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Biography
for|the anime series which began the franchise|Neon Genesis Evangelion (anime)nihongo| Neon Genesis Evangelion |???????????|Shin Seiki Evangerion is a Japanese media franchise created and owned by Gainax . Most of the franchise feature an apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|apocalyptic mecha action story, which revolves around the efforts by the paramilitary organization NERV to fight hostile beings called Angel (Neon Genesis Evangelion)|Angels , using giant humanoids called Evangelion (mecha)|Evangelions that are piloted by select teenagers (of whom Shinji Ikari is the primary protagonist ). Other works deviate from this theme to varying degrees, focusing more on romantic interactions between the characters, side stories which did not appear in the original works, and/or reimaginings of the conflicts from the original works. The franchise began in 1995 with the Neon Genesis Evangelion (anime)|titular anime directed by Hideaki Anno and has since grossed over 150 billion yen."total sales of more than 150 billion yen" http://web.archive.org/web/20070429194334/www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2007/02/12/02.html
Development
Main|Neon Genesis Evangelion (anime) Neon Genesis Evangelion first emerged out of a deal struck between King Records (Japan)|King Records representative Toshimichi Otsuki and director Hideaki Anno"Anno knew a guy from King Records named Otsuki, and as the story goes, the two were out drinking one day when Otsuki suggested to Anno that they work on together. Anno agreed on the spot, came back to the office and promptly announced it to everyone. Nobody even batted an eyelash. We just accepted it without further thought." pg 164 of Takeda 2002, whose Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnęamise#Sequel|proposed sequel to Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnęamise had recently fallen through, over drinks for a TV anime project ("something, anything"). http://khara.weblogs.jp/hideakianno/personal-biography.html
Though the original plot line for Evangelion remained relatively stable through development, production proved to be turbulent: Sadamoto's authorship of the promoting manga caused problems, as multiple publishers felt "that he was too passé to be bankable";pg 167 of Takeda 2002 the stylized mecha design that Evangelion would later be praised for was initially deprecated by some of the possible sponsors of a mecha anime (toy companies) as being too difficult to manufacture (possibly on purpose),"At the planning stage, director Hideaki Anno is reported to have said, "With recent robot anime series there have been too many instances of toy makers sticking their big noses in from the design stage so they can get a spec that is easy to turn into a toy. I don't want any interference from toy makers, so I'm going to design a robot that just cannot be turned into a toy." pg 97 of Fujie 2004 and that models of the Evangelions "would never sell."Takeda continues: "He said the legs were too skinny, and then proceeded to give Otsuki a lecture on the principles of robot design. Otsuki is bitter about the incident to this day." pg 166–167 of Takeda 2002 Eventually, Sega agreed to license all toy and video game sales.
A sudden shift in tone occurred in the series around episode 16, partially due to scheduling restraints (drastically reducing the number of frames that could be drawn for each episode)cite web | author = Gainax | url = http://www.evaotaku.com/html/rcb-tsurumaki.html | title = A Story of Communication: The Kazuya Tsurumaki Interview | accessdate = 2006-08-15 | publisher = | work= Red Cross Book | date = 1998-02-20 and the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway on March 20, 1995 (with Anno removing elements of the plot he thought would be too similar to the real-life attack).cite web | url = http://www.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-l-9802/msg00101.html | title = Interview with Azuma Hiroki | accessdate = 2006-08-15 | last = Woznicki | first = Krystian | date = 1998-02-20 ; see also Azuma Hiroki While Anno had promised early on that "every episode would give...something for the fans to drool over," he began either removing fan service or juxtaposing it with scenes of emotional trauma.cite book | title=The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insider's Guide to the subsculture of Cool Japan|author=Galbraith, Patrick W. | year=2009 | publisher= Kodansha |location=United States | pages=69–70 | isbn=978-4-7700-3101-3 The problematic schedule and Gainax's reputation for delivering episode prints at the last minute also resulted in more experimental approaches, with several episodes reusing shots, using uncommonly long still frames, flashing frames of often rhetorical Introspection|introspective (Japanese) text and the final two episodes changed from their original concept into a psychological analysis of the main characters.
