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Neon Genesis Evangelion (manga)
Encyclopedia
is a long-running manga
series by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
and published by Kadokawa Shoten
. It began in the February issue of Shōnen Ace
in December 1994. It consists of 13 volumes, each composed of several "stages" or chapters. Twelve of these volumes have been released.
Initially released before the anime series of the same name, the manga was quickly outpaced by the TV series, and is now approaching its conclusion, over a decade after the TV series concluded.
and King Records in 1993. Although the anime
of the same name was conceived first, the manga was released before the TV series. The plan was to boost public interest in the upcoming TV series while it was still under production. Due to severe production delays on the TV series, it ultimately aired a full 10 months after the manga first appeared in Shōnen Ace.
When the series finally premiered in October 1995, Sadamoto's manga storyline (which would later become volumes 1 to 3) had reached the battle against the cube Angel Ramiel, corresponding to episodes 5 and 6 of the TV series. The TV series soon rapidly outpaced the manga, to the point that the chapters comprising volume 4 (which included the introduction of Asuka, corresponding to TV episode 8) were not released until over a year after the TV series had finished airing. Sadamoto would continue to have a slow production schedule on the manga as he divided his time between other projects, releasing a new volume (out of an initially planned twelve) at a rate of roughly one every year and a half.
While the manga has been running for more than 15 years, only 12 volumes have been published. The reason for this is that while the ostensible publishing schedule was one "stage" a month in Shōnen Ace, Sadamoto's actual publication schedule has been irregular. For example, between the publication in Japan of volume 4 and volume 5, two years elapsed.
In 2008, it was announced that the Neon Genesis Evangelion manga was approaching its conclusion. In July 2009, it was moved to a new Shoten
seinen magazine, Young Ace
. It was published there until the January 2010 issue, when Sadamoto stopped writing the manga, putting the publication on hiatus in order to work on the latest Rebuild of Evangelion
film. The December 2010 issue of Young Ace announced that the manga would resume that 'winter' (early 2011); the April 2011 issue announced the next stage would be published April 4, 2011.
The TV series soon rapidly outpaced the manga, to the point that the chapters comprising volume 4 (which included the introduction of Asuka, corresponding to TV episode 8) were not released until over a year after the TV series had finished airing. Sadamoto would continue to have a slow production schedule on the manga as he divided his time between other projects, releasing a new volume (out of an initially planned twelve) at a rate of roughly one every year and a half.
Therefore, Sadamoto's manga is an adaptation of the TV series. While technically the first few volumes were released before the TV series premiered, the TV series was conceived of two years before, and most of it was produced after the TV series.
Shinji Ikari
Rei Ayanami
Asuka Langley Soryu
Kaworu Nagisa
Toji Suzuhara
Ryoji Kaji
Gendou Ikari
Yui Ikari/Unit 01
's manga rankings and has sold over 600,000 copies.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
is a Japanese character designer, manga artist, and one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio. Before the studio was founded under the official name , he served as animator on the second animated project, the Daicon IV opening animation...
and published by Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
. It began in the February issue of Shōnen Ace
Shonen Ace
is a monthly shōnen manga magazine in Japan published by Kadokawa Shoten, started in 1994. Unlike the big shōnen weeklies with circulation figures in the millions, Ace is aimed at a less mainstream audience, and has a particular emphasis on anime tie-ins...
in December 1994. It consists of 13 volumes, each composed of several "stages" or chapters. Twelve of these volumes have been released.
Initially released before the anime series of the same name, the manga was quickly outpaced by the TV series, and is now approaching its conclusion, over a decade after the TV series concluded.
History
The Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise was created after a meeting between Hideaki AnnoHideaki Anno
is a Japanese animation and film director. Anno is best known for his work on the popular anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. His style has come to be defined by the touches of postmodernism that he injects into his work, as well as the thorough portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotions,...
and King Records in 1993. Although the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
of the same name was conceived first, the manga was released before the TV series. The plan was to boost public interest in the upcoming TV series while it was still under production. Due to severe production delays on the TV series, it ultimately aired a full 10 months after the manga first appeared in Shōnen Ace.
