Evangelion: The Best & Worst Episodes

[@HalloBruce]

Episode 3 might've been a bit awkward, but I thought it had a huge pay-off. When Shinji's friends see first-hand what he goes through to pilot the Eva... that scene was really powerful for me

[@kaimcdragonfist4803]

I really enjoyed that scene too. Actually it's one of my favorite segments of the 1.11 film as well.

[@lilaclunablossom]

Same. I also liked how in the show (but not You Are (Not) Alone) Ritsuko tells Shinji to move despite the safety of Toji and Kensuke being an issue, and Misato and Shinji clearly show concern for their safety. I love how it showed how cold-hearted Ritsuko's experiences with her mother, Gendo, and Rei made her (and possibly envy of Misato), that she didn't care about the safety of two innocent boys

[@charziard35]

Agreed and it also establishes some of shinji’s “reasons” for piloting the Eva in the first place and is an important episode

[@kami9415]

"It's about the friends we made along the way"

[@dschwamm]

Yeah the episode's establishment of that relationship between Shinji and his classmates is really one of the beating hearts of the show going forward.

[@Squeenix1]

I liked the episode where the giant mech destroys that giant alien monster.

[@chasethejojolosipher6857]

So...like a third of the series?

[@jamhopsey]

You mean 25-26? Oh wait

[@Platin_2004]

Oh yeah that one

[@st3ange21]

Huuurr duurrrr

[@Pokemaster-rm7vk]

I think the episode where a young boy has a mental breakdown is my favorite

[@san6287]

I was actually surprised to find that ppl didn't like episode 13. I feel like every episode before this, when a new angel appeared, it felt like there was no risk, one of the pilots would just destroy it on their first go and yet another "yay we did it" conclusion. It was getting repetitive for me and the angels didn't even feel like a threat. Until this episode, where finally there is a new and challenging way that the angels threaten Nerv. I liked the suspense build-up when the angel was infiltrating the system, and the reaction of all the technicians and scientists, with the alarms blaring etc, felt really intense. For sure it was one of my favourite episodes.

[@rikustorm13]

Hacking into the Magi was an awesome idea, there was real tension there

[@shantaeisbae]

What do you mean the angels don't feel like a threat the evas always lose at least a few limbs in every fight and the pilots actually feel that

[@GeorgeBPryor]

I was really surprised to see it place so low, it's one of my favourite episodes.

[@samuraijaydee]

I feel like the first half of the season makes it seem like a regular anime (no bad thing)… but you can't care about the incredibly deep pschological exploration if you don't first love the characters and world. You need the first half of the season to care about the second half.

[@AkyZura]

Me too! I loved this episode. We discovered a new type of test, informations about Magi (which is a very cool invention for me), an internal fight at the Nerv against a very original angel... Loved it.

[@trevonmcentee3029]

The episode where rei first smiles is my favorite

[@ulfricstormcloak7142]

Trevon Mcentee man of culture

[@smoldream2908]

Doesn’t she first smile when she’s talking to Gendo in like episode 3 or 4?

[@trevonmcentee3029]

Smol Dream when shinji saves rei

[@nvwest]

Yeah, biggest complaint is how rei stayed a bit underdeveloped in my opinion

[@torgan]

Trevon Mcentee Nah, when she blushes and tells Shinji "Arigato".

[@HydraDominus]

The episode where shinji busts out of the inverted shadow angel was my favorite

[@gabrieletraini3849]

@Lord Inquisitor Shadowlord you really had to...

[@candlelighter1588]

Lord Inquisitor Shadowlord Misato why is there yogurt on my hand

[@harryhazza626]

Thats a spicy opinion my dude . Brave and spicy

[@zenmaster8086]

Leliel

[@geoshogoki]

Mine too! Episode 16 is everything

[@solidcake]

Best episodes: all of them Worst episodes: nah

[@cyansaint]

I imagine the drake hotline bling meme with this comment

[@Nitroxity]

While I don't think there's a "bad" episode of Eva (in relation to TV in general I find the worst episodes to still be great), but I still thin Episode 17 is probably the worst. It felt more lie a backstory sump for Toji than something naturally integrated (Episode 18 makes up for this wholeheartedly, however). Magmadiver is a bit generic, but with all the characters still being naturally in character, I don't feel the tropes became as big of a problem as they could have. Both are mediocre to bad Eva episodes, but great episodes compared to anime in general, if that makes any sense. Overall I actually don't hate the "Action Arc" of the show at all, it allows all the characters to interact and show how they'd behave on a more healthy level before all of them come crashing down farther than ever in the third act of the series.

[@animefalcon7993]

For me it was episode 13

[@jerrysmith8814]

Yeah. But I fucking hate episodes 25 and 26

[@markcasadevall9509]

Worst episodes in my opinion for me are asuka strikes and magma diver

[@GA--nt1pu]

Hmm, for some reason, one of my favorite is Episode 13 because it's unique: 1. There are no Evangelions involved in the fighting. 2. The 3 main pilots are not the heroes in that attack. Other main characters are the star in that episode. 3. It shows Ritsuko's capability of computer programming. 4. It gives us the clue of Ritsuko and Maya's relationship since Maya is the only one who accompanied Ritsuko in planting the virus. 5. For some reason, I like the MAGI System the way it was hacked and the suspense in it. Just my 2 cents though. Nice video btw! P.S Happy Birthday Shinji-kun!

[@AndreaForlani]

So I'm not the only one! I love when the story driven is driven by characters that aren't the protagonists!

[@aschraub9897]

I loved that episode too and can't wait too re watch it!

