History Anime / NeonGenesisEvangelion

* ThirteenIsUnlucky: The dubbed VHS collection of the show capped off at 13 tapes, an interesting coincidence considering that the original video releases in Japan constituted 14.

** The title of the song "Komm, süsser Tod", which means [[DrivenToSuicide "Come, Sweet Death"]]. However, despite the German title, the song's lyrics are in SurprisinglyGoodEnglish instead.

** On the other hand, in one episode freeze-framing the show during a particular scene will reveal a shockingly detailed account (written in SurprisinglyGoodEnglish, no less) of the official cover story for Second Impact.

* SurprisinglyGoodEnglish:
** The American pilots who fly Unit 03 to Japan and NERV employees heard during its activation test speak perfect, American-accented English accompanied by Japanese subtitles. This is because Gainax actually had an American in-house translator, Michael House, working for them at the time of the show's production, and used him to voice the roles, [[http://www.evamonkey.com/platinum-booklets/episode-commentaries-14-20.php along with two of his friends.]]
** Several vocal pieces in ''The End of Evangelion'' soundtrack, namely "Thanatos ~ If I Can't Be Yours", "Escape to the Beginning", "Komm, Susser Tod", and the unused "Everything You've Ever Dreamed" are performed in English, by British and American singers, with natural-sounding lyrics. ''[[Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion Rebuild]]'' does this for numerous tracks, as well. And while several of the versions of "Fly Me to the Moon" used in the series are (infamously) sung with a heavy accent, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPbiYZao3ls.php version used in the first few episodes]] is sung by British-born singer Claire Littley in perfect, unaccented English
** Averted, however, in the case of German. Asuka, who is German by birth, sounds even to a native English speaker distinctly ''not'' German when speaking in that language. This in itself is a bit of a meta-inversion of [[SurprisinglyGoodEnglish the trope in question]]: native English speakers tend to be, for obvious historical reasons, much more familiar with German phonetics than native Japanese speakers, making it more obvious to English viewers when a speaker is failing to approximate fluent German speech, whether or not the English viewer could themself fluently speak any dialect or extraction[[note]]such as, uh, English[[/note]] of German.[[note]]Think about how recognisably obvious it is for a series or film to contain [[PoirotSpeak bad fake German]], even if it was produced by English speakers who presumably could tell the difference but didn't care. Ditto here, [[GratuitousGerman it's even got its own trope]]![[/note]]

* SomethingForEveryone: The multiple avatars of Rei/Lilith who appear to guide each individual human through the transition into Instrumentality have the ability to appear in the form of someone that individual loves. There are several shots of cast members getting a last look at/embrace from what appears to be someone they care for, right before bursting into [[strike:orange Tang]] LCL. The notable exception is Aoba Shigeru, the AirGuitar-playing BridgeBunny who only sees a swarm of naked Reis and screams in terror before he's taken. The writers have said this was because Aoba was a nihilist who cared for no one.

[[caption-width-right:350:Clockwise from top: [[TheSoCalledCoward Shinji Ikari]], [[MysteriousWaif Rei Ayanami]], [[{{Tsundere}} Asuka Langley Soryu]], [[TheChessmaster Gendo Ikari]], [[MajorlyAwesome Misato Katsuragi]],\\

Not pictured: [[DysfunctionJunction Mental health]].]]

* SomethingForEveryone:
** The multiple avatars of Rei/Lilith who appear to guide each individual human through the transition into Instrumentality have the ability to appear in the form of someone that individual loves. There are several shots of cast members getting a last look at/embrace from what appears to be someone they care for, right before bursting into [[strike:orange Tang]] LCL.
** With one notable exception Aoba Shigeru, AirGuitar playing BridgeBunny who only sees a swarm of naked Reis and promptly freaks. The writers have said this was because Aoba was a nihilist who cared for no one.

* LeaveTheCameraRunning: Appears frequently in the later episodes since the studio was getting increasingly short on money and time. This resulted in lots of still images, many scenes showing the characters from a great distance, and liberal use of StockFootage, presumably to save some coin for the scenes where the AnimationBump was needed (and it was well worth saving the money for those stunningly animated fight scenes). Notable examples include:

* EldritchAbomination: The Angels are bizarre, extremely alien beings who are capable of destroying physical and ''psychological'' barriers. Some of them don't even look like organisms, such as the infamous Ramiel, a beam-shooting blue octohedron. ''Evangelion'' also takes the "eldritch" to a level that many other works of fiction don't by explicitly pointing out how deeply they violate the laws of physics--for example, their flesh exhibits wave-particle duality, and one Angel is a fourth-dimensional being who has a two-dimensional appearance and casts a three-dimensional "shadow".

