Evangelion: the masterpiece that changed anime forever

Evangelion is an anime series that premiered in Japan in 1995 and caused an unprecedented impact on the animation industry, audiences, and critics. Considered by many to be a masterpiece, Evangelion is a complex, profound and original story that combines elements of science fiction, psychology, religion and philosophy, with extraordinary aesthetics, animation and music.

The plot of Evangelion is set in the year 2015, in a world devastated by a cataclysm known as the Second Impact, which reduced the human population by half and altered the climate and geography of the planet. Humanity faces an existential threat: the Angels, beings of unknown origin who periodically attack the fortified city of Tokyo-3, where the secret organization NERV is located, in charge of defending humanity with giant robots called EVA, which They can only be piloted by chosen teenagers, the Chosen Children.

The protagonist of the series is Shinji Ikari, a 14-year-old boy who is recruited by his father, the commander of NERV, to pilot EVA-01 and combat the Angels. Shinji is an introverted boy, insecure and traumatized by the abandonment of his father and the death of his mother. Throughout the series, Shinji will have to face not only the Angels, but also his own internal conflicts, his relationships with the other Chosen Children (Rei Ayanami, a mysterious and distant girl, and Asuka Langley, a proud girl. and temperamental), and to the secrets hidden by NERV and the Human Instrumentality Project, a plan that seeks to provoke an evolution of humanity.

Evangelion is a series that broke with the clichés and conventions of anime, especially the mecha genre, to which it belongs. Instead of offering an action-adventure story with robots and heroes, Evangelion proposes a reflection on the human condition, the meaning of life, pain, loneliness, love, death, religion and destiny. The series explores themes such as depression, anxiety, trauma, the Oedipus complex, the ego, the unconscious, nihilism, apocalypse and transcendence, with a narrative that mixes symbolism, metaphors, allusions and references to various cultural sources. , such as the Bible, Kabbalah, Gnosticism, mythology, psychology, science and philosophy.

The series also stands out for its artistic quality, with fluid, detailed and expressive animation, which manages to create spectacular action scenes, as well as moments of great emotion and beauty. The series has a very careful and original design of characters, robots and settings, which creates a unique and immersive atmosphere. The music of the series, composed by Shiro Sagisu, is another of its strong points, with a soundtrack that combines orchestral, choral, electronic and rock themes, which accompany and enhance the emotions and messages of the series. The opening song, “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” performed by Yoko Takahashi, has become an anime anthem and one of the most recognized and covered songs in history.
Evangelion is a series that leaves no one indifferent, generating admiration, debate, controversy and passion. Its ending, especially that of episodes 25 and 26, was the subject of numerous criticisms and complaints from fans, who considered it confusing, incoherent and disappointing. For this reason, the creator of the series, Hideaki Anno, made two films that offered an alternative ending, darker and more violent, but also more explanatory and conclusive: “Death and Rebirth” and “The End of Evangelion.” These films, along with the original series, can be seen on Netflix, which has recently added them to its catalog.

But the story of Evangelion doesn't end there. Since 2007, Anno has been working on a new tetralogy of films, called “Rebuild of Evangelion,” which reimagines and reinterprets the original series, with changes to the plot, characters, animation and music. The last of these films, “Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time”, premiered in Japan in March 2021 and is expected to arrive soon in the West, through Amazon Prime Video. This film promises to be the definitive end of Evangelion, a work that has marked a before and after in anime and popular culture, and that continues to fascinate, inspire and move millions of people around the world.