EvaWiki:Standards and Conventions (Eva-Specific)

This page serves as the central hub for various standards, in matters specific to Evangelion, used by The NGE Fan-Geeks Project.

Rules governing the formal basics of how to edit with MediaWiki, and the internal policies for FGP Scribe-Minions, can be found at EvaWiki:Rules and Regulations.

General

• The original TV series is treated as the default for the entire site. The manga (and eventually the Rebuild and live-action movies, when there is substantial information on them) are to be mentioned in the context of being separate canons, by creating separate subsections on existing pages. For example, there will be one article for "Shinji Ikari" which focuses on Shinji from the TV series, although it would include subsections discussing his other incarnations. If any given subsection grows too large, it would be be expanded into a new page split off from the original one.
• For citational purposes, the subtitles from ADV's Platinum release are considered the standard, pending the creation of "customized" FGC scripts.
• The original Japanese version of Neon Genesis Evangelion is treated as the universal, "standard" version, superceding dubs into other languages on all matters.
• Every episode of the TV series, and both EoE episodes, have two names each. The first is usually in Japanese (there are exceptions, such as "Air"); the second is always in English. (Occasionally, the titles mean the same thing, or are otherwise "equivalent".) To avoid confusion, always refer to the episodes by number, rather than title: e.g., "Episode 01", Episode 02", etc., with "Episode" capitalized and a zero in front of single-digit episodes.

Japanese Language and Accessibility

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a Japanese work, and this website is written with the original Japanese version in mind (as stated previously). Still, do not assume that people reading EvaWiki have any knowledge of Japanese whatsoever. It should be accessible to everyone, even those that unfortunately do not know Japanese. That is not to say that Japanese information should be discarded, far from it: the idea is that by reading EvaWiki, someone who has comes with no knowledge about Japanese will be educated about how it was used in the series. As a prime example, do not assume that readers have any idea what the Japanese honorific "-sama" means (more on Japanese honorifics below). That doesn't mean you shouldn't include this information, it just means that for example, in Episode 04 you shouldn't just say "Shinji addresses Misato as "Misato-sama" on the envelope he leaves her". You should say "The envelope Shinji leaves for Misato in his room when he runs away is literally addressed "Katsuragi Misato-sama" in the original Japanese. The honorific suffix "-sama" is the more formal version of "-san" (Mr. or Ms.) and is used to politely address those of higher social rank."

Please refrain from referring to characters using a Japanese honorific if you are not directly quoting from the script (there shouldn't be a page where Shinji is consistently referred to as "Shinji-kun" over twenty times, etc.)

Character Names

The Westernized versions of the Japanese character names will be used: i.e., "Shinji Ikari", never "Ikari Shinji". This is primarily because the Japanese themselves usually swap the name order when employing the Roman alphabet, a trend evident within NGE itself and its many supplemental materials.

The Romanizations used by FGP will be:

• Asuka Langley Soryu
• Gendo Ikari
• Hikari Horaki
• Kaworu Nagisa
• Keel Lorenz
• Kensuke Aida
• Kozo Fuyutsuki
• Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu
• Makoto Hyuga
• Maya Ibuki
• Misato Katsuragi
• Naoko Akagi
• Pen-Pen
• Rei Ayanami
• Ritsuko Akagi
• Ryoji Kaji
• Shigeru Aoba
• Shinji Ikari
• Shiro Tokita
• Toji Suzuhara
• Yui Ikari

"Keel" is used regardless of its technical inaccuracy (as a German name, it should be "Kiel") due to its proliferance in canonical materials.

Even though the "name swap" custom is not extended to Asuka and Kyoko in the show or elsewhere, we employ it here; hence, their common Japanese surname (Soryu) is placed after their respective European surnames.

Pen-Pen is used rather than "Pen²" out of convenience.

Japanese Honorifics

The Japanese language includes many honorifics attached to names, which might change the meaning of a scene based on how someone is addressed in the original Japanese script. While you should refer to Shinji as "Shinji Ikari", if you are directly quoting the Japanese script you should quote it by using the original word order, as in "Ikari Shinji-kun". "Shinji Ikari-kun" would sound really forced and artificial.

Angel Names

The official spellings of the Angels' names are: Adam, Lilith, Sachiel, Shamshel, Ramiel, Gaghiel, Israfel, Sandalphon, Matarael, Sahaquiel, Ireul, Leliel, Bardiel, Zeruel, Arael, Armisael, and Tabris.

"Lilim" will be used as opposed to "Lilin". (The official Romanization is unknown, but "Lilim" is in more prevalent usage.)

