Postby KingXanaduu » Sun Sep 21, 2014 7:57 pm
^
Then let me ask you a question Ray. Now, let me just say that this is PURELY hypothetical question, and I don't honestly think that Anno would make the movie in this direction:
Let's say, for the sake of this argument, FINAL turns into the movie you DON'T want it to be, at least in your eyes. What happens then?
From what I could tell, it may seem like you'd get depressed and dejected by such an outcome. But even then Ray, it would probably only last a couple of days for you, because we need to realize one thing: It's only a movie.
I think a problem that a lot of us are facing with Eva (present company admittingly included) is that we're treating Eva more than it should be. And why wouldn't we be? Eva for a lot of us hits an accord with us because a lot of us have had experience with similar circumstances with the characters. We heavily identify with Shinji and Asuka as characters because we were once like them, and still are.
Because of this, we've become emotionally invested in their plights, failures, and successes.....though perhaps too invested. It's almost like an Online Player of an MMORPG who begins to replace his real life with the virtual one, which isn't healthy.
I think a lot of us are getting too emotionally invested into these movies, that we go to such extraordinary lengths to defend them, or that we get too emotionally involved in their failures, that we begin to "feel" their pain as well. But why should we go to such lengths to defend a FICTIONAL character? Yes, he's very 3-dimensional, but he's still a fictional character.
Do we go to such lengths to defend such a character, because we're afraid deep down, we're just like him, that we'd make the same decisions as Shinji in his position, and thus suffer the same consequences?
The thing is people, Shinji ISN'T REAL, and neither are the circumstances of Eva. Evangelion isn't some social Bible about human interaction and social skills. Yes, it offers good points about growing up, accepting circumstances beyond your control, and accepting the responsibilities of your own mistakes and failures. But again, it's not a Bible nor something written in stone to say you HAVE to act this way in certain circumstances. It's only ONE point of view. Like an aesop fable that you read as a kid in order to get an "idea" on how to act in certain situations, but not every single moment of your life.
Sometimes, the needs of the many do outweigh the needs of the few, and sometimes they don't. It all depends on the circumstances and your own personal views. And Eva is just another story to help guide you to discover WHO you are, not an instruction booklet telling you to ACT THIS WAY, NO EXCEPTIONS.
This is why Anno has been critical of fans who get TOO invested in the exploits of Eva, that they cease to be individuals of their own identity, and just become a nameless extension of Eva.
What you need to do Ray when watching these movies, is take it for what they are, see if they apply to your own viewpoints and ideals, and then MOVE ON and see something else in the world. Hell, you can even REJECT Eva if it doesn't agree with you. Eva isn't you. You're you. You decide whether the lessons of Eva should apply to you. They aren't for everyone, and that's okay. :)
So, you're free to enjoy or reject the exploits of Shinji for whatever happens in Final. Just don't let it CONSUME your every being so that way you don't go into a spiral of depression when it doesn't fit your views.
If you want to enjoy Eva, you need to be prepared to accept the consequences of a choice, but don't let it overwhelm you that you cease to be you. :)
"You're na�ve, Cecil. Even knowing betrayal and despair, you would depend on the whims of others?" - Golbez
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Sephiroth: "Do you miss the Light?"
Golbez: "Hmph...I merely have duties to fulfill."
Sephiroth: "Too close to the brightness, and you may get scorched."
Golbz:.............
Golbez: Your loss can strengthen you.
"NGE Shinji is broken, Manga Shinji is an asshole, Rebuild Shinji is an idiot. Which is best? Uh, can I get some other options? All of these really suck." -Bagheera