Evangelion... Where to begin?

[Engage]

Hey guys, I remember watching a couple episodes of Evangelion on TV when I was a kid and I'd love to try it out now as a 30 year old, but I've got no idea where to begin because there is SO much content.

I thought a great way for me to "begin" would be watching the best Evangelion movie that encapsulated the show's best features in the highest quality animation. For example, a friend of mine was interested In Transformers G1 from the 80's and so I told him to watch the Transformers movie from 1986 as the movie had high quality animation and really put Transformers on display in 90 minutes... Is there something similar in Evangelion?

I LOVE the Sentinels in X-Men and robots or artificial intelligence in general if that helps?

Thanks!

[Traveller]

Best way to watch it is from the beginning, there isn't really that much content.

Watch the original show, possibly skip death and rebirth, watch End of Eva. After that, you can start on the new movies.

You could probably start with the new movie series, but it may be better to watch the original run first.

[Thomas Guycott]

Originally Posted by Engage

Is there something similar in Evangelion?

No, not really. The closest would be "Death," a theatrical film which condenses the show in a thematic sense, but not narratively. It functions as a companion piece to the TV series, and was paired with "Rebirth," an extended preview for "The End of Evangelion."

Eva has two animation continuities; the original 90s television series and films, and the ongoing Rebuild of Evangelion film series. If you want to experience Evangelion in its "pure state" (so to speak), watch the TV series in the order below. If you don't care about "canon" and all that jazz, then go ahead with the Rebuild series.

TV SERIES

Track down ADV's OOP Platinum release of the show and Manga's OOP releases for the films and proceed:

*episodes 1-20
*director's cut episodes 21-24
*episodes 25-26, for an alternate version of the ending, as it aired in a compromised form.

*the film "Death" is optional; "Rebirth" is redundant.
*the film "The End of Evangelion," for the true, uncompromised version of the series' ending.

A Japanese Blu-ray release for the whole series is scheduled for the end of the summer. It is not English friendly, and it'll be literally years before a US release happens.

REBUILD FILMS

These are in print from Funimation:

*Evangelion 1.11: You Are (Not) Alone
*Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance

1.11 follows the first six episodes (the first narrative arc) of the show pretty closely, so you don't really lose anything by watching that instead. 2.22 roughly follows much of the series' remainder, but deviates from the show by a surprising amount.

The US release of the third film, Evangelion 3.33: You Can (Not) Redo has been delayed for a seemingly indefinite span of time while Funimation and Studio Khara sort out their production issues with the English adaptation. I'm on a spoiler blackout, but from what I've heard, it deviates even further from the show than 2.22.

The forth (and currently) final film, Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0, has yet to be released or announced in Japan.

[svenge]

4 things:

1) If you're going to buy Evangelion, get the Platinum version. There's a 7-disc box with singles, a 7-disc brick case, and a 6-disc thinpak box. The 8-disc original release has garbage A/V and the subtitles aren't nearly as good.

2) Watch out for bootlegs of the 6-DVD thinpak Platinum box set. If it comes with clear thinpak cases then it's a fake, as the legit ones used black cases.

3) While Funimation has indefinitely delayed their US release of Eva 3.33, if you're in Region A and don't need a dub there's the Hong Kong BD release with English subtitles. I own a copy, its A/V quality is excellent.

4) Without spoiling 3.33, let's just say that it goes completely off the reservation and doesn't follow the plot of TV series at all.

[NoSurprises]

Thomas Guycott has summed it up pretty perfectly, just to clarify; the directors cuts come with the platinum release, so you don't have to track them down separately. The platinum release also fixes a few video/audio issues that the older "perfect" collection has.

Personally I'd not bother with "Death" either if you're going to watch the movie right off the back of the series.

I watched episodes 25-26 before the movie too, while the movie is the "proper" ending, I don't think you'll spoil the experience if you choose to watch episodes 25-26 before the film, since they're seen as an alternate ending. Up to you. Some people hate them. CONGRATULATIONS!

The 2 domestically released rebuild films are much prettier less depressing action based affairs (so far, remember Anno hates you, so they're probably going to get weird), I'd watch them after the series. Unless you find yourself disliking the series due to the mopey characters, then perhaps give up and try the films instead?

Also to ignite the sub vs dub debate, I watched the dub, and it was fine. Few of the background characters are horribly done, and some of side characters get re-cast in the movie (which sound weird...).

[Z-95]

To add on, if you get the 7 DVD Platinum Perfect edition that comes with the tin case, those thin dvd cases ARE clear in the official release.

[Radical Ed]

Originals:
Evangelion TV series -> Evangelion: Death & Rebirth -> End of Evangelion

Remakes:
Rebuild of Evangelion 1.11 -> 2.22 -> Stop here if you know what's good for you.

