Review: Neon Genesis Evangelion + End of Evangelion

What would the future population be like if it fell to a 15-year-old to save the world? Evangelion provides the answer...or almost. When Shinji came back after trying to elope with his fears somewhere mid-series, I thought: "well, this will finally be settled then, there won't be anything else like that". But Shinji continues to doubt throughout the rest of the episodes, right up until the finale in End of Evangelion.

The organisation NERV is given charge of creating and directing the EVAs against the lifeforms known only vaguely as "Angels". In Anno's future, the world is being rebuilt after the 2nd impact (Armageddon) and Tokyo 3 is the headquarters of NERV. The world-building leaves a bit to be desired, mainly who SEELE are and NERV and why these groups have the jurisdiction to rig up all of Japan's electrical power in the name using the EVAs.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the well-known anime series' out there and considered part of the must-watch cannon. It's also well-known for the last 2 episodes in which Gainax recycled scenes from the previous episodes to create a 40 minute long soliloquy of all the main characters a la Hamlet. Remember that you need to watch the movie to see the rest of the fucked-up plot (it gets more fucked up along the way) which reminded me of Rahephon and Ergo Proxy.

I think I will always be an Evangelion-basher. All the Judeo-Christianity just did not appeal. In the End of Evangelion, I could see Hebrew letters encircling some curious reference to the Tree of Life and was treated to an aural and visual Eton Mess of white god-flesh readying itself to obliterate the Earth. The problem is not that Shinji was an unappealing character - in fact, I sympathized with all of his fears and misgivings about being forced to be a saviour for the world but having to obey his cold, calculating father at the same time and make difficult choices that bely him with guilt afterwards. I should be discussing Shinji's fellow EVA pilots and the other characters as well. But there's been so much fandom dedicated to them, I guess I won't need to.

I actually look forward to reading some of the fanfic plots - all the angst! the sexual tension just dying to be released and consummated! etc.

Shinji was actually the character I could relate to most - his actions weren't disgusting or cowardly by my standards (I am a disgusting and cowardly person myself and I feel I could have been worse in his postion lol) but the End of Evangelion plotline was stretched so thin that I could no longer watch without wanting to crack up. (please refer to the sentence about god-flesh).

Some scenes are executed beautifully in this series - the cold, clinical hospital rooms where the characters wake up in. Shinji hates the ceilings - etc. His constantly repeating cassette player, the underground Tokyo-3 was a nice touch as were Ritsuko's relationship with the supercomputers' MAGI. So the series does have developed characters - except Rei, who is not really meant to have personality at all.

So where is the problem? I still think it's all the symbolism/plotline revolving around Adam/Lilith etc. If you're going to  produce an anime series like that, along with the ones already out there, make sure it actually holds together.

(another rough and unproofed and messy review)