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Neon Genesis Evangelion: from a non-otaku point

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Willbyr Hi (Y2K) Relationship Status: With my statistically significant other
Hi
#51: Dec 24th 2010 at 7:05:57 PM

Just curious - are you watching the original or extended versions of these episodes (21-24)?

edited 24th Dec '10 7:06:15 PM by Willbyr

juancarlos11 Since: Aug, 2011
#52: Dec 24th 2010 at 10:18:07 PM

wouldn't know, would I?

The ep I watched ran into a 30-ish minutes, if that helps.

edited 5th Jan '11 9:37:44 PM by juancarlos11

It's not exactly naive. And it can happen. But it's tough. And definetly worthwhile.
Sporkaganza I'm glasses. Since: May, 2009
I'm glasses.
#53: Dec 24th 2010 at 10:21:23 PM

Yeah, that's definitely the extended version. Anime airing on TV is never any longer than like 22-ish minutes.

edited 24th Dec '10 10:21:32 PM by Sporkaganza

Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.
ShayGuy Since: Jan, 2001
#54: Dec 25th 2010 at 5:26:50 PM

24, almost always. That's counting 1.5 minutes each for the OP and ED.

Thenamelesssamurai from Atlanta, Georgia Since: Nov, 2010
#55: Dec 27th 2010 at 8:43:48 PM

"When I finally "got" the TV ending I found it to be probably the most satisfying conclusion to any piece of media I've ever experienced"

Glad to see I'm not alone in this opinion. Then again, I also thought that the last three minutes of Eva (TV series, not Eo E) was one of the most inspiring and uplifting things I've ever seen, in fact being up there with The Butterfly Circus, but that might be kind of a very personal thing for me.

Imagine Rakan applying Calling Your Attacks to doing paperwork.~Anarchy Rakan for the hell of it COMMISSION THIS BRIDGE!~EHK
melloncollie Since: Feb, 2012
#56: Dec 27th 2010 at 8:46:12 PM

I heard Word of God said it was a random mook who shot Kaji, not Misato.

Sporkaganza I'm glasses. Since: May, 2009
I'm glasses.
#57: Dec 28th 2010 at 6:08:52 PM

Yep, which shows you just how bad that rumor got. Anno has notoriously said almost nothing concrete about the series, so the fact that he explicitly stated it wasn't Misato just shows how incredibly rampant it was. And, by the way, it doesn't make any fucking sense, since Misato basically loses hope once he dies.

Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.
ShayGuy Since: Jan, 2001
#58: Dec 28th 2010 at 10:29:55 PM

It would make it all the more crushing.

juancarlos11 Since: Aug, 2011
#59: Jan 5th 2011 at 9:36:31 PM

Yeah, and there were many hints. Like how there isn't a scene in which she's informed of the fact. After we see Kaji being shot down, we immediately go to Misato's breakdown. And Kaji's death scene happens just after Misato gets her gun back.

Anyway, due to re-reading my other reviews and realized how bad My wall of text/raping of grammar got, I decided to do something new. I've just seen Ep 22. You can ask any question concerning my opinion on it.

Of course, if you still want me to review it the old fashioned way, say the word and I will.

It's not exactly naive. And it can happen. But it's tough. And definetly worthwhile.
Iaculus Pronounced YAK-you-luss from England Since: May, 2010
Pronounced YAK-you-luss
#60: Jan 6th 2011 at 3:44:36 AM

So what was your opinion on it?

What's precedent ever done for us?
Thenamelesssamurai from Atlanta, Georgia Since: Nov, 2010
#61: Jan 6th 2011 at 4:20:31 AM

I have no problem with the old wall of text.

Imagine Rakan applying Calling Your Attacks to doing paperwork.~Anarchy Rakan for the hell of it COMMISSION THIS BRIDGE!~EHK
Sackett Since: Jan, 2001
#62: Jan 6th 2011 at 7:39:54 AM

I prefer to just hear what you think the way you did previously.

RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Spirit Pretty flower from America Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Hooked on a feeling
Pretty flower
#64: Jan 6th 2011 at 12:02:09 PM

To be honest, I actually looked foward to hearing your commentary and progress. Don't know why.

#IceBearForPresident
juancarlos11 Since: Aug, 2011
#65: Jan 6th 2011 at 12:39:30 PM

So wall of text it is...I'l bring it down on a few hours.

It's not exactly naive. And it can happen. But it's tough. And definetly worthwhile.
juancarlos11 Since: Aug, 2011
#66: Jan 6th 2011 at 4:23:30 PM

And here it is, folks. THE. WALL. OF. 'TEXT'!

