Evangeliowned

[Darth_Payn]

Grey, In the second panel of today's strip, you say that Erin's comments in the previous strip say more about her than EVA, but you write her dialogue. What's that say about YOU, HMM?! ASNWER THE QUESTION!

So, those NGE merchandise are things that exist, for real. AM I sure I'm not in the middle of a mental breakdown? I need to go drink until things make sense again.

 

[Solo-Wing]

I have never seen this show before and have never heard of it before you guys made that comic.

Also I really want those Hello Kitty slippers that you are wearing in the first 3 panels. They make you look so manly.

 

[sageoftruth]

Yeah no! The people defending Shinji's angst, his complete and utter refusal to do anything at all, the self-centered defeatist attitude, his complete self-absorption and his daddy issues. Not to mention The new creepy rape tendency he got in EoE. Just no. You can't defend that. Not even with "It's supposed to be that way", "You aren't supposed to like him" or "The character is made to reflect a reluctant hero figure". Watch episode 25 and 26, they pretty much encapsulate all the problems with the character.

The way he is just never gets justified, yeah daddy issues great, now grab your balls of the nightstand and man up the world is about to be destroyed, you can mope and jack off to comatose women after it is saved.

If there is any part of Evangelion that needs to be ridiculed until it loses all comedic value, it is Shinji. Along with Asuka, the most subtle* character ever written we are all supposed to like and nobody in the show ever takes issues with. Shinji at least has the added benefit of being called out on his bullshit once or twice.

Nice comeback G and C.

god yes, about the only time i liked either of these idiots is when they try to kill each other

I haven't seen Evangalion yet, but Shinji would be hard pressed to out-suck all the characters from the movie, Melancholia. I jumped for joy when *SPOILER* the world exploded and everyone died in the end.

 

[xdiesp]

As an EVA fan of old, I welcome any comic strip and cheap shots at the thing: it's always welcome to speak of it, one way or another. But you should get over the console wars mentality: real life is not painted in absolutes, no people or thing is totally flawed or flawless.

This thing about merchandise is a bit weird, as anything remotely successfull has some. But both last comic and the previous were good, EVA is quirky and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[Sixcess]

Is that really an Evangelion Happy Meal? Really? That's an actual thing?

Every time I think Japan can't get any weirder it proves me wrong.

 

[sailor_960]

The ultimate irony of Evangelion is that it ended up trying to deconstruct the mecha genre and is now the single most iconic image of the same (I say "ended up" because I find it difficult to believe that the series was always intended to go in the direction it did, especially given the changes in production during it's initial run). It's one of the few times that the subversion has become something close to the ideal and obviously it has inherited the enfranchisement that comes with this 'prestige.' That being said, does artistic intent subvert marketability or vice versa? Would the argument be the same if Evangelion (or any artistically unique piece of media) was only intended to become a franchise and ended up being an artistic touchstone (keeping in mind that this is very likely what happened with Evangelion)?

Still, great comic. Everything that Grey and Corey have said about the franchise has been right on the money.

 

[RJ 17]

Oh, and let's not forget the mousepads with the 3D tits "wrist cushions"

Dear mother of God. >_>

"Deep and meaningful."

I'll say!

Oh, these things are a staple at convention Dealer's Rooms! I have one of Rangiku Matsumoto from Bleach, and it is super comfortable!

xD I actually saw that one when I was google image searching for this one.

A buddy of mine has one of Kasumi from Dead or Alive, that's how I even knew such things existed.

 

[Hakazaba]

Yes because everything that is hored out to market things immediately loses all artistic merit in its original work.

 

[The Wooster]

You pointed out that a popular show is being cash cowed for money, but to say that this detracts from the actual show is an argumentative fallacy because we live in a day and age where everything is cash cowed (Star Wars was made to market toys, for goodness sakes).

I don't get it, why is everyone heralding you as a comical genius? It's nice sure, but the reaction stinks of rows upon rows of brown noses. Ironic considering the accusations towards overzealous fans. (Don't get me wrong, it's still a funny strip lol).

As a disclaimer, I haven't even watched Evangelion and don't really plan to.

Fucked if I know. The comic freely admits this is a really cheap shot (see the sub-header). That being said, it's always funny trying to watch Eva fans trying to reconcile the artistic merit of the series (and it really is art, Anno straight up refuses to give fans the easy answers they want, and even gets mad at them when they ask) with the sheer ridiculousness of the merch Gainax pumps out.

