Customer Reviews

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Genesis 0:1 [VHS]

5 star:		(97)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There are a lot of entertaining films and TV shows out there. Certainly plenty of them exist in anime, including sci-fi anime. However, this one just goes above them all. Simply put, this show goes simply beyond "entertaining", and into the territory of "thoroughly involving", and to a degree that few shows, including the X-files and Gundam wing, have even come close to. The plot is deceptively simple at first, part of what makes it so powerful. It starts out as apparently a simple "giant robot" anime with some subtle hints of what may come, but in the latter half of the series, takes a full-fledged nosedive into the depths of human emotion, with shocking truths about the series, God, government conspiracies, and mankind being craftily revealed along the way by director Hideaki Anno. One may believe that "deep" anime is nothing new, citing examples of Akira and Ghost in the Shell, but neither of these so successfully overwhelmed the viewer with the story, nor did they actually make you really want to figure ot the meaning. Evangelion may not spell all the answers right out, but it most definitely makes you want to look for them, and profoundly impacts you when you find them.

I first heard of this series in tons of anime chat rooms. People saying that it was the best and that I was so deprived for not seing it...so I decided to pick it up....By God they were right. I heard the theme song and I was instantly hooked to the amazing opening intro....and everytime all my friends heard it..it was in their heads as well...Even my mom hummed it. The story is just breathtaking. It starts off on this volume with alot of plots that turn into really big things later on in the series...The characters are great. Some you can really relate too(hopefully you don't relate too much with these people). There is so many things I can say about this series. It makes you go through great catharsis. Some scenes are so well done that you just sit there in awe. I could barely move only my mouth was open through the last 15 minutes of an episode. This is truly a must for anybody that is an anime fan and it has to be in their collection. 6 stars...

It's amazing. A few months ago I was all over the website raving about Oh My Goddess! While that is still an incredible series this beats it in terms of music, character development, animation, and just plain good old entertainment. When I walked into my local video store and rented what seemed to look like a good movie, I had no idea it would absorb me into it so much. From the moment the the amazing opening song started (which I still hum in my head) to the last kanji of the credits I was stunned. I have discovered much of the greatest anime by mistake, like Nausicaa and OMG!However, this was a mistake I will never regret. This movie is absolutely phenomenle. I especially like the way they made the action scenes. Another thing I like is that it is very scientifically correct. I did research and found nothing wrong with it. There is not much that can beat this.Take my recommendation and rent it or buy it preferably.

Since you are on this page, I assume you have never watched Evangelion. Perhaps it was recommended by a friend. Perhaps it was "reccomended" by Amazon. Perhaps you just accidentally clicked here. It doesn't matter. WATCH THE SERIES! If you don't know what anime(pronounces ah-nee-may) is, it is Japanese animation. You can see examples of it on cartoon network all the time: DBZ, Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon. The truth is, these series are examples of the worst anime can be. If you are a fan of one of these shows and your reason is that they are "cool", go back. Evangelion is only "cool" for the first few episodes(actually, about the first half). From then, it blows your mind away. For one thing, there's the plot. What you think at the beginning is nothing like the true story. It all seems simple at first. you think you understand. Then you realize that nothing is as it seems. Each characters origins and motives are twisted and human, and you won't believe how incredible it is. Of course, next are the charcters. To make it short, they act like real people. The strange thing is, at the end you realize that they are also designed to prove a philosophical message. When people try to do this, their characters are often very flat, like in the book "Animal Farm". In Eva, they are even MORE real. Evangelion is also deep. This is why I told all the Pokémon and DBZ drones to leave. Eva isn't mindless like that. The messages and glimpses of people with seriously screwed up lives is scary and jarringly realistic. It may change your life. Of course, since this show has mecha(robots) in it, you might think it is "just another giant robot show". The truth is, it isn't about the robots. They just happen to be there. In fact, the robots are barely even robotic. Their origins and motives are buiried deep within the twisted depths of the plot just like those of the other characters are. The only problem is, you have to watch the whole series. The beginning of it only gives you briedf glimpses of what to come. Mankind fights invading "Angel"(the series villians, and no, it's creators don;t have anything against Christianity) after invading "Angel", and nothing much seemes to happen otherwise. Then, bits of what slowly becomes a much darker plot are revealed. Everyone slowly goes somewhat insane, and everything in Eva suddenly becomes depressing but addictive, hard to endure and yet incredibly enjoyable. Of course, now you are wondering, "What is the appropriateness?" Well, ther is some nudity, but NO porn. IF people are naked ther is always a non-erotic reason. Nudity just doesn't have those sort of connotations in Japan. Also, there is some swearing and graphic violence, and a whole lot of depressing, tormenting scenes near the end, but heck, I'm 12 and I could handle it. Not that all 12-year-olds could, but some definately can. Overall, BUY EVANGLEION!!! It doesn;t who you are, whether you like or despise anime, or anything else. Eva could change your life!!!

