By Douglas Dlin
With Special Thanks to Mie Kominami
Last November, the animation division of anime multimedia company Gainax started a new TV anime series, Shinseiki Evangelion (Neon Genesis Evangelion), their first TV series since 1990's Fushigi no Umi no Nadia (Nadia of the Mysterious Seas, AKA The Secret of Blue Water). It was immediately obvious to viewers that this show was not your average giant-robot series. For example, for its source material, it relied heavily on, of all things one of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Steeped in mystery, action and human drama, the show quickly became a hit, despite setbacks caused ostensibly by scheduling deadlines and TV network pressures. (More on that Later.) Now, with the show's TV run ended and OVAs and a movie within the works, we take a look at the newest Gainax sensation.
In the year A.D. 2000, a massive meteorite struck the South Pole, triggering the global catastrophe known as the Second Impact. The Antarctic ice cap melted, drastically raising ocean levels, and the Earth's axis of rotation was shifted. These disasters brought on both terrible climactic changes and a worldwide economic panic, which in turn escalated outbreaks of racial conflicts and civil wars. Ultimately, over half of Mankind was killed.
It is now 2015, and over the last few years our species has managed a miraculous comeback. Yet it seems that Man's efforts to survive the Second Impact may have been in vain, as mysterious entities called Angels (mistranslated as “Apostles” in our first, brief coverage of the show back in issue 39) suddenly strike at New Tokyo #3, or Tokyo-3 for short, a specially planned city under construction near Hakone, some 100 km southwest of modern-day Tokyo. (Earlier reports simply had the city in Shizuoka Prefecture, the heart of which is much further away, thus the longer distance given last time.) No one knows who or what their true motives and purposes could be. All that is known is that they possess incredible powers and can appear in almost any form, and all those forms and powers are being used to attack us. Mankind's only means of fighting back against these mysterious foes is the all-purpose humanoid battle weapon Evangelion.
The show's hero, a fourteen-year-old boy Shinji Ikari, is rapidly made aware of all this when he comes to Tokyo-3 at the request of his father, whom he hasn't seen in years. As he waits to be picked up by his father's associate, Captain Misato Katsuragi, the city comes under Angel attack. Shinji and Misato miraculously survive and get to a secret entrance in a tunnel. As they ride down deep beneath the surface, Misato hands Shinji an introductory booklet to NERV, the organization for which she works. Shinji is surprised to discover that his father, Dr. Gendô Ikari, is the man in charge. Then their car emerges into a huge cavern and he gets his first view of the true purpose for Tokyo-3's existence, the massive subterranean complex known as Geofront.
While Shinji discovers some of the Geofront's wonders, the forces of NERV do their best to take out the apparently indestructible Angel. Their best weapons proven useless, they are down to one alternative, and even that may not be available. Deep within Geofront, Shinji is introduced to that alternative, the tremendous humanoid robot Evangelion (or EVA for short), and is stunned when he finds out that his father summoned him only so Shinji could become one of the Evangelion pilots.
He refuses, and perhaps one can hardly blame him. His father, absent for so long, finally wants to see him, but only to use him as a weapon, without even the benefit of proper training. Unfortunately, with the Angel slowly but surely approaching their location, it seems he doesn't have a choice. Only one other pilot is available, another fourteen-year-old named Rei Ayanami, and she is still suffering from major injuries. Despite these wounds, she agrees to be brought out to pilot the machine, but can't make it to the cockpit before an Angel attack rocks the room. Seeing her determination, Shinji is moved to accept his fate and agrees to pilot the EVA himself. Before he can get into it either, though, the room is once again shaken by an Angel weapon blast and debris starts to fall on him and Rei. Shinji raises his arm automatically, and to everyone's shock, the Evangelion does the same, protecting him! Such an unprecedented link between an EVA and its pilot, established even before the initial neural link-up, goes beyond their wildest expectations. Shinji may be the greatest EVA pilot yet! If he can gather enough courage and self-confidence to fight, that is...
