This is a good article. Follow the link for more information.

Neon Genesis Evangelion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigation

Jump to search

This article is about the anime. For other media, see Neon Genesis Evangelion (franchise).

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Evangelion retouched.png

Title card of the anime television series

新世紀エヴァンゲリオン

(Shin Seiki Evangerion)

Genre Mecha,[1] psychological,[2] science fiction[3]

Anime television series

Directed by Hideaki Anno

Produced by Noriko Kobayashi

Yutaka Sugiyama

Written by Hideaki Anno

Music by Shirō Sagisu

Studio Tatsunoko Production

Gainax

Licensed by

AUS

Madman Entertainment (former)

BI

ADV Films (former)

Original network TV Tokyo

English network

AU

SBS TV

CA

Razer (Kamikaze)

NA

Anime Network

PH

ABS-CBN

US

Anime Network, KTEH, Cartoon Network (Toonami), Adult Swim

ZA

Animax

Original run October 4, 1995 – March 27, 1996

Episodes 26 (List of episodes)

Films

Death & Rebirth (March 1997)

The End of Evangelion (July 1997)

Related works

Neon Genesis Evangelion (manga)

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Campus Apocalypse

Petit Eva: Evangelion@School (2007)

Rebuild of Evangelion

1.0 You Are (Not) Alone. (2007)

2.0 You Can (Not) Advance. (2009)

 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo. (2012)

Wikipe-tan face.svg Anime and Manga portal

Neon Genesis Evangelion[4] (Japanese: 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン Hepburn:

Shinseiki Evangerion, literally "The Gospel of the New Century") is a Japanese
mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and Tatsunoko Production, and
directed by Hideaki Anno and was broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 1995 to
March 1996. The cast included Hideaki Anno as the director, Megumi Ogata as
Shinji Ikari, Megumi Hayashibara as Rei Ayanami, and Yūko Miyamura as Asuka
Langley Soryu. The music was composed by Shirō Sagisu.

Evangelion is set fifteen years after a worldwide cataclysm, particularly in

the futuristic fortified city of Tokyo-3. The protagonist is Shinji, a teenage
boy who was recruited by his father to the shadowy organization Nerv to pilot
a giant bio-machine mecha called an "Evangelion" into combat with alien beings
called "Angels". The series explores the experiences and emotions of
Evangelion pilots and members of Nerv as they try to prevent any and all of
the Angels from causing another cataclysm, and as they deal with the quest of
finding out the real truth behind events and organizational moves.[5] The
series features imagery derived from Kabbalah, Christianity, and Judaism.

Neon Genesis Evangelion received critical acclaim, and garnered controversy.

[6] Particularly controversial were the last two episodes of the show, leading
the team behind the series to produce the original intended version of the
ending in the 1997 film The End of Evangelion. Regarded as a deconstruction of
the mecha genre, the original TV series led to a rebirth of the anime industry
and has become a cultural icon. Film, manga, home video, and other products in
the Evangelion franchise have achieved record sales in Japanese markets and
strong sales in overseas markets, with related goods selling over ¥150 billion
by 2007 and Evangelion pachinko machines selling ¥700 billion by 2015.

Contents

1 Plot

2 Characters

3 Production

4 Themes

5 Related media
 5.1 Music

5.2 Films

5.3 Manga

5.4 Other media

6 Releases

7 Reception

7.1 Awards

8 Influence and legacy

9 Merchandising

10 Notes

11 References

12 Further reading

13 External links

13.1 Official websites

13.2 Articles and information

Plot

See also: List of Neon Genesis Evangelion episodes

In 2015, fifteen years after a global cataclysm known as the Second Impact,
teenager Shinji Ikari is summoned to the futuristic city of Tokyo-3 by his
estranged father Gendo Ikari, director of the special paramilitary force Nerv.
Shinji witnesses United Nations forces battling an Angel, one of a race of
giant monstrous beings whose awakening was foretold by the Dead Sea Scrolls.
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. Nerv officer Misato Katsuragi escorts
Shinji into the Nerv complex beneath the city, where his father pressures him
into piloting the Evangelion Unit-01 against the Angel. Without training,
Shinji is quickly overwhelmed in the battle, causing the Evangelion to go
berserk and savagely 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
afterwards, distraught. Misato confronts Shinji and he decides to remain a
pilot. The Nerv crew and Shinji must then battle and defeat the remaining 14
Angels in order to prevent the Third Impact, a global cataclysm that would
destroy the world. Evangelion Unit-00 is repaired shortly afterwards. Shinji
tries to befriend its pilot, the mysterious, socially isolated teenage girl
Rei Ayanami. With Rei's help, Shinji defeats another Angel. They are then
joined by the pilot of Evangelion Unit-02, the multitalented, but insufferable
teenager Asuka Langley Sōryu, who is German-Japanese-American. Together, the
three of them manage to defeat several Angels.

Shinji is forced to fight an infected Evangelion Unit-03 and watches its

pilot, his friend and classmate Toji Suzuhara, incapacitated and presumably
permanently crippled (killed in the manga). Asuka loses her self-confidence
following a defeat and spirals into depression. This is worsened by her next
fight, against an Angel which attacks her mind and forces her to relive her
worst fears and hidden insecurities, resulting in a mental breakdown. In the
next battle, Rei self-destructs Unit-00 and dies to save Shinji's life. Misato
and Shinji visit the hospital where they find Rei alive but claiming she is
"the third Rei". Misato forces scientist Ritsuko Akagi to reveal the dark
secrets of Nerv, the Evangelion boneyard and the dummy plug system which
operates using clones of Rei. This succession of events leaves Shinji
emotionally scarred and alienated from the rest of the characters. Kaworu
Nagisa replaces the catatonic Asuka as pilot of Unit-02. Kaworu, who initially
befriends Shinji and gains his trust and affection, is in truth the final
foretold Angel, Tabris. Kaworu fights Shinji, then realizes that he must die
if humanity is to thrive and asks Shinji to kill him. Shinji hesitates but
eventually kills him. He is overcome with guilt.

After the final Angel is defeated, Seele, the mysterious cabal overseeing the
events of the series, triggers the "Human Instrumentality Project", a forced
evolution of humanity in which the souls of all mankind are merged for
benevolent purposes, believing that if unified, humanity could finally
overcome the loneliness and alienation that has eternally plagued mankind.
Shinji's soul grapples with the reason for his existence and reaches an
epiphany that he needs others to thrive, enabling him to destroy the wall of
negative emotions that torment him and reunite with the others, who
congratulate him.

Characters

The cast of Neon Genesis Evangelion as depicted on the Japanese "Genesis"

(volume) 14 laserdisc and VHS cover

Main article: List of Neon Genesis Evangelion characters

Hideaki Anno attempted to create characters that reflected parts of his own
personality.[7] The characters of Evangelion struggle with their interpersonal
relationships, their personal problems,[8] and traumatic events in their past.
[9][10] The human qualities of the characters have enabled some viewers of the
show to identify with the characters on a personal level, while others
interpret them as historical, religious, or philosophical symbols.[11] Shinji
Ikari is the series protagonist and the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-
01. After witnessing his mother Yui Ikari's death as a child, Shinji was
abandoned by his father, Gendo Ikari. He is emotionally hypersensitive and
sometimes does as expected out of fear of rejection, but he has often rebelled
and refused to pilot the Eva because of the extremely excruciating harm that
has been done to him or to his friends. Throughout the series, he says to
himself "I mustn't run away" as a means of encouraging himself to face the
threats of the day, and this sometimes actually gives him bravery in battle,
but he has a lingering habit of withdrawing in response to traumatic events.
Anno has described Shinji as a boy who "shrinks from human contact" and has
"convinced himself that he is a completely unnecessary person".[12]

The withdrawn and mysterious pilot of Evangelion Unit-00, Rei Ayanami, is a

clone made from the salvaged remains of Yui and is plagued by a sense of
negative self-worth stemming from the realization that she is an expendable
asset.[13] She at one time despised Shinji for his lack of trust in his father
Gendo, with whom Rei is very close. However, after Shinji and Rei successfully
defeat the Angel Ramiel, she takes a friendly liking to him. Towards the end
of the series, it is revealed that she is one of many clones, whose use is to
replace the currently existing Rei if she is killed.

