Neon Genesis Evangelion Premieres on TV Tokyo

On this day 30 years ago, Neon Genesis Evangelion aired for the first time on TV Tokyo. Directed by Hideaki Anno, the groundbreaking series centers around a battle between sentient biomechanical weapons known as Evangelions (Evas) and mysterious and powerful beings called Angels. Different from typical mecha anime, it explored themes of trauma, depression and the existential struggle for meaning in the world. The story resonated with Japanese viewers at what was a difficult time for the nation during the so-called “Lost Decade.”

Introducing the Protagonist, Shinji Ikari

Several of the characters in the story resonated with viewers, particularly the protagonist, Shinji Ikari, voiced by Megumi Ogata. Subverting the typical hero archetype, he’s an introverted and flawed individual who struggles to form meaningful relations with others and runs from confrontation. Following the sudden death of his mother, Yui, Shinji is abandoned by his father, Gendo, who devotes himself to a plan named the Human Instrumentality Project. Several years later, Shinji is asked by his father to pilot a giant mecha named Evangelion to protect the city of Tokyo-3 from the Angels.

Initially conceived as a modern version of Victor Frankenstein, Gendo is an emotionally detached Japanese father who commands the special agency Nerv, which is dedicated to the study and annihilation of Angels. Shinji is desperate to please him and subsequently acquiesces to his demand, despite suffering from deep-seated psychological issues. Anno, who was depressed for four years before production of the series began, said to Aerial magazine that “Shinji does reflect my character, both the conscious and unconscious parts.” However, he added, while laughing, “I wasn’t thrown out by my father or anything.”

According to character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Anno initially requested that the main character be female. However after Anno’s previous two series, Gunbuster and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, he felt some resistance to making the protagonist a girl again. “I mean a robot should be piloted by a trained person, and if that person just happens to be a girl, that is fine, but I couldn’t see why a young girl would pilot a robot,” said Sadamoto. In the end, they went for a depressed 14-year-old boy with abandonment issues.

The Evangelion Pilots

“The reason why the main character is 14 years old is that he is no longer a child but not yet an adult,” said Anno in an interview with the magazine NewType in 1996. “He lives alone, but is attached to others. In past centuries, he would soon celebrate his coming of age. Back then, life expectancy was 50 years, so people had to grow up in 14 years. Today, we live more than 70 years… Considering ‘age 14’ as that in which an independence of mind starts manifesting, I found it proper to include this in my work.”

The two other main pilots in the series — Rei Ayanami (Unit -00) and Asuka Langley Soryu (Unit-02) — are the same age as Shinji. The female character that Anno initially proposed as the protagonist was supposedly the latter, or at least someone very similar to her. A fiery and extremely competitive pilot who had a traumatic childhood, she is designated as the Second Child. Voiced by Yuko Miyamura in the series, Asuka proved hugely popular with viewers due to her dynamic and complex personality. She’s named after two World War II aircraft carriers: USS Langley and Soryu.

Rei’s surname, meanwhile, comes from the Fubuki-class destroyer IJN Ayanami, a Japanese World War II naval vessel. Voiced by Megumi Hayashibara, she starts out as an introverted and timid figure, but her personality evolves as she connects more with people around her. It is implied that the pilots in the series are motherless as the souls of their mothers are embedded within the Evangelion units to create the psychic link needed for control. The one exception is Rei. We later learn that she is a hybrid clone with genetics from Shinji’s mother and DNA from the 2nd Angel Lilith.

The Controversial Ending

The show was a huge ratings’ success. When the original finale was broadcast in March 1996, it was reported that more than 10% of all televisions in Japan were tuned in. The last two episodes, however, were controversial and hugely divisive among fans. Many viewers were expecting a decisive mecha battle leading to an apocalyptic conclusion. Instead, what they got was a psychological and ambiguous ending that focused on Shinji’s internal struggles and his journey toward self-acceptance. He ends up rejecting the Human Instrumentality Project, a plan to merge all individual human souls into a single, unified consciousness.

Speaking to NHK’s Top Runner in 2001, Anno said, “My goal was never to provide answers or a sense of resolution. That ambiguity became part of the service I was providing.” He added, “The truth is, I didn’t really understand myself or the world around me. So, instead of writing a story based on clear logic or structure, I used that confusion and uncertainty as the core of the narrative. One of the services I could provide to the audience was to show that confusion. I felt that if people could relate to that, then it was a worthwhile experience.”

While some felt that episodes 25 and 26 delivered a powerful message about self-acceptance and the importance of human connections, others were disappointed and somewhat confused with how the series ended. A few dissatisfied fans decided to vandalize and deface the offices of the production studio Gainax. Anno was even sent death threats. The End of Evangelion film was subsequently released in July 1997, providing viewers with an alternative ending. Interpreted as a criticism of otaku culture, it is widely considered one of the greatest anime films ever made.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: One of the Most Influential and Successful Anime Franchises of All Time

That movie was part of an original trilogy of films that also included Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (1997), a recap of the first 24 episodes and a preview of The End of Evangelion, and Revival of Evangelion (1998), a compilation of the first two flicks. The Rebuild of Evangelion film series then began in 2007, starting with Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone. The most successful of the movies was the final installment, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, which broke the ¥10 billion mark, becoming Toei’s first-ever film to hit that box office milestone.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the highest grossing anime franchises of all time. As well as the original series and seven movies, there have been several video games and a number of Evangelion-themed pachinko slot machines. Various manga series and a light novel based on the anime have also been released. The first manga came out eight months before the show began to help drum up interest. That interest is still well and truly alive today, 30 years on from when it first aired, with Evangelion merchandise, including clothing and figurines, continuing to sell well.

Hugely influential in Japan, Neon Genesis Evangelion inspired anime shows like Serial Experiments Lain and Revolutionary Girl Utena. It also impacted directors overseas, such as Jordan Peele (Nope) and Wes Anderson (Isle of Dogs), who told Gwyneth Paltrow it was among his five favorite films and series.

So, will it return in the future? Asked on X (then known as Twitter) in 2022 whether Evangelion was really over, Anno replied, “This is the third time I’ve finished it, so I think that’s enough.” In an interview with The Asahi Shimbun, however, he said “there may be plans” to create more.