Warning: Undefined array key "HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE" in /var/www/minitokyo/www/includes/common.inc.php on line 360 Murrman84's Neon Genesis Evangelion Ova Review - Minitokyo
»

Murrman84's Neon Genesis Evangelion Ova Review

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion ova Review

Shinji Ikari's father is the head of a company called NERV. This company uses giant mecha (called EVAs) to fight against an opposing threat to Earth: Angels.

Throughout the 26 episodes and two movies, Shinji teams up with other 14-year-olds his age: Rei Ayanami, the quiet blue-haired girl who pilots Eva 00; Asuka Langley Soryu, the fiery red-headed girl who pilots Eva 02; Kaworu Nagisa, the boy who pilots Eva 03; and Toji Suzuhara, who pilots Eva 04. They all fight to save the world day after day in an epic story with twists and turns throughout the series.

Story & Playability

Existence itself is something of a mystery, and it is certainly never easy. This is the dilemma that permeates the world of one Shinji Akari, a confused young man who has a power that could save the world from another disaster brought on by the arrival of mysterious creatures known as "Angels". He has the ability to control massive robots known as "EVAS", and with the other two female pilots, Rei and Asuka, it is his duty to protect the rest of humanity with their combined powers and skills. However, it is a power that causes the pilots all their own personal anguishes, and soon they are all questioning not only their reasons for piloting their machines, but perhaps even the reasons for their own lives as a whole. For what truly is more important for survival: the destruction of an attacking enemy, or knowing one's own self completely?....
Evangelion is THE anime, plain and simple. Many people will disagree with me on this, and I'm fine with that. I'm not saying that this is the perfect anime, or that everything about it I love with solid conviction. It is nevertheless the anime that has probably produced the most interest in the entire genre since the unleashing of Akira in 1988. The secret lies in my opinion with the characters involved. I've yet to experience characters quite like them to be honest. Shinji is probably the most frustrating main hero of all time, Rei is the most enchanting female lead of all time (despite being totally devoid for the most part of emotional responses or real personality), Asuka has the intriguing talent of having one of the more tragic pasts yet unable to make us feel bad for her, etc. etc...The story itself too is unlike anything else. Never has there been so many loose ends, unexplained questions, undeveloped conspiracies or confusing outcomes in any show. In fact, it is for these mind-boggling inconsistencies that make Evangelion a truly love-it-or-hate-it situation.
As for me, Evangelion is the single show that converted me from an anime-hater to an otaku fanatic, and that in and of itself is powerful enough for me to recommend that everyone see this phenomenon at least once....

Rating: 9

Graphics

This one is a very mixed bag. Evangelion does boast of some of the best character designs in anime history! Rei Ayanami, Asuka, Misato, Ritsuko, Shinji, Kaoru....All of them are probably among the most drawn and collected and beloved character designs, and many of them set the standard of how many animes have been drawn ever since. And they look stunning, with bright colors and clean design throughout, and the "EVAS" and the "Angels" are all very fascinating and sometimes downright creepy to behold.
However, the animation itself is not up to par with the rest of the production. There are several reasons for this lack of quality in my opinion. For one, it was released in 1995 I believe, which was one of the most economically difficult years in Japan for the most part. Also, I'm not certain of the validity of this, but I also heard that this production lost a lot of its advertising revenue due to some controversy over its graphic violence (I think the episode involving the slaughter of EVA Unit 04 was a great example of this), and so the animation team had to cut a few corners in the long run in order to complete the show. Whatever the reasons, be prepared for more than a few scenes of complete stand-still, where the show resembles a painting more than an actual animated program, and many of these pauses last WAY too long for their own good (Unit 01 holding onto Kaoru anyone?).....