Asuka Langley Soryu is a child prodigy who pilots Evangelion Unit-02 and
possesses a fiery temper and an overabundance of pride and self-confidence,
which often gets her in trouble and difficulty, especially during battles. As
a little girl, Asuka discovered the body of her mother shortly after she
committed suicide, leading the child to repress her emotions and vow never to
cry. Asuka and Rei are presented with their own flaws and difficulty relating
to other people.[14] Misato Katsuragi is the caretaker and commanding officer
for Shinji and Asuka.[15] Her professional demeanor at Nerv contrasts
dramatically with her carefree and irresponsible behavior at home. Character
designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto conceived her as an older "girl next door" and
promiscuous loser who failed to take life seriously.[16] Hideaki Anno
described Shinji and Misato as "afraid of being hurt" and "unsuitable—lacking
the positive attitude—for what people call heroes of an adventure."[12]

The teenaged Evangelion pilots are ordered into battle by the steely Gendo
Ikari, Shinji's father and the commander of Nerv. He abandoned Shinji and
recalled him only to serve as an Evangelion pilot. Gendo salvaged the remains
of his dead wife's soul and body to create Rei, whom he viewed as a mere tool
at his disposal to defeat the Angels. Similar to Shinji, he is somewhat
asocial and is afraid of being insulted by others and often runs away from
such, often committing immoralities in the process. He is depicted as
relentless in his drive to win, a man who "takes drastic and extreme measures,
by fair means or foul, or by hook or by crook, in order to accomplish his own
purpose."[17] According to Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, the characters of Gendo and
Fuyutsuki are based on Ed Straker and Alec Freeman of the television series
UFO.[16] Sadamoto designed the visual appearance of the characters so that
their personalities "could be understood more or less at a glance".[18] The
distinctive aesthetic appeal of the female lead characters' designs
contributed to high sales of Neon Genesis Evangelion merchandise. The design
of Rei in particular became so popular that the media referred to the
character as "Premium Girl" due to the high sales of books with Rei on the
cover.[19]

Production

Director Hideaki Anno fell into a deep depression following completion of work
on Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water[20] and the 1992 failure of the Royal Space
Force: The Wings of Honnêamise sequel project.[21] According to Yasuhiro
Takeda, Anno agreed to a collaboration between King Records and Gainax while
drinking with King representative Toshimichi Ōtsuki;[22] King Records
guaranteed Anno a time slot for "something, anything".[23] Anno began
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.[24] Early into the production, Anno stated
his intent to have Evangelion increase the number of otaku (anime fans) by
attracting interest in the medium.[25] According to him, the plot of the
series reflects his four-year depression.[12][26] 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.[16] The proposed title Alcion was rejected due to
its lack of hard consonant sounds.[16]

Evangelion borrowed certain scenarios and the use of introspection as a

narrative device from a previous Anno project entitled Gunbuster.[27] He
incorporated the narrative structure of Nadia and multiple frames of reference
to leave the story open to interpretation.[28] Over the course of the writing
process, elements of the Evangelion storyline evolved from the original
concept. A female protagonist was initially proposed for the series, but the
idea was scrapped.[16] Originally, the first episode presented the battle
between an Angel and Rei, while the character of Shinji was only introduced
after the Angel had been defeated.[29] Further changes to the plot were made
following the Aum Shinrikyo sect's sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in
March. Azuma Hiroki has said that the original Evangelion story was "too close
to reality" from Anno's point of view. Basically, Anno thought that the
original scenario was not suitable for broadcasting, and he feared censorship.
However, he also criticized Aum Shinrikyo, because "they lost any contact with
reality". For this reason, Azuma stated that Evangelion "is an intrinsic
critique of Aum".[25]

Gainax studio in Koganei, Tokyo

The final version of the story reflects inspiration drawn from numerous other
anime and fictional works.[30] Chief among these are Space Battleship Yamato,
[31] Mobile Suit Gundam,[32][33] Devilman[34][35] and Space Runaway Ideon.[36]
[37] The series also incorporates tributes to Childhood's End,[38] the novels
of Ryū Murakami,[30][39] The Andromeda Strain, The Divine Invasion, the poem
Pippa Passes,[40] The Hitcher, and several television series including The
Prisoner, Thunderbirds, Ultraman[30][41] and Ultra Seven.[42]

The development of the Neon Genesis Evangelion series ran close to deadlines
throughout its production run. The initial cuts of the first two episodes were
screened at the second Gainax festival in July 1995, only three months before
they were aired on television.[43] By episode 13 the series began to deviate
significantly from the original story, and the initial script was abandoned.
The number of Angels was reduced to 17 instead of the original 28, and the
writers changed the story's ending, which had originally described the failure
of the Human Instrumentality Project after an Angel attack from the moon.[29]

Starting with episode 16, the show changed drastically, discarding the grand
narrative concerning salvation for a narrative focusing on the individual
characters.[44][45] This change coincided with Anno's development of an
interest in psychology after a friend lent him a book on mental illness.[46]
This focus culminated in a psychoanalysis of the characters in the two final
episodes.[8] The production ran so close to the airing deadline that the
completed scenes used in the preview of the twenty-fifth episode had to be
redesigned to work with the new ending.[47] These episodes feature heavy use
of abstract animation,[48] flashbacks,[49] simple line drawings,
photographs[50] and fixed image scenes with voice-over dialogue.[51] Some
critics speculated that these unconventional animation choices resulted from
budget cuts,[52] but Toshio Okada stated that while it wasn't only a problem
of schedule or budget, Anno "couldn't decide the ending until the time came,
that's his style".[53] These two episodes sparked controversy and condemnation
among fans and critics of the series, including significant vitriol directed
at Anno himself.[54] In 1997, Hideaki Anno and Studio Gainax released two
animated feature films, providing an alternative ending for the show: Death &
Rebirth and The End of Evangelion.[55]

Themes

Main article: Themes of Neon Genesis Evangelion

The cross-shaped explosion caused by the destruction of the Third Angel

exemplifies the use of Christian imagery in Evangelion.
The Evangelion series is permeated with references to Kabbalah, Christianity
and Judaism,[56] complicating viewers' attempts to form an unambiguous
interpretation of the series.[57] The series seems to be influenced by the
Midrash, the Zohar and other Kabbalistic texts on the Book of Genesis,[58]
which are apparently reworked within the series to create a new Evangelion-
specific mythology while still maintaining a connection with the original
texts.[57] Assistant director Kazuya Tsurumaki said the religious visual
references were intended to make the series more "interesting" and "exotic",
[59] and denied the existence of a "Christian meaning" for the use of
Christian visual symbols in the show.[60] However, according to Anno: "As the
symbols are mixed together, for the first time something like an
interrelationship or a meaning emerges".[61] The plot combines elements of
esotericism and mysticism of the Jewish Kabbalah,[62] including the Angels,
which have many common features with the Angels of the religious tradition,
such as Sachiel, Sandalphon and Ramiel.[63]

According to Patrick Drazen, the series contains numerous allusions to the

Kojiki and the Nihongi, the Shinto vision of the primordial cosmos and the
mythical lances of the Shinto deities Izanagi and Izanami.[64] Elements of the
Judeo-Christian tradition also feature prominently throughout the series,
including references to Adam, Lilith, Eve, the Lance of Longinus,[65] the Dead
Sea Scrolls,[66] the Kabbalistic concept of Adam Kadmon, the Tree of Life,
among many others.[64] The merging of all human souls into one through the
Human Instrumentality Project at the end of the series is similar to the
Kabbalistic concept of tikkun olam.[67] The Evangelions have been likened to
the golem of Jewish folklore,[42] and their visual design resembles the
traditional depictions of oni (Japanese demons or ogres).[68]

Evangelion has been interpreted as a deeply personal expression of Hideaki

Anno's own emotional struggles with depression.[42] During the production of
the series, he became interested in mental illness and psychology.[46]
According to him, Rei is a schizophrenic character[69] and she represents the
unconscious of Shinji.[61][70] Shinji has an Oedipus complex,[71][72] and is
characterized by a libido-destrudo conflict.[73] Similarly, Ritsuko has an
Electra complex, in which she loves Gendo, a sort of substitute for her father
figure.[74] Anno himself stated that the main character reflects his
character, "both in conscious and unconscious part",[75] referring also to
Kaworu as his Jungian shadow.[76] It has even been suggested that Shinji's
entering into Unit-01 is a Freudian "return to the womb", and that his
struggle to be free of the Eva is his "rite of passage" into manhood.[77] The
series contains many references to philosophical and psychoanalytic concepts,
such as the oral stage, introjection, oral personality, ambivalence,[78] and
the death drive,[79] including some elements of the works of Sigmund Freud,
[80][81] Arthur Schopenhauer,[82] Søren Kierkegaard and others.[83]

Related media
Main article: Neon Genesis Evangelion (franchise)

Music

Main article: Music of Neon Genesis Evangelion

Shirō Sagisu composed most of the original music for the series. The
soundtracks released to high rankings on the Oricon charts, with Neon Genesis
Evangelion III reaching the number one slot for highest sales in 1997;[84]
that same year, Sagisu received the Kobe Animation award for "Best Music
Score" for his work on Evangelion.[85] Classical music by Ludwig van
Beethoven,[51] Johann Sebastian Bach,[86] Giuseppe Verdi and George Frideric
Handel[65] were also featured throughout the series. Additional classical
works and original symphonic compositions were used to score later movies
produced within the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. In total, the series'
discography includes 21 full studio, live, compilation and soundtrack albums
and six CD singles.