The show is incredibly intricate in its dealings with plots, subplots and characters, and there's doubtless more of the same due in the upcoming OVAs and movie. A full treatment of the story, therefore, would be more than could ever be presented in one sitting. We can only offer an introduction of sorts to the basic characters and concepts involved. Another hindrance to a full treatment is the fact that the last several episodes will be partially or completely rewritten for the video and LD releases. There will be at least some work done on episodes 19 and 20, heavier rewriting on 21-24, and a complete change for episodes 25 and 26, which ultimately provided psychological profiles of the characters instead of an end to the story! Various reasons have been given for this, ranging from TV network pressure due to complaints about another series (the network wanted to avoid similar complaints about Evangelion) to stepped-up deadline pressure to Gainax simply missing their deadlines and/or mismanaging their budget. It's impossible for this writer to honestly say which of these, if any, is true, and ultimately it may not matter, as long as Gainax delivers its best efforts in the end. Judging by reaction to the early portions of the series, if the redone later portions measure up, any failings of the initial versions will be forgiven. American fans, though, should get the reworked versions right off from A.D. Vision.
Shinji Ikari
Like the heroes of many such stories, Shinji is just an ordinary guy, the kind you might meet anywhere, who only becomes extraordinary when the story's crisis hits. A slightly passive, half-hearted sort, Shinji can be rather shy when it comes to communicating with others. Actually, he believes he'd be happier if he could live his life without having to deal with other people. The fact that he feels his father abandoned him is a psychological problem. In the course of the story, however, he finds out that people generally aren't better off living in isolation, and even the harsher experiences of life can be necessary for one to grow as a person. His natural talent make him an obvious choice for Evangelion pilot. With the hopes and chances of survival of so many riding on him, he must either accept his responsibilities, his need for others and theirs for him, or else be unable to live with himself. (Voice: Megumi Ogata—Haruka Tennô/Sailor Uranus of Sailor Moon, Princess Emerode of Rayearth)
Rei Ayanami
One of the two younger heroines of the show, Rei differs in all but age from her fellow pilot Asuka. Exclusively assigned to pilot the Evangelion 0 (EVA-00), she has been in training for her work ever since development of the EVA technology began, a definite advantage she has over Shinji. For the first couple of episodes, she appears heavily wounded and half wrapped in bandages, the results of an accident that occurred during testing of the system. Extremely taciturn, she almost never expresses her emotions, instead quietly executing the duties she has been assigned. Much is unknown about her childhood, or indeed her past in general. While she was a junior-high classmate of Shinji's, she appears to have had almost no friends. (Voice: Megumi Hayashibara—female Ranma of Ranma 1/2, Momiji Fujimiya of Blue Seed and many others)
Asuka Langley Sôryû
The fourteen-year-old pilot of the EVA-02, Asuka is an American citizen of 3/4 German and 1/4 Japanese ancestry. Furthering her cosmopolitan background, she received special training In Germany, and is quite aware and proud of her piloting skills. An aggressive type, she is quick to translate her thoughts into actions. In actual battle, she tends towards flamboyant fighting techniques. Her aggressiveness also translates into a one-sided rivalry with Shinji when he starts getting such great results in the EVA-01. As a result, she often ends up quarreling with him. She tries to emphasize her tomboy side by calling boys gross, filthy, etc., yet she still appears attracted to Ryôji Kaji, the handsome young man who accompanies her from Germany to NERV HQ. (Voice: Yuko Miyamura—Hinagiku Tamano/Angel Daisy of Wedding Peach, Regina Argine of J-Decker)
Gendô Ikari
Shinji's father, the 48-year-old Commander of NERV and Chief Director of the Evangelion Development Project. Dr. Ikari is a man with a great strength of purpose, coming across to be a heartless type who will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. This image is perhaps enhanced by his dour, bespectacled countenance. He is particularly harsh towards his son. Whether it stems from his long absence from home or even sooner, there is a definite emotional stiffness between them. (Voice: Fumihiko Tatsuki—Ryo the Owl of the Gatchaman OVAs, Goldfoot of Iron Leaguer)
Misato Katsuragi
