NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン Shin Seiki Evangelion^?), commonly referred to as NGE, Eva, or Evangelion, is a commercially^[1] and critically^[2] successful, influential and popular Japanese anime and manga that began in 1995. The anime was created by Gainax, written and directed by Hideaki Anno and co-produced by TV Tokyo and Nihon Ad Systems (NAS). It is an apocalyptic mecha action series, and refers to Judeo-Christian symbols from the book of Genesis and Biblical apocrypha among others.^[3] Later episodes shift focus to psychoanalysis of the main characters, who display various emotional problems and mental illnesses;^[4]^[5] the nature of existence and reality are questioned in a way that lets Evangelion be characterized as "postmodern fantasy"^[6] Hideaki Anno, the director of the anime series, had suffered from clinical depression prior to creating the series, and the psychological aspects of the show are based on the director's own experiences with overcoming this illness.^[7]. Image File history File links Neon_Genesis_Evangelion_Logo. ... Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac), a classic example of ShÅnen This article is about the shÅnen style of anime and manga. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... For the fictional robot, see Mecha. ... It has been suggested that Post-holocaust be merged into this article or section. ... Psychology (ancient Greek: psyche = soul and logos = word) is the study of mind, thought, and behaviour. ... For other uses, see Television (disambiguation). ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see AnimÃ© (oleo-resin). ... Hideaki Anno (åºµé‡Žç§€æ˜Ž Anno Hideaki, born 22 May 1960 in Ube, Japan) is a Japanese animation and video director. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Tatsunoko Production Co. ... Production I.G, Inc. ... A.D. Vision (commonly referred to as ADV) is a Houston, Texas based international multimedia entertainment company, active in home video production and distribution, broadcast television, theatrical film distribution, merchandising, original productions, magazine and comic book publishing and is the largest anime company in North America. ... Manga Entertainment is a licensor and distributor of Japanese animation (anime) in the United States and United Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... The logo of TV Tokyo. ... Animax ) is a Japanese anime satellite television network, established and owned by Sony Corporation, and dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Cartoon Network (commonly referred to as CN) is a cable television network created by Turner Broadcasting which primarily shows animated programming. ... Adult Swim, sometimes rendered [adult swim] based on its logo, is the name for an adult-oriented television programming network. ... The Anime Network, a subsidiary of A.D. Vision, Inc. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Poland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... Locomotion Logo Locomotion was a TV channel that aired in Latin America from fall 1996 [1] until July 31, 2005. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Peru. ... Panamericana TelevisiÃ³n , Panamericana Television or Pantel is one of the earliest Peruvian television networks when the television medium first arrived in Peru in 1958. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Philippines. ... Categories: Corporation stubs | Philippines | Television networks ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... MTV Italia, the Italian branch of MTV, is a national channel in Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Finland. ... Subtv is a popular Finnish TV channel. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Chile. ... ChilevisiÃ³n or CHV is the second oldest television channel in Chile. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is one of two government funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television networks, the other being the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Sci-fi is the name of a United Kingdom satellite television channel specialising in science fiction, fantasy, and horror shows and movies. ... Propeller TV is a, free-to-air television channel on Sky Digital broadcast in the United Kingdom by Image Channel Company Limited. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Indonesia. ... Trans TV logo Trans TV (Transformation TV Indonesia) is a national television station in Indonesia, owned by Chairul Tanjung and group. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... VOX is a commercial television channel in Germany. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... This is a list of episodes and media based on the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. ... The End of Evangelion ) is a 1997 anime film written and chief directed by Hideaki Anno; it won the Japan Academy Prize for popularity. ... Revival of Evangelion (Revival of Evangelion: Death(true)2/Air/ã¾ã”ã“ã‚ã‚’ã€å›ã«, Revival of Evangelion: Death(true)2/Air/Magokoro o, Kimi ni) is a concatenation of the Neon Genesis Evangelion movies Death(true)2 and The End of Evangelion. ... This article is about a series of animated films. ... Image File history File links Portal. ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Spiegel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) For the oleo-resin, see AnimÃ© (oleo-resin). ... Manga ) (pl. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Hideaki Anno (åºµé‡Žç§€æ˜Ž Anno Hideaki, born 22 May 1960 in Ube, Japan) is a Japanese animation and video director. ... The logo of TV Tokyo. ... Nihon Ad Systems inc. ... It has been suggested that Post-holocaust be merged into this article or section. ... For the fictional robot, see Mecha. ... Judeo-Christian (or Judaeo-Christian) is a term used to describe the body of concepts and values which are thought to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, and typically considered (sometimes along with classical Greco-Roman civilization) a fundamental basis for Western legal codes and moral values. ... Genesis (â€Ž, Greek: Î“ÎÎ½ÎµÏƒÎ¹Ï‚, meaning birth, creation, cause, beginning, source or origin) is the first book of the Torah, the Tanakh, and the Old Testament. ... Apocrypha (from the Greek word Î±Ï€ÏŒÎºÏÏ…Ï†Î± meaning those having been hidden away[1]) are texts of uncertain authenticity or writings where the authorship is questioned. ... Psychoanalytic theory is a general term for approaches to psychoanalysis which attempt to provide a conceptual framework more-or-less independent of clinical practice rather than based on empirical analysis of clinical cases. ... In psychology and common terminology, emotion is the language of a persons internal state of being, normally based in or tied to their internal (physical) and external (social) sensory feeling. ... The Scream, the famous painting commonly thought of as depicting the experience of mental illness. ... Clinical depression (also called major depressive disorder, or unipolar depression when compared to bipolar disorder) is a state of intense sadness, melancholia or despair that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to an individuals social functioning and/or activities of daily living. ...

Neon Genesis Evangelion consists of 26 television episodes which were first aired on the terrestrial TV Tokyo network from October 4, 1995 to March 27, 1996.^[8] It was later aired across Japan by the anime satellite television network, Animax. The series was followed by three movies: Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion in 1997, and Revival of Evangelion in 1998. Death and Rebirth is a highly condensed re-edit of the series (Death) plus the first half of The End of Evangelion (Rebirth). The End of Evangelion is an alternate version of the series ending, which either supplements or replaces episodes 25 and 26, depending on how they are viewed. The two movies were then re-edited and re-released as a single movie, Revival of Evangelion. Terrestrial television (also known as over-the-air, OTA or broadcast television) was the traditional method of television broadcast signal delivery prior to the advent of cable and satellite television. ... The logo of TV Tokyo. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Artists impression of a Boeing 601 satellite, as configured for digital television transmission by SES Astra Satellite television is television delivered by way of communications satellites, as compared to conventional terrestrial television and cable television. ... Animax ) is a Japanese anime satellite television network, established and owned by Sony Corporation, and dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. ... The End of Evangelion ) is a 1997 anime film written and chief directed by Hideaki Anno; it won the Japan Academy Prize for popularity. ... Revival of Evangelion (Revival of Evangelion: Death(true)2/Air/ã¾ã”ã“ã‚ã‚’ã€å›ã«, Revival of Evangelion: Death(true)2/Air/Magokoro o, Kimi ni) is a concatenation of the Neon Genesis Evangelion movies Death(true)2 and The End of Evangelion. ... Revival of Evangelion (Revival of Evangelion: Death(true)2/Air/ã¾ã”ã“ã‚ã‚’ã€å›ã«, Revival of Evangelion: Death(true)2/Air/Magokoro o, Kimi ni) is a concatenation of the Neon Genesis Evangelion movies Death(true)2 and The End of Evangelion. ...

In 2003, the US distributor of the series, ADV Films, announced their intention to create a live action Evangelion film which has been partly financed,^[9] but a director or production date is yet to be announced. ADV Films logo ADV Films is the home video publication arm of A.D. Vision based in Houston, Texas. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

On September 9, 2006, Gainax confirmed a new animated film series called Rebuild of Evangelion, consisting of four movies to be released in 2007 and 2008. The first three movies will be an alternate retelling of the TV series (including new scenes, settings, backgrounds, characters), and the fourth movie will be a completely new conclusion to the story.^[10] is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... This article is about a series of animated films. ...

In the original Japanese, the word "Evangelion" is pronounced with a hard g per its Greek roots (see Translation notes on the title below). A hard g vs a soft g is a feature that occurs in many languages, including English, in which there are two sounds both represented by the letter g. A hard g is a velar stop /g/ represented by g, and a soft g is an affricate or a fricative...

Plot

Evangelion's plot superficially revolves around the struggles by the paramilitary organization NERV to prevent the city of Tokyo-3 and the Geofront underneath it from being destroyed by monstrous beings called Angels. To this end, NERV enlists three teenagers, Shinji Ikari (the son of NERV's commander Gendo Ikari), Rei Ayanami, and Asuka Langley Soryu, to pilot enormous mecha called Evangelions into battle against the Angels. As the series progresses, it is revealed that NERV, the Evas, and the Angels are pieces in a plot by the organization SEELE to bring about a forced evolution of humanity with potentially cataclysmic repercussions. The struggles of the central characters to overcome their personal issues and personality conflicts factor heavily into the events of the series, and become integral to its conclusion. Towards the end, psychological issues predominate and the apocalyptic events in the real world are only alluded to "over a montage of bleak visuals, that include black and white photos of desolate urban motifs such as a riderless bicycle or vacant park benches interspersed with graphic stills of the devastated NERV headquarters in which Shinji's colleagues are seen as bloodstained bodies."^[11] This is a list of episodes and media based on the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. ... This is a glossary of terms from the anime and manga series Neon Genesis Evangelion. ... This is a glossary of terms from the anime and manga series Neon Genesis Evangelion. ... // In the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, Angels are beings which attack Tokyo-3 over the course of the story. ... Shinji Ikari ) is the main character in the anime and manga series Neon Genesis Evangelion and the movies Evangelion: Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion. ... Gendo Ikari (ç¢‡ã‚²ãƒ³ãƒ‰ã‚¦ Ikari GendÅ) is a fictional character from the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion movie. ... Rei Ayanami ) is a fictional character from the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion and the films Evangelion: Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion. ... Asuka Langley Soryu ) is a 14 year old[2] fictional character from the anime and manga Neon Genesis Evangelion and the movies Evangelion: Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion. ... For the fictional robot, see Mecha. ... Unit 01 runs through Tokyo-3; the buildings in the background give a frame of reference for the size of the Eva. ... This is a glossary of terms from the anime and manga series Neon Genesis Evangelion. ...