[Chiyo_chichi]

1) TV series episodes 1-26 (21-24 Director's Cut version)
2) End of Evangelion

If you had a good time or wished the series went in a different direction try:

1) Evangelion 1.11
2) 2.22
3) 3.33 (probably won't be out any time soon)

[Snarfs]

Like most people said:

Series > End of Evangelion > Rebuild Movies

If you wind up liking it enough to buy it, I think death and rebirth is pretty cheap and there's a commentary on there if you're into that.

I also suggest actually watching, as it says on the back of this box, the "Mythology of Evangelion" extras on the platinum discs. Those are pretty interesting.

[K i r a]

Originally Posted by svenge

4 things:

1) If you're going to buy Evangelion, get the Platinum version. There's a 7-disc box with singles, a 7-disc brick case, and a 6-disc thinpak box. The 8-disc original release has garbage A/V and the subtitles aren't nearly as good.

2) Watch out for bootlegs of the 6-DVD thinpak Platinum box set. If it comes with clear thinpak cases then it's a fake, as the legit ones used black cases.

3) While Funimation has indefinitely delayed their US release of Eva 3.33, if you're in Region A and don't need a dub there's the Hong Kong BD release with English subtitles. I own a copy, its A/V quality is excellent.

4) Without spoiling 3.33, let's just say that it goes completely off the reservation and doesn't follow the plot of TV series at all.

*runs over to collection, slides out Platinum collection. breathes easy*

Haha. Thanks for that tidbit! I work at a movie place that sees trades every day and while the bootlegs people try to trade with me are so obvious, this is something nice to keep in mind!

[LordCrumb]

I have the Aussie Platinum box set, it's a great set indeed.. booklets for each volume and a really nice outer box. I wouldn't part with it even if the series does come out on Blu.

End of Evangelion is the icing on the cake for the true finale. The whole third impact scene is so epic. Love it when Komm Susser Tod kicks in.

Personally, I was super hyped for the new movies, but when 2.0 deviated so much from the TV series, I started to loose interest. I thought it was just going to be a refreshed/updated version (sort of like how DBZ Kai ended up, but with all new animation). I still adore the series, and usually try and watch it atleast once a year.

I don't want to start a debate or what ever, but I very much prefer the English voice actors.. such brilliant effort they put into it.

Ps - I know there is a lot of Eva AMVs around, but this one I found recently is pretty awesome;

Neo Genesis Evangelion - The End - YouTube

[Thomas Guycott]

Originally Posted by NoSurprises

Also to ignite the sub vs dub debate, I watched the dub, and it was fine. Few of the background characters are horribly done, and some of side characters get re-cast in the movie (which sound weird...).

It's probably already expected that I'd endorse the original Japanese () but in the case of Eva, I particularly find every aspect of the dub decidedly mediocre.

[Engage]

Wow guys, thanks so much for the responses!

I'm still really confused on where I should begin. I'm looking at this now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebuild_of_Evangelion

Can I start with 'Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone'?

[Naiera]

Originally Posted by Engage

I'm still really confused on where I should begin.

Why? How?

Watch the TV series and if you like it, the movies afterwards.

[Thomas Guycott]

Originally Posted by Engage

Wow guys, thanks so much for the responses!

I'm still really confused on where I should begin. I'm looking at this now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebuild_of_Evangelion

Can I start with 'Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone'?

Watch the home video version 1.11 instead. It has additional scenes and some corrected animation.

[Naiera]

While they are obviously supposed to be standalone movies, I think it would be a bad idea to start there. The movies are more like fanservice.

[kristoffer]

Originally Posted by Naiera

Why? How?



Watch the TV series and if you like it, the movies afterwards.

This. I prefer the series to the new films.

[Naiera]

I kind of prefer the films, but I think I would feel lost and overwhelmed if I had never watched the series.

[CommanderShiro]

Originally Posted by Engage

Wow guys, thanks so much for the responses!

I'm still really confused on where I should begin. I'm looking at this now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebuild_of_Evangelion

Can I start with 'Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone'?

Begin with the tv series first instead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_Genesis_Evangelion

http://myanimelist.net/anime/30/Neon_Genesis_Evangelion

[celticmoon]

Having seen the original series several times before the Rebuild movies, it's hard to tell exactly how effective the new movies are for someone who hasn't seen the series.

I see the first two Rebuild movies as the blockbuster spectacle version of the series, with the story streamlined in order to up the entertainment factor. At the most basic level of the story, 2.0/2.22 doesn't deviate from the TV series all too much until the final moment, even though it seems quite different on the surface. Still not a huge fan of 3.0/3.33, but I'm still holding out hope that the finale will redeem it for me.

Anyway, I don't see how there is any reason to be confused as to where to begin, when everyone has specifically suggested to start with the original series.