Manga Review – Neon Genesis Evangelion, Vol. 13

I bet you thought the situation couldn’t get worse, could you?

Title: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Volume 13
Story & Art by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
Based on the series by Hideaki Anno
Translation & English Adaptation by HC Language Solutions and John Werry
Published by Viz Media

Available from Amazon.com

The Premise

Third Impact begins…

High Points

Shinji rescuing Asuka from being eaten alive by the Mass Production Eva’s is probably the first big break that Asuka’s had in the entire Eva franchise.

Low Points

From here on, Eva is entering the territory of anime and manga’s most infamous mind-f***. It’s a well written mind-f***, but it’s definitely divisive. You are warned.

Scores

Originality: Aside from one considerable change, which was mentioned under the High Point, this volume is fairly close to the events of End of Eva. 3/6

Artwork: 6/6

Story: 5/6

Characterization: Most of the characterization this volume is split between Shinji (who is going to be in the driver’s seat for Third Impact), and the Bridge Crew & Asuka (who are going to bear witness to Third Impact), but what there is is well done. Very well done. 5/6

Emotional Response: 6/6

Flow: 6/6

Overall: 6/6

In total, this volume gets 37/42.

Differences

  • In End of Eva, the Mass Production Evas kill Asuka and eat Unit-02 alive (with Asuka feeling every second of it) in a scene that’s played a lot like a rape, due to Shinji being unable to motivate his Unit-01 to act. Here, Shinji manages to save her from death, but he is unable to fend off the MP Evas and is captured, leading to the start of Third Impact.