Neon Genesis Evangelion

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Neon Genesis Evangelion (Shin Seiki Evangelion) 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン

Format	DVD/Paperback
Creator	Anno Hideaki
Production	Kadokawa Shoten (manga, serialized in 'Monthly Shonen Ace') Gainex, Production I.G., MOVIC, Star Child Records
Release	9 volumes (manga) 26 TV episodes (Neon Genesis Evangelion) 2 movies (Death & Rebirth and End of Evangelion) 4 movies (Rebuild of Evangelion)
Genre	Sci-fi, comedy, drama, psychological, mecha
Rating	17

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Synopsis

It is the year 2015, and it had been fifteen years since an event known as Second Impact devastated the Earth. The Antarctic ice sheet had been melted and the planet's axis had been shifted to the near-vertical, affecting climate and causing coastal flooding, destroying many of the world's great cities as a result. Half the earth's population was killed as a result. However, the survivors had learned to adapt and are rebuilding.

14 year-old Shinji Ikari, an insecure young boy, has arrived at the newly-built fortress city of Neo-Tokyo-3 upon the request of his estranged father Gendo Ikari, for what purpose he doesn't know. Almost immediately upon arriving, the insecure young boy is witness to an attack by a massive being known as an Angel. He then learns that his father Gendo is commander of NERV, an agency responsible for the Earth's safety. He also learns, to his complete horror, that he is to become the pilot of a fantastic mecha known as Evangelion Unit 01, which is an artificial lifeform specifically designed to combat the Angel.

Although reluctant at first, Shinji agrees to pilot Unit 01 – and barely survives the first battle, for which he was victorious. However, during the battle, Unit 01 behaved quite erratically... as if it had a mind of its own. After the battle, Shinji comes to live with Misato Katsuragi, a woman that, although a tactical genius for NERV, is one of very quirky habits - and has a refrigerator almost entirely stocked with beer! She also keeps a Rockhopper penguin, named Pen-Pen, as a pet. He also become acquainted with Misato's friend, NERV's chief scientist Ritsuko Akagi, who is also privy to the Evangelion's dark secrets!

Over the coming days, the young boy is thrust into what seems to be a battle for mankind's survival – the prevention of a Third Impact! But Shinji soon learns that he is not alone. Two female pilots join him: the feisty Asuka Langley Sohryu, a red-headed German/Japanese/American overachiever with a dark past in charge of Unit 02, the first production EVA, and Rei Ayanami, a mysterious, quiet girl with a strange attachment to Gendo, who pilots the prototype Unit 00 – and one whose existence is strangely tied to the Evangelions and Shinji's long-dead mother Yui Ikari, the first chief scientist of the EVA project.

As the battles against various Angels progresses, Shinji discovers that the cause of Second Impact was in-fact the first encounter with the Angels and not a meteor impact as commonly told. It also becomes apparent that something else is going on behind the scenes of NERV – something which involves the mysterious SEELE organization and the Dead Sea Scrolls. It's going to take all the young pilots all that they have to live – and for Shinji to survive the coming battles with his sanity intact!

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Evangelion manga

Tthe manga version of Evangelion, while faithful to the anime, differs in major plot factors. For instance, Shinji's friend Toji Suzuhara was killed in the manga during the battle with the 13th Angel, rather than losing a leg and arm because of it in the anime. Also in the manga, Shinji and Rei meet Asuka during an outing in town, rather that, in the anime, Shinji meeting Asuka onboard an aircraft carrier prior to the attack of the 6th Angel.

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Evangelion live-action movie

In 2004, it was announced that ADV Films, the U.S. licensor of Evangelion, and Gainax, the studio that produced the series, will work to create a live-action version of Evangelion. So far, no film studio or director has been selected, although it was announced that New Zealand-based Weta Digital, who was responsible for the special effects of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the second remake of King Kong, will work to created the CGI visual effects of the film.

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Rebuild of Evangelion

Also, in 2006, Gainax announced four new animated films based on the first six episodes of the series. While they faithfully follow the plot of the episodes, these movies take advantage of new CGI technology which was not available during the production of the original series. The first film, "You Are (Not) Alone", was released in Japan on September 1, 2007 and premiered in the United States on February 22, 2008. FUNimation Entertainment holds the North American license to the film, as well as the three sequels. The second film, "You Can (Not) Advance" was released in Japan on June 27, 2009.

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