Evangelion 's story began in 2000 with the "Second Impact", a global cataclysm which kills half the human population of Earth and almost completely destroys Antarctica. The Impact is believed by the public at large to be the result of a meteorite traveling at nearly the speed of light impacting in Antarctica and causing the disaster. However, it is later revealed to be the result of an experiment with the first Angel, Adam. This is a glossary of terms from the anime and manga series Neon Genesis Evangelion. ... // In the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, Angels are beings which attack Tokyo-3 over the course of the story. ...

The series begins in 2015 as Tokyo-3, a militarized civilian city located on one of the last dry sections of Japan, is attacked by the third Angel. Conventional weapons are ineffective, but the paramilitary organization NERV succeeds in developing biomechanical mecha, the Evangelions (Evas), which are capable of intercepting and defeating the Angels. The Evas are piloted by 14-year-old children, who control the Evas through "synchronization" - their souls are meshed with souls contained in the Evas, which allows the pilots to control the Evas through simple thought but also subjects them to pain resulting from damage to their Evas. This is a glossary of terms from the anime and manga series Neon Genesis Evangelion. ...

Over time, the characters begin to learn of the true plan of NERV and SEELE, the Human Instrumentality Project. Its purpose is to force the completion of human evolution, and thereby save it from destroying itself. To do so, they plan to break down the AT-Fields that separate individual humans, and in doing so, reducing all humans to LCL, which is revealed to be the "primordial soup", the fundamental composite of human beings, and the fluid of the womb. All LCL would then be united into a supreme being, the next stage of humanity, ending all conflict, loneliness and pain brought about by individual existence. At the end of the series, SEELE and NERV come into direct conflict over the implementation of Instrumentality. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

In the last two episodes, Gendo and Rei initiate the Human Instrumentality Project, forcing several characters to face their doubts and fears and examine their self-worth. This focuses primarily on Shinji, particularly in episode 26. Initially, Shinji attempts to run away from this internal confrontation, but eventually accepts himself for who he is. This ending, made up of flashbacks, strange, sketchy artwork, and flashing text, left many fans confused and unsatisfied. A year later, a second ending was released theatrically.

The final two episodes were possibly the most controversial segments of a controversial series,^[12] although Anno defended the artistic integrity of the finale.^[13]

Characters

The characters of Evangelion are continuously struggling with their interpersonal relationships, their inner demons, and traumatic events in their pasts, creating a complex pattern of relationships. Image File history File links Characters_of_Evangelion. ... Image File history File links Characters_of_Evangelion. ... This is a list of characters in the Japanese anime Neon Genesis Evangelion and the movies Evangelion: Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion. ...

Anno described the hero, Shinji Ikari, as a boy who "shrinks from human contact", and has "convinced himself that he is a completely unnecessary person, so much so that he cannot even commit suicide." He describes Shinji and Misato Katsuragi as "extremely afraid of being hurt" and "unsuitable — lacking the positive attitude — for what people call heroes of an adventure."^[7] When compared to the stereotypical hero, Shinji is characterized more by lack of energy and emotional affection than any sort of heroism or bravery.^[15] Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Soryu, the other major protagonists, have similar flaws and difficulty relating to other people. Misato Katsuragi ) is a fictional character from the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion movie. ... In psychology, affect is the scientific term used to describe a subjects externally displayed mood. ...

According to Anno, Evangelion was an attempt to make all perspectives into one, creating characters that represent different things to different viewers to make it impossible for everyone to arrive at a single theory. To some viewers, the characters are psychological representations, while to others, they are philosophical, religious, historical, and even themselves.^[16] It seems the main goal was to present characters who reflected the deep depression and eventual recovery that Anno experienced before beginning work on Evangelion^[7]^[17]^[18] Assistant Director Kazuya Tsurumaki said of the series, "If a person who can already live and communicate normally watches it, they won't learn anything."^[19]

The character designs by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto have also contributed to the popularity of Evangelion. Sadamoto's attractive designs of the three main female leads, Asuka, Rei and Misato, led to extremely high sales of merchandise^[20] (especially of Rei, the "Premium Girl"^[21]), and they have been immortalized in the dōjinshi community,^[22] garage kit models, and in subsequent anime (such as Burst Angel) Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (è²žæœ¬ ç¾©è¡Œ Sadamoto Yoshiyuki) (born 29 January 1962, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan) is one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio. ... DÅjinshi ) are self-published Japanese works, usually manga or novels. ... Garage kits are Japanese hobbyist model kits. ... Burst Angel (çˆ†è£‚å¤©ä½¿ <ãƒã‚¯ãƒ¬ãƒ„ãƒ†ãƒ³ã‚·> Bakuretsu Tenshi) is an anime series produced by GONZO animation studio set in a world sometime after 2020. ...

Origin and development

In March 1992, Gainax had begun planning and production of an anime movie called Aoki Uru, which was to be a sequel to Oritsu Uchugun set 50 years later (so as to be easier to pitch to investors^[23]) which, like Oritsu, would follow a group of fighter pilots. Production would eventually cease in July 1993: a full-length anime movie was just beyond Gainax's financial ability - many of its core businesses were shutting down or producing minimal amounts of money:

With the failure of the project, Anno who had been slated from the beginning to direct Aoki Uru was freed up. Legendarily, he would soon agree to a collaboration between King Records and Gainax while drinking with Toshimichi Otsuki, a representative at King Records;^[25] with King Records guaranteeing a time slot, Anno set about actually making the anime. Unsurprisingly, elements of Aoki Uru were incorporated into the nascent Evangelion: Japanese King Record King Records ) is a Japanese record company, founded in 1931 as a division of the Japanese music publishing house Kodansha. ...

The original early plot line for Evangelion remained relatively stable through development, although later episodes appear to have changed dramatically from the fluid and uncertain^[7] early conceptions; for example, originally there were 12 angels and not 17; and the climax would deal with the defeat of the 12th angel and not with the operation of the Human Completion Program; Kaworu Nagisa's appearance was changed from being a school boy -who could switch to an "Angel form"- accompanied by a pet cat, to his eventual actual design, etc.^[27]

Production was by no means placid. Sadamoto's authorship of the manga (Neon Genesis Evangelion) caused problems as multiple publishers felt "that he was too passé to be bankable";^[28] the stylized mecha design that Evangelion would later be praised for was initially deprecated by some of the possible sponsors of a mecha anime (toy companies) as being too difficult to manufacture (possibly on purpose,^[29] and that models of the Evangelions "would never sell."^[30] Eventually, Sega agreed to license all toy sales. Serialized in Shonen Ace Original run February 1995 issue (December 26, 1994[1]) â€“ (ongoing) No. ... Sega Corporation ) is a Japanese multinational video game software and hardware developing company, and a former home computer and console manufacturer. ...

Eventually, Evangelion began to be shown: the first episode aired 4 October 1995, long after it was originally planned to air. Coincidentally, that year Yom Kippur fell on the 4th. Initially unpopular, viewing grew slowly, and largely by word of mouth; by the 18th episode, it had become enough of a sensation that Eva-01's violent rampage "is criticized as being unsuitable on an anime show that is viewed by children", and episode 20 would be similarly criticized for the offscreen depiction of Misato and Kaji having sex^[31] With this popularity came the first merchandise, "Genesis 0:1" (containing the first two episodes). Beginning a trend, it sells out. As the series concluded on 27 March 1996 with Take care of yourself., the story apparently remained unresolved: Third Impact and the Human Complementation Project are implied to have begun or even finished, but the episodes focus largely on the psychology of the characters, leaving deeply unclear what actually happens. The radically different and experimental style of the final two episodes alienated many fans and led to years of debate and analysis, both scholarly and informal. Anno commented in various interviews after the conclusion of the series that "anime fans need to have more self-respect" and to "come back to reality"; in a Newtype interview 10 May, after the announcement on 26 April of a new movie and re-edited versions of the TV series, he also stated that "computer networking is graffiti on toilet walls."^[31] These statements were even more controversial. October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Yom Kippur (IPA: ; Hebrew:×™×•Ö¹× ×›Ö´Ö¼×¤Ö¼×•Ö¼×¨, IPA: ) is the Jewish holiday of the Day of Atonement. ... Look up ambivalence in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Take care of yourself. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

After the series

Gainax launched the project to create a movie ending for the series in 1997. They first released Death and Rebirth, consisting of a character-based recap of the entire series (Death) and the first half of the new ending (Rebirth). The project was completed later in the year, and released as The End of Evangelion. Image File history File links NGEscreenshot03. ... Image File history File links NGEscreenshot03. ... Divine retribution is a supernatural punishment usually directed towards all or some portions of humanity by a deity. ... Image File history File links NGEscreenshot02. ... Image File history File links NGEscreenshot02. ...

The two endings are similar in plot, but while in the film Shinji rejects Instrumentality, in the television series his decision is left ambiguous. In still frames in episodes 25 and 26, Unit 01 is depicted with wings and the corpses of Misato and Ritsuko are shown, hinting that these events had been planned. In the English-language Director's Cut version of episode 24, the preview of the next episode shows concept frames from the fight between Asuka and the mass-produced Evas, and the title of the next episode is presented as "Air", which is the title of the first chapter from The End of Evangelion, rather than showing scenes from the TV series ending as it does in the original cut. There was a sudden shift in tone around episode 16 of the series. This was partly due to scheduling restraints, which drastically reduced the number of frames that could be drawn for each episode,^[19] and partly due to the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway on March 20, 1995, which occurred while the series was under production; Anno decided to remove elements of the series plot that he felt were too similar to the real-life attack.^[22] Anno stated before production that he did not know how the show would end, nor what would become of the characters.^[7] A wanted poster in Japan. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

In May 1998, Gainax was first audited by the National Tax Agency: Gainax was suspected of tax evasion on the massive profits from Evangelion. Eventually Takeshi Sawamura was arrested for concealing income of 1.5 billion yen failing to pay corporate taxes of 580 million yen.^[32] Yasuhiro Takeda defends Sawamura's actions as being a reaction to Gainax's perpetually precarious finances and the shaky accounting procedures internally: The National Tax Agency (NTA) is the official tax collecting of Japan and a government ministry. ... Corporate tax refers to a direct tax levied by various jurisdictions on the profits made by companies or associations. ... Yasuhiro Takeda (12[1] September 1957[2]-) is a Japanese anime director and founding member of Gainax; for most of his career, he was General Manager. ...

