World Famous Comics: Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days, Volume 1
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days, Volume 1
By: Fumino Hayashi Publisher: ADV Manga Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: ADV Manga Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 184 Publication Date: May 19, 2006
Product Description: Imagine a Neon Genesis Evangelion where choosing the right girl is more important than saving the world! That's the gist of Angelic Days - the hit manga that Eva fans have been waiting for! Based on a popular PC and Playstation 2 game released only in Japan, Angelic Days takes the angst-ridden Eva pilots and sets them in a lighter, brighter world.
"Angelic Days" is an odd concept. If this were an American comic book, it would be probably an "Imaginary Story", a genre that allows popular characters chained by continuity to do things they wouldn't normally be allowed to do in the confines of their own series, like kill or be killed. By contrast, "Angelic Days" recasts the entire series as a light-hearted school romance, taking all the mythology and heaviness out and replacing it with hijinks and fun.
It works. A lot of Evangelion fans have always wanted to see this. We wanted to see Shinji step away from his father issues and do some flirting with a pair of the cutest gals in Japanese comics. We wanted to see Rei lighten up a little, maybe blush and giggle. We wanted to see bossy Asuka show her soft side, maybe getting a little jealous over the new transfer student who seems to have her eyes on Shinji. Toji and Hikari get to play out their romance as well, something everyone saw but wasn't allowed to blossom when the stake of humanity was on the line. Yes, it does come off at times like a wish-fulfilment fanfic, but what's so bad about that? It is well done, and there is very little difference between a well done fanfic and a professional "Imaginary Story", other than the publishing format.
I did have a problem with the translation of "Angelic Days". Some of the dialog comes across as an old fart trying to figure out what is "hip with the kids" nowadays, and doesn't sound natural coming from the characters mouths.
A Kinder, Gentler Evangelion Have you ever viewed Gainax's classic anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and wondered "What would it be like if Shinji wasn't such a wimp?" or "What would Rei be like if she were more normal?" If these questions have every crossed your mind or you are an eager fan looking for a zany and somewhat unorthodox take on the landmark series, then unquestionably Fumino Hayashi's Angelic Days will be for you.
As a manga, Angelic Days presents an alternate retelling of the Evangelion story, making use of the same characters, settings, and scenarios that fans of the series would be familiar with, but placing them in a much lighter context. There won't be any long pauses of soul searching and introspection to be found here. Life in Tokyo 3 is about as normal as if can be for young Shinji Ikari. His home life is quiet and uneventful, in part due to the fact that his parents, Gendo and Yui, work for a lab located in the city and are therefore largely unavailable. He has plenty of friends to keep him in and out of trouble, though, including geeky Kensuke, jock-with-a-soft-side Toji, the cool, quiet Kaworu (who fans of the series will recall is the 17th Angel...), and of course, Asuka, Shinji's friend since childhood who takes it upon herself to keep him in line and on time. The routine of eating, sleeping, learning, and having fun goes unbroken until strange dreams of a `giant of light' begin to impact young Shinji in the sleeping hours. While these visions are troubling enough, things get even more complicated when he and Asuka run into (quite literally) a mysterious new transfer student to the class. The arrival of this student, a vibrant, bubbly, and somewhat socially challenged Rei Ayanami, instantly causes ripples in the fabric of routine life that threatens to turn Shinji's world upside down and inside out, and back again. It does not take long before Shinji catches Rei's curious fancy, a reality that draws nothing but surprisingly jealous ire from Asuka, igniting a tense and comical rivalry between to the two girls over our reluctant and somewhat oblivious hero. But Rei's arrival is doing more than just make waves among the children who know her. Her presence marks the beginning of a new `phase' in an experiment perpetrated by the city's scientific community, and Shinji's visions of the giant might be more premonition than adolescent fantasy.
