Employees Who Love Evangelion Talk About the Series and Their Favorite Characters (Part 1)

The "Evangelion" series, directed by the master Hideaki Anno.
Nearly 30 years after the 1995 television anime series "Neon Genesis Evangelion" first aired, it continues to boast enduring popularity, centered around its film series.

For this roundtable discussion, four employees who wanted to talk about Evangelion gathered.
We asked them to share their fan perspectives on the appeal of Evangelion, which is loved across generations, including their favorite works, characters, and the joy of analyzing the series.
※Please note that this contains spoilers for the Evangelion series.

Evangelion-loving employees

Mr./Ms. N

In charge of streaming app operations.
"I first encountered Evangelion as an event-like experience, deciding to binge-watch the anime series before 'Evangelion: 3.0+1.0' was released. Until then, I just thought of it as some confusing, intense anime... but after watching everything from the TV anime and the old theatrical versions to the Rebuild of Evangelion series, I found it fascinating. Once I watched '3.0+1.0' in theaters, I couldn't think about anything but Evangelion for a while (laughs)."

Mr./Ms. KS

In charge of call center management.
"It's one of the pieces of content that supported me during my impressionable youth. While I say I empathized with the protagonist because we were close in age and in similar environments, that's just an excuse—I just really liked Asuka."

Mr./Ms. KT

In charge of streaming-related operations.
"I got hooked after watching the 'Evangelion Comedians' episode of 'Ame Talk' that aired in 2008."

Mr./Ms. Y

In charge of HR tasks such as training and career recruitment.
"When I was in elementary school, a friend recommended it and forced a video (VHS) on me. Once I started watching, I couldn't stop, and I've been unable to escape ever since."

Favorite works of fans across generations, from the TV anime and old theatrical versions to the Rebuild series

――There are many works in the "Evangelion" series, such as the TV anime (aired in 1995) and the four-part Rebuild of Evangelion film series (2007-2021). Have you all seen them all?

Mr./Ms. Y: "I have."

Mr./Ms. N: "There are quite a few if you include the smaller works, aren't there?"

Mr./Ms. KT: "That's true, but mainly the TV anime/old theatrical versions, the Rebuild series, and the manga version."

Mr./Ms. KS: "Broadly speaking, those are the three."

――Do you have any particularly favorite works or series?

Mr./Ms. N: "I like the Rebuild series, partly because that's when I started watching the works.
The story branches off from the TV anime and manga versions at the time of 'Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance' (hereafter, '2.0'). I didn't understand the developments in the subsequent 'Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo' (hereafter, '3.0'), but I was impressed that they managed to finish it from such a confusing branch (laughs). I remember being moved by how the Rebuild series managed to conclude well in just four films, and by Shinji Ikari's recovery; it felt like the final settlement."

-- I believe the TV anime version was released before you were born, N-san, but you watched that as well, didn't you?

N-san: "I watched all the previous works in 2021 in order to see the final installment, 'Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time' (hereafter, 'Thrice Upon a Time'). There were a lot of parts in the TV anime version I didn't understand, but the manga filled in those gaps, and after reading the manga, I was completely hooked."

-- The TV anime version is the one with that famous clapping scene, isn't it?

N-san: "That's right, the controversial scene (laughs). I just didn't understand episodes 25 and 26 of the TV anime version..."

Y-san: "It really cuts off the story, doesn't it?"

-- Should we interpret those episodes 25 and 26 as being about Shinji's mental world?

KS-san: "I'd prefer you refrain from asking questions that seek definitive answers."

Everyone: "(laughs)"

KS-san: "It's a classic Evangelion thing, I suppose. I can tell you what scenes happened, but I can't officially answer questions about what they mean."

N-san: "'The End of Evangelion' was supposed to properly depict the content of episodes 25 and 26, right?"

KT-san: "But in reality, nothing was really explained."

KS-san: "It felt like they just remade the TV anime version as a theatrical film."