The series' opening theme was "A Cruel Angel's Thesis", performed by Yoko
Takahashi. It ranked on two TV Asahi polls, reaching #55 for best anime theme
songs of all time, and #18 for best anime theme songs of the 1990s.[87][88]
Fifteen years after its release, the theme won JASRAC's annual award for the
royalties it continues to generate from its usage in pachinko, pachislo,
karaoke and other venues.[89] The end theme of the series was a version of
"Fly Me to the Moon" arranged and sung by Claire Littley.[90]

Films

Main articles: Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth, The End of
Evangelion, and Rebuild of Evangelion

In May 1996, Gainax announced an Evangelion film[91] in response to fan

dissatisfaction with the series finale.[92] On 15 March 1997, Gainax released
Evangelion: Death & Rebirth, consisting of 60 minutes of clips taken from the
first 24 episodes of the series and only the first 30 minutes of the new
ending due to production issues.[93] The second film, The End of Evangelion,
which premiered on 19 July 1997, provided the complete new ending as a
retelling of the final two episodes of the television series. Rather than
depicting 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[94][95] and grossed 1.45 billion yen within six months of
its release.[96] EX.org ranked the film in 1999 as the fifth best 'All-Time
Show', with the television series at #2.[97] and in 2009 CUT Magazine ranked
it the third greatest anime film of all time.[98] In July 1998 the films were
re-released as Revival of Evangelion which combined Evangelion: Death(true)2
(the director's cut of Death) with End of Evangelion.
On 9 September 2006, Gainax confirmed a new animated film series called
Rebuild of Evangelion,[99] consisting of four movies. The first film retells
the first five episodes from the series but from the second film onward the
story is completely different, including new characters, EVAs and Angels. The
first film, Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, was released in Japan on 1
September 2007, with Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance released on 27 June
2009 and Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo released on 17 November 2012. The
final film, titled Evangelion: 3.0+1.0, is scheduled for release in 2020.[100]

Manga

Main article: Neon Genesis Evangelion (manga)

Ten months prior to the television broadcast of Evangelion, Anno worked with
author and illustrator Yoshiyuki Sadamoto to publish a manga version of the
story designed to generate popular interest in the upcoming anime series. The
first installment of the manga was published in the February issue of Shōnen
Ace in December 1994 with subsequent installments produced on an irregular
basis over an eighteen-year period. The final installment was published in
June 2013.[101][102] Several publishers were initially concerned at the
selection of Sadamoto to develop the manga adaptation, viewing him as "too
passé to be bankable".[103] These concerns proved unfounded upon the strong
commercial success of the manga: the first 10 volumes sold over 15 million
copies,[104] and the eleventh volume reached number one on the Tohan charts,
[105] selling an additional two million copies.[106] The manga series won the
1996 Comicker fan manga poll.[107]

Other media

See also: List of Neon Genesis Evangelion video games, Neon Genesis
Evangelion: Angelic Days, Petit Eva: Evangelion@School, and Neon Genesis
Evangelion: Campus Apocalypse

Several video games based on the series have been developed, ranging from RPG
and adventure games to mahjong and card games. The series has also spawned
numerous art books and visual novels, one of which inspired the derivative
manga series Angelic Days. The story has been adapted into two other manga
series in addition to the original Sadamoto project: Petit Eva:
Evangelion@School, a parody series which received its own original net
animation serial show, and Campus Apocalypse, a character-focused story that
omits the Evangelion robots. Several radio dramas have been released on CD and
cassette to make the material more accessible to non-traditional audiences.

On February 8, 2015, Evangelion:Another Impact, a 3D-rendered short directed

by Shinji Aramaki, was released and streamed by Japan Animator Expo. It
depicts "the story of an Evangelion's activation, rampage and howling in
another world".[108]

Releases

The original home video releases in Japan included VHS and Laserdisc sets
using a release structured around "Genesis 0:(volume number)", with each of
the first 12 releases containing two episodes each. Each of the episodes
received minor changes and Episodes 21-24 were extended with new scenes.
"Genesis 0:13" and "Genesis 0:14" contained the original and the alternate
versions of episodes 25 and 26 first presented in Neon Genesis Evangelion: The
End of Evangelion.[109] A fifteenth and final release for Laserdisc, entitled
"Genesis 0:X", contained the broadcast versions of episodes 21 to 24 and was a
special mail-in offer for fans who purchased all 14 discs.[110]

The first Japanese DVD release was spread across seven volumes; all contained
four episodes with the seventh volume containing both the original and
alternate versions of episodes 25 and 26. This version was identical to the
previous laserdisc and VHS release. The Movies were also released as a special
set, just like before. In 2000 and 2001, three box sets were released to
commemorate the fictional Second Impact which occurred in the year 2000 in the
series. The Second Impact Box contained the 26 original episodes and both
movies on 9 DVDs—three per Box. The versions were the original broadcast and
theatrical versions respectively and therefore different from the previous DVD
release. In addition, the video game Girlfriend of Steel was included in the
third box set.[111][112]

Cover for the Blu-Ray Box Set in Japan

In 2003, the Japanese-only, nine volume "Renewal of Evangelion" DVDs were

released,[113] with improved acoustic effects, remixed dialogue and remastered
soundtrack for 5.1 stereo sound.[114] The first eight volumes covered the
original 26 episodes, including two versions of episodes 21 to 24: the
(extended) video version (that was available in previous releases) and a
reconstruction of the shorter broadcast version, which was now made available
for the first time since the Genesis 0:X laserdisc and also wasn't censored
like in the original broadcast. The ninth volume was named Evangelion: The
Feature Film and Revival of Evangelion and contained Death(true)² and End of
Evangelion (omitting Rebirth) on two discs.[115] The Renewal Project release
formed the basis for the western "Platinum Edition".[114] On December 1, 2014,
Studio Khara announced a Blu-ray boxset that will contain a new HD-remastering
of the television series, the video versions of Episodes 21-24, as well as the
two movies, both as Revival of Evangelion, the director's cut, which was
available in the Renewal DVDs, and as their original theatrical versions Death
and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion.[116][117] In addition, another DVD set,
titled Archives of Evangelion, was announced that contains the original
unaltered broadcast version of the television series as well as the broadcast
version of Death (True) & Rebirth that aired in January 1998. Both sets were
released on August 26, 2015, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the TV
series.[118]

The series was distributed in North America and Europe by ADV Films.[119] The
13 English VHS tapes, released from August 20, 1997 to July 7, 1998, contained
two episodes each and were released using the same "Genesis 0:(volume number)"
titling convention as the first Japanese home video release. Two laserdisc
collections were released as Collection 1 Deluxe Edition[120] and Collection 2
Deluxe Edition,[121] containing episodes one to four and five to eight,
respectively. The first DVD release by ADV Films was the eight disk Perfect
Collection in 2002, containing the original 26 installments.[114] In 2004, ADV
released two DVD compilations titled Neon Genesis Evangelion: Resurrection and
Neon Genesis: Reborn, encompassing the directors' cuts of Episodes 21 through
24.[114] In the same year, the Platinum Edition release was announced by ADV
in 2004,[122] consisting of seven DVDs[123] released between July 27, 2004 and
April 19, 2005.[124] The Platinum Edition contained the original 26 episodes
and the four "Director's cut" versions[125] of episodes 21 to 24. A six-disc
version of the Platinum Edition, the Platinum Complete Edition, was released
on November 22, 2005, and omitted several extras included in other versions,
including commentary and trailers.[126]

Reception

Even fans of the sci-fi genre who avoid anime altogether have likely heard of
Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell, which were each landmarks of both style
and substance. But arguably the greatest and certainly most thematically dense
of the three 90's sci-fi anime masterpieces is Neon Genesis Evangelion. It has
one of the most enduring worldwide cult franchises and passionate fanbases in
all of geekdom ... the most celebrated cast in anime ... [and] poster
boy/protagonist Shinji is one of the most nuanced, popular, and relatable
characters in anime history.

