Neon Genesis Evangelion

[Izanagi009_v1legacy]

God dammit Shinji, GET IN SOMETHING!

easier said than done given his mental damage

 

[TheThirdChild]

Brilliant! XD
This has really made my day.
He'll probably choose someone in the final film, seeing as everything is being done wrong in these films.

 

[Tono Makt]

Ah, Eva... Eva Eva Eva. The first anime I truly, deeply, madly hated. The only reason I wasn't rooting for the Angels was because I didn't want to see the only enjoyable character in the series, Pen-Pen, get hurt. Drove me so nuts that I watched the entire original series back in 2000 in a day and a half (a FanSub on VHS!) just so I could scream at the friend who recommended I watch it (I'd say "forced me to watch it", but I could have easily said no.) and actually be able to point to exact scenes and incidents to back up my hatred. And a few years later I went out and bought the entire series with a professional subtitling and dubbing, just to be able to do the same thing, except with a "real" sub and dub, rather than a Fan sub and dub. Yes, my hate for Eva drove me into crazy-land which had the wonderful irony of actually financially supporting something I hated passionately.

Even 13 years later, just mentioning Eva gets my back up. Good times, good times.

 

[Farther than stars]

Spoiler

Sticking it in crazy is AWESOME. Those warnings are just for the amateurs.

True dat, you just have to know when it's time to fake your own death and move to another country.

NOT SO LOUD! My girlfriend reads this site!

Yeah, but it's also helped by the fact that she seems to give up at the end. There really should be name for that trope where a character has a build-up of anger and then releases it into completely apathy. It seems to be very effective.

I call it "Amaranth Syndrome," mostly because it happens to me all the time. I don't ragequit, I ennuiquit.

No, no, no! It's not a disease, it's a literary device. At most you could call it "Amarath's Arc".

 

[xplosive59]

Isn't this basically the same as the last EVA comic? Also you kinda missed the point...

 

[Piorn]

I really liked the concept behind NGE, but it felt like I stumbled into the 6th season of Lost.
It's really hard to get invested in a story if you don't understand anything and nothing is explained.

 

[nexus]

This is a little sexist, is it not?

If that was a young girl..

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

Really, you'd think with all the complaints Erin has she'd complain about 3.33 sucking the most. It'd be the most topical and the most relatable subject here.

Yes, 3.33 sucks.

Why not join in on the fun in my little 3.33 ranting thread? ---> http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.407309-So-I-just-saw-Evangelion-3-0-BIG-rant-and-spoilers?page=1

By God, that movie was a mess.

This comic... ehh. I'm not a fan of Evangelion, but a more accurate representation of Shinji and Asuka's average conversations would be a panel where Shinji is running away from an Asuka who chases him around with a machete. And Rei X Shinji would have been kinda creepy even if she wasn't a clone of his mom.

 

[The Wooster]

as much as this is true Tenchi Muyo was far worst

Shinji, on the other hand, never made a move for no reason. Not on mom-clone 2000 (which he had no way of knowing at the time the window was wide open), not on Asuka (who he jerked off ON in the first movie, and who before the first series ended was wondering why he HADN'T made a move on her... before she completely suffered that mental breakdown), not on MILFsato who flat out said she'd have done him in the first movie (before dying horribly if I recall, but still) and will definitely not make a move on YOLOswag Mari.

You'd be surprised at how mental damage can affect people. He has been damaged and unable to trust people, or himself and the world doesn't help, anytime he gets close to someone, his heart and expectations are broken. The fact that they reference the hedgehog dilemma is evident of the Shinji's damage. As for Asuka and why he didn't make a move on her, she herself has closed herself off and berates Shinji at all time; she made it so that Shinji would not get the message that she's interested in him and in turn, Shinji slips into his depression even more causing a self repeating cycle of hate and inability to express feelings

I didn't like 3.0, but I can't deny how clever it was. It was essentially a huge, well-orchestrated fuck you to the people who want NGE to be something it's not. 2.0 was the bait. It was a more traditional story, with more character agency and a more cliched finale (Boys risks the world to get the girl. I cheered). The Thing is, everything Shinji did in 2.0 made the world worse. 3.0 is about a young boy who can't grow up, stuck in the ruins of a place he can't escape from. I don't think there's a better metaphor for people STILL expecting Eva to go back to a straight up robot show than that. I don't think it's a coincidence that Shinji slept for 14 years; that's exactly how old NGE was when 2.0 was released.

I didn't particularly like the film, I think Anno's attempt to make a point was undermined by the obvious attempt to sell more action figures and body pillows, but I do like how each of the Rebuild movies has prompted a reevaluation of the one that came before it.

