My Personal Thoughts on Evangelion

When I first became aware of Neon Genesis Evangelion, it was through one of the publicity flyers that A.D. Vision puts out for their videos before release. I picked it up and read through the description on the back. Something about a meteor crashing into Antarctica in the year 2000, the polar ice caps melting, and half the world's population dying in one year. Then in 2015, aliens called Angels start showing up, and the only thing that can stop them are robots known as Evangelion. Huh, I thought to myself. What I thought especially strange was the image of Eva-01 (how many robots look like that?) and the words beneath the Nerv logo: "God's In His Heaven, All's Right With The World." It didn't really look interesting at all and I dimissed it as some series that was going to be released that wouldn't be too big.

Fortunately, I was proven wrong and can now appreciate and realize the extent and depth of what Evangelion is and the potential that it has to change the world. Nothing like it has ever been seen or animated before, and it won't be likely that any will for quite some time. Evangelion has set itself so far apart from other anime that it cannot really be classified into one category or genre because it deals with so many themes and is so multifaceted. On the surface, it appears to be a series about robots and fighting off alien invaders. It is also a dramatic series that has the power to touch emotion. Yet it also deals with profound questions and insights into the nature of humanity in such a way that it is not easy to fully fathom or appreciate without taking all of its various elements into account.

Evangelion will most definitely change the public and otaku perception of anime. It has raised the standards and expectations of the anime industry and all those connected to it. It has touched the hearts and minds of millions and will continue to do so for many years to come. The cause of anime has taken another giant step forward and has gained new strength. As an analogy, the First Impact has already hit Japan and its shockwaves are spreading. The ripples have hit the U.S., but the Second Impact has yet to break loose with full force. When it does, you had better keep your eyes open. Because nothing will ever be the same again.
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