I read somewhere the original word in japanese is Shito that means messenger. As the angels are often messengers in the jewish-christian tradition the translation is not entirely wrong.
“how do you interpret the series??
why the angels come and why they attack? and so on…
only thing i remember reading somewhere was that calling them angels was a huge mistake and the correct translation should have been prophets…maybe this is helping some of you interpreting the series and its religious symbolic."
I highly suggest picking up the manga series. All that and then some is explained more clearly in the manga’s story, and if you still don’t pick up on it, each volume has a glossary of terms and themes at the end.
And Miasma: you’re correct! What’s even more freaky is the fact that there are conspiracy theories that our governments are following some ancient Gaia worship texts that are quite similar to the Dead Sea Scrolls. Try and find “Esoteric Agenda”!
I’m a bit obsessed with Evangelion 2.0 right now. Listening to the soundtrack a lot. But – I mean, please – if anybody finds any factual information about why Shiro Sagisu used those queer, kiddy “Sound of Music Tribute songs” in the film, please let me know! I want to understand! I kind of understand – but why The Sound of Music? What’s the relevance?
Something I’m concerned about with the film so far is that perhaps Evangelion is so ingratiated in the minds of fans that it’s impossible to make a film that is acceptable to lay-audiences. I love 2.0, but I also know that I’m getting a great number of subtle references (like the use of Kare Kano music) that would go completely missed by Western audiences.
@Tyler – It’s really a pity. I enjoy conspiracy theories very much, but don’t believe a single one. Esoteric Agenda – you’re talking about a docu? Oh, those wacky Scrolls…
Hm. And I just noticed. You copied my star rating system into your profile, didn’t you? ;) You daffy bastard, you.
thanks alot for your advice…
i will try to pick up the mangas soon
but the mangas were somewhat always superior to the animes…unfortunately
i was not aware that new films had been released. tho i am very sceptic about these since they are only written by hideaki anno and not directed.
i never liked the series as a whole. stretched and too many action sequences, but i liked about four episodes extremely well. the ones about the internal conflicts and not the conflicts the robots have. especially the last two episodes.
how do these episodes compare to the new films?
i could highly recommend hideaki anno’s directed film shiki-jitsu as it deals with the same sort of conflicts. for me this film is a lot better then evangelion.
@Arjen – I haven’t seen any of Anno’s ‘real’ work yet – unless you count Cutie Honey , which I don’t.
The Eva films are pretty great. I’m a pretty large fan of the serial and I agree with you – inconsistent, far too much filler, etc. If the first two are any indication, these new four Eva films will comprise the best of the series, with innovations.
Eva 1.0 was very good, and was pretty much completely redone old footage. Very, very familiar, but satisfying. I recently watched Eva 2.0 and am quite surprised to report on how excellent it is – literally twice as good as the first Eva film, with virtually all new footage – this is the way it should be. It isn’t perfect, very adolescent, etc, but strong, and I think a very, very capable sequel! With a killer ending, frankly. I’ve been digesting and re-digesting the film for a week now.
I’ve been into Eva since before they were releasing it in America, so I have a strong interest in this stuff. These new Eva films are directed by Anno’s assistant director, Tsurumaki, of Death:Rebirth and End of Evangelion, and Masayuki, who also worked in the animation department. Also, the films are produced and distributed by Anno’s own animation studio, Khara. Wikiepdia lists him as the “chief” director, too, so… Besides, the co-directors are responsible for FLCL and quality segments of Evangelion!
Sadly nobody does voilent psychoanalytics quite like Anno. But they do need to think of their audience, and when Gainax ran out of money and Anno indulged himself with the transcendental final two eps of the serial, viewership plummeted and the public was furious with the “let-down” (which precipitated the creation of Death:Rebirth, and when that didn’t satisfy people enough, End of Evangelion).
I didn’t mean to go on here, you may very well know lots (or all) of this. Let’s just say I’ve been sorting all this out for a week now, and here it’s all coming together!
@miasma, thanks for the reply and your info. as i am not up to date at all most of this is new to me ;) i am going to watch both 1.0 and 2.0 soon. this sounds very promising ^^
The pleasure’s all mine :) I’m assuming you watched the 1997 Eva films… cause if not, you should.
