Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21639 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-04-09
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Animated, Box set, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
• Original language: English, Japanese
• Number of discs: 8
• Running time: 650 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
A benchmark series in the history of anime, Hideaki Anno's Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most widely discussed in anime. It's not the first series to combine mecha (futuristic machines, especially robots) with theology and a character-driven story, but it does so exceptionally well. The designs of the robots by Ikuto Yamashita are strikingly original; the questions raised about the future of the human race stimulate viewers' imaginations and the characters show a depth of personality rare in anime. The story is set in 2015, 15 years after a cataclysmic explosion in Antarctica that caused the ice cap to melt, killing a large portion of the Earth's population. Although it was reported as a meteor impact, the explosion was caused by human interaction with Adam, the first of a series of powerful, sentient creatures known as "Angels" to appear on Earth. To defend against their depredations, humans rely on NERV, a secret agency dedicated to destroying the Angels with their gargantuan robot suits called Evas. Only teenagers with special psychic powers can pilot the Evas, and the best pilot is the repressed 14-year-old Shinji Ikari, who is a more interesting, believable character than standard mecha pilots. The two final chapters of the Evangelion series (which originally ran in 1995-96) are highly philosophical ruminations that satisfied neither Anno nor the viewers. The episodes were remade as the theatrical features; however, only the original 26 episodes appear in this set. Not rated; suitable for ages 14 and up: Brief nudity, violence, sexual humor, and complex adult themes. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Not bad, but not perfect.
This series started off really slow for me. I only got really interested in the last few discs when the story gets really complex and disturbing. If the entire series had worked this way, it would be a 5 star series, but it starts off slow and takes a while to get where it's going.

The final two episodes are fine - weird, but nothing incomprehensible - but I felt I would have gotten the point anyway if it was all condensed into one episode. The ending was a let down, and I understand that the movies complete it, but the movies were not included with this set, so as a series it is incomplete.

Because NGE was a catalyst for the emergence of anime out of pop fun and into visual art, it is an important set for anime buffs to watch. Much like Citizen Cane may not be the most exciting film for film buffs to watch, it is significant because of what it contributed to the film industry and film as art. NGE could be considered the Citizen Cane of Japanese Animation.

GOD OF ANIME
I'm going to get right to the point. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ANIME EVER MADE. anybody who knows anything about anime understands how ground-breaking NGE was, is, and always will be.

Watch it again.......In it's entirety.
Please understand that you will need to purchase this box set and the 2 disk set "Death and Rebirth" and "End of Evangelion" DVD to truly understand why people love this Animae so much. I admit, it was hard for me to watch the "End of Evangelion". If you don't understand it, then you might benefit from reading the wikipedia.org explanation of the many facets of the series. If you just bought this and you didn't shell out for the last two DVD's, I can see why you were disapointed. Get the Platinum Edition instead of this one and then get the 2 disk ending set mentioned above and you will understand what this series is all about and you will love it.