The resulting 26-episode anime, animated by Tatsunoko Productions and Gainax , and co-produced by TV Tokyo and Nihon Ad Systems , was broadcast from October 4, 1995 to March 27, 1996 on TV Tokyo . It was critically and commercially successful and acclaimed for its innovative imagery, concepts, and refreshing take on the mecha genre and anime as a whole (though not without controversy, as reception of the latter quarter of the TV series was sometimes hostile to the point of death threat|death threats ). It was later aired across Japan by the anime satellite television network, Animax . The series won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 1995 and 1996.
The series' unexpected success would not only spawn countless derivative works and imitators,Takeda 2002, for example, mentions that no one in Gainax was expecting NGE to succeed on the scale it did (beyond anything else Gainax had done); indeed, the stress of just handling all the money made by the franchise caused Gainax's accounting scandal and the 1999 arrest of its president. but established a whole franchise based around a number of distinctive features: a stock set of distinctive characters such as Shinji Ikari , Asuka Langley Soryu , Rei Ayanami , Toji Suzuhara , and others such as Misato Katsuragi (for a complete list, see List of Neon Genesis Evangelion characters|here ); a number of philosophical, psychological, and religious themes; and an Neon Genesis Evangelion (anime)#Inspiration and symbolism|idiosyncratic vocabulary of symbols and allusions drawing heavily on Christian and Kabbalah|Kabbalistic symbolism, Buddhist beliefs, and the Japanese otaku subculture.
Main|Evangelion: Death and RebirthGainax launched a project to create a movie ending for the series in 1997. The company first released Evangelion: Death and Rebirth| Death and Rebirth on March 15, which consisted of a highly condensed character-based recap and re-edit of the episodes 1-24 ( Death ) and the first half of the new ending ( Rebirth , which was originally intended to be the full ending, but couldn't be finished due to budget and time constraints).
End of Evangelion
Main|The End of EvangelionThe project to complete the final episodes (retelling episodes 25 and 26 of the series) was completed later in 1997 and released on July 19 as The End of Evangelion .
Revival of Evangelion
A movie compilation of a reedited version of Death (known as Death(true)2 ) and The End of Evangelion , Revival of Evangelion , was released on March 8, 1998.
Rebuild of Evangelion series
Main|Rebuild of EvangelionOn September 9, 2006, Gainax confirmed a new animated film series called Rebuild of Evangelion , consisting of four movies presenting an alternate retelling of the TV series (including new scenes, settings, and characters) and a completely new conclusion to the story.cite web | url = http://www.evangelion.co.jp/ | title = Rebuild of Evangelion | accessdate = 2006-09-12 | publisher = Gainax | date = 2006-09-10 The first of the new movies, Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone , was released in Japan on September 1, 2007 and the second, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance , on June 27, 2009. The third film, Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo , will be released in the fall of 2012, with the final film planned for release in 2013.
Media
The Evangelion franchise has spread from the original anime into a number of different media, with some following the official Canon (fiction)|canon (of the 26-episode anime series and its two related films or the new Rebuild series) and others differing on important plot points originally introduced in the anime.
Manga
main|List of Neon Genesis Evangelion chaptersA number of manga series based on the anime have been released, mostly notably the Neon Genesis Evangelion (manga)|official series by series character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto , which was first serialized in February 1995 (eight months before the series' official premiere, in order to promote interest). Three other manga have been created, based on non-canonical video games: Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days by Fumino Hayashi , Shinji Ikari Raising Project by Takahashi Osamu, and Neon Genesis Evangelion: Gakuen Datenroku|Gakuen Datenroku by Min Min.
