So recently, I've been wanting to re-watch Neon Genesis Evangelion. I should preference I'm a big fan of the show. I just think it's one hell of a ride. Not in a “this is a perfectly written masterpiece” way, because it’s not. To say the plot is complex is an understatement. The plot is messy, it has clichés, and sometimes it feels like it’s barely holding itself together. I never enjoyed it for the plot though, so doesn't matter to me ^\_(シ)_/^ It's just a fascinating show. Like, what sticks with me isn’t the story as much as everything around it. The reactions and the arguments, the way people talk about it like they watched completely different shows.
Yeah I'm talking about the critiques. Honestly, I just find the criticisms to be more interesting than the show sometimes. The intellectual type would either think it’s shallow, or think it’s so deep it needs to be excavated. Some just like the fights, the mechs, and fan-service, and leave it at that. And then there are people who get really personal with it, like the characters hit something uncomfortable that’s hard to explain. All of those responses feel real, even when they contradict each other. Anime fans are weird. I like weird as I grow older though. This is definitely not the show to convince you that you like anime.
Again, it's weird. But I do believe there is more going on under the hood. Just not the show itself. Like, it's a cliche ridden show. But about every piece of media has cliches and tropes, soo...
God, I'm already confused writing this. Well for one, it's a damn good looking show. Most people can't deny that. But what the hell, I'm asking for a movie. Movies include stories. The story... uhhh.. "Kids are being forced to save world, but it's really just a plot for humanity to achieve Godhood? Meantime, the kids suffer, the adults suffer, (spoilers) everybody dies in the end because it's not even worth it." Still, this show would go on to influence basically every anime in the future so it must be doing something right. I guess that leads to my second point: Mechs are cool. Probably why it's so popular. Not because the introspection, but it's one of those shows where good action happens. Aye, I don't hate people liking it for that. But I also see all of what this show does being lost. Third: The characters. The best parts of the story are the characters. They are not good people. But they not good in believable ways. Like the kids are just stupid in the way kids can be stupid. The adults are even more stupid the way adults are. They hurt each other, not because they’re evil, but because they don’t really know how to deal with themselves. And if you don't tell me that part doesn't land, I don't think your human.
But the really deep stuff I think is after the show. No, not the story behind Hideaki Anno, and how the ending was the biggest F-You he could make. It’s that every person seems to walk away with a slightly different version of it. Not just different opinions, but different experiences. It should be cherished just for that. I'm looking at a dodecahedron of thoughts here. Like you could enjoy the the story, but it would probably be different from the next person. Every viewing is personal. Like it or not. I really don't think there are a lot of pieces of media that evoke so many different emotions in people. Like sure you can, but not at this scale. I respect it for that. The show doesn't settle into one meaning.
This point is further exemplified though the rebuild series. Those are more controversially within the fan base. Some are moved to tears. Others completely despise it. Critics as usually either love it or hate. Yet, They respond to the audiences reactions of the originals. They take something familiar and turn it just enough that people react all over again. Some love it. Some hate it. Some feel like it fixes things, others think it breaks them. It doesn’t really resolve anything. And people will keep talking about it.
With the criticism's randomness, comes a sort of predictability.
Critics are meant to convince you of their opinions. And that's the point. It's just their opinions. doesn't really affect your enjoyment of the works. I like the rebuilds more than the original series. Does it deny anybody else's enjoyment of the original. No. They try to explain what they saw, dress it up with reasoning, maybe convince you along the way. Sometimes that helps. Sometimes it doesn’t. The better ones illuminate something, and the worse ones just talk louder. They just want to point something out that will logically help in the piece of media's goals. Usually the generalization is that every artist wants to create the best art there is. Not out of ego, but out of entertaining the audience. That is what is common with all art. It's something that connects us through entertainment. And that's my problem with most critics. They think their opinions are the only opinions. Let me just criticize the critics for a moment.
I'm not outside that. This whole post. Hey! I'm imposing my opinion in some way. I say don't take this that seriously. I could just be really full of myself. Maybe, I'm “right.” Maybe I'm “wrong”. You don't have to believe in it. You could, but you don't. But I still own my opinion if you disagree or not.
Evangelion gets praised and torn apart at the same time. You can have your own opinion. Doesn't matter. Just enjoy the things you like. I like Eva because it's fun. That's enough for me.
Also the theme song is a banger.