Inspiration and symbolism

Evangelion is dense with allusions to biological, military, religious, and psychological concepts, as well as numerous references or homages to older anime series (for example, the basic plot is seen in earlier anime like Space Battleship Yamato^[34] - a tendency which inspired the nickname for the series, the "remixed anime"^[35] Anno's use of Freudian jargon and psychoanalytical theory as well as his allusions to religion and biology are often idiosyncratically used and redefined to carry his message. This tendency of Anno's has been criticized as "Total plagiarism!" and "just more mindgames from the animation crew".^[36] However, Anno has defended himself by denying the possibility of really original work without borrowing in anime: Image File history File links Circle-question. ... This is a glossary of terms from the anime and manga series Neon Genesis Evangelion. ... Space Battleship Yamato ) is a Japanese science fiction anime series and the name of its eponymous space craft. ... Sigmund Freud His famous couch Sigmund Freud (May 6, 1856 - September 23, 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of the psychoanalytic school of psychology, a movement that popularized the theory that unconscious motives control much behavior. ...

Regardless, Anno seems to have hoped to reinvigorated the genre of anime - seen as lifeless and moribund in the early 1990s - and restore originality: to create a new anime. This desire is also the reason Anno cited for creating the Rebuild of Evangelion movies:

The interpretation of the symbols and concepts varies from individual to individual,^[40] and it is not clear how many are intentional or meaningful, nor which were merely design elements or coincidences. Anno himself said, "It might be fun if someone with free time could research them."^[7] A number of these symbols were noted on the English DVD commentary for Death and Rebirth and End of Evangelion.

Many of the characters share their names with Japanese warships from World War II (such as the Sōryū, Akagi, and Katsuragi, though the ship names and character names are written with different kanji, they share the same pronunciations.) Other characters' names refer to other works of fiction, such as the two characters named after the protagonists of Ryu Murakami's Ai to Genso no Fascism ("Fascism in Love and Fantasy"; the two main characters are named Aida Kensuke and Suzuhara Toji). Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Soryu (Japanese KyÅ«jitai: è’¼é¾, Shinjitai: è’¼ç«œ, soryu, meaning blue (or green) dragon) was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The Akagi (Japanese: èµ¤åŸŽ, meaning red castle, a volcano in the KantÅ region of Japan) was an aircraft carrier serving with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. The Akagi played a major part in the Attack on Pearl Harbor, but was sunk along with three other large carriers by... The following is the list of ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. ... Ryu Murakami (æ‘ä¸Šé¾ Murakami RyÅ«, born 19 February 1952 in Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan) is a Japanese novelist and filmmaker. ...

Psychology and psychoanalytic theory

From the start, Evangelion invokes many psychological themes. Phrases used in episodes, their titles, and the names of the background music frequently derive from Sigmund Freud's works^[41] in addition to perhaps some Lacanian influences in general^[42] Examples include "Thanatos", "Oral stage", "Separation Anxiety", and "Mother Is The First Other" (the mother as the first object of a child's love is the basis of the Oedipus complex). The scenery and buildings in Tokyo-3 often seem laden with psychological import, even in the first episode^[43] Psychoanalysis is a family of psychological theories and methods based on the work of Sigmund Freud. ... Sigmund Freud (IPA: ), born Sigismund Schlomo Freud (May 6, 1856 â€“ September 23, 1939), was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who co-founded the psychoanalytic school of psychology. ... Cover of Elisabeth Roudinescos biography of Lacan Jacques-Marie-Ã‰mile Lacan (April 13, 1901 â€“ September 9, 1981) was a French psychoanalyst and psychiatrist. ... Deathwish redirects here. ... The oral stage in psychology is the term used by Sigmund Freud to describe the childs development during the first 18 to 24 months of life, in which an infants pleasure centers are in the mouth. ... Separation anxiety disorder (or simply separation anxiety) is a psychological condition in which an individual has excessive anxiety regarding separation from home, or from those with whom the individual has a strong attachment. ... The Oedipus complex in Freudian psychoanalysis refers to a stage of psychosexual development in childhood where children of both sexes regard their father as an adversary and competitor for the exclusive love of their mother. ...

The connection between the Evas and their pilots, as well as the ultimate goal of the Human Instrumentality Project, bear a strong resemblance to Freud's theories on internal conflict and interpersonal communication.^[44]

The hedgehog's dilemma is a concept described by philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer and later adopted by Freud. It is the subtitle of episode 4 and is mentioned in that episode by Misato Katsuragi as descriptive of her relationship with Shinji.^[45] The hedgehogs dilemma states that the closer two beings come to each other, the more likely they are to hurt one another; however if they remain apart, they will each feel the pain of loneliness. ... Arthur Schopenhauer (February 22, 1788 â€“ September 21, 1860) was a German philosopher. ...

Many of the characters have deep psychological traumas in relation to their parents. Shinji's introversion and social anxiety stem from the death of his mother at an early age and his abandonment by his father. Asuka was the target of her mother's insanity, and discovered her mother's body after she hanged herself; her tough, bullying personality is a means of distancing herself from her pain, and she has made piloting Unit 02 her only source of pride and satisfaction. Misato's father neglected her when she was a child; after he was killed in the Second Impact, she stopped talking for a couple of years. In episode 25, Misato states that she was both attracted to and afraid of Ryoji Kaji because he reminded her of her father. Ritsuko saw her mother having an affair with Gendo Ikari; after her mother's suicide she felt both attraction and hate towards Gendo. Indeed, the last two episodes are "stripped of the high-tech gadgetry and the colorful visuals that characterize the earlier episodes in the series, these last two episodes take place largely in muted tones… a form of interrogation proceeds to be carried out as he [Shinji] asks himself – or is asked by an unseen voice – probing psychological questions."^[46] The questions elicit unexpected answers, particularly the ones dealing with Shinji's motivation for piloting the Eva – he feels worthless and afraid of others (especially his father) if he is not piloting the Eva.^[47] Asuka and Rei are also depicted in deep introspection and consideration of their psyches. Asuka comes to the realization that her entire being is caught up in being a competent Eva pilot and that without it, she has no personal identity: "I'm the junk… I'm worthless. Nobody needs a pilot who can't control her own Eva."^[48] Rei, who throughout the series has displayed minimal emotion, reveals that she does have one impulse; it is Thanatos, an inclination to death: "I am Happy. Because I want to die, I want to despair, I want to return to nothing."^[48] In episode 25 Shinji and Asuka both show that they in fact suffered similar pasts and found different ways of dealing with it. This is further established in Shinji when he claims he has no life without Eva and this is disproven by the world shown in Episode 26 followed by the famous "Congratulations" scene.[10] Social anxiety is an experience of fear, apprehension or worry regarding social situations and being evaluated by others. ... Do you love me? is an episode of the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. ...

Religion

The most prominent symbolism takes its inspiration from Judeo-Christian sources and frequently uses iconography and themes from Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism,^[49] and Kabbalism, in the series's examination of religious ideas and themes.^[50] This work is copyrighted. ... This work is copyrighted. ... Eugen Sandow as the Dying Gaul A fig leaf is the covering up of an act or an object that is embarrassing or disagreeable. ... Robert Browning (May 7, 1812 â€“ December 12, 1889) was a British poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets. ... Pippa Passes was a dramatic piece, as much play as poetry, by Robert Browning published in 1841 as the first volume of his Bells and Pomegranates series. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... // In the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, Angels are beings which attack Tokyo-3 over the course of the story. ... The traditional form of the Western Christian cross, known as the Latin cross. ... Look up icon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Judeo-Christian (or Judaeo-Christian) is a term used to describe the body of concepts and values which are thought to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, and typically considered (sometimes along with classical Greco-Roman civilization) a fundamental basis for Western legal codes and moral values. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Wycliffe Tyndale Â· Luther Â· Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Pope Â· Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The tree of life Kabbalah (קבלה Reception, Standard Hebrew Qabbala, Tiberian Hebrew Qabbālāh; also written variously as Cabala, Cabalah, Cabbala, Cabbalah, Kabala, Kabalah, Kabbala, Qabala, Qabalah) is a religious philosophical system claiming an insight into divine nature. ...

Assistant director Kazuya Tsurumaki said that they originally used Christian symbolism only to give the project a unique edge against other giant robot shows, and that it had no particular meaning,^[51] and that it was meant to be susceptible to multiple interpretations.^[52] Kazuya Tsurumaki (é¶´å·» å’Œå“‰ Tsurumaki Kazuya) is a Japanese anime director. ... Giant Robot can mean one of three things: Giant Robot (magazine) Giant Robot (band) Giant Robot (genre) This is a disambiguation page â€” a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

References, with multiple equally plausible interpretations which exist, include:

