043 - Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 1

043 - Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 1

Author: We Appreciate Manga™ April 4, 2020 Duration: 50:59

This is it! The cultiest of cult 90's anime, the daddy of the sekai-kei genre! And maybe Elon Musks favourite anime? It kickstarted the popularity of angsty teen anime heroes. Skip synopsis talk @ 6:52

 

Special thanks to 'Eagle8burger' for our intro.

 

043: Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 1

Chapters 1 to 6

 

By Yoshiyuki Sadamoto

Adapted to English by Mari Morimoto, Fred Burke + Carl Gustav Horn

 

Topics:

  • The Western Anime boom, the days of collecting VHS tapes and trading with friends, which Evangelion's first American dub came to us during that time.
  • Shinji's "daddy issues", sometimes you just learn that you don't need your daddy's approval, sadly the main character, Shinji Ikari, has a long way to go.
  •  Rei Ayanami being possibly "albino"
  • The concept of the "Angels" and the originality of how aliens are depicted in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
  • The ending to chapter 6, which differs from the original anime and clues us in on things to come.

 

Synopsis:

 

In the year 2015, fifteen years after a global cataclysm known as the Second Impact, teenager Shinji Ikaritravels to Tokyo-3 at the behest of his estranged father, Gendo. While meeting with Misato Katsuragi, a woman who works for Gendo, the city is attacked by a giant creature known as an Angel. Misato takes Shinji to NERV, an organization headed by Gendo that has developed giant bio-mechanical mecha known as Evangelions. As Evangelion Unit-01's pilot, Rei Ayanami, is wounded, Gendo asks his son to take her place. Shinji decides to fight the Angel, named Sachiel, but panics when he first sees it. During the fight, Shinji makes Unit-01 furiously attack Sachiel, which self-destructs, causing minor damage to the Eva. Next day, Misato discovers that Gendo is not planning to live with Shinji. Therefore, she decides to become Shinji's legal guardian to keep him from being isolated.

 

Pop culture and other references:

  • The Christian cross is used to depict a flashy death state of the defeated Angel, over the next volumes there will be many allusions and references to not only Christianity but all Abrahamic religions, and even kabbalah.
  • Group A10 is the largest group of dopaminergic cells in the ventral midbrain tegmentum of rodents and primates. The cells are located for the most part in the ventral tegmental area, the linear nucleus and, in primates, the part of central grey of the midbrain located between the left and right oculomotor nuclear. Not to be confused with T10 which is found in the human spine.

 

"On the floor of the midbrain is the ventral segmental system, that neurobiologists call region A10. Cells soaked in dopamine, certain emotions are processed here: such as the thoughts of two lovers - or a parent and a child. And it is the synchronization of the threads and bundles of A10 that splice pilot and Eva together; to become one entity, to fight. In other words, the power of love drives this weapon of mass destruction." – Yoshiyuki Sadamoto

 

 

 

Instagram – weappreciatemanga.co.uk

Twitter - @RealJamesFitton

Website – Weappreciatemanga.com

Email – Weappreciatemanga@gmail.com


There's a particular kind of magic that happens when a friend hands you a book they love, especially when that book is a manga. We Appreciate Manga captures that exact feeling, beginning each conversation with a personal recommendation before letting the discussion wander into deeper territory. Hosted by the team at We Appreciate Manga™, this series is less a formal review and more like eavesdropping on a thoughtful, sometimes rambling, chat between enthusiasts. You’ll hear them explore how specific stories resonate, why certain artistic choices matter, and the very real comfort these illustrated narratives can provide during difficult periods. It’s a celebration of the medium that goes beyond plot summaries to appreciate manga as a unique and powerful form of visual storytelling. Think of it as your audio companion to a vibrant, anime-adjacent book club where the panels come to life through conversation. New episodes of this podcast have been available since August 2022, offering a consistent space to connect with the art and heart of these stories.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

We Appreciate Manga
Podcast Episodes
106 - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure vol. 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:51
We talk about author Hirohiko Araki's flaws and success with the Phantom Blood arc of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Bringing up his issue with pacing the manga against multiple set pieces and fights spanning multiple environ…
105 - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure vol. 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:27
Continuing our read along of Phantom Blood we get our first appearance of the Yoda figure and Jobro Mr. Zepelli! A man who is willing to teach Jojo all the vegan chi powers he can muster (that's Hamon energy to Jojoites)…
104 - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure vol. 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:16
James and Steven continue their read-a-long of the Phantom Blood manga. Where the author Araki pays off the last volume by having lots of gore and shirtless action. 104: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure vol. 2 Chapters 9 and 17,…
103 - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure vol. 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:06
The first part of Jojo's Bizzare Adventure (Phantom Blood) is best described as Dracula starring Jean Claude Van Damme with costume design by Jean Paul Gaultier, and you know something? It is a good read! Blending Shonen…
102 - Tatsuki Fujimoto's Look Back [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:56
We delve into Chainsaw Man author Tatsuki Fujimoto's coming of age one shot. A story that explores budding rivalry and companionship, as well as the artist's calling in a cruel and random world. Skip synopsis @ 9:52 Emai…
101 - Death Note 2020 Special One-Shot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:16
14 years after the original Death Note run ended, we were blessed with the return of familiar characters and introduced with a new one, Minoru Tanaka. A character whose ingenious actions causes the Shinigami king to crea…
100 - Death Note Pilot ⁓ The Taro Kagami Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:24
Today's episode has Will, James and Steven talk about the pilot chapter to Death Note, this would have been the first one shot published, and although it may not have too much in common with the Light vs. L story it did…
099 - Death Note vol. 12 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:40
Listen in on James, Will and Steven as they talk all about the final chapters of Death Note, discussing their favorite tricks that the characters utilised and more. What was your favorite trick? But beware! there are spo…
098 - Death Note vol. 11 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:49
On today's episode we compare the manga to the anime, specifically some key scenes set before the final chapters. As well as share some facts on the setting of Death Note and compare them to the real-world place they are…
097 - Death Note vol. 10 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:10
The two friends brace themselves for the final volumes of Death Note and James compares Near's/Ohba's comments on the Kira worshippers to that of the most avid of Trump supporters, albeit such riot scenes are all too com…