Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion Reaction & Reivew!

Thank you so much for the kind words and comment! Hahaha, my reflex was to go back to 26 hahaha, but I do really appreciate EOE, especially upon re-watch! :) I definitely feel this was Anno's way of saying, "Oh? You're mad at Episodes 25 and 26...FINE. HERE'S AN ENDING!" And here we are -- it definitely doesn't give you the satisfaction of a "happy ending" as we normally know it, but I don't think NGE could get away with such endings, though! And yes, what a crazy thing, that Anno's message about escapism and getting away from the Otaku perhaps even jettisoned it even more! I'm so excited for the rebuilds and manga! :) I'm glad y'all are ready for me to see them, too!

Romaniablack

"only Yui lasts forever" is such a statement! I do like that you share how EOE is your comfort movie -- I like the label of a "pessimist's happy ending" -- I think that's very true; I appreciate after re-watching (again) haha, the ending of both -- there's something so wholesome and almost camp about the end of Episode 26 that I really appreciate, and Anno's ballsy-ness in creating something he wanted at the end. EOE almost feels like, "FINE, you want a bombastic ending to NGE?! HERE YOU GO" haha, that there's something almost quaint about 26's ending I really love. But, having said that, I do love what EoE did in not giving a "different" ending in terms of tone. Both still give you the sense that there's no "clean and happy" ending; the characters are still going to have struggles, but maybe there is hope, too. Which I like!

Romaniablack

Yes, someone told me about the live action sequence and sent me that link -- it's....i get it, but I'm glad that EOE didn't use the whole 11 minute version in it haha!

Romaniablack

Oh my gosh, it fits so welllllll hahahahaha

Romaniablack

That's a great point in this with those two areas; I do like the idea of Rei being connected to Ymir and Mikasa in their quests to "free" themselves and be their own person! :)

Romaniablack

He cannot escape his creation! That's insane though that she didn't know it's the creator of Evangelion -- I love that NGE gets to all audiences, even callgirls!

Romaniablack

I looooved watching you react to this and try to figure it all out. Your initial reaction is so spot on and I've never really seen anyone react like that immediately after EOE. The way you kind of just wanted the episode 26 ending back is too perfect. EOE truly delivers on the narrative/lore front. It gave the angry obsessed fans everything that they wanted, while still delivering the same message. But this time, the delivery was angry, it was cynical, it was made to hit you like a brick, the same way life does. People worship this movie as if it is peak cinema, and in some ways it is. But it is so obvious how angry this version of the ending is. The way Anno denies you the satisfaction of seeing Shinji with others at the end. NGE's ending was the ending nobody wanted but everybody deserved. EOE's ending was the ending everyone wanted but no one deserved. Still EOE actually hit people, and opened eyes around the world. It's kind of sad that it only propelled the franchise further into the limelight, further into merchandising, further into the otaku-esque worship that Anno was meaning to be critical of. People got the message about waking up, going outside and loving their neighbor and friends, but his warnings about otaku culture and the materialistic direction that society is heading towards went largely unnoticed among most video essayists and anime analysts. Was a blast watching you cover this series, I can't wait to see you cover the rebuilds and see the rest of Anno's journey.

Ayaano

About the live action, there's a whole sequence that didn't make it into the movie. I think for the better because the live sequence as is flows so beautifully but it's fascinating to see what got cut: https://vimeo.com/189200461

Alex Kornejo

I'd say both Eva endings are a happy ending... not in the sense that everything is right, all issues resolved, and no conflicts or struggles will arise. but because they make the point that expecting a world with no struggle is wishful thinking. They make that point in two very different ways but they make the same point. They're a pessimists' happy ending. they're not saying there wont be struggle going forward, they're not even saying you'll work past your own issues. they're saying pushing forward despite all of those things is worthwhile in itself because as long as you have the will to do so there will always be a chance to find happiness and fulfillment. It's not saying 'get past the slump you're in and the hard part is over'. Which is one of the things other 'self improvement' works make it feel like. It's saying 'It will be hard all the way through, you'll even fall into old habits over and over again but everyone has chance to find happiness as long as they got the will to keep moving forward. As someone with those kind of lifelong depressive character traits, EoE has the weird honor of being my comfort movie. Because I don't hope to ever be a happy go lucky sort of person, but I'm ok with being who I am and I can ride out the lows and appreciate the high points all the more knowing knowing neither one nor the other are meant to last forever. Only Yui lasts forever.

