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What Is Neon Genesis Evangelion? An Introductory Guide

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Neon Genesis Evangelion is a 26-episode television anime about NERV, EVA units, Angel attacks, and the people assigned to operate those units. It begins with Shinji Ikari’s recruitment to EVA-01, then expands from the defense of Tokyo-3 into questions of identity, communication, duty, and choice. This spoiler-conscious guide defines the essential terms, separates the television continuity from the four Rebuild films, and matches product details to official Blokees pages and packaging.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a 26-episode television anime first broadcast in 1995. Its setting combines a post-catastrophe city, a defense organization named NERV, teenage pilots, EVA units, and sequential Angel attacks. The action framework carries a character-centered story in which decisions, relationships, and self-perception receive increasing attention.

Series Premise

The story takes place fifteen years after Second Impact, a catastrophe that changed the world. In 2015, Shinji Ikari arrives in Tokyo-3 and is taken to NERV, the organization led by his father, Gendo Ikari. An Angel attack is already in progress. NERV asks Shinji to enter EVA-01 and participate in the city’s defense.

Early episodes establish a repeating operational problem: an Angel appears, conventional defenses fail, and an EVA deployment becomes necessary. The series then spends more time on the effects of those deployments on the pilots and the adults responsible for them.

Terms to Know Before Watching

NERV and Tokyo-3

NERV operates the EVA units and coordinates responses to Angel attacks. Tokyo-3 is the fortified city above NERV headquarters, with retractable structures and defense systems integrated into the urban area. The setting matters because civilian routines and defense procedures occupy the same space. When reviewing a scene, separate NERV’s formal chain of command from the personal relationships among Shinji, Gendo, Misato, and the pilots; both can affect the same decision.

EVA Units and Synchronization

An EVA requires a pilot seated in an Entry Plug and a synchronization process that connects pilot input to unit operation. Synchronization can change with the pilot’s condition, so equipment status alone does not explain performance. The series gradually reveals more about the nature of EVA units; a spoiler-conscious introduction should leave that explanation to the episodes.

Angels and A.T. Fields

Angels are the attacking entities faced by NERV. Their forms and methods differ, so each confrontation requires a different response. An A.T. Field is the barrier each encounter must address: it determines what conventional weapons and EVA units can or cannot reach. The term later supports the series’ discussion of boundaries between individuals.

Second Impact and Human Instrumentality

Second Impact is the catastrophe that precedes the main story by fifteen years. Human Instrumentality is a plan discussed later in the series. The early explanations of both terms are incomplete because different characters and organizations hold different information. Treat each explanation as part of a progressive disclosure rather than as a complete account.

Pilots in the Television Series

Shinji Ikari and EVA-01

Shinji is a viewpoint character and the pilot associated with EVA-01. He enters NERV under pressure rather than through a long-planned career path. His responses to orders, approval, rejection, and responsibility shape the series.

Rei Ayanami and EVA-00

Rei is associated with EVA-00. She speaks sparingly and follows NERV procedures closely in the opening part of the story. Later episodes give more context to her identity and her connection to NERV leadership.

Asuka Across the Two Continuities

The 1995 television series uses the name Asuka Langley Soryu, while the Rebuild films use Asuka Shikinami Langley. Both are associated with EVA-02, but the two continuities should not be treated as one uninterrupted biography. Blokees packaging uses Asuka Shikinami Langley.

Television Series, The End of Evangelion, and Rebuild

The 1995 Television Continuity

The television series contains 26 episodes. The End of Evangelion is a theatrical work tied to the television continuity and presents events around its conclusion from a different narrative and visual perspective.

The Rebuild Film Continuity

The Rebuild project begins with material that parallels the television opening, then introduces different events, character details, and outcomes. It consists of four films. Names, unit configurations, and plot developments may therefore differ from the television series.

Viewing Sequence

Watch the 26 television episodes in order.
Watch The End of Evangelion after the television series.
Treat the four Rebuild films as a separate continuity and watch them in release order.

How to Read the Series Without Mixing Continuities

A character name, EVA configuration, or event can be correct in one continuity and incorrect in another. Use the television series and The End of Evangelion as one reference set, and the four Rebuild films as a separate reference set. For product copy, packaging remains the authority for the displayed character and product name.

Identify the continuity before comparing a character, event, or EVA unit.
Use the exact name shown on the relevant packaging; do not transfer a television-series name into Rebuild product copy.
Separate shared opening material from later continuity-specific events.
Verify product specifications on the individual product page because accessories and contents can vary by version.

For a first viewing, track what each character knows when a decision is made. NERV leadership, pilots, and outside institutions do not always have the same information. This approach explains conflicting choices without treating later disclosures as facts the characters already knew.

What the Series Examines

Evangelion repeatedly places characters in situations where they must communicate under stress. Pilots depend on NERV, NERV depends on the pilots, and personal relationships affect operational decisions. The story also asks how people define themselves when their value appears tied to a role assigned by someone else.

Identity: characters question whether a role, memory, or relationship defines the self.
Communication: silence, confrontation, and avoidance create consequences between characters.
Duty and choice: orders may protect others while also limiting the pilot’s agency.
Connection and boundaries: A.T. Fields function in battles and also support the story’s discussion of distance between people.

Official Blokees Product Reference

Blokees | Legend Edition Evangelion Test Type-01 TV ver.

The official product page classifies this item as an Assembly Character Toy in the Evangelion Legend Edition. It lists 282 pre-painted pieces, a completed height of approximately 17 cm, a package size of 320 × 250 × 105 mm, a recommended age of 14 years and above, and ABS environmentally friendly plastic. Assembly uses a tool-free snap-fit process and does not require glue or tools.

Package contents include one Evangelion, one accessory set, one display stand, and one instruction booklet. Listed equipment and features include the Progressive Knife, NERV-style Positron Sniper Rifle, Pallet Rifle, Hand Gun, transport platform, movable jaw, extendable upper-arm joints, and an opening neck structure for inserting or removing the Entry Plug. The product page and packaging are the reference points for version-specific details.

Evangelion Test Type-01 TV ver. assembly character toy in a crouched pose.

Official product image: Blokees | Legend Edition Evangelion Test Type-01 TV ver. | Blokees product page

©khara

Two official views of Evangelion Test Type-01 TV ver., including a standing front view.

Official product detail image: Evangelion Test Type-01 TV ver. appearance and pose reference. | Blokees product page | ©khara

EVANGELION Fantastics Series

For pilot-focused displays, Blokees lists Rei Ayanami (Plug Suit), Asuka Shikinami Langley (Plug Suit), and Mari Makinami Illustrious (Plug Suit) in the EVANGELION collection. Each product page should be checked separately because package contents and accessories can differ by character and version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Neon Genesis Evangelion a television series or a film series?

It began as a 26-episode television series in 1995. The End of Evangelion relates to that television continuity. The four Rebuild films form a separate continuity that begins from a similar premise and later diverges.

What is the series premise?

Shinji Ikari joins NERV in 2015 and operates EVA-01 against Angels attacking Tokyo-3. The operational conflict leads into a character-centered examination of identity, communication, and assigned roles.

What is Second Impact?

Second Impact is the catastrophe that occurred fifteen years before the main story. Its public explanation and its plot significance are not identical, so the series reveals the relevant information in stages.

What is NERV?

NERV is the organization responsible for EVA operations and Angel response. It operates beneath Tokyo-3 and is led by Gendo Ikari.

Are EVA units ordinary robots?

The series uses a pilot-and-machine framework, but EVA units are not presented as ordinary mechanical vehicles. Their nature is part of the story’s later disclosures.