The Evangelion crew appears to have tried for an interesting mix with the four major female characters of the series, balancing the two youthful pilots with two more mature, adult females. One of these latter two is Captain Katsuragi. Well, technically. She's certainly "adult," being all of 29, though the open, cheerful, big-sister attitude she generally shows towards Shinji doesn't always bring her across as "mature." Make no mistake though; for all her carefree moments, she is also an extremely capable soldier, heading Section 1 of the Tactics Office of NERV HQ's Tactical Operations Division. As military commander for the war with the Angels, she is Shinji, Asuka and Rei's immediate superior. This dual relationship with Shinji (big sister vs. commanding officer) would seem awkward enough on its own, but when circumstances lead to them both living in the same apartment... (Voice: Kotono Mitsuishi—Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon of Sailor Moon, Kome Sawaguchi of Blue Seed)
Ritsuko Akagi
Ritsuko Akagi The other half of the "mature female" set of the series, Ritsuko is the cool, intellectual scientist—i.e., a foil for Misato, who's been her friend since university. Assigned to Technology Section 1 of NERV HQ's Technological Development Division, this young woman (a mere 30) is the person in charge of developing the Evangelion technology. (It runs in the family; her mother is an accomplished scientist as well.) A straightforward yet nervous type, she tends to let her worries build up inside. She tends to complain loud and long to Misato, whose optimism often provides the high-strung scientist with much needed mental/spiritual relief. On the personal facts side, Ritsuko is a single, heavy smoker who likes to collect cat-related items. (Voice: Yuriko Yamaguchi—Row of Montana Jones, Kanko of the Cutey Honey OVAs)
Pen-Pen
In case you've seen pictures of this critter and were wondering what he had to do with the story, this is what he's doing here. "Pen-Pen" is a new breed of hot-springs penguin(!) who lives in Misato's apartment—in a nicely furnished compartment in one of her two refrigerators, to be precise. He likes taking baths, seemingly getting special pleasure out of opening the bathroom door and diving in. Despite his being a penguin, Misato seems to treat him as more than a pet, referring to him as "he" rather than "it" and showing respect for his personality. (Voice: Hmmm...)
Tokyo-3
The city that serves as the primary setting for this series. The present-day (i.e., our reality's) capital, Tokyo, was wiped out in the Second Impact. New Tokyo #2, or Tokyo-2, was built in Nakano Prefecture. Tokyo-3, located in and about present-day Hakone, in Kanagawa Prefecture, is currently being built as part of the Next-Generation Capital Transfer Plan... or so the general explanation goes. In truth it is a fortress city built to defend against the coming of the Angels. Structures made to resemble buildings are in fact part of the city's armament. Below the city is the reallocation of Tokyo-3's inhabitants, Geofront. There are also regular civilians living on the outskirts of Tokyo-3, having resided there since before construction on it began.
Geofront
A city spread out deep underground below Tokyo-3, in a great cavern some 6 km across and .9 km high. At its center is NERV Headquarters, while
its perimeter is surrounded by forests and underground lakes. Projecting down from the cavern roof are giant structures which are actually the buildings of Tokyo-3. In the case of an Angel attack, those structures not used in combat can be lowered like elevators and housed in the cavern. Transport between Geofront and Tokyo-3 is handled by special car trains, rather like giant escalators, and monorails.
Evangelion
Properly titled the "All-Purpose Humanoid Battle Weapon Evangelion," these are the final hope for Mankind, created by NERV at astronomical expense over the course of 14 years in preparation for the expected attack of the Angels. Most of the people involved with the project simply refer to them as EVAs for short. While EVAs are being constructed simultaneously at NERV branches around the world, only three have been completed so far. Shinji's EVA-01, constructed at NERV HQ in Japan, is the first one to be sent into actual battle. For normal operations, the Evangelions are hooked by cable into an electrical power supply—in effect, they're on giant extension cords. In emergencies, they can switch over to an internal generator, but this is only good for up to three and a half minutes. The Evangelions are not referred to as robots, but as "artificial humans" (or "cyborgs"), perhaps because they partly composed of living tissue. (Human? Maybe...) When an Evangelion is placed into operation, the pilot enters a cylindrical cockpit module known as an "Entry Plug, which is then inserted into the EVA's spinal column.
