So, I watched NGE in one night, and....

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

I looked, but it appears as if we don't have a thread for people's initial reactions to watching Neon Genesis Evangelion, especially those that come after watching the entire series in one night. (Including D+R, EoE.) This either means you people here are really smart and never attempted such a crazy idea, or that you guys are all very quiet about it.

My brain hurts. My soul hurts. My body hurts. (Though, the latter was mainly due to all the pizza and wings I overate to make watching episodes 7-9 even more fun.) I watched it with a friend of mine, and we both remembered EoE to be the most depressing part of the entire series. Apparently, neither of us remembered enough of Episode 22 or we would have realized this was not the case. We turned to each other and admitted that this was the worse idea I've ever had. (And this would be from a series of bad ideas I've had...) Maybe EoE is the lowest point for Shinji, and it might have a really inconclusive ending, but nothing is more soul-crushing to watch than Anno torment his favorite character. The techniques around that bit of story-telling are much more painful than anything dished out in the rest of the series. I think this has more to do than whether or not you like Asuka. Anno went to greater lengths to make that episode more painful than anything involving the other characters.

And that says A LOT, because the other characters become extremely painful to watch in the last half as well! Shinji's unassertive behavior only becomes more and more depressing to watch until it becomes threatened by Kaworu's appearance, and then it's just awful! It only becomes worse during Third Impact. The same goes for Rei. She becomes less and less decisive about anything until Rei II finally, tragically dies; then Rei III comes along and creeps the living daylights out of the rest of the cast. Asuka is introduced, and is a really awesome character until Episode 12, then she starts to become annoying and bitchy, until finally she's almost completely unbearable. Then, as I stated before, Ep. 22 comes along and becomes the worse thing anyone can see ever. Somehow it made me feel pity for her, but it was still the worse thing to watch of the series.

Kaji was my favorite character of the entire show, and when he died, the show had nothing left to bring levity to it. Re-watching the bits involving Maya Ibuki following Ritsuko around like a cat were much more amusing than they ever before, but it only turned around to cause slight bits of uneasiness here and there whenever tension builds between Ritsuko and Misato. In Ep. 20 they actually cut to Maya's reaction to Ritsuko getting slapped, and it just makes the scene feel all the more uneasy. Misato just becomes a pitifully desperate person trying to prove her abilities to lead in the home. Gendo is Gendo, and Yui's appearance as the most adorable character in the entire show lasted for only one episode.

The show is still as brilliant to me as it ever was, but I am convinced that it was never meant to be shown in this manner. Never again will I do that. I came out the other end of it wondering why I'm a fan of such a show. I mean, I know the reasons why. All the reasons I've ever given of being a fan of this show are still valid. I just will not be able to find any sort of happiness for the rest of the day, and never want to go through that ever again. If I ever watch the series "like this" ever again, it will be split into several days, maybe weeks. And I'll probably never watch anything from NGE for about a year to begin with. That's the last thing I need to see for a while.

And for those of you who complain about NME being "too happy," "not having all of its loose ends tied up," "Shikinami is 'moe'," or whatever, you're lucky enough to be watching an Anno film where you can complain that looking at an Eva pilot doesn't ultimately make you feel horrible about how they end up. (Yet...)

[Fireand'chutes77]

....Ow.

My head hurts just reading this!

Re: 22: Whenever I think of that episode, Asuka's scream of "Nooo!" at the end of her mindrape is the first thing that comes to mind. Every time. Brrrrr.

That moment, Naoko strangling Rei I, and the slight hesitation between explosion #1 and explosion #2 when Rei II self-destructs are the three that stand out vividly when I bring to mind the last quarter of the series. The rest tends to get lost in a haze of "What... the... Fffffffffuck."

I am convinced that it was never meant to be shown in this manner.

I imagine so. Wasn't only one new episode shown a week during the original run, so the "To be continued" text strung people out for a whole week, instead of just the time it took to frantically mash the "next" button on the DVD remote?

[C.A.P.]

Re: Episode 22: I remember that after it was over for the first time (Director's Cut I believe), I thought "Holy cow...did they seriously got away with all of that?" Thanks to the poignant characterizations, razor-sharp timing, and above all, the ingenious imagery, Ganaix pretty much showed bloody murder right in front of my eyes, and I, the viewer, was powerless to do anything about it.

It is now one of the all time favorite episodes. Only episode 20 and EOE could rival the intensity of episode 22, which is not surprising at all.

[Fireand'chutes77]

Re: Episode 22: I remember that after it was over for the first time (Director's Cut I believe), I thought "Holy cow...did they seriously got away with all of that?"

I remember wanting to punch my computer screen immediately after the episode ended, because even before Asuka's yell fades out, we're treated to a a happy upbeat dance remix of "FMttM" ARE YOU F___ING KIDDING ME?!!



But Gainax/Anno got so good at trolling us in the OP and ED that I can only really muster a weak, "well played, sir."

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

Gainax/Anno got so good at trolling us in the OP and ED that I can only really muster a weak, "well played, sir."

