[Merch] Evangelion book review blog

[Literary Eagle]

Ooh, yes, a Takeshi Honda art book with all his new Eva stuff would be awesome! I really hope they make one!

NEW POST (October 9, 2015)

I posted my thirty-eighth book review today! This time, it's Evangelion and Japanese Swords, and Evangelion and Japanese Swords 2.0. This is the official pamphlet for a museum exhibition of Evangelion-inspired weapons made by Japanese swordsmiths. The original Evangelion and Japanese Swords publication came out in 2012, but the Evangelion and Japanese Swords 2.0 version is a new item that came out just last month! So even if you already have the first version of this book, this review will still have something new for you. Enjoy!

[cody727kirby]

My heart always leaps when I see a new post from you in this thread. Thanks for the great read and images. Such a rare insight into all these different aspects of the fandom, very cool stuff :)

[Literary Eagle]

Thanks for taking the time to write such a kind message, cody727kirby! I'm glad you enjoyed the new review. Hmm... and I think for my next review, I'll cover a book that is rather different from the stuff I've reviewed before, but it's quite interesting. Best of all, it's available in English! Yay!

NEW POST (October 24, 2015)

I posted my thirty-ninth review today! This time, it's The Notenki Memoirs: Studio Gainax and the Men Who Created Evangelion. This is a history of Gainax as told by Yasuhiro Takeda, one of the studio’s founding members... and yes, it's available in English! Whoo hoo!

[Mr. Tines]

There's a thread about it here, running from '04 to '10, by the end of which the English language edition of the book was OOP and going for outrageous prices.

[Bagheera]

There's a thread about it here, running from '04 to '10, by the end of which the English language edition of the book was OOP and going for outrageous prices.

Can't speak to 2010, but as of now it seems to be going for $32.70.

[Literary Eagle]

Yeah, I mentioned in the review that the prices it's going for are pretty high. Same goes for the Japanese version.

NEW POST (November 7, 2015)

I posted my fortieth book review today! (Wow, 40 book reviews and we're still not even halfway through my Evangelion collection... this is going to take a while, heh.) This time, it's E-SAKUGA Evangelion: 3.0 #2, an interactive e-book that uses videos and other cool features to explore production sketches and animation key frames for the second half of the Evangelion: 3.0 movie. Super cool! I even recorded a video as part of the review, so check it out!

NEWER POST (November 20, 2015)

I posted my forty-first book review today! This time, it's Evangelion 3D File. This is a booklet that was included with the November 1996 issue of Newtype magazine as a bonus item, and it's devoted to full color photographs of Evangelion figurines and models, including amateur creations. So if you like garage kits and such, I hope you enjoy the review!

***NEWEST POST (December 4, 2015)***

I posted my 42nd book review today! This time, it's Neon Genesis Evangelion Decade (not to be confused with the CD album of the same name). This book was included with the March 2006 issue of Newtype magazine as a bonus item, and it’s basically a mini guide/tribute to the Evangelion franchise. It has some nifty renditions of the Evangelion characters drawn by various anime/manga artists, so check it out!

[Rei IV]

Kaworu and Rei be pimpin' in that decade book.

[Literary Eagle]

Thanks for your comment, Rei IV! I've always liked that picture of Kaworu and Rei.

NEW POST (January 9, 2016)

I posted my forty-third review today! This time,it's Newtype Film Book: Neon Genesis Evangelion #9. It has screenshots from episodes 23 to 26 of the Evangelion TV series, which doesn't sound very exciting, however it also contains little descriptions and explanations that you may find interesting. For example, were you wondering what Misato was really offering when she tried to touch Shinji in episode 23? Or were you wondering how Shinji’s heart was reacting to Kaworu’s words in episode 24? Read my review to see what answers this book provides!

[robersora]

Well, while the book really doesn't seem to be worth the price of admission (especially considering how many other breathtaking books about Evangelion there are), the two tidbits about Misato's possible intention and Shinji's skipping a beat heart are really quite interesting. Then again, I'm always conflicted, when presented with "official explanations", since they take away lots of personal interpretations of scenes.

I'm sad that only few people here react to your reviews, because I'm always intrigued by them and would hate to see you stopping doing them. So please keep up the awesome work!

[Sailor Star Dust]

Very cool! Always wondered if the Newtype Film Book has any interesting checkpoint tidbits for # 25 and 26?

Great reviews as always

[Literary Eagle]

robersora: Thanks so much for your kind words! I'm glad that my book reviews are interesting for you. And don't worry, I have no intention of stopping. Sometimes the pace at which I do these reviews ends up slowing down when I get busy, but I always come back to this project when I can. I'm happy to contribute to the fandom in this way! Feedback is definitely helpful and encouraging, though, so thanks for that.

