How do you go about recommending Eva to friends?

[Princess Asuka]

I really want a friend of mine to try Eva, but I've gotten excuses from him saying it's bad because of uses of Christian imagery, certain quotes, I've shared before, etc. How do you explain Eva to people and say it's not bad? I know it's not for everyone, but me and my boyfriend are both Eva fans, but explaining Eva to others is hards. Though my female classmates find Shinji hot.

[The Eva Monkey]

it's bad because of uses of Christian imagery

These people cannot be won over. And generally speaking, this whole "trying to get someone to watch Evangelion" thing is pointless. Let them watch what they want to watch. If they want to watch it, let em go for it, but trying to trick, convince, or persuade someone to watch anything is just going to either build up expectation or push them further away from it.

[Chuckman]

Wear a trenchcoat, pin copies of the platium thinpak to the inside, and open it when people walk by.

[Princess Asuka]

These people cannot be won over. And generally speaking, this whole "trying to get someone to watch Evangelion" thing is pointless. Let them watch what they want to watch. If they want to watch it, let em go for it, but trying to trick, convince, or persuade someone to watch anything is just going to either build up expectation or push them further away from it.

I've tried saying it's Japan, look past it. I love Eva because of the well written characters that I can relate to. The imagery is just there to look cool.

[The Eva Monkey]

The imagery is just there to look cool.

I disagree, but that's a discussion for another thread, but my point was that if your friend(s) object to the use of Christian iconography, which may be offensive to them, you're not going to win them over. Some people just don't like having something sacred used as narrative fodder.

[Princess Asuka]

I disagree, but that's a discussion for another thread, but my point was that if your friend(s) object to the use of Christian iconography, which may be offensive to them, you're not going to win them over. Some people just don't like having something sacred used as narrative fodder.

Well, I figure why fight him? I even offered to try one of his anime series if he tried Eva, but there's no use in fighting against stubborn people. I believe in God and I'm Christian, but I like Eva, does it make me a bad person?

[The Eva Monkey]

I believe in God and I'm Christian, but I like Eva, does it make me a bad person?

According to some people, yes.

I was raised Roman Catholic, and no one ever tried to beat me over the head with a Bible, but I've known a few people who've had to keep their interest in certain shows and certain kinds of anime on the down low because of their family's religious convictions.

Unless things have changed over at the Christian Anime Alliance, they still have blanket rules forbidding even discussing anything like Evangelion and Angel Sanctuary.

So yeah, some people find Evangelion offensive and taboo.

[Kid]

So yeah, some people find Evangelion offensive and taboo.

I'll go ahead and add that I have met many, many people who find the series offensive for religious reasons. It is usually because of the killing of "Angels" or the misrepresentation of angels and the use of the cross in moments of death/destruction.

And on that note...

I really want a friend of mine to try Eva, but I've gotten excuses from him saying it's bad because of uses of Christian imagery, certain quotes

You most likely won't be able to convince him. Just try again in a year or two.

[ReiAyanami25]

I'll go ahead and add that I have met many, many people who find the series offensive for religious reasons. It is usually because of the killing of "Angels" or the misrepresentation of angels and the use of the cross in moments of death/destruction.

Interesting. I have a friend who belongs to a very religious family, and she does not seem to mind. She even watched four episodes with me. Although she describes some aspects as 'dodgy.'

[gatotsu911]

It depends on the friend. With Eva, as with anything I recommend to people, I try to "sell" it based on the tastes and interests of the person I have in mind. So, depending on the person, I might emphasize:
- the philosophical themes
- the position of influence/historical significance in anime
- the brilliant imagery and avant-garde experimentation in the latter part of the series/EoE
- the depth of the characters
- the fact that it's an anime with fucking well-written female characters
- the fact that it was a huge part of my adolescence
- the fact that it's my primary example of "teen angst done right", alongside stuff like Donnie Darko or whatever
- the fact that it's a good example of postmodernism in popular media
- the fact that the guy who made it is pals with Hayao Miyazaki

The only limitation, really, is that I try to only recommend it to people who have a sufficiently high degree of "anime tolerance" to sit through the first half of the series, and are open-minded enough or sufficiently capable of non-literal thinking to stick with it for the second half.

