Living a tranquil life in New-Tokyo 3, high school student Shinji Ikari spends his days with a close group of friends. This includes his assertive childhood friend Asuka Langley Soryu, laid-back buddies Touji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida, diligent student council president Hikari Horaki, and the enigmatic Kaworu Nagisa. However, the arrival of cheerful transfer student Rei Ayanami disrupts their established dynamics, sparking a series of love triangles, crushes, and confessions. Their complicated relationships soon become the least of their concerns when the mysterious United Nations agency NERV recruits them for secretive experiments. As NERV increasingly interferes with their lives, Shinji and his friends find themselves on an irreversible path, far removed from their angelic past.
An alternate retelling of a classic anime series, Shinseiki Evangelion: Koutetsu no Girlfriend 2nd reimagines these characters as ordinary students in a vastly different world from the one depicted in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Shinseiki Evangelion: Koutetsu no Girlfriend 2nd is based on Gainax's visual novel of the same name. The first four volumes adapt the game, while the final two contain original stories expanding on the characters from the game. The series was published in English as Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days by ADV Manga from May 16, 2006, to August 21, 2007.
"Imagine a Neon Genesis Evangelion where dating the right girl is more important than saving the world." The moment I read this succinct sentence, I believed it would become my all-time favorite manga...ever. However, after three volumes, I realized it might be the worst manga I've ever encountered...even worse than Kingdom Hearts.
Story: Where to begin? Asuka likes Shinji but refuses to admit it. Rei also has feelings for Shinji and eventually confesses...after some time. Touji and Hikari are already together, serving as a parallel relationship. Kensuke harbors a crush on Asuka, who can't stand him at all. Naturally, Shinji remains indecisive, spending an exasperating amount of time being annoying before finally deciding on his true love. That's essentially the whole story. Oh, wait. Kaoru loves Shinji too. Yes, indeed he does. And that sums up the storyline, which lacks depth. They attempt to include Angels and Evas, but these elements feel forced and poorly executed. The battles are poorly illustrated. All the complexities from the original Evangelion are absent, leaving only a flimsy premise. The ending is atrocious, much like the show's finale, except there was no great beginning or middle. Guessing who Shinji picks is easy—95% will get it right. If you hoped for the same person I did, you're out of luck.
Art: The characters are barely recognizable, saved only by frequent name mentions. I cannot fathom why this artist was chosen. He utterly ruins everything. I kept questioning who Shinji and Rei (especially Rei) were. There are almost no backgrounds except during scene changes or when the artist remembered to draw a window or tree. I don’t mind blank pages, but the included art feels insulting. I could rant endlessly about the terrible artwork, but it’s easier to download chapters, especially from volumes 3-6 (when the art truly deteriorates), and see for yourself.
Character: Throughout this manga, I imagined what it would be like if it were more like Evangelion. Honestly, my version in my head was far more entertaining. Every character here is practically copied from every harem manga ever made. Shinji is predictably indecisive, giving the illusion of choice between Rei and Asuka while knowing his final decision. The characters lack any depth. Even Kaoru, whose complexity people still debate, is so shallowly developed that even I felt sorry for him.
Enjoyment: I finished this manga, barely reading the last three volumes. By the end of volume two, I had stopped hoping for improvement. It never improved. In someone else's hands, this manga could have been incredible. I was shocked by how terribly handled it was. It stands as the worst manga I’ve purchased and read, including Kingdom Hearts (mentioned earlier). Don’t read this unless you’re really curious. If you hate it in the first volume and think it might improve, trust me, it won’t. This has nothing to do with Evangelion except for the names and characters. There’s no appeal here. Don’t misunderstand; I desperately hoped it would be amazing. I thought it would be my favorite manga, my favorite series. Sadly, it falls far short. So, read it or don’t. Just don’t expect greatness merely because it bears the "Neon Genesis Evangelion" name.
This manga was created solely for fan service, but in a positive sense. The artwork can occasionally appear a bit odd, yet overall it's decent (in the Shojo style). The standout feature is the deeper exploration of the side characters, and it generally reads like a classic Shojo manga.
It's commendable that the reader isn't bombarded with excessive nudity and contrived scenarios, unlike other spin-off series. Additionally, Nagisa truly stands out here; he's the best character in Koutetsu no Girlfriend.
If you're a fan of 2000s Shojo manga and Neon Genesis Evangelion, this manga is perfect for you! However, don't expect the storyline to delve too deeply into complex themes.
Art:
The art in this manga is likely my least favorite aspect. This opinion mainly stems from personal taste, as I'm not particularly fond of the early 2000s anime style seen in shows like Clannad. The artwork itself is competent, but during fight scenes, it can sometimes be difficult to follow the action. That might just be me being a bit slow though.
Story:
The story here is probably the best element. Initially, it seems like a continuation of the alternate universe presented in episode 26 of Neon Genesis Evangelion, but it evolves into a much deeper plot than that. The characters develop very well and are, in my opinion, far more likable than their counterparts in NGE.
Characters:
Asuka:
In NGE, Asuka was very annoying to me. She bordered on being hateable and never showed any softer side. To me, she wasn't a tsundere; she was just mean. However, in this manga, she comes across as a confused girl under a lot of stress. She could still act out and be annoying at times, but she did show a softer side and was kind when it mattered. When Shinji helps her, she thanks him.
