Despite the popular belief that anime is entertainment strictly aimed at children, it can get pretty dark. Beyond the most popular shows, there is another world of titles that dive into more mature subjects,and many fans are introduced to that world byNeon Genesis Evangelion. The masterpiece series by Hideaki Anno has been discussed, dissected, celebrated, and enjoyed for nearly three decades, withthe later rebuild films, endless collaborations, and ventures into other forms of media helping to keep the series alive.
Evangelionis known for subverting expectations, lulling its audience into believing the series is just another mecha anime before taking them on a haunting psychological ride. Its descent into madness has sparked decades of speculation, andits numerous finalesare more than divisive within the anime community, but there’s a reason Hideaki Anno decided to steer his show away from the typical hero’s adventure,and he revealed that reason well beforeEvangelionpremiered.
Hideaki Anno Believes He Must Put ‘Poison’ Into His Work
Evangelion’s Creator Expressed That His Work Is Aimed at Those With a Tendency to Look Away
In a 1994 issue ofAnimagemagazine, Hideaki Anno sat down for an interview alongsideMobile Suit Gundamcreator Yoshiyuki Tominoto discuss the recently airedMobile Suit Victory Gundam. It’s interesting that Anno would have been included in an interview with such a legendary figure at this point in his career,consideringNeon Genesis Evangelionwouldn’t premiere until about a year later. As expected, Tomino did most of the talking, but Anno was not afraid to express how he felt about the creator’s most recent work.
Together, both directors expressed their dissatisfaction with the compromises made forV Gundam, lamenting the fact that the series' earlier TV time slotforced Tomino to take an approach that was a bit friendlier for a younger crowd. Even still, the series wasn’t very popular among children, causing Anno to say:“I think works with complicated relationships like V Gundam don’t appeal to children anymore. As a matter of fact, even people about 20 years old prefer clean stuff now, and are becoming more and more reluctant when filthy parts are visible.”
As the interview continues,it becomes increasingly clear whyNeon Genesis Evangelionturned out the way it did. Anno repeatedly expresses that he feels the then-current generation of anime fans had a tendency to look away from content that might be disturbing, or run away from subjects that are a bit too personal. His discomfort with the way fans used anime as a form of escapism was on clear display during the interview, and that escapism became a subject that he would later touch upon in his series.
The interview eventually became less aboutGundamand more about the two creators' feelings on the state of anime at the time. Eventually, both Anno and Tomino agreed that children and all audiences alike should be exposed to difficult subject matter, with Anno saying,“Indeed, we must put a bit of poison in our works, particularly for children.”
Hideaki Anno Put Plenty of Poison Into Evangelion
The Inspiration For Evangelion Is Clear In the 1994 Interview
The 1994Animageinterview is somewhat funny in hindsight. Both Anno and Tomino expressed that they felt the state of anime might just lead the art form straight to its demise, both blissfully unaware ofthe sort of phenomenonNeon Genesis Evangelionwould become a little over a year later. Based on the majority of what Anno spoke about with one of his heroes, it almost makes it seem likeEvangelionwas created directly in response to the interview.
It’s well-known the series was already in an unknown stage of production at the time, though it wouldn’t be a stretch to assumeEvangelionwas influenced in some way by their discussions. Anno’s comments about the audience’s tendencies to run away from subjects that are difficultfall nicely in line with Shinji’s entire “you mustn’t run away” dilemmaat the heart of his character. Escapism into cozier fantasies is a topic that is explored in depth during 1997’sThe End of Evangelion, while the series' cast of troubled children share the traits Anno and Tomino criticize during the interview.
Despite Anno repeatedly expressing that audiences simply don’t want to watch anime that doesn’t cater to their escapist fantasies,he went and createdNeon Genesis Evangelionanyway. Thanks in large part to his series, the declining anime industry began to boom once more, and it makes a bit more sense thatEvangelionsells itself as just another mecha show before diving into topics audiences might find difficult.
Evangelion’s Poison Remains Three Decades On
Evangelion Is Still Successful For a Reason
DespiteEvangelion’s lasting influence on the anime industry,not much has changed in how the most popular shows are enjoyed by viewers. Top titles continue to cater to fans who want quick satisfaction with little ugliness, as seen in themeteoric rise of a series likeSolo Leveling, but once again it seems certain shows are coming equipped with a similar poison to what Hideaki Anno referred to 30 years ago.
Smash-hitShōnen Jumptitles likeChainsaw ManandDandadanhave penetrated the world of safe and clean anime, and have begun serving up storiestouching on sensitive real-world topics while appealing to the general anime fan.Evangelionitself remains incredibly popular, and only came to a definitive finale with 2021’sEvangelion 3.0+1.0:Thrice Upon a Time. There’s a need for poison in anime’s most popular shows, and it seems it won’t be going away anytime soon.
Neon Genesis Evangelionis one of the most popular anime franchises in history, despite it going against what Hideaki Anno felt fans wanted. As a result of the poison the creator felt his work needed, the world was gifted one of the most important anime series ever, and its popularity will continue as long as viewers are willing to expose themselves to subjects that are a bit darker than what they might be used to.
Source:Animage July 1994 Issue (Wave Motion Cannon, translated by NohAcro on X)
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Cast
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a Japanese animated television series created by Hideaki Anno. The show follows teenagers piloting giant mechs called Evangelions, tasked with defending Earth from mysterious beings known as Angels. As they confront these threats, they also grapple with personal and psychological issues.