Evangelion is also popular among doujinshi ,"Sunday featured mostly male-oriented (read, ecchi) works in anime and girl-get games. Favorites such as EVANGELION, SLAYERS, and TOKIMEKI MEMORIAL were out in full force" http://www.ex.org/3.6/14-event_comike.html""Probably the two biggest titles were SHINSEIKI EVANGELION and Konami's TOKIMEKI MEMORIAL ~forever with you~. About 30-40% of the titles were ecchi." http://www.ex.org/1.4/07-comike.html"It has been credited with defining gender roles, influencing attitudes toward the environment, and spawning the madly obsessive& mdash;and immensely profitable& mdash;otaku subculture embraced by tens of thousands of geeky fans who spend their lives unraveling the larger message of the show and collecting pornographic comic books featuring the show's female characters." "Let's Die Together", David Samuels, Atlantic Monthly ; May 2007, Vol. 299 Issue 4, p92-98, 7p inspiring notable titles such as "Evangelion RE-TAKE" (an unofficial sequel to the End of Evangelion http://www.batoto.net/comic/_/comics/evangelion-re-take-all-ages-version-doujinshi-r1557 English translation of the all-ages version of the doujinshi “Evangelion: RE-TAKE,” an unofficial sequel to the End of Evangelion http://wiki.evageeks.org/Re-Take) and even works by famous manga artists, such as "Birth of Evangelion" by Yun Koga .
Books
ISBN|date=March 2012Missing information|the "Groundwork of Evangelion" books|date=March 2012
Newtype 100% Collection: A 1997 collection of '' Newtype (magazine)|Newtype Japan's coverage of Evangelion , particularly of artwork http://www.ex.org/2.3/28-newtype100.html
'Death & Rebirth and End of Evangelion theatrical pamphlets: ' Limited edition supplementary booklets were distributed in Japanese theaters during the initial run of both Evangelion: Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion . The latter pamphlet, nicknamed the " Red Cross Book " by overseas fans, contains descriptions and defintions of many areas and terms in the Evangelion storyline that the series left unclear.
'Der Mond and Die Sterne : ' Two German-titled art book|art books of the work of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto , including concept art, character designs and renditions, and commentary about the Evangelion series. Both books also feature selections of Sadamoto's work on earlier and later works (such as Nadia (anime)|Nadia , or Fatal Fury 2 ). http://www.ex.org/news/1999_05.html
'2015//The Last Year of Ryohji Kaji : A limited edition, Japan-only publication by Newtype (magazine)|Newtype in 1997. The book is a combination photo/text book profiling the character of Ryoji Kaji through 16 mission "documents" left by him. The included letters, notes, and poems were written by Hiroshi Yamaguchi (a writer on the original TV series) and the photographs (including digitally-altered pictures of Evangelions, Angels, and other series-related objects) were taken by Ichiro Kamei .
Radio drama
A parody Radio drama in Japan|radio drama , Neon Genesis Evangelion – After the End , was released in 1996 as part of the Neon Genesis Evangelion Addition|NEON GENESIS EVANGELION ADDITION album. The story features the anime's original cast reuniting to star in a new Evangelion series, while attempting to change various themes of the series to make it more popular/accessible than it already is. http://www.evamonkey.com/after-the-end/ http://www.evamonkey.com/audio_drama_translation.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=djGbkF5ncps& feature=related Part 1 of Neon Genesis Evangelion - After the End Drama http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=91dBSPn8BF8& feature=related Part 2 of Neon Genesis Evangelion - After the End Drama
Music
for|all soundtracks and music in detail|Music of Neon Genesis Evangelion
Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance Original Sound Track
July 8, 2009
The albums Neon Genesis Evangelion (soundtrack)|NEON GENESIS EVANGELION , Neon Genesis Evangelion II|NEON GENESIS EVANGELION II , Neon Genesis Evangelion III|NEON GENESIS EVANGELION III , Evangelion: Death|EVANGELION:DEATH , and The End of Evangelion (soundtrack)|THE END OF EVANGELION were all released on DVD-Audio on December 22, 2004.