I've only recently begun branching out into other types of anime besides mahou shojo (magical girl), and I have to say that Evangelion makes it all worth it. As of today (8/12/00) I've only seen this video (that will SOON change), but due to both my friends' craze for Evangelion and the appeal that just the first two episodes had for me, I feel that I have to agree that NGE is among the greatest anime sagas. I've seen Gundam Wing and Fushigi Yugi, both arguably among the great anime series in terms of human drama; however neither of them started with as much of an enthralling opening as Evangelion.

On another note, the dubbing was much better than I expected. I had heard reports of how badly Evangelion had been dubbed (something different for ADV, which my friends usually give good reports of); however I thought that the dubbing, while not Gundam Wing-quality, was definitely better than most commercially-released shows. I especially liked the choices for Shinji and his father, although Masato's voice got a little annoying at times.

All in all, I would give this video 5 stars (or more if possible). It was a great opening, full of action (the battle with the Third Angel), drama, confusing mystery, humor (Masato...0_o) and the sense of the deeper story to come... I would recommend it for any anime fan.

What more can I say than that EVA ROX? (I would give it about 1,000,000 stars, but I can't) It starts out as just your normal giant robot piloted by a kid saving the world anime, but then becomes SO MUCH MORE!! It gives you insight into the very depths of human thought and existence, and has awsome characters, too. It's emotional, funny, action packed, and... well... JUST PLAIN COOL!! If you don't own the whole series, drop WHATEVER you're doing, get in the car, and GO BUY IT!

P.S. (Don't plan on thinking about anything else for several weeks after watching this one, especially after volume 13!!)

I have never gotten into an anime as much as I have for Neon Genesis Evangelion. I own all the videos(including bootlegs of the movies which ADV films is not planning on releasing "NOOOOOOOOO! ") The story might be boring for some, and you can't start watching from the middle of the series or else you won't get that involved in the story. The characters are amazing and althought the EVA fights aren't that long, they are still great. But the anime is more focused on the human (and non-human..."dum-dum-dummmmmm!") characters of the story. Its almost impossible to explain the story to your friends, you have to watch it to understand. The story starts off on a happy beat more or less but as the tapes go on, the story starts getting darker, and darker, and even more twisted...oh, if only ADV would release the movies! Without them, you never get to experience the true ending of evangelion! I recomend this anime more than any other I have ever seen! Watch it! IT'S INSANE!

Neon Genesis appeals to people of all status genre. It doesn't take a die-hard Anime Fan to become dazzled by the art, story, and overall quality of this Anime series. If you are a newbie to this genre or just another person out for a good quality program, I highly suggest you purchase Neon Genesis. Trust me...

I am a big anime fan, but this one takes the cake. I usually am not very impressed by "giant robot" anime. Evangelion is not a normal "giant robot" saga. The psychological depths will stun you. The first eight or so episodes are deceptively straightforward and simple, giving you a false since of security, then BAM! Everything goes crazy. Evangelion does things with human drama that I have never seen before. The show keeps you guessing until the last second of the last episode. Don't think that the show focuses on the robots or the action (although both are impressive). The main thing about the show is the characters. They are so diverse and different that you will remember all of them forever. If you want to see a good plot, then see Evangelion. As far as the first video goes, it is a fitting beginning to the series. There is drama, action, intrigue, and even some symbolism. If you are wondering about appropriateness, it does not have nudity, but there are some mature scenes. It is not very gorey, just intense. I promise that if you don't see it, you will be missing out.

Evangelion is really an AWESOME anime. The characters are funny, twisted, and all individual, the fight scenes are powerful and really cool, & the storyline is amazing.

EVA (which is set in the year 2015, 14 years after the 2nd impact occured & nearly destroyed the world) is about 3 teens(Rei Ayanami, Shinji Ikari, & Asuka Langely)who each pilot a special EVA robot. These robots are designed to fight & kill angels that are evil spirits that are capable of causing another impact.

However there is alot more in the show than just fighting. Shinji & Asuka live with a pretty young lady (Misato) who assists with the EVAs (and manages to keep a great figure and complexion despite a passion for fatty foods and beer), & Rei lives in an apartment on her own. To the other two, Rei is a bit of a mystery. Unlike Asuka, she is quiet, withdrawn, emtionless.

As you get deeper into the story, it lessens on its wry sense of humour & starts to get darker & deeper, revealing shocking things about the teen's pasts (How Shinji's father abandoned him, the suicide of Asuka's mother, & a glimpse of Rei's true identity), the intensity level goes through the roof, & the final episode...

Well I dont want to spoil it, but I'll say this...

This is a dark, powerful, moving anime & is highly recommended to all anime fans.