[@tinibari456]

Yeah, I really liked it a fair amount. It’s surprising to me that people don’t like Ritsuko, too. Outside of the main four, she has more character than the other characters. At least as much character as Kaji, and probably more than Rei.

[@kevin850406]

Same, I think that episode is way more intense than just Shinji piloting his mom. It shows how dreadful an angel could be, taking a form no one could have thought of, with no existed protocol to deal it with. In fact, I couldn't imagine that any person who genuinely enjoys EVA for it's creativity and thought-provoking subcontext would conclude that this is a bad episode. It's got everything I expected to see in EVA. Even if it doesn't, it takes something out and replace it with something better.

[@averywebb3093]

Me too! It had me on edge the whole time and it was very cool to see the Nerv employees get a bit of development!

[@startrekker4596]

I enjoyed episode 13, especially in the way secondary characters stepped into the spotlight and the way the Magi were explained. Take away episode 13, and you don’t realize why Casper rejected the self destruct order in EoE, and you don’t get the sense of betrayal Ritsuko felt in that moment

[@shantaeisbae]

I mean the explanation is important but the episode itself is just OK, definitely weaker than every other episode along with the magma stuff

[@samuraijaydee]

Yeah I really loved episode 13 too.

[@IronGiant2790]

In a sense, the Magi basically is a character in itself, and episode 13 is our first look into how it works.

[@drifter402]

The only bad episode is the recap episode

[@d4i4d4i4]

Is that the one where it shows Unit 00 carrying the Spear at the and? Idk why that shot was amazing to me.

[@Nerevarine420]

Dimitrije Despotovic I watch it just for that cx

[@KatToTheFourth]

Even that episode is necessary, it tells us the names of the angels

[@scrimblocoded]

I thought the second half of it was good but yeah the first half was terrible considering it was just clips

[@Anactofgod]

And the recap movie

[@kuribo04]

Huh, there isn't an episode I don't like. Magmadiver isn't the best in the show, it's still better than entire shows I've seen lol

[@cedricberube]

Magmadiver is better than Isekai wa Smartphone whole season, but that's not hard to beat.

[@atomiustech1006]

You can't lie, that thermal expansion joke was gold

[@zinzolin14]

Oh wow, I just realized that and it's been years 😂👌

[@bloopy7299]

It was pretty funny imo lol

[@bluemagician9724]

"I don't want Misato to get me left out of a field trip again, better study" "HEHE MUH TITS"

[@ursoanonimo8398]

I think that, fundamentally, magmadiver’s sole purpose was to expand on Shinji and Asuka’s relationship when Shinji risks his life to save Asuka.

[@booploops22]

Urso L. Expand, uhuhuhuhuhuhuhuh

[@fartamplifer]

Yeah, Shinji can't swim so him diving into the magma without a protective suit was a huge risk for him plus he had to overcome a lot of fear. The point was to show that he was willing to take a huge personal risk in order to save Asuka and she recognized that.

[@viaticum7420]

Honestly, Lilliputian Hitcher is my personal favourite. I like the way they developed Ritsuko and her relationship with mother in there. Also whole episode seemed really calm despite huge problems with defeating angel.

[@twiinapocalyp2e2]

also the idea of a computer virus angel was so original and different from the huge ass kaiju that had been the angels up to that point

[@troywinters4329]

Yes!

[@marckrieger3277]

@@twiinapocalyp2e2 I am glad to see someone liked the episode for the same reasons as i do. Most episodes with the angel of the week weren't that bad because they had some pretty interesting ideas for diffrent angels.

[@Vaas109]

And gives a explanation on magi itself

[@ZeranZeran]

Same.

[@TyroLuuki]

Never get tired of ep 24, it's awesome

[@LOSTGAM3R]

Episode 24 sucks, actually. Karowu and Shinji know each other over the course of what, 2 days? And they act like they’re lifelong brothers. I despise it. It’s so artificial.

[@castielchieng7475]

@@LOSTGAM3R you can't blame Shinji to do so since he feels nobody really care about him and people only notice him because of piloting the Eva. While being so desperate, Kaworu was the only person who interact with him heart to heart

[@olive4200]

lost gam3r i mean shinji was at his lowest at that point, the one thing he needed was to be loved unconditionally, which kaworu was there to do

[@xaviervillaluz6312]

@@LOSTGAM3R when youre desperate for attention and connection, youll attach to anyone that shows genuine interest in your existence

[@dollartreejadenyuki6046]

@@LOSTGAM3R yeah I think you need to pay more attention to shinji's character.his mental health at the time was god awful and almost everyone he knew seemed to not give a shit about him.He was desperate to meet someone who actually cared about him,and when Kaworu,one of the only people who actually loved him in any way,appeared,he just latched onto him and took advantage of the time where he actually felt better about his life.Even if it was only for a short time.

[@pikminjake]

I SWEAR TO GOD, IF MAGMADIVER IS CONSIDERED THE WORST IM GONNA

[@EvaMonkey]

Sorry bro. Don't shoot the messenger.

[@kaos5633]

Oof

[@HalloBruce]

But the theme from that episode is LIT!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/imfNpIeKiraZi9E

[@theonlysinisharm]

What did you like about that episode?

[@RicoSeattle]

Ya, I wanna know why you liked that episode too.

[@lugal-zage-si4782]

I really liked “Lilliputian Hitcher”, it lets the background Nerv cast shine a bit more, takes our mind off of the main characters for a little while.

[@urextraaverageweirdo6124]

Same

[@bloodmachine6049]

I will fight anyone who doesn't like Ritsuko !

