Mindless entertainment?

[Olin of Xephon]

Alright, the fact is, Anime is a form of entertainment.
I also belive it's a valid form of art.

But let's be honest. What if anything, did Evangelion do for you?
In what way, if any, did it enrich your life, or make you stop and think?
What did Eva do for you that most other anime fail to do?

Or at the end of the day, is it just mindless entertainment?
I've heard a lot of people say you ot suckered into it if you like anything about aa big fat cahs cow lik Evangelion.
While on the other end of the spectrum, I've heard one person say it saved his life! :shock:

Evangelion actually got me re-examining my life and the lives of others.
It also really got me into both theology and philosophy.
Hell, it renewed my interest in Science.

Let me put it this way. After watching the series through for the first time,
I sat down and (I was only fifteen at the time) read Milton's Paradise Lost from cover to cover.

That was a big change for me, and these renewed interests acutally went on to influence my whole outlook on life.

I know that sounds really weird, but Eva touched me in a lot of diferent ways, I honestly think it improved my livelyhood.

Anybody agree or disagree? Think I'm insane?

[belial11737]

You are not insane man..... Evangelion is an extrodinary show....and I bet there are a lot of people who have been touched by it one way or another.....
Watching Evangelion is like opening a door in your brain you didnt think you had.....it changes your whole perspective on the world and yourself...... at least thats what it did for me, I havent seen the world in the same way after watching Eva, IT reprogramed me into the person I am today..... an analytical, philosophical and very deep person.....
But the most important thing I learned from Eva is: To live without regreting the choices I've made because they were MY choices and thats all that matters.......

and remember......"fear and pain may acompany Death but it is desire that shepherds it's certainty"

[Olin of Xephon]

(looks over original post)

God! I can not spell at night!

Anyway, that's real cool, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks Anno stumbled upon something really special here! :)

[bp32]

I have talked about this elsewhere, but Eva for me truly is a work of art and one that certainly resonates with me emotionally. I think the biggest reason is that when you watch it you can see and feel exactly where Anno was at emotionally--what he was going through--and if you have had any experience with that sort of thing it can't help but stir you up inside. I tried to explain it a friend of mine--how you can immediately identify with Anno's depression and the questions and issues he was struggling with and trying to represent on film through Eva--but they had never experienced that kind of feeling. Its one of those things IMO that you can't be told about, you have to experience it for yourself (kinda like the Matrix j/k). In any event, I certainly do not view Eva as mindless entertainment. Not only do I think that the themes the show deals with are presented in an exceptional manner, but emotionally it is stirring--and that always counts as a good indicator of a work's worth :)

[DatDude]

Eva to me is about the long hard road to making a simple choice.

You ether realize life is woth living with the risk of getting hurt emotionaly or you don't and you live in your own little dream world wear you'll never really be happy.

That and it gave me a great topic to waste ungodly amouts of time decussing on the internet.

[Kiel]

Eva has changed me as a human being...

I remember last year when I bought the Eva DVD boxed set and watched the entire series in one sitting :shock:

I seriously couldn't stop until the very end...

...then, when it was finally over, at 2:00 am I spent another hour just thinking about what I had just witnessed...

...at first, my initial feeling was disapointment...I didn't want the series to end so abruptly...and with so little of the story finished...

...Then I came to terms with what had happened and walked away a better person....a brand new fanboy, but a better person

Plus, I reminded myself that there were two eva movies out there I hadn't seen. Surely they would answer my questions...


...we will now take this opportunity to laugh at myself


I think Eva is above all else, a profound statement...

...I think we're all still thinking about what that statement is...but, It's all good.


Cheers Anno, Cheers....

[Hexon.Arq]

I remember last year when I bought the Eva DVD boxed set and watched the entire series in one sitting

Dude, stop stealing my stories. Seriously, I had a bowl of Froot Loops after watching Collection 0:8 three times, then proceeded to go into my second day without sleep with a clearer head than I had ever felt. It was amazing. It felt as though I had just taken a four-year shower or had suddenly dropped thirty pounds. The air in my own house felt cooler on my skin, and smelled less like industrial pollutants.

The first thing Eva did for me was it gave me a never-before-felt feeling of supreme euphoria. That was when I watched the series. After I saw the movie, what it did was scare the hell out of me. I can't interpret what its immediate effect on me was, because even a year later I'm not certain what it's doing to me now. It was the first time I had ever become enthusiastic about... anything. What I do know is that it made me go out and buy lots of merchandise. Who didn't?

