History Anime / NeonGenesisEvangelion

''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン, ''Shinseiki Evangelion'', lit. "New Century Evangelion") is a 26-episode [[GenreBusting science fiction/action/horror/drama]] {{anime}} series, produced by Creator/StudioGainax, Creator/StudioGhibli, Creator/ProductionIG and Creator/TatsunokoProduction and directed by franchise creator Creator/HideakiAnno, which aired on Creator/TVTokyo from October 1995 through March 1996.

''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン, ''Shinseiki Evangelion'', lit. "New Century Evangelion") is a 26-episode [[GenreBusting science fiction/action/horror/drama]] {{anime}} series, produced by Creator/StudioGainax, Creator/StudioGhibli, Creator/ProductionIG and Creator/TatsunokoProduction and directed by franchise creator Creator/HideakiAnno, which first aired on TV Tokyo from October 1995 through March 1996.

In the year 2000, a global cataclysm known as Second Impact changed the world. The event annihilated Antarctica and shifted the planet's axis, resulting in catastrophic flooding and drastically altered climates worldwide. The ensuing destruction and global refugee crisis created such extreme unrest that nuclear exchanges broke out in mere days. By the time the dust finally settled, half of Earth's human population had perished.

Fifteen years later, 14-year-old Shinji Ikari finds himself summoned to the fortress city of Tokyo-3 by his estranged father, Gendo, for a single purpose: to pilot a HumongousMecha called an Evangelion in order to defend civilization from physics-defying monstrosities known as Angels. But can a young, damaged boy like Shinji bear the weight of humanity's survival?

* DetrimentalDetermination: Asuka's sheer determination leads to her breakdown when she is no longer able to keep up.

* DatedHistory: While it's never exactly made clear what the Dead Sea Scrolls referred to by SEELE are, it's possible that they are referring to the actual [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Scrolls Dead Sea Scrolls]]. At the time the show was made, the full contents of the Scrolls had not been disclosed, which led to much speculation and conspiracies theories as to what they actually said. However the complete scrolls have since been made public, removing the mystery surrounding them that serves as the basis for this show.

* DatedHistory: While it's never exactly made clear what the Dead Sea Scrolls referred to by SEELE are, it's possible that they are referring to the actual [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Scrolls Dead Sea Scrolls]]. At the time the show was made, the full contents of the Scrolls had not been disclosed, which led to much speculation and conspiracies as to what they actually said. However the complete scrolls have since been made public, removing the mystery surrounding them that serves as the basis for this show.

* {{Determinator}}: {{Deconstructed|Trope}} by Asuka, since playing it straight leads to her breakdown when she is no longer able to keep up.

[[labelnote:Clockwise from top]][[TheSoCalledCoward Shinji Ikari]], [[MysteriousWaif Rei Ayanami]], [[{{Tsundere}} Asuka Langley Soryu]], [[TheChessmaster Gendo Ikari]], [[MajorlyAwesome Misato Katsuragi]],[[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Ritsuko Akagi]].\\

* HeavyMithril: Kinda. British rock band Fightstar are fans of the series and titled several songs from it. Their song "Lost Like Tears In Rain" even ends with the line "It's Neon Genesis".

[[caption-width-right:350:[[{{SignatureLine}} God's In His Heaven. All's Right With The World]].[[note]]Clockwise from top: [[TheSoCalledCoward Shinji Ikari]], [[MysteriousWaif Rei Ayanami]], [[{{Tsundere}} Asuka Langley Soryu]], [[TheChessmaster Gendo Ikari]], [[MajorlyAwesome Misato Katsuragi]],\\
[[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Ritsuko Akagi]].\\

Not pictured: [[DysfunctionJunction Mental health]].[[/note]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[{{Tagline}} Welcome to the Apocalypse]].[[note]]Clockwise from top: [[TheSoCalledCoward Shinji Ikari]], [[MysteriousWaif Rei Ayanami]], [[{{Tsundere}} Asuka Langley Soryu]], [[TheChessmaster Gendo Ikari]], [[MajorlyAwesome Misato Katsuragi]],\\

!!All spoilers are unmarked. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.

** [[OnceOriginalNowCommon This stance has become increasingly disputed in more recent years, however, thanks to a combination of said pop-culture osmosis alongside the much wider availability of older mecha anime and tokusatsu]]. It's become known that ''Evangelion'' drew heavily from ''Anime/SpaceRunawayIdeon'' and the ''Franchise/{{Ultraman}}'' series. Given that ''Ideon'' was directed by Creator/YoshiyukiTomino, who has been known to play around with already existing mecha tropes some 15-20 years before ''Evangelion'' even was concieved, the more dedicated retro anime circles have started to think of ''Evangelion'' as a ''revival'' of the late 70s-early 80s cynicism rather than a completely new deconstruction. It just so happened that the newer deconstructor was brought first to the States instead.

''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン, ''Shin Seiki Evangelion'') is a 26-episode [[GenreBusting science fiction/action/horror/drama]] {{anime}} series, produced by Creator/StudioGainax, Creator/StudioGhibli, Creator/ProductionIG and Creator/TatsunokoProduction and directed by franchise creator Creator/HideakiAnno, which first aired on TV Tokyo from October 1995 through March 1996.

* CracksInTheIcyFacade: Rei Ayanami, who started as an emotionless doll, only for the first sign of true emotion being when Shinji sees her smiling for Gendo Ikari.She even once states she was ready to die for him. In the course of the series, she reflects more and more on her existence and Gendo, wondering what she really is and being more and more open to her fellow pilots; in ''End of Evangelion'', she outright rebels against Gendo to save Shinji.

* FlawedPrototype: Jet Alone. To be more specific, there were two Jet Alone models created. The first appeared in the television series. The second was improved and renamed Jet Alone Prime, appearing in the game ''Evangelion 2'' for the UsefulNotes/{{PS2}}.

* LicensedGame: A number of games were created for ''Evangelion'', including ''Neon Genesis Evangelion 64'', a UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 adaptation of the anime and ''End of Evangelion''; ''Evangelion: Jo'', a [=PS2=]/PSP adaptation of the first ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'' movie, anime, and ''The End of Evangelion'': and ''Neon Genesis Evangelion: Battle Orchestra'', a [=PS2=] PlatformFighter.

* ProductPlacement: Yebisu/Yebichu beer is seen prominently, episode 2 features an actual Sony TV and Mitsubishi Fuso trucks, and you can actually buy Shinji's Walkman, almost -- it's a real DAT (Digital Audio Tape) player, again made by Sony[[note]]model [=WMD-DT1=]. The artists just changed the DAT logo to SDAT, and added a non-existent LCD panel to the player[[/note]]. Asuka plays a UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn in episode 23.

* DropTheHammer: Jet Alone Prime's primary weapon.

* AnAesop: Learn how to love yourself, because if you can't love yourself, you'll never be able to love anyone else.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: If Shinji and Asuka would have just taken the time to express their feelings and frustrations with each other, Asuka's synchronization rate wouldn't have plummeted and Shinji wouldn't have caused TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.