Rating: 7

Sound

Yet another mixed bag. The opening theme, while very catchy, doesn't really fit with the depth and the traedy of the entire show. Many of the accompanying themes are too cartoony or over-dramatic to be enjoyable on any real level (Misato's theme annoyed the crap out of me, and the battle theme that played when the EVAs attack the Angels is so over-the-top I can't help but groan), but I found the inclusion of the song "Fly Me To The Moon" at the end to be haunting and actually quite beautiful.
I also must recommend the original Japanese version over the English dub. The English version of Shinji is basically unbearable to listen to to any length of time, and some of the supporting voices for minor characters are so awful I couldn't help but mute them whenever they spoke. I did like the voice for Asuka though, for my own reasons, but I could see how she would not be for everyone. And Misato's English version was a little more appealing for me to listen to than her Japanese version, but again this is purely a matter of personal preference and it porbably will not be true for everyone....

Rating: 7

Fun

Well, Evangelion is definetely unlike anything else that I have ever seen period. It is humorous, but also devastating; enjoyable but also very frustrating at times. The characters don't flesh out exactly as you would expect them to, or even as you would probably like them to, but I don't necessarily consider that to be a bad thing.
This is a show that will have you questioning some of the aspects of your own life that may coincide with the events that take place with the characters. There are some very deep issues that are explored here, but that doesn't mean that they will actually be explained. Evangelion is meant to be a thought-piece, a work of art that is meant to not only entertain you, but also to make you sit bak and contemplate important things. As for me, I came across this gem when I was just graduating high school and unsure of my future and my purpose, so I was able to connect with this anime from the get go, and it instilled in me a love for all things anime, and I have never looked back. Perhaps it will have that power to inspire you, or maybe it will do nothing more than frustrate and annoy you.
Whether this is the ultimate anime experience or a poorly constructed story with too many underdeveloped aspects is a debate that continues to rage between us otakus to this day. But as I firmly believe, any work that can spark such furious arguments and contemplation is always a worthy and important work.

Rating: 8

Final Verdict

8.0000 (good)

Reviewed by Murrman84, Nov 06, 2005

Comments

  1. harakiri Nov 06, 2005

    This review does justice to Neon Genesis Evangelion. You pointed out the splendid positive aspects and also mentioned the negative ones.
    I also agree with the temporary lack in quality of animation. I love remembering the stunning action scences in episode 2 or 18 and 19 which are above today's quality but there also way too much stand still scences as you mentioned. Some of them are to create a good atmosphere but some are just to save money. I guess they spend too much money on the action scences so they had to save it at the normal character conversation scences. It is a bit strange because they made so much money out of merchandise but most likely they weren't aware of that much success in the end.
    Concerning the sound my opinion is different from yours. The music (action scences and drama scences) is fantastic and I didn't think it was overdone. Well, it is very monumental indeed but that fits for giant robots.

    (you classified this as an OVA but it is a TV series)

  2. afaT Nov 06, 2005

    Now when I have read the opinions of Murrman84 I noticed that you can come up with clear positiv and negativ things without any complex language. The Neon Genesis Evangelion series is very nostalgic for me, so that makes it get very high grade. One thing is really irritating, and it is the same as harakiri mentioned, the long scenes they have to make (Shinji holding Kaoru :D). You just sat there and waited for the final blow, and suddenly it past five minutes without any changes. They sure did a gamble when they decided to do it. But the music itself is incredible. The scenes that was not so good had its own special music, so probably I havent noticed so many bad scenes. But I have listened so many times, so I start to see the bad things in it. Something that is important is the animating. You notice that some scenes deserve more quality, the music cant do the whole part.

  3. Kabura Nov 06, 2005

    Neon Genesis Evangelion is a quite difficult anime to explain.
    I think you did a nice nice nice job!

  4. wildarmsheero Nov 07, 2005

    I think it needs a full 10.

  5. jusuchin-areku Nov 07, 2005

    ummm..... i see a BIG mistake in your plot synopsis.

    Ayanami Rei = EVA-00
    Shinji Ikari = EVA-01
    Asuka Soryu Langley = EVA-02
    Toji Suzuhara = EVA-03 (13th Angel)
    Nagisa Kowaru = EVA-02 (after Asuka was 'fired')

    also, the art could not be THAT bad. Actually, extremely good animation techniques were used, especially the battle scenes. You don't see any other mechas moving the way EVAs do, even the humanoid-macha versions...

    that's all i have to say... sry if i offended u

    Jusuchin Areku

  6. Evilmilhouse Nov 07, 2005

    great anime

  7. Murrman84 Nov 07, 2005

    This one is for jusuchin-areku....