In my past review, I noticed how the show made a point of establishing how everyone was connected in the back-story, and how it reminded me of Lost. Now, without a doubt, I feel this show gave Lost some of its cues and ideas.

This is the day of the Mind Rape, and Asuka’s Day On The Limelight. And boy, do my feelings for her change after this episode. I hated her. I always hated Tsunderes. I think that someone who can’t express their feelings in something other than love-hate is a flat character. Especially because they are made of only two modes and the writers flip them off according to their needs. Asuka, so far had been one character that I ignored in order to pay attention to Shinji’s psychological breakdown. So, it is fitting that she’s feeling ignored in this episode. After Shinji’s Badass Big Damn Heroes moment, Asuka, instead of the usual gratitude, feels pure hatred, due to her need to be more mature. So obviously the episode it’s going to deepen us in her back-story.

Our episode starts with a flashback to Kaji and Asuka lying on the ground of somewhere. We all know about Asuka crush on the guy. But Kaji refuses (because he’s not a creep), while Azuka insists. I always hated this in Asuka, as it made her kind of flat (Girl with a crush on an adult, and through all these events, she doesn’t even reconsider it?) but this episode turns in one of the greatest and most well-crafted ironies I’ve had the pleasure of appreciating. (More on that later)

After this scene, we see Asuka’s mother. And like everyone else’s parents in this show (seriously Anno, I don’t know nothing about your life except your depression, but you have some father issues), she’s the cause of Asuka’s mental instability. The difference is that she’s more obvious. While Ritsuko’s mom wasn’t precisely the greatest person in the world, she was nice to her daughter. While Gendo was a major Jerkass he at least tried from time to time. If only to manipulate him further.

Like many kids, Asuka wanted to grow up immediately. She wanted to stop being a child. But (and here comes the beauty of it) she became her perception of maturity at her age. She thought maturity meant not crying instead of embracing and accepting these feeling (of course this refers to the scene at her mother’s funeral when she says that she won’t be a doll) she thought that maturity was having early sex with Kaji. And most importantly (and this is her major flaw) she thought that self-independent meant self-centric. That her and only her should save herself. And that she should be superior to everyone on her acts. This is pretty much what Greek Tragedies are made of. If anything, I’m pretty sure that this will lead to her eventual downfall I’m pretty sure that this was Anno’s purpose for her from the beginning (to consider realistically a Tsundere, and I got to give him kudos for that) it says something about how much the show’s changed that I haven’t seen a battle in two episodes and this one is relatively short. But let’s not go there yet.

After the events of two episodes ago (In which Shinji became Tang and saved both Rei’s and Asuka’s life) Asuka’s resentment towards her situation grows more and more. She starts losing synchronization with the EVA due to this. This obviously causes more resentment.

She starts redirecting this resentment to her group. At Shinji, for doing the one thing she would never forgive anyone else doing (outshine her), at Misato due to her relationship with Kaji (which she envies as all she needs and wants is a stable relationship in her life), and at Rei for embodying everything she doesn’t want to be. As her failure to synchronize with the EVA is becoming worse and worse, she fears for her job, the only little bit of stability she has in her life, not to mention her purpose in life. She’s defined by her willfulness to fight. If someone were to take that away from her, she would just break down. I’ve said before that what interested me more of the show was precisely this. What are the motivations of these people? What drives them every day to fight some of the weirdest, most horrible things the world has ever seen? We’ve seen that Shinji’s drive is to create a place for himself outside of his father, Misato wants revenge on the angels, Gendo fights for the memory of his wife and her beliefs, Rei fights because that’s what she was built for, and Ritsuko seems to have the need to outsmart her mother. These are all both their fatal flaw and drive.

Anyway, I digress. After we see Asuka’s breakdown, an Angel appears. and finally, FINALLY it happened.

I was scared.

I’ve been expecting this moment for so long that after the end of the episode I made the infamous QT fist move. Someone told me while I was starting the thread that “As for the battles and cheering victory, don't worry. That's not what this anime is about.” I didn’t answer it then, but it needs to be answered now. I didn’t mean necessarily feeling happiness. What I meant is that I needed to feel for these characters. That’s how you measure fiction. How much it moves you. A movie that leaves full of hate for the bastard who created it is far better than a movie that leaves you completely hollow (-insert obligatory disclaimer about how subjective this is here-) I didn’t feel almost anything for most of the show’s run. I smiled sometimes here and there, but that was it.

