What happened in the end of the best anime series ever? Did Shinji enter his fantasy land?  Did he go to heaven?  WHAT HAPPENED???  Here is what my smart friend contemplates.

Shinseiki (Neon Genesis) Evangelion is one of the most popular anime currently available in English. It has succeeded as a Japanese television series both in Japan and around the world. Evangelion is one of those few anime that can appeal to nearly anyone. It has everything it needs to succeed...

Or so it seems.

The unfortunate aspect of Shinseiki Evangelion (Eva) is that most fans love the series with unbound glee and affection until the last two episodes. Throughout the series prior to that point it has all the plot, character development, subplots, emotional impact, great animation, good music, cool mecha, and more to make it an astounding sight to behold. Then the final two episodes occur. After everything has presumably been resolved the series takes a sudden turn. The Eva Units disappear. The combat is over. The series becomes almost awkward, it is so cerebral. The characters analyze themselves throughout, peering into the depths of their own souls. It leads to nothing but a series of "congratulations" from the cast, in the direction of Shinji Ikari, the protagonist. It seems strange that a series which began with such a bang would end in such a somber, personal note. Suddenly it shifts dramatically. All the sentai elements have been erased, replaced with self-analysis of by the characters.

Many fans despise this original ending and prefer the movies that were made proceeding an outpouring of no less than rage from the fans who could not grasp or understand the end. What was the point in Shinji being told he could make his future his own? Where was the Third Impact? What became of everyone? Was this any way to end a series that was so promising? The answer to that final question: Yes.

I’ve not seen the movies, nor do I feel particularly compelled to do so. I’ll certainly buy or rent copies eventually, but for now I am content to study Anno’s masterpiece, Eva, without being burdened by the fan service movies. The fact is that everything about Eva is ultimately very atypical. Where any other series would have designed Shinji to be a lecher, a girl-magnet, a smart-ass, a genius, or otherwise unnatural, Eva created in Shinji the archetype of humanity and I respect that. Does that make sense? Shinji was everyone. He felt despair, solitude, unhappiness, depression, and so many other things that so few anime series bother to touch, let alone attempt to conquer. Shinji is "every man," so to speak. Anyone can relate to his problems. His father abandoned him, his mother died, he was shy and could not make friends easily, he was picked-on, he was an outcast& The list goes on. Shinji embodies everything that makes a human frail. He wants nothing more than to be accepted. Eva ends by portraying Shinji as someone who realizes this, that he only wants to be liked, but also as someone who wants to grow out of that stage. The end of the original twenty-six episode television series had Shinji, Misato, Rei, and Asuka coming to grips with all the troubles they faced. Shinji wanted to be accepted, Misato did not want to be left alone, Rei wanted to know she was needed, and Asuka wanted to see that she was loved. They were all left alone at one point, or were expendable. All of them needed reassurance. The final episodes of Eva were centered around them voicing their fears. This much is evident from the dialogue and imagery. In the end when they see that they have self-worth outside of what others see in them and of them they are congratulated. Yui, Gendo, Ritsuko, Kaji, Maya, and a slew of other cast members tell Shinji he has done a good job.

So& what’s the point? The point was that Eva was never about the Eva Units. It was about the need for acceptance. It was about Shinji piloting an Eva for praise, Asuka piloting an Eva to be special, Rei piloting an Eva to be needed, and Misato guiding them because she had a hole in her own soul which needed to be filled with their presence. Once the need for the Evas was gone all of this crumbled and their worlds fell apart. Shinji, Rei, Asuka, and Misato were not special anymore. Then they were left to analyze themselves and try to find a new sense of self-worth.

That is the point of Eva. That no matter what your academic or social achievements may be, and no matter what position you hold for a job, you are unique. You do not need to rely on the praise of others to be such. Shinji regurgitated the praise he received from others so that he could relive the experiences. How many people do that? How many children post their successful tests on refrigerator doors and keep them there for months because it was their best grade? How many Olympic contenders keep gleaming trophies shining brightly in their cases for all their lives to remember that instant of glory when they crossed the finish line, got the goal, or made the leap? How many? Have you done such a thing? Of course you have. Everyone has. You keep old tests because they were done well. You cherish essays for which you were praised. You keep the trophies and monuments to your successes tightly locked and safe in a cabinet where they can be recalled but not damaged. And what happens if one of those trophies falls to the ground and is shattered? What if the test gets soaked by water and becomes illegible? What then? What evidence do you have that you ever did anything great?