N-san: "That's true, in the end, it's still hard to understand."

-- My apologies for the amateur question...! How about you, KT-san?

KT-san: "I think I prefer the Rebuild of Evangelion series as well. Because it brought the story to a conclusion, and overall, it's easier to understand. As N-san said, the beginning of '3.0' is genuinely confusing, but because the whole thing is easier to follow, I prefer the Rebuild series."

-- So it really is the transition from '2.0' to '3.0' where it gets confusing. There's a 14-year time gap, after all, isn't there?

N-san: "That's right. The story suddenly jumps. During that time, Shinji-kun was in a liquid state called LCL. Since it starts suddenly from there, I felt like I was being left behind."

KS-san: "If you buy the Blu-ray of the Rebuild series, there's a bonus feature that fills in a little bit of the 14-year gap, and if you watch that, you understand it a bit better."

N-san: "Oh, I watched that!"

KS-san: "It helps you understand a little, or rather, it contains content that makes you think, 'Hey, you should have told us that earlier!'"

—Is the part that was shown in the preview for 'Ha' depicted in more detail?

KT: "The preview is a preview, it's separate, and if you watch it properly, you can understand it a bit. It's not a preview, after all (laughs)."

N: "That's right. The preview showed content that felt like a continuation of 'Ha', and the bonus footage on the Blu-ray feels like it depicts what happens before 'Q'."

Y: "Because 'Ha' ended with a piano duet, right? It was like, 'What is this? Piano?' and it was confusing, wasn't it?"

KS: "Originally, the story is continuous, but they divided it into 'Jo', 'Ha', 'Q', and 'Shin Eva' chronologically, so the flow was easy to understand. It's just that I wish they had told us about the gaps too (laughs)."

Y: "Seriously, I wish they had released the bonus footage sooner (laughs)."

KS: "It felt like we only understood it after it was all over."

—I believe KS and Y are from the generation that watched the TV anime series in real-time. Are there any works you particularly like?

KS: "It's difficult to say which work I like... but in terms of the era, it's definitely the old theatrical version. The TV anime series followed by the old theatrical version was the biggest experience of my youth."

Y: "I get that, the TV anime series followed by that, right?"

KS: "Yes. Why do I like it? Maybe it's because I was able to watch it most purely. I was in elementary or junior high school, and the first time I saw it after finishing my entrance exams was the rerun of the TV series."

—The protagonist Shinji and the others are also 14-year-old junior high students. Did you feel any empathy for them as you were in the same generation?

KS: "I didn't feel empathy, but I think I was influenced by the female characters because of my age. In terms of the work, the 'not knowing' was just right. It's hard to say what I like. It's very difficult because it's all the same thing."

Y: "True. All the series were good, too."

KT: "The part where you don't understand is what's good, like..."

KS: "That applies to everything. Yeah, I really love all of it. Even though I don't understand all of it. If you ask me which one is better..."

KT: "It's hard to explain the difference. As an anime at the time, the speculation and the hidden settings were amazing. It was a pioneer of the so-called 'Sekai-kei' (world-type) anime, where the heroine and protagonist's conflicts lead to the destruction of the world within the story. Maybe that's why there's a nuance that the old theatrical version is better."

Y: "It really was the era. Until then, there were anime derived from Sentai shows or slice-of-life anime. In the midst of that, Evangelion had human messiness and politics, and I was hooked, thinking, 'What is this!?'"

KS: "That's right, maybe the flow and the way we felt about anime changed. On the surface, robots are fighting like crazy, but Evangelion brought about a major revolution. It's a story built with cute girls and boys, but it includes elements like the destruction of the world, and it's packed with hidden settings, so maybe it's a work that gave us elements to enjoy the footage while thinking about it together. ...This is a general theory, right?"

Y: "General theory, general theory."

KS: "General talk about Eva. I liked that, and I like the old theatrical version in the sense that it had that impact."

