Neon Genesis Evangelion Review

Don't Send Me An Angel.

 Neon Genesis Evangelion was regarded as one of the most important anime of the 1990s. Its unique premise and characters followed by neat mecha designs made it appealing for many back at the time. It was so popular that it spawned many merchandise including toys, a movie, and so on. It even influenced and had a huge impact on anime itself, often regarded as one of the best of its genre. Without further delay, let's go over what Evangelion has to offer and does still it hold up well today?

STORY- 2015, fifteen years after a global catastrophe known as the Second Impact, mankind has advanced to the point where it has created powerful weapons, known as Evas, to counterattack the Angels, a monstrous and deadly race that threats mankind itself. Shinji Ikari, tasked by special organization, NERV, to pilot the Eva Unit-01 and eliminate the Angels that threats mankind. Over the course of the 26 episodes, there will be many plot-twists and turns that will keep you engaging till the end. Speaking of the ending... it's a disappointment. At the height of the confusions and many questions. I will avoid spoilers, but to me and many back at the time, were let down by it.

The story is interesting and engaging, but falls flat at the end.

CHARACTERS- This is one of the best aspect of the anime, the characters. Let's focus on Shinji; he's not a rampaging killer like Alucard by any means, he's just a normal 14 year-old boy trying to cope with his hardships. As the show goes on, we get to see him going from whiny kid to a force to be reckoned with. Shinji's guardian, Misato Katsuragi, is a caring and kind person, and Shinji's superior in NERV. She gives him advice and occasionally the funniest out of the entire cast. Asuka Langly Soryu, Eva Unit-02 pilot and "friend" of Shinji, may take a while to like due to her rather egotistical personalty and short-temper. Though towards the ends, she can be a relate-able character. Rei Ayanami, Eva Unit-00 pilot and also friend of Shinji, is usually quiet and at times, duller than a rock. That's not to say she's a bad character, she's just more than meets the eye. NERV commander and father of Shinji, Genyo Ikari, is showed to be a cold and relentless person. When Shinji's mother died when he was a child in an accident, he abandoned him to purse his goals. He may sound as a douche but his goals has some sense to them later in the story.

Evangelion offers a wide cast.

 There are still many characters to cover in the world of Neon Genesis Evangelion, but I just went with the ones you'll be seeing most. Also, even some side characters do get fleshed-out in the story.

The Evangelions are uniquely craft and are looking good.

PRESENTATION-  This is where also Evangelion shines. The character designs and backgrounds are and were breathtaking for their time. However, that quality dropped a bit later during the series, though it was nothing major. The Evangelion designs are some of the best I've seen along with the Gundam series. Each unit is easily distinguishable from the other and have their own unique designs. The sound is also great. I've mainly watched the dub, and it was good. The soundtrack is also well-done with some neat tracks packed. 

OVERALL- Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the best anime I've watched. A unique premise, characters, and mecha action kept me engaged. Despite the crappy ending and short fights, its still worth a look.

-The show contains some violence and language, as well as some sexual themes, recommended to mature audiences-

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