Evangelion Rebuild 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance is the most popular peice of Evangelion-related media according to several polls. But Ian and Joseph cannot stan... So Ian brought Eric Thurm, podcaster at Fanbyte and author of 'Avidly Reads Board Games' to defend it from Joseph's ultimate rejection-type assault. Will Eric's critical acument protect him when his A.T. Field fails? Will Joseph assimilate him and begin the climax too darn early? Will Ian find his plot line replaced by a new...

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone kicks off Hideaki Anno's cinematic retelling of the Neon Genesis Evangelion television series by more-or-less recreating the first few episodes of the show shot-for-shot. Ian and Joseph take it as an opportunity to introduce Eva to film critic and festival programmer Logan Taylor. She helps the hosts answer the question "What is Eva like for a grown person who hasn't seen it before?" Her answers may surprise you. Along the way she introduces the hosts to...

Neon Genesis Evangelion is over, but the Human Instrumentality Podcast is not. Joseph and Ian gear-up for a miniature season covering the Rebuild movies by answering an extended round of listener mail. Will we ever cover the Evangelion side-story comics? What do we think of time travel? What other anime has Big Eva Energy? Is Auteur theory B.S.? And how is Shinji like… Tony Soprano!? These questions and more will be answered. PLUS – We announce the long hinted-at mind-bending second season...

The fans wanted more fan service, so Hideaki Anno gave it to them - with a vengeance. Often remembered as the ‘real’ ending to the series, the first eva film, The End of Evangelion overflows with cool imagery, action, and violence. Not to mention some seriously cool sequences involving Asuka. It also twists the series’ original message into something more sinister, and doesn’t skip any opportunities for sexual improprieties, either. But does it make any sense at all? Ian and Joseph hit the...

After an ending that controversial you’d expect Neon Genesis Evangelion to be a flop, or a cult hit at best - right? Wrong. The series was a commercial juggernaut by the time it ended, and spawned two immediate follow-ups on the big screen. Ian and Joseph talk about the first of these, Death and Rebirth (Surprise! It’s another clip show!). More importantly, we take a minute to dissect the show’s immediate cultural impact, and how merchandise turned it from a word-of-mouth loss-leader into the...

After taking a moment of gratitude for the heartwarming response The Human Instrumentality Podcast has received so far, Ian and Joseph share three pieces of news about the podcasts future. First, there will be an “after party” episode on May 19th, and we’re taking open submissions, both audio and text, from our listeners! If you’d like to share your thoughts about Neon Genesis Evangelion or The Human Instrumentality Podcast with us, please email us at [email protected] We’d...

At last, we reach the divisive and frustrating climax of Neon Genesis Evangelion. In a pair of avant-garde episodes, the show abandons its sci-fi action premise entirely and leans all the way into the psychedelic clip show mania of its “Angel Interrogation” sequences. Joseph and Ian break this cavalcade of images and references down as best they can, and recap the well-publicized but little-understood production issues that led to these episodes. Sure, they’re odd, but do they abandon the...

We’re in the end game now: David Cronenberg, the Aum Shinrikyo gas attack and more maternity imagery converge in Rei’s big boss fight. Then, Eva introduces its charismatic, queer ringer character, Kaworu Nagisa. Joseph and Ian go to bat for ADV’s more loving translation of Kaworu’s dialog and talk about the importance of LGBTQIA+ representation in anime, especially in America. If that wasn’t enough, the hosts get into the philosophical history of the 20th century after an extended dalliance...

Prepare yourselves, listeners - this one is a doozy. Evangelion serves up a heaping dollop of back story and indulges in its most sadistic episode, bar none. Joseph pours one out for Asuka and digs into the show’s surrealist sexual assault boss fight from a survivor’s perspective. Ian takes Gendo out back after unpacking his absolute embodiment of the millennial scammer ideal. Plus - What do Eva and Tarkovsky’s Stalker have in common? It all comes down to a very contentious elevator. (CW:...