Side note; I love the bleating of Eva fans. "you don't get it, man! You don't get it! It's all deep and stuff." You can always tell how insecure someone is about their tastes when they break out that line in response to a joke.

 

[geizr]

HAHA! I love NGE, but, yeah, that's the basic opinion of Shinji.

 

[Windu23]

This sounds like a commentary on my high school years.

 

[hazydawn]

I really can't understand what people like about that anime. I guess it's because it has some philosophical/existential themes that people think it's somehow deep or really clever when all it does is to throw these complex ideas in one anime and suck at the rest.
I admit I haven't heard some of these ideas(for example some about identity) until I entered university and probably wouldn't have if I didn't go there but these ideas aren't an accomplishment of the anime and it does not deal with them in a good way.
I'm reffering to the original btw I couldn't be bothered to watch the newer ones after that waste of time.

 

[Irridium]

I get the impression you really don't like Shinji, Grey.

Spoiler: Although considering who the second and third person are, I'd be more concerned if he did end up sleeping with them.

Rei being a clone of his mother. Kaworu being an Angel.

Also, Erin's left hand is in a suspicious place considering what she is saying.

And I hate to be that "You're missing the point" guy, but... yeah.

To be fair, it happened in the last comic as well. I think Grey gets the point, but is just choosing to ignore it for comedic effect.

Either that or looking at it from an outsider's perspective.

It's what I thought at first as well. Then I started watching it. And, well, yeah.

 

[Casual Shinji]

And Rei X Shinji would have been kinda creepy even if she wasn't a clone of his mom.

And still Rei has become the ultimate otaku fantasy. Which apparently royally pissed of Anno, because he meant for her to come off as any fantasy figure in the flesh should; Really fucking creepy.

 

[Darth_Payn]

good to know I wasn't only one screaming this inside my head while watching this anime
"Bang the redhead, dammit" was the line that constantly went through my head

P.S.Although to be fair, "Bang the redhead" is my usual solution to every single problem.

If there was more banging of redheads (and also more redheads for the banging), the world would be a much better place.

I count that as one of Bucky Barnes' superpowers, back when he was paired up with Black Widow in his time as the Winter Soldier AND Captain America. Reminds me of Gurren Laggan, in those times Yoko practically threw herself (rack first) it Simon, before he met Nia. Now why didn't he make a move then?

Also, Erin's left hand is in a suspicious place considering what she is saying.

I do believe you might have a point, though I'm not sure if the faces detract or add to any such accusations

I had to look at the strip again and you're both right. Erin's got some WEIRD tastes.

 

[Izanagi009_v1legacy]

as much as this is true Tenchi Muyo was far worst

Shinji, on the other hand, never made a move for no reason. Not on mom-clone 2000 (which he had no way of knowing at the time the window was wide open), not on Asuka (who he jerked off ON in the first movie, and who before the first series ended was wondering why he HADN'T made a move on her... before she completely suffered that mental breakdown), not on MILFsato who flat out said she'd have done him in the first movie (before dying horribly if I recall, but still) and will definitely not make a move on YOLOswag Mari.

You'd be surprised at how mental damage can affect people. He has been damaged and unable to trust people, or himself and the world doesn't help, anytime he gets close to someone, his heart and expectations are broken. The fact that they reference the hedgehog dilemma is evident of the Shinji's damage. As for Asuka and why he didn't make a move on her, she herself has closed herself off and berates Shinji at all time; she made it so that Shinji would not get the message that she's interested in him and in turn, Shinji slips into his depression even more causing a self repeating cycle of hate and inability to express feelings

I didn't like 3.0, but I can't deny how clever it was. It was essentially a huge, well-orchestrated fuck you to the people who want NGE to be something it's not. 2.0 was the bait. It was a more traditional story, with more character agency and a more cliched finale (Boys risks the world to get the girl. I cheered). The Thing is, everything Shinji did in 2.0 made the world worse. 3.0 is about a young boy who can't grow up, stuck in the ruins of a place he can't escape from. I don't think there's a better metaphor for people STILL expecting Eva to go back to a straight up robot show than that. I don't think it's a coincidence that Shinji slept for 14 years; that's exactly how old NGE was when 2.0 was released.

I didn't particularly like the film, I think Anno's attempt to make a point was undermined by the obvious attempt to sell more action figures and body pillows, but I do like how each of the Rebuild movies has prompted a reevaluation of the one that came before it.

Side note; I love the bleating of Eva fans. "you don't get it, man! You don't get it! It's all deep and stuff." You can always tell how insecure someone is about their tastes when they break out that line in response to a joke.

I apologize if i seem insecure, i just wanted to make a clear concise point about what Shinji's behavior is like despite the fact that i get the joke that to an outside viewer, he is a weakling and a pathetic human who should just do it.

