Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
organicchemistry
This anime was never supposed to be this behemoth within mainstream media and asuka and rei figurine cash cow it has become but a personal story of Hideaki Ano. When Neon Genesis was first airing Japan was going through an economic depression and many working professionals were jobless and poor thus there were rise of hikikomoris and neets who found escapism through anime via the poorly written overpowered MC, attractive setting or happy go luckly plot and stories. NGE was anything but, it was about counter escapism presented through the lens of Shiji Ikari who is perfectly modeled after such neets figuratively. How Shinji was a based on neets you might ask, like a neet who runs from his problems he does too thus making his character believable and feel real.
The setting is also masterful…
Read at the sourceKarunya123
I went into Evangelion expecting a cool mecha anime, but I got something much more personal and complicated.
The story follows Shinji, a teenager who is forced to pilot an Eva while dealing with fear, loneliness and the pressure placed on him. What I liked most is that the characters don't feel like typical anime heroes. They're messy, insecure and often make decisions that are hard to understand, but that also makes them feel human.
The animation and atmosphere still hold up really well, especially during the more disturbing and psychological moments. The series slowly becomes less about fighting Angels and more about the characters' minds and relationships.
It can definitely be confusing, especially toward the end, and I didn't understand everything on my first watch. But that's also…
Read at the sourceRevilo__
Neon Genesis evangelion is a sci-fi, psychologically deep anime with many deep themes embedded into the story. Made in 1995, it revolutionised the industry inspiring many other greats due to it being one of the first of its kind. It is debated whether there is actually depth to the anime or if the audience just infered that for themselves, however Evangelion was not crowed the most popular of all time for no reason.
Story - 8/10 ( Spoilers )
Shinji, a 14 year old teenager, returns to Tokyo-3 many years after being abandoned by his father. The city is immediately attacked by an Angel, an alien like being usually having an incredible size. He is told to pilot an Eva, a mech which is the only way to rival the strength of an Angel. Shinji initially refuses, feeling incapable of living up to t…
Read at the sourceJJMFREAP
Finally, I'm here. I've been ogling at Neon Genesis Evangelion for probably decades and being fascinated by it deeply. Yet somehow, never took the time to actually watch the darn thing. Took me so long that the timeframe of this sci-fi story happened 11 years ago as of writing this. Well, the time is here at last, and according to MAL it only took 99 other anime before it before Evangelion became No. 100. Woot! So, is this anime deserving of it's legendary status? Yes, absolutely. It's what you would call a "seminal" work, one that comes by once in a lifetime and changes everything. And it's just a really good series that is truly special. You'd be a fool not to experience this! Don't be like me, don't delay and watch this!
Right, what is there to say about Eva that hasn't been said a mil…
Read at the sourceJxbinha
Evangelion is one of those anime that I appreciate more than I actually enjoyed watching. I understand why it's considered so influential and why so many people love it, but my personal experience with the series was a bit complicated.
The beginning caught my attention with its interesting world, the Angels, the Evangelions, and all the mystery surrounding NERV. But as the story progressed, it became increasingly focused on the psychological struggles of its characters, and while some of those moments were genuinely interesting, others felt exhausting.
I think my biggest issue is that I never became as emotionally attached to the characters as I wanted to. I understood their struggles and what the story was trying to explore, but understanding a character and actually feeling connected to…
Read at the sourcepostjoeism
Somehow I keep coming back to this thing lol.
I really love how the psychological problems of the characters are tied to the world of the story the whole time. Shinji has problems with himself because his life has been shaped by his father, NERV, being an Eva pilot, and other people’s expectations. Sometimes it becomes hard to tell what is actually his own identity and what he has learned he needs to be in order to be accepted by other people.
The later part of the series became much more interesting to me, especially from episode 16 onward. Evangelion gradually becomes less concerned with explaining all of its lore and starts using the characters’ feelings as the structure of the story. Episodes 16, 22, and 24 are where I really felt like the form and the psychology became one. The way…
Read at the sourceKiza_2
NGE was, for me, a hard anime to watch, but not in a bad way. Hard in an emotional sense, especially the first few episodes since their pacing deviates so much from the classic first few episodes you would normally expect in any other anime. The MC isn't a confident, strong and determined guy, he's just a regular teenager with low self-esteem who has been thrown into a very uncomfortable and confusing situation out of nowhere, and begins to live a life to which he's not accustomed to in the slightest. He's a very relatable character who feels real, has emotions and doubts, but still tries to surpass them and sacrifice himself for others. The characters in general are very unique, their personalities are messed up with a dark past of trauma behind them and are the most memorable element of…
Read at the sourceVoxCovey
Coming from a Christian’s perspective, this is compelling anime with deep themes and good characters, but there is definitely some things you may need to watch out for.