I'm not going to go into a rant about how Eva is a great work of art, because that's been stated to death. Let's also not forget about all of those red herring. In fact, I'd say that at first it stirred more problems for me than it helped; my subsequent dabbling into the occult raised quite a few eyebrows as well as earned me a few speeches. But I shudder to think of what kind of person I would be if it were not for this. Eva changed who I was. That's all there is to it. I may not have been transformed overnight, but the obsession that summons so much flaming is also a medium through which one channels their true self. Songs mean things to me now that I would have never thought of before.

In fact, I'd say what has made me love Evangelion as a thing or personage--beyond a series and a couple of films-- probably evolved outside my contact with any of its static materials. Its characters are now some of the biggest archetypes in the religion which finds me at the pinnace of divinity. You can't give praise much bigger than praise that can't be explained.

But as a piece of entertainment, yeah, I still get a kick out of it. However, never let it be said that you can't get tired of watching it too much-- NOT TRUE. In fact, don't spoil it for yourself by doing that; keep it fresh by staying the hell away from it.

[Dave]

You can't give praise much bigger than praise that can't be explained.

I'm keeping that quote.

In fact, don't spoil it for yourself by doing that; keep it fresh by staying the hell away from it.

Thats not possible Hexon.

[bp32]

In fact, don't spoil it for yourself by doing that; keep it fresh by staying the hell away from it.

Thats not possible Hexon.

I agree--Eva has sort of a graviational pull thing going on--maybe quantum gravity can explain it :) Seriously though, as much as I have watched it (and watched it, and watched it.....) it is still fresh to me, it hasn't lost the ability to amaze me each time.

[The Eva Monkey]

Watching Evangelion is like opening a door in your brain you didnt think you had.....it changes your whole perspective on the world and yourself.

I think this is by far the briefest and most accurate explanation I think I could give. Even if there are things you don't understand about the story, it challenges your thought processes, your sense of analysis. But more importantly, the character issues resonate with each other and (hopefully) yourself. There are many things to be learned about yourself, with the characters as a medium.

While on the other end of the spectrum, I've heard one person say it saved his life!

While I can not say for certain that Eva saved my life, I can say that I discovered it as I was sinking further and further into depression, and it was one of the stimuli that pulled me from that stigma. Would I be dead/alive had I not experienced this show? I don't know. Although I do know that had I not, the caliber of my life would not be as it is today. I imagine my life would be a bit bleaker. There is a degree of uncertainty in this, but I know in my heart that my life has been bettered by Anno's work.

What did Eva do for you that most other anime fail to do? Or at the end of the day, is it just mindless entertainment?

I've searched for other shows on par with Eva, but I simply cannot find one worthy of this length of discussion. Alias is the only show I've had any fanatacism even remotely similar to that of Eva lately. And that's a far cry from Eva. Not much anime has the sort of depth of Eva. Serial Experiments Lain and Pefect Blue come close, but lack a sense of cohesion that would otherwise allow them to be deconstructed and analysed. Other anime have touched me emotionally, such as Grave of the Fireflies, Millenium Actress, and even Zone of the Enders Idolo. But I know for certain that there isn't another anime out there that is both intellectually challenging, and emotional stirring on the scale of Eva. I hope that someday someone creates something that can duplicate Evangelion's success and timelessness, without mimicing its forumla. Why are there none others like Eva? Because anime is just television shows and movies. They are in many cases just mindless entertainment. You have a few exceptions, but for many people anime is a job, something to be produced, or entertainment, something to be consumed without any additional effort required.

In fact, don't spoil it for yourself by doing that; keep it fresh by staying the hell away from it.

I agree, this is the very reason why I only watch Aliens (all time favorite movie) maybe once or twice a year. If you love a show or movie absolutely, its best to moderate the amount you watch it, so that you do not tire of it, and so that each time is as enjoyable as possible. Don't allow yourself to become bored of something you love.

[Mr.Guy]

Well there isn't much t say that hasn't already been said :? . So for the sake of not being repetitive, I'll just say that I agree with everyone and add one little thing.

Evangelion did something to me, that pretty much nothing has even come close to. And I'm not just talking anime, I'm talking books, social issues, movies, the whole thing. The way Eva is presented is extraordinary... it's hard to formulate it into words :? .

My outlook is almost completely different. My perspective is a whole lot wider as well. Episode 26 alone was simply mind blowing for me. The way they analyzed things, the way they presented... everything. It just had a feeling to it.

So in conclusion, I'd say Eva has changed myself and I can't imagine myself without have never seeing it.

In fact, don't spoil it for yourself by doing that; keep it fresh by staying the hell away from it.

I agree, this is the very reason why I only watch Aliens (all time favorite movie) maybe once or twice a year. If you love a show or movie absolutely, its best to moderate the amount you watch it, so that you do not tire of it, and so that each time is as enjoyable as possible. Don't allow yourself to become bored of something you love.

