Neon Genesis Evangelion is probably one of the most critically acclaimed anime that exists, even though it started out as a cult classic. It spent a lot of time on obscure anime forums in the early days of the internet but thanks to a few things like Netflix adding a dub of the show to its streaming lineup a while ago, it's really taken off and it's nearly a household name in anime.
But which is the superior incarnation of the property if there is one? Is the original show a more pure expression of what the creator intended? Or now that he has money to spend on making his perfect vision, should we just watch the movie?
10 The Show Was Made When The Creator Was In The Pit Of Despair
When creating the show, Hideaki Anno was funneling a lot of emotion into Neon Genesis Evangelion. He had spent all of his life coping with major depressive disorder and became increasingly upset with anime culture. As such, since the show was airing in a children's anime time-slot, the show got darker and ratings dropped. While it wasn't popular in its first time slot, it did much better upon release in different demographics. The show also ended up abandoning narrative structure becoming more and more conceptual. The last 2 episodes take place almost entirely in the main character's mind, which makes this show relatable for people who don't usually find these themes in most of the anime they watch.
9 The Movies Were Made When He Was Doing Well
When the movies were released, Anno announced that he was happy to finally be making Eva the way he intended it to be, without all of the technological and budget constraints that had hampered his vision during the show's original run. This is really obvious when looking at the movies, which are extremely clean and polished. Despite the fact that it looks great, some of the fans have called to mind the fact that while it might be prettier, it's lost some of its charming qualities.
8 The Budget For The Show Disappeared And It Was Made With Pocket Change
When the last 2 episodes of the show were created, they were incredibly close to the deadline. Not only that but after they'd already created previews for the studio, they had to change the bulk of what they'd done and decided to completely change the ending. Toshio Okada said that it wasn't just the budget or scheduling concerns, it's that Anno had no clue what the ending would be until he got there, did some research on psychology, and essentially had the characters psychoanalyze themselves for the last 2 episodes.
7 The Movies Have Entire Studios Behind Them And Big Budgets
The movies have pretty hefty budgets behind them since Neon Genesis Evangelion has become a bit of a cultural icon. The first movie was also created after the advent of 3DCG technology, allowing for cleaner animations and a cheaper process to deliver the end result. The only thing one might have to say about this being an issue is that now Anno doesn't have access to those feelings that made the original series so great. Even if he did, perhaps the pressure of having a huge studio behind him would stifle the creativity and desperation that made Eva what it is.
6 The Show Is Longer
The show is 26 episodes long, and also technically includes a film called End Of Evangelion which provides an alternate ending to the series, one that some have called nihilistic in comparison to the final two episodes of the show.
This means that you can inevitably do so much more with almost 10 hours of content than you can do in 4 movies that run for roughly 90 minutes.
5 The Movies Pull Out Filler
There isn't much of what most people would describe as filler in the show, but it's difficult to say that the show doesn't attempt to expedite the process of the show's progression. The first movie is more or less a point-by-point remake of the first 6 episodes of the show, which says something about how much of the show is absolutely necessary.
4 The Show Has Richer Characterization
The show is much more concerned with its characters than the plot the characters are experiencing. While the show very clearly starts as an almost straightforward mecha anime, you can see as the threads start to unravel in both the plot and the personality of the characters. Everyone has their own personal struggles, hang-ups, and trauma that's mentioned in the movies, but not explored to the same degree as they are in the show whatsoever. While the last 2 episodes of the show are divisive, they're the best part of the franchise in the opinions of many.
3 The Movie Keeps The Plot Going
The movie isn't so much concerned with Shinji Ikari's relationship with his father or lack thereof, or Asuka's repeatedly anti-social behavior due to the trauma of witnessing the death of her mother as a child, because there are Angels for NERV to be fighting! This isn't to say that one perspective on this is better than the other, it's just that you can't talk about the show and the movies as if they were the same thing when the movies have so much plot to fit into such little time.
2 The Show Is More Psychological
The show plays around a lot with the ideas of Dr. Sigmund Freud, the Austrian father of psychoanalysis. Relationships in the family hierarchy and their relation to the mental states of the individual are very important to the show. There are also ideas of The Hero's Journey and the collective unconscious baked into the show, in addition to looking at an interpersonal issue with intimacy called The Hedgehog's Dilemma, which states that the closer two people get to each other, the easier it is for them to do psychological harm to one another. Seeing these concepts applied in narrative form is a big part of what makes the show so unique.
1 The Movie Leans Further Into Mech Territory
In the show, the mech storyline is almost like a backdrop for the psychological drama that's going on. In the movie, it's almost the complete opposite. If you want a straightforward mech experience mostly about giant robots fighting, the movie is exactly what you want. There's nothing wrong with that since that was part of the major appeal of the show, it's just not what everyone's looking for.