Alex Kornejo

And of course someone set the rumbling sequence to Komm Susser Tod: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO3neJZW3z8

Alex Kornejo

It's a sensitive topic so I'll try to be as tactful as I possibly can, but I apologize if I somehow fall at it; when all three pilots were probed by the angels Rei seemed to be the only one that came out the stronger from that experience, similarly in the movie, the three of them were on the receiving end of deeply inappropriate advances and once again Rei's the one that seemed to come out stronger from that experience. Gendo saw her as a tool, Asuka saw her as a doll, Ritsuko as a spare, but I love that at the end of the day she was always her own person. Even though I see quite a bit of Rei in Ymir & Mikasa, I think they're characters on their way to become free. I think Rei always had that internal autonomy and just lacked the external means to exert it. You could say that's not character development, but a character revealing they're something completely different from what you thought at first is just as great. And I totally agree with you with the whole human animal thing. we're mediocre creatures if not for our ability to think and work together. it's what took us where we are. And we definitely need to be either push to desperation or be propagandized to be made ok with killing. And I think EoE did try to make an effort to not paint the JSSDF as monsters but it got lost among all the madness. The prime minister scene made it clear he was being sent bad info about NERV's intentions and from the soldiers perspectives they thought they were doing the right thing stopping the third impact, that's why the captain says 'our mission has failed' when he sees the beginning stages of instrumentality. They were the soldiers in the ground, they didn't know any better, they thought they were there to save the world. When the soldier told Shinji 'nothing personal' I feel it wasn't meant to be sarcastic. It was coming from a solider who knew he was about to kill a child but thought it was for the greater good.

Alex Kornejo

I wouldn't put that much faith about marriage solving a person's issues but I guess it's a sign that you're in a good enough place that another person can tolerate being around you everyday. About Anno at the time... for some reason, there's a 10min video on youtube of him recording himself using a call-girl service... But I'm sure it was just for research. Funny thing is the girl ends up discussing Eva with him without knowing he's the one that made it. Poor man can't escape it.

Alex Kornejo

The song, after the reaction, has grown on me a lot with this movie; like you said, it does work really well for it! And yes, the end of EOE alongside Episodes 25 and 26 make a really nice overall picture of what Anno seems to want us to take away from the series; that sense of hopefulness combined with the remembrance of reality and our need to understand ourselves...and maybe let down those AT Fields every once in a while, hahaha!! This was definitely one of the bigger undertakings I've done for a series, so I really really appreciate all the support! :) Thank you so much!

Romaniablack

I love when Komm Süsser Tod comes on in this movie, but i like a bit of "mismatched" music, some weird and dark music to happy and nice imagery and vice versa. Although i don't think this song is that mismatched, i can put it on when i want to feel a bit sad and melancholic. Never looked into what the live action part meant before, i love that Anno could get some things (related to the real world) of his chest in this movie. While i'm not sure i can back it up with "reasons" and while bitter sweet, i've always seen this ending as quite hopeful. And if i wasn't over the moon about 25-26 at first, coupled with EoE i think they are excellent. Even with only the parts of your content that i watch i don't know how you manage (and with these gargantuan deep dives), but i appreciate it and i thank you for all your hard work and the interesting discussions. 👌

Christopher Pettersson

Ha! Shinji, Asuka, and the rest of the remaining people depended on Tang-flavored everything to survive. Fun times. XD

Romaniablack

I agree that difference in opinion and constructive "conflict" is needed, it seems any human idea, what ever the good intention, is taken to far if unopposed.

Christopher Pettersson

We can hope some grain, maybe some grass and a cow or two "decides" to return too, otherwise... maybe the "LCL-fluid" everything turned into is nutritious?

Christopher Pettersson

Wow, thank you for the link and for the explanation of that, too! I think the final line does really work to end the film and the explanation of it is just crazy! And yesss, that clearly seems to be a connection to his feelings toward otaku who are too obsessed with his work....fascinating! Thank you for the comment!

