Pacific Rim is going full circle by way of its upcoming anime adaptation: Pacific Rim: The Black. The film, and its sequel, Uprising, enjoy a cult classic status among sci-fi fans, who acknowledge that they pay tribute to classic mecha anime and kaiju properties, which for years enjoyed success almost exclusively in Japan.
However, when revisiting Pacific Rim, it becomes clear that it not only pays tribute to those particular genres; it is, in some ways, a duplicate of them. While there are numerous similarities between Pacific Rim and the Godzilla franchise, the film almost immediately draws a closer comparison to Neon Genesis Evangelion. Before the movie becomes an anime, let's look at the anime influences on Pacific Rim -- and more specifically, how Guillermo del Toro's film basically is the closest to a live-action Evangelion adaptation we'll receive.
Eva Vs. Jeager: Build Monsters to Fight Monsters
The premises of Pacific Rim and Neon Genesis Evangelion are remarkably similar. In both, military coalitions from across the world band together to create giant robots to combat interdimensional and extra-planetary threats, respectively. The core difference between each is the nature and composition of the robots. In Evangelion, they use the bio-mass of the Angels to create the Evangelion, or Eva, fighting cyborgs designed to oppose the invading aliens known as Angels. On the other hand, the Jaegers in Pacific Rim are entirely robotic in nature.
This concept is not unique to Evangelion. Tons of kaiju and mecha media present humanity constructing robots to combat otherworldly creatures. The Godzilla franchise even combines the two with the introduction of MechaGodzilla. What makes Evangelion and Pacific Rim similar, though, is the nature of the Jaegers and Eva. Both are controlled by neuro-linking, with pilots integrating their senses into that of the robots. This means that should the Jaeger or Eva's arm get broken, for example, the pilot will feel as though one of their arms has been broken, too.
The compatibility between pilots might seem unique to Pacific Rim, but the Eva also rely on compatibility between the pilot's consciousness and the Eva's consciousness. Should there be issues in either connection, the machines go berserk. This happens Evangelion with Eva Unit-00, which goes berserk when Rei (and later Shinji) fail to properly link up. We also see happen in Pacific Rim with Mako when her negative memories cause her to lose control of the Jaeger she's in.
The key difference is that Eva do not require that dual-pilot system present in the Jaegers. Or, at least, most Eva do not. In the film "Rebuild" of Evangelion continuity, Eva Unit-13 is piloted by both Shinji and Kaworu, requiring their synchronized union in order to be piloted.
Even some of the Jaegers are similar in design to the Evas. Crimson Typhoon bears a similar design to Eva Unit-00, Rei's Eva. However, for the most part, the giant robots of Pacific Rim lack the kaiju-esque qualities of the ones from Evangelion.
Evangelion & Pacific Rim's Character Crossovers
More striking than arguably the mecha are the similarities between the characters of Pacific Rim and those of Evangelion. While the two do not have one-to-one parallels, there are undeniable resemblances. Raleigh Becket and Shinji Ikari are both pilots who run away from their duty following personal trauma. However, a paternal military leader (Marshal Pentecost and Gendo Ikari, respectively) recruits them due to their ability to pilot. The difference between Raleigh and Shinji, aside from age, is that Raleigh enjoys being in a Jaeger while Shinji hates it.
While Mako Mori bears little to compare personality-wise to Rei Ayanami, especially in the sequel, both have physical and other resemblances. Both are petite, Japanese and have similar hairstyles; fiercely protected by the patriarchal figure running the respective military organizations (the Pan Pacific Defense Corps and NERV) and are adept pilots.
In both Pacific Rim and Evangelion, there is also a 'foreign,' ginger-haired rival who is driven by an arrogant desire to prove themselves as an elite pilot, as well as some issue with a parent figure of the same sex. Both Chuck Hansen and Asuka Langley Sohryu end up undergoing arcs in which they grow as people, ultimately working to save humanity in the process.
Another obvious element, as alluded to before, is that of Marshal Pentecost and Gendo Ikari. Both are intimidating leaders who are aloof and secretive but are willing to step in on the frontlines when it comes to solving big problems (though Marshal Pentecost, being a former pilot, does this more explicitly than Gendo). Both also deal with government oversight that gets in the way of their ulterior goals. However, the ultimate difference here is that Pentecost is ultimately a positive, loving figure, while Gendo is cold and isolated due to a fear of being hurt by others.
The Core Difference Between Evangelion & Pacific Rim
For all their superficial similarities, Pacific Rim is not Evangelion. The Kaiju and the Angels -- the two types of being fought by our heroes in each franchise -- are truly unalike in almost every sense. While both are extraterrestrial entities, Angels are more inquisitive, seeking to understand humanity by way of their attacks on Earth. The Kaiju, on the other hand, are dispatched as part of an invasion of the planet.
Furthermore, plot-wise, Evangelion and Pacific Rim are not comparable. Pacific Rim is ultimately about humanity's survival in the face of insurmountable conflict. On the other hand, Evangelion is about existential pain and finding value in oneself in the face of oppressive anxiety and isolation. Pacific Rim is primarily driven by external conflict, while Evangelion is primarily driven by internal ones within each character. The central focus of each series is fundamentally different, which reflects in the drastically different tones in each.
Consider this: the lowest moment for the heroes in Pacific Rim comes when they realize that the biggest threat is yet to come, but that they lack the necessary fire-power to confront it. The lowest moment in Evangelion is when Shinji loses all hope for external happiness. While they bear several similarities aesthetically, their core tonal and thematic elements are very different. This is why, ultimately, Pacific Rim: The Black will probably not follow in Evangelion's footsteps when it hits Netflix, despite the two sharing a streaming service.
