Neon Genesis Evangelion

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What do you think about this anime?
I think it's really interesting in all aspects from the way it was made, to the impact it had on the anime medium to the show itself!
What's your take on this anime?

Unrelated question: Do you think this show is related to autism or aspergers?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS8pSxyrKBE[/youtube]
Ever since I saw this show, I could not stop thinking like this. Does this have any affect with the way you think?

Used to love this show, and the End of Evangelion film. I don't see the point of the film remake though, it just seems to be rehashing for the most part with many scenes copied from the original animation shot for shot. The new elements ie. the new female character, Kaoru's early showing seem undercooked and add little.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is my favourite anime (but I realise it's the favourite anime of a lot of people). I think it's cool in many aspects, it's funny, well-animated, the action sequences are good (even if they're both shorter and sometimes more brutal when compared to other giant mecha shows), and the development of the plot and of the characters individual storylines keep me engaged, though there are a couple of loose ends.

I think the show relates very much to autism, but I'm uncertain how much Anno Hideaki was thinking about autism when he made the show. He has been quoted as saying that the otaku lifestyle is a form of 'self-imposed autism', and that it's better not to focus too much on the games and the entertainment in one's life, locking oneself up with that, and closing oneself off from the problems in the real world. I can follow him in this, and I see this in the anime not only in the storylines of the 3 main Eva pilots, but also in the story of Misato and Kaji, especially when Misato mentions that, when they were younger all their relationship was, was 'playing house'.

On the other hand, I think it's very likely that someone who writes characters like Ayanami Rei, Asuka, Ikari Gendo, Ritsuko Akagi, may be on the autistic spectrum himself. He has said that, when he was in college, a friend of his showed him a book on psychological disorders, and when he read it, he saw a lot of things that 'clicked' with his state of mind at that time. (Remember that his depression was in a much later stage in his life). But characters like Rei and Ritsuko, who, respectively, say things like 'I don't know what to do in situations like this (when another person is crying)' or 'There is no logic to romantic relationships', someone who can write characters like that in such a convincing way, is either a (mildly) autistic mind, or relates very well to the autistic mind.

Finally, it is said that the concept of the 'AT Field' (absolute terror field) is derived from a theory in psychology that describes an 'invisible threshold' around an autistic person, past which the intrusion of a stranger will evoke the response of discomfort/irritation. In my case, for example, this used to be when someone would walk up to my toys and rearrange them only slightly, I'd throw a tantrum. Similar response whenever a stranger would try to touch me in any way, even a pat on the back.

I don't know that Evangelion has caused a revolution in my own thinking, but it has expressed a lot of concepts that I recognise and have sometimes found difficult to express, especially in terms of how to relate to the outside world and to other people. I'm not afraid to say that watching Evangelion has been a great help for me personally to re-evaluate my place in the world, my self-image, and how I relate to others.

This was the first anime series I watched 'properly', as in knowing what it was. I actually marathoned the whole thing in one all-night session, pausing to sleep then watching EoE afterwards. Talk about jumping in at the deep end!

Looking back on it, I've seen a lot of anime that I didn't enjoy nearly as much, and a few that are much better. It was and always will be my 'gateway' anime show, and that fact will always sway my opinion. It's very inventive, thought-provoking and fun, and I can see why it's popular.

A quick thought on my experience of the Rebuild movie remakes: they're like some 'second draft' effort. Most stuff in the first one and quite a bit of the second is the same, just with cosmetic improvements and streamlining the storyline. It lends itself well to the transition from TV show to big budget feature films, and so far it's been very good. I still don't think it's the best thing Hideaki Anno has done (Gunbuster!) but he's clearly having a blast with the chance to revisit an old piece of work.

As for the psychology, it's hard to tell where the original intent of the writers ends and viewer speculation begins! I've read and heard so much stuff over the years that varies from the profound to the ridiculous...I'm not familiar with psychology or the terminology involved, but as I understand it NGE borrows a lot from Freud; but quite a bit of Freud is now considered outdated though apparently. I try not to over-think it any more since I started to discover how certain aspects (such as the Jewish/Christian religious imagery) aren't meant to represent anything in particular; they're just there to look and sound cool. Which they do.

