I’m pretty picky when it comes to anime. What I like, I like quite a bit. Everything else I just can’t bear to watch after a certain point. When starting Neon Genesis Evangelion, I knew it was a classic and that there were robots, but not much else. Now that Netflix has it, I figured now was as good a time as any to dive in.
evangelion.fandom.com
I’m now three episodes in, so it’s still early days. The show has only just started piquing my interest though. The first two episodes did nothing for me, and I don’t even think they made sense. The main character, Shinji, is taken to a secret facility almost immediately. A huge monster, called an angel, is attacking the city. Shinji happens to be the son of one of the chief military engineers. A female officer, Katsuragi, picks him up, presumably to shelter him from the danger.
It turns out that the military actually wants Shinji to pilot a giant mech, aka an Evangelion. Why? I really have no idea. He tries to fight the monster and fails miserably, which I thought was a fun, realistic plot point. It becomes clear that there are kids being recruited to pilot these Evangelions, so I’m assuming this will bear fruit later.
Katsuragi decides to let Shinji live with her for reasons unknown. She’s a slob and humor ensues. This is where I have somewhat of a disconnect with certain anime franchises. It seems there are many series’ that have an adult tone but still have wacky hijinks thrown in. It just doesn’t jive for me. The second episode is kind of a bore as a result.
evangelion.fandom.com
The third episode gets interesting though. Another angel attacks and Shinji defeats it but ends up in the hospital. He also seems to be developing a brainwashed mentality, as well as some kind of inner rage. It all seems like it will come to a head later, as he seems to be going from pacifistic boy to cold, ruthless soldier perhaps.
I was told that there is a lot of build up but the second half of the season is where it goes crazy. That’s 13 episodes before things supposedly get good. I’m going to keep going here, but I hope there’s a little more for me to hang on to in the near future.
Basically, if you’re starting Neon Genesis Evangelion and you’re a newcomer like me, don’t bail right at the start if you’re not impressed. I’m still not sold myself but the plot definitely has some plans that will hatch eventually. As I continue to watch the show I’ll be sure to update here with my thoughts.