Neon Genesis Evangelion is a terrific work of art, but it’d be a stretch to describe it as a generally “fun” show. Instead of embracing the sense of exhilaration, freedom, and power that you might expect would come with piloting a giant robot, Evangelion instead emphasizes the great terror of that experience, and the sense of shame that would compel a depressed young boy to pilot such a thing. Given that general tone, Evangelion’s eighth episode stands as a stark break from our prior journeys through anxiety and isolation and depression and betrayal. For the first time, Evangelion proposes that maybe, just maybe, action could be fun? Could be cool? Could be genuinely validating?
Tag Archives: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episode 7
Throughout its early episodes, Neon Genesis Evangelion has taken care to impress upon us the scale of this conflict, and the necessity of an organization like NERV. As I’ve previously discussed, apocalyptic scifi like this can have a tendency to feel pretty myopic in its scale – there are these heroes and these villains, but the concept of a greater world hanging in the balance can feel dramatically distant. Through conceits like the army’s initial failure in episode one, and the collaborative efforts of all Japan in six, Evangelion has consistently reminded us that humanity has truly been pushed to the edge, and that NERV really is our last line of defense. And here in episode seven, we receive the most stark indicator yet that NERV is truly humanity’s final barricade – as they scramble to defend that title, in light of a direct challenge by professional rivals.
Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episode 6
Neon Genesis Evangelion’s fifth and sixth episodes collectively form a neatly contained arc, as the battle against the show’s third angelic antagonist is contrasted against Rei Ayanami’s formal introduction. In spite of being present and even dramatically central throughout all of Evangelion’s early episodes, our understanding of this girl has mirrored Shinji’s – that is to say, we have no clue. She has been a cipher, with even sequences like Shinji’s intrusion into her apartment only enhancing her sense of mystery. In a show that’s so fully and thoughtfully attuned to the emotional experiences of its characters, Rei has stood as a strange outlier, accepting her duties with a blank stare at every turn.
Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episode 5
Neon Genesis Evangelion’s first several episodes all essentially slot into their own two episode arcs, each centered on their own emotional conflict, and each with a unique Angel used to better illustrate those conflicts. The first two episodes centered on Shinji’s introduction to NERV, and being introduced to both his new caretakers and the threat he would be facing. The second pair center on his feelings of depression, and his slow process of coming to terms with living in Tokyo 3. And here in our third mini-arc, we at last find ourselves with enough grounding to expand our focus outside of Shinji Ikari. In this third arc, we focus for the first time on the mysterious Rei Ayanami.
Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episode 4
A great part of it is the rain, or rather, the felt sensation of perpetual rain. It pours down at all times, holding us up in bus stations or entryways or lonely stairwells, forcing us to relive old failures again and again. It’s cold and damp, and it makes us feel cold and damp in turn, unclean, ashamed of our clammy skin. It steals color from our surroundings, painting everything in a somber gray, draining the vitality of the landscape just as it drains our passion for the things we love. Others seem not to notice the rain, but simply emulating their behavior doesn’t make it go away. Whether you ignore it or acknowledge it, the rain doesn’t care – in the malaise of depression, it will remain your only true companion.
Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episode 3
After barreling out of the gate with what was essentially a two-part opening episode, Evangelion’s third episode sees us slowing down for a moment, and adopting what you could theoretically call the show’s “neutral mode.” Evangelion’s narrative builds over time, but its episodic angel attacks echo many of its giant robot predecessors, with Shinji as the not-so-gallant hero defending Tokyo-3 from an inventive range of new horrors. Episode three does indeed ramp up to a new angel attack, but this episode isn’t really about that fight, or rather, the fight is just one final illustration of the points it makes all throughout. This episode is about Shinji’s own personal alienation, and its illustration of Shinji’s headspace is as tense and immediate as any terrible monster could be.
Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episode 2
I’ve always loved Neon Genesis Evangelion’s inventive and gleefully melodramatic episode titles, and none more so than the iconic “Unfamiliar Ceiling/THE BEAST.” Like so many of Eva’s narrative devices, the concept of an unfamiliar ceiling has become an anime trope unto itself, but here in its original incarnation, that title card feels like the essence of Eva in miniature. The first half’s title embodies Evangelion’s careful capturing of specific and alienating lived moments; the second half is the roar of violence lurking just beneath those moments’ surface. Eva doesn’t do pre-OP cold opens – it introduces its new drama directly, and its punctuation for that drama comes in the form of thunderous title drops. So much of Evangelion’s dramatic strength is a result of its utter confidence in its own tone, and these striking white-on-black mini-poems contribute greatly to that sense of solemnity and impact.
Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episode 1
It’s a little intimidating to begin writing about a series as titanic as Evangelion; after all, few shows have earned as much critical ink over the years, or prompted such heated fandom divisions. Its own intrinsic value as a narrative and art object aside, it is easy to say, without hyperbole, that Neon Genesis Evangelion is undoubtedly one of the most important anime of all time. Produced by a relatively fresh studio at a time of great uncertainty within the industry, the show fundamentally affected not just individual narrative trends, but the industry’s overall financial and production model. The fact that anime airs late at night and is largely aimed at a specific, insular young adult audience is in part because of Evangelion; the fact that so many productions are intended not to sell discs, but advertise a variety of tie-in products is also a piece of its legacy. These trends built off industry conditions that existed prior to Eva (giant robots had been selling toys for decades at this point), but it’s undoubtedly true that without Eva, the anime industry would be a very different place.
Top 30 Anime Series of All Time
Yep, I’ve finally put together a top shows list. As I hopefully made clear in part one and part two of my critical biases post, this is obviously my list – it represents the things I think are most valuable in stories in the way I think they’ve best been articulated. It’s also just a list of shows I enjoy – there’s no hard criteria here, so I wouldn’t stress the numbers too much. Also, it’s a bit front-loaded – I only started watching anime seasonally about two years ago, so the last couple years are disproportionately represented. Incidentally, I’m not including movies here either – I think direct comparisons between shows and films are a bit of a stretch, but if they were included, this list would certainly be somewhat different. And finally, I’m absolutely (and thankfully) certain this list will change over time – there are still piles of widely beloved shows I’ve never seen, so I’m sure the current rankings will be filled out in the years to come. So with that all said, let’s get to the list – Bobduh’s Top 30 Anime of All Time.
-edit- I have now created a Top Shows Addendum for shows that have either fallen off or just barely missed this list. Please enjoy these additional almost-top shows!
Once More With Fury: Rebuilding Evangelion
Management: This one’s all about Eva and Anno’s relationship with his fans, so it’s a bit thornier than most. As such, the usual caveats apply – this isn’t an attack or an indictment of anyone, it’s just a personal take on some very strange fiction. Hope you enjoy!![[Coalgirls]_Evangelion_3.33.0_You_Can_(Not)_Redo_(1920x816_Blu-ray_FLAC)_[FC2091F9].mkv_snapshot_00.33.52_[2014.01.31_23.00.21]](http://wrongeverytime.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/coalgirls_evangelion_3-33-0_you_can_not_redo_1920x816_blu-ray_flac_fc2091f9-mkv_snapshot_00-33-52_2014-01-31_23-00-21.jpg)
“I started this production with the wish that once the production complete, the world, and the heroes would change.” – Hideaki Anno
In attempting to justify the existence of the Rebuild of Evangelion, Hideaki Anno offers an interesting defense. In the words of my handy statement-of-purpose booklet, “I do think, why revive a title that is over 10 years old now? I also feel that Eva is already old. But in these 12 years, there has been no newer anime than Eva.”