Y: "I'm with KS. The sensational surprise really started from the TV anime version to the old theatrical version. I don't know the flow, but I think it was completed in its own way. But I really felt the abruptness of ending it like that, and that it's not something you should go see on a date."

N: "The old theatrical version movie?"

Y: "Yes, that's it. I was in junior high school, but I went to a movie theater in the countryside and have a really awkward memory of it (laughs)."

N: "There are grotesque scenes, aren't there?"

Y: "It's quite grotesque. Everyone was silent, wondering what kind of conclusion this was. Usually, when you finish watching a movie, you feel touched, but there was a strange atmosphere in the theater where everyone felt left behind... After that, even if I ate, it felt like it had no taste (laughs). Well, in that sense, the new theatrical version Q was also a 'what just happened' moment."

KT: "Q was a 'what just happened' moment from the very beginning."

Y: "And the ending was also a 'what' (laughs). The new theatrical version's Jo and Ha are classic and really well-made works. However, I also like the chaotic feeling of the old theatrical version in its own way."

Diverse characters that capture the heart

――Next, please tell us about your favorite characters.

N: "It's really difficult when I think about my favorite characters... I like Shikinami Asuka Langley from the new theatrical version. And Kaworu-kun. I like these two (shy laugh)."

――So you like Shikinami Asuka, not Soryu.

N: "Asuka's settings are slightly different from the old theatrical version. To me, Shikinami Asuka Langley from the new theatrical version looked brighter than Soryu Asuka Langley from the old theatrical version. Shikinami first appears in the new theatrical version's Ha, and she's super cute. Moreover, while Soryu Asuka likes Kaji-san, the new theatrical version's Asuka likes Shinji. It's like the cuteness of her age, and that comes out a bit, and even though she clashes with Rei Ayanami, that part is cute (shy laugh)."

――Asuka making a bento was admirable, wasn't it?

N: "Yes, there is a scene in the new theatrical version where she makes a bento. Yes, that part is also cute."

――What about Kaworu-kun?

N: "I like Kaworu-kun because his visuals are cool. He supported Shinji-kun at that time, and above all, because Kaworu-kun was there, I was able to watch Q even if I didn't understand it well (laughs)."

Everyone: "(laughs)"

KS: "I'm not on the Ayanami side... I like Soryu Asuka. Every character is good, but the one that stands out a bit is Soryu Asuka Langley. I have a personal preference for girls who are innocent like that... wait, this is just my taste in girls now (laughs)."

Everyone: "(laughs)"

KS: "It's not really about liking or disliking the work itself (laughs)."

N: "That's embarrassing (laughs)."

KS: "I mean, what am I even saying (laughs). As for a character I like, it's probably Kaji-san. Kaji-san always shows up at important moments, but he only says a little bit about important things and never tells you much, so you really don't know anything. That's why I usually end up searching for the words Kaji-san said as keywords. He's a man full of mysteries, and he's probably doing a lot of important things in the parts that aren't depicted, but that's exactly what I want to know most, yet he never shows it. I've always admired that kind of thing."

――Kaji-san is cool, isn't he? I like him too.

KS: "I guess I admired the espionage work back then. I was at that edgy adolescent stage, so I really admired characters who worked behind the scenes, and I thought, 'That's what I want to do.' Like, 'I hold the important move,' or 'The key thing that shakes this company is right here.' Like, 'This is the key to the bank that can withdraw the stocks' (laughs)."

KT: "In terms of the girls, I like Mari. While there were only older sister types like Misato and Ritsuko, and younger types close in age like Asuka and Rei, a slightly older sister character appeared in the new theatrical version, and I thought that was nice."

――That's true, a genre that didn't exist until now!

KT: "In terms of memes, I quite like Gendo. In Shin Eva, his eyes become like an Angel's, right? That part was incredibly funny."