    I apologize on that sincerely, I miscounted which EVA was slaughtered (Unit 03 instead of Unit 04). I always for some reason to count the fact that one of the EVAs is labeled 00 which always throws off my count for whatever reason.

    And like I said, Evangelion's art is a mixed bag. I would agree that the EVAs are impressive especially in battle, but examples of such quality is also countered by moments of just plain no animation in some scenes, and some examples of art that is not as smooth as other animes from the same period.

    And I assure you my friend, there is no way on this planet that anyone ccould ever offend me. I don't see how it could ever be possible! Thanks for the critique!

  8. justducky Nov 07, 2005

    I totally agree with you. Its one anime that has serious replay value. It's not enough to watch the whole series and the movies once to understand it. I think you've graded this well but there are something so great that I feel it overpowers anything that might be less. A 9 out of 10 for me.

  9. Starblaze Nov 07, 2005

    Hmm. That sounds about right. Neon Genesis is indeed a good anime and has a very... intresting story and moral behind it quite shocking. I did like how the show does a somewhat good setting and then goes down a decent into dispair and turmol and the breakdown of Shinji. This anime will very well be remembered for a long time and be a big fan for anyone who likes a anime that can give you as a friend told me, "a mind f**k". Very good revew :)

  10. Andulien Nov 07, 2005

    Hmm I would give the Anime an Overall of B+ I like the art and I think everybody has his own opinions about that. Mhh but the rest is well rated. You also did a really good job on the explanation :)

  11. Keitoussai Nov 08, 2005

    The begining was alright but as it progresses I thought it was. . . not so good?

  12. valkyrie1337 Nov 08, 2005

    The ending was rather.....confusing. Thank the stars Geneon actually came out with the idea of a movie to end our confusion about the ending. :D

  13. superstar4410 Nov 08, 2005

    yea it was

  14. Tinbad Nov 09, 2005

    I have only seen the first few episodes and am in the process of watching more, but the animation in the second episode when EVA-01
    is fighting the first angel... Its very very good.

    Voice acting could use some work though :\

  15. tswang36 Banned Member Nov 09, 2005

    the oni robot movie i choose to watch but is a very complicated anime...the end of the story is a bit boring.quite meaningful but a bit crazy...

  16. BriMach Nov 09, 2005

    I enjoyed your review, however I would of liked to see an Overall Review, something that graded the series as a whole experience. I am sure if you included such a review you would be forced to raise the final score substantially. Evangelion is one of the few anime that can be looked back upon and questioned, you donĂ¢?t get that from long drawn out frames obviously but you do from a well fleshed out, thought provoking story. Being fair to the creators you must judge the series based on its competition for its time as well. Frankly I find your B- rating disturbing but I respect your obviously well thought of points. If one were to use a bell-curve (10% good 10% bad & the rest in the middle) I doubt anyone would place Eva in the middle and god help you if you put it in the bad. Not that I love bell-curves however, but, by any means considering what is available anime wise Neon Genesis Evangelion was definitely in the top 10% of its class for its day, and can easily be argued remains so.

  17. SiMpLyMe630 Nov 09, 2005

    i thought that is anime is gay

  18. mangosteen Nov 10, 2005

    Evangelion is sexy, only it has violent features. Grotesque images...I don't understand it completely. Where the hell those enemies come from?

  19. soweird Nov 10, 2005

    Evangelion is one of de greatest animes ever created.. its plot is juz so deep and rich... i enjoyed watching it... Murrman84 u did a gd job in de review

  20. MenchiKun Nov 10, 2005

    Nice review! Does NGE proud!

  21. StevOmaru Nov 10, 2005

    I can pretty much agree with this review except maybe about saying that they had to cut out scenes bacause of graphic violence because it is not their fault they had to cut out scenes. Using stand still was one of the only things animes could do in the time around 1995 and them cutting out scenes is because of people freakin out about them cause they think it is bad for people.
    Otherwise good review, good job.

