Series of the Week: Neon Genesis Evangelion by
SADAMOTO YoshiyukiThis week, our manga spotlight has shined upon Neon Genesis Evagelion. If you are unfamiliar with this manga be sure to check it out!
Series Summary:In 2000 A.D., a top-secret encounter between an Antarctic expedition and an entity known as an 'Angel' triggered a global catastrophe. The year is now 2015 and the Angels have returned. Shinji Ikari, a 14-year-old child of the new Earth, is summoned by his long-estranged father Gendo to an underground city underneath Tokyo-3, where the United Nations research organization known as NERV is stationed. To match the fearsome power of the Angels, NERV has constructed a biomechanical weapon named 'Evangelion' - a terrifying monster that young Shinji is destined to pilot.
Review: - by
ahpoke The Angels, in this story, are not as nice as one might expect. They are definitely not the kind with white fluffy wings. Eva's Angels are immensely powerful beings hell bent on destroying the world as we know it (as if we needed help).
In this world that is on the brink of destruction in accordance with an ancient prophecy, humanity has bred its own savior, Shinji Ikari, a fourteen year old child full of teenage angst. Tossed away by his father who assumed that his son stole away his wife's love and thought useless by everyone around him, yet Shinji is one of the handful of children capable of piloting Evangelion, humanity's only hope of battling the Angels.
He is tossed into the strange world of angels and EVAs when his father calls upon him in the middle of a battle to take the place of an injured pilot. Despite his lack of training or mental preparation for having the weight of the world thrust on his shoulders, he survives his first battle and from then on learns his worth in a world of constant battle. He slowly befriends the seemingly emotionless Rei, who pilots the first EVA. Later, he encounters the over-bearing perfectionist Asuka, who, through an awkward initial meeting and introductory battle, he also begins to become friends with.
The story focuses a lot on the character development of the EVA pilots, giving the series not only strong characters as well as a solid storyline. Besides simply developing the mentality of the various pilots introduced in the series, it also shows how they overcome the various trials that are pushed onto them throughout the story. I won't give away details but suffice it to say these children are put through some rough times though the course of the story. The series intentionally tries to dig deep into the psychology of the modern youth and how they might react to a life-altering event like war.
Evangelion is a classic series, made famous, and infamous, by its wildly popular and controversial
anime. Despite being almost 14 years old, the franchise is still going strong with several spin-off manga series and a new set of feature length films which reimagine the story. The series may seem like old news to many who have already watched the anime, but the manga may hold answers to some of the the unanswered questions which helped fuel much of the controversy surrounding the anime. So for those of you who have yet to read this series, go read it today!
Rating:Storyline: 8/10
Artwork: 7/10
Overall: 7.5/10
Other Related Titles:- Neon Genesis Evangelion - Ikari Shinji Ikusei Keikaku
- Neon Genesis Evangelion - Gakuen Datenroku
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