Everyone: "(laughs)"

KT: "I've liked Gendo quite a bit since then. Also, when you look at the story and theories between 'Ha' and 'Q', I think Kaji-san is incredibly cool."

N: "The parts that aren't depicted, right?"

KS: "In Shin Eva, there's a scene where Kaji-san says something that doesn't make sense but is full of meaning, so it's kind of interesting to go back and analyze it."

Y: "I'm on Team Misato. She's childish but also has an adult side, and she's capable of switching between on and off modes. Even as a child, I felt that she was an amazing person despite being a bit messy, and I thought, 'What a wonderful adult.' Her boyfriend Kaji-kun is also cool, and he's good at handling Asuka. He tells Shinji important things while watering watermelons, and I thought, 'How cool, what an amazing couple.'"

――The on/off switch aspect is wonderful, isn't it?

Y: "From 'Q' in the new theatrical version, her character changed, and I was like, 'Oh no.' But at the end of Shin Eva, she was the original Misato. So, the character I like is definitely Misato. In that sense, Kaji is a set, if you will, and I think they are the two who really support the story."

――I understand. I was so happy because I felt like she returned to the Misato I love at the very end.

Y: "As for male characters, I feel like I want to be Fuyutsuki. He knows everything and supports from the second position, and I think I kind of like the feeling of him having Gendo in the palm of his hand."

KS: "I hadn't really looked at it from the perspective of favorite characters, but there are many people here who hit the right spots. Each character displays behaviors that one might admire. Regarding Fuyutsuki-san, there are scenes where I think, 'Yes, that's how I want to be as the best number two.' When I feel like I'm not the type to lead the charge, and I'm trying my best as a number two, that feeling of Fuyutsuki-san comes to mind."

Y: "Also, it would be nice to be told, 'I'll leave the rest to you' (laughs)."

KS: "Fuyutsuki-san has many depictions that tickle your fancy, teaching you what a number two is all about. And Misato-san is what I think an older sister character should be. She shows the younger ones that she's an older sister and a career woman, but then says, 'I have a boyfriend.' She tickles your heart as a so-called stereotype of an older sister, and Ritsuko-san is even more bewitching. After all, the boss characters are usually doing things like Gendo-san. Even looking at characters in the world, the final heavyweights are like that. If we were told to play the final boss, we'd probably end up like that too. Silent, and the final order would probably be just one word: 'Go.'"

KT: "But at heart, he's like a child, doing what he wants to do."

KS: "That's true. So, looking at Gendo, I understand how to behave in society (laughs). It's a work that makes you feel that even adults have these kinds of facades."

—Are there any characters you would want as your boss or senior colleague?

KS: "That would be a problem because it would be a comparison to my current boss (laughs). Besides, Kaji is about the only normal person, isn't he..."

KT: "Kaji doesn't really teach you much either, though."

KS: "True. In terms of age, the people who seem like bosses are Gendo Ikari, Fuyutsuki, or Kaji, right? Oh, maybe Misato?"

Y: "If these people were your bosses as a new employee... you'd be pushed around a lot."

N: "I feel like it would be comforting if Mari were a senior colleague."

KS: "That's true. So, it has to be Mari. Mari was supposed to be created that way, after all. Since the other characters are a bit too strange, Mari is the one who takes things in a positive light. She's commonly known as Anno-san's 'wife' position."

Everyone: "(Laughs)"

KT: "What about Kensuke?"

Everyone: "Ah!"

N: "True, Kensuke in the Rebuild of Evangelion is quite mature, isn't he?"

Y: "In terms of being a sensible person, Hikari is also pretty good, I guess."

N: "She's a normal person (laughs)."

KT: "It's difficult with the (main) characters..."

KS: "But since everyone has something that tickles your interest, maybe that's why you can think you want to be like them in some way!"

In the second part (to be released on 7/20), we talk about famous scenes, favorite quotes, and the enduring appeal of Eva. Please look forward to the second part as well!

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