PROS:
Amazing Story
Relatable Characters
In My Opinion (although controversial)Good Ending
Explores Deep Relatable Themes
Overall message is pretty positive in my opinion.
CONS: The Fan Service in this anime can definitely be a problem for some Christians struggling with lust. Its mostly there for a reason and it doesn’t glorify it for the most part, but it is still definitely there.(actually didn’t give it a 10 for this reason)
Some themes like suicide, hopelessness and other strong themes may be an issue to some viewers.
Uses Christian Imagery but is done for the “cool factor” and doesn’t hold much weight in the show…
Read at the sourceRemdagoat
MINOR SPOILERS:
Neon Genesis Evangelion was a very strange experience, but ultimately one I really appreciated. Shinji is such an interesting character because his biggest conflict Is himself. He wants to be understood and accepted by other people, but at the same time he's terrified of getting close to them because he knows that connection can lead to rejection and pain.
Episode 26 was probably the biggest highlight for me. I gave it a 9.3/10 because I loved the idea that the way you see yourself isn't necessarily the truth, and that you aren't permanently trapped as the person you believe yourself to be. Shinji realizing that he can change and that his existence has value was a really powerful conclusion to his character and a fitting resolution to his internal conflict.
The End of Evan…
Read at the sourceTinyTony404
You’d think Neon Genesis Evangelion is just a cool mech anime. And on the surface, that is what it looks like. But once you look deeper, you realise there is so much more going on.
The biggest strength of Evangelion is its characters. Each character is incredibly interesting to learn about, and the show does a great job exploring their struggles, ambitions and the reasons behind their actions. The deeper you go into each character, the more you understand them.
The themes of the show are handled extremely well. Evangelion isn't just about giant robots fighting monsters. It's about the people inside them and the emotional battles they are dealing with. The show explores ideas like loneliness, identity and nihilism in a way that feels genuinely human. A lot of the struggles the characters…
Read at the sourceSakusSaku
Score: 8/10
I completely understand why Neon Genesis Evangelion is considered a classic. It's not a anime that tries to impress solely through its battles or its sci-fi setting. Its greatest strength lies in its characters and the themes it explores.
The characters are genuinely complex, human, and full of contradictions. I especially liked Rei, Misato, and Shinji, who ended up being my three favorite characters. Each of them brings something unique to the story and has remarkable psychological depth.
As for Asuka, although the series gave much more convincing insight into her character and added a lot of depth toward the end, I still couldn't really connect with her. She annoyed me quite a lot throughout the series.
The writing is probably what impressed me the most. The series explor…
Read at the sourceAnyaColour
Despite not being perfect, having a confusing story, it's a pretty good anime. Unfortunately, the money ran out by the end of the anime and things started to be very... speculative. Without doubts, this is the most boring part of Evangelion
This a part, near the end, that things became more complex and perplexed, I was like: ahh, I miss the days when everything was simpler. The characters started to lose their minds, contrasting with beginning that everyone was fine on their psychological health, and everything felt more harmonious. It's impossible to mask something forever, and that's fine. The development of the characters and their emotional evolution for me is the special touch of this awesome anime, that make it different from anothers animes.
Also, the aesthetic of Tokyo-3, the cha…
Read at the source01_Blacksigma691
One of the all time classics and milestones of 90s anime. Neon Genesis was more of a necessity than a wish, to try and figure out what makes this anime so special. 4 days and 26 episodes later with the movie left to be seen, I do affirm with the majority and understand why this anime is so special. Evangelion is less about evas which are the only robots capable of defeating something called an "angel" which when undefeated can destroy the damn world but about the inner turmoil and the psychological breakdown of the characters.
What makes Evangelion fascinating that it tries to make us understand the characters, we may not relate to any but we understand WHY that certain character responds like that. Its these inner insecurities and fear that is captured really well. The animation is fluid…
Read at the source_Bubassotto_
Neon Genesis Evangelion is an extremely different work, even by today's standards, so imagining the impact it had in the 90s makes it all the more impressive.
