Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days
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| Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days | |||
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 Cover of first edition of the first volume |
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| 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン 鋼鉄のガールフレンド2nd (Shin Seiki Evangelion Koutetsu no Girlfriend 2nd) |
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| Genre | Romantic comedy | ||
| Manga | |||
| Author | Fumino Hayashi | ||
| Publisher |  Kadokawa Shoten |
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| Demographic | Shōjo | ||
| Serialized in | Asuka Newtype USA |
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| Original run | November 2003 – 2005 | ||
| Volumes | 6 | ||
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン 鋼鉄のガールフレンド2nd Shin Seiki Evangelion Koutetsu no Girlfriend 2nd?) is a manga by Fumino Hayashi and printed in Monthly Asuka. The storyline is "based on an original story by Gainax-Khara," mostly based around a sequence in the actions of "Instrumentality" portrayed in the final episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion, which featured the show's cast in a lighter high school romantic comedy setting (as compared to the dark, psychological and apocalyptic themes of Evangelion canon). Anime News Network describes it as "a romance rather than an action series, with love triangles a-plenty."[1]
Angelic Days appeared in chapter installments in ADV Films' monthly magazine, Newtype USA. The Japanese title Koutetsu no Girlfriend 2 comes from the name of the video game set in the dream sequence's universe and which the manga is more directly based on, Girlfriend of Steel 2. The English translation of the story is by Kaoru Bertrand.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The Angelic Days story continues the dream sequence from Episode 26 in which Shinji imagines a happier world where Asuka is a childhood friend, Misato is his homeroom teacher, and Rei is a new transfer student.
The Evangelions and Angels make up little of the story and are not fully explained. First appearing near the end of the second volume where Shinji and Rei battle Sachiel, the overtones of the battle lie with the relationships between characters, instead of the darker, more selfish, and pathological reasons the characters have in the anime.
| Volume | Title | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Imagine a Neon Genesis Evangelion in which dating the right girl is more important that saving the world..." | |||||
| A new transfer student, Rei, starts at the school. Rei takes a liking to Shinji and confides her feelings to Asuka. | ||||||
| 2 | "Love is a battlefield" | |||||
| The students learn they are being groomed to pilot Evangelions (Kensuke Aida is included with the canonical pilots: Shinji, Asuka, Rei, Kaworu, and Toji). Shinji and Rei are deployed to stop an Angel attack where, although he is initially paralysed with fear, Shinji manages to gather his nerves to save Rei and destroy the Angel. | ||||||
| 3 | "Love is in the air" | |||||
| Kaworu invites Shinji to play at a concert with him. However, Shinji decides to take care of a sick Asuka. Kensuke is able to confess his feelings to Asuka and Rei is able to tell Shinji that she likes him. | ||||||
| 4 | "Heartfelt Confessions" | |||||
| The series climaxes with an assault on Tokyo-3 by multiple Angels, in which Shinji is ultimately brought into a form of Instrumentality, where he finally admits his feelings for Asuka. Afterwards, the pilots are split up to various training facilities across the world, with the story concluding several years later with them reuniting and unearthing a time capsule they buried together. | ||||||
| 5 | "In the beginning" | |||||
| Gendo's life as a troubled junior high student frequently involved in fights is chronicled. His relationship with a young Yui, his meetings with the enigmatic Kaworu, and how their lives change is detailed. | ||||||
| 6 | "End of the road" | |||||
| Volume 6, interspersed through the events portrayed in volume 5, is separated into four different endings each focused on a pair of characters: the first story details Misato and Kaji deciding to continue their long distance relationship, the second story dealing with Ritsuko and Rei dealing with their unrequited loves (Gendo and Shinji respectively), the third story is Touji's disappointment at not being able to pilot an EVA and his reunion with Hikari, and the final chapter has Shinji and Asuka getting into a fight and then subsequently understanding what they mean to each other. | ||||||
[edit] Characters
[edit] Main characters
- Shinji Ikari
- Shinji Ikari is the male protagonist of the series. He is timid, quiet, and easily influenced by his peers. He is very much like his original persona, however he is more sociable and friendly than before. Shinji is also a childhood friend to Asuka Langley Soryu.