Sailor Star Dust: Thank you very much! For some reason, the episode 25 and 26 sections of this book do not have "CHECK POINT" boxes. There are still some little blocks of text on those pages, though. The ones that I've been able to decipher are just dialogue from those scenes, plus some little descriptions of the visuals, however there might also be some more interesting stuff in there somewhere. I'll have to give it another look if I ever get better at kanji!

[BlueBasilisk]

Your reviews are always very interesting and they've been super helpful too. I always consult them before I decide to buy a new Eva book!

[Literary Eagle]

Thanks, BlueBasilisk! I'm glad to hear that my reviews are useful for making purchasing decisions. I know it's not always easy to choose which ones to get... there's a ridiculous amount of Evangelion books out there! In fact, I'm not even sure what the exact amount is. Definitely more than 100, but other than that I have no idea. Scary!

[cody727kirby]

It blew my mind when you revealed how many you have in your collection, didn't even know that many existed. Wish the US would publish more Eva books over here. The Evangelion Chronicle are a good start, but hopefully Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 will spark an even bigger interest in bringing more stateside.

[Literary Eagle]

Yeah, more English releases of Evangelion books would be totally awesome!

Also, I posted my forty-fourth review today! This time, it's Shin Seiki Evangelion Koutetsu no Girlfriend Visual Book, an illustrated guide to the Girlfriend of Steel video game. Mana Kirishima fans, this one's for you!

NEW POST (January 23, 2016)

I posted my forty-fifth review yesterday! This time, it's Shin Seiki Evangelion Koutetsu no Girlfriend 2nd Kanzen Kaitai Hakusho, a guide to the Girlfriend of Steel 2 game with lots of great pictures. Despite the name of the game, there's no Mana Kirishima this time... instead, it's based on the alternate world that was glimpsed in episode 26 of the Evangelion TV series. This book is for the computer version of the game, so the graphics are uncensored. My next review will be a book for the PlayStation 2 version of the game, so you'll be able to see the difference. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this week's review!

NEWER POST (January 30, 2016)

I posted my forty-sixth review yesterday! This time, it's Shin Seiki Evangelion Koutetsu no Girlfriend 2nd Koushiki Visual Book, a guide to the PlayStation 2 version of the Girlfriend of Steel 2 game. You'll be able to see what makes this edition of the game different from the computer version, plus I also discuss the game's multiple endings. Enjoy!

EVEN NEWER POST (February 6, 2016)

I posted my forty-seventh review today! This time, it's Shin Seiki Evangelion Koutetsu no Girlfriend 2nd 4 Koma Manga Gekijou. This book is an anthology of drawings and parody comics by various artists, based on the Girlfriend of Steel 2 video game. It's a fun book, so I hope you enjoy the review!

***NEWEST POST (February 12, 2016)

I posted my forty-eighth review today! This time, it's Shin Seiki Evangelion Koutetsu no Girlfriend 2nd 4 Koma Manga Gekijou #2, the second anthology of drawings and parody comics based on the Girlfriend of Steel 2 video game. Enjoy!

[Bagheera]

Wow. I had no idea GoS had so many publications associated with it. Thanks for reviewing all of them!

[Literary Eagle]

Thanks, Bagheera! And believe it or not, I still have one more Girlfriend of Steel 2 book left to review.

NEW POST (February 20, 2016)

I posted my forty-ninth review yesterday! This time, it's Shin Seiki Evangelion Koutetsu no Girlfriend 2nd 4 Koma Manga Gekijou #3, the third anthology of drawings and parody comics based on the Girlfriend of Steel 2 video game. Enjoy!

Also, the English version of The Essential Evangelion Chronicle: Side B is supposed to be coming out in early March, so I will probably be making that my fiftieth review. I will be comparing the English and French versions, like I did with the review of Side A. (Wow, 50 Evangelion book reviews! Can you believe it? We're almost halfway through my collection now...)

***NEWER POST (March 8, 2016)

I posted my fiftieth review today! This time, it's The Essential Evangelion Chronicle: Side B, a detailed guide to the second half of the Evangelion TV series plus The End of Evangelion movie. It has relationship charts, character profiles, pictures of merchandise, and other good stuff. Sadly, the English version of the book has a bunch of mistakes, plus it's also missing a few little things here and there. I have the French edition and was able to compare both versions in the review, so if you already have the English version you might want to check out the review anyway, to see what's missing. Enjoy!

[robersora]

^
Wohooo! Finally a book I'm deeply interested in again Thank you for the extensive review!

[cody727kirby]

Extensive is right! Thank you for taking the time to write this, and so quick after Side B's English release. Always look forward to your reviews

[Literary Eagle]

Thanks for your kind words, robersora and cody727kirby! I'm glad the review was useful.