CD singles
Album
Release
????????? ( Zankoku na tenshi no te-ze )
October 25, 1995
FLY ME TO THE MOON
October 25, 1995
?????? ( Tamashii no rufuran )
February 21, 1997
'' THANATOS-If I can't be yours-
August 1, 1997
?????????/ FLY ME TO THE MOON
March 26, 2003
??????/ '' THANATOS-If I can't be yours-
May 24, 2006
Video games
Neon Genesis Evangelion has spawned a number of computer games, as well as making numerous appearances in other titles such as the Super Robot Wars series by Banpresto . None of these games have been officially released in English.
Notes: The first Evangelion video game, released for the Sega Saturn in 1996, shortly after the TV series's run. The story is set after the episode ASUKA STRIKES! , with Shinji badly injured and suffering amnesia as the result of an Angel battle and needing to retrain (by sparing with Asuka in Unit-02) and having to defeat the Angel to regain his memories. The game features RPG elements and Full motion video
Notes: A Sega Saturn game that focuses mainly on Shinji Ikari
Girlfriend of Steel / Iron Maiden
1998
Sega Saturn , PlayStation , Personal computer>PC
Notes: A Gainax game released as an extra 'episode' of the series, positing the further development of a series of manned Jet Alone robots. It focuses mainly on Shinji Ikari
Neon Genesis Evangelion 64
1999
Nintendo 64
Notes: A Nintendo 64 game released by Bandai in 1999, which covers the major battles throughout the TV series and movies as a combat and RPG game. It uses multiple voice clips and images recycled from the original series.
Neon Genesis Evangelion 2
2003
PSP
Notes: A PlayStation 2 game released by Bandai / Alfa System covering the entire run of the TV series and movies, with RPG style story interaction and combat. Items such as F-Type equipment and a new version of the Jet Alone project are included in the game.
nihongo> Shinji Ikari Raising Project
2004
PC
Notes:
Girlfriend of Steel 2 / Iron Maiden the 2nd
2005
PC
Notes: A Gainax game set in an alternate, "normal life" universe glimpsed in the final episode of the Evangelion TV series (it later inspired a spin-off manga series, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days ).
Secret of Evangelion
PS2 ) 2007 ( PlayStation Portable
PSP
Notes: An RPG/ adventure retelling the end of the Evangelion storyline, introducing the new characters NERV investigator Kenzaki Kyouya and dummy-plug research scientist Kaga Hitomi.http:/ / www.famitsu.com/ game/ coming/ 2006/ 10/ 04/ 104,1159958411,61232,0,0.html
Detective Evangelion
January 18, 2007
PlayStation 2
Notes: A non-canonical Broccoli (company)
Evangelion: Battle Orchestra
June 28, 2007
PSP
Notes: A fighting game produced by Broccoli (company)
Mahjong games
Game
| Release
| Platform
colspan="5" style="background:#e6e9ff;"
nihongo> Neon Genesis Evangelion - Eva and Good Friends The Stripping Project!
''Neon Genesis Evangelion: Collector's Disk Series
Notes: A three disk collection of official Evangelion artwork, advertisements, TV series animation cells, OP animation, sound clips, and a downloadable screen saver .http:/ / www.ex.org/ 1.1/ 28-cdrom_eva.html
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Typing Project-E
1999
Dreamcast , PlayStation 2
Notes:
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Shito Ikusei
1999
Bandai Wonderswan
Notes:
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Typing Hokan Keikaku
2001
Dreamcast
Notes:
nihongo> Ayanami Raising Project
2001
PC & Dreamcast
Notes: A game similar to the Princess Maker game series, with the player is tasked with looking after Rei (their decisions affecting her personality and development, as well as the Evangelion storyline, including its outcome).
nihongo> Ayanami Raising Project with Asuka Complement Project
2003
PlayStation 2
Notes: A game similar to the Princess Maker game series, with the player is tasked with looking after Rei or Asuka (their decisions affecting her personality and development, as well as the Evangelion storyline, including its outcome).
