Jul 28 2007
Manga Review: Evangelion Vol. 11
So I’ve been keeping up with this manga for a pretty long time. The releases are down to about 1 per year so it’s really been a while but looks like the manga has finally progressed into the “end of eva” point of the storyline. The first few pages feature color illustrations as usual. One is of Misato with blood on her holding a gun, while the 2nd one is pictured above of Kaworu and Shinji. The volume begins where we last left off and the angel battle finished where Rei II died, Rei III was created and Asuka was put into the medical ward to be in a coma until End of Eva movie when she “miraculously” wakes up going “I don’t wanna die.” While most of this follows what you’ve seen…there have been drastic changes which really changed my opinion on some characters - especially Kaworu.
First of all Kaworu is no longer the “bishie” that the anime portrays him as. In fact in the manga he’s just a fucking jackass and I wanna slap him many times over. When he sees Rei III the first time he totally acts like an ass by grabbing her hand and when she goes “I know we’re alike but I’m not sure why”. Kaworu tells her he knows this because “She told him before, doesn’t she remember?” He knows that this is a different “Rei” and he’s just being a dick about it.
The next thing is, he isn’t exactly yaoi material for Shinji. He’s not this nice bishounen Shinji befriended in the anime. When he tells Shinji “be friends with me” Shinji’s like “uh no thanks” and Kaworu flips out. He continues flipping out going “I’m asking what you think of ME!!” Shinji’s like uh let go fag and walks away. xDD
Then Gendo really creeps me out by eating Adam like he’s some sort of a jumbo shrimp.
During the fight scene with Kaworu the manga made more sensible. It wasn’t just Kaworu grinning and controlling Unit 2 while babbling nonsensical things. It actually made sense and Shinji wasn’t just crying and yelling “WHY KAWORU WHY!?” (we had such good buttsecks together! etc) I liked the symbolism at the end instead of showing Kaworu’s head crushed. They showed Shinji “choking” Kaworu similarly how Kaworu strangled the kitten. Dude, kitten strangling = insta hate.
So then the “end of eva” begins when we start out with Shinji at the ward in front of Asuka’s bed. Except this time, he doesn’t fap on her, because she wakes up and flips out and starts choking him. Doctors rush in and sedate her.
Before she passes out though she makes sure to let EVERYONE know how she feels. Shinji walks out of the room and when he sees Rei walking with Gendo, he crouches down and cries. Well at least I can see his reasoning to be upset.
So overall a pretty impact driven volume. The book ends when the government sends troops to attack Nerv and Shinji is sitting all alone all depressed. To be honest I can totally “relate” to his depression now, while in the anime/movie he just seemed like some stupid emo kid. Screw the Eva movies, we got the manga baby!
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12 Responses to “Manga Review: Evangelion Vol. 11”
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Mmm… Jumbo Adam Shrimp. You know, there’s a merchandising opportunity here, but I’m not sure I want to be the one who explores it. It makes Gendo a LOT creepier than he already is, especially with his tongue hanging out like that.
Just think - the manga took what.. ten years to get to this point, when they’re re-releasing everything (again) with Rebuild of Evangelion? Still, one thing I DID like about the manga, back when I was collecting is, is that Shinji didnt’ seem like such an idiot emo kid… and they did do things that they should’ve done in the anime for the emotional impact, but didn’t.
That panel of Gendo is really fucking weird.
I tried to read the Eva manga but I think the anime is too imprinted on me or something. Maybe I should try again.
Haesslich, its not as creepy as the PSP game “Neon Genesis Evangelion: Tsukurareshi Sekai - Another Cases” were Shinji and Fuyutsuki can get into a romantic relationship and …
Haes> Yea shinji was totally less emo in the manga.
Seth> you should probably check out the manga it’ll “improve” your thoughts of the anime.
Dark> That sounds more silly than creepy xD
… I do not know but “convincing Shinji to disguise as Yui (his dead mother) and then touch him and well taking photographs” kinda wins as “creppy” …
Darkron: It means that the game-writers were into yaoi shotacon-type relationships…
I hadn’t been keeping up with this manga, but this panel is hilarious!!!! I bet Adam would take better with some shrimp cocktail sauce.
The first few volumes weren’t very different from the anime so I lost interest, but I like the changes the manga is making now. The scene with Asuka in the hospital seems to make more sense, instead of the “this is why we can’t have nice things” semenonfigure moment that Shinji has in the animated version.
It also makes me feel better about killing Angels when they are total jerks.
The manga definitely improves on the “storyline” as the volumes progress.
Hinano: Yes. Especially with how they changed the Touji thing - and how Shinji’s somewhat less creepy in the manga. I think it’s more that he’s less completely unlikeable and actually shows signs of backbone that were apparently surgically removed in the show.
I was so addicted to this show.
How the heck did you get a Volume 11 in English? As well as SSR #7 when I just got #6 from Amazon, yesterday?
It’s not in English, it’s in Japanese. I just scanlate my images for my audience reading the blog since I figure most of the readers don’t know Japanese =P
Makes perfect sense. And here I was ready to accuse you of having some bootlegging connection.