Evangelion anime

wmdragon · Jul 29, 2004

anybody here watched the bizarre anime series Evangelion? we used to have expert/fan nerdi_laughi (sp?) around but I havent seen him/her in a while. anyway, I have watched a few episodes and read some online comments, all of which have confused me, so I have some questions. anyone familiar with the series? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter. --- James Clerk Maxwell </div>

kauboi · Aug 2, 2004

I have seen the series and I love it. One of the best things I've seen on a tv. It is undoubtely a series that will leave you with many questions some of which they won't care to answer, so you'll have to look the answers for yourself.

wmdragon · Aug 2, 2004

ok, some questions: - how did you get to see it? was it shown on TV? did you rent videos? I've only been able to find the first two and the last two episodes, nothing in-between. if I remember correctly you live in Costa Rica - saludos de un puertorriquen~o en washington DC! pero mejor seguir en ingles - so your answers may not help me - the last episodes confuse me: one was just a rehash of scenes from the whole series (Death and Rebirth?) followed by the actual apocalyptic ending (End of Evangelion). however, I'm reading that there were other endings too, which people didnt like. so, whats the story here? how many endings are there, which episode numbers? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter. --- James Clerk Maxwell </div>

kauboi · Aug 2, 2004

ok, saludos desde Costa Rica <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> -- Ok, first I got the episodes from a cousin who owned the copies on vhs, so I copied them. If I remember correctly I think you can get the entire series (26 episodes) on a boxset. Let's see... here it is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000639E0/qid=1091479022/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-6341134-0764103?v=glance&s=dvd#product-details --Now, what you saw as the last two episodes are actually two movies (Death & Rebirth and The End of Evangelion) which were made because the fans of the 26 episode series considered that the ending was to ambiguos and that it left to many questions without answers. Death & Rebirth is like a summary of the entire series as well as a culmination of it but it was never really finished. The End of Evangelion is the actual "remake" of the end of the series (episodes 25 and 26 more specifically).

wmdragon · Aug 3, 2004

gracias, I have a better picture of the series now, but it seems there is more to it: according to the official and user reviews of the many Evangelion DVDs at amazon.com there are multiple versions of the last episodes (23-26), with director's cuts, new dialogue, added/edited scenes, etc. it's like the end of the series was a work in progress that kept changing. IF I ever get to see the rest of the series I will wonder which version I'm watching! in any case I dont plan on buying it, so its unlikely I will get the chance. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter. --- James Clerk Maxwell </div>

wmdragon · Aug 3, 2004

interesting bit about the creator, from IMDB.com: "Is rumored to have made the film End of Evangelion (1997) and its incredibly symbolic, ambiguous finale as revenge against the fans of the television series "Neon Genesis Evangelion" (1995) who complained about the series's ending too much. Anno, in the early 90s, went through a major and long bout of depression that lasted about four years. After some major soul searching and a new found self-appreciation, he chronicled his thoughts and revelations through the character of Shinji Ikari in Neon Genesis Evangelion, as well as many of the other characters. Evangelion is one of the single most personal stories told in anime. The ending of episodes 25 and 26 that take place in Shinji's mind, mirror Anno's thought process near the end of his depression. Many fans who watched the show for the action were very disappointed by the psychological ending and mailed Anno many death threats (a few of which flash across the screen in End of Evangelion) who maintained that he thought the ending was perfect. At an anime convention in America, he had an interpreter and a Q & A session in which one fan expressed their disappointment. Anno took the microphone and said in straight English "Too bad." He is a vegetarian, like his characters Nadia and Rei Ayanami." <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter. --- James Clerk Maxwell </div>

redracer02 · Aug 4, 2004

Rei was cool. A friend of mine had the series on VHS. I thought the story was great as was the anime.

kauboi · Aug 4, 2004

Well, as it is common in many anime series, there are usually cut and uncut versions since in Japan there's less censorship compared to other countries about some things, and the last episodes are particularly violent. I have never heard about other endings except from the ones I mentioned before. I don't know why the people complained, they probably didn't understand it but that is a risk when you make something so personal for everyone to see. Personally, I loved the ending, both the one from the series as the one in the movie. I'm actually glad he did the movie because it answered many questions for me and served as a complement to the series. They are planning now to produce a live action movie of Evangelion. It appears to be a very big project including the guys the did the special effects for LOTR series. I hope it is true.

wmdragon · Aug 4, 2004

They are planning now to produce a live action movie of Evangelion. It appears to be a very big project including the guys the did the special effects for LOTR series. I hope it is true. yes, I've read about that. not surprisingly some fans are not happy with this idea. they even complained the people involved were mispronouncing 'Evangelion'! I may have found a way to rent the whole original series, but I would have to watch it all in one month to keep the cost down. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter. --- James Clerk Maxwell </div>