— Nick Verboon, Unreality Mag (13 June 2013)[127]

Neon Genesis Evangelion received critical acclaim[128] both domestically and

internationally.[129][130] Evangelion has developed into a social phenomenon
beyond its primary fan base, generating national discussion in Japan. The
series has also been the subject of numerous media reports, debates and
research studies.[131]

Following the conclusion of the series' original television broadcast, the

public and critical reception to Neon Genesis Evangelion was polarized,[132]
particularly with regard to the final two episodes. The experimental style of
the finale confused[133] or alienated many fans[48][52] and spawned debate and
controversy;[128][134] Hideaki Anno received anonymous online death threats.
[49][135] The criticism was largely directed toward the lack of storyline
resolution in the final two episodes.[128] Opinion on the finale was mixed,
[128] with the audience broadly divided between those who considered the
episodes "deep", and those who felt their meaning was "more apparent than
real".[6] The show's American voice actors admitted that they also had trouble
understanding the series' conclusion.[133] The Mainichi Times wrote that after
episode 25, "nearly all viewers felt betrayed ... When commentator Eiji Ōtsuka
sent a letter to the Yomiuri Shimbun, complaining about the end of the
Evangelion series, the debate went nationwide."[136] Despite the criticism,
Anno stood by his artistic choices for the series' conclusion.[128] The
controversy surrounding Evangelion has not negatively influenced the
popularity of the series, which retains strong popularity within and outside
the otaku subculture.[128][137]

The series has captured the attention of cultural theorists inside and outside
Japan,[44] and many critics have analyzed or commented on it, including Susan
J. Napier, William Rout, Mick Broderick, Mari Kotani,[138] and the
sociologists Shinji Miyadai,[139] Hiroki Azuma,[45] Yuriko Furuhata, and Marc
Steinberg.[140] The series has been described as both a critique and
deconstruction of the mecha genre.[141][142] Mike Hale of The New York Times
described it as "a superior anime, a giant-robot tale of unusual depth,
feeling and detail".[143] Theron Martin (Anime News Network) described the
character design as "distinctive, designed to be sexy rather than cutesy", and
the mecha designs as "among the most distinctive ever produced for an anime
series, with sleek, lithe appearances that look monstrous, fearsome, and
nimble rather than boxy and knight-like".[144] Mike Crandol stated "It no
longer seems contrite to say that Evangelion is surely one of the all-time
great works of animation".[132] Zac Bertschy remarked that "Most of the
backlash against Evangelion existed because people don't like to think".[145]
Evangelion has been described as possessing complex characters[146] and
richness of narrative.[147][148] In February 2004, Cinefantastique listed the
anime as one of the "10 Essential Animations".[149]

Awards

Neon Genesis Evangelion has scored highly in numerous popularity polls. In

1996, the series won first place in the "Best Loved Series" category of the
Anime Grand Prix, a reader-polled award series published in Animage magazine.
[150] The show was again awarded this prize in 1997 by a large margin.[151]
The End of Evangelion won first place in 1998,[152] making Neon Genesis
Evangelion the first anime franchise to win three consecutive first place
awards.[153] The website IGN ranked Evangelion as the 10th best animated
series in its "Top 100 Animated TV Series" list.[154] The series placed third
in Animage's "anime that should be remembered in the 21st Century".[155] In
1998, EX.org's readers voted Neon Genesis Evangelion the #1 US anime
release[153] and in 1999, the #2 show of all time.[156] In 2007, a large-scale
poll by TV Asahi found Evangelion was the second most appreciated anime in
Japan.[157] The series was ranked as the most popular of all time in a 2006
survey of 80,000 attendees at the Japan Media Arts Festival.[158]

Evangelion won the Animation Kobe award in 1996,[159] and 1997.[160] The
series was awarded the Nihon SF Taisho Award and the Excellence Award Japan
Media Arts Festival in 1997.[161][162] The film ranked #6 on Wizard's Anime
Magazine on their "Top 50 Anime released in North America".[163] In the August
1996 issue of Animage, Evangelion characters placed high in the rankings of
best characters with Rei ranked first, Asuka third, Kaworu fourth and Shinji
sixth. Rei Ayanami won in the Female Character category in 1995 and 1996 and
Shinji Ikari won the Male Character category in 1996 and 1997.[164] In 2010,
Newtype magazine recognized Rei Ayanami as the most popular character of the
1990s in the female category, and Shinji Ikari in the male category.[165] TV
Asahi recognized the "suicide of Ayanami Rei" as the ninth most touching anime
scene ever.[166] "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" won the Animage award in the Best
Song category in 1996,[150] and TV Asahi recognized it as the 18th best anime
song since 1990.[167]

Influence and legacy

Evangelion has had a significant impact on Japanese popular culture.[134] The

series also had a strong influence on anime, at a time when the anime industry
and televised anime series in particular were in a slump period.[128] CNET
reviewer Tim Hornyak credits the series with revitalizing and transforming the
giant mecha genre.[168] In the 1980s and 1990s, Japanese animation knew a
period of crisis and decreased production[169] that coincided with the
economic crisis in Japan.[170] This was followed by a crisis of ideas in the
years to come.[171] Against this background, Evangelion imposed new standards
for the animated serial, ushering in the era of the "new Japanese animation
serial",[172] 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.[173][174]

Two female cosplayers portraying Asuka Langley Soryu and Rei Ayanami. After
the great success of the animated series, cosplay interest had spread
worldwide[175]

Evangelion has influenced numerous subsequent anime series, including Serial

Experiments Lain, RahXephon, Texhnolyze, Gasaraki, Boogiepop Phantom,[65] Blue
Submarine No. 6,[176] Mobile Battleship Nadesico,[177] Rinne no Lagrange,[178]
Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure,[179] Argento Soma,[180] Pilot Candidate,
[181] Generator Gawl,[182] and Dai-Guard.[183][184] References, homages and
tributes to the series are also contained in the third episode of Magical
Shopping Arcade Abenobashi,[185] Koi Koi Seven,[186] Hayate the Combat Butler,
[187] Baka and Test,[188] Regular Show[189] and Keroro Gunsō.[190][191] The
show's mixture of religion and mecha influenced several Japanese video games,
including Xenogears[192] and El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron.[193]

The design and personality traits of the character Rei Ayanami were reused for
many anime characters of the late 1990s, such as Ruri Hoshino of Nadesico,
Ruriko Tsukushima (The Droplet),[194] Miharu (Gasaraki),[195] Anthy Himemiya
(Revolutionary Girl Utena), and Lain Iwakura (Serial Experiments Lain).[196]
The character of Asuka was parodied by Excel (Excel Saga),[197] and some of
her traits were used to create the character of Mai in Gunparade March.[198]
According to Italian critic Guido Tavassi, Evangelion's mecha design,
characterized by a greater resemblance to the human figure, and the abstract
designs of the Angels, also had a significant impact on the designs of future
anime productions.[199]

According to Keisuke Iwata, the global spread of Japanese animation

dramatically expanded due to the popularity of Evangelion.[200] After the
success of the show, otaku culture gained wide attention.[201] In Japan,
Evangelion prompted a review of the cultural value of anime,[202] and with its
success, anime reached a new point of maturity.[203] With the interest in the
series, otaku culture became a mass social phenomenon.[204][205] The show's
regular reruns increased the number of otaku,[206] which John Lynden links to
a boom in interest in literature on the Dead Sea Scrolls, Kabbalah and
Christianity.[207] Anime director Makoto Shinkai declared that the genre of
anime owes a cinematographic debt to Evangelion.[208] In the aftermath of
Evangelion, Anno reused many of its stylistic conceits in the live-action Love
& Pop and the anime romance Kare Kano.[209] Neon Genesis Evangelion also
influenced some music artists, such as the UK band Fightstar and its debut
album, Grand Unification,[209] and the Japanese band Rey, which derived its
name from the character of Rei Ayanami.[210] Miriam Yeung, a Hong Kong singer,
also released a Cantonese song with the name of this anime in 1999.[211]

Merchandising

In Japan, Evangelion is an enormous content and merchandise industry with

hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. Images of its biomechanical Eva
robots are on everything from coffee mugs to smartphones and even airplane
wraps.