That is Eva.

Why does so much discontentment come from this? Perhaps because Annoss portrayal of the human psyche strikes a chord. We hate to recognize ourselves in Shinji because he is a "wimp," or a "wuss." He’s a "sissy." He’s "pathetic." He "whines too much." Does he really? Or do we just claim he is a pitiful little child because seeing ourselves reflected in someone like him is painful? Shinji is not perfect, which is what makes him intriguing. He does not have many outstanding qualities. He pilots an Eva well. And this means..? What? No one on Earth will ever pilot an Eva. Mayhaps Shinji piloting the Eva was a figment of his imagination, a way to make himself stand out. In reality none of those things occurred. To aid him he created characters who were branches of himself. Misato is the one who wants to keep others near. Asuka is the one who wants to push them away. Rei is the one who wants to know she can be near. Shinji is all of them as a single person, the not-quite-happy medium of the group. They all represent a single person who has one flaw: The raw, human need to be loved.

When the last Apostle/Angel, Kaworu, was killed, what made Shinji exceptional vanished. He then had to look into himself for what he was missing. He lacked something and he feared this. It made him uncomfortable. Was he strange? Did others view him that way? Would they like him? Questions such as these poured into his mind.

How many people have, at some point, wanted to fade away and die because they felt no one liked them? Suicides are not uncommon due to factors such as this. Anno explored this in the deepest sense. He related to the audience his deepest feelings. His regrets, his desires, and so much more. His mind is in Eva. When we watch Shinji, we watch Anno. It was such a personal view that it’s frightening. What would anger me, if I were Anno, is to see people take my memoir and bastardize it because the grand finale did not involve impressive sights. Anno offered us no less than himself and so many fans turned around and cried foul. The animation was not perfect, the music was not ideal, the last two episodes were boring& How many of these complaints have we all heard many times? For all Anno’s work, he was repaid with a lot of whining and ten dozen movies that are most certainly not his true vision. They ended in a way that would catch eyes and leave fans in awe. My, my, isn’t that huge Rei cool looking? Isn’t it sweet to see Asuka has regained her mental capacity and Shinji is alone with her, the next Adam and Eve& How cute.

Or, rather...

How absolutely, sickeningly, pathetically TYPICAL. How many anime end too much like that? But to me they are just poor attempts to make up for Anno trying to give us something more than just another Monsters vs. Big Robots anime. Eva TV is reality. Eva movies are fantasy.

But I digress. I can only ask you this: How would you rather see the series end? As Anno intended, with analysis of who we all are and what we want and need? Or with lots of neat explosions and ultra-obvious answers to the enigmas? Do you want to think or have it spelled out for you in bold writing? If you hate to think, Eva wasn’t for you in the first place.

I’ll leave this on that note. Flame away, my friends.

Now the Second Essay...maybe i look to deep...or maybe ive got something going :)

Anno's Tweaky Revenge: End of Evangelion

This set of two films, designed to conclude the Evangelion television series and clarify some of the unanswered questions left over from the original ending, is, to put it mildly, a macabre, vengeful, bitter creation by Hideaki Anno. The films are dark, dreary, violent, sexually frustrated, and grotesque.

This does not necessarily mean that the films are bad, however. In fact, they are quite impressive and fascinating in their own light. Many of the same topics covered in the television ending are covered here, albeit with the overall story placed before the characterization rather than the other way around. The films are less straightforward than the television ending, and significantly more confusing. They are also mean-spirited. It seems that Anno wanted to turn on those self-proclaimed "fans" of the original by killing off their favorite characters in the cruelest ways of which he could conceive. The result combines gruesome acts of violence with perversions. That in and of itself makes me wonder why the fans prefer these films to the television finale. For all intents and purposes, Anno seems to loathe us with all his being.