Michelangelos Creation of Adam, from the Sistine Chapel. ... Genesis (â€Ž, Greek: Î“ÎÎ½ÎµÏƒÎ¹Ï‚, meaning birth, creation, cause, beginning, source or origin) is the first book of the Torah, the Tanakh, and the Old Testament. ... The traditional form of the Western Christian cross, known as the Latin cross. ... â€œLilituâ€ redirects here. ... Crucifixion is an ancient method of execution, where the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead. ... Philip Burne-Jones, The Vampire, 1897 Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings that subsist on human and/or animal lifeforce. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Holy Lance. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... According to The Alphabet of Ben-Sira, the lilin or lilim (singular lili) are the daughters of Lilith and Asmodai, engendered while Lilith was still Adams wife. ... // In the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, Angels are beings which attack Tokyo-3 over the course of the story. ... The Annunciation - the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear Jesus (El Greco, 1575) An angel is an ethereal being found in many religions, whose duties are to assist and serve God. ... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh to refer to its canon, which corresponds to the Protestant Old Testament. ... The Twelve Apostles (in Koine Greek Î±Ï€ÏŒÏƒÏ„Î¿Î»Î¿Ï‚ apostolos [1], someone sent forth/sent out, an emissary) were probably Galilean Jewish men (10 names are Aramaic, 4 names are Greek) chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth by Jesus of Nazareth to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles... This article is about the Christian scriptures. ... Each eyecatch from Marmalade Boy rotates every few episodes. ... Three Kings, or Three Wise Men redirects here. ... The Gospel of Matthew (literally, according to Matthew; Greek, ÎšÎ±Ï„Î¬ ÎœÎ±Î¸Î¸Î±Î¯Î¿Î½ or ÎšÎ±Ï„Î¬ ÎœÎ±Ï„Î¸Î±Î¯Î¿Î½, Kata Maththaion or Kata Matthaion) is one of the four Gospel accounts of the New Testament. ... Central Bethlehem Bethlehem (Arabic Ø¨ÙŠØª Ù„ØÙ… house of meat; Standard Hebrew ×‘×™×ª ×œ×—× house of bread, Bet lÃ©á¸¥em / Bet lÃ¡á¸¥em; Tiberian Hebrew BÃªá¹¯ lÃ©á¸¥em / BÃªá¹¯ lÄá¸¥em; Greek: Î’Î·Î¸Î»ÎµÎÎ¼) is a city in the Bethlehem Governorate of the West Bank under Palestinian Authority considered a central hub of Palestinian cultural and tourism... Category:Sephiroth Main article: Sephirot (Kabbalah) Tree of life is a mystical concept within the Kabbalah of Judaism which is used to understand the nature of God and the manner in which He created the world ex nihilo (out of nothing). ... The word Hebrew most likely means to cross over, referring to the Semitic people crossing over the Euphrates River. ... Marduk (Sumerian spelling in Akkadian: AMAR.UTU solar calf; Biblical: Merodach) was the Babylonian name of a late-generation god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of the city of Babylon, who, when Babylon permanently became the political center of the Euphrates valley in the time of Hammurabi (18th century... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Mesopotamian mythology. ... Babylon (in Arabic: Ø¨Ø§Ø¨Ù„; in Syriac: Ü’Ü’Ü™Ü in Hebrew:×‘×‘×œ) was an ancient city in Mesopotamia (modern Al Hillah, Iraq), the ruins of which can be found in present-day Babil Province, about 80km south of Baghdad. ... The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in both the Hebrew Tanakh and the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. ... In Jewish mysticism, the Chamber of Guf (or Guph or even Gup) (Hebrew body/corpse) also called the Otzar (Hebrew for treasury) is the Hall of Souls located in the Seventh Heaven. ...

Fiction and Philosophy

Neon Genesis Evangelion and particularly the Human Instrumentality Project show a strong influence from Arthur C. Clarke's novel Childhood's End, an influence Anno acknowledged.^[60] Similarities between the works, such as the larger theme of humanity's evolution to a higher plane of existence, or lesser details such as the declining birth rate after the Second Impact, were gleaned from this work.^{[citation needed]} This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (born December 16, 1917) is a British science-fiction author and inventor, most famous for his novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, and for collaborating with director Stanley Kubrick on the film of the same name. ... Childhoods End is a science fiction novel by Sir Arthur C. Clarke. ...

Evangelion shows influences from the science fiction author Dr. Paul Linebarger,^[60] better known by his pseudonym, Cordwainer Smith. Linebarger was raised in China, became the god-son of the nationalistic leader Sun Yat-sen, and during World War II, worked in psychological warfare on behalf of the U.S. Army, including propaganda efforts by the U.S. against the Japanese. Linebarger's work included strong influences from both East Asian culture and Christianity. His science fiction novels revolve around his own concept of the Instrumentality of Mankind, an all-powerful central government of humanity.^[61] Like SEELE, the Instrumentality of Mankind see themselves "to be shapers of the true destiny of mankind."^[62] Although Anno insisted that Hokan (補完^? complementation, completion) be translated as "Instrumentality" in English, perhaps as a way to pay homage to Linebarger, the two authors' conceptions of "instrumentality" are extremely different.^[60] Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... A pseudonym (Greek pseudo + -onym: false name) is an artificial, fictitious name, also known as an alias, used by an individual as an alternative to a persons true name. ... Cordwainer Smith â€“ pronounced CORDwainer Smith â€“ was the pseudonym used by American author Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger (July 11, 1913 â€“ August 6, 1966) for his science fiction works. ... Sun Yat-sen (November 12, 1866 â€“ March 12, 1925) was a Chinese revolutionary and political leader often referred to as the father of modern China. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The U.S. Department of Defense defines psychological warfare (PSYWAR) as: The planned use of propaganda and other psychological actions having the primary purpose of influencing the opinions, emotions, attitudes, and behavior of hostile foreign groups in such a way as to support the achievement of national objectives. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Soviet Propaganda Poster during the World War II. The text reads Red Army Fighter, SAVE US! Chinese propaganda poster from during the Cultural Revolution. ... East Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... In the fictional works of Cordwainer Smith, the Instrumentality of Mankind is the central government of the human race. ...

Existential themes are heavily relied upon throughout the entire series, particularly the philosophies of Jean Paul Sartre and Søren Kierkegaard, focusing on individuality and consciousness, and especially, freedom, choice, and responsibility.^{[citation needed]} For Sartre, humans ultimately exist in an abandoned and free state. There is no essential truth about what human beings want to be or ought to be- instead each person must find their own identity and their own purposes.This incredible freedom, in a way, makes us "condemned to be free", because our actions and choices are our own and no one else's, which makes us responsible for them. We are constantly making decisions and choices, whether to continue doing something or to stop and do something else. Being aware of this fact, can bring on despair or anguish; and typically we try to avoid the consciousness of our own freedom.^[63] Existentialism is a philosophical movement emphasizing individualism, individual freedom, and subjectivity. ... Jean Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Sartre (June 21, 1905–April 15, 1980) was a French existentialist philosopher, dramatist, novelist and critic. ... SÃ¸ren Aabye Kierkegaard (IPA: , but usually Anglicized as ; ) 5 May 1813 â€“ 11 November 1855) was a prolific 19th century Danish philosopher and theologian. ...

Sartre's position is in direct contradiction with Freud’s.^{[citation needed]} Freud believed that we are not in control of ourselves, but are rather at the mercy of primordial unconscious mechanisms which drive us.^{[citation needed]} Sartre found such theories dangerous.^{[citation needed]} He felt human passions arise not from the animal element of human nature, but from the fact that human beings are not merely animals or objects, and not merely minds or free subjects either, but always both.^{[citation needed]} In the series, even the mecha Evangelion units turn out not to be machines; Unit 01 moves without a pilot to protect Shinji, and it can fight without the aid of an external power source when it goes berserk. Eventually, it is learned that its external armor is actually to restrain its freedom and to bind it to the control of NERV, and that they are not just machines or animals, but have souls. Existential psychotherapy is partly based on the existential belief that human beings are alone in the world. ...

To act as if one is only an object or a label, or that if one changes the facts about oneself that they can change who they are, is what Sartre calls bad faith.^{[citation needed]} In the series for instance Ritsuko has dyed her hair blonde as if this fact changes her identity as well; Shinji calls himself a coward as if that is an excuse that makes it impossible for him to act differently. This sort of self deception had been addressed by Kierkegaard in a paradox he called "the sickness unto death," someone who goes on pretending in life as though he has no soul,^{[citation needed]} and as a result, is in danger of losing his "self." Episode 16's title, "The Sickness Unto Death, And…" (死に至る病、そして Shi ni itaru yamai, soshite^?) is a reference to this work.^[64] Jean Paul Sartre Bad faith (from French, mauvaise foi) is a philosophical concept first coined by existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre to describe the phenomenon wherein one denies ones total freedom, instead choosing to behave as an inert object. ... The Sickness Unto Death (Danish Sygdommen til DÃ¸den) is a book written by Danish philosopher SÃ¸ren Kierkegaard in 1849 under the pseudonym Anti-Climacus. ...

Sartre in Being and Nothingness calls the conditions that bring about consciousness (ourselves, the world, others) "instrumentalities." Martin Heidegger, another existentialist, wrote an essay describing technology as an instrumentality that reveals "truth." Philosophically, the Human Instrumentality Project is a representation of the idealism developed by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel: a unification of all conflicts and tensions between societies, knowledge, and consciousness through a sort of historical evolution. Earlier philosophers such as Fichte had proposed that the human ego had come about through the instrumentality of freedom; it was Hegel's theory that this consciousness was not separated from the world, but was a part of it and would eventually evolve into an Absolute spirit or mind, a sort of God-like being with absolute freedom. In the movie End of Evangelion, Shinji literally becomes such an absolute being, dissolving all other conscious beings and merging with them.^[65] Søren Kierkegaard criticized Hegel's theory, not only because it was arrogant for a mere human to claim such a unity, but because such a system negates the importance of the individual in favor of the whole unity. He writes: Being and Nothingness: A Phenomenological Essay on Ontology (1943) is a philosophical treatise by Jean-Paul Sartre that is regarded as the beginning of the growth of existentialism in the 20th century. ... Martin Heidegger (September 26, 1889 â€“ May 26, 1976) (pronounced ) was a highly influential German philosopher. ... Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (IPA: ) (August 27, 1770 â€“ November 14, 1831) was a German philosopher born in Stuttgart, in the region of WÃ¼rttemberg in southwestern Germany. ...

As illustrated in episodes 25 and 26, part of what shapes us as individuals are limitations: gravity, the horizon, a body, and other people. Misato tells Shinji in the first episode, he has to learn how to deal with his anxiety and how to deal with others. Sartre in his earlier works went so far as to say that "hell is other people". Other people limit our freedoms, or may tell us things we do not like to hear, and they may see aspects of our personality we do not. Shinji later reflects upon the fact that everyone he knows has their own impression of him that may be different from his own. But in his later work, Sartre said he felt that both Hegel and Kierkegaard had a point. Individuality is important, but because part of who we are is shaped by the way others see us, we can have an effect on others too, and must work together with others in our collective struggle for existence. This article is about the play. ...

Interestingly, some Eastern philosophies, such as Brahmanism and its derivatives, teach that enlightenment involves liberation from individuality through the re-absorption of the soul into a great All-Soul of creation. It can be argued that SEELE attempts to engineer such enlightenment for the entire human race^{[attribution needed]} – it hopes that by unifying all souls into one all pain and misunderstanding will end. If one wants a separate existence from others, one must be limited and opposed to others, causing pain and suffering (too, the Hedgehog's Dilemma inevitably arises); Buddhism identifies existence as inevitably bringing pain. The way to avoid pain is to extirpate desire and become formless. In the final episode, Shinji realizes how to to attain his individuality, that he can come to have an identity separable from being an Evangelion pilot, a self he can perhaps come to love and not hate. This rejection is interesting, as it seems to be a rejection of the Buddhist solution and almost an existentialist masturbation: the world is painful only inasmuch as you imagine it to be.^{[citation needed]} Arthur Shoepenhauer, whose work is referred to in the title of The Hedgehog's Dilemma, was heavily influenced by Buddhist thought, but Friedrich Nietzsche and Sartre both came to a similar conclusion, rejecting many of his tenets. Brahmanism, also Brahminism, is the name given to Hinduism by some authors in the 19th century CE.[1] The term is considered derogatory by many Hindus. ... Take care of yourself. ...

