heavily featured.

What is the symbolism of Evangelion?

Evangelion is filled with symbolism. There's religious symbolism, Freudian symbolism, Jungian symbolism, and even technological symbolism. Some of the symbolism is pretty obscure or difficult to recognize on the first watch through the show.

What are the mech pilots in Evangelion?

In the long history of their portrayal throughout anime, mech pilots tend to repeatedly be portrayed as either impishly playful or being the sorts of people who are just as hard and unyielding as the metal their machines are made from. The three children who pilot the EVAs in Evangelion break this mold by being psychologically complex, damaged people.

What is the religion of anime?

Religion is one of those complex personal topics that can make or break a work of art. As Japan is a country whose population mostly consists of Buddhists and which was historically rooted in Shinto, these are the two faiths most commonly depicted in anime. Mecha anime is a genre that exists to justify fights between giant robots, making it particularly unequipped to deal with profound spiritual matters.

Who are the main characters in Evangelion?

Three of the four main characters of Evangelion are women. Two of them, Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley, are young women still in school who pilot the EVA mech suits used to fight angels. The third, Misato Katsuragi, is a commander at NERV as well as the guardian of both Asuka and the final protagonist Shinji Ikari.

Do mecha anime characters feel lonely?

Conversely, one can feel lonely when in a crowd, lost in the multitude of people. Most mecha anime characters never seem to feel lonely. They may be utterly alone, but they still remain confident and self-assured, or when they have doubts, these never have anything to do with isolation.

Is neon Genesis Evangelion a remake?

Comment. There are many reasons why Neon Genesis Evangelion is a beloved favorite series among anime fans. Decades after it was originally released, it still has new merchandise being made and even received a remake that tapped into that fan nostalgia while reaching a whole new generation of viewers.

What anime inspired Evangelion?

The mecha anime influences were also much broader and arguably quite complex. While series such as Space Runaway Ideon were an apparent influence, it was clear that most of Yoshiyuki Tomino’s works played a part in inspiring Evangelion. While many focus on the shy introverted nature of Shinji Ikari as the pilot of Eva-01, ...

Who created the Evangelion?

However, Evangelion’s success didn’t come from nowhere but had a long lineage of various influences behind it. First was the studio that created it, that of Gainax and the show’s director Hideaki Anno. The studio and Anno had a long history of exemplary works behind them, from The Wings of Honneamise to Nadia and the original Gunbuster.

Is Evangelion derivative?

So hopefully people won’t continue to think that somehow everything is derivative of Evangelion, without knowing that Evangelion is inherently derivative itself.

Is Evangelion a shame?

It’s a shame , as Evangelion is a great series and one that is painstakingly wrought but I still feel that even after all these years outside of Japan, it’s not really understood or even appreciated for what it actually is.

Was the end of the Evangelion a disaster?

Admittedly the ending of the TV series was a disaster in Japan, as it was abroad, and the follow-on movie The End of Evangelion didn’t help matters much either, but most of how the series worked prior to that point tended to go overlooked or at worst misunderstood by many people in the West.

Who is the pilot of Eva-01?

While many focus on the shy introverted nature of Shinji Ikari as the pilot of Eva-01, this was not a new thing in terms of mecha anime, as characters such as Amuro Ray from Mobile Suit Gundam was hardly a willing or eager pilot to begin with.

Is Neon Genesis Evangelion on Netflix?

What with Neon Genesis Evangelion finally available on Netflix, it’s worth having a look at its origins, influences and why it didn’t come out of nowhere in a cultural sense. Back in the mid-90s, Neon Genesis Evangelion aired on Japanese television and was almost an instant hit.

How did Evangelion influence anime?

The series also had a strong influence on anime, at a time when the anime industry and televised anime series were in a slump period. CNET reviewer Tim Hornyak credits the series with revitalizing and transforming the giant mecha genre. In the 1980s and 1990s, Japanese animation saw decreased production following the economic crash in Japan. This was followed by a crisis of ideas in the years to come. Against this background, Evangelion imposed new standards for the animated serial, ushering in the era of the "new Japanese animation serial", characterized by innovations that allowed a technical and artistic revival of the industry. The production of anime serials began to reflect greater author control, the concentration of resources in fewer but higher quality episodes (typically ranging from 13 to 26), a directorial approach similar to live film, and greater freedom from the constraints of merchandising. According to Keisuke Iwata, the global spread of Japanese animation dramatically expanded due to the popularity of Evangelion. In Japan, Evangelion prompted a review of the cultural value of anime, and its success according to Roland Kelts, made the medium more accessible to the international youth scene. With the interest in the series, otaku culture became a mass social phenomenon. The show's regular reruns increased the number of otaku, while John Lynden links its popularity to a boom in interest in literature on the Dead Sea Scrolls, Kabbalah and Christianity.

What happened to Shinji in the battle with the Evangelion?

Without training, Shinji is quickly overwhelmed in the battle, causing the Evangelion to go berserk and sava gely kill the Angel on its own. Following hospitalization, Shinji moves in with Misato and settles into life in Tokyo-3. In his second battle, Shinji destroys an Angel but runs away afterward, distraught.

What is neon Genesis Evangelion?

Neon Genesis Evangelion ( Japanese: 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン, Hepburn: Shinseiki Evangerion, lit. "New Century Gospel ") is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and animated by Tatsunoko, directed by Hideaki Anno and broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 1995 to March 1996. The cast included Megumi Ogata as Shinji ...

Why did Sadamoto design neon Genesis?

Sadamoto designed the visual appearance of the characters so that their personalities "could be understood more or less at a glance". The distinctive aesthetic appeal of the female lead characters' designs contributed to the high sales of Neon Genesis Evangelion merchandise.

Why are Nerv's giant Evangelion biomachines synchronized to the nervous systems of their pilots?

Because of the Angels' near-impenetrable force-fields, Nerv's giant Evangelion bio-machines, synchronized to the nervous systems of their pilots and possessing their own force-fields, are the only weapons capable of keeping the Angels from annihilating humanity.

What happened to Hideaki Anno?

Director Hideaki Anno fell into a depression following completion of work on Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water and the 1992 failure of the Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise sequel project. According to Yasuhiro Takeda, Anno agreed to a collaboration between King Records and Gainax while drinking with King representative Toshimichi Ōtsuki; King Records guaranteed Anno a time slot for "something, anything". Anno began the development of the new series in 1993 around the notion of not running away, which had been the underlying theme of Aoki Uru, an earlier Anno project that had failed to move into production. Early into the production, Anno stated his intent to have Evangelion increase the number of otaku (anime fans) and attract interest in the medium. According to him, the plot of the series reflects his four-year depression. In the early design phase of the Evangelion project, several formats were considered, including a film, a television series and an original video animation (OVA) series. The producers finally opted for the television series as it was the most widely accessible media in Japan at that time. The proposed title Alcion was rejected due to its lack of hard consonant sounds.

When was the second Evangelion movie released?

The second film, The End of Evangelion, which premiered on July 19, 1997 , provided the complete new ending as a retelling of the final two episodes of the television series. Rather than depicting the series' climax within the characters' minds, the film provides a more conventional, action-based resolution to the series' plot lines. The film won numerous awards and grossed 1.45 billion yen within six months of its release. EX.org ranked the film in 1999 as the fifth best 'All-Time Show', with the television series at #2. In 2009 CUT Magazine ranked it the third greatest anime film of all time. In July 1998 the films were re-released as Revival of Evangelion which combined Death (true)² (the director's cut of Death) with The End of Evangelion .