Neon Genesis Evangelion: Episode 20 FULL LENGTH Reaction!
Added 2022-07-28 13:00:10 +0000 UTC**MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS HEADPHONE WARNINGS**
I clearly wasn't ready for the trippiness, the depth of the imagery, or the content and lightning-quick dialogue that I'd have to go back and re-analyze!
It's like Episodes 14 and 16 combined and had one surreal baby...and we're not into the trippiest elements yet, I'm sure. But this episode had mystery, exposition, a classily-directed sex scene...oh and plenty of NIGHTMARE FUEL. So...NOW. Now, we're entering the third act of the series. Sweet.
LINK TO REACTION: https://streamable.com/gv89zz
Thanks for watching with me and for the support!
Comments
The Eva eye DOES look a little different from the original in Episode 2, which is...troubling to say the least, I agree! Oooohhhh, I'm going to take something from your discussion of the oral stage into a future discussion for episode 22, so I'm glad you brought it up. That is ALSO really interesting about "destrudo" -- deeeeefinitely bringing it up as well! :) Thank you for sharing all that information on those terms! Also, I'm going to talk about the Hayflick term in the next episode, but that's good to know! The parallels between Shinji and Asuka definitely become more pronounced at this stage of the series, and I hadn't looked at Rei's line like THAT, but man...that just makes things even more sad for her character. Come on, Anno, surely the rest of this series will get more upbeat, eh? Thank you for the kind words and the comment! Onward!! :D
Romaniablack
2022-08-04 16:17:46 +0000 UTCOh WOW, thank you for that information!! I will definitely check that out before watching Episode 22 -- I appreciate it! :) Thanks for that and the comment!
Romaniablack
2022-08-04 16:09:51 +0000 UTCOoohhh wow, I hadn't thought about that side of it, with all the reused footage like that and to tie it to Shinji drawing from his memory of all things -- that's such a good point and I love that what was once a negative actually adds value later on! :) Thanks for pointing that out and the comment!
Romaniablack
2022-07-31 20:13:49 +0000 UTCWhat video player are you using? Most of them have a way to advance frame by frame (VLC for instance). I think using it will save you a lot of time in episodes like this one. Currently, for those situations, I'm using SMPlayer (https://www.smplayer.info) and it's working great for me (I use Linux but it has versions for Windows and Mac as well, but I haven't tested them). One of the reasons I like SMPlayer for inspecting frame by frame is that by default the hotkeys to go back and forward one frame are comma and dot, which I find very handy. If you keep the dot key pressed down it advances at normal speed until you released it (and can use comma to go back a couple of frames if you need it). It's free so you can give it a try if you want, maybe it works for you :)
Daniel Contreras
2022-07-31 18:41:13 +0000 UTCoooooh, I can DEFINITELY see the FLCL influence in this episode (even though it's been AGES since I've seen FLCL...maybe I need to re-watch, haha)! And Promare makes sense, too! The style similarities are all over the place! Oh wow! It's funny that Episode 4 wasn't originally "planned" since it seems to be a fun one to parallel to and call back to as the series goes on! Interesttttting -- thank you for all the info! :D
Romaniablack
2022-07-30 22:44:04 +0000 UTCAhhh, that's an interesting theory behind it! I hadn't thought of that! :)
Romaniablack
2022-07-30 22:41:48 +0000 UTCI've seen Devilman Crybaby (that'll probably be next on the rewatch for me on here) but if THAT is a Shonen...really pushing the envelope there, too! Hahaha
Romaniablack
2022-07-30 22:38:13 +0000 UTCOne of the best directed episodes in my opinion, it makes use of still shots/reused shots in a way that feels thoughtful and cinematic as opposed to cheap or lazy. I love the nightmare fuel Eva wrapped up in bloody bandages, although the eye shown in this episode looks quite different than the earlier design shown in episode 2, much more human that “alien”. The oral stage is explained quite succinctly through the radio scene, but some things to note about it is that it is very much tied to breastfeeding, something that we actually see Shinji do in this episode. It is also the first of five stages of psychosexual development, which is interesting given the amount of episodes left in the show. Another psychology term used in this episode is often missed because it is referenced during the technobabble sequence when they are attempting to retrieve Shinji. “Destrudo” is referenced twice at 15:00 and 15:47, and is a term used to describe a persons “death drive” in Freudian psychoanalysis. The death drive/destrudo represents the drive towards death and destruction, and is the opposite of libido and pleasure seeking behaviours. Destrudo is expressed through behaviours like aggression, self destructiveness, and repetition compulsion. Repetition compulsion is a psychological phenomenon in which a person repeats an event or its circumstances over and over again. This includes re-enacting the event or putting oneself in situations where the event is likely to happen again. This "re-living" can also take the form of dreams in which memories and feelings of what happened are repeated, and even hallucinated. We see Shinji express this through his frequent re-living of his father abandoning him. The hayflick limit is also referenced in this episode, and is also a real biological principal that basically governs the amount of times a human cell population will divide before cell division stops. In the context of EVA we know that the Eva’s regenerate lost limbs, so if they are beyond the hayflick limit it means that the EVA cannot regenerate the amount of tissue needed to repair itself. Something I love about this episode is the parallel between Asuka and Shinji, we know that Asuka’s ego is very much tied to her being a successful EVA pilot, and has taken her recent defeats very badly. But we also see just how much Shinji’s own self worth depends on his pilot status, he believes that if he wasn’t an EVA pilot he would simply be alone again, but as a pilot he receives validation, praise and human connection that his life was entirely devoid of prior to piloting. Also I’ve always read Rei’s “I’m alive” as disappointment that her suicide attack in the previous episode did not kill her. I really love the “mother, lover, little sister” connection that you made. I’m so excited to get into the final 6 episodes!
