If you want explanations of a sort that fill in the fast-flying edited story in Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death, the dvd extras go in-depth about terminology and the cast of characters, and that's the crux of what we'll discuss today. NEON GENESIS Event One in this storyline is the meteor onslaught of four billion years before, which massively transformed the Earth. Event Two struck on September 13, 2001, heralding the creation of Adam, a cosmic being in an embryonic form in Antarctica, from a place called White Moon. Its counterpart Lillith arises from Black Moon, in a mountain on the island of Japan. The Angels and EVA units make up the puzzle. Dr. Gendo Ikari, father of Shinji, Third Child (all EVA pilots are referred to as The Children), played a role in Event Two that’s gradually unveiled over the course of the movies. Adam and Lilith are the first two Angels, from a translation of the Japanese “shito” for “messenger” or “apostle,” as “angel” is from the Greek for ...

Masayuki’s Neon Evangelion Genesis: Rebirth and Death (1997) illustrates the vast difference in kid-oriented narratives for which cartoons are known, and the bold paths blazed in later years. Nowadays, very adult material can be found in the anime world; this strikes a balance between its adventurous roots and psychologically complex drama. If you watch N.E.G.: Death and Rebirth, as we just did, you notice the multiple episodes edited into one form---a typical strategy in anime movies based on a series. The heroes have barely entered puberty---a condition of their ability to merge with the fantastic technology that gives the world its savior super robots. The Angels---the 17 gigantic monsters---have their own secrets, but along with vaguely religious imagery and analogies, we’re mostly centered on three teen protagonists. It’s a heroic drama, but all three of the young pilots have more complicated relationships with their mentors. Shinji‘s reluctance to be a pilot contrasts wit...