“how do you interpret the series??
why the angels come and why they attack? and so on…”
The Angels don’t really attack for a certain reason, they are just like fish that return to where they spawned. Basically the Angels are aliens that created the Earth. Adam possesses the Tree of Life, which is why the Angels can regenerate (S2 Engine.) Lilith possesses the Tree of Wisdom, which created the human race. The angels are the children of Adam, they are not rational beings, they merely wish to reunite with Lilith, but they possess the S2 Engine which allows them to regenerate. The human race are what Kawarou calls the “lilium,” they possess the ability to create, to vision, to think, and to feel a multitude of sensation in exchange for mortality. Basically the Angels and the Lilium are two forces that cannot co-exist, but are basically the same. The separation of similar beings is a major motif in Evangelion. Much like the Angels, Shinji and Asuka cannot express their feelings because of their insecurities. Shinji is introverted and Asuka is extroverted, both use Eva to define their existence, they just channel their insecurities and frustrations and desires in different way. The divide between Kaji and Misato is also an example of the seperation motif. Misato is a mixture of Shinji and Asuka. She is extroverted and friendly like Asuka, but perceiving like Shinji. Kaji reminds Misato of her father, which causes Misato to push Kaji away, despite the fact that she loves him. There are hundreds of examples within Eva, but you should experience this multi-tiered show for yourself.
See, I knew I was wrong. That’s more accurate than mine, for sure. BUT – SEELE is involved somehow with the Angels, right…? And it certainly appears that in the new films they are directly responsible. Even in the series, how would you explain something like “Magmadiver” or the water Angel – both of which are going after Asuka. The coincidences are too great that Angels would show up at those times in those environments. Wouldn’t they have to have been placed there – by SEELE?
Seele found the Dead Sea Scrolls, used the Lance of Longinus to initiate Second Impact and were able to predict the return of the Angels. They were able to capture Lilith and use her blood to create LCL, which connects the pilot to the Angel. In addition, Seele’s goal is to cause Third Impact and they must defeat every angel to initiate Third Impact. Basically Nerv is Seele’s puppet. Tension is present between Gendo and Seele as Gendo wants to cause Third Impact, but on his own terms. He wants to be reunited with Yui. Eventually, Shinji is given the choice to decide the results of third impact instead of Shinji. Both Gendo and Seele fail, as Shinji decides that although human interaction causes people pain, it is essential to overcome what divides humans.
Seele found the Dead Sea Scrolls, used the Lance of Longinus to initiate Second Impact and were able to predict the return of the Angels. They were able to capture Lilith and use her blood to create LCL, which connects the pilot to the Angel. In addition, Seele’s goal is to cause Third Impact and they must defeat every angel to initiate Third Impact. Basically Nerv is Seele’s puppet. Tension is present between Gendo and Seele as Gendo wants to cause Third Impact, but on his own terms. He wants to be reunited with Yui. Eventually, Shinji is given the choice to decide the results of third impact instead of Shinji. Both Gendo and Seele fail, as Shinji decides that although human interaction causes people pain, it is essential to overcome what divides humans.
MIASMA: Pretty sure I sent you message detailing that I did and if you minded? I was going to change it up a bunch but figured you’d realize it anyway so I said “wtf his system is great why change it?”
Just finished the series for about the Seventh time. Anyone who loved this as a child asking if it holds up should have no fear. I can say with utter certainty that unlike most things in life, it is even better through older eyes.
The subtleties and mastery of the series can truly be appreciated the series is not at all about Action. But about internal characterization and contemplation. It is great filmmaking and Anime’s finest series.
Haven’t seen it yet but I plan to watch Rebuild 1.0 when it hits BluRay in March.
Rebuild 1.11 (the blu ray version) is decent, I was mildly disappointed but the visuals are unreal! I heard 2.0 is like a whole new level of awesomeness though!!!
I remember seeing Eva when it first came out (’95 I think? earlier?) and it was totally amazing. I always think of the episode where Asuka and Shinji use their evas while in complete synchronization, that was probably the coolest thing I had ever seen at that point.
For me now, it’s something that was definitely important in the history of anime, but it doesn’t really remain that relevant anymore. I still have no problem digging it out and watching it again, it’s still a good watch, but other shows have eclipsed it (RahXephon, Now and Then, Here and There, Monster, etc).
I’ve enjoyed the Rebuilds so far, it’s interesting to see how the director has changed over time (into a much more stable person it seems lol). It’s also nice for the series to be back, even if it will never have that same effect as it had the first time.
RahXephon = Evangelion Lite
So I saw EVANGELION 2.22 tonight… major disappointment. The animation is amazing as expected, the art direction is brilliant to the point of “holy shit wtf is that?”, and the battles are epic. But the storytelling is twice as rushed and condensed as 1.0. I mean, really rushed. It’s going to take a few viewings to “get it”, but so much info and characters popped up and are never explained thoroughly that it was a constant pain in the ass to catch up on all the specifics. Also…. every explosion is in the form of a cross. OK WE GET IT ALREADY.
