Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30068 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-04-09
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Animated, Box set, Color, DVD, 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

All's right with the world.
I have reviewed all the individual DVD's in this series, so this won't be a review that focuses on plot details. Whether you like it or hate it, there is no denying that Evangelion looms large in any investigation of anime as an art form. In truth, there is very little to dislike, but director Hideaki Anno has put so much into it that the story is prone to take sudden changes in direction. Usually right after the viewers think that they have everything figured out. This is intentional, but sometimes it is a source of temporary discontent.

Put simply this is the story of three fourteen year old children - Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, and Asuka Langley - who have been bred to be able to merge with giant bioengineered creatures called Evangelions, EVA's for short. Their task is to protect a post apocalypse world from the invasions of giant angels. These are creatures much like the EVA's, whose agenda is not completely clear. Of course, the truth is that this is perhaps 30% of the story, which is a combination of psychodrama, metaphysical mystery play, and an investigation into the potential of the human race. In fact, nothing is ever exactly what it seems.

As an example of the many layers to the story, there is a tremendous amount of Judeo-Christian symbolism worked into the story. The Sephiroth, the Kabalah's tree of life, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Lance of Longinus, and cruciform images abound. All of this adds up to an impending sense of apocalypse, but the truth us far stranger. Hideaki Anno has intentionally used this symbolism to create an atmosphere that is 'mysterious' to his Japanese audiences. Yet there is a whole other spiritual layer that is uniquely Japanese, drawing deeply from the Kojiki, an ancient creation legend. This is something many non-Japanese viewers will miss.

This is one of many cases of the subtle undercurrents that make this series far more than an action oriented mecha story. Characters are complex, and develop rather than stay single sided. Anno's artistic control creates a visual layering that is just as right as the ploy. Careful attention to details will reward the viewer with all manner of hints and indicators of what is to come and what is happening. All production values are excellent and Anno shows he is willing to take real creative risks in his efforts to communicate.

Of course, if you are considering buying the series, this collection really is the only sensible way to buy it. Despite the alarming price ticket, it is still much better priced than the one at a time charge. Whether you buy, rent, or borrow, this is one of the anime series that must be seen. You will not be disappointed.

Simply breathtaking...
For the record, I am not a huge fan of Anime. Maybe I am looking in the wrong places, but everytime I start to watch a series it ends up as mindless action or mindless comedy. I've only seen 2 that can truly be called intellectual. Serial Experiment: Lain was one. Neon Genesis Evangelion is the other.
I cannot say enough good about this series. It it quite simply the best piece of work to ever have been broadcast. Anywhere. Nothing to come out of America, nothing to come out of Japan, nothing anywhere can meet the sheer brilliance of the 26 episodes of this most disturbing, heartwarming, and beautiful anime.
Evangelion starts out simply enough. Ikari Shinji is a 14-year old boy who gets called upon to pilot a giant mecha, called an Evangelion. He, Rei, and Asuka are the three children that have the ability to pilot these machines. Simple enough, right? The first 3/4's of the series deals with the relationship between these 3 and the various leaders of NERV, the organization they work with. It is highly entertaining, beautifully drawn, and very engaging. Alot of the middle episodes are very light hearted, and nothing too fantastic, but enjoyable in their own right.
It is in the last quater of the series that it becomes brilliant. Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and Misato (one of the leaders of NERV) become very introspective. By this point their back stories and personalities are developed beyond any rational expectation. I don't want to spoil the moving experience of this anime, but let me just say that it is incredibly philosophical, psychological, and depressing.
Oh, and for the love of all that is holy, DO NOT listen to anyone who tells you not to watch the last 2 episodes. They are, simply put, fools. The last 2 episodes are jarring, disturbing and very hard to watch. They do not give perfect closer to the whole series (don't worry Plot [enthusiasts], End of Evangelion, due out in September ties up all the loose ends). But they made the series for me. You have to see it to believe it and I am not going to spoil it by saying anything more. Just trust that it is simply breathtaking...

Wonderful anime, horrible distributor
What can I say that hasn't been said about the Evangelion series? I'll spare you the rant and just tell you about the dvd collection. First of all, I really dislike ADV Films, and one of the main reasons is for what this set could have been if they had only spent a little more money. Gainax, the studio that created eva, gave ADV films the chance to get the digital masters of the series complete with the directors cuts of episodes 21-24 (the directors cuts were extra footage added into episodes 21-24 when the box set was released in Japan), but instead they opted(more than likely to save money) to just buy the rights to what was broadcasted on television. They didn't even do the transfer right as the picture in some points in the series was very jumpy(they somewhat coorected this later on, and in the box set there was a very noticible fix on DVD 1). Then they claim that DVD 1 was "re-mastered", and by re-mastered they mean they fixed the spine to match up with the other ones and got rid of the annoying layover which they never should have put in to begin with. Finally, the fact that the series spawns 8 discs just shows where their main concern is, their pocketbook. Bandai has released many great 26 show anime series on a mere 6 discs(not to mention with many more extras and much better production quality). Overall, I still recommend you pick up this great series at a VERY reasonable(thank you amazon.com) price! Just write letters to ADV! (And by the way, appearently I'm not the only one ADV is upsetting, GAINAX recently cut all ties with them, so no more ADV distributed GAINAX anime! Hooray!)