[@Hibiki_Ganana]

I don't like Ritsuko.

[@choueriito2548]

I can understand people not liking Ritsuko on a personal level, but to say she's poorly written would be factually incorrect.

[@thestateofyou8076]

@@choueriito2548 so much thiiiiisss Ritsukos personality is not very likeable but her character depth is insane

[@ZeranZeran]

If you don't like Ritsuko you weren't paying attention to the show close enough imo. It couldn't have happened without her.

[@Hibiki_Ganana]

@@ZeranZeran There is a difference between not liking and hating.

[@ElNingyou]

It’s crazy to think this show swallowed my life fifteen years ago and I spent a good six or so years playing inside baseball with you guys in the forums and I can barely remember any of it now, guess I’ll have to revisit it.

[@JBW_timothy_96]

now i feel nostalgic

[@clayc9221]

damn

[@alphavolta5038]

How old are you now?

[@zeddy2284]

aww I deleted my Google+ account but I still find some good comments on naruto vids lol

[@prodfife]

how do people think episode 3 is unnecessary? it's the #1 reason toji and kensuke become good friends with him, which later adds on to his trauma when he's forced to destroy unit 3

[@manamongmen3381]

Kaji: a man of culture and melons.

[@ducklett01god]

He wanted misatos melons

[@pmwest7977]

My personal favourites are the ones where all the EVA units are working together. It's just so happy and feelgood to see Shinji, Asuka and Rei work together. It's like watching a Saturday Morning Cartoon. Then everything goes wrong. The reality kicks in. Depression and loneliness becomes the whole show. What a huge stark contrast to the jollygood "defeat the Angels and go for a nice moonlight watch with your friends" episodes gave you. EoE wouldn't have been so powerful if we didn't see some joy first.

[@ihsaningersoll9232]

Square boi was a great fight

[@Shr3w]

*octahedron

[@Shr3w]

*best girl

[@megahertz5504]

True

[@Useryoutubeuserdba]

big geometrical laser shape

[@YAOOOOOOOO966]

Screams geometrical

[@thisisawful6184]

i like the episode with the boi running away and crying

[@GlassDirt]

Magmadiver is the shit. What's the hate on foreshadowing? The point of it isn't to reveal events right away, apparently this is a bad thing? And I fail to see how the FIRST hint that Kaji is an informant is redundant because of what happens in LATER episodes.

[@sofasocks666]

i found the fetish-y inflation suit and the strange fanservicey scene at the end made it one of my least favourites. when i think of most uncomfortable scenes from the show, they come to mind😵‍💫

[@cuineform3708]

Inflation suit was funny

[@The4j1123]

I wasn't a big fan of adults inappropriately touching minors, or the focus on Asuka being a bitch. Not a very great episode imo

[@mythicallymoist9772]

I guess it's because it has its weird moments? I didn't really care and just saw them as comedic, but I guess some people were really put off by them

[@gerardsk8ordie]

episodes 25 & 26 happen in the middle of the end of evangelion, when all of the souls are inside in the black moon.

[@yolomcswagmuffins6574]

Makes sense

[@heysiri4935]

You just blew my mind!

[@Jake-nm3tb]

I hope that after Shinji and Asuka were to the beach after the third impact, the other characters came up from the lcl sea with them together.

[@Psycho-Thinker]

Episode 24 is a masterpiece Shinji was desperate to find love from his father but failed.Misato tried to give him love but in reality she was using him to kill the angels to get revenge,Kaworu was the only character who gave him genuine love and didn't force him or judge his faults. Despite his very small screentime in the series (first appearing two episodes only before the series' finale, and with little to no presence in subsequent episodes), Kaworu became a popular and recognizable character.A Newtype poll in 2010 ranked him the second most popular male anime character from the 1990s. His appearance made a profound impact on Evangelion fans.To this day he remains one of the most popular and best received characters, with his merchandise consistently being on the Evastore best sellers list.

[@lapelcelery42]

In fact, Kaworu loves Shinji so much that he willingly sacrifices himself for him. It's interesting that the two characters explicitly willing to sacrifice themselves for Shinji are Kaworu and Rei - neither of whom are human (although you could also make an argument for Misato in the end, but in any case that won't happen until EoE).

[@chainsawweightloss]

Aww, I actually like Lilliputian Hitcher. I think Ritsuko's character development adds more weight to her death in EoE. Also, and I would say this for any mecha, giant robo, or even magic girl series, the few token "solve this fight without mechs" episodes can be really fun. Buuuuut I completely understand why people would also find them boring.

[@aricente]

I just hate how the nerve characters were ALWAYS Shocked when anything happens. It was at least once an episode where either misako(that her name?) or the scientist would yell about [insert shocking moment] "no way,that shouldn't be possible"

[@ZeranZeran]

Angel has entered nerv headquarter THAT CAN'T BE POSSIBLE! Well it fucking is

[@eren7350]

*what, you can not stop the power!? how strange, that never happened before!*

[@artelo6312]

It's an Angeru!

[@angeltheangel2088]

Or some shit like "WOAH OUR PILOTS ARE GETTING THEIR SHIT KICKED IN BECAUSE THEY FEEL PAIN!!"

[@Dannohasho]

M i s a k o

[@pikminjake]

Okay it’s actually really funny because I truly think Magmadiver is a wonderful episode. I love the action arc, and it’s faults. Today Evangelion is a brand, and the merchandise focuses on the positive and fun moments and the technical action of the Eva Units & the science. I mean, think of the Eva Train! They weren’t thinking “we should make a train inspired by a psychological series”, it was “we should make a train inspired by a fun, action packed series”! I love the stupid fat suit, and the stupid volcano diving. I ESPECIALLY love the weird ass animation direction on that episode; everyone looks WEIRD.