This show is one of my all-time favorites. Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami were some of the first characters I had ever seen in a show that I could really relate to. It also introduced me to postmodern existentialism which is more or less my personal philosophy (though I do add in a bit of absurdism). And did anyone else notice that Gurren Lagann is pretty much a happier, over-the-top spiritual remake of Evangelion? I mean, they even bring up the whole "doll" thing. (I haven't finished the series yet, but it's already up there with Evangelion in my book!) I would babble on, but I'm tired right now so I guess I'll save my fanboy-ing for another day.

Wow, Badger, you're a trooper for jumping into the show with an all-out marathon. I did a marathon of Eva myself last year, though that was after I had already seen most of the show in the span of about a year and a half prior. This was my reaction:

I just got into this show, and I really enjoy it. As of this writing, I am on episode 11. I realize that it becomes much darker and more depressing starting from episode 14, but I think I can handle it. It might help that I already know the spoilers beforehand.

I considered gunning through the whole series in a marathon, but I decided to take my time instead. Besides the fact that I enjoy a series more if I take my time with it, I also wanted to avoid breaking my brain.

I will post again after I finish the series and End of Evangelion and let you know what I thought of it.

I really like your Asuka avatar, IdahoRose.

Thanks. Asuka is my favorite character. I wish I could be as confident and outgoing as she is, even though I know she's actually a really broken person on the inside.

As an update on my progress, I finished episode 17 last night.

I finished episode 20 now, and it's the last of Evangelion I'll ever watch. The things that transpired within the last couple of episodes were so disturbing to me that it made me physically nauseous.

I think I'll stick to watching My Little Pony:Friendship is Magic...

Oh, I'm so sorry the ride has come to an end so soon! But I understand how those episodes would be disturbing to you; you're probably referring to what Eva-01 was doing to the Angels during its berserker rages? Yeah, it's quite a contrast with the more fun-filled, action-packed arc that ran from episode 8-15.

Well, the next 4 episodes don't exactly make for easy viewing either, and beside Toji, quite a few characters get some tough blows to absorb in those episodes.

But who knows? Maybe you'll just have to let it rest for a while, and you might pick up where you left off one day. Even if it takes years.

Yeah, the "Eva 01 going berserk" thing was really disturbing to me. The way it screamed and crawled around like an animal... the fact that it grew organic teeth and eyes... never mind the fact that it ate the angel... I watched the episodes late at night and I was scared to go to sleep because I thought I was going to have nightmares about it.

I'm actually kind of sad that I got so freaked out over the show, because I really liked most things about it before the characters' situations started to take a turn for the worse. I knew I was getting into a really dark and insane series when I started it, but I guess I overestimated how much I would be able to handle.

I may return to watching it one day in the future when I grow a thicker skin. But these days I have to be really careful about what I watch because I'm so sensitive and easily frightened. I remember that when I watched Donnie Darko a few summers ago, it really messed up my thinking. And it's not even considered a scary movie by most people!

The intensity was toned down quite a bit in the new Rebuild of Evangelion movies, if you want to check those out. 40% less angst, 100% more badbutt*!

*Think of the children

I personally thought that making the characters in Rebuild happier and less angsty... took away some of the charm the original TV series held for me. I encountered the same thing when I read the manga written by character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. The characters were easier in their interpersonal interactions and spoke their mind to each other quicker.

Whereas in the original anime, in my opinion, much of the beauty was in the situations where the characters often found themselves unable and/or unwilling to properly speak to each other.

However, I do think Rebuild is gorgeous (I'd recommend it, but YMMV), and I've seen the second movie and bits and pieces of the first. But perhaps it's best suited for either diehard fans, or casual viewers who haven't seen Evangelion first time around. I did think especially the final half of Rebuild 2.0 was quite intense in its own way, also reminiscent of events from that other Eva feature film, End Of Eva.

Yes, I found it harder to relate to the characters in the manga and rebuild versions. They're enjoyable and all, but there wasn't that intense sense of recognition that I got from the original series. I don't know about Anno being on the spectrum, but I've read or seen very few things that I could relate to so well.

You were right, CyclopsSummers... Even though I was bothered by some of the events that have happened in the story, I decided to continue watching it. I love the characters, setting and story too much to quit.

Episode 21 was easier to stomach than the last three episodes, but I know that what's coming up in the next couple of episodes is going to be a doozy. I think I can handle it, though. I just need to remember that it's only an anime - I shouldn't take it so seriously.