When the series finally premiered in October 1995, Sadamoto's manga storyline (which would later become volumes 1 to 3) had reached the battle against the cube Angel Ramiel, corresponding to episodes 5 and 6 of the TV series. The TV series soon rapidly outpaced the manga, to the point that the chapters comprising volume 4 (which included the introduction of Asuka, corresponding to TV episode 8) were not released until over a year after the TV series had finished airing. Sadamoto would continue to have a slow production schedule on the manga as he divided his time between other projects, releasing a new volume (out of an initially planned twelve) at a rate of roughly one every year and a half.
While the manga has been running for more than 15 years, only 12 volumes have been published. The reason for this is that while the ostensible publishing schedule was one "stage" a month in Shōnen Ace, Sadamoto's actual publication schedule has been irregular. For example, between the publication in Japan of volume 4 and volume 5, two years elapsed.
In 2008, it was announced that the Neon Genesis Evangelion manga was approaching its conclusion. In July 2009, it was moved to a new Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
seinen magazine, Young Ace
Young Ace
is a seinen manga magazine in Japan published by Kadokawa Shoten, started in 2009.-Manga artists and series featured in Young Ace:*Akuma no Ikenie by Ayun Tachibana*Black Rock Shooter: Innocent Soul by Sanami Suzuki...
. It was published there until the January 2010 issue, when Sadamoto stopped writing the manga, putting the publication on hiatus in order to work on the latest Rebuild of Evangelion
Rebuild of Evangelion
Rebuild of Evangelion, known in Japan as , is a Japanese animated film series and a remake of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion series. It is being produced by Studio Khara and KlockWorx in partnership with Gainax...
film. The December 2010 issue of Young Ace announced that the manga would resume that 'winter' (early 2011); the April 2011 issue announced the next stage would be published April 4, 2011.
Relation to the TV series
The Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series was conceived of in 1993, after a meeting between Hideaki Anno and King Records. Gainax then planned to boost public interest in the upcoming TV series, while it was still under production, by releasing Sadamoto's manga several months in advance of the premiere date. However, due to severe production delays on the TV series, it ultimately a full 10 months after the manga first appeared in Shōnen Ace. When the series finally premiered in October 1995, Sadamoto's manga storyline (what would later become volumes 1 to 3) had reached the battle against the cube Angel Ramiel, corresponding to episodes 5 and 6 of the TV series.The TV series soon rapidly outpaced the manga, to the point that the chapters comprising volume 4 (which included the introduction of Asuka, corresponding to TV episode 8) were not released until over a year after the TV series had finished airing. Sadamoto would continue to have a slow production schedule on the manga as he divided his time between other projects, releasing a new volume (out of an initially planned twelve) at a rate of roughly one every year and a half.
Therefore, Sadamoto's manga is an adaptation of the TV series. While technically the first few volumes were released before the TV series premiered, the TV series was conceived of two years before, and most of it was produced after the TV series.
Character differences from the anime
Sadamoto was the original character designer for the anime with Hideaki Anno as the supervisor. His manga versions of the characters and plot often differ in subtle ways from the TV series.Shinji Ikari
- Shinji Ikari's eyes are brown instead of blue. He is also less introverted and expresses himself more, although he is still plagued by self-doubt and hatred for his fatherGendo Ikariis a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. He is the commander of Nerv. While all of the English versions romanize his given name as Gendo, Gainax's website romanizes it Gendoh, and some fansites romanize his name as "Gendou"....
to the point where while dissolved in his Eva (episode 20), he imagines that he actually kills him.
Rei Ayanami
- Rei Ayanami is more of a "human" character in the manga, in that she is slightly more talkative and becomes more connected with the people around her, largely through her interactions with Shinji. The manga also shows her thoughts and feelings, and indirectly shows that she is in love with Shinji.