Notes: A music-based game produced by Grasshopper Manufacture .{cite web
Browser Evangelion Shin Gekijoban
2012
Internet browser
Notes: A web browser game, based on the Rebuild movies, announced in October 2011 for a 2012 release.cite web
GAINAX is planning to release a mobile game|game for mobile phones and has begun a contest for designing a new character that will be introduced in the game. http://www.gainax.co.jp/anime/eva/news.html#new051214 GAINAX NET|Works|Animation & Films|???????????|News& Topics
Pachinko
A number of Evangelion-themed pachinko and pachisuro machines are offered at pachinko parlors:
On July 22, 2010, Fuji-Q Highland opened a 1,460m2 section devoted to Evangelion , featuring a lifesize entry plug and statue of Mari Makinami , http://www.kotaku.com.au/2011/04/neon-genesis-evangelions-most-illustrious-character-recreated/ Neon Genesis Evangelion’s Most Illustrious Character Recreated | Kotaku Australia. Kotaku.com.au (2011-04-05). Retrieved on 2011-12-18. an approximately 3-meter titanium Lance of Longinus, http://gigazine.net/news/20110405_mari_evangelion_world_2nd/ ???????·??·?????????EVANGELION:WORLD ??????????????????. Gigazine. Retrieved on 2011-12-18. NERV hallways with character cutouts http://gigazine.net/news/20110405_eva_evangelion_world_2/ ??????????????????????EVANGELION:WORLD????????. Gigazine. Retrieved on 2011-12-18. that lead to a hangar room with the 1:1 bust of Eva Unit-01 , SEELE monoliths, appropriate cosplay, http://www.evageeks.org/2010/07/life-sized-evangelion-unit-01-completed/ Life-Sized Evangelion Unit-01 Completed. EvaGeeks.org (2010-07-15). Retrieved on 2011-12-18. http://afufu.net/freewill/2010/07/life-size-evangelion-final-video-and-images/ Eva-themed hotel rooms, http://gigazine.net/news/20110406_eva_room_evangelion_world_2nd/ ???????????????????????EVANGELION:ROOM?????????. Gigazine. Retrieved on 2011-12-18. and food products. http://www.gigazine.net/news/20110406_goods_evangelion_world_2nd/ ??????????????????????EVANGELION:WORLD???????????????????????. Gigazine. Retrieved on 2011-12-18. A bust of Eva Unit-02 modeled after a scene in Evangelion: 2.0 was installed in 2011.See http://neweva.blog103.fc2.com/blog-entry-1120.html http://www.fujiq.jp/eva/second/index.html http://www.highlandresort.co.jp/guestroom/roomtype/eva.php or ANN coverage: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2011-01-26/life-size-eva-02-head-evangelion-hotel-room-planned http://www.jpbeta.net/2011/04/eva02_evangelion_world_2nd/ ?EVANGELION:WORLD????????,????????????????? « JPbeta ??????????. Jpbeta.net. Retrieved on 2011-12-18. http://gigazine.net/news/20110405_eva02_evangelion_world_2nd/ ????????????????·????????????2??. Gigazine. Retrieved on 2011-12-18.
