Misato-san~
Thank you Sadamoto, for such wonderful Misato-service in volume 11 of the Evangelion comic. Unlike most Eva fans, I do not like Rei or Asuka, but I really like Misato! So thanks!
Volume 11 covers the second half of episode 24, and then starts to move pretty well into End of Eva territory, ending just as Seele’s assault on NERV gets underway. One great thing Sadamoto has done with his adaptation is deviating from the source material. The plot stays exactly the same, but character interactions are different and some vague details from the TV series are covered more in depth. Sadamoto’s most striking and interesting deviation from the television series is his portrayal of Kaworu. Kaworu in the TV series is a caring and loving individual, who shows Shinji kindness that he’s never felt before. In the comic, Kaworu is more of a jerk. His comments, mannerisms, and actions challenge Shinji, and often times irritate him. Their relationship is completely the opposite from what it is in the TV series. However, Shinji’s indecisiveness about killing Kaworu is just the same, which brings forth a set complex emotions that’s completely different from what is present in the TV series.
After that, the manga more or less copies the first fourth of End of Eva panel for panel. That’s not all together a bad thing, but it’s substantially less interesting than the preceding chapters. Good action, though!
The Evangelion comic has a kind of grittiness that’s not present in the TV show. Sadamoto’s handling of the narrative for some reason comes off as a lot more honest and down to earth. It could just be because the manga lacks the TV show’s over the top orchestral score, and its kinetic animation. Sadamoto’s artwork also progressively deviates from his original cartoonish designs, to characters that look more realistic.
I’m not trying to say the manga is better than the TV series, since the TV series is my most favourite anime ever, but I really appreciate Sadamoto’s take on the tale. I think in a way it’s just a tad bit more accessible than the TV show.
Looking forward to reading the new volume. I’m also a huge Misato fan. Although I like girls with purple hair in general. Miyabi from Ai Yori Aoshi, Chloe from Noir, Yuki from Haruhi, Misato from Eva, ect…
I have no idea what it is about anime girls with purple hair that I like so much, but it’s a special kink of mine.
She also has a much better storyline than either Rei or Asuka in my opinion. Not to mention it’s slightly less creepy to tell someone I like Misato because she is actually an adult. This counts for a lot in my books. Masturbating to an underage anime character(by American laws anyway) feels so creepy. So good, but still so creepy. Damn Mai HiME.
Mmm… Misato~
I enjoy the EVA manga, but I really hated how Sadamoto generic’d up Asuka’s behavior. It’s also lacking in the fun technobabble from the show, as I recall.
Misato is an interesting character, but for me it has to be Asuka (’cause Rei is just creepy). She’s one of the unforgettable, archetypic characters for me, and also probably the first time I actually “liked” a character in an anime.
It’s been a couple volumes since I’ve read the evangelion manga, I need to get up to date…