Table of Contents
Are you wondering about watching the Neon Genesis Evangelion series but not knowing the watch order? Hence, its watch order has become a debate over the years, as newbies do not know where to start. So here we will cover it for the watching order of the series.
Moreover, Genesis is a renowned 1990s psychological anime series. People love to watch such rich content, as the series’ fans want to watch the series again and recall their childhood. Its noteworthy success has allowed the formation of many adaptations in the form of Manga, movies, and video games. Thus, the series now has some remakes, which increases the difficulty of watching the Evangelion. So here we will help you by explaining the easiest way to watch the Neon Genesis Evangelion so you will not get confused while binge-watching the show in the proper array.
What is Neon Genesis Evangelion
It is a Japanese media franchise created by Hideaki Anno and owned by the animation mansion Khara. It was first released in the mid-90s as an anime series. The original series has only one season with 26 episodes and has 3 original movies, three remake movies, and the other parts, such as the parody series and short movies, make it a great flick to obsess with. The series is well-known for its surreal, philosophical imagery and frequently confusing narrative. It can be best explain as sex psychology, ancient mythology, clever story writing, etc.
Watch Order of Evangelion (All Movies, Seasons & Remakes)
As it is the most famous Japanese anime series, the franchise has offered additional content through renewal because of its popularity. Hence, it has only one anime season with 26 episodes. Now let’s discuss all the seasons & movies of Evangelion in order.
· Evangelion Original Anime (1995-1996)
The original anime was more of a cult hit in America. It was first aired in 1995 and had 26 episodes. It was an overnight impression that distorted the trajectory of the medium itself. On the other hand, the characters themselves and the series’ religious imagery or masterful storytelling keep the series alive. Moreover, Evangelion is set on Netflix in 2019 with the director’s cut version of episodes 21 to 24 with the extra scenes that were not premiered initially on Japanese TV. This is the place where everything begins.
· Watch Death & Rebirth of Evangelion (1997)
Now let’s discuss further and go ahead in your series journey by watching the two-part movie Neon Genesis Evangelion (Death & Rebirth) in order to watch in a perfect array. Since its first half was already released in 1997, this is just a recap of the series. The other half of the show shows footage that was left out of the original series, with Shinji’s mental state and the changing political situation. Although it does not contain any new story, you have to watch this movie to understand the crazy emotional journey of Shinji.
Furthermore, in 1998, a new version of Death & Rebirth was released under the title Evangelion: Death (True), which was more edited and had more footage than Death (True) 2. all the footage present in the versions has a combined show at the end of Evangelion.
In our opinion, you can skip the rebirth. As it was aired in theatres next to the End of Evangelion, it has more action and a better plot than the original anime.
· Watch End of Evangelion (1997)
The end is essentially a more grand & epic finale of the series. It was released in 1997 and had more action with a more better plot than the original TV series. As we talked about, the last two episodes of the anime made no sense, so people did not like it. In episode 26, Shinji embraces humanity and disparity. But End of Evangelion is about the result of Shinji selecting rather than rejecting. It is heavy to feel that Shinji becomes cruel as he emits all kinds of hate against the women close to him. The film is bookended by two specifically notorious scenes of the character forcing himself as Asuka.
Moreover, the film portrays what happens after the whole thing has settled down. But don’t get fooled by the name, as some people suggest that end of Evangelion will be the last part of the series. But remember that it’s not the last part.
· Rebuild of Genesis Evangelion (2007-2021)
The Rebuild is renewing the TV series in the form of Four films produced under the direction of Hideaki Anno. Rebuild has added new characters and additional scenes & used more graphics that were not present in the original anime. The watch order of the Evangelion films is pretty simple like:
- Evangelion: 1.0 You are (Not) Alone (2007)
- Then, Evangelion: 2.0 You can (Not) Advance (2009)
- Next, Evangelion: 3.0 You can (Not) Redo (2012)
- Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021)
All the films were renumbered and had some extra scenes and animated shots. Hence, the main story is the same, but you can usually find the extensive cut versions on online platforms. Moreover, the rebuilt films restate the original anime series but have better animation, stories, and budgets. Mostly, fans call them “sequels.” We have already mentioned the order of the films above.
What About the “Manga” Version
The well-known franchise also has an excellent “manga” that delves deeper into the characters’ emotions than any anime series of Evangelion ever had. After watching all the series and movies, Manga has its own position, which is the best among all. It also displays what happened after the end of Evangelion. So, if you want to see the end, you must read the manga series. It will give you a deep insight into the world of Genesis Evangelion.
Conclusion
The purpose of the franchise is to bring life to the Evangeline series, evoke its fans, and target a new audience. This concludes the complete watch order of the Genesis Evangelion Anime Series. We would suggest you watch Manga at the end of the anime journey. What are your thoughts about the Genesis Evangelion series? Confused? Excited or what? Do let us comment.