[@ZeonicFreak]

MINJAK i want a kitbash of big ass suit over Eva 02, would buy in a heartbeat

[@TheMightyGiantDad]

Couldn't agree more! Eva's ending wouldn't have been nearly as impactful if we didn't have silly, lighthearted stuff like magma diver before it. For it all to come tumbling down, it has to be somewhere high first.

[@quietperson3886]

I like the moment asuka tries to impress shinji with "back role entry!" and "giant role entry!" It's cute

[@reskaill9684]

I know what type of man you are

[@CubitoDeFuego1]

I don't hate any of the episodes, but yeah, I don't really care that much about Magma Diver lol. I'm surprised episode 6 didn't make it to the most liked, considering how much people like Ramiel and Rei. I'm happy that, even though it'a a cotroversial ending, people still appreciate episode 26, my favorite episode. I'm also glad that the 9th made it to the honorable mentions 👌 Great video! :D

[@gateauxq4604]

I think Ramiel best girl was mostly a joke to counter the whole Rei vs Asuka crap but after the movie it’s because Ramiel really is best shrieking, flip flopping, drill-bitted girl.

[@ReitheOffbeatOtaku]

People have definitely come to like episode 26 more over the years, and for good reason. It's abstract, subversive, introspective, and earnest; some of the things that make Evangelion so special.

[@chungiebungiefungie]

you: Ramiel me an intelectual: Obama prism

[@eren7350]

26 was great as a episode, not as a ending. Fortunately, "The End Of Evangelion" fixes that problem.

[@JakeRat-xo2bw]

"What is the best episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion?" Episode 24 is the only correct answer.

[@Dare1C]

Good well put together video. I understand talking about "bad" episodes make for a more entertaining video, but I really dont think any of the episodes are bad. Despite some EVA fans saying so for many many years now. The lighter hearted "throw-away" episodes set up other episodes to be more dramatic and impactful. (You cant have dark without light). - These episodes are strong for character development and show us the characters everyday lives when shit isnt going terribly wrong. - And then when things do go crazy later, it means so much more. Eva fans like the frosting of the series, but dont enjoy the cake part. IMHO, you need both to really enjoy the best of the series.

[@Nitroxity]

This is pretty much my opinion in a nutshell. The action arc served a three-fold purpose: to give more general anime and mecha fans something a bit more familiar, to put all the characters in a less tense setting so you can generally see their personality types and motivations in a clearer light, and to directly contrast with Act 3 of the show which consists of episodes 17-24 (the Declination of Sanity Arc I like to call it, Episode 16 seems like a bridge between the Act 2 Action Arc and Act 3 much in the same way Jet Alone was used as a bridge between Act 1 (Initial Setup Arc) and Act 2). Seeing Shinji and Asuka able to converse in a more casual setting in Magmadiver, as well as Asuka making blatant teases and possible advances towards Shinji, would seem very typical and predicted, but in my opinion it along with the rest of the Action Arc lure the viewer back into a false sense of security after the fast-moving chaos of Act 1, even though small hints of subplots do begin to pop up, waiting to burst onto the scene. I will say that Magmadiver is somewhat weaker in some aspects, but as far as it being a bad episode of Evangelion or even a bad episode of TV anime? I really can't see it.

[@elliekerstiens1916]

Episode 24 is so fucking powerful, one of the best relationships developed in only a handful of scenes. And the scene at the end is probably one of the saddest moments in the show, while also kicking off the last two episodes and and eoe. Also they made a great couple, for the little we got to see if it.

[@volnartheunforgiving3952]

What are you talking about Kaworu was just like "hahaha let's sleep together I love you you're my dream hahaha" and like didn't do any actual cute or supportive couple things or anything and then the whole fandom just got obsessed with him and shipping him with Shinji Some of the other people in the comments are literally just like "Episode 24 is my favorite because Kaworu was in it" like what's so amazing about him he's an angel of the week with a more interesting backstory and a proper personality

[@golgarisoul]

I don't know of I could pick my favourite Eva episode, but my least liked episode is hands down Magmadiver.

[@ReitheOffbeatOtaku]

Cypher Same here; it's not a bad episode, but it definitely feels the most like filler.

[@user-pi6cs3ue4s]

Magma diver is probably the only episode I fast forwarded on my VHS copy... Seems so long ago since I first watched NGE now lol.

[@bloodhoof66]

but that ending tho lol!!.

[@josephagnetti8921]

Magma diver is significantly better than Jet alone

[@lamasu8060]

Jet alone is worse than magma. They both are great episodes, but magma was so much better imo.

[@rkgk1517]

I'm shocked that the episode where Unit 03 debuts didn't make the top list. That definitely has some of the most memorable moments and imagery for me. Or the one where Rei smiles for the first time.

[@connorclifton45]

My favourite episode personally I'd say is episode 11, in which Tokyo-3 has a mass black out and the angel Matarael appears. In this same episode all 3 Evangelion units sortie for the first time, and it also shows the pilots ability to work in a team. Matarael isn't the most powerful angel in the series, it is actually one of the weakest, but the episode does show what off duty life is like for Nerv personal and it also shows the children's ability to act properly in a crisis situation. In full, the episode shows how the children can work in a team.

[@rikustorm13]

I don’t like Episode 11 as a whole but the Angel is p cool

[@tomemeornottomeme1864]

I love Episode 11. It had an interesting sense of urgency.

