[Akito Kinomoto]

Some people treat Neon Genesis Evangelion as the second coming of Jesus while others believe it to be the 9,001st reiteration of trash. I'm inclined to say that it's somewhere in the middle because the sympathy I had for the characters was cancelled out by the questionable story direction. More thoughts below...

Spoiler for Length:

When looking at the name of this anime it leaves an impression of a show which will attempt to impress its viewers through thought-provoking themes. Successful as though Neon Genesis Evangelion’s endeavors at stimulating the mind are, the story direction invokes an equal amount of thought for less prestigious reasons. Neon Genesis Evangelion’s unconvincing narrative approach is especially egregious when compared with its well-characterized cast and its strong technical direction.

One of the reasons for questioning the storytelling quality of the series is the relatively weak beginning of the show. For the first seven episodes the main characters are the unassuming Shinji Ikari, the quiet Rei Ayanami, and the flirtatious Misato Katsuragi. Having two out of the three primary cast member’s personality being more subdued creates a monotonous start and is not the best way to gain the viewer’s interest. Of course a cast which lacks vitality would not be a problem in a brooding anime such as this one, were it not for the fact that the show’s mood for a third of the series contrasts greatly with the oppressive tone everywhere else in the work. Furthermore although brighter scenes can be used to create a false sense of security thereby increasing the magnitude of approaching drama, the less heavy moments of this show is concentrated toward the middle two-thirds of the series instead of the beginning or being distributed somewhat evenly throughout the rest of the work. Neon Genesis Evangelion cannot call itself a purely dark anime for the inclusion of many lighter scenes and the allocation of its less dramatic moments undermines their usage in regards to emphasizing the less optimistic events.

Still, Neon Genesis Evangelion must be praised for its excellent technical direction. Strictly speaking in an independent sense the music is not anything special but its strength is attributed more to how it is used; when the soundtrack during the fights is not representing the ever dangerous Angels through heavy and dramatic music it instead uses more upbeat fare. The audio dissonance for the show’s primary antagonists is very fitting considering the mythological origins by which the Angels of Neon Genesis Evangelion are derived from in real life. Just as a powerful being can be represented as a brutal entity focused on destroying, it can also be seen as a force capable of annihilation without showing a hint of effort or malice.

In a similar manner to the well-used music, the animation owes its value more to what is done with it rather than its actual quality. For example, when Shinji and Gendou meet for the first time in the series the former is on a bridge in front of Eva Unit 01’s jaws while the latter is on higher ground inside a windowed overlook behind the same Eva’s head with small monitors inside the room focusing on Shinji. The direction behind this scene is strong for four reasons: First, Gendou having the higher ground signifies his influence over the situation while Shinji being on the lower ground shows his powerlessness against fate. Second, the horn of Eva Unit 01 and the window of the upper alcove form a wall between Shinji and Gendou which shows their distanced and estranged relationship. Third, Shinji being in front of the Eva’s teeth demonstrates Gendou’s lack thereof guilt in putting his own son in harm’s way while being behind Eva Unit 01 shows his safety from danger. Finally, the monitors in the elevated room all showing Shinji provide foreshadowing for when the series would discuss the Hedgehog’s Dilemma; for all of the indifference Gendou shows toward his son it raises the question of why he has all of his cameras focused on Shinji. It could be to have someone to mock or more likely it is because he wants to be close to Shinji in one sense and far away from him in another aspect. The Hedgehog’s Dilemma, after all, is about someone being hurt when somebody else becomes too emotionally close to his or her person.

The Hedgehog’s Dilemma also creates much of the characterization for Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Soryu as they refuse to become emotionally close to anyone but maintain their distance through contrasting means: Ikari opts to withdraw into himself while Soryu uses an abrasive façade. On the other hand, Misato Katsuragi’s internal problems hardly affect her outward actions as she diligently commands much of the operations regarding the Eva Units and is Shinji and Asuka’s guardian. In contrast to the flirtatious Misato, Ritsuko Akagi’s serious demeanor gives an impression of greater focus than that of Katsuragi at first glance. Rei Ayanami can be called a female Shinji and it would not be too far from the truth. However considering her relationship with Gendou and the implications regarding her birth, the moniker of “female Shinji” is not necessarily a flaw as it unifies the problems of all of the characters under a single theme. The strength of the cast of Neon Genesis Evangelion is how it reflects the reality of people handling nearly identical issues through varying methods of coping regardless of the benefit or detriment the “solution” actually provides as some of the characters would find out.

It would be safe to assume to that most of the people who would watch an anime like this are expecting thought-provoking themes but unfortunately having to question the narrative direction stimulates the mind as much as thinking about the religious aspects from which this series draws inspiration from or psychological examination of its characters. Ignoring the flawed storytelling, the show turns out to have a lot to like. Otherwise, the unconvincing narrative approach of Neon Genesis Evangelion might be too much of a fault to overlook especially when compared to its technical direction and its well-characterized cast.