— Tim Hornyak, CNET (16 July 2013)[168]

The popularity of Neon Genesis Evangelion extends to its merchandising which

exceeded $400 million within two years of its release.[68] The series has
established itself greatly on the Japanese market, developing a varied range
of products for adult consumers, such as cell phones (including a special Nerv
and MAGI-themed Sharp SH-06D smartphone released in 2012),[212] laptop
computers,[213] many soundtracks, DVDs,[214] action figures, and telephone
cards.[215] The stylized mecha design that would later earn praise for
Evangelion was initially criticized by certain toy companies as being too
difficult to manufacture,[216] with some expressing concern that models of the
Evangelions "would never sell."[217] Eventually, Sega agreed to license all
toy and video game sales.[103] At the time of the release of the Japanese film
Death & Rebirth and The End of Evangelion, estimated sales of Evangelion
merchandise topped $300 million,[215] of which 70% derived from sales of video
and laser discs,[218] soundtrack CDs, single CDs, computer software and the
three-volume manga.[215][219] Multiple merchandising products were released
during the Renewal Project, such as CDs, video games, cel-art illustrations
and collectible models.[114]

The commercial exploitation of the series for the home video market achieved
record sales and remained strong over a decade later.[220] The fame of the
show has grown through home video sales, which exceeded two or three times the
sales of other contemporary anime series and films.[221] The series
contributed significantly to the spread of the DVD format in Japan and
generated a considerable impact on the Japanese economy, calculated in
billions of yen.[221] In 2006, Matt Greenfield stated that the franchise had
earned over $2 billion.[222] A 2007 estimate placed total sales of 6,000
related goods at over ¥150 billion.[223][224] In 2015, pachinko manufacturer
Fields Corporation revealed that Evangelion pachinko and pachislot machines
sold over 2 billion units, generating a revenue of ¥700 billion.[225]

Notes

"Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum Complete Collection". ADV Films. Archived

from the original on July 14, 2006. Retrieved June 25, 2018.

"Human-Sized Eva Spear Auctioned for 13.7 Million Yen". Anime News Network.
Retrieved July 22, 2018.

"Evangelion Sparkling Wine Arrives This Month". Anime News Network. Retrieved
June 25, 2018.

Cavallaro 2007, p. 54: "The original title for the series, Shinseiki
Evangelion, is composed of two parts: the Japanese compound Shinseiki, which
means "new era" or "new generation," and the Greek word Evangelion, which
literally means "good news" ... and has subsequently come to also mean
"gospel." The English title Neon Genesis Evangelion, originally chosen by
Gainax, consists of the Greek words neon, the neuter form of the word neos (=
"new" or "young"), genesis (= "origin," "source" or "birth, race") and
evangelion.

Fujie & Foster 2004, pp. 147-160.

Solomon, Charles (April 10, 2002). "Anime Series Draws on a World of

Alienation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 30, 2017.

Kosukegawa, Yoichi (May 8, 1997). "Cartoon 'Eva' captures sense of void among
Japanese youth". Japan Economic Newswire. "In the September 1996 issue of the
Quick Japan information magazine, Hideaki Anno, the director of Evangelion,
described Eva as a 'personal film,' each character reflecting part of his own
personality."

Napier 2002, p. 425.

Miller 2012, p. 85.

Ishikawa 2007, p. 76.

Evangelion: Death & Rebirth; End of Evangelion (DVD commentary track). Manga
Entertainment.

Sadamoto, Yoshiyuki (December 1998) [1995]. "What were we trying to make

here?". Neon Genesis Evangelion, Vol. 1. Essay by Hideaki Anno; translated by
Mari Morimoto, English adaptation by Fred Burke. San Francisco: VIZ Media LLC.
pp. 170–171. ISBN 1-56931-294-X.

Lee, Roderick. "Meet the voice of AD Vision: Amanda Winn". Volume 2, Issue 5.
EX Magazine. Archived from the original on March 29, 2005. Retrieved October
15, 2013.

Napier 2002, pp. 425–426.

Evangelion Chronicle (in Japanese). 4. Sony Magazines. 2007. pp. 5–8.

"Interview with Sadamoto Yoshiyuki". Der Mond: The Art of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto –
Deluxe Edition. Kadokawa Shoten. 1999. ISBN 4-04-853031-3.

Graham, Miyako (November 1996). "Anime Expo '96 interview". Protoculture

Addicts (43): 40–41.

Lamarre 2009, p. 204.

Fujie & Foster 2004, p. 39.

Lamarre 2009, p. 180.

Takeda 2002, pp. 155–158.

Takeda 2002, p. 164.

"Personal Biography". Archived from the original on May 17, 2015. Retrieved
September 7, 2013.

Takeda 2002, pp. 15, 165-166.

Krystian Woznicki (September 1991). "Towards a cartography of Japanese anime –

Anno Hideaki's Evangelion Interview with Azuma Hiroki". BLIMP Filmmagazine.
Tokuma Shoten.
Carl Gustav Horn (1997). "The mast or the face – Neon Genesis Evangelion". In
Viz Media. Animerica. 5. p. 70.

Fontana & Tarò 2007, p. 66.

Lamarre 2009, p. 165.

Gainax (February 1998). Neon Genesis Evangelion Newtype 100% Collection (in
Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. ISBN 4-04-852700-2.

Fujie & Foster 2004, p. 9.

Napier 2002, p. 424.

Takashi Murakami (2005). Little Boy: The Arts Of Japan's Exploding Subculture.
Yale University Press. pp. 70, 77. ISBN 978-0-300-10285-7.

Timothy N. Hornyak (2006). 英文版ロボット: Loving the Machine. Kodansha

International. pp. 69–72. ISBN 978-4-7700-3012-2.

Saito & Azuma 2009, p. 94.

Fujie & Foster 2004, p. 76.

Trish Ledoux (1997). Anime Interviews: The First Five Years of Animerica,
Anime & Manga Monthly (1992–97). Viz Media. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-56931-220-9.

Fujie & Foster 2004, p. 75.

Miller 2012, p. 189.

Lamarre 2009, pp. 153-154.

Miller 2012, p. 84.

Jonathan Clements (2010). Schoolgirl Milky Crisis: Adventures in the Anime and
Manga Trade. A-Net Digital LLC. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-9845937-4-3.

Horn, Carl G. "Speaking Once as They Return: Gainax's Neon Genesis

Evangelion". Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved September
7, 2013.

Takeda 2002, pp. 161–162.

Thouny, Christophe (2009). "Waiting for the Messiah: The Becoming-Myth of

"Evangelion" and "Densha otoko"". War/time. Mechademia. 4. p. 111.
doi:10.1353/mec.0.0066. ISBN 978-0-8166-6749-9. Retrieved September 10, 2013.

Azuma, Hiroki. "Animé or Something Like it: Neon Genesis Evangelion". NTT
InterCommunication Center. Retrieved August 13, 2012.

Lawrence Eng. "In the Eyes of Hideaki Anno, Writer and Director of
Evangelion". CJas.org. Retrieved September 7, 2013.

Shinichiro Inoue (June 1996). "Interview with Hideaki Anno". Newtype (in
Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten: 162–177.

Camp & Davis 2007, p. 19.

Haslem, Ndalianis & Mackie 2007, p. 114.

Cavallaro 2007, p. 60.

Napier 2002, p. 428.

Matthew Vice. "DStv Pick of the week – Neon Genesis Evangelion : Monday,
15:45, Animax". The Times. Archived from the original on May 5, 2010.
Retrieved September 8, 2013.

"Return of the Otaking". J-pop.com. Archived from the original on January 26,
2000. Retrieved September 7, 2013.

Saito & Azuma 2009, p. 25.

Cavallaro 2007, pp. 54-55.

Broderick, Mick (2002). "Anime's Apocalypse: Neon Genesis Evangelion as

Millennarian Mecha". Gender, History, and Culture in the Asian Context. 7.

Ortega 2010, pp. 217-218.

Ortega 2010, p. 220.

"Interview mit Tsurumaki Kazuya (Studio GAINAX)". Anime No Tomodachi.

Retrieved September 8, 2013.

Cavallaro 2007, p. 59.

"Anno Hideaki". Jinken-official.jimdo.com. Archived from the original on July

23, 2014. Retrieved September 3, 2014.

Tavassi 2012, p. 247.

"Neon Genesis Evangelion – An Angelic Vision". ThingsAsian. Archived from the

original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2014.

Cavallaro 2007, p. 58.

Camp & Davis 2007, p. 249.

Fujie & Foster 2004, p. 63.

Haslem, Ndalianis & Mackie 2007, pp. 123-124.