The yellow EVA-00 was the first Evangelion to be constructed. The unit is a test prototype, but was designed nonetheless to withstand a fair amount of actual combat. Prior to Shinji activating the EVA-01, repeated tests were made with Rei to start up the EVA-00, but without satisfactory results. The biggest problem was the level of synchronization between pilot and mecha. Eventually, the tests resulted in a violent accident, leaving Rei terribly hurt and the EVA-00 literally in cold storage as of episode 1.
The red EVA-02 was planned and produced in Japan, but assembled and tested in Germany. While it closely resembles the 00 Unit in appearance, its performance is an improvement over the earlier model. As its pilot, Asuka proudly claims it is the true Evangelion, the first one built for actual combat. She apparently believes this distinction elevates her EVA above the other two, even before there has been any opportunity to compare the performances of the three.
Angels
Mysterious beings with superscientific abilities, apparently out to destroy Mankind. Despite their outward appearances, they do not appear to be living organisms in the general sense. The Angels come in a multitude of forms—from giant, semi-humanoid monsters to microscopic viruses, to huge floating crystals—and an equal variety of accompanying powers with which to attack Humanity. Nothing is known of their motives or overall behavior, or even why they're called Angels, though we do discover from a conversation early on in the series that Earth had been visited by the Angels 15 years ago as well.
NERV
After the United Nations was reorganized following the Second Impact, it established this special services organization under its direct control for the purposes of investigating, researching and destroying the Angels. While NERV branches (if you'll pardon the expression) are located at various energy source points around the globe, the organization's headquarters is in Geofront. While Shinji's father Dr. Ikari initially seems to be the head of the organization, the man ultimately in charge is Keel Laurentz, who first shows up in episode 2. The existence of NERV, like that of the Angels, is not known to the general public, and the authorities who do know of it sometimes wish they didn't; early on it is shown that NERV's relations with the Japanese government and the official U.N. forces aren't always amicable.. (According to director Hideaki Anno, by the way, the organization's name is, quite simply, the German word for "nerve.')
The Humanity Complement Plan
The plan being headed and promoted by Shinji's father, Gendô Ikari, Keel Laurentz and the other mysterious people thought to have some connection with NERV are intricately linked with it. Even within the walls of NERV, only a limited number of people know of this most secret of top secret plans. The true meaning behind the implications of finding a "complement" to Humanity is purposefully vague, revealed only gradually during the story.
MAGI
The designation for the super-computer system constructed in the comprehensive analysis lab that is the command tower of NERV HQ. It is actually comprised of a network of three computers—appropriately named Melchior-I, Balthasar-2 and Casper-3—which examine NERV's various plans, problems and strategies through their logical argumentations, rendering final verdicts by majority decision. MAGI calculated the Evangelions' chances of starting at 0.000000009%, which earned the mecha the nickname "The 09 System." Even Dr. Akagi's E Plan and the operations under Captain Katsuragi's command are put into action based on MAGI's decisions.
Third Children
This term, which NERV's personnel sometimes use when talking about Shinji, refers to the fact that he was the third qualifier for Evangelion pilot, the first being Rei and the second being Asuka. Operation of an Evangelion is accomplished primarily by linking its cranial nerves with the pilot's. For that
reason, a prospective pilot's impulse adaptation and rate of A10-nerve synchronization are of primary importance in selecting him or her as an operator. Three people were chosen by a top-secret investigation—an investigation conducted based on the "Marduk Report" selection method created by the "Marduk Engine"—to select suitable EVA pilot candidates. As stated above, the chosen three were Rei, the "First Children"; Asuka, the "Second Children"; and Shinji, the "Third Children." It would be more correct, of course, to use "Child" instead of "Children," but considering that the Gainax crew have a native speaker of English on their staff to advise them, it's hard to say whether this misuse is a genuine mistake or one perpetrated on purpose.