The Only Neat Thing to Do

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Postby cat42 » Sun Jun 07, 2009 6:28 pm

This is of course random speculation, but I read the story recently (if you intend to the the story yourself, stop right here, because I'm planning on revealing the end) which as many of us know, was the title of the final episode in the proposal.
Reichu's Translation of the Proposal wrote:Final Episode: "The Only Neat Thing to Do"

On the stage of the destroyed laboratory, all mysteries and drama are concluded. The denouement.


To quote wikipedia's definition of denouement:
In Shakespeare's tragedies, the dénouement is usually the death of one or more characters.


The Only Neat Thing to Do is a story about a teenage girl named Coati who comes into contact with a symbiote (or a parasite, depending on your point of view) named Syllobene and they become friends. The story deals with themes of exploration, sexuality, and self sacrifice. Coati eventually finds out that Syllobene and herself will pose a threat to all of humanity, and must steer her ship with the two of them in it, into a sun. In the story, sacrificing your life to save others is called by one of Coati's heroes, the only really neat thing to do.

My theory, this story had it been written would have involved Shinji killing himself in order to save humanity.

Interesting to note that in Gunbuster, the final episode "Please, Time Enough for Love!!" was named after another science fiction novel by Robert Heinlein (though his is only called "Time Enough for Love"), and in that episode, our protagonist makes an enormous sacrifice to save humanity (though, she choose to displace herself in time, rather than kill herself).

Just some thoughts.
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Postby Reichu » Sun Jun 07, 2009 6:53 pm

"Denouement" is just the translation I used. Overanalyzing the original Japanese term would be better.

More Heinlein for ya: Up to the storyboard stage, episode 25' was going to be called "The Door Into Summer" instead of "Air".
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Postby Sailor Star Dust » Sun Jun 07, 2009 7:17 pm

On the Episode 25' front, the booklet for Refrain of Evangelion (the Best of CD, not that Yoko Takahashi CD) mentioned for the commentary of Thanatos ~if I can't be yours~ that (paraphrased:) "summer is the time that lets a young boy grow or where there's a lot of homework in store*, so it's only natural the final episode was released in then".

Just some food for thought.

*I'm assuming this is referring to how kids in Japan only get a month or so off from school and they're expected to do homework in the meantime?
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Postby cat42 » Tue Jun 30, 2009 9:44 am

(Wow, 3 weeks later...)

I had somehow forgotten about the Door into Summer subtitle (which is odd, since I read that story shortly before I read The Only Neat Thing to Do)

Going with that title, once again, I'd say it's a reference to the important concept behind the story. The idea that they were all looking for their own door into summer just like the cat was.

Hell, potentially, I'd argue that Door into Summer would've fit 26' better than 25', especially when considering how Lilith/Rei got everyone to let down their AT Fields.
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Postby FallenTabris » Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:03 am

^^^I'd figure instrumentality is very underway by episode 26, so the door coulda been 25.

Any other names that changed?

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Postby cat42 » Wed Jul 15, 2009 11:24 am

FallenTabris wrote:^^^I'd figure instrumentality is very underway by episode 26, so the door coulda been 25.


Yeah, but the way that Rei/Lilith got them all to release their AT Fields was by using their individual "Door into Summer". Except Aoba, unless he really truly wanted to be Reiped.
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Postby Otakon 08 Ikari » Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:16 pm

Pretty cool Theory, Shinji killing himself seems a little odd since hes the main character but still cool.
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Postby cat42 » Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:42 pm

Otakon 08 Ikari wrote:Pretty cool Theory, Shinji killing himself seems a little odd since hes the main character but still cool.


Well, it would have been the last episode.

Also, consider this, in the original proposal (unless I missed something) Rei didn't sacrifice herself. The closest thing that happens is she "disappears".

Reichu's Translation of the Proposal wrote:Episode 24: "Now, the Promised Time"

Rei breaks down. Her secrets are revealed.

...

Notes

"Rei breaks down": "breaks down" can also be "collapses" or "be defeated". "Vanish": "evaporate" or "disappear without explanation".


In my personal opinion (though it could very well be wrong) is that "disappear without explanation" or "vanish" would have been the more appropriate translation to use. It seems to me that she would have been secreted somewhere deep in the bowels of NERV to prepare (be prepared) for the HIP. Since the production changed directions, and they choose not to have Shinji sacrifice himself, they rearranged the plot elements, and put that with Rei as a way to make her disappear.
"...I follow you both online and offline, and I am a 4-dimensional manifestation of absolute evil..." - Reichu-tachi
"In all cases, eventually it becomes necessary to decide to 'deliberately betray the fans.'" - Yoji Enokido
I believe in the director of Eva 1.11.

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Postby Otakon 08 Ikari » Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:51 pm

I know I just wanted Shinji to go on living is all.
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Postby Reichu » Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:19 pm

The bit about "vanish" was implicitly referring to where "vanish" actually occurred in the translation, namely here:

Both Eva Unit-06 and the American continent vanish completely.
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Postby Otakon 08 Ikari » Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:23 pm

I thought only Nevada vanished?
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Postby Reichu » Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:33 pm

Proposal =/= Finished Show
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Postby THE Hal E. Burton 9000 » Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:31 pm

um, is anybody remembering Arka/Aluka here?

scroll down on this page:
http://www.windsong.demon.co.uk/nge/manyworlds.html
also:
http://forum.evageeks.org/viewtopic.php?t=3406
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Postby Reichu » Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:48 pm

THE Hal E. Burton 9000 wrote:um, is anybody remembering Arka/Aluka here?

Why? Is it relevant?
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Postby THE Hal E. Burton 9000 » Thu Jul 16, 2009 12:23 am

^we're alluding/speculating as to how Rebuild might end, right?
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Postby Reichu » Thu Jul 16, 2009 12:44 am

Proposal =/= Rebuild

Gee, this is fun...
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Postby THE Hal E. Burton 9000 » Thu Jul 16, 2009 12:57 am

^this should all be like adult Christmas time for you, though

besides, what makes you so darn certain Anno will not go and use something from the Proposal after all?
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Postby Reichu » Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:46 am

Hal. Topic. Learn to.

Thank you.
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