The first volume sets the tone nicely for what is to follow, though admittedly there is very little back-story for readers unfamiliar with the source material. Characters are introduced swiftly and under the assumption that readers know them by heart, which might leave some scratching their heads. But familiarity with the anime will also bring about a few shocks of its own when fans plunge into the volume. While some characters retain much of what made their personalities memorable (like Asuka, minus her apparent hatred for Shinji), others are completely revised. Shinji is no longer the quiet, sullen loner focused only on himself but rather he is happy and smiling, apparently enjoying life as it comes. Perhaps the most surprising change comes with Rei. The silent, crimson-eyed enigma of the series is portrayed now with boisterous energy, so much that any relation to the original character exists in name and look only. The change is not a bad one by any means, and in fact fits will with the overall tone of the story. Angelic Days plays out more like a high school drama/comedy than a sci-fi tale. In fact, aside from a few obvious details like the plug suits and references to NERV, one might be convinced that this has nothing to do with Evangelion at all, save for a few names and faces. Future volumes do, however, appear to promise more direct connections to the source material, including appearances by the Angels and the Evangelion units.
Hayashi's art style is more kinetic and, at times, more chaotic than the iconic artwork of original character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, but in a good way. Hayashi retains the basic feel of the characters while injecting them with personal interpretation and whimsy. This fits the nature of the story well, seeing as Angelic Days serves as a breezy, light-hearted alternative to the grim tale that is its cousin. There is a certain charm in the simplicity here, whether it is the rendering or writing, or just the overall feel that Hayashi invokes in each frame. While Shinji and friends might have induced moments of outrage and anger among viewers of the anime, they come across as much more likable and sympathetic here, helped in part by the softer lines and tones of the artwork.
While the story might lack some details and, at the moment, momentum, there is enough to be found in this first volume of Angelic Days to at the very least pique curiosity. It will be interesting to see where Fumino Hayashi takes it from here and how much of the original story finds its way into the proceedings. Hardcore fans of the original series may find the changes off-setting, and would be better off sticking with the other version of Evangelion in manga form, that being the reinterpretation from Yoshiyuki Sadamoto himself. However, that being said, Angelic Days is also the perfect compliment to Sadamoto's work. Readers eagerly waiting for Sadamoto to release his next volume of the Evangelion manga might want to consider giving this fun romp a look.
The Way It Should Have Been! YESSS! No more whining Shinji or emo Rei! I, along with all other Evangelion fans, are probably jumping for joy. *jump*. In the anime series, a small protion of the final episode relates to a parallel universe where this manga series begins.
The manga Evangelion Angelic Days takes place in New Tokyo 3, where young Shinji Ikari wakes up in a place where the main story of Evangelion starts just with a different atmosphere. On the way to school with his lifelong friend, Ausaka, they bump into a young girl named Rei. Though they get off to a rocky start, what awaits them in the future will test their friendships and their destinies.
Compared to the anime series and manga series that came before it, this is the greatest thing they have released! However the characters have changed a small bit and some of the original storyline was altered just a few times, this series still is unbelievable!!!
Evangelion: Angelic Days Volume 1 gets 5 stars out of 5.
My name is Amone! Adios!
Evangelion Fanbois Only Angelic Days is a spinoff of Neon Genesis Evangelion, using the same characters but placing them in a school-romance setting instead of a post-apocalypic giant robots setting. Several changes include: 2nd Impact never happened, Rei is cheerful instead of emotionless, Misato is their teacher, Shinji's mom's not dead, etc.
This all sounds good in theory but it's not executed very well. Fumino Hayashi's art isn't NEARLY as precise or clean as Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's (original Eva character designer and author of the Evangelion manga) and the story feels rather cliche. Standard romance stuff that you'll see in tons of manga, all with better art and storytelling. The only thing that sets this apart is the use of characters from Eva. This honestly feels more like a watered down doujinshi (japanese amateur fan comic) than an official Gainax work.
For people who just want MOAR EVA, this IS more, it's just not very good. Grab it if you need your fix, but don't be surprised when you're left feeling a little dirty.
For those who haven't seen the original series, I'd say stay away from this.
A must read for Evangelion fans This is a wonderful alternate take on Evangelion. My only regret is I wish the volumes were a little quicker on release, but you can't have everything. ;)
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