The thing with 22 is that it's the only director's cut that ommits the OP all together and opens cold with horrid one-way Asuka+Kaji shipping and a gravestone of Kyoko. But you hit the nail on the head with that ED. We burst out in nervous, fearful laughter when that happened, as if we were being told a joke while chained in a touture chamber.

[Sailor Star Dust]

I looked, but it appears as if we don't have a thread for people's initial reactions to watching Neon Genesis Evangelion, especially those that come after watching the entire series in one night. (Including D+R, EoE.) This either means you people here are really smart and never attempted such a crazy idea, or that you guys are all very quiet about it.

You don't remember or didn't read through the rest of these threads, I take it?

http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/11172/ITT-We-discuss-rewatching-NGE/

http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/11174/Random-questions-NGE-Rewatch/

Then again, the discussion sort of came and went.

tl;dr: Last year I marathoned the whole series in the span of 5 days. I felt so fucking fatigued post-EoTV & EoE, I had to take a few days off from the Internets to recollect my thoughts.

At least the rewatch helped me come up with pretty interesting insights or observations (I liked what thoughts I got from finally watching OA+EoTV and DC+EoE). Some of my thoughts were Spoiler-tagged, especially EoTV and EoE because there was SO MUCH I was commenting on.

But marathoning the whole series in one night? God damn. If spacing out an Arc a day (Day 1: #01-07. Day 2: #08-14. Day 3: #15-20. Day 4: OA (Platinum)#21-24, EoTV. Day 5: DC#21'-24', EoE. ) left me feeling drained and contemplative, I can only imagine what that monstrosity--in one sitting--will do to a person!

I know what you mean about DC22', no OP and the "peppy" credits really leave a punch to the gut. For fun, check out how different the ED credits are with OA versus DC (on Platinum or Renewal), it's interesting. The Next Time Previews too, of course.

And yeah, because DC22' is SO fucked up with Asuka's past, characterization and how the psychological aspects come into play, it's a personal favorite of mine in the series. It's a train wreck you can't look away from, with how a character you care for is put through hell and back.

I might have mentioned it in one of the linked threads, but if 3.0 really will be GRIM DARK, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if we get an off-vocal (peppy or serious) arrangement of Beautiful World for the credits. (Besides the fact Hikki is still on hiatus.)

[chee]

You crazy, magnificent bastard. I salute you.

[CJD]

The show is still as brilliant to me as it ever was, but I am convinced that it was never meant to be shown in this manner. Never again will I do that. I came out the other end of it wondering why I'm a fan of such a show. I mean, I know the reasons why. All the reasons I've ever given of being a fan of this show are still valid. I just will not be able to find any sort of happiness for the rest of the day, and never want to go through that ever again. If I ever watch the series "like this" ever again, it will be split into several days, maybe weeks. And I'll probably never watch anything from NGE for about a year to begin with. That's the last thing I need to see for a while.

But marathoning the whole series in one night? God damn. If spacing out an Arc a day (Day 1: #01-07. Day 2: #08-14. Day 3: #15-20. Day 4: OA (Platinum)#21-24, EoTV. Day 5: DC#21'-24', EoE. ) left me feeling drained and contemplative, I can only imagine what that monstrosity--in one sitting--will do to a person!

Hmm, odd. Both times I've watched Evangelion in it's entirety that's damn near what I did (Excluding EoE the first time, which I put off for a week or something). Excluding bathroom breaks and food and what not, I just sat down one night and pulled a 36hour'r.

I was really depressed for a few days, but that was more of a "It's over. It's all over..." depression that results from any conclusion I experience. I suppose the biggest change was that the second time, which was earlier last year, immediately prior to my registration here, really changed something in me about my perception of TV. Prior, I'd leave the TV on next to my computer as a sort of white noise, usually putting on a movie or show I enjoyed but not paying attention. After watching Eva again, that just felt pointless. Even over half a year later I still barely turn on my TV, except if I'm watching something specific.

Like I said, I crashed for a few days and got nothing accomplished, productive or otherwise, but that same thing happened after rewatching Code Geass last month, only to a slightly less extent. I thought that was normal?

[Hyper Shinchan]

I thought that was normal?

Watching anime like that isn't normal.
FreakyFilmFan4ever, have you watched only the DC version of episode 21-24? Usually I always end up doing so, even if I simply watch around 8 episodes per night.

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

Yes. I watched the director's cuts.

Hmm, odd. Both times I've watched Evangelion in it's entirety that's damn near what I did (Excluding EoE the first time, which I put off for a week or something). Excluding bathroom breaks and food and what not, I just sat down one night and pulled a 36hour'r.

About 20 hours for me. It was madness.

[ReiAyanami25]

Yes. I watched the director's cuts. About 20 hours for me. It was madness.

So, did you enjoy it? By the sounds of it, it messed with your head, as NGE does, correct?
I have been re watching NGE over the course of a few weeks, but I was originally considering spending a whole day watching it back to back...

[Aiko Heiwa]

I've never done this, but now I know what to do when I get my Platinum DVD.

Thanks a lot.

[Bagheera]

I did something similar on flights to and from Manilla early last year. It probably says something about my obsession with the series that it didn't leave me emotionally drained; the only physical effects were those brought on by watching everything on an iPhone on an airplane using headphones, something I wouldn't recommend in general.

