Neon Genesis Evangelion

Anything with a large amount of fans will be hated by someone, only for the fact that it's popular. This is justified a lot of the time for multiple reasons, but I personally think in this case it's mostly a reaction against the intensity of the positive reactions, not the number.

Also lots of people hate Shinji
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VAPORIZER REVIEWS
 
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I didn't really enjoy NGE, I loved the psychological part at the start and the middle. The characters experienced some strange emotional pain while riding those robots.. dunno why and it isnt explained either i think :S but then the story gets more and more weird.. at a certain point I honestly didn't understand the story anymore and had no idea what I was watching.. I almost get the feeling that people who claim to like NGE are just saying this to sound intelligent.. in a "omg I totally see what Monet was trying to do with this painting, don't you see the struggle for survival, the never ending battle between good and evil?"- kinda way.. lol if you know what i mean:P

nobody has had this? o_0
 
I just remembered that my teacher in one of my filmclasses (like two years ago) in uni used NGE as an example. It was kinda fun :)
He was talking about protagonists and heroes, and (I'm pretty sure) he said that Shinji is one of the first characters in a movie/series who is offered (and pushed into) being a hero, but doesn't actually want it and in fact hates it, but does it anyway. And that it's a type of protagonist that's hardly used today even though it's a terrific foundation for a protagonist.

I'm not sure how right he was about that, but he is one of the greatest teachers I've ever had. His classes on experimental films are some of my favorite classes ever.
 
nobody has had this? o_0

I responded to you in the other thread. I own it and have seen it many times. I makes a lot more sense after you've seen it a few times. I imagine the new film reboot (1.0, 2.0, etc) is going to aim for a wider audience. I read that they are going to spend some time explaining certain things that where left vague in the anime. The manga also has more detailed information if you are actually interested.
 
I didn't even think it was really all that confusing. I understood the plot the first time I watched it for whatever reason, although there were some things I had to clear up reading the wiki
I couldn't tell if it was Asuka saying "I feel terrible" (meaning she was alive) or if Shinji said it because he had killed her
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VAPIR NO2
 
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I didn't really enjoy NGE, I loved the psychological part at the start and the middle. The characters experienced some strange emotional pain while riding those robots.. dunno why and it isnt explained either i think :S but then the story gets more and more weird.. at a certain point I honestly didn't understand the story anymore and had no idea what I was watching.. I almost get the feeling that people who claim to like NGE are just saying this to sound intelligent.. in a "omg I totally see what Monet was trying to do with this painting, don't you see the struggle for survival, the never ending battle between good and evil?"- kinda way.. lol if you know what i mean:P

errr... who posted this, because it is quite funny. To the OP, I would try watching the series again and maybe do some wiki reading to help connect the dots. The series is "smart," but that does not mean anyone will like it solely for its intelligence. I'm not blowing smoke out my rear end when I put Neon Genesis up in my top 5. The character development is excellent, the world created is "real," the animation is top notch for its time, and the story itself allows for an almost endless parade of discussion. Code Geass is my undisputed number 1, but there is not too much discussion going on there besides "I liked" or "I hated." The series itself, while convoluted, is fairly cut and dry on what went down and is overall not "confusing." Evangelion generates a lot of hate from the confusion, but it is the same confusion that makes it so intriguing and one of the most talked about animes of all time. If you look a few pages back I made a post on recent findings in my latest viewing and it may help you understand a little more about what is going on.
 
I first saw it when I was 11, and fell in love because of the giant robots (and hot anime girls) but I had absolutely NO idea what the hell was going on in the plot towards the end...a few years later I revisited NGE after reading up on it a bit and with a brand new perspective and a more mature mind I was able to appreciate the fact that I still had no idea what the hell was going on in that last episode :P But it is something I can watch again and each time gain a new insight into the plot and the characters. And I still love giant robots....and hot anime girls xD
 
WanderingCloud:
And I still love giant robots....and hot anime girls xD...

eureka seven ...that all i have to say...
 
