Plot and Storyline
The story of Neon Genesis Evangelion explores the path of evangelion pilots and nerv’s members as they fight the angels so that no more cataclysms occurs and no more tragedy follows. shinji ikari is the series main character and the story involves his tenacity which he never had but built up from the grounds up. And his character development as he continually goes through this nightmare.
In the process of doing those, these characters go through major character developments and they get to know what really caused the events and what motives did human action have essentially.
Animation and Art Style
this anime was a 90’s anime, so I didn’t have much of an expectation. But despite not so good animation, when you look at when it was made it’s really good. Since, that’s the time Japan’s animation was going through a change and this anime drove a wedge in there.
evangelions’s animation is fluid and detailed. and the battle scenes are crunchy and impactful. the style has aged pretty decently. the animation also shows the raw emotions in the show quite well with the narrative.
Characters
Shinji Ikari, the central protagonist of Evangeline and the main pilot of unit-01, is constantly trying to overcome his own inner demons. Asuka was a character who, despite having an independent and hot-tempered personality, was still drawn to the protagonist. The character Rei is someone Shinji hates, but to the protagonist, he symbolizes the escaping of reality and returning to the mother’s womb. And we see them and more characters evolve in the series.
Sound and Music
The sound effects aren’t that great as what stands out the most is the storyline. But it surely enhances the viewer’s experience.
but the soundtrack is really complimenting to the series. and the emotional depth of the soundtracks are really astonishing. and the soundtracks so easily gets mixed with the situation in the anime and makes the themes more enthralling.
Themes
the anime was much darker than i anticipated from the first episodes. but it was quite the sight to see so many qualities fighting each other for recognition. and the most visible ones are, individuality, consciousness, freedom, choice and responsibility. And at the end you may get nihilistic tendencies from it but that’s just how the anime was made.
One of the main themes it shared was, ‘every one of us is worthy of the love of others because we are capable of loving them’ and more.
Overall Impressions
The series was quite unexpected for me, but even then, it was a good journey to go through. And it never grows old as it is the 2nd time I’ve watched it. The ending was quite controversial as this is a series which is said to be one of the masterpiece level anime.
Shinji as a character is a fantastic portrayal of depression, isolation, escapism etc. And shows his struggles in a way where you can still relate to him. The final two episodes were absolutely incredible and even made me question myself as a person. Overall, it is not for everyone.
The story might be disturbing, but it is surely meaningful. i’d really recommend it to any anime fans. But of course, watch with caution as you may fall into nihilistic tendencies, but isn’t that the fun of watching something to see how it influences us and what we can do about it?