Why are people so divided on Evangelion

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ReiIsTopTierWaifu
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Why are people so divided on Evangelion

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Postby ReiIsTopTierWaifu » Sat Mar 17, 2018 7:42 pm

Soooooo people even after 22 years, still argue whether or not Evangelion is good or not, so just as a question, what do you think is the biggest thing that splits up the community the most, and I mean, if one thing were to change, like Shinji being a generic Shonen protagonist, Rei being similar to her alternate episode 26 counterpart,
there being little to no symbolism in Evangelion, or the show being less depressing and taking after Girlfriend of Steel 2nd, or Angelic Days, in terms of cheeriness, what would it be that would probably shift the divide more towards Evangelion being a good anime, what one (minor/major) change would have to happen, for Evangelion to have (more) praise, and for it to be merrited by (more) people, and deserving of it? :emogendo:
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Re: Why are people so divided on Evangelion

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Postby Reichu » Sat Mar 17, 2018 8:59 pm

Any change motivated by populist concerns would make the show worse.
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Re: Why are people so divided on Evangelion

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Postby ACGT-Samael » Sat Mar 17, 2018 10:51 pm

I'm gonna go with the fact that humans are complex and messy creatures that are influenced by their upbringing and social settings and can manifest that in different ways, including different stances on the same scenario. In other words, the key message of the show does a great job at explaining the varied reactions to the show.

Using pandering moves to gain praise for a show is a terrible idea. The Rebuilds tried that with Mari and that still got divided reactions. The best course of action for the artist is to make the work they want to make, do the best job they can, and accept that they will never be all things to all people.

Also, the notion of a work "deserving praise" is a tricky thing to navigate, and past a certain point makes the artist seem entitled.

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Re: Why are people so divided on Evangelion

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Postby pwhodges » Sun Mar 18, 2018 3:12 am

Simple - people are divided on Evangelion for the same reason that they are divided on absolutely anything: different people like different things.

For instance, it's quite clear that not everyone thinks the same as you on some key matters:
View Original PostACGT-Samael wrote:my overwhelming preference for protagonists is a proactive one.
[...]
I know his passivity and despondency are the point of his character, and they do the job well. It's just not what I want from a protagonist.
[...]
my dogmatic view on Chekhov's Gun

You say it yourself; in a nutshell: "It's just not what I want".
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Re: Why are people so divided on Evangelion

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Postby ACGT-Samael » Sun Mar 18, 2018 7:56 am

View Original Postpwhodges wrote:Simple - people are divided on Evangelion for the same reason that they are divided on absolutely anything: different people like different things.

For instance, it's quite clear that not everyone thinks the same as you on some key matters:

You say it yourself; in a nutshell: "It's just not what I want".


Not sure why you chose to respond to me like I was the OP, especially when we seem to agree that Evangelion being divisive is able the people, not the series itself. I just phrased my answer like that to draw the parallel between the theme within the show and the reactions to it.

For the record, I know I'm in the minority with my opinions on Shinji and the like, and won't try to claim otherwise. That also doesn't mean I feel anybody else's opinion is invalid or what have you. That said kinda the whole place over using so many qualifiers just to share my stance on the series.

It also doesn't mean I dislike the work as a whole. Surprise surprise, people can dislike parts of something but like the overall result, and Evangelion is so multifaceted I'd argue pretty much everyone could name something they dislike about it, but we obviously all still like it or we wouldn't be here.

That's also why making pandering decisions is such a lateral move - the changes will always be divisive, both for being changes and for how they impact the work as a whole. Either you alienate existing fans and open the work up to new horizons, or you reinforce the existing ones but make it less accessible to new people, neither of which are solid moves. If the artist feels it's a change -they- want to make, go for it, but don't just pander to somebody if it's not what you want.

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Re: Why are people so divided on Evangelion

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Postby pwhodges » Sun Mar 18, 2018 8:44 am

View Original PostACGT-Samael wrote:Not sure why you chose to respond to me like I was the OP,

Because I wasn't properly awake - sorry to add confusion!
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Re: Why are people so divided on Evangelion

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Postby ACGT-Samael » Sun Mar 18, 2018 9:35 am

View Original Postpwhodges wrote:Because I wasn't properly awake - sorry to add confusion!


Ah. That's okay, we've all been there. For the record I'd just woken up when I replied so hopefully it came off as coherent.

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Re: Why are people so divided on Evangelion

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Postby ReiIsTopTierWaifu » Sun Mar 18, 2018 10:48 am

I know that changes ruin the creators intended vision, and with Evangelion its especially true, Evangelion is hideaki annos life story, changing it would ruin his vision what he intended and wanted, its like if you went back in time and gave the Thinking Man a bigger ass, it may not mean a lot to you, but when people examine it they realieze how glaring it is, and how out of place it is, but everyone, with every show has one thing that they kind of dislike, or like less compared to other things the show does better or executes decently, so if you had to change one thing, from it being as minor as Mari's weird introduction with Shinji in 2.0, to something as drastic as third impact never happening in EoE, what would it be?
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Re: Why are people so divided on Evangelion

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Postby Reichu » Sun Mar 18, 2018 12:55 pm

Better visual/design consistency across the board.
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Re: Why are people so divided on Evangelion

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Postby ACGT-Samael » Sun Mar 18, 2018 1:07 pm

View Original PostReichu wrote:Better visual/design consistency across the board.


This is probably going hugest thing I can suggest, because better visual quality would help convey characters' struggles through body language instead of monologues, since I know people find those grating at times.


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