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1994 manga adaptation of ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Neon Genesis Evangelion (Japanese: 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン, Hepburn: Shin Seiki Evangelion) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and published by Kadokawa Shoten. It began in Monthly Shōnen Ace in December 1994 and later moved to Young Ace, finishing in June 2013. It consists of 14 volumes, each composed of several "stages" or chapters. It was initially released before the anime series of the same name by Gainax and Tatsunoko Production and was originally intended as a companion adaptation to that of the TV series.
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| Neon Genesis Evangelion | |
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| 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン (Shin Seiki Evangelion) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Hideaki Anno |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Yoshiyuki Sadamoto |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine |
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| Demographic | Shōnen, seinen |
| Original run | December 26, 1994 – June 4, 2013 |
| Volumes | 14 |
| TV anime | |
| Anime films | |
| |
| Spin-off manga | |
Sadamoto was the original character designer for the anime with Hideaki Anno as the supervisor and animated only part of the original anime for the purpose of writing the manga version. However, in the early days, he was involved in some way up to the sixth episode by coming up with ideas,[3] and in the 24th episode he was the animation supervisor.
Like the anime, the manga is focused on Shinji Ikari, a teenage boy who was recruited by his father Gendo to the shadowy organization NERV to pilot a giant bio-machine mecha named "Evangelion" into combat against beings called "Angels". The plot, however, features numerous small differences from the plot of the anime, including Toji Suzuhara's death, the omission of five Angels, and an earlier introduction of Kaworu/Tabris. Shinji's character and personality, alongside various other characters from the series, such as Asuka Langley Soryu's, are also slightly different in the manga.[4]
The manga volumes do not always begin or end at points corresponding to episode breaks. Volume 10, for example, begins halfway through the battle with Armisael in episode 23, while Volume 11 adapts the events depicted in episode 24 and the first several minutes of End of Evangelion.
Unlike it is sometimes assumed, the manga is in fact not the original version of the story, but instead it was created as a supplemental designed to promote the TV series. Sadamoto has also repeatedly stated that the manga is his own individual work and should never be used as reference for anything in the anime.[11][better source needed][12] Sadamoto has also stated he made the manga entirely on his own, without consulting anyone, in contrast to the anime's more collaborative production, and that all differences were decided by him.[9] He has also denied links to the Rebuild movies, specifying that the bonus chapter featuring Mari is fan service.[13]
Neon Genesis Evangelion was created after a meeting between Hideaki Anno and King Records.[14] Although the anime series was conceived before the manga, due to production delays the manga was released first in Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Shōnen Ace on December 26, 1994.[15][16]
When the series finally appeared on TV in October 1995, Sadamoto's manga storyline had completed what would later become volumes 1 to 3, matching the storyline of episodes 5 and 6 of the TV series. The anime rapidly outpaced the manga, to the point that the chapters comprising volume 4 (which included content corresponding to TV episode 8) were not released until over a year after the TV series had finished airing.[17][better source needed]
Despite an ostensible publishing schedule of one "stage" (chapter) each month in Shōnen Ace, Sadamoto's actual publication schedule was irregular as he divided his time between other projects, releasing a new volume roughly every year and a half. For example, between the publication in Japan of volume 4 and volume 5, two years elapsed.[18] While the manga ran for more than 18 years, only 14 volumes were published.
In 2008, it was announced that the Neon Genesis Evangelion manga was approaching its conclusion. In July 2009, it was moved to a new Kadokawa Shoten seinen magazine, Young Ace,[19] where it was published until the February 2010 issue.[20] At that point Sadamoto stopped writing the manga, putting the publication on hiatus in order to work on the latest Rebuild of Evangelion film. The December 2010 issue of Young Ace announced that the manga would resume that winter (early 2011); the April 2011 issue announced the next stage would be published April 4, 2011.[20]
On February 12, 2012, half of the 90th Stage was published, telling different events from the ones seen in episode 26' from The End of Evangelion. This was reportedly the final chapter.[21] On May 2, 2012, Kadokawa Shoten announced that the 13th volume of the manga would be released on November 2, 2012, with ANN noting that "neither Sadamoto nor Kadokawa has confirmed that the 13th manga volume is still the final one", and indeed it was not.[22] Serialization resumed, and in April 2013 Kadokawa Shoten announced that the manga would end in two more chapters.[23] The last chapter was published on June 4, 2013,[24] and the 14th and last volume was released on November 20, 2014.[25]
After the release of the third Rebuild of Evangelion film, Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, Sadamoto began to distance himself from Evangelion. In 2016, he said he just wanted to finish his involvement in the franchise.[26] He did not return to work on the final Rebuild movie. Sadamoto was questioned by many fans if he had any involvement with the then unreleased Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon A Time. He said he "did not participate in the actual work at all"[27] and had nothing to do with it,[28] and had "resigned from the board of directors" [of Khara].[29] His role as character designer and main manga artist was mostly taken over by Hidenori Matsubara for subsequent works like Evangelion 3.0 (-120 min.).
A seven volume aizōban edition was published between January 26 and April 26, 2021.[30][31]
Viz Media published the series in multiple versions, the first phase like regular comic issues was published from December 6, 1998, to May 2003, a tankōbon Collector's Edition was published from February 1, 2002, to May 2003 as Volumes 1-7. Viz claims that its releases of Evangelion were the first releases of an unflipped manga in English.[32] In August 2011, Viz Media started releasing the manga chapter-by-chapter digitally through its Apple apps.[33]
With the success of the anime, the manga has also become a commercial success; the first 10 volumes have sold over 15 million copies,[34] and the 11th volume reached #1 on the Tohan charts,[35] taking the total to over 17 million.[36] In particular, as the manga drew closer to its conclusion, attention surrounding it reached new heights, with the 11th volume staying on top of the Japanese Comic Ranking charts for 4 straight weeks, a remarkable achievement even for a long-running series.[37] It won the 1996 Comicker fan manga poll.[32] Volume 12 opened at #1 on Oricon's manga rankings and has sold over 600,000 copies.[35] The manga sold 25 million copies.[38]
Backlash was sparked around Sadamoto after Sadamoto's war crimes denialism controversy in 2019.[39] The manga received some backlash from Chinese and Korean fans in particular.
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