[@samjames6714]

I watched Evangelion with a friend recently, who was seeing it for the first time. The first day we were watching, we got up to ep 13. We then took a break for an entire week. The next episode was 14, the recap episode. It was actually really helpful to have that recap. While yes, that’s very situational, but I think it proves that no episode of Evangelion is truly bad. Edit: also, I like ep 7, as is blatantly obvious from my profile picture. Edit 2: My profile picture is now from ep 10, so for context it was the Shinji mug image when I made this comment.

[@ichinihq]

You still havent changed ur pfp?

[@kalplays9922]

Even despite the less competent episodes, it's still fascinating how Eva manages to pack more of a punch in 26 episodes and one movie than most anime manage to do in 500+.

[@lapelcelery42]

Evangelion is 26 eps and one film, and it has better characters and a denser world than almost any other show I've ever seen.

[@ReitheOffbeatOtaku]

I'm surprised episodes 16 and 23 didn't make the honorable mentions list.

[@kameha64]

+Rei The Offbeat Otaku Same here

[@Lucky-si4ih]

I LOVE episode 4 and 7! I really value Shinji and Misato's relationship. “She shows the part of her that she hides from everyone else, that means she considers you as a part of family.”

[@Morpheus.897]

AYO

[@vincenthighwind7622]

I felt Ritsuko's story was touching. Instead of craving for a parental figure's approval (her mother), she sought to out perform her & not repeat the same mistakes. At the end, she did.

[@volnartheunforgiving3952]

I kinda hated how she did. Shinji's dad just blows both members of that family? And both of them decide to kill Rei in increasingly spectacular ways because of it?

[@thequinndom6250]

Words cannot express how much I miss this series, no matter how shallow some of the episodes were, I still loved all of it.

[@mojotheaverage]

My favourite is the fight against leliel. The introspection shinji faces as he comes close to death and the haunting music as he fades away only to be rescued by the spirit of his mother really moved me. Then, the incredible moment when unit 01 bursts out from inside leliel giving us our first glimpse of the true nature of the Evas sends shivers down the spine!

[@AliBaba-sw4ej]

Kaworu appears for 1 episode and gets an IRL wedding ring campaign featuring him and Shinji.

[@dollartreejadenyuki6046]

And that is the reason my friends why Kaworu is an absolute god.

[@kumirapau-chan9880]

Episode 24 was my favorite ♡

[@Mutterschwein]

Yeah, what a fucking rollercoaster of emotion that episode is. Shinji did a complete 180 from truly happy and secure for the first time because of Kaworu to sinking into the deepest pits of despair in just 1 episode...and so did I after watching it. Goddamn.

[@kumirapau-chan9880]

I feel you. I would have too if I hadn't been spoiled from the start ...

[@Mutterschwein]

Heh, I can't tell if you being spoiled in that instance was a good or bad thing seeing how it cushioned the blow xD ps: love your kawoshin crack vids lol

[@kumirapau-chan9880]

Sure, at least I knew what was coming XD Thanks, kawoshin is ultimate OTP ~ X)

[@hedvigjohansson7964]

Same,and I love your Kawoshin crack vids ♡

[@personpacman7439]

Episode 13 was one of my all time favorite episodes in the entire series. I am genuinely baffled it ranked so low, it's honestly astonishing. Ritsuko is an extremely compelling character, one of my favorites in the entire show. And in this episode we not only get to learn more about her, but also her mother. It lays the groundwork for her mother as a prominent figure at NERV, which plays an incredibly important role regarding the motives and rationale behind Gendo as well as the lore behind Rei. We also learn a lot about the Magi supercomputer that basically runs every operation not only at NERV, but for the entire government of Tokyo 3. Not understanding the Magi would be like not fully understanding how the Evas work by the end of the series. However, the episode being crucial to the show is not the only reason I like it. Episode 13 is one of the most well paced episodes in the entire series. For the first time this angel feels like a real, genuine threat to NERV. It's scary and there is a ton of tension building up as you see it slowly infecting and corroding the walls of the facility and test chamber. At first, there is just enough wrong to plant a seed of doubt in your mind and the episode only continues to grow this seed until everything goes wrong. Never once has an angel infiltrated this far into the facility and you absolutely don't see it coming. To fully understand the dire significance and importance the Magi has not only to NERV but to the entirety of Tokyo 3, this episode introduces us to the inner workings of the Magi itself. The solution Naoko found to the problem of making a safe and reliable supercomputer being to make THREE SEPERATE SUPERCOMPUTERS which are all fundamentally different and disagree with each other as a sort of system of checks and balances is GENIUS and a very entertaining idea for me at least. The Magi is like it's own super-fast and super-smart three party system, and the only way to assure these three parties would disagree with each other was for Naoko to program three individual parts of her personality that she knew for a fact clashed with each other. This inner conflict in the Magi leads to some incredible moments later on, but that's besides the point. This episode teaches us the Magi's importance to the city of Tokyo 3 as well, it basically makes every decision for the city's government, only for these decisions to have to be accepted by humans as a safeguard. If this system were to be infiltrated, it would completely occupy and destroy not only Nerv, but also fatally cripple the entire governing body of Tokyo 3. It would be a monumental catastrophe, and it was A SINGLE SECOND AWAY FROM HAPPENING. I also need to talk about the ideas behind Iruel, the 11th angel. The concept that this angel is not only able to infiltrate/corrode metal and electronics in the NERV facility, but able to EVOLVE at a supernatural rate as time progresses, is deeply compelling to me. They find weaknesses and points in the angel to attack, but at every turn it is able to accelerate it's evolution and overcome these weaknesses, continuing it's rampage through the facility's wiring. But my favorite part is how they defeat the angel. They realize that the angel adapts to every new challenge and finds a way to overcome it, so they RE-PROGRAM THE MAGI TO SELF DESTRUCT ITSELF, so that the angel is FORCED to accelerate it's evolution and find a way to Co-exist inside of the Magi because that's the only way to survive! I feel like that is an absolutely ingenius way of defeating an angel and one of the most satisfying conclusions to an episode.

