Where do the angels factor in?
Answer; when I was at the book store, before I bought XXXHolic, I read a book.
That's right, I did it; I read the first volume of the manga version of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
And it's happened. I have become . . . AN EVA FAN!
"Whoa. Is that your way of saying the manga is better than the anime?"
Hell yes! It's much easier to follow than the anime! AND . . . the characterization is better. All of the characters feel more . . . human. Except for Gendo. He's even more of an ass in the manga than he was in the anime. But everyone else, they feel more, human, I guess is the way to phrase it. Shinji is still easily frightened, but his behavior is more befitting of that of a 14 year old. (He called Misato-san a "Weirdo." I laughed.) Misato is still my favorite. She's still the same as ever, except she also stresses over her appearance, which seems oddly appropriate of her. Rei is still devoid of emotion, but only in her manner of speech. Her face seems to convey a stronger sense of sadness than it did in the anime.
And that's another thing; faces. The facial expressions are more vivid than they were in the tv series. Misato makes many cartoony faces, which shows how frivolous her behavior is. Whenever Shinji is mad, he sometimes makes an Edward Elric-like angry frown. (Of course, that only happens in the more light-hearted scenes. If Shinji-kun is mad about something serious, then something is up, that's for certain.) The author of the series, who was also the character designer of the tv series, does good drawings here. Though the manga lacks the rich (for its time) colors of the tv series, the character designs remain excellent. One of the chapter covers had a shot of Rei that looked . . . cool. She just looked so . . . cool. Could I be warming up to the Wonder Doll herself? (Oh geeze, at this rate, if I find myself sympathizing with the manga portrayal of Asuka, then I might as well just break down now and start writing horrible Eva fanfiction like all the other fans.)
But that's the one thing it can't compare with to the anime, the animation. Eva is the oldest anime series I've seen that has good animation. Not fantastic animation, but certainly able to challenge the visual quality of American cartoons of the time. The fights between the Angels and Evas are still badass in their own right, but it just lacks the visual oomph of the tv series. Remember, this is literature, not film. The pictures are still, not moving. If you like the animation of the series and movies that much, then the manga might not do it for you.
Another thing; many scenes in the anime and manga are the same, but are different at the same time. There are a few lines cut here, a few scenes added here and there. However, the manga doesn't have anything that can be considered filler. True, the Eva tv show only ran for 26 episodes, but it did have a few filler moments and episodes. The manga, as of volume 1, has no filler moments. It's to the point. The manga also doesn't have as much weirdness. There is some weirdness, (it just wouldn't be Eva if it didn't have Evangelion Syndrome!) but nothing to the degree of the later tv episodes, or the End of Evangelion. (I read a summary of EOE, haven't seen it. The summary alone has scarred me for life.)
Lastly, there was also a bonus involving the making of Eva. There's an essay by Hideaki Anno, primarily prententious drivel aimed to make himself look awesome. He does reveal where he came up with the idea for the names of the characters, though. (Misato was named after a manga character, apparently.) There's also information on the Mecha designer, talking about how he made the Evas look how they do. And the character designer/author of the manga has an essay. (What's his name? I can't remember!)
All in all, it was a blast. And even if you must have fantastic mecha animation, remember, Eureka Seven and Gurren Lagaan exist for a reason. If you, like me, felt the Eva tv series could've and should've aspired for something greater, try the manga series. You just might be converted.
Fly me to the moon, and let me play among the stars . . . . .