Romaniablack

Shinji literally is a ball of self-hatred and sexual confusion -- being 14 and having to handle all he has is really....rough. I feel for him! "The existential crisis of anime," INDEED! Asuka...girl REALLY gets the shaft in this series, as she finally gets to bask in the hero's glory...only to be ripped to shreds and then outshined by the ONE person (well, one among many, but still) she didn't want to have near her...and then ends up on a post-apocalyptic wasteland with him at the end. Stupid Shinji. :P Yeah, it really is a very BLEAK ending to the series, as we don't get a lot of answers as to who "wins" in this, and the idea of a polluted sea and giant rotting corpse of a would-be deity begs the question of what life post 3rd Impact would be like...it's pretty disturbing and horrifying to think about! Yeah, and Yui wanting to be a monolith to humanity...but at what cost? What does that say about her constitution...that's an interesting thought. HAHAHAHA, and yeah, Anno portrays the extreme spectrums of the relationship in this movie -- but it looks like he realized there's a LOT of gray area in between that. Good for him! :) He did credit, so I've been told, as his wife being one of those individuals that "saved him" so I guess it worked out in the end! :)

Romaniablack

I am happy for Rei -- that's a nice comparison to Shinji vs Gendo in how they "handled" Rei in the moment and I'm glad that she at LEAST had her own choice by the end of everything and wasn't doing something because she was told do. But yeah, everyone that didn't want to become orange goop were probably less than thrilled ahahaha! And yes, the hilarious thing is that most of the fighters on either side had NO IDEA what they were even fighting for...in no way, shape, or form a reference to anything happening in our own world, right? I like the idea that gets brought up in AOT and that I've talked about in some mediation classes I did in grad school -- the idea that conflict doesn't HAVE to be negative. I think that can apply to the comments on YT or Patreon as well, but the idea that it's okay to disagree and share varying opinions. That "conflict" can lead to new ideas or ways of seeing things, which is great. I think that some get convinced that "conflict" = "bad" and then you get ideas of turning everyone into a primordial soup dish...but you know....what can we do? We're only human, right? :) Thanks for the comments!

Romaniablack

Hahaha ahhhh "Hey Jude" is a much better comparison than a Care Bears song! XD Thank you! I definitely will have to give it a listen! :D

Romaniablack

I absolutely agree that Misato resorting to the kiss and what she said afterwards is HEARTBREAKING, because it's leaning into those old habits despite her being self-aware! It's so heartbreaking and you word it perfectly, here. AND YES, god yes, Shinji isn't motivated necessarily by sex; it's love. That's a neat point about the suit and him manifesting it because he views himself as a pilot! Great point! Thank you for the comment!

Romaniablack

No worries!! Thank you so much for the kind words and comment! And yeah...I don't know, hahaha, I'm not the HAPPIEST of people, but even I am not quite sure becoming one primordial soup mix is for me, haha! :D "Soul Communism!" XD

Romaniablack

Hey, no worries! Sleep and health is more important, as Anno I'm sure would agree, so no rush getting through this massive discussion! :) But yes, I cracked up a few times because Huckleberry looked SO fascinated by what I was saying (he really just wanted me to throw the toy that was offscreen to him)!

Romaniablack

Congratulations Sometime in the future you might want to revisit the insert song; a shameless riff on Hey Jude combined with on the nose depression lyrics to glorious effect. It grows on you.

Butcher Carl

Ok, second comment but have about an hour left, so not quite done. When Gendo grabs Rei it reminded me of the time when Shinji did the same, with him it was an accident and when he got his wits back he withdrew. Back then Rei didn't react as she probably didn't have a sense of being her own person, with a right to her own body. By rejecting Gendo she reclaims her bodily autonomy, and while i don't think either of those grabs were sexual they would still be severe oversteps that anyone should react to. So good for Rei... and then she goes and completly unifies with Adam, Lilith and all of humanity, atleast it was her own choice. But probably a severe overstep for all other people not desiring becoming orange goop. I think we see that both the regular people at NERV and the soldiers attacking at the behest Steele had little or no understanding of what either organization was really after. I think both sides would have had loads of people quitting their jobs if they did. It's a regular thing in fiction (and real world thinking) that humans are destructive and will always fight each other. To me this view is really flawed, what we know about the human animal is that we are made for empathy and working in groups. We are equipped with the most advanced mirror neurons in nature and are perhaps the only ones who can see another living thing and "truly" feel what they feel (both good and bad) just trough the act of observing. I think i brought up this exact thing in some AoT discussion (what a coincidence 😆) but most people must be trained and conditioned into really being able to hurt someone else. The problem is that our brains are made for groups of maybe 100 people and anyone not in our in-group is really easy to make undeserving of our compassion (probably made a lot of sense on the African savanna 200 000 years ago).