[@zqfmgb4335]

It might surprise some, but I think my favorite episode is ep 4. Shinji just walking around in nature, Kensuke being Kensuke, and the relatively happy end just make it for me. Of course, there's ep 19 with it awesome berserk scene, ep 24 with Kaworu and the two last eps, who despite being really weird, are very interesting, but ep 4 has something to it that makes me wish the series was longer so we could have more of this (actually, the Rebuilds kinda do it, with all the contemplation moments). Least favorite is Magmadiver too. The thermal expansion jokes are one of the reasons for why I don't watch NGE with other people, the others being mainly because of EoE.

[@ekszentrik]

Fuggg :DDDD As a programmer I like the one where they battle the computer virus angel a lot. It's such a refreshing concept. Computer viruses might be **weapons** seen in sci-fi shows from time to time, but a computer virus being the main enemy, based on a biological metaphysical/theological demigodlike being?

[@stephenvalentinemusi]

I honestly love Episode 13 so much; I think it sets up Ritsuko's breakdown well. It's a lot of foreshadowing with the Magi too, as she both gravitates towards and is betrayed by Caspar, her mother's imprint as the woman (and sexual id). It's so good on a rewatch.

[@stephenvalentinemusi]

I'd argue that we needed episodes 10-14 a lot. It steers you in the direction that this is going to be a positive building moment for all three pilots; like, I love the blackout episode a lot for that. However, when it takes that left turn back into sadness, it REALLY goes ham on its themes. If it all matched the tone and theme of Episodes 01-06 or 20-26, it'd be a much harder watch. Yes, it would be compelling and fascinating, but it would be a hard watch. Anno could have done something more like the Black Rose Arc in Utena for this, but the genre that is being deconstructed didn't lend itself to that kind of thing 100%.

[@bluegill5802]

7:29 I think the truth about the Magi and their connection to Ritsuko’s mother is meant to be foreshadowing for the truth about Unit 01. That was my take, and I think it adds to the purpose of this episode a little bit.

[@10Alan17]

Best episode: 24 Worst episode: 7

[@TheSystemIsFlawed]

Episode 19 was my favorite, had some of the best fight choreography and tension of the series, capped off an intense trio of episodes, and at the end I was saying "Shit just got REAL, yo" Magmadiver, totally agree as worst episode. I might be biased though because I first watched Eva on low-quality fansubs, and I couldn't see a damn thing

[@epicrapbattlesofherstory]

How could anyone hate episode 14? It establishes the tone of the rest of the show, draws attention to Rei as a distinct character with a psyche unto herself, and basically sets up everything that makes the *narrative* conclusion of the story in EoE so great. And people dislike Ritsuko?? Episode 13 does an incredible job of establishing her strength and importance as a character and shows how strong her relationships to Misato, Maya and her mother (even if that one is somewhat antagonistic or hesitant) are. ALSO, I cannot believe that people think the last two episodes abandon the plot of the show, as if the entire point of the show wasn't entirely a character study of Shinji and the rest. Hell, we should applaud the last two episodes for dropping the pretense. The only criticisms I could really see of the last two episodes is that they don't quite, uh, "resolve" things between Shinji and Gendo like EoE does. "GeT iN tHe RoBoT, sHiNjI" clowns should just watch the Rebuild series

[@BLung-tq2mm]

i needed an Eva fix right about now... glad your still making vids!!!!!

[@EvaMonkey]

So am I, I've missed getting super nerdy for you all.

[@BLung-tq2mm]

Whats the latest word on 3.0 + 1.0?

[@EvaMonkey]

The latest is that they are in the middle of a second wave of hiring for animation talent. They should be about a year into actual production. Maybe we'll start to see something in about a year?

[@BLung-tq2mm]

Ok Cool. If you had to take a rough guess as to when the actual film is released what would it be?

[@iladvm]

I really liked the episode of Asuka backstory, idk what the director did, but for those flashing images, sounds, script , everything that goes through asuka mind in her breakdown, really felt like i was the suffering from it, felt what asuka felt, and I started crying without noticing it, truly a masterpiece

[@johnnyroberts3761]

My personal favorite is the one where Shinji and Asuka have to be perfectly synchronized in order to defeat the Angel.

[@wisemankugelmemicus1701]

Episode 18 is one of my favorites. The fight with Bardiel is fucking tense and how it ends breaks Shinji's mind.

[@DerFinder]

yes yes yes, Introjection is such a good episode, few of my favourite moments in there. My most favourite moment of Evangelion btw is in Rei II when Shinji opens up Rei's Entry Plug to see if she is okay and her following smile. Man, that was so nice to see the first time...

[@ScottOrKaze]

I still kind of love MagmaDiver, if for nothing more than T H E R M A L E X P A N S I O N

[@ShotgunLlama]

Talking about Magmadiver, let's not forget that Unit 01 just dives into the magma no problem when Unit 02 needed all the special armor and equipment to withstand the conditions, and this is never addressed

[@nftmonkey4506]

The episode where MAGI are contaminated is one of my favs but then again, NGE has so much packed into it's episodes that every episode is my favourite after all

[@arcanonn]

Episode 20-21 was probably my favorite. Shinji knew his dad was always an asshole. But know he’s had to confront it, but he’s taken it way too far by thinking everyone else fucking hates him.