Viewers seeking white-knuckle action have reached the promised land with regard to Neon Genesis Evangelion. Zeruel, Shinji’s toughest opponent yet, might just be the most O.P. angel, and in episodes 17 and 18. Ian and Joseph sync at 400% when discussing his winning personality, and how he gets Unit 01 to come out in Beast Mode. Then, Eva’s psychedelic side returns, prompting the hosts to dig in on Shinji’s mommy dearest. Analysis: 15:28

In episodes 15 and 16, Neon Genesis Evangelion raises the bar on brutality, both emotionally and visually. The fight scene in this pair of episodes caused a minor scandal in Japan when they aired thanks to a literal river of blood. After a brief production note, Ian and Joseph go deeper than the gore, to talk about the long hinted-at Dummy Plug system, and the way that Eva makes big drama out of masculinity crises and generation gaps in its main cast. Is it a critique, or just cruelty? Why...

How is it that a sublime science fiction action series like Neon Genesis Evangelion comes into its full powers with an episode about getting drunk at a wedding? Your hosts double down on the millennial perspective on Evangelion’s most character-driven episode thus far. Then it’s time to one of Eva’s most iconic episodes, its enigmatic angel, and the “Train of Thought” that will become a major motif for the remainder of the series. Joseph does his best to vigorously regurgitate the entirety of...

The trio of teenagers at the heart of Neon Genesis Evangelion take a back-seat this week, giving your hosts the opportunity to survey one of the show’s most subtle characters: Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. Then, Joseph gives Ian an even more research-heavy run-down of the various occult and religious references at the core of Eva’s lore, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, theosophic names, and other touchstones in pop culture that draw from the same sources, including Norwegian Black Metal, and horror...

Neon Genesis Evangelion closes its first half with a pair of tightly edited showdowns, one that gives its secondary cast plenty of moments to shine, and one that foregrounds Misato Katsuragi. Ian and Joseph take this opportunity to re-examine Katsuragi, her backstory, her uncommon resonance with the millennial generation, and the small touches that make her maybe the best-written character in Eva. First, your hosts speculate at the hinted-at daily lives of “the bridge crew,” and evaluate the...

With Asuka firmly in the pilot’s seat, Neon Genesis Evangelion enters peak action series mode. Ian and Joseph discuss how these episodes constitute a sort-of-soft reboot of the show, recalibrating its dramatic throughlines. They also take a deeper dive into Asuka, and the insecurities that make her such a divisive but beloved character. Later, your hosts - both music journalists - finally take the plunge into Eva’s eclectic and electrifying soundtrack, from its indelible opening theme, “Cruel...

In episodes 7 and 8, Neon Genesis Evangelion hits its low point in your hosts’ shared opinion. At the same time, the series introduces its third lead character, Asuka Langley Soryu, and her mentor Ryoji Kaji, both among the most enduring icons the series has produced. Ian and Joseph take this opportunity to discuss the politics of the show — is it oddly conservative, or hawkish? Maybe! — as well as the first bits of its religious lore. Evangelion’s use of Hebrew and early Christian mythology...

In a pair of taut, action-packed episodes, Neon Genesis Evangelion earns its reputation as a high-stakes science fiction action show. While your hosts espouse its merits, they also take a critical look at the second Eva pilot, Rei Ayanami. She’s a fan-favorite character, but her role in the series is far from cut and dry. Joseph and Ian also unpack Evangelion’s relationship to Godzilla movies - Hideaki Anno would later direct a Godzilla film. At the same time, your hosts take a quick tour...

Neon Genesis Evangelion enters its “monster of the week” phase, now that the table has been set. The show also begins to roll out less-central characters and expand on its setting. Joseph and Ian point out the show’s intricate worldbuilding, as well as the first of several philosophers it will openly quote: Arthur Schopenhauer. Your hosts also begin to dive deep into the main character, Shinji Ikari, and the way that the action in the series mirrors his psychological development. Analysis:...

In the action-packed two-part opening to the series, Neon Genesis Evangelion introduces monstrious angels, humanoid robots, and a ton of characters and terminology. Joseph and Ian bushwack through the weeds, highlighting the principle cast and sci-fi stakes that will persist throughout Eva, not to mention it's grumpy and adorable mascott, Pen-Pen the penguin. After the plot recap, your hosts give a little context on how Japan's unqiue history as the only country to ever survive a nuclear...

Your hosts Ian Cory and Joseph Schafer introduce themselves and then answer one burning question: why would two grown men make a podcast about the beguiling and beloved anime Neon Genesis Evangelion? To find the answer, we unpack the history of Japanese animation beginning in the aftermath of World War Two up through the early '90s. We especially focus on "mecha," the anime sub genre focusing on giant robots, from its earliest incarnations like Tetsujin 28-Go though beloved franchises like...