Evangelion: Death is actually pretty good if you just want to watch EoE without rewatching the entire series or get a quick refresher on main plot points. I really wouldn't recommend it without already having seen the show though.
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DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES FORUM
 
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I just finished watching the TV series. I haven't seen the movies yet. Here's my interpretation:

The central message of NGE is an anti-religious message: Don't base your morality on religion. Instead, think for yourself. Here are some of the symbols:

Eva = the religious-based morality that society expects from people.

Syncing with an Eva = conforming to that expectation. When Shinji has the 400% sync ratio, he conforms too much and becomes like an animal, losing his humanity.

Angel = Non-religious thoughts (which includes the natural morality of humans) or a person who has those thoughts.

NERV = religious extremist group that labels the Angels as evil, and wants to destroy the Angels and kill anyone who goes against NERV's beliefs. However, Angels are not really evil, and we never actually see them going around destroying cities intentionally (at least not that I can remember, correct me if I'm wrong). They only attack or defend against the Evas, and any destruction is a side effect of that fighting. Second Impact happened because, as Ritsuko states, "mankind found a god" and "tried to make the god his toy" (in other words, abusing religion and using it to justify immoral actions).

AT Field = a wall that encloses a person's mind (as Kaworu states). The Eva vs. Angel fights are like religious debates. The Eva tries to break through the Angel's AT Field to brainwash it into believing in religion, while the Angel tries to attack the Eva pilot's mind to show him that religion is wrong.

Evas were originally copied from angels = Religious morality is based on natural morality. All people have a natural sense of morality, but religious people lie to themselves that they need religion, possibly because they find it easier to understand (similarly, NERV pretends that Evas are better than Angels, and they use "restraints" to control the Eva's power to try to make it easier to understand).

Rei = typical mindless follower of religion who can't think for herself.

Shinji = very confused boy who has his own sense of morality, but he's insecure and worries that his morals are not good enough, so he's desperate for society's approval. He pilots the Eva not because it gives him purpose in life, but because he feels a moral obligation to save mankind. He tells himself it gives him purpose, but deep down he feels troubled and unfulfilled because he knows what he's doing is wrong. He becomes more suspicious when he is ordered to kill Toji. Toji's Eva does not actually malfunction. Commander Ikari discovers that Toji's beliefs are different from NERV's, and that is the real reason why he labels Toji an Angel and orders Shinji to kill him.

The final 2 episodes don't really happen. They are a hypothetical situation in which Shinji is able to step back and look at his own life (with some help). The purpose of these episodes is to show how his life could have been better if he wasn't so insecure. The scene with the empty world shows that if Shinji got his way and lived in his own perception of a perfect world, it would be an empty world, and not true happiness - this shows that Shinji is confused about what he wants out of life and has unrealistic desires.

Oh yeah, and the most important point... Kaworu likes Beethoven's 9th, and anyone who likes Beethoven's 9th must be good!
 
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ccording to the adv directors comentary its all about coming fo age and puberty mainly. With lots of christianity refrences. Can't say i noticed the coming of age and puberty stuff until they explained it lol
 
**** yeah, pirate asuka...

also what happened with langley sohryu?


guess i'm a bit late for that party...
 
Best anime of all time. there i said it.

Amazing show from start to finish(not counting the tv ending,it was shit).

The movie was perfect BTW.
 
Best anime of all time. there i said it.

Amazing show from start to finish(not counting the tv ending,it was shit).

The movie was perfect BTW.

Imo, NGE is a rough sketch. It brought in alot of new elements which are now common and executed better in other series. I consider myself a fan of NGE and its franchise, however, it's definitely not the best anime series ever.
 
i agree, although NGE is one of the better animes that i have seen, it is not the best... i can not label an anime as the 'best' if there was even 5 seconds where i felt bored while watching it, and NGE had multiple points between the action where i was thinking about what i should watch next. btw, mjf314, i think you overanalized the meaning of the story, but i do see what you are getting at and i completely agree that there are many anti-religious hints throughout it.

But enough of the negative things! It was a great anime and i would recommend it to anyone!
 
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