Asuka Langley Soryu
- Asuka Langley Soryu is not as verbally abusive toward Shinji and somewhat more open about her true feelings, but is still as difficult to get along with and initially slightly more of a brat, putting on a "good girl" facade in front of authority figures. Her feelings for Shinji are not quite as easily discovered, though it is hinted in various chapters that she is attracted to him. She is a test-tube baby of genius parents, her first meeting with Shinji and his friends is different, and she is left in a comaComaIn medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
tose state immediately after being defeated by Arael.
Kaworu Nagisa
- Kaworu Nagisa is introduced earlier in the storyline. He fights Armisael alongside Rei in Unit 02. Kaworu is portrayed as being ignorant of many aspects of social interaction, creating some comic relief, but is also colder and more of an unsettling presence than in the anime. Because of this, Shinji dislikes and distrusts Kaworu, while Kaworu makes advances toward Shinji and is upset that Shinji does not return his affections. Sadamoto stated this is because of him picking up Rei's emotions.
Toji Suzuhara
- Toji Suzuhara's English-translated dialogue is heavily accented (due to him being from Osaka), and his hair color is changed. He is more verbally abusive toward Asuka, calling her "bitch" multiple times. He is killed during Volume 6 of the manga series instead of being crippled. Additionally, Shinji is aware that Toji is the pilot of Unit 03 before the battle against Bardiel.
Ryoji Kaji
- Ryoji Kaji is given more of a back story; he tells Shinji of his past to motivate Shinji to return to Nerv after the fight against Bardiel (this takes place in a hidden supplies cellar rather than a watermelon patch).
Gendou Ikari
- Gendou Ikari is Shinji's Father, His behavior, looks and final desire are different from the anime series. He plays one of the most relevant roles in the manga, even more so when he becomes involved with the AT-Field from Adam. Gendou successfully managed to take full control of the power and he is driven mad, with aspirations towards being a god.
Yui Ikari/Unit 01
- In addition to the presence of Yui Ikari's soul inside Unit 01, the Eva's Angelic aspect has its own identity, depicted as the unarmored Eva. This being shows itself to both Shinji and Rei while they are synchronized with the Eva, and it attempts to trap Shinji inside the Eva with itself after the battle with the Angel Zeruel by taking Yui's form and manipulating Shinji's desire for contact with his mother. Rei is able to establish a mental link with this Angelic part of Unit 01 while outside the Eva, and the two acknowledge that they are directly connected to each other.
Reception
With the success of the anime, the manga has also become a commercial success; the first 10 volumes have sold over 15 million copies, and the 11th volume reached #1 on the Tohan charts, taking the total to over 17 million. In particular, as the manga has drawn closer to its conclusion, attention surrounding it has reached new heights, with the 11th volume staying atop the Japanese Comic Ranking charts for 4 straight weeks, a remarkable achievement even for long-running series. It won the 1996 Comicker fan manga poll. Volume 12 opened at #1 on OriconOricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
's manga rankings and has sold over 600,000 copies.
English release
Viz claims that its releases of Evangelion were the first releases of an unflipped manga in English. In August 2011, Viz announced that the manga would be serialized at $1 a chapter online and through its Apple apps.See also
- List of Neon Genesis Evangelion chapters
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic DaysNeon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Daysis a manga by Fumino Hayashi based on an original story by Gainax. It is an adaptation of the video game Girlfriend of Steel 2, and dramatizes the actions of the Instrumentality from the final episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion, which featured the show's cast in a high school romantic comedy in...
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: Shinji Ikari Raising Project
- Neon Genesis Evangelion: Campus Apocalypse
External links
- http://www.ex.org/1.1/22-manga_eva.html
- http://www.ex.org/2.7/29-manga_eva.html
- http://www.ex.org/4.1/29-manga_evangelion.html
- The Rose review of vol. 1