 

[bunji]

To all the people pointing out that merchandizing EVA doesnt make it bad, you're all right, of course. But did you miss the part where he said he wasn't going to take the high road and make a real argument? He basically highlighted the fact that he's just trolling in the first three panels...

Why EVA is bad has allready been stated so many times on the internet allready, that theres not really any point in going after it again - plus, as grey apparently knows, EVA fans are probably the easiest to troll on the entire net.

 

[Izanagi009_v1legacy]

You pointed out that a popular show is being cash cowed for money, but to say that this detracts from the actual show is an argumentative fallacy because we live in a day and age where everything is cash cowed (Star Wars was made to market toys, for goodness sakes).

I don't get it, why is everyone heralding you as a comical genius? It's nice sure, but the reaction stinks of rows upon rows of brown noses. Ironic considering the accusations towards overzealous fans. (Don't get me wrong, it's still a funny strip lol).

As a disclaimer, I haven't even watched Evangelion and don't really plan to.

Fucked if I know. The comic freely admits this is a really cheap shot (see the sub-header). That being said, it's always funny trying to watch Eva fans trying to reconcile the artistic merit of the series (and it really is art, Anno straight up refuses to give fans the easy answers they want, and even gets mad at them when they ask) with the sheer ridiculousness of the merch Gainax pumps out.

I definitely can agree with the assertion that it's art. Anno made two different endings (three after 4.0) that will leave many trying to understand what Anno was trying to say and do (i have posted an analysis on past posts for your reference) I just get pissed off that they keep pandering to otaku; this push to use Evangelion assets to sell everything from chips to burgers to hug pillows (don't get me started on it) feels a bit disingenuous, like how the game industry has been with some of their big franchises. I would say that Evangelion is still a great deconstruction of mecha and the protagonists that appear in these types; it turned the heroes into child soldiers and the world into nihilistic hell. Unfortunately, I do not like being pandered to like I'm just a walking money purse instead of people with actual complaints and artistic wants.

 

[Hakazaba]

To all the people pointing out that merchandizing EVA doesnt make it bad, you're all right, of course. But did you miss the part where he said he wasn't going to take the high road and make a real argument? He basically highlighted the fact that he's just trolling in the first three panels...

Why EVA is bad has allready been stated so many times on the internet allready, that theres not really any point in going after it again - plus, as grey apparently knows, EVA fans are probably the easiest to troll on the entire net.

The problem is the people applauding this lack of argument as an argument.

 

[xdiesp]

that will leave many trying to understand what Anno was trying to say and do

Anno is first and foremost talking to his people, otakus from a couple decades back. Gainax and old makers do that, planting references and breaking the 4th wall. Of course if one is not an old otaku from the 70-80s, he won't appreciate that, but that's within his rights!

Also, neither he nor other famous comic makers have any qualm about "art" being what they're doing. They are content with making their job skillfully, for people who love it. Only wannabe think they can make the big jump once someone recognizes that magically their crap has turned into arrrrt.

 

[ryukage_sama]

People don't have to love Shinji. He's a fragile, broken, wreck of a child. I just find the jokes/scenarios suggesting that he should assert himself to be vastly inferior to the jokes that actually show Shinji as assertive and confident. The other characters' responses to his change in character are funnier than the pointing out the chagrin of the audience seeing Shinji flounder.

Example: http://original.punksandnerds.com/d/20051202.html

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

I don't get it, why is everyone heralding you as a comical genius?

I could put it to you in terms of cognitive linguistic theory and talk about how the shift of mental sets creates a sensation of wit, but really I just like anyone poking fun at people who buy Doritos and love pillows.

 

[OtherSideofSky]

To all the people pointing out that merchandizing EVA doesnt make it bad, you're all right, of course. But did you miss the part where he said he wasn't going to take the high road and make a real argument? He basically highlighted the fact that he's just trolling in the first three panels...

Why EVA is bad has allready been stated so many times on the internet allready, that theres not really any point in going after it again - plus, as grey apparently knows, EVA fans are probably the easiest to troll on the entire net.

The problem is the people applauding this lack of argument as an argument.

Are they? I'm pretty sure people are applauding his trolling and being an asshole. Almost every other post is some Eva fan pointing out that it isn't an argument, which really makes me question if any of them have a sense of humor.

 

[Paradoxrifts]

I suppose that this rules out any possibility of an Erin Stout body pillow?