How much did you know about Eva before you started watching?

[Ironfoot]

Nothing at all, until a friend wanted to show me a really messed up movie. It was called End of Evangelion. I had no idea what the hell happened in that movie, but I wanted more of it so I later watched the TV show. Watching the series backwards didn't seem to phase me.

[ite89]

Since I was really into Gundam wing at that time, a friend of mine told me about Neon Genesis Evangelion. When I saw Rei I was immediately drawn to watch more episodes because she was mysterious and pretty haha but I was around 11 at that time and I didn't really understand a lot of it haha.

[bobbyfischer's ghost]

I knew both Asuka and Rei but had no idea Shinji was the main character.
poor Shinji.:(

[Bhorium]

One of my friends had rented some of the DVDs, and I ended up watching the second half of episode 4 and then all of 5 and 6 along with him. Otherwise I came in completely fresh.

EDIT: Come to think of it, the local TV station had run a short review around a year prior to my first watching, calling it: "An amazing show - with beautiful battles - but also with realistic characters with ordinary lives." But I didn't remember that at the time.

[extext]

I only knew that it was a highly praised mecha anime with what people claimed to be a mind rape at the end.

[AR-99]

Read a snippet about in an 1995 issue of Anime UK that in retrospect was quite off: it described Misato as Shinji’s mom and mentioned that the hero was quite young. However it didn’t use their names. There was also a conception sketch of Rei by Sadamoto. Had no opinion after seeing that so I was largely expecting a standard mecha series.

[lillyrei]

Episode 1 was the first anime I ever watched at age 15-16 and knew absolutely nothing about NGE. Spent the last few years only knowing what I had managed to grasp from watching the TV series once and subsequent movies. Having discovered EvaGeeks and the mass of insight/detail here I'm now watching everything again with renewed vigour. NGE was my second favourite anime after FMA (obviously not a true EvaGeek) but with new found knowledge now borderline the bestest anime ever in my book.

[ssguy]

I knew Rei was somehow a clone of Shinji's mom, but not much about the actual circumstance.

I also knew about the congratulations scene (as they put it, "At the end of Evangelion, Shinji travels to America"), and that everyone "turned into orange juice at the end". The actual circumstances of how everyone was turned into LCL (didn't even know that they were referring to that) was still a mystery to me. I knew that the last two episodes would be disappointing and that I should watch the movie right after.

It was still mindblowing.

[Justacrazyguy]

I knew that the last two episodes would be disappointing

You know there are fans that pefer episodes 25/26 and think EoE is inferior, right?

[bobbyfischer's ghost]

You know there are fans that pefer episodes 25/26 and think EoE is inferior, right?

I think they're both great.

[Reichu]

I knew essentially nothing going in. My siblings told me that fights with things called "angels" were involved, but I can't remember what else I was told. Nothing in the slightest bit spoilery, though. I also went into the crappy EoE bootleg tape not having the slightest clue what I was in for (except that disagreeable new Evas were involved).

And going into episode 24, I was told something like, "an Angel tries to have sex with Shinji".

[Alaska Slim]

Halfway through (about episode 14) I began reading spoilers.

I read that Episode 19 was essentially a "black comedy", with how everything goes wrong, and Shinji's credulous expressions towards each event after the other.

In the end, I went through that episode as if waiting for a punch line... Was kinda' let down.


I somehow initially skipped Episode 5 and 6, thus I imagined those episodes somewhat differently from how they turned out (Construction lanes and huge explosions in the middle of city, more like the Sachiel battle).


When I first saw Asuka in the episode 7 "next time" preview, I thought "Alice", and imagined her voice as a bit more sweet then it was (I also assumed off her body language, and correctly so as it turned out, that she was younger than Shinji).

[Blue Monday]

Like most others; nothing at all. Back in 1999, I was sitting in my room watching some TV, getting ready for bed to go to school the next day and my dad yelled out "Hey, there's a cartoon on..."

And so it begun...

[FriedlCore]

I knew nothing about it, it was just presented to me as a "must see".

[Mana]

I had no background knowledge of Evangelion before I slowly started to watch it on Adult Swim. I'll admit that at first, I really didn't like it because at the time I was only 10 years old and so I didn't understand anything of it.

[ssguy]

I just got a friend into it. All he knows so far is what I told him, which is:

1. Watch End of Evangelion right after watching EoTV, since it continues the story.
2. It's a fantastic series.
3. You are not prepared. Nothing will prepare you.

I can't wait for him to finish it. He started yesterday and said he'd be done by Wednesday.

[robin007bond]

I just got a friend into it. All he knows so far is what I told him, which is:

1. Watch End of Evangelion right after watching EoTV, since it continues the story.
2. It's a fantastic series.
3. You are not prepared. Nothing will prepare you.

I can't wait for him to finish it. He started yesterday and said he'd be done by Wednesday.

I tell my friends the exact same thing.

I hope it will work out for us.

OT:

Nothing. I only heard that EoE is an "alternate" ending.

[Aiko Heiwa]

And going into episode 24, I was told something like, "an Angel tries to have sex with Shinji".

That's what happens in my personal canon.

[ssguy]

And going into episode 24, I was told something like, "an Angel tries to have sex with Shinji".

I was browsing an Evangelion thread on 4chan while watching the last few episodes. After episode 23 I was surprised that Shinji turned down comfort sex.

Part way through episode 24, I ask them "Well, Shinji didn't have sex with Misato, but does he at least get Kaworu?" Their answer was "Well, he gives Shinji some head."

[Infinite Freedom Machine]

That it was heavily merchandised and people assumed that ABe was influenced by it when he created Lain. Was good enough for me.