The highly popular and controversial Gainax anime series Shinseiki Evangelion (Neon Genesis Evangelion) concluded its broadcast run in March of 1996
UnderConstruction:
The End Of Evangelion
Prologue
********
I must admit several points before I proceed with the preliminary analysis
1. I watched the movie The End of Evangelion as a whole, i.e. Rebirth and
The End, in Toei Theatre in Shinjuku
2. I don't know Japanese, so all I got from this movie are visual and
sound effect stimuli, all thoughts and feelings below are based on these.
The lack of dialogue interpretation could contribute to lost in detail and
mis-perception
3. I wrote these while I was traveling in Japan, on the train and during a
flight back to Hong Kong
Stimuli and resultant
*****************
As mentioned, all I got from this one and a half hour movie
were visual and sound effect stimuli, as I don't understand Japanese, lots
of details and reasoning could be lost. However, I do think that the
major presentation of the movie is intact. At least, it conforms to the
previous understanding in relation to the TV serious.
1. Dark, very dark, yet there is a great deal of positive
feelings during the experience. I doubt it suitable for children, same to
the TV series, despite the brilliant evangelic implication.
2. From the visual and sound effect cues, most of the direct
interpretation of the movie is *Dark*, without much investigative mind,
one would tend to label this movie "disastrous". For me I would believe
there is a very New Age idea behind.
3. One of the important concept I suspect the author intended
to convey is that "what things look/sound could be very different to what
they really mean". In short, killing doesn't necessarily imply evil.
Necessary evil contributes to the system as a whole. At this point, I'm
afraid the series even with parental guidance will not diminish the
negative impact on unprepared souls, e.g. killing (unification), sex
(pleasure principle, unification), confusion (initial stage of collective
experience), etc.
4. Between Good and Evil. I don't think there is any
differentiation between good and evil in a distinguished way, in this
movie. All objects contribute to the final outcome. Is Angles evil? Is
pure and young always related to goodness? Is weakness and ignorance
evil? Most of the time during the movie, I found serious conflict between
ordinary sense of good vs. evil. At the end, it was not important. As
long as it's a contributing part, it'd be fine. As Rei merges with
Lilith, 05-Machine unified with 02-Machine (9 Angels and Shinji) and
completed the Tree Of Life, the death of all earth individuals, the
distinction between good and evil melted.
5. Several symbolic imageries point directly to the END.
That is, the judgment day. The red sea, the appearance of Angels, the
death and rise of the dead, the black moon.
6. How would everyone end his/her life at the End? Some
ended their life with fear/guilt (eye-glassed guy with his fantasized
Misato), some ended with relieve (Maya found comfort with the embrace of
Ritsuko), etc. In the ordinary reality as we perceived, it was horrible,
people squashed into yellowish liquid (LCL?), grave like earth filled with
numerous tombs. However, it doesn't necessarily mean evil, our historical
understanding of evil and disasters could be very different from what the
super-conscious (GOD?) conceived.
7. Is everything pre-determined? No, as implicated from the
movie. Although SEELES seems to be in control of human destiny, it looks
like that their "plan" and the prophecy from the Dead Sea Scroll was not
completed, humanity has a new beginning as Shinji refused to conform,
despite his weak personality.
8. I hope the movie doesn't really spread the idea of global
suicide to bring out the END, despite its apparent effect.
9. I am glad the director seems responsible as to lead
viewers back to the reality at the end (or at least near the end). To
relate people watching the movie to those who had watched, to convey a
message that viewers are not alone, to allow viewers to see themselves
from the outside. The effort even went to the extent that real life images
were used instead of anime. All account for the fact that viewers were not
sank to the deepest psyche of the director, or themselves.
10. Sex, Freud and pleasure principle.
Wondering why there were so many sex scenes? No it wasn't sex
at all. It was pleasure. How would you deal with stress? What could be the
easiest way out? Pleasure. What could be the nearest possible pleasure
easily obtainable when there are no external stimuli? Sex. Note that every
character has its own way of dealing with stress, it was only Shinji who
needed to use sex. He failed to find pleasurable objects other than his
self-indulging ego, his dad was never close to him, Mom has long gone,
Asuka shuts herself down completely. Which instances you find Shinji opens
his eyes with surprise? I mean other than primal fears. I could remember
Several when the idea of his good boy friend came (one who understands him
without much effort), when Misato kissed him, when he saw Asuka's naked
body. What are the common factors among these? I would say sex and
self-knowledge.
