"Neon Genesis Evangelion" (1995) "Shin seiki evangerion" (original title), TV series 1995-1996

Creator:

Hideaki Anno
(more)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

4 October 1995 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

A teenage boy finds himself recruited as a member of an elite team of pilots by his father.

Plot Keywords:

Teenage Boy | Mecha | Anime | Mecca South Africa | Psychological Trauma

Cast

Spike Spencer	...	Shinji Ikari (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Allison Keith	...	Misato Katsuragi (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Sue Ulu	...	Ritsuko Akagi (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Amanda Winn Lee	...	Rei Ayanami (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Tiffany Grant	...	Asuka Langly Soryu (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Tristan MacAvery	...	Gendo Ikari (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Guil Lunde	...	Kozo Fuyutsuki (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Matt Greenfield	...	Makoto Hyuga (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kendra Benham	...	Maya Ibuki (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Jason Lee	...	Shigeru Aoba (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Pedro de Aguillón	...	Seele Member (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Joe Pisano	...	Toji Suzuhara (18 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kurt Stoll	...	Kensuke Aida (18 episodes, 1995-1996)
Aaron Krohn	...	Ryoji Kaji (17 episodes, 1995-1996)
Carol Amerson	...	Hikari Horaki (17 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kotono Mitsuishi	...	Misato Katsuragi / ... (13 episodes, 1995-1996)
Yuriko Yamaguchi	...	Ritsuko Akagi / ... (13 episodes, 1995-1996)
Megumi Ogata	...	Shinji Ikari / ... (13 episodes, 1995-1996)
Fumihiko Tachiki	...	Gendô Ikari / ... (11 episodes, 1995-1996)
Hiro Yuuki	...	Makoto Hyûga / ... (11 episodes, 1995-1996)
Megumi Hayashibara	...	Rei Ayanami / ... (11 episodes, 1995-1996)
Yûko Miyamura	...	Asuka Langley Sôryû / ... (11 episodes, 1995-1996)

Series Directed by
Hideaki Anno		(26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kazuya Tsurumaki		(26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Hiroyuki Ishidô		(3 episodes, 1995)
Tsuyoshi Kaga		(2 episodes, 1995)
Keiichi Sugiyama		(2 episodes, 1995)
Masayuki		(2 episodes, 1996)
Tetsuya Watanabe		(1 episode, 1995)
Tensai Okamura		(unknown episodes)
Masahiko Ôtsuka		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Hideaki Anno		(26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Tiffany Grant		(26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Akio Satsukawa		(16 episodes, 1995-1996)
Hiroshi Yamaguchi		(5 episodes, 1996)
Yoji Enokido		(4 episodes, 1995-1996)
Shinji Higuchi		(4 episodes, 1996)
Matt Greenfield		(2 episodes, 1996)

Series Produced by
Noriko Kobayashi	....	producer: TV Tokyo (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Yutaka Sugiyama	....	producer (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Shuuji Uchiyama	....	animation producer (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Motoki Ueda	....	animation producer (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Hiroyuki Yamaga	....	animation producer (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
John Ledford	....	executive producer (21 episodes, 1995-1996)
Mark Williams	....	executive producer (21 episodes, 1995-1996)

Series Original Music by
Shirô Sagisu		(26 episodes, 1995-1996)

Series Cinematography by
Yoichi Kuroda		(26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Yoichi Kurato		(2 episodes, 1996)

Series Film Editing by
Sachiko Miki		(26 episodes, 1995-1996)
David Grundy		(2 episodes, 1996)

Series Art Direction by
Hiroshi Kato		(26 episodes, 1995-1996)

Series Production Management
Kenji Horikawa	....	assistant production manager (1 episode, 1996)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Masayuki	....	series assistant director (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kazuya Tsurumaki	....	series assistant director (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Masahiko Ôtsuka	....	assistant episode director / assistant director (4 episodes, 1995-1996)
Shinji Higuchi	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1996)

Series Art Department
Harumi Takahoshi	....	color designer / color setting / ... (9 episodes, 1995-1996)
Hideaki Anno	....	storyboard artist (6 episodes, 1995-1996)
Masayuki	....	storyboard artist (6 episodes, 1995-1996)
Jun'ichi Satô	....	storyboard artist (4 episodes, 1995-1996)
Yuka Izumisawa	....	color checker / color designer & checker (4 episodes, 1995)
Kazuya Tsurumaki	....	storyboard artist (2 episodes, 1995-1996)
Shinji Higuchi	....	storyboard artist (2 episodes, 1995)