  22. sunyano Nov 12, 2005

    Neon Genesis Evangelion
    Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most popular anime in recent history. The combination of innovative mecha designs, a compelling story, and heart-pumping action has enthralled many anime fans. However, along with its immense popularity comes a boatload of hype. Anyway, I'll try to cut through some of the hype and provide a fair review.

    In the 21st century, humankind faces a threat from giant space creatures known as "Angels". To combat this threat, an organization known as Nerv is formed. They proceed to build giant robots called Evangelions and use 14 year-old children to pilot them.

    First, I'll tackle the bad. Evangelion features passable artwork, though nothing terribly striking. The animation however, isn't very good. The battles themselves were generally well animated, but we get treated to a lot of still shots and some re-used stuff as well. In a lot of anime, usually only the character's mouth will move when they're speaking. Here, that sometimes isn't even the case. During long conversations the characters will conveniently hide their mouths with something, usually a coffee cup. Other times, the scenes will be shown from a distance so that no character animation need be shown at all. The final two episodes are made up of almost nothing but still shots and re-used animation. The visuals in Evangelion definitely won't win any awards in my book.

    The dubbing job is very well done, in my opinion. The character's voices all fit their personalities quite well. I've seen both subtitled and dubbed versions of Evangelion, and confess that I prefer the dub. The music is also very pleasing to listen to. The main theme and battle music are two of favorite anime songs.

    To the uninitiated, Evangelion may look like a simple "us versus them" giant mecha anime. At least, that's what I thought at first. Once you start watching, you will notice that the series strongly focuses on both plot and character development. The story is intricately woven involving a very detailed and dubious conspiracy. The whole conspiracy theme is played to maximum effect here. Each episodes provides one or two answers, but raises numerous new questions. If you're an X-Files fan, you'll feel right at home watching this series.

    Just like the plot, the characters also have a fair amount of depth to them. The series focuses on a young boy named Shinji Ikari. He is chosen as an Evangelion pilot, even though he is doesn't want to. To be perfectly honest, I found him to be a complete weenie, and at times I wanted to give him a boot to the head (which I didn't for fear of breaking my TV). Rei, another Eva pilot, has absolutely no personality to speak of, and she remains an enigma for most of the series. Part of the intrigue in the series is discovering the secrets she holds. Asuka, the third Eva pilot, provides a good dose of the comic relief, even though she is an annoying snot. Other characters include Misato, a Nerv operative and Shinji's guardian, Gendo Ikari, Shinji's estranged father, and Kaji, a smooth talker with hidden motives. The characters are varied, and it's interesting to watch the relationships develop between them.

    I confess I'm not a big fan of giant mecha, but I was intrigued somewhat by the unique mecha designs. The "Angels" are very striking in appearance, and are a break from the tried-and-true monster designs of the past. The Evangelions are also well-designed, and a lot of detail is given on how they function.

    One thing that you'll hear a lot about, if you've been paying attention to the Eva hype, are the final two episodes. Personally, I actually liked them somewhat. Looking past the cruddy presentation, we get a lot of philosophical dialog which I found a little refreshing. It's nice to see a big series with a finale that breaks away from the traditional "kill Foozle" cliche. Unfortunately, the bridge between the final two episodes and the rest of the series is a shaky one at best. The summary on the back of the final volume is about the only way to understand what the heck is going on. Of course, that summary contains some spoilers and A.D. Vision should've thought more carefully about what they wrote there.

    Neon Genesis Evangelion is a rather unique series with a fair amount of cerebral content. I recommend this series to any science fiction or mystery fan.

  23. Murrman84 Nov 12, 2005

    Ano....chotto......

    While I do appreciate and respect your review, perhaps you should have posted it as your own seperate one, instead of as a post in response to mine! It's all gravy though, we all make mistakes....

  24. evasion Nov 12, 2005

    Excellent review - I think you pointed out the inspiration of the anime very well. I watched it back when I just in middle school - and it was my first anime ever, so it means a lot to me too. Thanks! Are there ways to favorite reviews? If so, let me know and I'd be glad to fav yours!

page 1 of 2 1 2 Next » 40 total items

Only members can post replies, please register.

Warning: Undefined array key "cookienotice" in /var/www/minitokyo/www/html2/footer.html on line 73
This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Read more.