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brokenmessiah t1_jb1qesb wrote

The religious mystery aspect kept me watching the show and by the end literally no questions I had were answered. I liked the show but I wish they didnt even bother with the great plot for all they did with it.

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TakerFoxx t1_jb1t5qj wrote

Evangelion works better when you view it as less of a deliberate philosophical statement (like you said, all the religious iconography is there just to look cool) and more of an accidental allegory for its creator's struggles with his mental health, as his frequent breakdowns and battles back toward recovery are continuously reflected in the production of the show and the subsequent movies.

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virtualjimbo t1_jb29p44 wrote

Spoilers below!

One of the most interesting things about the show is how it starts off in a world that is actually relatively normal in spite of the catastrophic global events that have both taken and continue to take place. High school drama / love affairs, “slice of life” shared living arrangements etc. At the start of the show, when everyone has clocked off for the day from saving the world, there’s comfort and familiarity to come home to.

By the end of the show, though, their world has collapsed into complete psychological ruin, in a way that is quite a surprise to the viewers. We’re all hoping for a happy ending, and the closest thing we get to that is in End of Evangelion where at least Asuka and Shinji survive, albeit in a world that is going to be harsh and perhaps unliveable.

It does feel like the show is a reflection of Hideaki Anno’s struggles to hold his own world together throughout the course of its production. In the end that appears to be part of what makes it a cult classic.

It’s interesting how there have been repeated attempts of a do-over of this show; re-tweaking the storyline, blending original parts of the story with new ones and even sandwiching new characters into the original narrative. It’s almost as if it’s done out of a sense of apology for how twisted and weird the original show got.

These remakes have always seemed to confuse viewers even further, and with modern Evangelion it can sometimes feel unclear what the message even is.

I was obsessed with the show as a teen and still can’t say I really understand why fully. I loved how unique a world it was set in. The fact that they had to rebuild Tokyo not once but twice, that the entire city’s buildings could retreat underground at a moment’s notice. The geofront was so cool, and the intent of the angels a complete mystery.

Gendo Ikari and Fuyutsuki were the ultimate good cop / bad cop corporate fatcats, driven to power by love and loss and balanced out by the classically and stereotypically feminine energies of strong-willed almost-heroines Misato and Ritsuko.

Asuka is the embodiment of people’s inability to come to grips with their angers and frustrations. Shinji is a morally conscious person who wants to do good, but is trapped in a web of insecurities about his own value in face of the huge challenges laid out before him. Rei embodies depersonalization and identity struggle - she doesn’t really see herself as anyone at all.

You’re rooting for them all, but they’re all total fuckups at some point on their quest to do what’s right, which makes them very human. It was my introduction to Japanese culture and I will always love it. Having since been to Japan a number of times, I’m always happy to see Evangelion themed stuff everywhere you go.

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[deleted] t1_jb3qgrt wrote

Thanks for this write up. There’s a handful of media that left me confused but with undefinable emotions and interest when I finished, and Eva was obviously one of them. So I always love reading different peoples’ interpretations. Even if there’s not some canon or definitive explanation for the show, the way people reacted to it is interesting and part of what made the ending so hard for me to pin down originally.

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Goodestguykeem t1_jb1qv0q wrote

Fair enough but tbf I think the show doesn't hesitate to hide that it's a character study and clearly focused on the examination of their mental health rather than the greater world and it's events.

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brokenmessiah t1_jb1r5wu wrote

I read somewhere the writer literally only did the bible stuff because it would sound cool lol IDK if misread that but that was essentially all it amounted to, a cool backdrop where we say cool things and reference stuff out of thin air

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Death_Walker85 t1_jb1ufv2 wrote

You're not mistaken. I read that he referenced the bible because he thought it would be mostly unfamiliar with the Japanese audience.

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JCPRuckus t1_jb2dyh0 wrote

Think about how we wouldn't hesitate to put a Ying-Yang on screen in a movie... Most East Asians treat Biblical/Christian iconography exactly the same.

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[deleted] t1_jb24am2 wrote

not necessarily saying it’s the case here but i think many good stories stumble into their meaning without great intentionality

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skilledroy2016 t1_jb3zyep wrote

Yeah, but there is meaning in stylization. Anno picked the religious iconography because it matched the vibe he was trying to create. He understood how including that imagery would affect the audience emotionally. Religion is the tool that some people use to answer the philosophical questions posed by the show, so including that imagery puts the audience in the right mindset.

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timothymtorres t1_jb1xwgk wrote

The descriptions of the angels in the Bible probably looks similar to the creatures In the show.