Wong, Amos (January 1996). "Interview with Hideaki Anno, director of 'Neon
Genesis Evangelion'". Aerial Magazine. Archived from the original on June 13,
2007. Retrieved May 4, 2007.

Oizumi Sanenari (1997). 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン残酷な天使のように. Magazine

Magazine. pp. 32–33. ISBN 4-906011-25-X.
"庵野秀明×上野峻哉の対談". Newtype Magazine (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten.
November 1996.

"エディプス・コンプレックス". X-ray001473.blog.ocn.ne.jp. April 23, 2003.

Archived from the original on September 9, 2011. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
"There was this replacement by a robot, so the original mother is the robot,
but then there is a mother of the same age, Rei Ayanami, by [Shinji's] side.
[She is] also by the side of the real father. There is also another father
there, Adam, who governs the overall course of events. An Oedipus Complex
within these multiple structures; that's what I wanted to do."

"Episode Commentaries". Platinum Edition Booklets. A.D. Vision. 7. 2005. "[The

final] episode ends with the captions "To my father, thank you." "To my
mother, farewell." "And to all the Children." "Congratulations!" Eva is
something of an Oedipus complex story, where a boy feels love and hatred for
his father and mother, so the first two captions can be thought to means that
Shinji has come to an understanding with his father and grown out of his
dependence on his mother."

Haslem, Ndalianis & Mackie 2007, p. 116.

"Ritsuko Akagi". Neon Genesis Evangelion Enciclopedia (in Italian). Dynit.

2008. p. 47.

"Virtual Panel! Meet Hideaki Anno". Animerica. Viz Media. 4 (9): 27. 1996.

"庵野秀明×上野峻哉の対談". Newtype Magazine (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten.

November 1996.

Mike Crandol (June 11, 2002). "Understanding Evangelion". Anime News Network.
Retrieved September 6, 2014.

Platinum Edition Booklets, ADV, 2004-2005.

Fujie & Foster 2004, p. 175.

Fujie & Foster 2004, pp. 147, 150.

"Hideaki Anno Interview". Zankoku na tenshi no you ni. Magazine Magazine.

1997. ISBN 4-906011-25-X. "The idea of a play within a play and making it like
a stage came to me at the last moment, but Shinji-kun went on looking at not
only the surfaces of strangers, but their pasts – No matter what kind of
person it is, is it not the case that they have filthy aspects? ... That's Dr.
Freud's theory of a good mother and a bad mother at the oral stage of
development, though. In short, a mother is someone who simultaneously protects
you unconditionally and restrains you—which you could call the bad part.
Additionally, it's not the case that a mother is in a good mood every day. For
example, when you cried, if she was in a good mood, she might have said
something like, "Be a good child, a good child; you mustn't cry," but if she
were irritable and in a bad mood, she might even shout, isn't that right? From
a child's perspective, you can't see the two as the same person. Therefore
both a good mother and a bad mother exist, and when you recognize that they
are contained within a single personality, you're able to see for the first
time what's known as a stranger. I intended to do that."

Rivero, Lisa (January 8, 2012). "Social Media and the Hedgehog's Dilemma".
Psychology Today. Retrieved August 15, 2013.

Tsuribe, Manabu (February 1999). "Prison of Self-Consciousness: an Essay on

Evangelion". www001.upp.so-net.ne.jp. Retrieved August 23, 2017.

Horn, Carl Gustav. "Anno Mirabilis". J-pop.com. Archived from the original on
February 17, 2001. Retrieved November 29, 2015.

"Animation Kobe 1997: An Attendee's Report". Gainax. Archived from the

original on July 12, 2000. Retrieved February 14, 2010.

Cavallaro 2007, p. 63.

"忘れられないアニメソングベスト 100 シネマでぽん！Ｓ cinema-game-toy/ウェブリブ

ログ". Retrieved April 26, 2010.

"決定！これが日本のベスト". Retrieved April 26, 2010.

"Songs From Evangelion, Other Anime Win JASRAC Awards – News". Anime News
Network. February 7, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2012.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (booklet). ShiroSagisu. Japan: King Records (Japan).

1995. p. 8. KICA 286.

"Gainax Official News". Gainax. Archived from the original on October 18,
1996. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

Cavallaro 2007, pp. 54–55.

Tavassi 2012, p. 275.

Carl Horn. "My Empire of Dirt". J-pop.com. Archived from the original on
January 29, 1999.

"Animation Kobe 1997: An Attendee's Report". Gainax. Archived from the

original on July 12, 2000.

"Evangelion: 1.0 is Now Top Grossing Eva Movie". Anime News Network. 2007.
Retrieved August 23, 2017.

"Press". May 1999. Archived from the original on October 3, 2000. Retrieved
August 23, 2017.

"An Eternal Thought in the Mind of Godzilla". Patrick Macias. November 18,
2006. Retrieved September 11, 2009. "The new issue of Japanese film magazine
CUT is about to street ... Anyways, here is CUT's list of the 30 Greatest
Anime Films of all-time, forever, always, never changing, no arguments. And
for the record, I agree with about 5 of them ... 3. End of Evangelion"

"Rebuild of Evangelion". Gainax. September 10, 2006. Retrieved September 12,

2006.
"Next Shin Evangelion Film's Teaser Reveals 2020 Opening Date". Anime News
Network. Retrieved July 20, 2018.

"貞本義行『新世紀エヴァンゲリオン』ついに完結!". Gainax. May 24, 2013.

Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2014.

"新世紀エヴァンゲリオン ： 貞本版マンガ最終回が再掲載　安野モヨコらの祝福コメ
ントも". Mantan-web.jp. July 4, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2006.

Takeda 2002, p. 167.

"9-9-06 (8:55AM EDT)---- Further Evangelion Shin Gekijou Ban Details". Anime
News Service. Retrieved December 2, 2012.

"News: Japanese Comic Ranking, March 29-April 4". Anime News Network. April 7,
2010.

Takasuka, S. "Grim, complex 'Evangelion' easier to digest in print form", in

The Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo) March 7, 2008

"Carl Gustav Horn explains how the Angels are coming to America". Viz Media.
Archived from the original on June 13, 1998. Retrieved December 2, 2012.

"'Evangelion:Another Impact' Short by Appleseed's Aramaki Streamed". Anime

News Network. June 2, 2015. Retrieved November 29, 2015.

"Pustan – Neon Genesis Evangelion COMPLETE Series LD's". Pustan. Retrieved

October 22, 2013.

"Neon Genesis Evangelion LaserDisc Genesis 0:14". Pustan. Retrieved October

22, 2013.

"Second Impact Box". Gainax. Archived from the original on December 10, 2000.
Retrieved September 8, 2013.

"Evangelion – Second Impact Box". Gainax. Archived from the original on April
2, 2001. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

"Evangelion". Gainax, Project Eva. Archived from the original on March 16,
2005. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

Cavallaro 2009, p. 60.

"Gainax Network System – Evangelion". Gainax. Archived from the original on

April 2, 2001. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

"Evangelion Gets New Japanese Blu-Ray, DVD Boxes". Anime News Network.
December 1, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2014.

Green, Scott (December 1, 2014). ""Evangelion" TV Series and Movies Remastered

for Blu-ray Boxes". Crunchyroll.

"Neon Genesis Evangelion's New Japanese Blu-ray & DVD Sets Outlined". Anime
News Network. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
Cavallaro 2009, pp. 60–61.

"A.D.V. Films News". ADV. Archived from the original on October 25, 1996.
Retrieved September 9, 2013.

"A.D.V. Films News". ADV. Archived from the original on December 10, 1997.
Retrieved September 9, 2013.

"ADV Films Announces Neon Genesis Evangelion – Platinum Edition". Anime News
Network. Retrieved September 9, 2013.

"Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum". ADV. Archived from the original on June
24, 2007. Retrieved September 9, 2013.

"Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum – Volume 7". ADV. Archived from the original
on June 24, 2007. Retrieved September 9, 2013.

"Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum – Volume 1". ADV. Archived from the original
on August 11, 2004. Retrieved September 9, 2013.

"Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum – Complete Edition". ADV. Archived from the
original on July 14, 2006. Retrieved September 9, 2013.

Verboon, Nick (June 13, 2013). "90's Flashback: Neon Genesis Evangelion".
Unreality Mag. Retrieved November 17, 2013.

Lawrence Eng. "A look at "The Four Revolutions of Anime"". CJas.org. Retrieved
September 8, 2013.