11. Rei = Mother of nature?
What was Rei made up of? Was she transformed somehow during
these years? Why was she merged with Lilith? Rei, whatever she made up of,
finally became the ultimate destruction (lilith), but not necessarily
evil. Her sole purpose of existence was transcended from being the soul or
the eye of the machine, to the Soul of the long dead lilith's body. What
constituted the change and the driving force of it? Remember Angel scanned
her (in the TV series)? And she found a total exposure of the Self,
thereby ignited a series of questions and projections ........
12. Angels in relation with the tree of life
Which parties were actively seeking the END? Which parties
were the opponent? Anybody switched side during the fight? Impression:
People seeking the END are Seeles, Angels, Rei, ........
13. Why was Rei suddenly got up in the middle of the night and
soak herself in those liquid? why the sudden switch?
14. Shinji's playground
In Shinji's world (near the end), everything were symmetrical,
though not exactly, eg the light poles, the swing, the pile of sand he
made. why the swing? Was it between two things? why was it finally
stopped? why made the pile and then lost control? Probably inexplicable
but I tend to think that its how Shinji's word operate. Trying to build up
something from nothing while Sobering, probably not very willingly but did
it anyway ........
The TV
| 26 half-hour episodes, Oct95-Mar96 on TV Tokyo | |
| Planning and Story | GAINAX |
| Screenplay and Direction | Anno Hideaki |
| Character Designs | Sadamoto Yoshiyuki |
| Mechanical Designs | Yamashita Ikuto/Anno Hideaki |
| Associate Directors | Tsurumaki Kazuya/Masayuki |
| Music | Sagisu Shiroo |
1996 TV series - 26 episodes. The last two are particularly introspective and don't provide much of a closure for the series. They are director Hideaki Anno's personal vision of Evangelion
The LaserDisc
Neon Genesis EVANGELION, created by Anno Hideaki, mad genius of the anime industry. The Director is remaking large portions of the latter part of the series as part of its laserdisc release. The final episode in particular is completely different from the original TV endingOAV series - 2 episodes. Another version of the last two TV episodes. Created in response to fan disappointment/confusion over the original closing episodes
The Movie - Death and Rebirth
Even after the new finale on laserdisc, Anno Hideaki's Evangelion will still not be finished. Just as Shinji took a first step into a new world at the series's end, the decision has been made to seek out bigger and better things, and produce an original theatrical film.
The movie version of "Neon Genesis Evangelion" premiered on March 15, 1997. The release is in the form of a double-feature. EVANGELION: DEATH is composed of a digest of the first 24 episodes of the TV series, and EVANGELION: REBIRTH contains the answers to the various mysteries which the TV series failed to resolve such as "Why did Second Impact happen?" "What in fact are the Angels?" and "Will Asuka recover from her cataonia?"
The Movie - The End Of Evangelion
The End Of Evangelion, Japanese title Neon Genesis Evangelion The Movie: Air/My Pure Heart For Your, slated for release this Summer, is schedule to run approx. 70 minutes, over 40 of which will be new footage added to "Rebirth". Depicting the final battle for the fate of mankind, the film will contain such spectacles as Evangelion fighting Evangelion, as well as the ultimate fates of all the characters. The "Evangelion" will be herewith concluded.