[@marilyndumagpi3049]

When evangelion ended I literally cried this anime is the best anime I've ever watched

[@SethAtreyuMasters]

No love for ep16 - splitting of the beast??? or ep20??

[@turkeygrasslesnatch4742]

Yooooo ep16 is the best episode hands down.

[@SethAtreyuMasters]

Mine too, the moment where unit 01 bursts out of the Angels shadow while screaming still amazes me. Plus I really enjoy the introspection with Shiji as well.

[@isaiahtaylor7247]

🙌🙌🙌

[@handgrenade5018]

no bad episodes. prove me wrong:

[@yudapyu9835]

hand grenade ur mom gay

[@kameha64]

+hand grenade There aren’t any “Bad Eva episodes” I think it’s a matter of opinion

[@cytorakk6378]

Judas Justicia my mom's gay what about it?

[@user-oo5jg2qd9p]

Dixon PSYduck it's a meme

[@032_m.alfathcirrus5]

Judas Justicia ur dad lesb

[@fenomozo9108]

In next year i´m gonna be a Philosophy Teacher. One of the things i wanna do is to teach through Evangelion. Wish me luck!

[@maverickwildwolf3871]

It's been a year, how is it going?

[@koolesterkatest128]

@@maverickwildwolf3871 they were fired

[@fenomozo9108]

The search for a job was unproductive, specially in pandemic...So when i was offered a job not as a philosopher teacher but a social studies one, i took it. But this year i was able to take a job as a philosopher teacher...so, wish me luck, again.

[@demogeymidge2997]

Personally 19 is my favorite, with a lot of character given to Shinji and actually shows him dealing with his trauma in an entirely different way, rather than running away, he charges straight forward into the action, and it also shows Shinji make an impactful choice of his own rather than having his superiors tell him what to do.

[@Clloud.]

I'm surprised episode 18 doesn't get mentioned much. It's probably top 3 for me. Unit-03 felt a little wasted, same with Tohji, but the episode makes up for it with some of the scariest and most emotive moments in the series.

[@xalaxtheconfusedanimugirl6553]

Magmadiver is a modern masterpiece. Change my mind.

[@lilithkengeter9200]

pretty late on this, but episode 13 is definitely one of my favorites from the series. i like that it developed ritsuko’s character, and it introduced us to the actual inner workings of NERV, right down to what the magi is. it made ritsuko’s fate hurt THAT much more when you find out what balthasar, casper, and melchior represent. criminally underrated imo

[@Star-cs3vh]

Definitely a great list but personally episodes 19,18,20,21,22,23,and 26 are my absolute favorites and the best the show offered but I won’t deny ep 24 was incredible

[@solomonfall3]

"magma diving the lowest point of the series" :the hospital scene 👀

[@actually_ashley.]

Episode 21, such great character development, along with probably the best death in the series in my opinion.

[@Flugmorph]

i love episode 7 thats where i fell in love with ms katsuragi

[@king_recon]

Awesome video!

[@EvaMonkey]

Thanks.

[@zqfmgb4335]

Interestingly enough, I think my favorite episode would the fourth. I like the character development, and the whole part where Shinji's just walking through Tokyo 3 and its surroundings is something I especially love, and wish there was more of in the series. Also, Kensuke.

[@Onigumo.]

Asuka: *jumps on lava even with protection* OMG IM DYING REEEE Shinji: *jumps on lava without any protection* _H A C K E R M A N_

[@TheSchokodragon]

My only problem with Magmadiver was how hyped I got by watching its preview on the previous episode and then comparing that with my actual experience watching the episode. I remember that the thought of the inside of a volcano as an Eva-Angel-battleground sounded really dope in my head, but the actual diving-sequence was obviously not that action-packed. I liked the moment where Asuka prepared to face death and Shinji saved her, though. Furthermore I'm surprised that 23 ("Rei III - Tears") didn't make the cut for best ones - Misato dealing with her biggest loss since her father, Asuka further losing herself, Rei's dramatic sacrifice and the reveal what she actually is, plus foreshadowing for elements of EoE. I think it was a great buildup for the pending finale.

[@ivanlima1653]

I LOVE THE MAGI EPISODE SHUT UP FANS Ps: I understand the purpose of the video, it was good

[@theangelface999]

Eva was one of the first anime series I had ever seen. My (step)dad showed me this when my mom and I first moved in with him, we bonded over this show. Magmadiver was actually my favorite growing up. I still enjoy it 25 years later.

[@Spaghettiboy359]

I really liked lilliputian hitcher for some reason it's really memorable for me

[@mishab4065]

The Jet Alone episode is one of my favorites and it surprises me it is disliked enough to make it to #02 of the "worst" episodes list. I can officially call it underrated then? In its defense: 1) You learn a lot from this episode without much exposition dump - Nerv is revealed as a way more shady organisation than believed up to this point, Ritsuko is an aware player in their game and Misato (being her friend) is not even informed about everything. 2) Speaking of Misato, this is basically a Misato episode. This might be just about my personal preference but Misato rules and having an episode centered around her is great. 3) Looking back, Jet Alone itself was most likely made just with the one pure intent to defend humanity and would have been the best option. I find it to be an interesting contrast to all the scientists and intelligence agents plotting and preparing for the weird lovecraftian dmt apocalypse that is the third impact. 4) This episode works pretty well for the show's overall pacing. The first 6 episodes serve as an introduction that progresses and concludes and with the 8th comes a more action-based segment that feels like an actual mecha shounen for a change (tbh most people expect Eva to be exactly that on the first watch and get caught off guard by the first depresive episodes about Shinji being insecure). The 7th episode kinda standing between these two segments understandably could feel like a filler to many but I disagree. Apart from the reasons listed above (which to me prove this episode contributes to moving the plot forward) I'd also argue it's a nice shift of focus before transitioning from rather slow-paced begining to the 'Asuka era' tl,dr: Evangelion is a perfectly structured show and even if there are episodes that might drag a bit, the seventh ep. 100% isn't one of them