"SmaSTATION!!". Tv-asahi.co.jp. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

"Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo is Coming to Theaters Across the U.S. and
Canada in January 2014". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

Ishikawa 2007, p. 71.

Mike Crandol. "Review – Neon Genesis Evangelion DVD 1: Platinum Edition".

Anime News Network. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

"Otakon Highlights – Evangelion Voice Actors – Aug. 7, 1998". Fansview.com.

Archived from the original on June 17, 2008. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

T T. Fujitani (2001). Perilous Memories: The Asia-Pacific War(s). Duke

University Press. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-8223-8105-1.

Cavallaro 2009, p. 59.

Kei Watanabe; Daichi Nakagawa; Tsunehiro Uno (May 18, 2006). "Evangelion
Special: From phenomenon to legacy". Mainichi Times. Archived from the
original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

Martin Heusser (2005). Word and Image Interactions 4. Rodopi. p. 114. ISBN
978-90-420-1837-2.

Napier 2002.
Ishikawa 2007, p. 84.

Azuma Hiroki; Yuriko Furuhata; Marc Steinberg (2007). "The Animalization of

Otaku Culture". Mechademia. 2: 174–187. doi:10.1353/mec.0.0023. ISBN 978-0-
8166-5266-2.

Haslem, Ndalianis & Mackie 2007, p. 113.

Napier, Susan J. (2005). Anime – From Akira to Howl's Moving Castle. pp. 96–
97. ISBN 1-4039-7052-1.

Hale, Mike. "Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone (2007)". The New York Times.
Retrieved August 13, 2012.

Theron Martin. "Review – Neon Genesis Evangelion DVD 3: Platinum Edition".

Anime News Network. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

Zac Bertschy. "Review – Arjuna DVD 3". Anime News Network. Retrieved September
8, 2013.

McCarter, Charles. "Everywhere FLCL". EX Magazine. Archived from the original

on May 23, 2007. Retrieved August 13, 2012. "Evangelion was complex and
layered"

Lee, Roderick. "Interview: Takagi Shinji". EX Magazine. Archived from the

original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012. "[Animation director
Shinji Takagi:] One of my current favorites is Evangelion for its richness in
stories and characters."

Harris, Jeffrey. "Neon Genesis Evangelion: Platinum Boxset DVD Review". IGN.

Persons, Dan (February–March 2004). "The Americanization of Anime: 10

Essential Animations". Cinefantastique. 36 (1): 48. Retrieved April 28, 2017.

"第 18 回アニメグランプリ　［1996 年 5 月号］". Animage (in Japanese). Tokyo,

Japan.: Tokuma Shoten. May 1995. Archived from the original on October 14,
2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

"第 19 回アニメグランプリ　［1997 年 6 月号］". Animage (in Japanese). Tokyo,

Japan.: Tokuma Shoten. June 1997. Archived from the original on October 14,
2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

"第 20 回アニメグランプリ　［1998 年 6 月号］" (in Japanese). Animage. Archived

from the original on September 29, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2013.

"EX Media". Ex.org. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved
September 7, 2013.

"Neon Genesis Evangelion". IGN,http://au.ign.com. Retrieved March 8, 2015.

"More details Regarding Animage Top 100". Anime News Network. Retrieved
September 8, 2013.

"EX Media". Ex.org. Archived from the original on October 3, 2000. Retrieved
September 7, 2013.

"Japan's Favorite TV Anime". Tv-asahi.co.jp. Archived from the original on

September 14, 2007. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

文化庁メディア芸術祭 10 周年企画アンケート日本のメディア芸術 100 選 結果発表 (in

Japanese). Japan Media Arts Plaza. Archived from the original on September 13,
2008. Retrieved December 12, 2012.

"Animation Kobe winners" (in Japanese). Animation Kobe Organizing Committee.

Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved October 26, 2008.

"Animation Kobe 1997: An Attendee's Report" (in Japanese). Gainax. Archived

from the original on July 12, 2000. Retrieved September 10, 2013.

"'Neon Genesis Evangelion' Honored at Japan SF Awards". Gainax. Archived from

the original on October 22, 2000. Retrieved April 30, 2015.

"Japan Media Arts Festival awards". Japan Media Arts Plaza. Archived from the
original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved December 12, 2012.

"Wizard lists Top 50 Anime". Anime News Network. July 6, 2001. Retrieved
February 2, 2014.

1996 年 08 月号ベスト 10 (in Japanese). Animage. Archived from the original on

October 25, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2013.

"With NT, 1/4 century". Newtype Magazine (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten (3).
2010.

"最終回を越える感動シーン部門". Tv-asahi.co.jp. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

"１９９０年代以降アニメソング　ベスト２０". Tv-asahi.co.jp. Retrieved

September 8, 2013.

Hornyak, Tim (July 16, 2013). "Is 'Pacific Rim' a retelling of Japanese anime
'Evangelion'?". CNET. Retrieved November 17, 2013.

Fontana & Tarò 2007, p. 55.

Fontana & Tarò 2007, p. 60.

Fontana & Tarò 2007, p. 105.

Fontana & Donati 2013, p. 141.

Tavassi 2012, pp. 247–248.

Giacomo Navone; Massimo De Donno (2012). Genio in 21 giorni (in Italian).

Sperling & Kupfer. p. 233. ISBN 978-88-200-5241-6.

Inui Tatsumi (March 6, 2015). "The Expanding Cosplay Universe". Retrieved

August 5, 2017.

Clements & McCarthy 2006, pp. 184–185.

Fontana & Tarò 2007, p. 123.

Hale, Mike. "Watchlist: 'Lagrange,' Anime With Echoes of 'Evangelion'". The

New York Times. Retrieved September 8, 2013.

Clements & McCarthy 2006, p. 167.

Fontana & Tarò 2007, p. 126.

Clements & McCarthy 2006, p. 490.

Fontana & Tarò 2007, p. 106.

Fontana & Donati 2013, p. 137.

Fontana & Tarò 2007, p. 120.

Fontana & Tarò 2007, p. 161.

Clements & McCarthy 2006, p. 346.

Martin, Theron (December 4, 2006). "Hayate the Combat Butler". Anime News
Network. Retrieved September 18, 2014.

Martin, Theron (September 23, 2011). "Baka and Test". Anime News Network.
Retrieved September 18, 2014.

Lamb, Lynzee. "Neon Genesis Evangelion Opening Parodied on Regular Show".

Anime Netws Network. Retrieved April 11, 2015.

Clements & McCarthy 2006, p. 575.

Tavassi 2012, p. 400.

Takahashi, Rika. "Xenogears". EX Magazine. Archived from the original on

September 28, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2013. "The game starts with a
stunning full motion video sequence that feels rather reminiscent of Neon
Genesis Evangelion.)"

Leigh, Alexander. "Interview: Beautiful, Creative El Shaddai Is Daring To Be

Weird". Gamasutra. Retrieved September 16, 2013. "Not only does El Shaddai—the
name of which features the secondary title Ascension of the Metatron—feature a
variety of gameplay types and level styles, but it borrows from a number of
aesthetic influences. These'll be familiar to fans of popular Japanese anime
like Neon Genesis Evangelion ..."

Azuma 2009, pp. 49–50.

Clements & McCarthy 2006, p. 221.

Saito & Azuma 2009, p. 125.

J.P. Telotte (2008). The Essential Science Fiction Television Reader.

University Press of Kentucky. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-8131-2492-6.
Clements & McCarthy 2006, pp. 259–260.

Tavassi 2012, p. 248.

"TV Tokyo's Iwata Discusses Anime's 'Road to Survival'". Anime News Network.
Retrieved September 8, 2013.

Azuma 2009, pp. 4–5.

Fausto Colombo (2005). Atlante della comunicazione: cinema, design, editoria,

internet, moda, musica, pubblicità, radio, teatro, telefonia, televisione (in
Italian). Hoepli Editore. p. 39. ISBN 978-88-203-3359-1.

Roland Kelts (2006). Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the
U.S. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 112. ISBN 978-0-230-60203-8.

Azuma 2009, p. 117.

Antonia Levi; Mark McHarry; Dru Pagliassotti (2010). Boys' Love Manga: Essays
on the Sexual Ambiguity and Cross-cultural Fandom of the Genre. McFarland. p.
260. ISBN 978-0-7864-4195-2.

Lunning, Frenchy (2010). Fanthropologies. pp. 215–216. ISBN 978-0-8166-7387-2.

Lyden, John (2009). The Routledge Companion to Religion and Film. Taylor &
Francis. p. 208. ISBN 978-0-415-44853-6.