Influence

From the period from 1984 to the release of Evangelion, most highly acclaimed anime had a style somehow distanced from the usual styles of anime. For example, Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro (1988), and Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) were both low-key works, while Akira (1988) was influenced by American comic books.^[4] Acclaimed director Mamoru Oshii had said that, in the words of Hiroki Azuma, nobody wanted to watch "simple anime-like works" anymore.^[4] Evangelion, however, shows the reversal of this trend. It fully embraced the style of mecha anime, and in particular shows a large influence from Yoshiyuki Tomino's Space Runaway Ideon; particularly, there are scenes in The End of Evangelion which are clear homages to the last movie for the Ideon series.^[4] My Neighbor Totoro ), or My Neighbour Totoro on UK DVD box titles, is a 1988 film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. ... Kikis Delivery Service (, Witchs Delivery Service) is a 1989 anime film, produced, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki . ... Akira ) is a 1988 Japanese animated film co-written and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo based on his manga of the same name. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer Mamoru Oshii (æŠ¼äº•å®ˆ Oshii Mamoru; born August 8, 1951 in Tokyo) is a Japanese animation and live-action film writer and director famous for his philosophy-orietned storytelling. ... Yoshiyuki Tomino , born November 5, 1941) is a Japanese anime creator, director, screenwriter and novelist. ... Space Runaway Ideon ), also known as Legendary Giant God Ideon, is an anime television series produced by Sunrise. ...

As much as Evangelion has been impacted by other works like Devilman,^[37] the series itself has become a staple in Japanese fiction. The nature of the show made it a landmark work in the more psychological and sophisticated vein of anime that would be picked up by later works such as Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997) that, like Evangelion, center on an ambiguous world-changing event to come. Serial Experiments Lain is a later anime which dealt with many of the same themes as Evangelion,^[66] and so is often thought to be influenced by Neon Genesis Evangelion, but the writer did not see any of Evangelion until he had finished the fourth episode of Lain.^[67] The show His and Her Circumstances (1999), which was also directed by Hideaki Anno, shares techniques (the experimental 'ripping-apart' of the animation and use of real photographs) and portrayed psychological conflicts in much the same way. The video game Xenogears (1998) bears a resemblance to Evangelion, though its creators (Xenogears co-creator/co-writer Soraya Saga and co-creator/director Tetsuya Takahashi in particular) have denied the speculated influences vehemently. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Revolutionary Girl Utena ) is a manga by Chiho Saito and anime directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara. ... Original run July 6, 1998 â€“ September 28, 1998 No. ... Kare Kano manga, volume 1 (English version) His and Her Circumstances, or Kareshi Kanojo no Jijō (彼氏彼女の事情), or Kare Kano (カレカノ), is a manga by Masami Tsuda and a 26 episode TV anime series, directed by Hideaki Anno of Gainax. ... Namcos Pac-Man was a hit, and became a universal phenomenon. ... Xenogears ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co. ... Soraya Saga was a contributor to the storylines of Xenogears, Xenosaga, and Xenosaga: Pied Piper. ... Tetsuya Takahashi (é«˜æ©‹ å“²å“‰ Takahashi Tetsuya) (born November 18, 1966 in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan) is currently the head of game software company Monolith Soft, Inc. ...

Evangelion dramatically changed the design of giant robots in animated works. Previously, mecha or giant robot shows took their "mechanical suit" designs from Mobile Suit Gundam, Mazinger, and other similar shows from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Evangelion changed this with its fast and sleek Evas, making a noticeable contrast to the comparatively bulky and cumbersome looking Patlabors and Transformers of the past. Indeed, the style set and created by Evangelion has become more common since its release, yet series like The King of Braves GaoGaiGar have continued to use the classic "mecha" style. RahXephon, a show with designs inspired by 1970s mecha shows,^[68] was compared to Evangelion by many English language reviewers.^[69]^[70]^[71] Evangelion is generally viewed to be a part of the soft science fiction genre, by avoiding the technical hard S.F. approach of Gundam and other popular mecha anime in favor of psychological struggle^[49] and metaphysical symbolism.^[72] Mobile Suit Gundam ) is a televised anime series written and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino and made up of 43 episodes aired in 1979. ... Mazinger is the name of a group of Super Robot manga / anime series by Go Nagai. ... Patlabor 2 The Movie, Japanese regular edition 04 Patlabor (a portmanteau of patrol and labor) refers to Mobile Police Patlabor ) a manga franchise created by Masami YÅ«ki. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Brave series insignia (logo of the GGG organization) The King of Braves GaoGaiGar ) is a Japanese anime television series series begun in 1997, created by Sunrises internal Studio 7 under the direction of Yoshitomo Yonetani, and was the eighth and final Yuusha or Brave metaseries funded by Takara and... Original run January 2002 â€“ September 2002[1] No. ... Soft science fiction or soft SF is science fiction whose plots and themes tend to focus on human characters and their relations and feelings, while de-emphasizing the details of technological hardware and physical laws. ... Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both. ...

Evangelion has been frequently parodied and explicitly referenced in popular media. In the Digimon Tamers series, many Evangelion elements were used in the back stories for the three main children, their friends, and D-Reaper. The same can be said for both WarGrowlmon and Gallantmon Crimson Mode, as they bear a resemblance to Unit 01. Gainax's own His and Her Circumstances and FLCL had Evangelion parodies, as did Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi. Invader Zim's Christmas episode, "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever", had a cameo parody of Evangelion (a reference to when Shinji was assimilated inside Unit 01). In the episode "Hamstergeddon", Ultra-Pipi (the class hamster that Zim accidentally mutates into a giant monster) rushes at Zim's War Cruiser in a manner that is a rip from the blitz that Unit 01 makes at the Third Angel, Sachiel (as admitted by the episode's director in the commentaries). In the online community, Evangelion is a common source of parody. Numerous webcomics, such as Tsunami Channel, have featured Evangelion tributes. Original run April 1, 2001 â€“ March 31, 2002 No. ... D-Reaper is a fictional character from the Digimon franchise. ... WarGrowlmon is a fictional character from the Digimon franchise, a Cyborg-type Digimon, the Ultimate form of Guilmon. ... Gallantmon is a fictional character from the Digimon franchise. ... Unit 01 runs through Tokyo-3; the buildings in the background give a frame of reference for the size of the Eva. ... Kare Kano manga, volume 1 (English version) His and Her Circumstances, or Kareshi Kanojo no Jijō (彼氏彼女の事情), or Kare Kano (カレカノ), is a manga by Masami Tsuda and a 26 episode TV anime series, directed by Hideaki Anno of Gainax. ... Serialized in Magazine Z Original run 2000 â€“ 2001 No. ... Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi Magical Shopping Arcade of Abenobashi (ã‚¢ãƒ™ãƒŽæ©‹é”æ³•â˜†å•†åº—è¡—, Abenobashi MahÅ ShÅtengai), also known as Abenobashi Magical Shopping District and as Magical Shopping Street Abenobashi is a 13-episode Japanese TV series from the famous anime studio Gainax; it is directed by Hiroyuki Yamaga. ... Invader Zim is an American animated television series created by comic book writer/artist Jhonen Vasquez and aired on Nickelodeon. ... // In the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, Angels are beings which attack Tokyo-3 over the course of the story. ... Web comics are comics that are available on the web. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Anno himself has also poked fun at his work. In the Evangelion soundtrack Addition, a twenty minute audio drama (directed and written by Anno) was included that reunited the entire voice acting cast, titled "After the End." The drama is set after episode 26 and has the characters breaking the fourth wall and discussing a sequel. Anno is believed to be featured as a guest voice in the piece,^[73] taking on the role of the "Black Space God." On a similar note, Spike Spencer made fun of the series' rather ambiguous ending by acting as Shinji thoughout the ending credits in a hidden track in the Platinum re-release of the series, highlights of which include him deducting that previous advice given to him towards him not running away doesn't apply to his current predicament on the account that he's on a big blue ball. // In film formats, the sound track is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... Radio drama, which had its greatest popularity in the U. S. and in most other countries before the widespread access to television programming, depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the story in her or his minds eye--in this sense, it resembles reading... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Charles Forrest Spike Spencer (Born on December 21, 1968 in Houston, Texas) is a voice actor best known for dubbing Japanese anime films. ...

Evangelion has been referenced in American media as well. In the 2002 movie One Hour Photo starring Robin Williams, the character Jake begs his mother to buy him the "Eva" 05 action figure, and Williams' character later offers it to him for free. It is commonplace for movies and shows to rename or repackage existing products with a generic name and graphic logo. In this case however, the toy was from Williams' personal collection (he is said to be a fan of the show), and so the series name Neon Genesis Evangelion and the graphics on the blister card are left untouched, and are clearly visible. One Hour Photo (2002) is an American psychological thriller written and directed by Mark Romanek and starring Robin Williams. ... Robin McLaurim Williams (born July 21, 1952)[1] is an American actor and comedian. ...

Fan interpretations and reworking of Evangelion have ranged from stories such as the H dōjinshi Evangelion: Re-Take [11] and screenplay "Neon Genesis Evangelion: R" [12] that expand or reinterpret the ending to comical fan-dubs such as Evangelion: ReDeath and even hoax posters such as that for the fictional sequel Reprise of Evangelion. [13] H dÅjinshi are non-professional comics, animation, and video games with content that is sexual in nature. ...

Other media

The popularity of the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime has ensured its longevity in other media as well. The series has spawned numerous computer games. A manga based on the series, by series character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, has been serialized since February 1995, eight months previous to the official premiere of the series. Evangelion was originally conceived as an anime series, and the early publication of the manga appears to be a way of promoting the anime even before its actual release. Two other manga based on the video games have been created: Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days, by Fumino Hayashi, and Shinji Ikari Raising Project. This is a list of episodes and media based on the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. ... Manga ) (pl. ... Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (è²žæœ¬ ç¾©è¡Œ Sadamoto Yoshiyuki) (born 29 January 1962, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan) is one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio. ... Mangaka of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days, a manga based on the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion by Gainax). ... Shinji Ikari Raising Project ) is a computer game based on the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. ...