Shinji:
Shinji felt like a fairly typical romance manga protagonist. He was more likable here than in NGE, although I didn't have much of an issue with him in NGE (though I despised him in End of Evangelion).
Rei:
I didn't mind Rei in NGE, but she was somewhat boring. I kept expecting her to reveal a kinder side, but she never really changed. In this manga, Rei starts off with more emotions but feels quiet and unsure, which makes sense for a girl who only knew scientists studying her.
Tohji + Kensuke:
In NGE, these two were background characters and I didn’t care about them at all. In this manga, they are more developed, and I ended up liking them.
Overall:
There are many aspects of NGE that I prefer over this manga, but there are also elements in this manga that I liked better. An ideal scenario would be a mix of NGE and the plot of this manga. I've heard the NGE manga offers better character development along those lines. If you're like me and wanted to enjoy NGE but couldn't, give this manga a try. It's not perfect, but it's quite enjoyable. I haven't finished it yet because I can't find volumes 5 and 6 online, but I'm considering buying them and may update my review once I read them.
Evangelion spin-offs are unfortunately notorious for being almost entirely unlike the original Evangelion series. Iron Maiden the 2nd, Girlfriend of Steel 2, or Angelic Days—whatever you choose to call it—is no exception. However, this doesn't imply that it is entirely without merit. Given the generally low standard of Evangelion spin-offs (think Piko-Piko), this might actually be the best Evangelion spin-off manga available.
This story is a cute, fairly straightforward shoujo romantic drama/comedy. Shinji is reimagined as a mostly typical shy shoujo protagonist, oblivious to Asuka's growing feelings for him. Asuka is the most developed character here, reformed into a mostly standard tsundere but with some interesting development involving Rei and Kaworu. Rei, as you might anticipate, is unrecognizable and instead portrayed as a pretty standard moe girl, increasingly interested in Shinji and jealous of Asuka. Kaworu makes occasional appearances as a sort of inter-dimensional matchmaker, though he doesn't show up much—a common trait among Eva spin-offs. All of them vie for Shinji's attention, and remarkably, this is the only Eva spin-off where one of them succeeds in winning his heart. Touji, Hikari, and Kensuke also make appearances, developing relationships among themselves, not just revolving around Shinji. Before that, however, there is plenty of drama and some minor mind-bending moments typical of Eva. If you're looking for deeper content, your best bet remains the NGE anime itself (the manga's success at this is debatable) or perhaps some fan-made works like RE-TAKE.
The artwork is decent. It’s nothing extraordinary, but it’s far from bad or subpar. What may initially surprise readers is how extremely shoujo it is, which can be particularly jarring given that most Eva fans are accustomed to the more shounen style seen in ISRP or Sadamoto’s manga. Some pages are genuinely beautiful, and the characters exhibit a lot of expressiveness, but it does take some getting used to.
I could be mistaken, but this appears to be one of the artist's early professional works, and it seems successful enough to have launched her career. Overall, this is quite an enjoyable manga if you're looking for a lighthearted setting featuring the Evangelion cast and simply enjoying seeing them together.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days is, in essence, a high school romantic comedy spin on the original Evangelion anime. Upon first hearing about it, I was hopeful it might be a fun alternative take on a series I hold in high regard or, conversely, a poorly executed retelling lacking the elements that made the original so great. Sadly, it turned out to be the latter.
Most anime and manga enthusiasts are well-versed in the story of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion. Angelic Days shares its fundamental premise—teenagers piloting giant robots while coming of age—but little beyond that. There's none of the expected eccentricity, nor any of the depth. The storyline merely offers a straightforward narrative about kids and giant robots. It retains some of the genre's inherent mystery but nothing stands out, especially considering the original did it better. As for the romantic aspects... they're rather unremarkable. Gendo and Yui have a pleasant love story in a side plot spanning volume five, but otherwise, the characters' romantic lives are neither interesting nor unique. In truth, Angelic Days lacks distinctive or even noteworthy plot elements.
The artwork, which could have enhanced my perception of this series, had the opposite effect. It's sparse in detail and far from appealing. The primary flaw can be described as quite droopy. Most characters exhibit almost limp postures, clothing, and hair. Additionally, there's something off-putting about the characters' faces; they appear either lifeless or irritating at any given moment. Simply put, it's not a visually pleasing manga.
As for the cast... frankly, the cast of Angelic Days falls flat. All the unique characters that made the original Evangelion captivating are replaced by one-dimensional caricatures. You have your typical protagonist, the shy new girl, the grumpy yet loving childhood friend, and so on. If you've ever read a romantic comedy manga, you've encountered these archetypes before, just not within the Eva universe. While an alternate universe has the liberty to reinvent characters, they should still bear some resemblance to their originals beyond just names.
If you're a fan of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion anime or manga, you'll likely check this out regardless of reviews. However, temper your expectations because Angelic Days bears little resemblance to the original, and not in a positive way. Even if you've never experienced Evangelion, do yourself a favor and explore one of the many other manga that handle mecha, romance, or both with more originality and enjoyment.