Series Sound Department
Hideyuki Tanaka	....	sound director / sound (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Matthew Crawford	....	dialogue editor (17 episodes, 1995-1996)
Toru Noguchi	....	sound effects editor: Anime Sound / sound effects: ANIME Sound / ... (12 episodes, 1995-1996)
Yoshio Obara	....	sound mixer (11 episodes, 1995)
Keith Arem	....	sound recordist (2 episodes, 1996)

Series Special Effects by
Noriyuki Ôta	....	special effects (8 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kô Yamamoto	....	special effects (4 episodes, 1995)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Naohisa Haijima	....	animation camera operator: Cosmos / camera operator: Studio Cosmos (6 episodes, 1995-1996)
Motoaki Ikegami	....	animation camera operator: Cosmos / camera operator: Studio Cosmos (6 episodes, 1995-1996)
Hiroshi Noguchi	....	animation camera operator: Cosmos / camera operator: Studio Cosmos (6 episodes, 1995-1996)
Noriko Suzuki	....	animation camera operator: Cosmos / camera operator: Studio Cosmos (6 episodes, 1995-1996)
Junji Yaitabashi	....	animation camera operator: Cosmos / camera operator: Studio Cosmos (6 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kôichi Furusawa	....	camera operator: Studio Cosmos / animation camera operator: Cosmos (4 episodes, 1995)
Toshikazu Hisano	....	camera operator: Studio Cosmos / animation camera operator: Cosmos (4 episodes, 1995)
Katsunori Maehara	....	camera operator: Studio Cosmos / animation camera operator: Cosmos (4 episodes, 1995)
Yûichi Ono	....	camera operator: Studio Cosmos / animation camera operator: Cosmos (4 episodes, 1995)
Tetsuo Oofuji	....	camera operator: Studio Cosmos / animation camera operator: Cosmos (4 episodes, 1995)
Natsuki Orihara	....	camera operator: Studio Cosmos / animation camera operator: Cosmos (4 episodes, 1995)
Takashi Shimada	....	camera operator: Studio Cosmos / animation camera operator: Cosmos (4 episodes, 1995)
Shouji Yazawa	....	camera operator: Studio Cosmos / animation camera operator: Cosmos (4 episodes, 1995)
Shinji Ikegami	....	camera operator: Studio Cosmos (3 episodes, 1995)
Koichi Furusawa	....	animation camera operator: Cosmos (2 episodes, 1995-1996)
Yuichi Ono	....	animation camera operator: Cosmos (2 episodes, 1995-1996)