Merchandising

Merchandise for Evangelion is released regularly. Action figures of the Evas, the Angels, and the pilots have been created. A large range of video games have been released around the franchise for the PC and Sega Saturn including RPGs and dating simulators; these have only been marketed in Japan. Asuka and Rei in particular are popular subjects for garage kits and models. A great deal of the merchandise has a much lighter tone than the series, something for which Anno has expressed considerable discontent. Unlike other "big names" of the show, he has not been involved in production for any of the merchandise.^{[citation needed]} The Altair 8800 was among the first microcomputers to be affordable by an individual, although it initially lacked peripherals and memory. ... The Sega Saturn ) is a 32-bit video game console, first released on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America and July 8, 1995 in Europe. ... This article is about games in which one plays the role of a character. ... Garage kits are Japanese hobbyist model kits. ...

Video games

This is a list of episodes and media based on the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. ... Super Robot Wars: Alpha Gaiden, one of many SRW games released by Banpresto in Japan. ... Super Robot Wars Alpha (also known as Super Robot Taisen Alpha), abbreviated as SRW Alpha, is part of the Super Robot Wars franchise, and was published for the Playstation by Banpresto. ... 3rd Super Robot Wars Alpha, for the Playstation 2 is the last game in the Super Robot Wars Alpha trilogy. ... // Series included in SRW MX Banpresto Originals (not a TV or movie series) Brave Raideen Gear Fighter Dendoh Getter Robo Getter Robo G Hades Project Zeorymer (debut) Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos Martian Successor Nadesico Martian Successor Nadesico: The Prince of Darkness Mazinger Z Great Mazinger UFO Robot Grendizer Mazinger... Leona Heidern is a video game character who made her first appearance in the Neo Geo fighting gameseries, The King of Fighters. ...

Music

The UK band Fightstar's debut album, Grand Unification is purported to have been heavily influenced by Neon Genesis Evangelion.^[74] The track 'Lost like tears in rain' even contains the lyric "It's Neon Genesis". The artwork for the record portrays vast ruined cityscapes that are reminiscent of similar scenes in Evangelion. Fightstar is a four-piece rock band from London, England. ... Grand Unification is the debut album by British emo/post-hardcore quartet Fightstar. ...

Translation notes on the title

The Japanese title for the series, Shin Seiki Evangelion, is composed of two parts: "Shin Seiki" (新世紀^? new era/century) from Japanese and "Evangelion" (εὐαγγέλιον eüaggélion, gospel, good messenger, good news) from Ancient Greek. The decision to call the series Neon Genesis Evangelion in English was originally made by Gainax, and not by translators; the use of the word "Evangelion" in particular was chosen by Anno "because it sounds complicated"^[75] It appears in the eyecatches of the original, untranslated episodes, and is used by Gainax to market the series worldwide. This is a glossary of terms from the anime and manga series Neon Genesis Evangelion. ... For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Each eyecatch from Marmalade Boy rotates every few episodes. ...

The title Neon Genesis Evangelion (νέον γένεσις εὐαγγέλιον, New Beginning Gospel) appears to be wholly Greek, except that "genesis" is not grammatically connected to the other two words. Genesis (γένεσις) means "origin, source" or "birth, race" and is the Greek title for the first book of the Hebrew Scriptures, describing the creation of the universe and early Hebrew history. The Japanese term for the first book in the Bible is "Souseiki" (創世記^? Account of the beginning of the world), perhaps a wordplay (with two different beginning and ending kanji) with "Shin Seiki" in the Japanese title. Euangelion (Latinized evangelium) originally referred to a reward offered for good news (eu (ευ) meaning "good" and angelos (άγγελος) meaning "messenger", and later "messenger of god; angel"), and later came to mean "good news" itself.^[76] Eventually it became most commonly associated with the Christian gospel (from Old English gōdspell "good story"). It is the source of the English word "evangelist." This dual meaning (message and messenger) may be the reason both the series itself and the "mecha" are called Evangelion. Genesis (â€Ž, Greek: Î“ÎÎ½ÎµÏƒÎ¹Ï‚, meaning birth, creation, cause, beginning, source or origin) is the first book of the Torah, the Tanakh, and the Old Testament. ... 11th century manuscript of the Hebrew Bible with Targum Hebrew Bible refers to the common portions of the Jewish and Christian canons. ... Japanese writing Kanji Kana Hiragana Katakana Hentaigana ManyÅgana Uses Furigana Okurigana RÅmaji ) are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with hiragana (å¹³ä»®å), katakana (ç‰‡ä»®å), and the Arabic numerals. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ...

There has been debate over the correct pronunciation of "Evangelion." In the original Japanese version a hard 'g' (IPA: /g/) pronunciation is used by Japanese characters, and, episode 18 of the series, a native English-speaking announcer. Official secondary dubs, including the English one, use the pronunciation /ˌe.vænˈgɛ.liən/ with a hard 'g'. On the other hand, in related words in English, such as "evangelist", the 'g' is soft (/dʒ/). The film One Hour Photo and numerous other parties prefer this reading;^{[citation needed]} it is consistent with English spelling conventions. If the word "Evangelion" were in use in Modern English, the pronunciation would employ a soft 'g'. For the same reason, the pronunciation /ˌi.vænˈdʒɛ.liən/ (with the first vowel rhyming with "Eve" instead of /e/) is not uncommon. The voiced velar plosive is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. ... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the â€œInternational Phonetic Alphabetâ€. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... One Hour Photo (2002) is an American psychological thriller written and directed by Mark Romanek and starring Robin Williams. ... Vowels See also: IPA, Consonants Near-close Close-mid Mid Open-mid Near-open Open Where symbols appear in pairs, the one to the right represents a rounded vowel. ...

The hard 'g' and /e/ is correct in the original Greek and Japanese, and are the pronunciations preferred by Gainax since Evangelion is a Greek word.

In the first episode, Ritsuko names the robot with a hard 'g' /ˌe.vænˈgɛ.liən/ when presenting it to Shinji.