This was one of the first old anime I watched, and honestly, it was a very memorable experience precisely because it completely breaks away from the norm. It's not just an anime about giant robots fighting monsters; Evangelion uses this premise as a basis to discuss emotional, psychological, and existential problems in a way that few works manage to do.
Being a 90s anime, obviously the animation fluidity can't be compared to modern standards, but for the time, the work here is excellent. The direction manages to convey weight in the battles, impact in the confrontations, and especially tension in the most important moments. Further…
Read at the sourcelastnameEver
While Anno's busy parading its corpse it's difficult to remember that the original Neon Genesis was actually pretty good. For the first eight, nine or so episodes the anime manages to balance a huge sense of scale with interesting drama, and then Asuka joins and that goes out the window.
It's not that Asuka is a bad character, or its not that Asuka's introduction isn't necessary, but her being there ruins a lot of the intimacy the show had before. Before, the show had Shinji as its focus, and then other characters developed around him. Then Asuka joins, and now there's two competing centres of interest. You obviously favour Shinji, so what's Asuka doing?
Lightening the mood. And this would be fine if it was lightened correctly, but all her introduction does is loosen the tension and repl…
Read at the sourceOwi12
Okay this anime is not for the weak. I went to this anime with 0 information which is the best tbh so I will not spoil anything here. This anime is weird and sometimes uncomfortable tbh (i like that tho).
This anime answers a lot of questions about life and it shows perfectly what it means to be human. EVERY character is complicated and u need to read in between lines to understand everything that is going on.
This anime is not anime u will watch when u want to chill (go to Darling in the Franxx or something if u want to chill out). Its really hard to understand and tbh if u r into psychology u will love this.
I 100% recomend this to anyone who wants something great that will change their view on life. (after finishing this serie please watch end of evangelion movie it will complete yo…
Read at the sourceDavage_Corp
It is difficult to describe the beauty of this show. It probably the most deeply personal story I have ever seen that is not just a retelling of personal events. The characters are all so deeply flawed and the world around them is not equipped to help them, quite the opposite in fact. This can make the characters insufferable to some but to me it is emotionally moving. It is not just about hurt people hurting people, but how even in that dynamic you can find a way out and there is always a way to find hope. To me this is the greatest stories of hope ever produced. Hope is meaningless to me if it is easy, if the world is perfect or easy to get to then hope is a given. Hope when everything seems completely lost not in just your experiences and likely future but the people around you, that is…
Read at the sourcejapaneseanime98
Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of my favorite Japanese anime television series. This Japanese animated television series has relatable characters, realistic story, hyper-realism, and deep psychological characters. Neon Genesis Evangelion's focus is deep psychological characters. How saving the world will affect them psychologically? Evangelion's Shinji is a hyperrealistic character. He is a high school student that is forced to save the world. This has a deep psychological impact for the characters.
Most live action tv shows and live action movies have the characters have fake emotions. Despite they are real people.
Pros:
1). Psychological Characters
2). Hyper-reaslism 3). Symbolism
Cons:
1). Few small plot holes that are not noticeable.
Neon Genesis Evangelion is the best Japanese…
Read at the sourceAtsushiPilchzuki
I think it's such a cult series (its contribution to global pop culture, unforgettable music, gargantuan amount of memes, still living community) that it's a must-watch for every anime fan. This work is indescribably drawn, almost every frame is iconic and could stand alone as an uncommon painting.
The music is definitely unforgettable, as are some sentences from the dialogues, unbelievable scenes.
The relatively small number of characters allows us to try to understand them. Besides, the episodic characters are interesting enough (Kaworu) that they have their own fans anyway.
The plot is incredibly confusing (especially in later episodes), without the context of the film series it is difficult to understand, but this is intentional.
The series, with its unique mystery and message, force…
Read at the sourceProudElitist
A real mecha show reminescent of the works of Yoshiyuki Tomino with an angrier, more depressive version of Amuro Ray as the main protagonist (and outlet for the depression the author was suffering after working on Fushigi No Umi No Nadia), cool mechas clearly inspired by the likes of Devilman by Go Nagai, three main ladies with different attitudes that have become (and rightfully so) Icons not only of the anime world but also of the desires of the men who want them as their own girlfriends in real life and LOTS AND LOTS of reusing/remaking of ideas from tokusatsu shows such as Gojira (the 1954 version and the 1984 reboot are the ones that came to mind the most, but other entries such as Gojira vs. mechagojira are not excluded), Urutoraman and in particular the series that was broadcasted a…
Read at the source
