ANIME: 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン(1995)

新世紀エヴァンゲリオン
Neon Genesis Evangelion
1995
Direction: Hideaki Anno
Studio: Gainax

Quickie:
Post-apocalyptic, symbolic, psychoanalytic, philosophic…

General Impression:
I can’t help but like this show. It has defective people in dysfunctional relationships.

Lows:
Heavy, exhausting and might provoke too much thought for some people

Highs:
Spins several ideas, excellent soundtrack, sad people, sad situations, big purple robot, Megumi Oogata, mindfuck

Notes:
My favorite show. Expect bias.

I realize that Evangelion is another one of those love / hate things. Some people think it’s overrated, others think it’s the greatest anime ever created. I don’t believe that it’s the best anime ever created but it is one hell of a show.

With four new movies in production a decade after it first aired, Evangelion is far from dead. That can only point to two things: good show, big fanbase.

I have to affirm the buzz about it. It is a pretty solid show. Sure, it has fanservice and the last two episodes do have a tendency to drive people nuts. But let’s not forget how nice Hideaki Anno framed the shots. The beauty of the story and the script. The fucked up way the people are fucked up.

It sets the records straight on what it really means for young, emotionally unstable kids go through when ordered by their fathers (who love their wives too much) to man a big, purple robot. There’s a glimpse of lost opportunities between two people who could have been a wonderful couple but then this catastrophe struck and everything’s too fucked up for love to even exist.

The characters are all remarkable. Even the darned penguin. Perhaps I just liked screwed up, twisted things because truth is: that’s what people are. That’s what life is.

For the cynical in you: Evangelion!

FINAL RATING:
[5] out of [5]