Series Animation Department
Hideaki Anno	....	mechanical designer / animator / ... (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Shinya Hasegawa	....	animator: opening sequence / key animator / ... (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Takeshi Honda	....	animator: opening sequence / animation director / ... (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Masayuki	....	animator: closing sequence / animator: ending animation / ... (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto	....	character designer (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Ikuto Yamashita	....	mechanical designer (26 episodes, 1995-1996)
Hidenori Fukuoka	....	animator / key animator (8 episodes, 1995-1996)
Shigeki Sunada	....	animator / key animator (8 episodes, 1995-1996)
Naoya Furukawa	....	animator / key animator (7 episodes, 1995-1996)
Katsuichi Nakayama	....	animator / key animator (7 episodes, 1995-1996)
Hideyuki Morioka	....	animator / key animator (6 episodes, 1995-1996)
Shunji Suzuki	....	animation director / animator (6 episodes, 1995-1996)
Toshiya Washida	....	animator / key animator (6 episodes, 1995-1996)
You Yoshinari	....	animator / key animator (6 episodes, 1995-1996)
Makoto Furuta	....	animator / key animator (5 episodes, 1995-1996)
Nobuhiro Hosoi	....	animator / animation director / ... (5 episodes, 1995-1996)
Shirô Kudaka	....	animator / key animator (5 episodes, 1995-1996)
Shôichi Masuo	....	animator / key animator (5 episodes, 1995-1996)
Noriko Morishima	....	animator / key animator (5 episodes, 1995-1996)
Shinji Munekazu	....	animator / key animator (5 episodes, 1995-1996)
Ikuo Shimazu	....	inbetween checker / animator / ... (5 episodes, 1995-1996)
Yuka Izumisawa	....	cel painter: Vega Entertainment / color checker / ... (5 episodes, 1995)
Yasuhiro Aoki	....	animator / key animator (4 episodes, 1995-1996)
Toshiyuki Fujisawa	....	animator / key animator (4 episodes, 1995-1996)
Yoshinori Hishinuma	....	background artist: green (4 episodes, 1995-1996)
Yasuzô Iino	....	animator / key animator (4 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kenji Irie	....	animator / key animator (4 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kazuya Kuroda	....	animator / key animator (4 episodes, 1995-1996)
Norio Matsumoto	....	animator (4 episodes, 1995-1996)
Nobutoshi Ogura	....	animator / key animator (4 episodes, 1995-1996)
Shin'ya Takahashi	....	animator / key animator (4 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kazuya Tsurumaki	....	animator / assistant character designer (4 episodes, 1995-1996)
Akitoshi Yokoyama	....	animator / key animator (4 episodes, 1995-1996)
Seiji Kio	....	assistant character designer (4 episodes, 1995)
Hikari Mitsuzuka	....	cel painter: Vega Entertainment / inbetween artist: Vega Entertainment / ... (4 episodes, 1995)
Yasuhito Murata	....	inbetween checker / inbetween artist: Studio DEEN (4 episodes, 1995)
Tomohiro Sasaki	....	inbetween artist: Vega Entertainment / background artist: Vega Entertainment (4 episodes, 1995)
Tomohiro Shida	....	cel checker / cel painter: Studio Targe (4 episodes, 1995)
Ho Taek Yoon	....	inbetween artist: Studio Geisei / cel painter: Studio Geisei / ... (4 episodes, 1995)
Mariko Aoki	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Keiji Gotoh	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Harukazu Hashimoto	....	animator / animator: Production IG (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Hiroyoshi Iida	....	animator / animator: Production IG (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Takae Iijima	....	cel painter / color checker / ... (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Isamu Imakake	....	animator / assistant character designer / ... (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Takeshi Imamura	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Mitsuo Iso	....	animator / key animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Keiji Itô	....	animator / key animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kôji Itô	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Megumi Kagawa	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Fumitomo Kizaki	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Takeshi Konakawa	....	animator / key animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Ken'ichi Konishi	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Akemi Koyama	....	animator / key animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Issei Kume	....	animator / animator: Production IG (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kengo Kunieda	....	animator / key animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Misuzu Kurata	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Mamoru Kurosawa	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kenji Kuroyanagi	....	animator / key animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Ikuo Kuwana	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Hidenori Matsubara	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kayoko Nabeta	....	animator / animator: Production IG (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Yutaka Nakamura	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Manabu Ono	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kazuyoshi Onoda	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Shûji Sakamoto	....	animator / key animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Shinsaku Sasaki	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Eriko Shibata	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kazuko Shibata	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Keiko Shimizu	....	animator / key animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kôji Sugiura	....	animator / key animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Hiroki Takagi	....	animator / key animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Hideki Takahashi	....	animator / animator: Production IG (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Tooru Takahashi	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kiichi Takaoka	....	animator / animator: Production IG (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Yûichi Tanaka	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Manabu Tanzawa	....	animator / key animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Keisuke Watabe	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Motoki Yagi	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Akemi Yamada	....	animator / inbetween checker (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Atsushi Yamazaki	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Hideaki Yoshio	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Atsuko Ôtani	....	animator (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Yoshitô Asari	....	assistant character designer (3 episodes, 1995)