[@avidarois5505]

I love the episode where Misato admits that she probably fell on love with Kaji because of her experiences with her father. The one where she gets drunk and Kaji had to carry her home. It hid hard in places I'd rather not talk about right now....

[@frankchavez519]

Ritsuko's my favorite of the adult character but NOT because she's designed as the sexy character but because of how she is written. I think episode 13 is great BECAUSE of the character development and the break from the kids.

[@bobbyf640]

IMO i dont know about the best episode but my favourite is when Asuka and Shinji defeat angel with perfect teamwork (that dance like fighting thing) Its just never fails to put a smile on my face

[@nickpancost6858]

Favorite Episodes 8. Asuka Strikes 9. Both Of You, Dance Like You Want To Win 10. Magma Diver 11. The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still 12. She Said, 'Don't make others suffer for your personal hatred." 15. "Those women longed for the touch of others' lips, and thus invited their kisses" 16. Splitting Of The Breast Darkest/Scariest Episode: 22. At Least Be Human

[@lityerambidextrous3668]

But misatos Underboobs in magma diver way makes up for all the shortcomings and this marks it as the best episode in the series

[@matstermati6467]

episode 2 is underated. the fight scene between eva 01 and the angel was fucking amazing i legit hada my mouth open the whole time watching it

[@froumts]

19-26 is completely perfect imo, -21. I didn’t like magma diver.

[@jwizdum2103]

I got the heaviest chills when Arael attacked Asuka's mind, that shit was crazy with the music in the background an shit, it showed how complex the angels really were too

[@jamhopsey]

Not a lot episodes I disliked but good god a lot of them traumatized me. I thought it would be interesting to have 4 evangelions and I liked unit 3s design. SIKE LETS BUTCHER TOJI. The whole shit with leliel the Dirac sea angel and shinjis insanity AND WOAH THATS A LOT OF BLOOD. I don't even want to talk about armisael

[@mega-drive6462]

I think episode thirteen is the episode I remember the least because I fell asleep in the middle of it and never looked back

[@ravesilva]

Best episode: 19 Worst episode: 13 Magmadiver is a great worldbuilder. It helps you create a relation with the characters

[@TwisterzX0_VIII]

Yeah but rest of it is just filler.

[@bingodingo3804]

Wonderful stuff. Glad “Both of You Dance Like You Want to Win” got an honorable mention. It’s my go-to episode to show people who are uninitiated. Hope you keep these up.

[@Real_Boye]

7:23 I feel that there's no such thing as "unnecessary character development"..

[@godzillakingofkaiju6366]

My favorite episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion is episode 21. I love how the episode has Fyutsuki kidnapped and interrogated by Seele which allowed for us to see how Fyutsuki meet Gendo & got involved with NERV. I honestly don’t know what the worst episode of NGE would be

[@w2winnie]

I feel like Asuka's first debut is my favorite episode, even though Asuka's not one of my favorites

[@urextraaverageweirdo6124]

Asuka's intro was a huge change of tone into the NGE series

[@tomemeornottomeme1864]

@@urextraaverageweirdo6124 The typical shounen anime nonsense in Asuka's intro is probably the main reason that the eventual downfall packs such a punch. If everything wasn't so light and frothy to begin with, that mindrape scene probably wouldn't have wound up being one of the most disturbing scenes in the show.

[@neumoegen]

I absolutely LOVE episodes 25 & 26. Them leaving the state of the world ambiguous? Wonderful. All the philosophical mumbo jumbo? Beautiful. "Congratulations!" scene? PERFECT. Of course, you can't disregard all of the other episodes, the whole show is absolutely mesmerizing! On the other hand, I don't really consider any episodes out of the anime to be "bad", per se. They're all incredible. Anyway, thank you for coming to my TED talk on Evangelion.

[@kaimcdragonfist4803]

I actually really like the concepts presented in Episode 7, such as an experimental unmanned weapon for fighting angels going berserk, but the execution kind of bothers me, and I think the video sums it up perfectly: as it is, it's filler that doesn't really add anything to the story or even go anywhere. I've actually thought of a way to use the concept in a way that doesn't feel like filler, something like having the experiment reach the final stages and having Jet Alone sortied against an angel and THEN losing control and starting a meltdown, causing both Rei and Shinji to have to sortie to stop Jet Alone from destroying the city and kill the angel at the same time.

[@recbleonscottkennedy]

I think it introduced something very important that a lot of people miss. It showed that Nerv wanted more than to simply stop the angels, as having something else capable of fighting them wouldn't be an issue then. It proved their corruption (as they had Jet Alone reprogrammed), and that there was more to their agenda than simply stopping the angels. Your first hint that they were really just wanting to control the outcome of the end of the world. That kind of thing. :D

[@Henskelion]

I often find myself wondering if Asuka's heatsuit in Magmadiver was responsible for the outbreak of internet inflation porn.