Christopher Pettersson

LITERALLY! hahahaha! Thank you for the comment!

Romaniablack

That would have been SO cool to have seen in the theaters!! :D Thank you so much for the kind words!!

Romaniablack

What?: The Movie

kroonhorstdino

I been workings long hours trying to see a project through these past couple of weeks, and last night I had a choice, either have a good night's sleep or watch this, guess which one won. Anyway, probably won't get a chance to comment for a couple days so I'll just leave this: "My dog thinks this is the most fascinating thing in the world" It is, and like all dogs, he’s got superb taste.

Alex Kornejo

Wow, will need some days for this as well :D Thank you! Just one thought: Happy people not wanting to merge souls is like rich people not wanting to pay taxes. Soul communism ftw!

Snackles

great movie glad i got the chance to watch it at the cinema last year and as always great reaction

call3434

iHatePiano

Just started the discussion, so you may cover this point later, but I want to address the Misato proposition to Shinji. It’s, in my mind, one of the most tragic scenes in the whole anime. Misato accepts at that point her complete failure as Shinji’s mother figure. She was unable to mentor Shinji into adulthood, unable to give him the care he needed to self-actualise. She accepts that failure, and having no other way, she attempts the only way she knows how to motivate him. By trying to sexually manipulate him into taking action and saving the world. Of course she doesn’t want to have sex with him, she knows she’s dying. And she knows she’s failed to rouse him out of his depression. Having no other card left to play, she abandons her attempts to mother him and uses sex. It’s incredibly sad. And of course, what’s truly sad about that, is that sex would never have motivated Shinji. He needed love. PS- I’ve never thought of the suit being actualised as an animation error within the Eva. Shinji manifests his being as the suit because in his mind he exists as an Eva pilot.

Roy Koopa

"How disgusting" Oh gee thanks Asuka. Starting the movie with that hospital scene is a choice, but it shows how conflicted, full of self-hatred and (sexual) confusion Shinji is. I would say it's quite inconsiderate of the end of the world to happen just when you are depressed and going through puberty, those hard enough on their own. I'm no expert either and i've never really sought out what it all means, all i have are my discussions with my brother all those years ago when we first watched it. So disclaimer, this post are just some random thoughts after watching up to just before "THE TIMELINE of EOE...". They might, like yours, change when i reflect more and watch the rest of your discussion. What was it i said after episode 1? "Welcome to existential crisis the anime" i think we've gotten that atleast. I feel for Asuka again, she got her Mojo back, found her purpose and... it didn't matter one bit, again she couldn't change the course of events. Stupid Shinji. Who got what they wanted here? It seems Seele and Gendo both wanted the same thing even if Gendo just wanted it to get to Yui again, or what was it he really tried to accomplish down there with Rei? What did Rei want? seems she did exactly what Seele wanted, but "gave" everyone an "out"? Unit-01 and Yiu, what were their parts in all of it? 01 and Yui awakened at the end, got the power of a god and... did nothing? besides perhaps being the means of allowing everyone (and everything) to reform? (if they so wish) One would hope that a few more people besides Shinji and Asuka would wish to reform, on the other hand, Earth at this point in time doesn't seem the best place to live, with a humongous rotting Rei corpse and all that. So Yui became an eternal monument to humanity, one that will outlive the Sun, Earth and Moon, hurtling through the void until the end of the universe? Seems worse than even the primordial soup existence. We've asked ourself how Anno felt during all of NGE, i think i wonder about his dating and sex life. He seems conflicted about things (as he's married now i guess he figured things out), either it's the fusion of two souls intermingling in total bliss, or it's closed off people just futilely trying to not feel lonely in a world where two people can never really know each other. There are things between those two you know.

Christopher Pettersson

It took me a few days to make this madness, so I don't blame you! And yes, I am officially a madwoman for NGE! 😁

Romaniablack

Oh boy! this might take me a few days to get through, you're a madwoman. 😂

Christopher Pettersson