What's up with Netflix's Neon Genesis Evangelion?

While browsing for things to watch on Netflix, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it has been carrying Neon Genesis Evangelion (NGE) for a while now. I've been watching anime on Netflix but mostly just works by Studio Ghibli that the app's recommendation algorithm probably didn't think I would enjoy a gory, psycho thriller. ABS-CBN aired a censored version back in the late 90s and it has been one of my favorite anime since. I would later get a copy of the complete English version and find out all the stuff ABS-CBN left out. I've seen this version through and through numerous times that as soon as I watched the Netflix version, I immediately noticed that a few things were off.


First, the voices sound generic. It's clear that the new cast were chosen so that they resemble the voice of the original cast as close as possible. In my opinion, however, the original cast brought more personality to the characters than the current line up.

Second, the script seems dull. In Ep02 where Misato and Katsuragi were surveying a location on a hot day, the original Misato describes airconditioning as "mankind's triumph over nature". Netflix's Misato describes it as "the peak of mankind's scientific endeavor". In Ep08, where planes on the deck of a ship where wiped out by the Unit 02's power cable, the original Kensuke remarks "What a waste!" while the Netflix Kensuke merely makes an almost inaudible grunt. I am not fluent in Japanese but I know enough of the basics to understand a sentence completely, looking up any unfamiliar words when needed. I've been checking the Japanese subtitles every now and then it seems that Netflix's translators opted for a more literal one. (There are a few exceptions few, though. In Ep06 where Misato is asked by a chipmunk-voiced Hyuga where she will get the power for the positron rifle to defeat an angel, the original Misato says, “From the entire Japan!” while Netflix Misato says, “Japan itself.” I think the original version is more literal and better. Makes you wonder what the translators were really trying to pull there.)

Should translators stay true to the original literal meaning, or should they be free make the lines more colorful in the target language? I think that's a debate for an entire day. Notwithstanding the duller script, I did like the fact that the show refers to the individual pilots as "children" as in the original Japanese. It's a grammatical quirk with a cool explanation, and I like how it can potentially make new viewers look it up.

There are other minor things which weren't that of an issue to me. The original ending theme "Fly Me to the Moon" is replaced by a piano piece. I've read that Netflix didn't want to spend additional cash for the license to use the song, which I find acceptable. Nerv is pronounced differently, albeit inconsistently, but I've read that the cast was at least attempting the original German pronunciation.

Overall, while I am a bit disappointed as an NGE fan with some of the changes Netflix made, I cannot complain that Netflix decided to shell out cash to make one of the most influential anime of all time available for the new generation of anime fans to enjoy.