Saiph · Aug 4, 2004

if they worked on LOTR, I'm sure they'll get the prononciation right pretty soon. The detail in that movie was absurd. Then agian, it's just the FX guys, so who knows. They're probably not as obsessive as the art people.... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> --------------------SaiphMOD@gmail.com -------------------"This is my Timey Wimey Detector. Goes "bing" when there's stuff. It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually. I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink" </div>

kelle · Aug 4, 2004

I've seen the entire series as well as the movies End of Evangelion and Death and Rebirth. With its strange, but good story, interesting characters and good animations, it's among my absolute favourite anime series.

wmdragon · Aug 4, 2004

the series does have a very intense fan base. they have deep discussions of what the last two words of the final movie mean. from what little I've seen I love the action scenes and the premise is as outlandish as it is intriguing, but some of the more typical anime elements in it annoyed me a great deal. still, I want to know what I'm missing, all the story development between the beginning and the end (or between the Alpha and the Omega, to honor Evangelion's penchant to use whatever judeo-christian symbols come in handy) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter. --- James Clerk Maxwell </div>

the_masked_squiggy · Jun 4, 2005

Alright, almost a year later... First, I have most of the DVDs, acquired at a used DVD store in Nebraska. Subtitled goodness! The original epps. 25 and 26 involve a lot of soul-searching with the characters, particularly Shinji. I have not yet seen the two remakes. Anyway, Shinji is having a difficult time accepting that he just killed his friend, the last Angel, Kaworu. The format is a little odd--mostly monologue with black frames with questions on them interspersed. We hear a lot about their thoughts and quite a bit about the characters' self-loathing. They are confronted by the other characters as they exist in their minds. Shinji questions his identity outside piloting the Eva. Asuka questions her worth since she is having problems piloting, and memories of her mother's suicide resurface. Rei questions her humanity, and the existence of her soul. Misato has problems with unhealthy relationships, and wanting to defile herself. Etc, etc. That was ep. 25. Quite the head trip. Ep. 26 begins similarly...and progresses similarly, questioning the "self", until Shinji escapes to a world of his mind's creation, eventually rejecting the false reality and coming to terms with his identity outside being an Eva pilot. The final message is the congratulation of himself and the other pilots. It's up to the viewer to figure out why. We don't ever see what happens to any of them after the last Angel is killed, and the Rei clones are found. Which is probably why so many viewers were upset. So, in short, 25 and 26: forty-six minutes of existentialism, zero action.

airconvent · Jun 5, 2005

the series was great , animation first rate and story good except for the ending...personally I found it crappy. I expected it to have a proper ending where all the questions are answered, not all questions unanswered instead.. or at least answered in layman language... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before...Live Long and Prosper </div>

wmdragon · Jun 6, 2005

havent seen the original endings, just what I assume you call the remakes, Death & Rebirth and End of Evangelion. they were an extremely bizarre spectacle. not having seen most of the series didnt help, but it was so strange I dont think it would have made much of a difference. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter. --- James Clerk Maxwell </div>

kauboi · Jun 6, 2005

Ok, here is my interpretation. I posted this a couple of years ago on another forum. I don't have the series so clear in my mind like before though ***Spoilers*** At the end of the series, when Shinji is left to decide humanity's destiny by choosing among carrying on with the instrumentality project (the union of all souls, creating a superior way of existance, God??) or not, he decides (realizes) how he is the only one responsible for his life and the only one capable of changing it and making it better, therefor he decides not to carry on with the instrumentality and instead of that he choses individuality. This, IMHO, is shown on the first ending of the movie or on the final chapters of the series. The alternative ending (this is talking about the second ending on the movie "The End of Evangelion") shows Shinji after the instrumentality took place, meaning he chose a different destiny. The movie shows Shinji alone with what appears to be Asuka. Maybe at this point humanity was already merged into a common soul, maybe even Shinji too, but that is not sure because he piloted Eva01, was the one responsible for the whole process of instrumentality and he is not really affected by it. Notice how the people affected by the process have little glimpses of their deepest desires coming true just a second before the final event happens, that could mean that by the completion of the instrumentality process the souls of the "victims" undergo a completion from themselves, filled by the rest of humanity's soul (like a perfect being, a god). Shinji on his part as humanity's "savior" remained alone with just his own perceptions and feelings (maybe a kind of reference to Jesus Christ's life). The Asuka we see is, I think, a reflection of Shinji's perception of her (not a real Asuka since she is dead or she already became part of the merged humanity) and his action is probably an interpretation of his desires and frustations. This can also be valid for Asuka's last

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