Atsuki Betsumiya	....	background artist: green (3 episodes, 1995)
Takumi Honma	....	background artist: green (3 episodes, 1995)
Hiromi Morikawa	....	background artist: green (3 episodes, 1995)
Mitsumu Ogi	....	assistant character designer (3 episodes, 1995)
Jun Okabe	....	background artist: Studio Bihou / background artist: Bihou (3 episodes, 1995)
Satoshi Shigeta	....	animator / animation director / ... (3 episodes, 1995)
Tadashi Hiramatsu	....	animator / key animator (3 episodes, 1996)
Yasuhiro Kamimura	....	animator / key animator (3 episodes, 1996)
Michiko Fujita	....	cel painter: Tatsunoko Color Center / ink and paint artist: Tatsunoko Color Center (2 episodes, 1995-1996)
Eiko Kitazume	....	ink and paint artist / ink and paint artist: Tatsunoko Color Center (2 episodes, 1995-1996)
Kiyoko Momose	....	ink and paint artist / ink and paint artist: Tatsunoko Color Center (2 episodes, 1995-1996)
Chieko Odaka	....	ink and paint artist / ink and paint artist: Tatsunoko Color Center (2 episodes, 1995-1996)
Noriko Gotô	....	inbetween checker (2 episodes, 1995)
Osamu Honda	....	background artist: Baku Production (2 episodes, 1995)
Masao Ichitani	....	background artist: Baku Production (2 episodes, 1995)
Hiroshi Igaki	....	background artist: Kyoto Animation (2 episodes, 1995)
Tatsurou Iseri	....	background artist: Bihou / background artist: Studio Bihou (2 episodes, 1995)
Mitsuyoshi Kobayashi	....	background artist: Baku Production (2 episodes, 1995)
Yasutaka Kondo	....	background artist: Studio Bihou (2 episodes, 1995)
Mahiro Maeda	....	assistant character designer (2 episodes, 1995)
Atsushi Morikawa	....	background artist: Kyoto Animation (2 episodes, 1995)
Chieko Nezaki	....	background artist: Bihou / background artist: Studio Bihou (2 episodes, 1995)
Masaru Ota	....	background artist: Studio Bihou (2 episodes, 1995)
Misa Takazuka	....	background artist: Kyoto Animation (2 episodes, 1995)
Jôji Unoguchi	....	background artist: Kyoto Animation (2 episodes, 1995)
Yukari Yasuda	....	background artist: green (2 episodes, 1995)
Masahiro Andô	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Yoshinobu Aohachi	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Kayoko Dôta	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Masaaki Gotô	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Kaoru Haruguchi	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Shirô Hisadaka	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Yoshihito Hishinuma	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Katsuki Ikeda	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Yuriko Ikehara	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Toshiyuki Inoue	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Hajime Kamikura	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Hiroshi Kamogi	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Takashi Kaneyama	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Shûji Kawakami	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Yûko Kobayashi	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Tomonori Kogawa	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Eiichi Kuboyama	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Shinsaku Kôzuma	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Tamako Miyanishi	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Hiroaki Motoigi	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Yasushi Muraki	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Akiko Nagashima	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Munehori Nawa	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Miyako Nishida	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Tensai Okamura	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Takashi Ono	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Tsunenori Saitô	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Takashi Sano	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Mamoru Sasaki	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Tomoaki Seki	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Masahiro Sekiguchi	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Satoru Shigeta	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Shôhei Sotoyama	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Jûrô Suga	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Shin'ya Tachiyama	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Koichi Taguchi	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Heita Takaoichi	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Kenji Tôjô	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Akira Watanabe	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Hideo Watanabe	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Miyako Yatsu	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Himiko Yoshida	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Makoto Yoshida	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Naoya Yoshikawa	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Hiroshi Ôkawa	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)
Yasuhiro Ôkubo	....	animator (2 episodes, 1996)