* ExpositingTheMasquerade: Shinji, a slightly disfunctional boy, witnesses an EldritchAbomination attacking the city then is promptly thrown into the cockpit of a HumongousMecha that's not really a mecha at all: it's [[PhysicalGod alive]] and is VERY [[TheBerserker bloodthirsty]]. It takes a few episodes until he gets the explanation about what the hell is going on but never gets [[AwfulTruth told]] [[GoMadFromTheRevelation about]] [[SealedGoodInACan what]] [[LukeIAmYourFather he's]] [[MamaBear piloting]] until three episodes from the end. It's unclear which is worse: that [[LockedOutOfTheLoop he was told so late]] or that [[ThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow he was told at all]]. Regardless which one is true, Shinji got an all-expenses-paid visit to the DespairEventHorizon for his effort.

* InsultBackfire: After a tense meeting with Gendo following the 13th Angel's defeat and the 4th Child's hospitilazation Shinji tells him he's done and is leaving NERV. As he walks out Gendo attempts to get under his skin by telling him he's disappointed in him as a son and they will probably never see each other again. Shinji coldly brushes this off and tells him, "That was my intention."

** Misato watching the train Shinji has apparantly boarded leave the station.

** Shinji and Asuka's relationship gradually degenerates, and eventually ends up being the final push towards Shinji causing TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, because they're unable to discuss both their attraction towards and frustations with each other.

*** ''Ibuki'' would have led the Imperial Japanese Navy's "next generation" cruiser class, but the keel was never laid and the class was canceled. The ship converted to a light carrier due to losses, though even that was never finished before being scrapped after the war.

* AllAccordingToPlan: Used by Gendou and SEELE to indicate that current events have not upset "the plan"--specifically, they tend to say 'all according to the scenario', as the plan is based around the prophecies in the Dead Sea Scrolls]. Considering that they ultimately have different motives, by the end of the series it becomes clear that this is just {{lampshad|eHanging}}ing. Their differing scenarios diverge at the end, so it makes sense. At the point where something goes according to Gendo's scenario that is not according to SEELE's scenario, SEELE begins to distrust Gendo, realising they are being betrayed, and when he finally admits that he isn't going to go along with their plan for Instrumentality, SEELE sends the JSSDF to kill everyone at NERV HQ.

* ShadowGovernment: While not said outright, there is no doubt that [[BiggerBad SEELE]] is the real controlling power of the United Nations, and maybe even the world. [[AssimilationPlot And that is still not enough power for them]].

* ShadowGovernment: While said outright, there is no doubt that [[BiggerBad SEELE]] is the real controlling power of the United Nations, and maybe even the world. [[AssimilationPlot And that is still not enough power for them]].

* MasturbationMeansSexualFrustration: ''The End of Evangelion'' opens with Shinji in a suicidal state after the events of the previous few episodes. When he tries to wake Asuka up from her coma in the hospital, he accidentally exposes her breasts. Torn between his attraction to her and his stress from fighting the angels, he [[DudeShesLikeInAComa instinctively masturbates to the sight]], complete with a close-up of his semen-covered palm. Afterwards, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone he immediately feels as revolted as the audience is]]. What Shinji then says in the ADV dub sums up his actions best.-->'''Shinji:''' [[PrecisionFStrike I'm so fucked up...]]

* {{Bowdlerize}}: When ''The End of Evangelion'' was re-broadcast on Creator/NipponTelevision, [[http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/08/27/youre-so-messed-up-complaints-come-after-broadcaster-edits-infamous-evangelion-scene/ three scenes were cut]] as a result of airing around prime-time. The infamous [[ADateWithRosiePalms "masturbation" scene at the beginning]], Asuka's CruelAndUnusualDeath when Unit 02 is ripped apart by the Mass Production EVA's, and oddly enough, the part where Asuka screams [[SuddenlyShouting "I DON'T WANNA DIE!"]].

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Notoriously in ''The End of Evangelion'', where Shinji masturbates to a comatose Asuka.

* DudeShesLikeInAComa: First subverted when Shinji tries to kiss Asuka in her sleep, but ultimately decides against it. Then, in ''End of Evangelion,'' Shinji ''[[ADateWithRosiePalms pleases himself over a scantily clad and]]'' comatose Asuka.

* MayDecemberRomance: At the very least, toyed with.

* SelfAbuse: Shinji [[ADateWithRosiePalms masturbates]] once, but [[DudeShesLikeInAComa the setting]] and [[KillAllHumans the result]] testify that [[Creator/StudioGainax the show's creators]]/[[Creator/HideakiAnno creator]] don't view it in a positive light.

* BareYourMidriff: Misato's crop top. Not exactly appropriate attire for lounging around the house with two teens around (especially combined with short shorts), but that's Misato.

* WeakBossStrongUnderlings: Due to NERV's military-like hierarchy, this trope comes in layers and could be seen as an {{inver|ted}}sion of AuthorityGrantsAsskicking. First, we have the Children: teenagers with no military training who synchronize with and pilot {{Humongous Mecha}}s known as Evas -- the Evas are kind of sentient and contain the souls of the Children's [[MamaBear mothers]] and that's why only the kids can control them. Then we have Major Misato, the children's [[TheStrategist tactical commander]] in battle and the tutor of two of them as well as an accomplished ActionGirl. So, she is only stronger than the kids when they aren't piloting the Evas. Above them are NERV Commander [[Characters/NeonGenesisEvangelionGendoIkari Gendō]] and his Deputy Fuyutsuki; neither of them is an action guy and their strength lies on respectively being TheProfessor and TheChessmaster. Finally, there's SEELE, the shady global organization funding and overseeing NERV. SEELE's CosmopolitanCouncil comprises regular politicians with a penchant for theatrics.

