The year is 2015 A.D…. the world is recuperating from the damage left by the Second Impact — a planet-wide catastrophe that massacred half the Earth’s population. Mysterious alien beings known only as the Angels are attacking. Mankind’s only hope of surviving are the humanoid fighting machines called the Evangelion. But the Evangelion can only be piloted by children who were born exactly nine months after the Second Impact. Why were these children chosen? What links them to the Angels? And why do the Angels want to annihilate the human race?

Evangelion is a beautiful piece of work that has combined artistic sensibility with a great storyline and plot. It can be somewhat depressing, with all those dark undertones and tragic issues swimming around the series, but it touches a lot of philosophical questions that many people have only imagined asking out loud. The most fascinating thing I’ve noticed is how the characters seem to make some situations funny despite the gravity of their war-stricken plight. Another observation is that unlike in most anime where children (aged somewhere between 12-14) are so obviously forced into mature roles, the grown-up attitude that the EVA pilots display here is extremely well-woven into their innocence and faith. The young characters mature quickly and yet manage to retain the basic essence of their true ages. This could very well be the result of having grown up in an environment ravaged by death and carnage. The art and animation are simply superb. Whether it’s how the characters look or how the EVAs and Angels fight, nothing is compromised. The same high quality is consistent throughout the whole series. I highly recommend watching this anime. It has made me look at us human beings in an entirely different light.

Individual Rating: Art/Animation 9; Story 8; Characters 8; Sounds 10

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 1st, 2001 at 10:51 am and is filed under Evangelion, Neon Genesis, Anime. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.