References

^ Evangelion has reportedly grossed over 150 billion yen, or approximately 1.2 billion USD[1]. In a discussion at the 2006 Tekkoshocon, Matt Greenfield claimed Evangelion has grossed over 2 billion USD[2]; Takeda 2002 reiterates that "It sold record numbers of laserdiscs in Japan, and the DVD is still selling well today." (pg 166).
^ "Considered by many scholars to be an anime masterpiece, the series is credited by some critics with singlehandedly reviving the genre from what they saw as its creative doldrums in the early 1990s (Azuma 4). While I would not go quite so far, it is certainly true that Evangelion is one of the most important and groundbreaking anime series ever created." pg 424 of Napier 2002; see also "Not exactly the kind of words you'd expect from director Hideaki Anno about his 1995 production 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'. Taking him by surprise, it's been hailed by critics in Japan (and later in America and Europe) as the landmark Japanese animated TV series of the 90's. The modestly budgeted production has also become a commercial success, grossing over 800 million dollars in video sales and 400 million in merchandise in Japan alone." Wong 1996
^ "Constructing a mythic universe that is almost Blakean both in its complex and mythic vision and in its dizzying array of Christian and Judaic religious symbols, the series questions the construction of human identity, not only in relation to the technology that the series' plot and imagery insistently privilege, but also in relation to the nature of reality itself." pg 424 of Napier 2002
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Azuma 4
^ "I didn't have any interest in studying human psychology in the past. I only took a course about it in University, but I suppose I always had something in my mind to analyse human psyche. I thought I wasn't interested in humans very much, but then when I started talking about myself, I needed words to explain. So I started reading books on psychology. From Episode #16, EVANGELION'S story went into the direction to ask just what the human mind is all about inside. I wrote about myself. My friend lent me a book on human psychological illness and this gave me a shock, as if I finally found what I needed to say." Anno, Protoculture Addicts 43.
^ "The narratives, the characters, and the mise en scene of these works evoke the disturbing postmodern fantasy...Sconce suggests that, "where there were once whole human subjects, there are now only fragmented and decentered subjectivities, metaphors of 'simulation and 'schizophrenia'" and he finds that, "in postmodernism's fascination with the evacuation of the reference and an ungrounded play of signification and surface, we can see another vision of beings who, like ghosts and psychotics, are no longer anchored in reality instead wander through a hallucinatory world where the material real is forever lost"". (Sconce quote from Jeffrey Sconce's Haunted Media). pg 419 of Napier 2002
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Sadamoto, Yoshiyuki [July 1995] (December 1998). "What were we trying to make here?", Neon Genesis Evangelion, Vol. 1, Essay by Hideaki Anno; translated by Mari Morimoto, English adaptation by Fred Burke, San Francisco: VIZ Media LLC, 170–171. ISBN 1-56931-294-X.
^ With the exception of the first two episodes, which were first shown in a rough form three months before (in July 1995) airing to approximately 200 Gainax fans at the second GAINA Matsuri or "GAINAX Festival" (a "camp-style convention" for fans) in Itako, Ibaraki. Pg 162 and 175 of Takeda 2002
^ Roth, Daniel (2005-12-12). It's... Profitmón!. Fortune Magazine. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
^ Rebuild of Evangelion. Gainax (2006-09-10). Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
^ pg 427 of Napier 2002
^ "The stunning originality of these final episodes cannot be overstated...the series deals with these elements in breathtakingly creative ways to create a unique and memorable vision of inner and outer collapse, and, perhaps, renewal. It should be noted that many viewers were outraged by the two final episodes. Expecting a more conventional end-of-the-world scenario, fans were baffled and indignant that, instead of outward explosions and satisfying combat, the cataclysmic struggle occurred wholly in the character's mind." "In these last two episodes the machines have literally stopped, and both characters and viewers are left with no recourse but to confront their/our own flawed humanity in all its desperation and insecurities without the technological armor of the typical sf text." pg 427 and pg 428 respectively of Napier 2002
^ "Lately due to the ending of episodes #25 and #26, some people started watching Evangelion. They were not animé fans. In fact many of them are females and they tell me that they really enjoyed episode #25, objectively. Most animé fans are furious. I understand their anger. I can't help laughing when hard-core animé fans say that we did a very lousy job, with intentional negligence. No we didn't. No staff members did a lousy job. In fact every member at Gainax gave more energy than anybody can imagine. I feel sad that those fans couldn't see our efforts. Personally I think the original TV ending we showed ended up beautifully." Hideaki Anno, Protoculture Addicts 43
^ Hideaki Anno, quoted in Wong 1996
^ "This, the opening episode is constructed around all the conventions of the classic "saving the world" narrative, only to undermine them by showing IKARI [sic] Shinji, its fourteen-year-old ostensible hero, in a far from heroic light...In a more conventional anime sf narrative, Shinji would climb into the EVA with gusto and proceed to save the world. In fact he does pilot the EVA and succeeds in destroying the Angel - who turns out to be the third of seventeen - but only with the greatest reluctance and after a display of temper, fear, and vulnerability that seems less than conventionally heroic." pg 424-425 of Napier 2002
^ Evangelion: Death and Rebirth; End of Evangelion [DVD commentary track]. Manga Entertainment.
^ "Evangelion is my life, and I have put everything I know into this work. This is my entire life. My life itself." Hideaki Anno, Protoculture Addicts 43
^ "Anno often deconstructs the main casts' mental states, via abstractly presented interrogations within each character's mind. Re-opening hidden emotional wounds from the past and uncompromisingly addressing their personality flaws, 'Evangelion' offers a fascinatingly complex character study that is rare indeed, especially in popular animated entertainment. Returning to write and direct the series after an extended hiatus - reportedly due to depression - there is an acute sense that 'Evangelion' is a very personal statement." Wong 1996
^ ^a ^b Gainax (1998-02-20). A Story of Communication: The Kazuya Tsurumaki Interview. Red Cross Book. Retrieved on 2006-08-15.
^ "The release in October 1995 of Neon Genesis Evangelion on Japanese TV ignited a boom in merchandise unprecedented in a country already awash with such goods. As if overnight, well over 600 different items were made to commemorate the event. Figures were the most popular, with the inimitable bandaged Rei outselling all else. The Eva girls, kitted out in swimwear and striking suggestive poses, were, overall, a huge success, and things went a bit too far..." pg 126 of Fujie 2004. See also: "Arguably, it is because of Anno's dictates on design that few Evangelion toys were initially made. But figures of Rei, in all her bandaged beauty, sold like wild fire. This is probably the first and only example of an animated [mecha] series where reproductions of the human characters outsold those of the robots." pg 98.
^ "Rei's popularity soared in Japan, with books featuring her image on the cover selling like hot cakes. She was christened by the media, "The girl who manipulates magazine sales at will", "The fastest route to the sold-out sign!" And even, "The Premium Girl."" pg 39 of Fujie 2004
^ ^a ^b Woznicki, Krystian (1998-02-20). Towards a Cartography of Japanese Anime - Interview with Azuma Hiroki. Retrieved on 2006-08-15.
^ pg 155, Takeda 2002
^ pg 157-158 of Takeda 2002
^ "Anno knew a guy from King Records named Otsuki, and as the story goes, the two were out drinking one day when Otsuki suggested to Anno that they work on a TV anime project together. Anno agreed on the spot, came back to the office and promptly announced it to everyone. Nobody even batted an eyelash. We just accepted it without further thought." pg 164 of Takeda 2002
^ pg 165 of Takeda 2002
^ NEWTYPE 100% COLLECTION: NEON GENESIS EVANGELION. 1997 Kadokawashoten. ISBN 4-04-852700-2. Partial translation.
^ pg 167 of Takeda 2002
^ "At the planning stage, director Hideaki Anno is reported to have said, "With recent robot anime series there have been too many instances of toy makers sticking their big noses in from the design stage so they can get a spec that is easy to turn into a toy. I don't want any interference from toy makers, so I'm going to design a robot that just cannot be turned into a toy." pg 97 of Fujie 2004
^ Takeda continues: "He said the legs were too skinny, and then proceeded to give Otsuki a lecture on the principles of robot design. Otsuki is bitter about the incident to this day." pg 166-167 of Takeda 2002
^ ^a ^b pg 162, Fujie 2004
^ [3], [4]
^ pg 170, Takeda 2002
^ "Although it draws upon earlier classic anime such as the Yamato series in terms of the ostensible narrative - alien invaders, in this case known as Angels, are attacking the Earth and only a small group of young people can save it, using impressive giant robots with which they synergize - the narrative's actual execution defamiliarizes this rather hackneyed story line." pg 424 of Napier 2002
^ "Evangelion carries a large number of quotes from and references to other anime productions, such as the mecha designs of Ultraman, Space Battleship Yamato, and Gundam. The works of Go Nagai - such as Mazinga Z - and even the novelist Ryu Murakami are also referred to; in particular, Devilman is seen as a major source for the overall plot. This was so apparent that Evangelion became known as "the remixed anime". pg 9 of Fujie 2004
^ pg 75 of Fujie 2004
^ ^a ^b "The overall design of Evangelion calls to mind Devilman by Go Nagai. In fact, the whole concept of the Evas, which are made from Adam, and harbor the souls of humans, can be considered borrowed from scenes from Devilman, where the soul of Akira Fudo is possessed by Amon, the Lord of War. Moreover, the heavily religious undertones, the suggestion of conflict with an indigenous people, and the cosmic view that mankind may not be the ultimate being all owe something to Devilman." pg 76 of Fujie 2004
^ Anno, as quoted in Wong 1996
^ From 17 February 2007 movie theater poster by Anno; translation from "Hideaki Anno Releases Statement About New Evangelion Movies: EVA creator posts message in theatres across Japan, hopes to lure new audiences to Evangelion films", 2007-02-20, Anime News Network.
^ "It should be clear by now that Evangelion is a text that can be read on many levels. On the one hand, as Kotani and other critics point out, it can be seen as a coming-of-age story, expressed through the narrative of a young boy's growth vis-a-vis others, in particular the patriarchy represented by his father and the feminine presence represented by not only his colleagues but, as Kotani argues, by the EVA itself." "...a moment that suggests that Shinji's endeavor to develop a cohesive form of subjectivity has been successful. Or has it?" pg 429 of Napier 2002
^ "Aside from Old Testament quotes, there are numerous cases in Evangelion of far-reaching references to such Freudian concepts as the Libido and death wish…", "Going off on a tangent, the choice of theme songs, "Thanatos – If I can't be yours" and "Come Sweet Death" both illustrate the importance of the death wish to the movie." pg 147, 150 of Fujie 2004
^ "In the final episode, Anno is clearly referencing Freud and perhaps Lacan as the unseen voice inside Shinji's head explains to him that he creates his personality first through disassociating with the mother and then through distinguishing himself from others." pg 234 of Napier 2002
^ "Shinji and Misato's descent into the seemingly bottomless depths of NERV headquarters can be read, as critic Endo Toru suggests, as a descent into the unconsciousness, metonymically reinforced by the profusion of downward escalators and elevators from which the protagonists emerge into a disorienting maze of long empty corridors and bizarre machinery (84). It is surely no coincidence that, in the first episode, Misato and Shinji enter NERV only to become hopelessly lost, a situation that recurs symbolically and concretely throughout the series until the final episode explicitly displays Shinji as "lost" in his own subconscious." pg 428 of Napier 2002
^ "In the terms of the thermodynamic model which informs Freud's concept of the death drive, what is feared is the entropy' at work at the heart of all organization, all differentiation. By this same token the woman also signifies precisely that desired 'state where everything is the same': the pre-Oedipal bliss of the fusion of bodies in which infant and mother are "'inextricably mixed', that absence of the pain of differing, condition of identity and meaning, whose extinction is deferred until death." ―Victor Burgin
Fletcher, John [April 1990]. in Andrew Benjamin (Ed.): Abjection, Melancholia, and Love: The Work of Julia Kristeva. New York: Routledge, 104–123. ISBN 0-415-04155-4.
^ "The hedgehog's dilemma… The nearer we get, the deeper we hurt each other… I see."
^ pg 426 of Napier 2002
^ "At first he insists that he does so to "save mankind." But when that answer is met with the response "Liar", he shifts to a more complex self-analysis… he admits to piloting the Eva because of his own need for the liking and respect of others, and finally acknowledges that he feels "worthless" unless he is joined with the Eva." pg 426 of Napier 2002
^ ^a ^b As quoted in pg 426 of Napier 2002
^ ^a ^b "Although the scenes of combat are gripping and imaginative for the genre, what makes Evangelion truly groundbreaking are the psychic struggles in which the characters engage. These struggles are both wide-ranging and emotionally draining. They are also presented with surprising psychoanalytical sophistication as the characters try to come to grips with their own inner turmoil, their problematic relations with each other, and finally, their relation to more remote forms of Otherness - the gigantic machines that are the EVAs and with which they must synchronize, and the enigmatic Angels who present a riddle that is increasingly depicted in terms of what seems to be a Christian or perhaps Gnostic notion of apocalypse." pg 425 of Napier 2002
^ "Anno says the new offering from Gainax will consider some of the ultimate questions posed by science fiction, and, indeed, philosophy, such as: What is the nature of evolution? What is humanity's relationship to his or her god? Does god, in fact, exist? What does it mean for the human race if that question can be answered definitively?" From "Gainax Returns to Anime with Shinseiki Evangelion", published in the February 1995 edition of Animerica, and as quoted in Neon Genesis Evangelion, volume 10.
^ "There are a lot of giant robot shows in Japan, and we did want our story to have a religious theme to help distinguish us. Because Christianity is an uncommon religion in Japan we thought it would be mysterious. None of the staff who worked on Eva are Christians. There is no actual Christian meaning to the show, we just thought the visual symbols of Christianity look cool. If we had known the show would get distributed in the US and Europe we might have rethought that choice." ― Kazuya Tsurumaki
EvaOtaku.com FAQ; see also an interview with Tsurumaki which contains the same quote[5]
^ "Evangelion is like a puzzle, you know. Any person can see it and give his/her own answer. In other words, we're offering viewers to think by themselves, so that each person can imagine his/her own world. We will never offer the answers, even in the theatrical version. As for any Evangelion viewers, they may expect us to provide the 'all-about Eva' manuals, but there is no such thing. Don't expect to get answers by someone. Don't expect to be catered to all the time. We all have to find our own answers." from Hideaki Anno's Anime Expo '96 interview, pp20-3 in the November 1996 Newtype, as translated by Miyako Graham in issue 43, pages 40-41 of Protoculture Addicts and as quoted by Lawrence Eng[6][7] [8]
^ In episode 23,Tear/Rei III, Ritsuko states that "These are dummies. And nothing but parts for Rei. Humans found a god, and thus, tried to obtain it. As a result, humanity was punished. That was 15 years ago. The god that they found vanished. However, they tried to revive the god themselves. It was Adam. A human was made from Adam to be close to the god. That is Eva." See also Fujie 2004: "Elsewhere, we learn, "That which was born of Adam is the Eva", effectively proving that Adam was the model for the Evangelions." (pg 48).
^ "Adam, that from which we came. Must one who is born from Adam return to Adam, even though it would destroy man. Wait this isn't. Lilith! I see, I understand now. The Lilim, Lilith."[9]
^ pg 60 of Fujie 2004
^ "However the vessel which truly contains a soul is Rei. Only she has a soul. None of the other vessels have a soul. There was nothing within the room of Gaff. These Rei-like things here do not have a soul." from Episode 23, Rei III. Ritsuko's statement may also be translated as "These things are empty husks, they have no souls, no right to live. The room of Gaff, is empty."
^ pg 172 of Fujie 2002
^ "Fuyutsuki: "The doors of the Hall of Gaff are opening. So, the door to the beginning and the end of life has opened, then?" Ibuki: "The AT Field... Everyone's AT Field is disappearing." Keel: "The beginning and the end are at the same point. Right. This is the way it should be."" Quoted dialogue quoted on pg 154-155 of Fujie 2002
^ Fujie 2002 takes the following dialogue as being particularly significant: ""Commence heat-extinguishing process at the same time as the portal of the Hall of Gaff opens." ...In Japan we have, "The Egg of Lilith, the source of all life." It is from here that the soul of mankind is born and returns. As opposed to this, in Antarctica, while there is no specific, "Egg of Adam", when Misato says, "They did manage to keep the damage down to a minimum by having Adam revert to the egg before the other Angels awoke", we can understand that this is the source from which the Angels are born and return....What that means in concrete terms is that Kaworu Nagisa, born on the day of the Second Impact, is the last of the Angels with roots in Adam, and no more are born....Also, "She was the only girl who had a soul." As well as, "The Hall of Gaff was empty." And finally, "None of the Rei clones you see here have souls."...From all this we can see that there were in fact two Halls of Gaff serving as the source of souls, and that one of these was the Egg of Lilith inteded for human souls and stored in GeoFront in Japan." pg 144-146
^ ^a ^b ^c Horn, Carl G. Speaking Once as They Return: Gainax's Neon Genesis Evangelion. Retrieved on 2006-08-15.
^ References to: Cordwainer Smith and the Instrumentality Project. Yoko NGE All-In-One FAQ. Yoko NGE InfoCenter (2004). Retrieved on 2006-08-15.
^ Galen Strickland. Cordwainer Smith Profile. The Templeton Gate. Retrieved on 2006-08-19.
^ Sartre, Jean-Paul [1943] (1980). Being and Nothingness: An Essay on Phenomenological Ontology, translated by Hazel E Barnes, 86–112, 712–734.
^ Kierkegaard, Søren [1849] (1980). The Sickness Unto Death, translated by Howard V Honh and Edna H Hong, Princeton University Press, 1–67.
^ Tsuribe, Manabu. Prison of Self-Consciousness: an Essay on Evangelion. Eva Monkey. Retrieved on 2006-08-19.
^ "Neon Genesis Evangelion and Serial Experiments Lain have much in common. They can readily be described as postmodern in terms of their concern with a notion of identity as fluctuating, their rapid and sometimes incoherent narrative pace, and their refusal of conventional forms of closure....More importantly, they share a complex and problematic attitude toward the real. The two stories also deal with issues that are perhaps culturally specific to Japan: the increasing distrust and alienation between the generations, the complicated role of childhood, and, most significantly, a privileging of the feminine, often in the form of the young girl or shojo." "This contributes to a pervasive sense of the uncanny that imbues both narratives, linking them with the genres of horror and fantasy." pg 423-424 of Napier 2002
^ Nakajima, Shin-suke (1999). HK: Interview with Chiaki Konaka. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.
^ Wong, Amos (February 2003). "Interview with Yutaka Izubuchi". Newtype USA 2 (2): 14-15. ISSN 1541-4817.
^ Hong, En (September 2002). "Feature: Animefringe Coverage: RahXephon". Animefringe. ISSN 17053692. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.
^ Bertschy, Zac (2004-01-12). Review: RahXephon DVD 7: Crescendo. Anime News Network. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.
^ Oppliger, John (2002-08-20). Is RahXephon an Evangelion Rip Off?. Ask John. Retrieved on 2006-10-13.
^ "Grading SF for Realism": "Science fantasy:...Examples include Peter Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy and the Shadowrun RPG (both of which incorporate supernatural elements into an otherwise typical medium (space opera) or very hard (cyberpunk) SF setting), and the Neongenesis [sic] Evangelion anime series."
^ www.evamonkey.com/addition_audio_drama.php. Retrieved on 2007-03-17.
^ "Now, in a remarkable turnaround, Fightstar's debut long-player, Grand Unification, has been called "stunning posthardcore" by Kerrang! magazine; it even put the boys on its cover. The record is inspired by Manga - particularly the Neon Genesis Evangelion series (act like you know). It's about time comics and metal got a pin-up." "GIG Fightstar", by Beth Pearson, from The Herald, March 16, 2006, GOING OUT; Pg. 2
^ Sevakis, Justin (May 3, 2007). Buried Treasure: Hideaki Anno Talks to Kids (English) (Web page). Anime News Network. Retrieved on Thu May 3 16:45:37 EDT 2007. “"Why is that robot-thingy called Evangelion?" "It comes from a Christian word meaning 'Gospel' and it's supposed to bring blessings. It has some Greek roots. I chose the name because it sounds complicated."”
^ Liddell, Henry George with Robert Scott and Henry Stuart Jones. A Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford, 1940.

