Neon Genesis Evangelion?

V

Velocity

Completely Average High School Student
Anyone like it? I am loving the Manga, but I have had a mixed reception about the Anime. So.....what's your views?
 
I can understand why people love it, but it's not really my cup of tea. I thought the characters were a bit dull or annoying and after the first few episodes I didn't really care about what happened to them. The movies are supposed to be quite good though, especially the End of Evangelion.

I've never read the manga, but that's probably because I was so disappointed with the anime. Are there any major differences between the anime and the manga?
 
I fall into the 'ok, but hated the ending which ruined the whole thing' camp i'm afraid.

I can still remember watching it on the sci fi channel back in 2002. It was on with Martian Successor Nadesico and Blue Gender. Those midnight marathons were great fun, and i was really into all three series. However Evangelion began to drift off reasonably quickly. The 'monster of the week' feeling never helped it at all, and it became increasingly ubsurd as it went along. It never knew if it wanted to be a comedy, and action, or a psychological show, and ended up fragmented. It always had its moments true, some good stuff in there. But the whole was much, much smaller than the sum of its parts.

(as for the 'psychological' angle which it is always praised for, i think Blue Gender did that much better!)

Then there was the ending. God that was pointless! Especially on the same night as the Nadesico and Blue gender endings. Basically that night i completely lost interest in aquiring the show (on the other hand, i was soon out and getting Nadesico, and Blue Gender is still on my wish list.)

But of course, thats just me. :wink:
 
I really love the TV series and am enjoying the manga so far. I happened to like the ending to the TV series, I didn't think it was particually amazing but I liked it. After that I discovered End Of Evangelion and this ending I adore. It felt like the real big bang of finish that I was hoping for at the end of the series.
 
I've seen the first 4 episodes of the anime. I liked it so much that I stopped downloading it (i.e. I intend to buy it... eventually). Personally, i'm waiting on a Platinum boxset.
 
Eva is a must-see in that it has large following and therefore deserves to be given a chance by most anime fans, as you can't go on any anime website without some mention of Evangelion. Its pretty good but compaerd to alot of series aroung at the moment its start to feel a little old.
 
I'd go so far as to say it's my favourite, partly because it was one of the first series I ever saw, and because every now and again you see a series that changes you, and the way you see the world, in a big way - and it was Evangelion that did it for me.

Sounds corny I know, but it really made me take a more active interest in Anime. It's got so much in it in comparison to even series like Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell, and can be whatever you want it to be - It means so many different things for so many different fans + it has the greatest anime soundtrack/s ever. I can go back and watch the entire series from start to finish and still make lots of new and fresh discoveries. And despite all the newer, more "Shiny" series being produced today, Eva still retains its classic and very personal feel.

As for "The End of Evangelion" - It's like the cherry on top of the cake for me, and remains one of my favourite movies of all time. The manga has some more character extension and a few more bits of back story for supporting characters, but the plot is the same.

The general feeling I get on anime forums is that it's a lot like Marmite - You either love it intenesly, or hate it... But it's a classic series, and one to watch because of its huge following if nothing else.
 
Can you properly judge Evangelion by only seeing the two movies Death & Rebirth and End Of, I didn’t think they were that great at all and that sort of put me off buying the series.
 
Dragon of Heaven said:
Can you properly judge Evangelion by only seeing the two movies Death & Rebirth and End Of, I didn’t think they were that great at all and that sort of put me off buying the series.
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That sounds a bit like those "dinners in a pill" that 70s scientists forecasted we'd all be eating from our space-stations around Sinope in 1999. All the essential ingredients, compressed into a ridiculously condensed form which lacks the warmth or taste of the actual experience.

Or worse, it's like judging the quality of Gundam Seed Destiny on its clipshows alone. Well except that Evangelion is actually good whereas watching all 50 episodes of Gundam Seed Destiny just gives you a more informed view of why it sucks. :p
 
I had a feeling that was the case, but considering that the movies are more easily available then the series its not really a good way to display series to first time viewers. But I think I will get the platinum box set
 
Depending on how much you can tolerate painfully insecure teenagers, you will either really enjoy or hate Evangelion. It is quite clearly an outstanding anime series, with some vivid artwork, but the characterization is quite uncompromising in its portrayal of teenage depression. I personally love Evangelion, but I can see why some people don't, it can make for frustrating and uncomfortable viewing. Definently not just another giant robot series.
 
Dunno what else I can add here - it's definitely a love-it-or-hate-it series, mainly because the makers took the risky step of giving it the most unlikely hero imaginable - a weak, ordinary and almost frustratingly troubled character that you will either sympathise with completely or hate with a passion. There are also so many conspiracies, unresolved relationships and suchlike in addition to some of the best mecha designs ever, which make it so much more interesting.

The Death and Rebirth movie is one to avoid though - it condenses the story so much that you miss the emotional power, storytelling and finer details that make the series such a classic. I recommend the series itself, then End of Eva (the remake of the last two episodes). That way you get the full story, plus you can arguewith fellow fans about which ending is better! ;)
 
t0ffe3m4n^ said:
I'd say the series was one of my favourites of all time. Definately worth checking out in my opinion.
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Likewise.

It is a great 26 episode series. Though at times it can be quite depressing. =/
 
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