Series Editorial Department
Kôzô Yoneyama	....	operator: Video Sunmall (11 episodes, 1995)
Hiroshi Uchimura	....	video editor: Trikon (9 episodes, 1995)

Series Music Department
Bart Howard	....	composer: song "Fly Me To The Moon" (2 episodes, 1996)

Series Other crew
Hiromichi Ôishi	....	production desk (11 episodes, 1995-1996)
Tomoko Takahashi	....	producers office assistant (7 episodes, 1995)
Tomoko Takahashi	....	production assistant / producers office assistant (5 episodes, 1995-1996)
Ken Andô	....	production coordinator / production assistant (4 episodes, 1995)
Yoshiki Yoshida	....	production assistant / planning assistant / ... (4 episodes, 1995)
Takahiko Sakagami	....	planning assistant / production assistant / ... (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Manabu Ishikawa	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1995)
Kuni Kimura	....	script translator (2 episodes, 1996)
Mahiro Maeda	....	creature designer: "angels" / creature designer: Angels (2 episodes, 1996)
Hiroki Sato	....	publicist (2 episodes, 1996)

Production Companies

• Gainax
• NAS
• TV Tokyo
• Tatsunoko Productions Company

Distributors

• King Record Co.
• ADV Films (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Adult Swim (????) (USA) (TV)
• Animax (????) (Japan) (TV)
• Canal Caracol (2000) (Colombia) (TV) (dubbed)
• Cartoon Network (????) (USA) (TV)
• Dybex (????) (France) (TV)
• Dynit (2003) (Italy) (DVD)
• Locomotion (????) (Brazil) (TV)
• MTV Italia (2001) (Italy) (TV)
• Sci-Fi Channel, The (????) (UK) (TV)
• Section 23 Films (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Selecta Vision

Special Effects

• Anime Sound (sound effects)

Other Companies

• Anime Sound Production  sound effects
• Audio Tanaka  sound production
• Gainax Shop  computer graphics production
• Gainax  planning
• Green  background art
• Maki Production  titles
• Marasa Production  secondary animation
• Marasa  cel painting
• Production I.G.  animation
• Project Eva  created by
• Roman Sound  Spanish dubbing (latin american spanish version)
• Star Child Recording  music production
• Studio ArgoShip  secondary animation
• Studio Bihou Art Design  background art
• Studio Cosmos  photography
• Studio DEEN  secondary animation
• Studio Ghibli  animation
• Studio Jungle Gym  secondary animation
• Tatsunoko Color Center  cel painting
• Tatsunoko Color Center  ink and paint
• Tavac Studio  recording
• Tokyo Laboratory Co. Ltd.  film processing

Also Known As:

"Shin seiki evangerion" - Japan (original title)
"Evangelion" - International (English title) (short title)

Runtime:

30 min (26 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M (episodes 24-26) | Australia:PG (episodes 1-23) | Canada:14 (Manitoba) (video rating) | Spain:15 | UK:15 (some episodes) | UK:12 (some episodes) | Germany:12 (some episodes) | New Zealand:PG (some episodes) | Italy:VM14 (DVD rating) | USA:TV-14 | USA:TV-MA (some episodes) | South Korea:15 | Peru:14 | Argentina:16 | Denmark:16 (DVD rating) | Argentina:18 | Colombia:18 | Mexico:B (some scenes can shock) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (VHS/DVD rating) | Germany:16 (some episodes) | New Zealand:M (some episodes) | New Zealand:R (some episodes) | France:-12 (DVD rating) | UK:PG (some episodes) | Chile:TE

Company:

Gainax

Trivia:

In Episode 7, Misato's cans of Yebisu beer are labelled "Yebichu", with a picture of a hamster replacing the "beer god". This is a reference to the manga "Oruchuban Ebichu" by Lisa Itoh, which Hideaki Anno was a fan of. When Gainax later produced the anime version, "Oruchuban Ebichu" (1999), they carried the joke over.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ritsuko is unzipping her wetsuit in episode 1, she is wearing a two-piece swimsuit underneath. When she meets Misato in the elevator in the next scene, she is wearing a one-piece swimsuit.

Quotes:

Misato Katsuragi:This is your home now, so make yourself comfortable. And take advantage of everything here, except me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in FLCL (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

Fly Me to the Moon

Despite its flaws, this is a great series

Although Eva begins like almost any mech anime series, it quickly transcends the traditional bounds typical of such anime and becomes a fascinating piece of character study in an apocalyptic setting. While the action is sometimes excessive and often takes away from the psychological aspect, the premise itself is quite fascinating.

Eva heavily borrows from various religious dogma, and that is one of the reason it has a mystical, albeit often nonsensical atmosphere (Lance of Longinus is an example of religious allegory which misfired). Lots of time is spent on various pseudo-technological scenes, the only good thing about that being that it nicely contrasts with the religious thematics. "Fan Service" was also mostly unnecessary.

Overall, Eva is a fascinating anime but does not fulfill all of its potential. The characters, although are fascinating and have great interaction, are static (although the writers try to make them seem dynamic) and their emotional makeup sometimes does not smoothly flow from episodes to episodes.

Nonetheless, despite its flaws, this is a great series. It grabs onto the viewer like few others, and only later can be analyzed without bias. Saying that it is thought-provoking would be an understatement. Everyday life is beautifully juxtaposed with the apocalyptic motifs, creating a nostalgic feel (which is especially worthy of praise because the anime takes place in the future). It is vague yet involving, impressionist in the sense that it affects the viewer like no other. Great musical score raises it above many others. Although a detailed unbiased analysis may show multiple flaws in various areas, as a whole Evangelion is amazing. Recommended to anyone who can appreciate art as a whole without looking too much into specific details, and is involving even after multiple viewings.

9/10