Day 1 Day 3

Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of those shows I adore so much that I’m hesitant to write about it; to make a post about it might imply that I believe I’ve distilled what makes it so great, but what if I can’t do it justice?. When I consider that Eva has gotten me into writing analytically in the first place, how could I possible do it a disservice by chancing to fail at explaining why I love it so much?

Yet, I have something like 6000 words in a document on my laptop explaining Eva’s themes and why they resonate so well with me. If there is anything that’s the core of why I love Eva, it’s probably somewhere in that post. Yet, I don’t feel confident enough to write a “why it’s so good” post. However, I can tell you guys the “best” parts that make it so memorable and that may intrigue you. For now, I think that’s the best I can do.

First Episode

It makes sense to start with the first episode as it contains a lot of the appeal of the show and the elements I’ll be talking about in this post. It showcases the amazing directing, characters, Evas, music, and so much of what makes the series so iconic. The episode is summed up well in the scene where Shinji is reintroduced to his father, the situation is explained to him and he is promptly told to get in the robot. He’s beset on 3 sides by Ritsuko, Misato, and his father, with the monolithic head of Eva-01 sitting in front of him and beckoning him to decide, representing the unrelenting struggle that Shinji has with his role as a fighter for humanity. Of course, he desires to run away, but as this decision ratlles in his brain Rei is introduced, who is bruised and injured from her last run in with the angels. If he doesn’t do it, he would basically be condemning her to more trauma.

Up until this scene it seems possible that it could be a mostly standard mecha show, but even if that were the case, Hideaki Anno’s directing would make it interesting. There is so much told without dialogue, such as the picture of Misato covered with her flirty writing, or the framing of shots showing hierarchy and importance of characters, that make it stand out regardless.

We get characterization for Shinji as almost never speaking to his father, and see his rage and sadness that he is only called by him for a task that could get him killed. It’s not so much that the others surrounding him and daring him to enter the Eva don’t understand him, but they encourage him to get over it. They’re all just as pained, and they know it’s about gritting your teeth and just making the choice. It’s not easy, but that’s how it is. It’s one of the only times that the call to action actually feel like it has the weight it deserves.

Music

The music in this show evokes the feelings fro, the moments they’re used so much that listening to the soundtrack is still an emotional roller-coaster for me. The gorgeous cover of “Fly Me to the Moon“, the iconic “Cruel Angel’s Thesis” that captures the often overlooked energy and optimism of the show, but also many melancholy songs with just a hint of sweetness. There’s the use of of classical pieces, some originally composed like “Dance Like You Want to Win” that captures the triumphant nature of Shinji and Asuka’s synchronized battle, or Bach’s “Air” which clashes beautifully with the destructive power of Asuka’s rage in End of Evangelion. Both of these songs gives those moments a timeless flair. “Thanatos” of course (linked above) is a weighty and dramatic, but eventually jazzy and upbeat song that captures the duality of the show. Of course, “Comme Susser Todd” captures the nihilism one experiences after failure and has been my anthem in moments of sadness, always there if I need a reminder that “it all returns to nothing” anyway.

Characters

The characters of Evangelion are the heart of its themes. All of them are deeply pained and in constant agony with whatever their life’s struggle is. Everyone is flawed because the show asserts that being a human being is an inherently painful and almost masochistic, but also beautiful and worthwhile endeavor. They’re all messed up in their own way and it’s great.

Directing

Anno’s directing is probably at its best here. There are so many moments of strange symbolism, with text and images flashing on the screen for just a moment. In the case of The End of Evangelion, frames of animation and images and text just layer over each other to convey the order of Shinji’s psyche breaking down and crumbling into a mess he screams in agony, which is one of the most poignant moments in anime. Also, more normal moments, with so much attention and detail put into them that they feel special. In the scene when Shinji is just lying awake at night, right as Asuka opens the door, he very quickly, almost unnaturally, falls down asleep in sync with the door opening. Normally two distinct motions like this happening at the same time is sort of an animation rule you don’t break, but in this case, it’s done to great effect. It’s one of those scenes that people have different interpretations for, but it seems clear that there is a connection being expressed between the two. More literally, Shinji is avoiding contact at the exact moment that Asuka is seeking it.

And of course, this is Anno’s baby above all else. Everyone knows at this point that he was depressed while he made the show, and that it’s an expression of the feelings he was going through at the time. However, when people act like this somehow tainted the show, it makes me wonder what they get out of art in the first place. Do you not want to see a piece that’s just filled to the brim with someone’s broken soul just poured into every aspect of the work? Like, this is why art exists. Get with it.

When I watch this show, I am extremely biased and I admit that fully. I’m past the point of caring about fair criticism because I have bought entirely into Anno’s idea and think of it as an expression of himself. All I’m trying to do when I watch it is to try and understand Anno’s feelings about people more.

Themes

The basic theme in Evangelion that’s built up to and finally hammered into the audience in Episodes 25 and 26 is that you have the decision to decide who you are, even in such a cruel world where getting closer to other people is a painful process. Yet, to feel trapped by any circumstances and that to feel trapped by any circumstances is a fundamental misunderstanding of how life works. You always have options, and even if it seems like every option sucks, what are you going to do, run away? But then you’d miss out on everything that’s so beautiful about the world as well. These themes work because they’re delivered in the face of such darkness and grim reality on multiple levels. The pilots endure physical and psychological pain from fighting the angels as well as interpersonal pain from attempting to relate to each other. What’s interesting is that the latter is presented as more central to all humanity, because while most of us probably won’t have our arm cut in half lengthwise or be forced to confront our ego directly by an alien, we all struggle with the feelings of isolation that come with the people in our lives. Because it’s so dark, we can take it more seriously when it speaks about “hope”, because if these incredibly damaged people can change than maybe anyone can.

I like these themes and this philosophy a lot because it’s a sort of a step beyond typical edgy teenage philosophy of “life sucks and that’s how it is”. Like other “dark” media aimed at teens and young adults, it suggests that life is hard, but it actually champions optimism and taking action as a companion to nihilism. Unless you just want to wallow in depression your entire life, you have to make a decision. At the end of the day, you’re here aren’t you? You may as well make the best of it and accept that you’re here on this earth and living with other people, and that you’ll experience loss and isolation, but also love and happiness. At the end of the day though, it’s your choice how you look at things, what you do, and even if you choose to participate in life or not.

As a hopeless optimist, it reinforces my worldview. Even in my worst moments, at least I don’t have it as bad as the Eva characters.

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Well, that’s about as “concise” as I can write a post about this show. Maybe one day I’ll explore some of these ideas deeper and with more examples, but as for right now, thinking about Evangelion has taken enough toll on me.

What’s your favorite anime and how has it had an impact on how you see things?