Neon Genesis Evangelion (franchise)

Neon Genesis Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン) is a Japanese media franchise created by Hideaki Anno, originally owned by Gainax and currently owned by Khara.[1][2] Most of the franchise features an apocalyptic[3] mecha[4] action story, which revolves around the paramilitary organization NERV and their efforts in fighting hostile beings called Angels, using giant humanoids called Evangelions (or EVAs for short) that are piloted by select teenagers.[5][6][7] Subsequent works deviate from this theme to varying degrees,[8] focusing more on romantic interactions between the characters, plotlines not present in the original works, and reimaginings of the conflicts from the original works.[9][10]

The Neon Genesis Evangelion manga debuted in Shōnen Ace in December 1994, to generate interest in the upcoming anime release.[11] The Neon Genesis Evangelion anime was written and directed by Hideaki Anno, originally airing from October 1995 until March 1996.[12] The anime is widely considered to have been groundbreaking[13][14] in its exploration of religious,[15] psychological,[16] and philosophical[17]

The popularity of the show spawned numerous additional media, including video games,[22] radio dramas,[23] audio books,[24] a light novel series,[25] pachinko machines,[26] and a tetralogy of films titled Rebuild of Evangelion.[27] Other derivative works include Angelic Days,[28] Petit Eva: Evangelion@School[29]

Setting

Works within the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise typically have the same setting, characters, and themes, but can vary in their portrayal of the different storylines with alternate re-tellings of the original anime.[31] Many later works, such as Death & Rebirth and The Rebuild of Evangelion, diverge greatly from the original anime.[32] Evangelion's fictional setting takes place after the Second Impact, a cataclysmic explosion in Antarctica in the year 2000,[33] which killed billions of people and threw the Earth off its axis.[34] Fifteen years after the Second Impact, a group of mysterious beings referred to as "Angels"[35] begin appearing and pose a worldwide and existential threat to what remains of mankind. The NERV organization, a paramilitary special agency recruited and controlled by the UN, is tasked with defeating the Angels,[36]

Anime

Manga and light novel

A number of manga series based on the anime have been released, most notably the official series by series character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, which was first serialized in February 1995 (eight months before the series' official premiere, in order to promote interest), and ended in November 2014, 19 years later. Seven other manga have been created: the shoujo romance story Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days by Fumino Hayashi, shonen comedy Shinji Ikari Raising Project by Takahashi Osamu, self-parody It's A Miraculous Win by Koume Yoshida, mystery series Neon Genesis Evangelion: Campus Apocalypse by Min Min, chibi comedic parody Petit Eva: Evangelion@School, detective story Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Shinji Ikari Detective Diary and gamer-themed parody Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legend of the Piko-Piko Middle School Students.

A light novel series Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA was serialized from 2008 to 2013 in Dengeki Hobby Magazine, authored by the series mechanical designer Ikuto Yamashita. The series is set in an alternate future diverging from the events of the anime. The novel begins 3 years after the end of the Human Instrumentality Project, replacing episodes 25 and 26 of the anime, as well as the End of Evangelion film. The team of former Eva pilots are coming to terms with the aftermath of the battle at NERV HQ, while adapting to normal life. Three clones of Rei Ayanami have been put into Eva units and sent into space as a precautionary way to seek out and eradicate the remaining mass-produced Evangelion units, as well as monitor Earth's safety. In 2021, the final film of the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy,

Soundtracks and music

Shirō Sagisu composed most of the music for Neon Genesis Evangelion and for the original TV show's three OST albums.[118] He received the 1997 Kobe Animation award for "Best Music Score".[119] King Records and their label Starchild (specializing in music, animation and film) distributed most of the albums, singles and box sets.[120] For the anime series, Yoko Takahashi performed the song "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" which was used as the opening theme song for the series.[121][122]

Proposed live-action film

Development of a live-action movie version of Neon Genesis Evangelion by Gainax, Weta Workshop Ltd., and ADV Films (then the worldwide distributor of the Evangelion series outside of Asia and Australia) was announced at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2003.[129] Early coverage included ADV Films raising "about half of the $100 million to $120 million needed to produce the film"[130] and some concept art produced by Weta Workshop.[131][132][133] ADV was particularly inspired by the success of The Lord of the Rings film series, and wanted to replicate it with a film of their own, possibly a trilogy.[134]

Other media

The Evangelion franchise has spread from the original anime into a number of different media, with some following the official canon (of the 26-episode anime series and its three related films or the new Rebuild series) and others differing on important plot points originally introduced in the anime.

See also

• Portrayals of God in popular media

Further reading

External links