It's not one of the anime I typically recommend to people who "don't like anime". Those people are better directed to something like Bebop, Akira or Ghost in the Shell as a gateway drug.


Also,

misrepresentation of angels

If anything, Eva is more faithful in its depiction of "angels" as bizarre otherworldly entities beyond human comprehension than 99% of "Christian" media depicting them as dudes with wings and togas. Biblical angels are either weird, trippy shit, or they're more or less indistinguishable in manner and appearance from regular human beings (c.f. Gabriel, who gets into a fistfight with Jacob).

[Mr. Tines]

I've always said "Try this, you might like it -- it's the most influential of the Japanese giant robot cartoons." and offered the first DVD.

One (a university contemporary of mine) watched that far and said "This just looks like an excuse for giant robot fights." The other (a teenage geek girl) didn't think much of it either but really dug the first Utena DVD which was part of the same bundle (and devoured that series).

[Melchior]

It's sad that they are against it for all of the wrong reasons - they don't even get deep enough into the story to realize the real reasons they should dislike it... namely the existence of the FAR, and the fact that Lilim are created from Lilith, not God or gods.

Oh well. I think everyone I've shown was Atheist, or only mild Christian.

[pwhodges]

I've added a Sachiel smiley to the forum I run, and if people ask about it, I explain. It actually came up today :)

[Gorbatschow]

The imagery is just there to look cool.

It mostly is, but if you break it down, you realize that EVAs story is loosely based on these symbols and innuendos. It's hard to explain, let's call it "narrative aesthetics".

Btt: I usually say:" Hey there's this multi layered, psychologically orientated show that presents an "study" pf behaviors by using an interesting, mysterious and highly interpretable plot and likable complex characters, you may like it." If they don't want, I don't care.

[Blue Monday]

Just tell 'em it's moe.

Wear a trenchcoat, pin copies of the platium thinpak to the inside, and open it when people walk by.

SPOILER: Show

On second thought; do this!

[Melchior]

Wear a trenchcoat, pin copies of the platium thinpak to the inside, and open it when people walk by.

Clarify.

Is this thinpaks AND clothes, or strickly just thikpaks.

I can argue the usage of both tactics.
ALLOW ME TO ELABORATE!

With clothes - you gain the ability to pin even more to you. You don't become restricted to only using the trenchcoat. Then again, if you're into that sort of thing, you could pin it to your skin. O.o

Without clothes - you gain the shock and awe perk. People will be so infatuated (or repulsed... same outcome), they will immediately reach for the thinpak (and only the thinkpak) and run home in order to satiate your desires (either out of adoration, or abhorrence)

[Chainsaw Owl]

Generally speaking, the people who are going to enjoy Evangelion won't need much help finding it. It's certainly not a very casual anime, so the people who are going to appreciate it have probably already been around the block a few times, as far as anime is concerned (unless you're being introduced to it at an exceptionally young age, that is)

At this point, the vast majority of anime fans are at least aware NGE exists, and will fall into one of three categories:

1. They've already seen it and formed an opinion about it. If it's a negative opinion, you'd probably just do more damage trying to defend it. It's very hard to convince someone to form an unbiased second impression.

2. They haven't watched it because they aren't interested in mecha anime (or some other genre complaint). A valid argument could be made in that many of NGE's greatest merits have nothing to do with the Evas, but this argument is a steep uphill battle. Don't bother unless the person is unusually fond of "phsycological" anime.

3. They are genually interested in the premise, but just "haven't gotten around to watching it yet." Congratulations, you've found the black sheep in the coal mine. Now go buy yourselves a 30-pack and offer to watch episodes with him until one of you passes out.