Evangelion takes place in the year 2015. It is 15 years after the Second Impact, a catastrophe that destroyed half of the world's population. It is suspected that a mysterious creature known as an Angel was responsible for the Second Impact. And now, 15 years later, the Angels have returned. They have come to attack Tokyo 3, the new center of world power and humanity's last hope for survival. When the government fails in stopping the Angel, the N.E.R.V. organization is called on to stop it. N.E.R.V. and its commander Gendo Ikari have created the only weapon capable of breaking through an Angel's AT Field. That weapon is the Evangelion; a giant mech piloted by 14-year old children. NERV's only problem is that they don't have a healthy pilot capable of synchronizing with their only working Evangelion. Enter Shinji Ikari, son of Commander Ikari and the third child to be found capable of synchronizing with Eva. Shinji must overcome his own personal doubts and fears as well as his resentment toward his father who abandoned him. Shinji must accept his fate for he is the only one that can lead mankind out of this dark time.

Thus the stage is set for one of the most powerful stories ever told in any medium. For the first 5 or 6 tapes, the story is rather lighthearted and introduces us to the main characters and their personalities. They are very humorous and action packed with the 3 Evangelion pilots: Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Sohryu fighting off the Angels with the help of NERV. Character relationships are explored and we get to know the main characters personally. But starting with Tape 0:8 the main plot kicks in with a vengeance. It becomes an emotional roller-coaster ride as Shinji deals with his deep emotional traumas, the Angel's become more and more deadly and NERV's true intentions are revealed. Reality as we know it is brought into question as NERV and their overseer's, Seele's prophecies of the Dead Sea Scrolls are fulfilled. What are the Evangelion's and why can only certain children pilot them? What is the instrumentality project and will the Third Impact be avoided? The answers are disturbing and will shock you out of your seat as nothing is what it claims to be as Shinji's mind and soul are torn apart because of his role in the prophecy.

EVA is known for its dynamic characters: Misato is no exception.	Some say EVA revived the love of giant robots in anime.

The story is simply incredible though very hard to follow with some big gaps in the plot that aren't explained. Some things are answered in the movies, but some aren't. Much is left up to the interpretation of the viewer, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Evangelion's story has opened up some of the most incredible debates I've ever participated in and it constantly stretches the boundaries of what we know as rational thought. You have to get around reality to try and understand Evangelion. Many episodes will leave you confused, breathless and depressed as you watch these events unfold around Shinji and tear at his soul. I've rarely encountered a character I could sympathize with more as things beyond his control consume him and force him to face harsh truths. Whether you can understand it or not, you will carry the story with you for quite some time as reality benignly teases you.

The animation is top of the line, better than some of the big theatrical releases. The artistic style is excellent with well-conceived characters showing a tremendous array of emotion. The Eva's and Angel's are among some of the most incredible looking things you'll see and when they are moving on the screen it is awesome. The Eva's are amongst the coolest looking Mech's ever designed. They also make nice use of still images collage with text to give it a unique visual flavor that matches the content in the later episodes as reality shatters around Shinji.

The dubbing is better than most anime and ADV usually does a good job. The only problem is that Evangelion is very intense and the actors simply aren't able to catch that emotion the way the Japanese actors do. Luckily, ADV is also releasing subtitled versions at a slightly higher price. I recommend finding subtitled copies for at least tapes 0:8 through 0:13 since those are the most dramatic and key scenes are lessened with the dubbed voice actors. The soundtrack is also excellent with one of the best opening themes ever for an anime: Cruel Angel's Thesis. I still can't get it out of my head.

Eva defines what I absolutely love about dramatic anime. An incredible visual experience combined with a thought-provoking story. Both will make you want to watch it again and again. While it may be a bit too depressing for some people, it is extremely powerful and uplifting. It raises questions that need to be answered about how we live our lives. Do we live for ourselves or for others? Neon Genesis Evangelion is a masterpiece of critical thought and visual style that will influence dramatic anime for years to come.

Distributor: ADV
Creator: Gainax
Released: 1995

Plot: A+
Character Design: A
Animation Quality: B
Music: B+
Overall: A