In spite of, and I quote the creator himself, "worldview drenched in pessimism", that saturates the atmosphere of the original series, I can't help but find it somewhat avant garde to hear something such as ANIMATE VOICE CASSETTE 04; The Shinji and Asuka edition.

It was almost as if the characters were self aware of their shortcomings, of their actions, and spoke as if the tape belonged in an interview. I guess you could say it was somewhat of an interview as the intention was to leave a message.

One of the things that really stuck out to me in that was when Asuka said, "You're someone who can only see one side of a person, you're not looking hard enough."

As much as I cant stand her prideful charade and hypocritical mannerisms. she was right. In spite of my history with the series, and for better or for worse, I can't help but feel drawn to it still. Maybe I want to learn how to break the cycle of suffering the same way Shinji did in Thrice Upon a Time.

And for once it felt nice to listen to something lighthearted within the franchise...something that wasn't apocalyptically depressing.