- Asuka Langley Soryu
- Asuka Langley Soryu is a redhead with fiery temper, and although friends with Shinji she often torments him. Her rage is especially violent in the beginning of the series: she is openly hostile with Kaworu and splashes boiling water on Shinji in a jealous fit during a cooking class. However, she cares deeply for her friends, and will aid or defend them when she is able. She has appointed herself as Shinji's chaperone and has a clear sense of right and wrong. Although she can be demanding, in truth she doesn't want to burden anyone or feel useless, especially to her parents or Shinji, similar to the original character's feeling of inferiority in the anime series.
- Rei Ayanami
- Rei Ayanami is an excitable extrovert, the polar opposite of her original persona. However, she is socially inept and clueless as how to perform simple tasks such as cracking an egg open. She is disliked by the girls of her class for "flirting" with boys and wearing her old uniform rather than buying the school's own regulation clothes.
- Kaworu Nagisa
- As in the anime, Kaworu Nagisa has a mysterious past that NERV officials work to uncover. However, despite the lack of official records, Shinji remarks that he and Kaworu have been friends for about a decade, or as long as he has known Asuka. In particular, Kaworu and Shinji often perform music together (Shinji on cello, with Kaworu on violin). Also, Kaworu has what is termed an unusual "fondness" for Shinji, and sometimes appears to be part of the "love triangle" around him. His appearances in both Shinji and Gendo's story arcs strongly hints at a deep connection with the Angels.
[edit] Other characters
- Toji Suzuhara
- Shinji's classmate, Toji Suzuhara, is one of Shinji's friends accepted into NERV's piloting program along with him. He reciprocates Hikari's crush once she makes her feelings known to him. Much like his anime counterpart, he is shown as the tough jock of the group, and occasionally has verbal bouts with Asuka. However, he does have a much more vulnerable side; while on standby to pilot the Evangelion, he was frightened, but admitted he would risk his life for Hikari's sake.
- Kensuke Aida
- Kensuke Aida is another one of Shinji's classmates who is accepted into NERV's piloting program. He has a hobby in camrecording. In this incarnation, he has a crush on Asuka and is usually trying to gain some acknowledgement from her. He later openly states his feelings and then asks if he is "good enough to take Shinji's place," causing Asuka to run from him. After an exchange with Asuka while on standby, he realizes that she won't reciprocate his feelings, and later accepts his role as just a friend to her.
- Misato Katusragi
- Misato Katsuragi is the homeroom teacher for Shinji and Asuka's class. Misato has some operational duties at NERV.
- Ritsuko Akagi
- Ritsuko Akagi is the school nurse, and is in love with Gendo Ikari. Ritsuko is also portrayed as the Head Medical and Science officer at NERV.
- Yui Ikari
- Yui Ikari, Shinji's mother, is still alive and working at NERV along with her husband Gendo and Asuka's parents. Her high school life and relationship with Gendo is chronicled in Volume 5.
[edit] Publication History
Initially announced 14 July 2005 to start US publication in August 2005. [3]
[edit] Reception
Eric Owens from mangalife.com enjoys the pace of the story and its high school themes of "love triangles, transfer students, the quiet pretty boy". It's much softer and he enjoyed the image of Rei running late with toast in her mouth. The reviewer states that it will appeal to more casual readers rather than Eva fans.[4]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Anime News Network
- ^ Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- ^ Newtype USA Annoounces Evangelion: Angelic Days 14 July 2005
- ^ Owens, Eric. Neon Genesis Evangelion Angelic Days v1. mangalife.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
[edit] Bibliography
| Title | Author | ISBN | Publisher | US Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angelic Days Vol 1 | Fumino Hayashi | ISBN 1-413-90350-9 | ADV | May 5th, 2006 |
| Angelic Days Vol 2 | Fumino Hayashi | ISBN 1-413-90348-7 | ADV | July 26th, 2006 |
| Angelic Days Vol 3 | Fumino Hayashi | ISBN 1-413-90350-9 | ADV | November 25th, 2006 |
| Angelic Days Vol 4 | Fumino Hayashi | 9781413903553 | ADV | March 5th, 2007 |
| Angelic Days Vol 5 | Fumino Hayashi | 9781413903614 | ADV | May 7th, 2007 |
| Angelic Days Vol 6 | Fumino Hayashi | 9781413903621 | ADV | August 7th, 2007 |
[edit] References
- ^ Anime News Network
- ^ Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- ^ Newtype USA Annoounces Evangelion: Angelic Days 14 July 2005
- ^ Owens, Eric. Neon Genesis Evangelion Angelic Days v1. mangalife.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
[edit] External links
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