Reports from People who saw the Movie
| Death & Rebirth: C.Lampe |
|
C.Lampe clampe@ykt0.attnet.or.jp Date: Sat, 15 Mar 1997 23:57:32 +0900 For those who don't know, the movie is split into two parts, the first part is Evangelion:Death, which basically is a recap on things that happened to all four EVA pilots. It is mostly animation from the TV series, but it does have some new animation. It is more along the lines of how I think the TV series should have ended. This part lasted approx 1 hour. The second part is Evangelion:Rebirth. This contains basically all new animation, except for a small part of the beginning. In it, the JSDF (Japanese Self Defense Force) basically attack NERV and destroy it. At the start, of the attack, Asuka (who is still in a comatose state) is sent up in EVA-02 and left in the bottom of the lake. Misato then goes looking for Shinji, who almost gets killed by japanese soilders when Misato shows up and rescues him. Shinji, by the way, is in his normal introverted state, ignoring everything happening around him. Eventually the JSDF expose NERV to the sunlight, at this point they start dropping depth charges in the lake in an attempt to destroy(?) EVA-2. Finally, Asuka wakes up and becomes her normal, aggressive self and destroys the JSDF forces around NERV. At this point, I got lost, as some other EVAs (flying ones, they look kind of like manta rays) show up, and the movie ends. Now I have to wait till the summer when they release the full version, which is supposed to include this 30 minute segments, plus approx 40minutes of additional animation. I must say this part really puts a bad light on the japanese military, as they just slaughter everyone in NERV basically. But then war is hell. I've worked with the JASDF, but then they are as different from the JGSDF, the same that the USAF is different from the army or the marines. |
| Death & Rebirth: TAKEUCHI Shouichi |
|
TAKEUCHI Shouichi takeuchi@mbox.kyoto-inet.or.jp Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 23:24:18 +0900
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: DEATH
NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: REBIRTH
and now, .... SPOILER ALERT ! Shinji didn't anything but disliking himself and fearing everyone. Since Ritsuko blocked cracking-attacks against MAGI from other MAGI ( MAGI-2 in Tokyo-2, and other MAGI of other nations ), Seele switched their plan to more violent one. Seele seems to cheat the Japanese government to destroy NERV for robbing Adam and Lilis. Tactical Defense Force of Japan started attacking the Geo Front. Misato hid Evangelion Unit-2 with Asuka in the underground lake. When TDF started bombing EVA-02, Asuka regained her consciousness and found "somebody in EVA-02 caring about her", then returned to real. Rei and Gendou .... they seem to start something in the NEXT movie. Anyway, Rei broke Gendou's glasses. Since Asuka's EVA-02 destroyed JDF, Seele decided to throw EVA-05 and later EVAs against NERV. At the scene where EVA series are gliding down from the sky, the movie ended .... arrg ! |
P.S.: Although the series is becoming commercial in nature, I
believe there
are certain messages Director Anno wants to deliver in the course of
the production. It still contains elements of deeper thoughts and
understanding rather than the affiliation of "robots and cute girls" as
elaborated by the director himself:
For example, I wonder if a person over the age of twenty who likes
robot anime is really happy. Maybe there might be a greater happiness.
Regretably, I have my doubts about such happiness
Film Information
Here's a list of comments from various parties in the course of the film production
Anno Hideaki :It was my intent to conclude "Neon Genesis Evangelion" with this Spring's movie, but the story expanded far beyond the vision I had when we began production, and we went vastly over the planned running length and frames of animation. Even now we are hard at work. With the backing and support of Kadokawa Shoten and Toei, the forthcoming "Death and Rebirth" will be presented as "End of Part One" of the story. I wanted to leave as few loose ends as possible, and in any case I wished to avoid rushing the work to fit the schedule. I intend to make the most of the chance that this second, Summer release will give me. The "Rebirth" portion of "Death and Rebirth" will be entirely new, and "Death" will have approx. 30 minutes of new or remade footage. I hope you enjoy them.
Director Masayuki
Death & Rebirth
You must have VIVO PLUGIN
in order to view the trailer
Misato (Kotono
Mituisi) announces the new movie
ASUKA (Yuko
Miyamura) announces the new movie
REI (Megumi
Hayasibara) announces the new movie
A Heart's Refrain
Go Back To Your Roots
-
15Mar97 Line Up
As reported from Gainax's web site, people queued up around the theatre (Toei Palance) 3 days before the actual premiere -
Nov96 Announcement
On Nov. 1, in the Royal Room on the 12th floor of the Tokyo Kaikan, a press conference was held to announce that the movie had gone into production -
Seen It For Real
On the 11th Oct 97, during a trip to Japan, I finally went to the Toei Theatre located in Shinjuku and watched The End Of Evangelion, it was quite an experience although I don't know Japanese at all
- The Excellent Death & Rebirth story overview by Shadow
- The End Of Evangelion story overview by Shadow
-
Showing
Theatres
- Gainax Presenting The End Of Evangelion
- Gainax Diary
- First Hand info from a die hard eva fan in Japan
-
Gendo's glasses finally broken in Death & Rebirth