Always spell the NGE term "Angel" with a capital "A".

Eva Designations

Every Eva has two designations: extended and abbreviated.

Extended: "Evangelion Unit-##". In Japanese, this is エヴァンゲリオン～号機 (Evangelion ~gouki). The official English rendition can be heard in use by the First Branch in the EVA-03 start-up experiment [#18], although no known Japanese publication shows it in print. ("Evangelion" can also be shortened to "Eva" here.)

Condensed: "EVA-##". The Japanese equivalent is ～号機 (~gouki). Although "~gouki" literally translates to "Unit ##", the "Unit" rendition, however prevalent in subtitles and dubs, will not be used for the condensed form.

Terminology

A.T. Field

Always "A.T. Field": not "AT Field", "AT-Field", "A.T. field", etc. "Anti A.T. Field" will be spelled without a dash.

Interface Headset

The thingamabob that Eva pilots wear on their heads is called an interface headset -- not "A10 nerve connectors" or "hoo-hoos" or whatever, contrary to popular belief. Even though Asuka's are markedly different and look more like hair clips than anything else, we'll assume that they're an "interface headset", as well.

LCL

Refer to "LCL" as "LCL" not "L.C.L." The use of initials in the word on the series is inconsistent, and the explanation that it is an acronym standing for "Link Connect Liquid" might not be entirely canon.

Magi

"Magi", not "MAGI". See the Nerv-Seele-Gehirn problem for the "why".

Organizations

"Nerv" spelled with lowercase letters

Nerv, Seele, and Gehirn will be used, as opposed to their capitalized counterparts. Both within and outside of the show, "Nerv" is seen almost uniformily capitalized. This has probably resulted in the common (unofficial) practice of capitalizing "Seele" and "Gehirn", as well: NERV, SEELE, GEHIRN. However, there is no indication whatsoever that these are acronyms, which would be the only logical reason to capitalize them in normal English writing. Additionally, "Nerv" is occasionally spotted written just so (see image).

Seed of Life vs. Source of Life

There are a handful of terms used to reference Adam and Lilith collectively. Most prominent are "Source of Life" (after seimeitai no minamoto from e25') and Seed of Life (seimei no tane, from the NGE2 Classified Information). Although its usage in canon materials is restricted to the CI, the latter shall be used, primarily because it is more of a specific designation than a generic description. And it conveniently shortens to "Seed".

Shoulder Pylons

You know those big things on the Evas' shoulders? Officially, these things are (most consistently) referred to as the rather bland kata no pa-tsu, or "shoulder parts". This term isn't great for English-speaking fans, since the Japanese use the word "part(s)" somewhat differently from us. However, Ikuto Yamashita (who designed the Evas) refers to them as "shoulder pylons" in the book Sore o Nasumono: Neon Genesis Evangelion Concept Design Works -- so, for those not too eager to use "shoulder parts" (like us) this is the next best thing to "official".

Also, insert requisite "pylons" joke here.

Spear of Longinus

"Lance of Longinus" is heavily utilized by the English-speaking fan community, a habit reinforced by ADV and Manga Entertainment's localizations. In Japanese, the object is referred to as ロンギヌスの槍 (Longinus no yari), with yari being translatable as either "spear" or "lance". However, a computer display in #25' indicates that the official English rendition in NGE is "Spear of Longinus"; ergo, that is what we will use.

The initial form of the copies of this weapon that the Mass Production Evas wield will be referred to as "Heavy Spears" not "Heavy Lances".

Gender

Evangelions, along with the Seeds of Life (Adam and Lilith), should always be referred to in the feminine ("she", "her", etc.). This convention is based upon their status within NGE as feminine/maternal beings (yes, even Adam). Whether or not they are technically female, in absolute scientific terms, is irrelevent here.

Given the lack of information, and the sour limitations of the English language, the other Angels default to "it". (Although, if you are very clever, you can minimize how often Angels are referred to as "its" and make the world a much better place.)

"Director's Cut" episodes

"Director's Cut" versions of episodes (aka "New Production Cuts") are to be handled by creating a subsection on an existing article. For example, there will be only one "Episode 21" article, and a subsection of that article will list what new scenes were included in the Director's Cut. If this subsection grows to be very large, it will be expanded into a new page linked off of the original one.

When referring specifically to a "Director's Cut" episode or information contained within one, use the naming convention established by the series whereby an original episode would be "Episode 21" but the Director's Cut would be "Episode 21'" (Note: apostrophes screw up wiki code and I actually think this would cause problems with the wiki-code Reichu, though not insurmountable ones; get back to me on this).