Japanese 10 yen coin (obverse) showing Phoenix Hall of Byodoin Yen is the currency used in Japan. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Matt Greenfield is the American co_founder of ADV Films. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In film theory, mise-en-sc ne [mizA~sEn] refers to everything that is to appear before the camera and its arrangement -- sets, props, actors, costumes, camera movements and performances. ... Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (è²žæœ¬ ç¾©è¡Œ Sadamoto Yoshiyuki) (born 29 January 1962, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan) is one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio. ... Hideaki Anno (åºµé‡Žç§€æ˜Ž Anno Hideaki, born 22 May 1960 in Ube, Japan) is a Japanese animation and video director. ... Itako (æ½®æ¥å¸‚; -shi) is a city located in Ibaraki, Japan. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Categories: Magazines stubs | Time Warner subsidiaries | Business magazines ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The RCBs cover The Red Cross Book (RCB) is the unofficial name of a pamphlet that was sold in the cinema to people who came to see The End of Evangelion. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Two pancakes with maple syrup. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Ultraman ) is a fictional character and main superhero, or henshin character, featured in tokusatsu, or special effects television programs. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Go Nagai , born September 6, 1945) is a Japanese mangaka and an important innovator of several genres within anime and manga. ... Mazinger Z (ãƒžã‚¸ãƒ³ã‚¬ãƒ¼Z or ãƒžã‚¸ãƒ³ã‚¬ãƒ¼ãƒ»ã‚¼ãƒƒãƒˆ) (ç„¡æ•µéµé‡‘é‹¼), derived from the original romaji majinga and also known in the US as Tranzor Z, is the name of a manga by artist Go Nagai, first published in Japan in 1972, and turned into a long-running anime television series later in the same year. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Komm, SÃ¼sser Tod (German, translated as Come, Sweet Death in English, ç”˜ãæ»ã‚ˆã€æ¥ãŸã‚Œ in Japanese) is the title of a Bach cantata, and is also the title of a song, sung in English, featured prominently in Hideaki Annos 1997 animated film The End of Evangelion. ... Deathwish redirects here. ... Julia Kristeva (Bulgarian: ) (born 24 June 1941) is a Bulgarian-French philosopher, psychoanalyst, feminist, and, most recently, novelist, who has lived in France since the mid-1960s. ... Animerica is one of the original magazines reviewing anime and manga in North America. ... Serialized in Shonen Ace Original run February 1995 issue (December 26, 1994[1]) â€“ (ongoing) No. ... A Newtype is theorized to be the next stage of human evolution in the fictional Gundam universe. ... The cover of Protoculture Addicts, Issue #87 (January 2006). ... Rei III is an episode of the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (June 21, 1905 â€“ April 15, 1980), normally known simply as Jean-Paul Sartre (pronounced: ), was a French existentialist philosopher and pioneer, dramatist and screenwriter, novelist and critic. ... SÃ¸ren Aabye Kierkegaard (IPA: , but usually Anglicized as ; ) 5 May 1813 â€“ 11 November 1855) was a prolific 19th century Danish philosopher and theologian. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... // 1400 - Owain GlyndÅµr declared Prince of Wales by his followers. ... Newtype USA, November 2004. ... ISSN, or International Standard Serial Number, is the unique eight-digit number applied to a periodical publication including electronic serials. ... ISSN, or International Standard Serial Number, is the unique eight-digit number applied to a periodical publication including electronic serials. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... John Oppliger (born August 31, 1972) is an employee of AnimeNation, an anime merchandise and production distributor. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Shadowrun is a cyberpunk-urban fantasy cross-genre role-playing game, set 63 years in the future,[1]following a great cataclysm that has brought use of magic back to the world, just as it begins to embrace the marvels (and dangers) of technologies such as cyberspace, omnipresent computer networks... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Charles Mackintoshs Glasgow Herald building, now The Lighthouse The Herald is a national broadsheet newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow, Scotland, with an audited circulation of 71,000, making it the best-selling national Scottish broadsheet newspaper. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year (76th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Hiroki Azuma (東浩紀 Azuma Hiroki) is a Japanese cultural critic. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Yasuhiro Takeda (12[1] September 1957[2]-) is a Japanese anime director and founding member of Gainax; for most of his career, he was General Manager. ... is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Contents

Plot

Characters

Origin and development

After the series

Inspiration and symbolism

Psychology and psychoanalytic theory

Religion

Fiction and Philosophy

Influence

Other media

Merchandising

Video games

Music

Translation notes on the title

References

Further reading

External links

Official websites

Articles and information

Contents

Plot GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Characters

Origin and development

After the series

Inspiration and symbolism

Psychology and psychoanalytic theory

Religion

Fiction and Philosophy

Influence

Other media

Merchandising

Video games

Music

Translation notes on the title

References

Further reading

External links

Official websites

Articles and information

Plot