Kelts, Roland (February 17, 2012). "Shinkai engages intl anime fans". The
Daily Yomiuri. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012.

Clements & McCarthy 2006, p. 185.

"イケメンアニソンバンドがメジャーデビュー". Oricon.co.jp. Retrieved September

20, 2013.

"A Winter's Tale". YesAsia. Retrieved August 8, 2018.

"Docomo shows off NERV edition SH-06D Evangelion phone". The Verge. Retrieved
June 16, 2014.

Gilles Poitras (2001). Anime Essentials: Every Thing a Fan Needs to Know.
Stone Bridge Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-880656-53-2.

Sony Magazines. エヴァンゲリオン・クロニクル – Evangelion Chronicle. 1.

DeAgostini Japan. pp. 29–32. Archived from the original on November 12, 2007.

Fujie & Foster 2004, p. 142.

Fujie & Foster 2004, p. 97.

Takeda 2002, pp. 166–167.

"Two Big Anime Movies this Summer!". Nkkei Entertainment. August 1, 1997.
Archived from the original on February 10, 2001. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
Doi, Hitoshi (March 8, 1997). "Evangelion re-runs". Usagi.org. Retrieved
November 29, 2015.

Macwilliams 2008, p. 57.

Tavassi 2012, p. 259.

Greenfield, Matt (April 2, 2006). Evangelion - 10 years of Death and Re:Birth

(Speech). Tekkoshocon 2006. Pittsbugh, Pennsylvania. 3:56 minutes in.
Retrieved June 16, 2018.

"「ヱヴァ」総監督　劇場で"緊急声明"". Sponichi Annex. February 12, 2007.

Archived from the original on February 14, 2007. Retrieved September 7, 2013.

Tavassi 2012, p. 476.

"The Future of Fields". ONLINE ANNUAL REPORT 2015. Fields Corporation.

Retrieved June 16, 2018.

References

Napier, Susan J. (November 2002). "When the Machines Stop: Fantasy,

Reality, and Terminal Identity in Neon Genesis Evangelion and Serial
Experiments Lain". Science Fiction Studies. 29 (88). ISSN 0091-7729. Retrieved
May 4, 2007.

Takeda, Yasuhiro (2002). The Notenki memoirs: studio Gainax and the men
who created Evangelion. ADV Manga. ISBN 1-4139-0234-0.

Fujie, Kazuhisa; Foster, Martin (2004). Neon Genesis Evangelion: The

Unofficial Guide. United States: DH Publishing, Inc. ISBN 0-9745961-4-0.

Clements, Jonathan; McCarthy, Helen (2006). The Anime Encyclopedia: A

Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917 – Revised & Expanded Edition. Berkeley:
Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 1-933330-10-4.

Fontana, Andrea; Tarò, Davide (2007). Anime. Storia dell'animazione

giapponese 1984–2007 (in Italian). Il Foglio Letterario. ISBN 978-88-7606-160-
8.

Ishikawa, Satomi (2007). Seeking the Self: Individualism and Popular

Culture in Japan. Peter Lang. ISBN 978-3-03910-874-9.

Cavallaro, Dani (2007). Anime Intersections. Tradition and Innovation in

Theme and Technique. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3234-9.

Camp, Julie; Davis (2007). Anime Classics Zettai!: 100 Must-See Japanese
Animation Masterpieces. Stone Bridge Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1-933330-22-8.
 Haslem, Wendy; Ndalianis, Angelaa; Mackie, Chris (2007). Super/Heroes:
From Hercules to Superman. New Academia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9777908-4-5.

Macwilliams, Mark Wheeler (2008). Japanese Visual Culture: Explorations in

the World of Manga and Anime. M. E. Sharpe. ISBN 978-0-7656-3308-8.

Cavallaro, Dani (2009). The art of Studio Gainax: experimentation, style

and innovation at the leading edge of anime. McFarland & Co. ISBN 978-0-7864-
3376-6.

Lamarre, Thomas (2009). The Anime Machine: A Media Theory of Animation.

University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-5155-9.

Azuma, Hiroki (2009). Otaku: Japan's Database Animals. University of

Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-5351-5.

Saito, Tamak; Azuma, Hiroki (2009). Beautiful Fighting Girl. University of

Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0-8166-5450-5.

Ortega, Mariana (2010). "My Father, He Killed Me; My Mother, She Ate Me:
Self, Desire, Engendering, and the Mother in Neon Genesis Evangelion".
Mechademia. 2: 216–232. doi:10.1353/mec.0.0010. ISBN 978-0-8166-5266-2.

Tavassi, Guido (2012). Storia dell'animazione giapponese: Autori, arte,

industria, successo dal 1917 ad oggi (in Italian). Tunué. ISBN 978-88-97165-
51-4.

Miller, Gerald Alva Jr. (2012). Exploring the Limits of the Human Through
Science Fiction. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-137-26285-1.

Fontana, Davide; Donati, R. (2013). La bomba e l'onda. Storia

dell'animazione giapponese da Hiroshima a Fukushima (in Italian). Bietti. ISBN
978-88-8248-282-4.

Further reading

(in Japanese) Endo, Toru. "Konna kitanai kirei na hi ni wa" ("On a day so
beautiful and so ugly"). Poppu karuchaa kuritiiku (Pop Culture Critique),
volume 0. 1997.

(in Japanese) Gainax, Newtype. E-Mono: Neon Genesis Evangelion: All Goods
Catalog. ISBN 4-04-852868-8

(in Japanese) Kotani, Mari. Seibo Evangelion (Evangelion as the Immaculate

Virgin). Tokyo: Magajin Hausu. 1997.

(in Japanese) Kotani, Mari. A New Millennialist Perspective On The

Daughters Of Eve. ISBN 4-8387-0917-X.

June magazine, ed. Neon Genesis Evangelion June Tokuhon: Zankoku-Na Tenshi
no These ("The Neon Genesis Evangelion JUNE Reader: Zankoku na Tenshi no
These"). ISBN 4-906011-25-X.

Lippit, Seiji M. Topographies of Japanese Modernism. New York: Columbia

UP, 2000

Morikawa, Kaichiro (ed.). The Evangelion Style. ISBN 4-8074-9718-9

Yamashita, Ikuto and Seiji, Kio. Sore Wo Nasumono: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Concept Design Works. ISBN 4-04-852908-0

"Evangelion Special: Genesis of a major manga"– (Mainichi Daily News)

"Evangelion Special: For producer Otsuki, success not always a bed of

roses" — Mainichi Daily News

"Understanding Evangelion"—Anime News Network

External links

iconAnime and Manga portal icon1990s portal

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Neon Genesis Evangelion

Official websites

(in Japanese) Neon Genesis Evangelion—Gainax official Evangelion page

Madman Entertainment Evangelion page

(in Japanese) 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン—King Records Evangelion page

Articles and information

Neon Genesis Evangelion on IMDb

Neon Genesis Evangelion (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia

Neon Genesis Evangelion at Curlie (based on DMOZ)

Links to related articles

Categories:

1995 anime television series1996 Japanese television series endings2015 in

fictionTelevision series set in the 2010sADV FilmsAncient astronauts in
fictionAnimated science fiction television seriesAnime composed by Shirō
SagisuAnime with original screenplaysApocalyptic anime and mangaComing-of-age
anime and mangaExistentialist worksGainaxMythology in popular cultureMadman
Entertainment animeMecha anime and mangaMetafictional television seriesNeon
Genesis EvangelionPsychological anime and mangaScience fiction anime and
mangaTatsunoko ProductionTelevision series set in 2015Television shows set in
TokyoToonamiTV Tokyo showsWorks about dysfunctional families

Navigation menu

Not logged in

Talk

Contributions

Create account

Log in

Article

Talk

Read

Edit

View history

Search

Main page

Contents

Featured content
 Current events

Random article

Donate to Wikipedia

Wikipedia store

Interaction

Help

About Wikipedia

Community portal

Recent changes

Contact page

Tools

What links here

Related changes

Upload file

Special pages

Permanent link

Page information

Wikidata item

Cite this page

Print/export

Create a book

Download as PDF

Printable version
In other projects

Wikimedia Commons

Wikiquote

Languages

Deutsch

Español

한국어

Italiano

日本語

Português

Русский

Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски

Svenska

Edit links

This page was last edited on 26 September 2018, at 05:38 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms
may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a
registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Privacy policy

About Wikipedia
Disclaimers

Contact Wikipedia

Developers

Cookie statement

Mobile view

Wikimedia Foundation

Powered by MediaWiki