Here's my mini-review.
I first started watching this series back in January. When I got done with it, I was completely blown away. My first viewing was a VERY emotional experience for me. While the following viewings have been a more intellectual experience. I try to piece together the puzzle, and find different things that I never saw before. "Evangelion" can be interpreted in so many ways, and there is so much to explore. It's so massive, that it needed to have another series that promises to be great. And it also needed a manga to show different sides of the characters, and different stories.
I loved all of the characters. I got to know, and learn all aspects of them. The show gives you a very intimate look into who they are as people. Their not just cartoon drawings, nor do they have cardboard personalities. They are vibrant, and full of life. They have many layers, and emotional complexities. And what makes them so realistic, is that they are walking contradictions. Every person on this planet is a walking contradiction of some sorts. We want to get close to someone, but we don't want to get close to someone. We want to love somebody, but we don't want to love somebody. Because of our fear of being hurt. Everybody is scared of being vulnerable with someone.
I was able to relate to all of the characters insecurities. And I could definitly relate to their loneliness. It's that empty void that you feel within your heart, and you wish somebody could see it. I don't feel that void as much as I use to. But it's still there, and it's probably going to be there for awhile. I also wanted to mention that I felt really bad for most of the characters. Many animes have made me feel for the characters that they present, but not like this. I felt complete and utter sadness for nearly all of the characters. I was almost brought to tears. Infact, I was brought to tears towards the last episode. I don't know if it was tears of joy, or tears of sadness. But the "congratulations" scene hit me very hard. Infact, that whole episode hit me hard, because it gave me a lot of insight to myself. All of Anno's feelings about life, is exactly how I feel. It's like he was expressing my feelings. I couldn't beleive it, but they were right there.
Now the thing that I loved the most about this series, is how it takes it's conventional premise, and turns it upside down. It starts out like any other mecha anime that I'v seen, but it ends up like nothing else before. The first 10 episodes are pretty up-lifting, and almost predictable in some ways. I was really enjoying it, but didn't see anything special. The only thing that made my jaw drop, was the animation, and the visuals. Infact, the fourth episode is what made me fall in love with the series(Hedgehogs Dilemna). For the very reasons that Eva Yojimbo pointed out on another website. It had the most perfect character development that I have ever seen in my life. Shinji doesn't have a lot of dialogue during that episode, but you get to know everything about him. Anno uses the voice overs, and the images to develop Shinji throughout that entire episode. You got to see, and understand his loneliness. Now after this episode, the show gets back into it's conventional style. But after episode 10, everything breaks down. It becomes an allegory(or metaphor) for the downward spiral of depression. All of the stable relationships/friendships begin to faulter. The main characters start to have mental breakdowns, and descent into an awful state of depression. Which mostly have to do with the unresolved sexual tensions that grow between them. Injuries, deaths, and defeats also cause blows to their psyche. And I'v never seen anything like it. Infact, there hasn't been anything like it.
Now this series is not complete without "End Of Evangelion." Which is an even more powerful ending to the series. It gives us a lot of hope towards the end. But it's also very sad, and painful to watch. It's one of the most brutal, and violent films ever created. And the emotions that it invoke within me, was almost too much to bear. It has a happy, and sad ending. You get the sense that life is hard. It's so hard that you just want to wither away. That you just want to curl up, and create a shell for yourself, so nobody could see, touch, or hurt you. But there is also that glimpse of hope. That humanity will learn to love, and accept one another. That we will be able to comfort each other, and be there for one another. This glimpse of hope for humanity, is shown when Asuka caresses Shinji's cheek. That is one of the most beautiful moments in cinematic history, and that entire scene will be debated for years.
I'v been a fan for four months, and I know so much about this franchise, that I think my head will explode oneday(lol). I love it. I love the characters, the emotional complexites of the characters, the visuals, the dialogue, the philosophy, the themes, and it's powerful message of hope.
P.S: I think I'm one of the few fans who loves both endings.