The films strongest point, perhaps, is the inclusion of details concerning how the Third Impact takes place rather than the effect it has on humanity, the agendas of Seele and Nerv, and other story-telling aspects of which the television ending was almost devoid. Those who were curious about Lilith can have their questions answered. Even so, you’ll have to endure Anno’s twisted version of the events. I think the movie did an excellent job of shocking the audience, such as when Rei’s countenance overcame the Evangelion Units 5-13 or a nude Rei and Shinji appeared to be engaged in passive sexual intercourse. That was bizarre, if nothing else.

The real question I’ve had ever since I paid witness to the original ending was if the movies were necessary or not. Surely the technical aspects are superior this time. The animation and direction have improved, for example. Not even I, a staunch devotee of the original ending, will deny that Anno did a better job getting his full story across in the movies. Even so, is it worth it to have them, or are they just superfluous, designed to draw in the old fans yet again and make a bundle of money? I’m leaning toward the viewpoint that the movies did not need to be created, but, then again, I’m biased. I love the original ending because I can relate to it. If one cannot relate to it, one cannot enjoy it. Someone who thinks Shinji is a pansy-ass wuss& thinks Shinji is a pansy-ass wuss. That’s the extent of it. I don’t so I thought the television finale was marvelous. But someone who was seeking knowledge of the Third Impact’s physical occurrence could easily be bored stiff by the original ending. Hence, the films are good for some people and not for others. It’s a draw between whether they where worth the time, money, and effort.

Among the segments of the film that I felt were actually superior to the television ending (non-technical details this time) are the montage of live action versus animation that occurred near the end, the resolution of Shinji’s relationship with others as opposed to his relationship with himself, and the abstract, Dali-esque vision of the events and how the world will appear after they have taken place. The actual ending, too, is stronger. Shinji was left in solitude with Asuka, per his request. But Asuka was limp, like a doll, and strongly resembled the first images Shinji ever encountered of Rei. Shinji got his desire, but it was at the expense of the real Asuka; the one who despised and envied him; the one he feared but also wanted to know and understand. Shinji got to remain with Asuka, but she was just a pale imitation of Asuka. He manifested a version of the world where he was alone with someone who could not hurt him because she was not real. It shows that even when granted his deepest desires, Shinji, a weak-willed person, wanted only the muted, simple version. This may be a metaphor for what the fans desired of Anno. What the films amount to, if you look at it a certain way, is a thinly veiled, "Fuck you," to all the fans who disliked his original ending. I can’t say that I blame him.

As a personal opinion, I "love" the movies in the same way I "love" Gendo Ikari. They were deep, introspective, disturbingly profound, and warped. Gendo and the films, that is. The television series dealt with the character more thoroughly, and I applaud Anno for sticking to his guns even after fans got riled up and screamed, "Foul!" at him. It was a backhanded, "Your woes aren’t worth my time," that they offered him, so he returned with a backhanded, "Here’s your beloved robot show," response that was so repulsive that it’s morbidly fascinating. After all, who doesn’t stare in wide-eyed horror when the Eva Units 5-13 have a well-nigh orgasmic reaction to thrusting the Lances into their chests?

On a final note, I am keenly aware of the fact that the television series was supposed to end more like the movies than the actual episodes twenty-five and twenty-six. Does that mean I have to prefer the movies? No, not at all. I prefer the movies as a means of entertainment and story-telling, I admit, but in general I believe that the television ending is a much more honest account of what Anno, as portrayed by Shinji, was feeling. By the time the movies occur Shinji has become a lax, fragile, pitiful being whom we wanted to see put out of his misery, and ours. He is despicable by then. And again, this may be an indirect metaphor of what Anno thought of the fans. Shinji became the Antichrist of everything honorable and respectful. He beat up and masturbated over the unconscious Asuka, he refused to fight for the sake of others, he whined and indulged in constant self-pity, he failed miserably in his mission to help others, and he generally was a sorry little twerp so busy thinking of his own interests and what he did or did not want to do that he never stopped to think about others for very long, or very completely. He was the fan who disregarded Anno’s personal message and demanded that he rewrite his life because he would rather hurt Anno than feel that he had been cheated.

Funny, that.

Good bye my friends...but think about this

This memo was donated by Rex Hood, and you can visit his website at (No Name for page yet).