[EVA] Tom's take on the Newtype 100% art book (Part 00)

[Avery Davies]

Tom Rothamel wrote:
> 
> Well, I've had it for a while (since I-Con), so I think it's time that I
> write a blurb on the Newtype 100% art book. Due to my famed lack of
> japanese reading ablilty, some of my comments are speculation, while
> others rely on my pattern-matching ability. (For example, I can recognize
> some of the names this way.) Feel free to correct me or to elaborate on
> anything I may have missed.
> 
> Since neither the glossy art nor the episode guide is absurly
> enlightening, I'll start on page 85.

My only comment about the glossy art is that, now you know were
everybody on the Internet got those pictures.
 
> Page 85 begins a section entitled "[Neon Genesis Move!!]". I believe, and
> this is just through intuition, that this is the document used to pitch
> Evangelion to the TV stations... at the very least, it's marked top
> secret. I'll write m24 to refer to the (miniature) page 24 of this
> document.
> 
> Pages m1 - m6 or so seem to be a broad introduction to the series.
> Pages m7 - m16 are about the Evangelion. At this pages in the game, the
> Evangelion look more mechanical, for example on m10. However, m12 looks
> very similar to the 01 we know and love, except with a white paint job.
> m9 seems to have the production schedule out to unit 6... anyone care to
> translate it?
> 
> It looks like m17-m23 are about the characters... Among other things,
> their age is listed. I'll reproduce the list here, along with my comments.
> 
> Shinji       - 14 - Shinji looks older than he does in the series... like
>                     he's hit a growth spurt.

On a side note, if you ever see Alpha (Sadamoto's artbook) in the Aoki
URU section, there is also a character who resembles, as I like to put
it, 'Shinji with cajones'

> Misato       - 29

Misato's hair looks more managable and she dresses more 'professional'.
I kind of like the picture of her fatigues with a submachinegun. I kind
of wished they would show more of her combat background. Every time I
hear the series mention her rank, something in the back of my mind keeps
saying 'there were probably people who were more qualified than her' or
'she must of slept her way to the top'.

> Ritsuko      - 30

She looks much younger looking in these pictures. I like them, but after
knowing so much about her now, I don't think it would fit her.

> Asuka        - 14 - Asuka's hair is shoulder-length... I like it!

I kinda like it do to, he he he. I like the cut of the school uniforms,
even although they look more like office ladies in these pictures.

> Rei          - 14
> Gendou       - 48

Also with a picture of him in mad scientist mode (and probably with the
most emotion he has ever shown in the series) scream at the top of his
lungs 'Evangelion'

> Touji        - 14

Who looks like a character out of Akira, IMHO, esp. with that close
cropped hair. At least he wears the Fila jumpsuit.

> Kensuke      - 14

Sans glasses.

> Hikari       - 14
> Kaji         - 31
> Keel         - 67

Hmmm... I never really noticed this before. Probably because Kensuke's
crotch get's in the way. Also, the pre-production report gives his name
as Konrato (maybe Conrad) Lorenz.

I always thought he was much older than that.

> Fuyutsuki    - 45 - Younger than Gendou... Looks like they changed it for
>                     the series.
> Pen Pen      - 2

Who is referred to as PenGin (or actually should be Penguin)
 
> m24-m28 contain an outline of the series... If I'm not mistaken, it has
> been translated an sent to the list. m29-m33 seem to just be some
> concluding matter... In this section, there's a couple of neet pictures.
> For example, the 5th angel has these triangular panels floating a bit in
> front of each of its faces, and on m31 there's an angel that didn't show
> up in the series.

I think Angel did show up in the series, it just didn't look like that
in the show. Judging from the type and number of weapons, I going to say
that's a pre-production sketch of the 4th Angel, Shamshel.
 
> The next section is "The Official Art of EVANGELION". This runs from page
> 92 to 98, and contains color pictures of the characters, properties, evas,
> angels, backdrops... etc.
> 
> One thing it does is confirm to me that Eva 03's chest is shaped like that
> of 02 and 00, and not like that of 01... I think this is because 01 is the
> only one with the red circular ball (is this the core? I'm still not sure)
> in it's chest.
> 
> Starting with page 99, the glossy paper stops, and we switch from color
> to black, white, and purple. 99 also begins the "Artificial Man" section
> aboutr the Evangelion.
> 
> The design of Unit 01 on page 100 is different then the one we know... It
> looks nastier, more brutish. It also seems that the armor over the face is
> mounted on huge pistons... It seems to come off, so that one can see Eva's
> true face. (You can also see this on the 100% book's cover.)

The series of pictures in the left hand corner makes me think of the
Zaku from Gundam.

Zakugelion GO!!!!

> In the next few pages we see a normal looking 01... Although, on page 103,
> we see 01 damaged as in 19. The ball (core?) is located underneath the
> black patch of armor on 01's chest. (Which none of the other Evas have.)
> 
> 104 and 105 are dedicate to 02 and 00, respectively. 105 also has quite a
> few scenes showing what 01 looks like without the armor/restraints.

Some of these a really rough. They don't even show the core.
 
> I'll stop for now at this point, since the next page has some neat
> drawings of the entry plug. (Which will take me a while to write about.)

I'll hold the rest of my comments until Part 01

Avery Davies