Agreed. I try to limit myself to watching it as much as possible... Aliens r0xz . Though I preferred Alien 3 (no idea why), Aliens ranks right after that. Followed by either Alien, or AvP (sorry for off topicness, needed to add that).

[MongolSquad]

You are not insane man..... Evangelion is an extrodinary show....and I bet there are a lot of people who have been touched by it one way or another.....
Watching Evangelion is like opening a door in your brain you didnt think you had...

That is an increible statement. That's how I like to think of Eva. If you really hunker down, and sit there to watch it, anlyze it to some extent, and try to understand the parts you really want to....you can get so much out of it. Yes it has violence, sensuality and other disturbing things, but I like to think that is not what Eva is about. It's so much deeper than just mindless violence or sex or angsty teenagers. Like many have said, it can change your outlook on life, your life. If you take even one of it's messages and apply to your though process, it can change so much. And thanks to all this discussion, I feel I really need to watch Evangelion again, to see how much I can get out of it the second time around after discovering some of it's great meanings. Now I can home in on those meanings and see if I can expand on them even more, or even find newer ones that have never crossed my mind. Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the greatest works ever, I think anyone who calls it mindless has no idea what they are missing and ignorance here, is not bliss.

[ChronoX]

You are not insane man..... Evangelion is an extrodinary show....and I bet there are a lot of people who have been touched by it one way or another.....
Watching Evangelion is like opening a door in your brain you didnt think you had.....it changes your whole perspective on the world and yourself......
But the most important thing I learned from Eva is: To live without regreting the choices I've made because they were MY choices and thats all that matters.......

and remember......"fear and pain may acompany Death but it is desire that shepherds it's certainty"

no one could say it any better than that

what it did for me when i watched the First episode on cartoon network 3 or 4 years ago it blew my mind
AND THAT WAS ONLY THE FIRST EPISODE!!!!!!!
it also gave me an intrest in anime too
on the whole life outlook thing i will tell you when i get my perfect collection in the mail and (finally) watch it non stop from beginning to end without my annoying brother
if only it would come i have waited 3 weeks to get it from Canada

[Olin of Xephon]

This is amazing, I always thought I just must have been/still am overly obsessive about Eva, but that was what it did for me, and I guess I had to throw it out there.

I have to say I'm suprised so many people came away as touched, confused, and changed by Eva as much (or even more) as I was.

Watching Evangelion is like opening a door in your brain you didnt think you had.....it changes your whole perspective on the world and yourself......

I have to memorize this and the next time I come across somebody (at Suncoast or something) who asks me what the big deal is with anime, I can tell them that.
It's as close to a brief summary as I've ever heard.

I've never watched the entire series in one sitting, I've watched the series several dozen times just not at once, I have to try that.

I understand what Hexon is saying, I was kind of afraid I'd get tired of it too. So I limit myself to watching the whole series and both movies three or four times a year!
It hasn't worn me out yet...I just seriously wonder why every time I watch it I notice something I didn't before.

[The Eva Monkey]

I've never watched the entire series in one sitting, I've watched the series several dozen times just not at once, I have to try that.

I've never done it, nor do I recommend it. Might hurt the brain, ne?

[Dave]

I've never watched the entire series in one sitting, I've watched the series several dozen times just not at once, I have to try that.

I've never done it, nor do I recommend it. Might hurt the brain, ne?

Actually it's pretty interesting. Most of the time I simply fall asleep with it on which yields in quite a few interesting dreams. Of course having Evangelion beamed directly into your subconscious may not be the best way to stay sane.

[bp32]

I have heard that there are "eva clubs" who get together every once and a while and hold marathons where they try to watch the entire series (movies and all) straight through (obviously there is no sleep for the weary)...anyone ever been involved in one of these 'sessions'??

[Hunter21]

I've done that by myself, and it doesn't actually take as long as you'd think. If you start to get tired just eat about ten pixie sticks and hour and you should be fine.

[Hexon.Arq]

The entire series is only 8.6 hours long. I know that when I saw it all the first time, I didn't even get sleepy. Of course, I didn't intend to watch the whole series, but what would have damaged my brain more would have been to go to bed with a thousand questions gnawing away at my mind.

Let's see... I started watching at... 7:00 p.m., and I finished (admittedly, after watching what amounted to a total of 32 episodes, not counting the movies) at about... 6:00 a.m. Hmm... there must have been a couple of bathroom breaks in there, then.

It was very worth it. There's something about your first viewing being uninterrupted by outside distraction that makes it seem a lot more... real.