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Fred_Foreskin t1_jb3fr90 wrote

Exactly. The real plot is the characters' journeys towards self-actualization, and the rest of the story (the Evas and angels, the end of the world, etc.) is just a way of pushing the real plot forward in an entertaining way. And I think the last two episodes of the show display that perfectly. Literally none of the action matters; what matters is that the characters come to terms with who they are.

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C2H4Doublebond t1_jb3uec4 wrote

I think this is such a good point: re character's journey vs actual plot.

How often would you find the 'bad guy' 's motivation is alllow human unified so there will be no more loneliness?

Some comments here dismiss the complex desires and human conditions the characters portrait, because the use of mecha and christian symbols. Anno already made it clear those are just smokes and mirrors to get the story flowing.

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jiquvox t1_jb4lu8x wrote

Not sure what else you want : I think overall they answered every questions…. Although to be fair, you have to watch the OVA end of evangelion too. But I pretty much consider it part of the show.

  • What is Gendo plan ? Answered

  • What is Seele plan/human instrumentality project ? Answered

  • What are the Angels plan ? Answered.

  • What caused the 2nd impact ? Answered

  • What is the being crucified in terminal dogma ? Answered

  • What happened to Naoko Akagi ? Answered

  • What happened to Yui Ikari ? Answered

  • Who is Rei ? Answered

  • What are angels ? Answered

  • What are evas? Answered

The answer are sometimes a bit obtuse but that’s pretty much a given in any mystery/conspiracy show. In fact Evangelion is actually pretty straightforward compared to True Detective, X-Files,. It’s all within the show, they wrap it up in 26 episodes of 23 minutes + one 1h30 ova, it’s relatively coherent as long as you accept the show premise. In several case they give you point blank the answer.

I guess the only thing that isn’t “answered” is “who” killed Kaji… and that’s because there is no real who. It’s a nameless seele operetive. I’d say it’s more poor storytelling than anything else. There was no big mystery to it. The director confirmed it. Kaji went against their plans and was terminated as a result. The “oh it’s you” was simply to show it was someone who worked within the organization. Poor storytelling that fed conspiracionist reading.

I suppose you can consider the meaning behind the religious iconography is unclear …but it’s pretty much because there is NO deeper meaning. They picked a few Christian symbols that tied in their mythology without much care for coherence. Angels explode as cross of fire because it looks cool. The Dead Sea scrolls are talked about because it’s old as fuck and it gives gravita. They talk about Adam and Lilith because they were the first beings created by God and again they wanted a mythological tone/show we were dealing with the origin of time. The Sepiroth tree gave a roadmap to the Battle with Angel/gave them names and looked mystic/cool as fuck (and also tie in with the divine creation aspect which is the canvas of the plot : I mean the show IS called a new genesis…). The Longinus spear was simply the most mythical weapon used in the Bible and it again tied in the whole cross motif.

The iconography of evangelion is shallow as fuck. The meaning is twofold : does this christian iconography tie in with the conceptual idea we’re trying to convey ( old book, old being, weapon, etc…) ? Does is sound/look cool ? Yes to both ? Then it’s in. Simple as that. You didn’t miss anything.

If you really REALLY want to nitpick, the “first ancestral race” is a piece of lore never included/explained within the show. And I find it almost useless. I learned about it years later and it barely changed anything to the big picture. Sur it adds some background but the show mostly works without it. Only the lance “sort of” requires it.

If you can bear the tedium of the last two episodes of the TV show/complete with the OVA end of evangelion , you’re left with a show that has interesting dynamic between flawed characters, deal in a fairly crude and realistic way with themes such as depression and trauma but also explore other theme like the difficulty of communication in general and specifically parent/children relation in a slightly sophomoric but overall honest way, has original and relatively coherent lore, awesome soundtrack and cool battle with mechas. As far as pop culture goes, I’d say that make the show a timeless classic. Anyone who wants more than that is not only looking in the wrong book but in the wrong library.

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therealnai249 t1_jb3bbo4 wrote

Yeah I agree, I loved everything until the last or last two episodes. It was really about to be one of my favorites and I Really didn’t think the ending was any good. People can really dive into it but it was just repetitive imo and the deep analysis is just copium.

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Sabado2 t1_jb3lqx5 wrote

Did you watch End of Evangelion after the initial series run? It works as an accompaniment to the final two episodes.

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JackedUpReadyToGo t1_jb418z4 wrote

It’s weird how End of Eva is able to work equally well as either a complement to or a replacement for the original ending depending how you felt about it. Personally I loved the TV ending. I’ve never seen anything else bold enough to dive completely off the rails at the finish line, and yet it somehow felt appropriate.

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