Live-action film
Development of a live-action movie version of Neon Genesis Evangelion by Gainax , Weta Workshop|Weta Workshop Ltd. , and ADV Films (then the worldwide distributor of the Evangelion series outside of Asia and Australia ) was announced at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2003.cite web |title=Live Action Eva Press Release |publisher= Anime News Network |date=21 May 2003 |accessdate=13 March 2012 |url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2003-05-21/live-action-eva-press-release Early coverage included ADV Films raising "about half of the $100 million to $120 million needed to produce the film"cite web|last=Roth|first=Daniel|title=It's... Profitmón!|work= CNNMoney.com |publisher= Fortune (magazine)|Fortune |date=12 December 2005|url= http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2005/12/12/8363101/index.htm|accessdate=22 February 2012 and some concept art produced by WetaWorkshop . http://features.cgsociety.org/story.php? story_id=1901 CGSociety link to Weta NGE concept art; http://neon-genesis-evangelion.moviechronicles.com/2006-05/new-weta-workshop-concept-art/ http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi? id=16790
As time passed without any official announcements of production, the film project showed increasing signs of being in development hell . At Anime Expo 2008, ADV founders Matt Greenfield and John Ledford revealed that they had hired the producer John Woo , pitched the idea to other producers such as Jerry Bruckheimer and Steven Spielberg , http://www.411mania.com/movies/columns/82079/The-Vile-One%5C%5Cs-Dungeon-8.07.08:-San-Diego-Comic-Con-2008---Jane-And-The-Dragon-Interview-with-Richard-Taylor-and-Martin-Baynton.htm Movies - The Vile One's Dungeon 8.07.08: San Diego Comic Con 2008 - Jane And The Dragon Interview with Richard Taylor and Martin Baynton. 411mania.com (2011-05-02). Retrieved on 2011-12-18. and seen increased interest in the wake of the success of the 2007 film Transformers (film)|Transformers . http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/convention/2008/anime-expo/adv-films ADV Films - Anime Expo 2008. Anime News Network (2011-12-14). Retrieved on 2011-12-18. At Ohayocon 2009, Matt Greenfield announced that several U.S. studios were competing for final rights to the project, predicting an official announcement naming the studio, director, and perhaps casting information within the next nine months (he later noted that the closer he got to sealing a deal, the less he could say anything about it). http://www.moviechronicles.com/neon-genesis-evangelion/ Evangelion Live Action Movie. Movie Chronicles. Retrieved on 2011-12-18. Though the sudden collapse and asset sale of A.D. Vision in September 2009 raised concerns over the project's viability, Greenfield, Ledford, http://www.evageeks.org/2011/06/sunday-supanova-wrap-up/ http://www.mediafire.com/? lzxrxuh30y646cj audio of panel. Evageeks.org (2011-06-19). Retrieved on 2011-12-18. and producer Joseph Choucite web|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-02-04/producer/live-action-evangelion-project-still-active|title=Producer: Live-Action Evangelion Project Still Active|publisher=Anime News Network|date=February 4, 2010|accessdate=August 13, 2011 insisted the project was still actively searching for a director (claiming delays owed more to the general deterioration of the American anime market than to ADV's internal issues).
In August 2011, A.D. Vision sued Gainax, claiming their refusal to accept an Option (filmmaking)|option payment for the perpetual live-action rights to Evangelion was a breach of contact and resulted in losing an opportunity to produce the film with a major studio.cite web|url= http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2011/08/12/ad-vision-inc-sues-gainax-co-ltd-over-live-action-evangelion-movie-agreement|title=A.D. Vision, Inc. sues Gainax Co., Ltd. over live-action Evangelion movie agreement|publisher=Crunchyroll|date=August 12, 2011|accessdate=August 13, 2011 A.D. Vision has asked to be awarded the full live-action rights and any accruing English rule (attorney's fees)|legal fees .
References
reflist|colwidth=30em
cite book |last= Takeda |first=Yasuhiro |authorlink=Yasuhiro Takeda |coauthors=Yu Sugitani, Yasuhiro Kamimura, Takayoshi Miwa; translated by Javier Lopez, Jack Wiedrick, Brendan Frayne, Kay Bertrand, Gina Koerner, Hiroaki Fukuda, and Sheridan Jacobs |title=The Notenki memoirs: studio Gainax and the men who created Evangelion |year=2002, 2005 |publisher=ADV Manga |location= |page=190 |isbn=1-4139-0234-0
External links
Commons categorywikiquote
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0400911/ "Untitled Evangelion Project" profile at the Internet Movie Database
http://asianbeat.com/en/feature/f09072901.html Evangelion – It's Japan by asianbeat
http://www.evageeks.org/2010/06/evangelion-motorcycle-to-compete/ "Evangelion Motorcycle to Compete"
Neon Genesis Evangelion Category:Neon Genesis Evangelion| Category:Science fiction anime and manga Category:Television series set in the 2010s Category:Religious themed fiction Category:Gainax Category:Tatsunoko Production Category:Metafictional works Category:Impact events in fiction
