Neon Genesis Evangelion: Shinji Ikari Raising Project (manga)

''This article is about the manga series. For the video game, see Neon Genesis Evangelion: Shinji Ikari Raising Project.''

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Shinji Ikari Raising Project (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン 碇シンジ育成計画) is a manga series loosely adapting the video game of the same name. It was written and drawn by Osamu Takahashi (高橋脩). It was serialised in Shōnen Ace and published in 18 tankobon volumes by Kadokawa. It was serialized in the same magazine publication as the Evangelion manga by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto.

The manga diverges from the original Neon Genesis Evangelion, being an erotic romantic comedy full with tropes of the genre.

Story
The manga, much like Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days, is similar to the alternate reality seen at the end of Episode:26. However, it is different from both, showing aspects of the Evangelion world like NERV and other characters related to it.

The series follows Shinji, Rei and Asuka as they go through their high school life while helping out with research at the Artificial Evolution Research Lab, headed by Shinji's parents, Yui and Gendo. Meanwhile, SEELE plans to disrupt the Artificial Evolution Research Lab's experiments in order to reach its goals.

Characters
The characters of Shinji Ikari Raising Project are alternate versions of characters in the anime series.


 * Shinji Ikari
 * Shinji Ikari is the male protagonist of the series. He is good natured and shuns irresponsible, reckless, self-centered behaviour which sometimes puts him a tough odds with Asuka and Misato although he sometimes gets easily but unwillingly influenced by friends Toji and Kensuke when it comes to their sometimes questionable antics. He is somewhat like his original persona, but more confident about himself as a person, sociable, and popular in his homeroom. He also quickly becomes close friends with Rei do to both having similar good natured personalities. Shinji is also a childhood friend to Asuka Langley Sohryu of whom he has developed feelings for. Shinji is also quite accident-prone, leading to embarassing incidents with many of the female cast.


 * Asuka Langley Sohryu
 * Asuka Langley Sohryu is a redhead with fiery temper, and although friends with Shinji she often torments him. Her violence towards Shinji is usually reserved for when Shinji does something stupid or perverted, mostly at her or Rei. Despite frequently hitting Shinji for what she sees as perverted, she is also incredibly neurotic about him trying to get any opportunity she gets, to be around him. Asuka is also incredibly self-centered and snobbish flaunting what she sees as her superior qualities to those around her, which sometimes puts her at odds with Shinji and Rei’s good nature, though she seems to aknow her own shortcomings. Despite this, she cares deeply for her friends, and will aid or defend them when she is able, particularly those closest to her such as Shinji, Rei, Hikari, and her mom Kyoko. She has appointed herself as Shinji's chaperon and has a clear sense of right and wrong.


 * Rei Ayanami
 * Rei Ayanami is depicted as being more 'normal' than her anime and Angelic Days counterparts. She is introduced as a distant relative of Shinji on Yui's side of the family. Rei is a shy and timid girl who often flees when she is in awkward situation though overtime with help from Shinji and Asuka she begins to express herself more. She is also has a good natured personality like that of Shinji and shuns recklessness and self centered behaviour. Rei is also known for having incredibly sensitive skin which makes her incredibly ticklish. It is later shown that Shinji and Rei met when they were both 4 years old at least two times. Like Asuka she is occasionally the victim of Shinji's accidents, though she usually acts more embarrased by these incidents rather than reacting violently as Asuka does.


 * Kaworu Nagisa
 * Kaworu Nagisa is a transfer student and is working with SEELE to disturb the relationship between Shinji, Rei and Asuka. He does this by acting flirtatious towards Shinji, of which he actually has a crush on. He later on leaves SEELE once his mission is completed so he can focus on getting closer to Shinji


 * Mana Kirishima
 * Mana Kirishima is a tranfer student who takes an instant liking to Shinji, much to the annoyance of both Rei and Asuka. She is sent by Yui and Gendo to the school to interfere with SEELE's plans. She is incredibly clingy to Shinji and will try to follow him wherever he goes when ever she gets the chance to.


 * Toji Suzuhara
 * Shinji's classmate, Toji Suzuhara, is one of Shinji's friends. He has feeling for Hikari though they are never expressly stated (and when somebody points out his attraction to Hikari, he usually reacts in a manner that embarrasses both himself and Hikari). Much like his anime counterpart, he is shown as the tough jock of the group, and occasionally has verbal bouts with Asuka.


 * Kensuke Aida
 * Kensuke Aida is another one of Shinji's classmates. He has a hobby in camcording and is a believer in conspiracy theories: as such, he believes that SEELE intends to enact the Human Instrumentality Project.


 * Misato Katsuragi
 * Misato Katsuragi is the homeroom teacher for Shinji and Asuka's class. Misato has some operational duties at the Artificial Evolution Research Center. She constantly gets drunk and bets against Kaji after going into debt with him (efforts of which often result in her losing and becoming more indebted to Kaji).


 * Ritsuko Akagi
 * Ritsuko Akagi is the school nurse, and is in love with Gendo Ikari. She is SEELE's agent at the school which Shinji,Asuka and Rei attend and is Kaworu's handler.


 * Gendo Ikari
 * Gendo Ikari is the president of the Artificial Evolution Research Lab. His relationship with Shinji is much less antagonistic and he frequently attempts to get the attention of Shinji, often embarassing Shinji in the process.


 * Yui Ikari
 * Yui Ikari, Shinji's mother, is still alive and working at NERV along with her husband Gendo and Asuka's parents.


 * Aoi Mogami


 * Satsuki Ooi


 * Kaede Agano