MaleniaTheSevered
2022-07-30 12:25:39 +0000 UTCThis is one of the episodes where when I first watched this I was quite irritated by it. Younger me just didn't understand the depth of what I was being shown and wanted very much to see more original animation, especially since I was paying $25 per two episodes at the local anime shop way back when. Watching it now I am much more educated in both the production process and the language of film and animation and I think this episode is pure brilliance. All the frames from Shinji's vision are mostly reused footage from earlier in the series, with some notable exceptions (some of which I only caught the significance of on this watch, brilliant again). I love this for two reasons. One, it saves so much on production budget but is done in such a way as to not cause any harm to the viewing experience. Two, it is totally excusable as Shinji wouldn't have new experiences in his brain to pull from, he would have memories or things he imagines. Three, it gave great cover to hide a bunch of things within the rush of images and dialog which the audience can't truly appreciate until a rewatch.
Anna Kyruin
2022-07-29 00:12:12 +0000 UTCOh yeah, they are definitely pushing those limits! Another shonen (though a manga) famous for violence is Devilman, that is also shonen! The stuff you could get away with in older Shonen is mad, It's calmed down in recent years haha.
Simon Lemon
2022-07-28 23:33:04 +0000 UTCIt still floors me that a SHONEN would get away with a vocal sex scene -- of course, 90s and 80s anime were different, but a Shonen vs. Seinen, still -- I'm trying to imagine Bokuto today or Bleach -- also Shonen's having a scene like that and it just doesn't work. NGE was a whole different...beast...apparently. :)
Romaniablack
2022-07-28 23:21:58 +0000 UTCOf course it was Freudian! :D Hahaha, that makes sense -- thank you for the comment and that info, though! :) I appreciate it!
Romaniablack
2022-07-28 18:46:21 +0000 UTCAhh, my apologies, I forgot that the radio in the car tells you about it. For a small bit of added context, the term was coined by Sigmund Freud...
chroipahtz
2022-07-28 18:42:32 +0000 UTCThanks! I think in the discussion I got it for the most part! Thanks for the comment!!
Romaniablack
2022-07-28 17:34:30 +0000 UTCYou should google "oral stage". It's an existing psychology term and you won't run into any Eva spoilers.
chroipahtz
2022-07-28 17:32:41 +0000 UTCMy plan is to watch all 26 episodes of the series, and then go in this order: End of Evangelion Rebuild 1.1 Rebuild 2.2 Rebuild 3.3 THRICE UPON A TIME I may read the manga on my own time and then do a review later of it; I haven't decided. I was told that I didn't "HAVE" to watch "Death and Rebirth" at first, but some patrons have said it may be nice to watch -- so I might do that after EOE just for "fun" before the rebuilds, hahaha; I'll probably poll Patreon as we get closer. :)
Romaniablack
2022-07-28 15:17:05 +0000 UTCHow are you planning to handle the finale? Are you going to watch the last two episodes or the movie or both?
Joseph Hallowell
2022-07-28 15:13:40 +0000 UTCTV anime was also not viewed the same in the 90's. Most shows were based on long running manga and were made fast and cheap to fill TV timeslots. The high quality and risky stuff were mostly for OVA's or Movies, though after the economy collapsed the amount of those lowered significantly. And the change from Cel animation to computer animation made TV anime productions more efficient and consistent (though it took a while to get there). Though I've based this on some guesswork too, since it's so hard to find credible info on anime productions.
Simon Lemon
2022-07-28 13:50:59 +0000 UTCEva was not a kids show in the way western countries view kids shows. It's a Shonen show aimed at the older teen demographic, akin to Death Note, which is also a Shonen.
Simon Lemon
2022-07-28 13:46:28 +0000 UTCBack then lots of series were multiples of 13, which makes sense as that evenly divides the year (13, 26, 39, 52). I think the multiples of 12 format only started to become more popular in the 00s. I've always assumed this was to allow for some weeks where other programming takes up the series time slot while still having all new series start in the same 1-2 weeks, but I don't think I really have evidence for that.
cw
2022-07-28 13:33:41 +0000 UTCThe Episode Director for Episode 20 is Masahiko Ohtsuka, Evangelion is his debut as a episode Director. After Eva he did episode directing on FLCL, did episode and assistant directing on Gurren Lagann and worked at Gainax in roles on shows until 2011 when he joined Studio Trigger (which had just been founded by other former Gainax staff). He's still there today, and has worked on many of their shows. He recently storyboarded Promare, and is involved in the Cyberpunk show Trigger is making as an assistant Director. This Episode's script is credited to Hideaki Anno, which we know to be the head Director of EVA. He was writer on all Episodes of EVA with the exception of Episode 4, that episode was made during production and was not originally planned. But due to one of the writers feeling Shinji needed more development at the begging Anno let them make it.
Simon Lemon
2022-07-28 13:13:07 +0000 UTC