It’s like the new movie is a quirkier, cuter, sexier,dumber parody of the classic series.
Funnily enough, I saw someone with a NERV T-shirt on tonight. I have to revisit the series.
Rahxephon is far from being “Evangelion Lite.” It is a complete series with a proper grasp of what it’s supposed to be about, while Neon Genesis Evangelion has quite a load of issues where Anno and crew overreached. Part of the problem, of course, is with the funding issue that occurred at the end of the series. That withstanding, Rahxephon has an equally strong story that doesn’t focus on confounding us.
I’ve yet to see the new films, however. Waiting for all of them to come out before I binge on them all at once.
I liked the Evangelion film, End of Evangelion, but didn’t really care for the series.
I liked End of Evangelion because it was densely packed with symbolism, and was quite experimental, in a way that I liked. The series itself was a mish mash of different anime stereotypes, which was intentional btw, but it doesn’t mean that I have to like it.
the last few episodes, and the death and rebirth movie are all that I care to watch other than end of Evangelion.
Neon Genesis Evangelion to me consists of the original series and 2 films.
The 4 new “Rebuild of Evangelion” features weren’t completely necassary. I’ve yet to see the second but the first, although visual stunning, doesn’t add to the franchise. It feels as if it’s been "dumbed down’ and alters certain images from the original series that were so iconic and memorable.
The success of the previous versions was down to fact that certian things were intentionally hidden from the audience and others made much more clear.
Josef Von Sternberg (director, Blue Angel, Crime and Punishment) summed it up best when he stated
“Shadow is mystery and light is clarity. Shadow conceals – light reveals. To know what to reveal and what to conceal and in what degrees to do this is all there is to art”
That being said, i’ll still watch the new Rebuild of Evangelion films (no questions asked)
More people need to be made aware of this groundbreaking work on this site. i could go on all night about it’s genius but i better stop.
Any talk of a live-action Evangelion is fucken insulting and stupid.
Can you imagine that shit.
Eddie, the new four-film series Rebuild of Evangelion is supposedly quite well done (as the reviews for the first two have been solid and the last two are expected to re-imagine the series in some ways), but very much agree that a live-action idea is quite silly. Just look what they did to 20th Century Boys…
Congratulations! I prefer it over the the 2nd ending. I’m not going to watch Rebuild until all three DVDs are out and I can just veg out on them in a row. It’s a wonderful deconstruction of the Mecha “genre” in manga/anime.
I think its hugely overrated and people who haven’t seen it REALLY aren’t missing much. I suppose its completely subjective but generally audiences are most entertained/interested in a main character who is relatable or interesting in some way. Sinji however is timid and shy to the point of being irritating and eventually maddening as up until the last moments of the series he is completely pathetic. Furthermore the ending to the series feels so rushed and incredibly sloppy/psuedo-intellectual it’s borderline humorous. The Japanese culture is very much interested in this sort of “theme” and it shows if you watch other anime’s or read manga’s. There is this whole “pathetic main character who is thrown into an adventure with lots of girls ogling over him” thing going on that is almost nonexistent in american culture. Evangelion has its strong points (the animation/basic story) but its weaknesses far outweigh them in my opinion.
How familiar are you with Mecha series Chikenbaby?
I didn’t like Neon Genesis Evangelion. But I have trouble criticizing it because anything I say about it applies equally to Xenogears, which has my favorite plot in a video game.
I guess what really bothered me about it was the fashionable misanthropy and the fanservice. It felt like it was being superficially philosophical and throwing a bunch of Freudian and Christian symbolism in just for it’s own sake and to pander to depressed sexually frustrated teenagers.
I don’t like the style of most anime, but I really liked Noir, FLCL, Berserk (Though it should have gotten another season), Monster, Perfect Blue, Spirited Away, the episodes of Cowboy Bebop that revolve around Spike’s history, and a few others.
Anno was depressed throughout most of the series so yeah. Neon Genesis Evangelion, as with your aforementioned FLCL, work better when you know about what it’s trying to decontruct/satirize. Granted FLCL is probably easier to shallow.
“I suppose its completely subjective but generally audiences are most entertained/interested in a main character who is relatable or interesting in some way.”
He’s relatable if you’re Japanese. Duh.
Miasma
I think…
…that SEELE sends the Angels to instigate the Human Instrumentality Project, which may or may not require the Third Impact to occur. I could be wrong.