Does Evangelion ever make you depressed?

[Blue Monday]

I'm sure the two don't have to be mutually exclusive, though I can't think of any examples right now...

[robersora]

I never felt it depressing, but it shure was intense and sad. But even, if it was depressing, Episode 26 of the TV-Series as such a wonderful catharsis as a conclusion, that it easily lifts all the weight of the dark things that came before it.

[velvetsnow]

What I like about Evangelion especially is the fact that it's not all sad and depressing and stuff, it also expresses hope. To be honest, the ending of Eva TV felt weird when I was watching it for the first time. I couldn't comprehend anything that was going on really, so there wasn't that much time to become depressed really. EoE was much harder in many ways, I think I've never cried that much while watching a movie. But even though it was really depressing and saddening, I liked it. I especially like what Yui's saying - "Anywhere can be paradise as long as you have the will to live. After all, you're alive - you always have the chance to be happy." This sentences alone show that it's not ALL depressing.

[Murmur]

Even EoE had a message of hope at the end.

Funny. I understood exactly the opposite. Sure, they're alive, but in a ruined world, and both of them are insane and totally unable to live on their own.

I guess I'm just to pessimistic, I see depressing stuff everywhere. But Evangelion is difficult to interpret anyway.

[Der Kommissar]

They're not insane, though judging by the "I've seen some shit" looks on their faces, they're in the neighborhood. Now, if Shinji had finished throttling Asuka before noticing the caress?

THAT would have been a BAD END.

As to the world being destroyed. Eh. It's seriously hard to believe Rei and Yui would be all "oh totally, go back, anywhere can be heaven with the desire to live" while hiding their trollfaces over imminent death by thirst or starvation or exposure. The immediate area's a fucked-up wasteland, but it was most recently a war zone. Asuka and Shinji just need to hobble on down the road, find a convenience store, and have some REALLY awkward conversations while eating canned food and waiting for the adults to get out of the pool.

[Murmur]

Eh. It's seriously hard to believe Rei and Yui would be all "oh totally, go back, anywhere can be heaven with the desire to live" while hiding their trollfaces over imminent death by thirst or starvation or exposure.

What? No seriously, what? I couldn't understand a single thing.


For the rest of your post, I assumed that you meant that only the immediate vicinity was destroyed. This I can understand. But when I look at the red sea, I think "eco-system ruined. No rain. No crops. Once the food stocks are empty, it's over".

After that, maybe it's possible to build a cleaning station like in Rebuild of Evangelion, or like I saw in that fanfic (dang, what was its name? I really liked it) where Asuka builds one.

So yeah, maybe they're not completely done for. You're right. I should watch that movie (once I manage to stare at Asuke being ripped into pieces by the crows) one more time. THANK YOU FOR RESTORING MY FAITH INTO EVANGELION AGAIN!

[Mr. Tines]

^^
http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/2458/

[Der Kommissar]

I'll rephrase myself, Murmur. Rei and Yui both point out that humanity can come back if they want. Yui explicitly says something to the effect that 'anywhere can be heaven if you have the will to live.' It would be somewhat sinister of her to say such a thing if the only thing humanity could look forward upon coming back is death due to a ruined planet.

Now, can Asuka and Shinji (and by extention, humanity) tolerate each other after this experience, accept that life and suffering go hand in hand? There's no answer to this question presented in the film, but hope springs eternal, as they say. I daresay the film itself is hopeful for a positive outcome, seeing that Asuka and Shinji chose life at all. That Asuka chooses an empathetic gesture (a caress) says a lot, I feel, anyway.

The fanfic you're thinking of is almost certainly Orchestrating the Silence, which has Asuka putting that supposed college degree to more use than we ever saw in the actual series.

[ssguy]

After finishing EoTV I was super depressed. The next day I watched EoE, and felt extremely exuberant. Odd how they each gave me vastly different feelings.

[Blue Monday]

Asuka and Shinji just need to hobble on down the road, find a convenience store, and have some REALLY awkward conversations while eating canned food and waiting for the adults to get out of the pool.

Pretty much this, haha.

[Murmur]

I'll rephrase myself, Murmur. Rei and Yui both point out that humanity can come back if they want. Yui explicitly says something to the effect that 'anywhere can be heaven if you have the will to live.' It would be somewhat sinister of her to say such a thing if the only thing humanity could look forward upon coming back is death due to a ruined planet.

Okay, so End of Evangelion is more hopeful than I expected, and that's good.
But the serie itself is still quite depressing.

Then I began watching Evangelion, I was expecting some kind of Clannad anime, but with mechas. And, well, I have the impression that Shinji is constantly making the bad choices (ignoring Asuka's flirt, letting Misato alone after Kaji is killed, and trying to befriend Kaworu). That wouldn't matter in any other anime, but in Evangelion, it has consequences.

[Alaska Slim]

^^
http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/2458/

Weird-ass scenario: The two returnees are in perfected bodies maintained by willpower. What we see at the end repeats every day until their animating wills are broken, and two red dots remain locked in mutual hatred, until long after the sun has gone out etc.

Incidentally, I feel Professor Paradox shows a method to madness of eternity, one applicable to the beach duo if that was indeed their fate. Shame they couldn't locate a repository of infinite knowledge... or did they?

[bobbyfischer's ghost]

In my experience it has never made me depressed, in fact it makes me feel hopeful about the BS in life.

I'm only speaking for myself though.

[ran1]

If you get depressed after watching Eva, you're missing the point.

[Murmur]

Missing the point is something I do frequently. Because I'm not English, you see? I miss the point very often, or I totally misinterpret things in the worse possible way.

For example, the other day, a guy told me "Sup Murmur". I understood "I fucked your tutu".

[ran1]

Misunderstanding wordplay is perfectly valid -- misunderstanding themes is unforgivable.

[Hyper Shinchan]

For example, the other day, a guy told me "Sup Murmur". I understood "I fucked your tutu".

You could just search the term/expression if you're unsure about it, urbandictionary is especially useful for those terms that you don't learn in school.

[CJD]

If you get depressed after watching Eva, you're missing the point.

"Getting" the point doesn't make something not depressing, just like knowing how utterly foolish depression is doesn't make you suddenly cured.

[Venez]

There could be other reasons besides meaning that could cause sadness eh? What made it depressing for you CJD?

[CJD]

There could be other reasons besides meaning that could cause sadness eh? What made it depressing for you CJD?

In all honesty? I'm not sure.