In response to your analysis, It's a pretty good one with evidence and what not though I will argue that Anno has never been the type to be direct which make it difficult to find the themes stated though i can understand why one would assume that it feels more commercial than the other movies. The movies are heading in a different direction than the original show or End of Evangelion and i'm intrigued to see the finale and the reactions to it; this may be a pivotal point in anime history or a small spike depending on what people do.

 

[G-Force]

I really can't understand what people like about that anime. I guess it's because it has some philosophical/existential themes that people think it's somehow deep or really clever when all it does is to throw these complex ideas in one anime and suck at the rest.
I admit I haven't heard some of these ideas(for example some about identity) until I entered university and probably wouldn't have if I didn't go there but these ideas aren't an accomplishment of the anime and it does not deal with them in a good way.
I'm reffering to the original btw I couldn't be bothered to watch the newer ones after that waste of time.

Long story short Eva was the deconstruction of the mecha genre. Earlier in anime, giant robot pilots were idolized heroes and it was a fact that every person who watched anime would jump at the chance to be a mecha pilot and be the ultimate hero. Evangelion rolls in with the intention of showing you how much it can suck to be given the responsibility by having a character a bit more grounded in reality in both mindset and piloting abilities along with having characters who are messed up people trying their very best with what little they have.

When other series would gloss over the downsides to being a pilot, Eva brings them into full focus such as feeling the pain of combat damage, how messed up it is to have young teenagers fight in wars, the overwhelming responsibility of being seen as the savior of mankind, your heroic deeds be waived off as by the rest of the world etc, the intense psychological strain placed on all personel. Add to this you have angel fights presented is a more primal light when in the past mecha fights had flashy choreography that made them look stylish and cool in comparison to the Eva's desperate movements and you quickly found viewers second guessing their original desires.

At the end of the day Eva did something different. They focused on the typical tropes of mecha anime and put a harsher spin on it while at the same time making a philisophical statement that made people think about other things outside of cool robots doing cool things

 

[RandV80]

as much as this is true Tenchi Muyo was far worst

Hey now, how do you figure that? Tenchi Muyo only lasted 13 episodes with maybe only one movie that was actually in MUYO's continuity (ie. not Universe or In Tokyo). Evangelion lasted 26 and has had about four different movies about its original continuity. Within half of Muyo's run, Tenchi was already leaning towards getting it on with one of the girls of his harem (even if it was the especially bitchy one that would result in incest and had that comical lisp in the English run), and would ultimately have been staring down an entire intergalactic military fleet led by her father, who was hellbent on stopping such a union if the show had not gotten cancelled.

Besides, Tenchi had the reason of common sense for not making a move. No matter who he picked, he would have died. He was probably waiting for the day when he could rely on the Lighthawk Wings to protect him from all of the things, including bad decisions.

Shinji, on the other hand, never made a move for no reason. Not on mom-clone 2000 (which he had no way of knowing at the time the window was wide open), not on Asuka (who he jerked off ON in the first movie, and who before the first series ended was wondering why he HADN'T made a move on her... before she completely suffered that mental breakdown), not on MILFsato who flat out said she'd have done him in the first movie (before dying horribly if I recall, but still) and will definitely not make a move on YOLOswag Mari.

TL;DR: Tenchi would've tapped something eventually, Shinji would still be trying to motivate himself with "I mustn't run away" chants.

Well that's kind of the big problem when talking about Tenchi Muyo is that you have the OVA series and the TV series which while having the same characters are vastly different in terms of story and quality. Seems to be a trend with the series creator as it was the same thing with El Hazard, the OAV series was great, then they brought out a supplementary TV series that was poorly written shounen crap. Now I loved these shows (OVA versions) back in the day but it's really sad the trend they set. Has a lot in common with chicks in professional wrestling, they're their to titillate the audience with sex appeal, but always have to keep it strictly PG-13.

 

[Cecilthedarkknight_234]

well shinji was stuck alone with rei in unit in orbit around earth for 15 years. I think he got plenty of tang until he was brought back down to earth.

 

[Garrett]

I really can't understand what people like about that anime. I guess it's because it has some philosophical/existential themes that people think it's somehow deep or really clever when all it does is to throw these complex ideas in one anime and suck at the rest.
I admit I haven't heard some of these ideas(for example some about identity) until I entered university and probably wouldn't have if I didn't go there but these ideas aren't an accomplishment of the anime and it does not deal with them in a good way.
I'm reffering to the original btw I couldn't be bothered to watch the newer ones after that waste of time.

I really can't understand people who have a need to state their opinion like a fact about this show (any other really but this one somehow is worst in that regard). I guess it's because they think they are so intelligent and clever that they understand everything about this show... Seriously, both groups (lovers and haters) act like twats claiming to know everything.