But yeah, it's a good way to get insights into the series. The only problem I've found is information overload, where you're left feeling worn out but have forgotten most of what you've seen due to sheer volume (which is why I'm doing exactly the opposite this time around, watching one episode at a time with new viewers to be sure we don't miss anything).

[drinian]

I, too, once watched NGE in a single sitting. I think I might have slept at some point.

I agree that it's a form of emotional extreme sports: I felt terrible afterward. That's the power of Evangelion. I marathoned Cowboy Bebop once, and certainly didn't get that kind of reaction.

[Lorkhan]

Can't say I have ever sat and watched it in one sitting, nor does it seem to be something I can do, seeing as how I don't have the luxury of devoting that much time to it. Would be interesting though.

[Final Messenger]

I tried to watch all of NGE in one day a while back but I got depressed around episode 21 and decided not to continue watching for a couple of days.

[Trajan]

What a crazy idea. I like it; maybe I'll do this one weekend.

[Monk Ed]

My response after seeing the entirety of NGE and EoE was ... very different from the depressive reactions described so far in this thread.

I guess I was lucky to have seen NGE in the order that I did, which is to say, completely out of order. A friend of mine in high school lent me the first DVD, and I never got around to watching it but I traded it in to him for the second DVD anyway (don't ask), so my first episode was #5. It hooked me fast.

In retrospect I think that was probably the perfect episode to begin on for me. I didn't feel like I'd missed a thing -- I immediately grokked Shinji's situation and personality in that episode, to such a degree that I actually don't remember the first time I saw the first 4 eps because by then I felt like I had already seen them. It leapt straight to the material I would have been interested in from the get-go. Such as the iconic, shockingly non-comical boob-grab scene... Which, to be honest, I think I laughed at. Hard.

But then in addition to that bit of mis-sequencing, I also missed out on about episode 17 onward and effectively went straight to Death + EoE... and I still felt like I had missed basically nothing! Death filled me in on the key events, but as far as mood and everything goes, EoE felt like it grew right out of ep 16's forehead.

So what I'm getting around to saying here is that maybe my ability to receive the entire series (including EoE, including OMF) in the massively positive light that I did was helped by the fact that I saw the entire series in enough of an elliptical, summary form that I was able to experience it on more of an intellectual level than an emotional one. Not that I didn't care for the characters, but rather, I saw the entirety of their stories as a kind of timeline instead of as a series of events that I lived alongside them. Seeing the big picture let me see the light at the end of the tunnel almost before I noticed the tunnel.

For example, in the compressed form that I saw the events in, it appeared to me that the sum total effect of Rei 2's "death" was just to have her come right back but with amnesia, complete with a hint that her memories were still there below the surface (which is what I saw her "Why am I crying?" moment as indicative of), and I saw Rei 3's "Ikari is calling me" as the sudden, triumphant resurfacing of Rei 2 within her (but as a combination with Rei 3 instead of replacing her), so to me, Rei 2 never really "died" and I still don't see her death with any sadness other than sympathy for what it did to Shinji.

And then with EoE, the fact that I did not see so much of what the characters went through to get to the states they were in by that time made it easy to remain distanced from the emotions of the film and just kind of appreciate the mood and beauty and "meaning" of it. It also helped majorly that the ethereal tone that hovers over everything in it (even before Instrumentality) left me with the feeling that everything was gonna turn out all right -- especially with trusty ol' Rei showing up to the characters who were dying, like a little promise that this would not really be the end for them.

Even before OMF showed up on screen I had the impression that the Earth and humanity had been reborn and that life would go on. Shinji choking Asuka was the final shocker, but then Asuka's caress gave me the final hope that lasted past the credits. As for the "kimochi warui"... Eh, that's not even the worst thing she'd ever said to him, and mere words (which in Asuka's case had proven time and time again to be less than reflective of her honest feelings) would not undo the caress that I saw which would be my lasting image of OMF. As the credits were rolling (and I had the benefit of being home alone on a sweet rainy evening at the time), I totally freaked and gushed over what I had just seen, and I still remember that as probably one of the most awesome moments of my entire life.

So... As you can see, quite different from what everyone else has said. To this day I still just plain don't get depressed about anything I see in NGE. Although it can certainly be an emotional ride it always leaves me serene or even upbeat.

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

So, did you enjoy it? By the sounds of it, it messed with your head, as NGE does, correct?
I have been re watching NGE over the course of a few weeks, but I was originally considering spending a whole day watching it back to back...

Oh, dear God, don't do that! Well, do it if you want. But I agree with the fact that it's information overload. I thought I'd at least be able to point out aspects explaining Unit 00's mystery, but all I realized was that it was slowly attacking my sanity. I thought I'd finally have an opinion about EoTV's relation to EoE, but all I realized is that I was already insane.

[Fireball]

Watching it all in one day is heavy. I remember when I marathoned the series over the course of three days. It destroyed me and left me in a puddle of cognitive dissonance for several days. Seriously, I can only watch EoE at a maximum once a year and when I feel mentally stable enough.