Evangelion Official Manga
The Neon Genesis Evangelion manga is a series illustrated and written by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto based on the original anime series of the same name. Published by Kadokawa Shoten, the manga series initially started from Shonen Ace in December 1994 and concluded in November 2014. The manga consists of 14 volumes, each with stages and chapters.
The manga series created by Sadamoto is the ‘official’ manga, however it is an alternate retell of the original Evangelion TV anime. Sadamoto insists that manga has been adapted to differ from the original TV series and is a ‘supplement’ design to promote the series franchise.
Reception
During the long period of production, the manga had inconsistent releases and lengthy waits for fans between each volume release. This was said to be because of Sadamoto being busy working and dividing his attention to other priority projects. There were periods as long as 2 years in between volumes and at one point Sadamoto put the project on official hiatus to work on Evangelion movies.
Even with such an irregular release schedule Evangelion fans around the world had been true to the franchise, with the first 10 volumes of manga reaching over 15 million copies in sales.
Some Differences from the TV Anime
Shinji Ikari
Shinji lived with an aunt and uncle instead of living with his teacher after his mother, Yui's death. It was made clear that at Stage 90 of the manga that these relatives are from Yui’s side of the family, although is unclear if they are Yui's siblings.
Asuka Langley Soryu
Asuka is the daughter of her mother Kyoko. However in the manga, a difference is that she is a test-tube baby.
Ryoji Kaji
Gains more of a background story in the manga. He lived with street children and stole food for survival after Second Impact.
Physical Differences from the TV Anime
Shinji Ikari
Shinji's eye color is hazel brown in the manga. He had dark blue eyes in the original TV anime.
Asuka Langley Soryu
Asuka's hair is colored blonde. Compared to the anime, different from her iconic red hue.
Kaworu Nagisa
In the manga, Kaworu's cheeks are thinner and angular with more mature expressions. Hair is silver in color, much shorter, and his pupils are prominent than that of anime. Kaworu's hair in the manga is lavender gray.
Toji Suzuhara
Toji's hair color in the manga is light brown. In the original anime, it is dark black.
Shigeru Aoba
Shigeru's hair is longer in the manga as it reaches behind his shoulders. While in the anime, it is only near the collarbone.
Differences in the Plot from the TV Anime
Shinji Ikari
Shinji’s actions in the manga are more aggressive than in the anime, with more hints about his feelings as he falls for Asuka.
The story of his past broadens in the manga, which includes his interactions with his mother.
Originally in the anime, Shinji’s first meeting with Asuka is on a battleship cruiser before the battle of the Angel Gaghiel, along with his two friends Toji and Kensuke. In the manga, the trio were not present and only learned of the battle on video at the NERV headquarters. Shinji first meets Asuka at a game arcade.
Rei Ayanami
The manga displays in-depth thoughts and feelings of Rei, which her classmates seem to find her behavior mysterious and unusual. On the progress of the story, she becomes more open to the people around her. This trait is a crucial factor for events on the conclusion of the storyline, including her thoughts of hidden love for Shinji.
Asuka Langley Soryu
In the manga, she is honest with her feelings but not verbally aggressive unlike the anime, she displays an attitude of obedience towards her superiors and seems to possess a more mature side than in the anime counterpart. She maintains a better friendship with Shinji and efforts to become more open to people.
Kaworu Nagisa
An early appearance from Kaworu as a replacement pilot for Eva-02’s failed synchronization by Asuka Langley, he is the fifth child and revealed as an Angel later in the story.
He fights with Armisael with Rei. His behavior in the manga is more into being ignorant when it comes to social interactions and seems to be colder.
Toji Suzuhara
Toji’s English dialogue translation is on emphasis as he came from Osaka, his hair color changed, and behavior became verbally abusive to Asuka, calling her “bitch” multiple times.
He is the Fourth Child and dislikes Shinji for indirectly being responsible for the injury of his sister, and later he starts to respect Shinji and becomes friends.
In volume 6 of the manga he gets killed instead of being crippled in the anime series.
Ryoji Kaji
He is given an additional backstory in the manga.
Yui Ikari / 01
The Eva’s soul has its own identity in the manga, making a presence to Shinji and Rei on their synchronizations, it traps Shinji inside the Eva inside on their battle with Zeruel by manifesting into a Yui form and taking advantage of Shinji’s yearn for his mother.