* DependingOnTheArtist: The show's artwork and animation quality varied a good bit from episode to episode. For example, episode 19 has noticeably [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen0001.bmp thicker lineart in close-ups]], 16's coloring is ''very'' [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen0003.bmp saturated]] & [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen0000_36.bmp washed-out looking]] (though a good part of this is due to the loss of the episode's original master reel, meaning that all subsequent copies had to be made from a lower quality source), and 9 [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen0000.bmp brought us]] a [[DudeLooksLikeALady girly-faced Shinji]]. Episode 11, ([[{{irony}} ironically]]) despite being animated with help from Creator/StudioGhibli, is one of the worst-looking episodes of the show, due to [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen0007.bmp the bizarre]] [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen0004.bmp and lumpy]] [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen0005.bmp art style]] [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen0001_9.bmp making everyone]] look "off". Also, due to the budget shrinkage that led to, well, [[GainaxEnding you know]], much of episodes 21-24 needed to be redrawn for DVD, leading to further variation in the styles. Also, see OffModel below.

* OffModel:
** The show slips into this regularly, due to the general lack of money. Episodes 6 and 17 stand out in particular. In Episode 6, try drinking every time someone goes off-model. You'll be comatose.
** ''End'', on the other hand, is a huge visual upgrade over the series and is very much ''on''-model outside of certain moments that go off-model deliberately. The famous Unit-02/Eva Series battle alters Unit-02's proportions and slightly simplifies its design for better animation. Shinji also looks wildly different, to great effect, as he goes insane before Third Impact begins; compare [[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090727192804/evangelion/de/images/4/4d/Shinjiprofil.jpg normal Shinji]] [[http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/562/394/e36 off-model Shinji]].
** The OffModel animation present in the show is much more noticeable on its UsefulNotes/BluRay, making all the animation flaws easy to see. Check out these screenshots, straight from the BD edition: [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/i.bmp]],[[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/j.bmp]], [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/k.bmp]], & [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d.bmp]]. Of course, this is very much a double-edged sword, as the cases of [[SugarWiki/AwesomeArt great-looking]] animation in the show ([[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/e.bmp]], [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/c.bmp]], [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen0008.bmp]], and [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/w.bmp]]) are serviced quite well with the BD release.
** The third episode has a fun little visual continuity error. There's a close shot of Rei focusing on her bandages, with her arm in a sling. Then there's a closer shot of her a second later with the sling suddenly wrapped the other way.

''Evangelion'' was first broadly introduced to the English-speaking audience through the Texas-based Creator/ADVFilms, who released the first officially sanctioned English dub of the show on VHS between 1996 and 1998. ADV would be the main distributor of the show to the Western world for about a decade, and evidently had some greater plans for it, as they secured the license from Gainax to do a LiveActionAdaptation and were even in talks with Creator/{{WETA}} about the prospect for some time. However, said adaptation languished in DevelopmentHell for years, and due to its increasing financial troubles in the 2000s, ADV eventually lost both the adaptation rights, leaving the live-action project dead in the water, and the distribution license to the show entirely, with their last release of the show on DVD occurring in 2008. Creator/{{Netflix}} announced in November 2018 that they had obtained exclusive streaming rights to the series globally and began streaming all 26 episodes, ''Evangelion: Death(True)[[superscript:2]]'' (a {{recut}} of ''Death and Rebirth'' omitting what would be folded into the completed version of ''End''), and ''The End of Evangelion'' on June 21, 2019. This version of the show is largely unchanged, but international versions feature new translations and dubs and omit all instances of "Fly Me to the Moon". However, Creator/{{GKIDS}} [[https://twitter.com/GKIDSfilms/status/1312528559005548544 announced]] on October 3rd, 2020 that they have the home video and theatrical rights to release ''Evangelion'' in NA in 2021, including the original 26 episodes and both movies, which would see release in 2021 sub-licensed to Creator/ShoutFactory with both dubs (albeit with the originals exclusive to the collector's editions).

* WeaknessTurnsHerOn: One way of looking at the causes of Asuka's attraction to Shinji.

* SempaiKohai:

%%* FleeingForTheFalloutShelter: The residents of Tokyo-3 appear to do this whenever Angels appear, which explains why [[ConvenientlyEmptyBuilding so little collateral damage]] happens during the early battles. Most notable in Episode 3, when an Angel shows up while Shinji is ''at school'' and the other students are forced to shelter there.

* FleeingForTheFalloutShelter: The residents of Tokyo-3 appear to do this whenever Angels appear, which explains why [[ConvenientlyEmptyBuilding so little collateral damage]] happens during the early battles. Most notable in Episode 3, when an Angel shows up while Shinji is ''at school'' and the other students are forced to shelter there.