This was the moment that convinced me that this show was something else. And it needed to do it, as I almost left it hanging after the previous one (I didn’t hate the episode, but I started to realize that I didn’t feel addicted nor with the need to follow) So, let’s talk about it! Asuka decides to go on her own due to her fear of both losing her job and her hubris. And then…the angel bathes her in light and it…enters her mind. Freud would have a field day with this… So, as we enter Asuka’s mind, and as everyone was screaming some of the most narmful dialogue ever (Paraphrasing: Do the angels understand the human mind…or are we Angels?) I for once didn’t mind it. I didn’t care, all I was thinking was: “Asuka, come through” That’s what good shows are made of right there. I would talk about the sequence on Asuka’s mind, but it would be redundant to everything in here, as its whole point is to symbolically emphasize all the ideas previously mentioned about Asuka’s psyche.

In their desperation, they decide to use the Spear of Longinus (I know it was previously established, doesn’t mean I didn’t go “huh?”) Anyway, the spear was nailed to Mutilated!Adam (hello again) and to use, they had to take it out. After this, it grows feet and regenerates (probably a Xanatos Gambit by our dear Gendo)

So, Rei throws the Spear and saves Asuka (uh oh) but the Spear is lost. The episode ends with Asuka obviously traumatized after all these events and still shutting Shinji out (I know that would still hold, and I liked it, as people don't change that easily)

Narmtastic Moment of The Day: Because Evangelion without narm it’s like Joss Whedon without women kicking ass. It’s a scene in the mid-rape that repeats over and over, paraphrasing:

I’m Soryu Asuka Langley, Nice to meet you But these are big enough! (Something else I can’t remember) This is not me!

Repeated for 5 times, over time I started doing this: Dental plan! Lisa needs Braces! Dental Plan! Lisa Need Braces.

edited 6th Jan '11 4:31:48 PM by juancarlos11

It's not exactly naive. And it can happen. But it's tough. And definetly worthwhile.
RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#67: Jan 6th 2011 at 4:33:11 PM

[up]That was brilliant... I finally understood Asuka...

THIS IS SO TRAGIC!!! It's all a misunderstanding! if we all could share our pains with each other! If only we could understand each other, fill the hollow bits in each other's hearts... "I know, I know I've let you down, I've been a fool to myself..."

edited 6th Jan '11 4:35:15 PM by RawPower

'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?
juancarlos11 Since: Aug, 2011
#68: Jan 6th 2011 at 4:52:17 PM

That I think it's the real flaw the characters have. They are all childs in a way. None of them reached emotional maturity. Just look at their motivation. Only Kaji (The one who I complained the most, ironically) has done something about it.

It's not exactly naive. And it can happen. But it's tough. And definetly worthwhile.
RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#69: Jan 6th 2011 at 5:02:27 PM

Kaji... is kinda mature, but he can't help anyone else. He could have been Asuka's Aoki-sensei and helped her solve her issues, but he really just didn't have the Heart... or the self-esteem...

'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?
juancarlos11 Since: Aug, 2011
#70: Jan 6th 2011 at 5:20:52 PM

Yeah, that's kinda what I meant with "done something about it" he still suffers from it.But he's aware of it.

It's not exactly naive. And it can happen. But it's tough. And definetly worthwhile.
GregoryDonald Since: Nov, 2009
#71: Jan 6th 2011 at 6:11:19 PM

Watch the next episode gogoogogo.

Sporkaganza I'm glasses. Since: May, 2009
I'm glasses.
#72: Jan 6th 2011 at 7:45:53 PM


This post was thumped by the Eldritch Flyswatter of Horror

Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.
Nika-senpai The Golden Girl from Mitakihara Since: Nov, 2009
The Golden Girl
#73: Jan 6th 2011 at 8:39:30 PM

I'm really enjoying your reviews of this. I just recently finished the series as well as End of Evangelion myself.

The funny thing is, I had seen End of Evangelion about six years ago. I grabbed it off the anime shelf at Blockbuster not knowing a series preceded it, and I was ridiculously confused.

Now that I watched the series and rewatched Eo E, I am very satisfied with how much I enjoyed the series, and that I can actually understand what happened in it.

My avatar may indicate which of the characters I really, really like, even though she got on my nerves in the very beginning.

I can't wait to read your opinion of the last two episodes and of Eo E. grin

edited 6th Jan '11 8:40:38 PM by Nika-senpai

Shine
Willbyr Hi (Y2K) Relationship Status: With my statistically significant other
Hi
#74: Jan 7th 2011 at 3:38:11 PM

That's a very good analysis of Asuka. [awesome]

juancarlos11 Since: Aug, 2011
#75: Jan 8th 2011 at 7:35:53 PM

I have some bad news.

Due to technical damages (My keyboard is borked) and some personal circumstances, I won't be able to write reviews for a while.

Whenever it's over, I'll post the review.

It's not exactly naive. And it can happen. But it's tough. And definetly worthwhile.

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