What would you change about Evangelion?

[YTPrenewed]

I feel like this post has passed through a slipstream from an alternate universe where Gendou is a hot babe and Fuyutsuki is a D cup loli.

For the record, I would not prefer that, if only for the cringeworthy implications of the latter concept.

Quite frankly, I'd appreciate you not mischaracterizing where I'm going with this. You'll note that in my previous post there was no "each and every last character in NGE is cute" remark. I was referring to the general trend in cuteness, especially among the main characters, as well as to how baby-faced the protagonist was, in the context of a comparison to western adult animation as a whole.

[VeryConfusedDingus]

Nothing really. I don't like the Rebuild films as much, can't really articulate why. The entirety of Evangelion feels beyond my comprehension. Not that that's bad, it just annoys me because I feel as if I haven't even scratched the surface as to what any of it means.

[VeryConfusedDingus]

Most likely. That said, in history there is no "what if". Shinji abused Asuka. Did it consume him afterwards? Sure. However, I'm not going to overlook his actions because of it. Do you remember when I mentioned some moments in which Asuka was nice to the people around her and concluded that, underneath all her insecurities and traumas, there is a cool person? Well, I think the same about Shinji. Yet, it's impossible for me to gloss over what he did. In fact, I believe that we should all antagonize it. By the way, I'm not saying this because I care about the moral implications of fictional characters' actions. Instead, it’s because that scene's general reception is a picture of our reality.
We live in a sexist society in which women are expected to be nice and receptive all the time (despite having their own problems to overcome). Otherwise, they are liable to be raped. You would be surprised at sheer amount people I've seen arguing that Asuka deserved to be abused and that Shinji "took it easy" on her. Ikari actively locked Asuka's room and masturbated to her comatose body, as if she was an object. He has completely dehumanized his own friend and many people are willing to ignore it. That's crazy to me! Again, I don't think it's fair to see him as a monster (the guy had a hard life, to say the least). That said, I won't treat him like a toddler either. Now, can he be forgiven? Well, as I said before, that's up to Asuka (she was the victim). As a mere spectator, all I can do is watch the scene and reflect on it. In retrospect, this is an extremely important segment for the movie's themes

50/50 dittoing this. I feel sympathy and understanding as to why Shinji did it. He lost Kaworu, the only human being he felt any loving connection to. His only emotional outlet where he didn't feel completely ashamed for his effeminacy and perceived weakness. Asuka acted as the crutch to expel (literally) those negative emotions. She is the polar opposite of Kaworu, but in this comatose state, she's just a numb, lifeless vessel for him to exploit. I don't blame nor judge him at all. He felt disgusted with himself and that to me is enough to forgive him by default. The scene was important and Eva would not be the same without it. It's not there solely for shock value. I get your point, he's not exactly a moron and he has a level of responsibility over his actions. He chooses to keep running away rather than uplifting those around him. Yet given the circumstances, I can't hold much of a grudge. I feel like I would do the same if I were in his shoes. I've made worse mistakes and god knows there isn't a single day I don't regret it. It loops around my mind on repeat vividly in the worst ways. He was the remedy to that and he left and disappeared overnight. He was my obsession preventing my descent into madness during one of the most miserable and chaotic periods of my life. So please, let the boy move on without presiding guilt. Asuka didn't deserve it but realistically she was the only person who showed Shinji any affection besides Kaworu. If Asuka knew the context of the situation then I am sure she would understand too.

Simply, he misses his boyfriend and knowing the trauma and agony of that pain firsthand, it is worse than any torture conceivable. Like a piece of your soul is missing. And (if Anno's Freudian interpretation is to be believed then) Kaworu is Shinji's subconscious ego manifested, so in a literal sense he did lose a piece of himself. That enough is reason alone. All he has now is a moody, know-it-all, whiny asswipe roommate who demands his affection while mocking him to project her own insecurities. He shouldn't be permanently ashamed for what he did. He should acknowledge it was a bad thing (which he did), apologize to Asuka and that's that. He has a fullblown inner monologue schizoid breakdown at the end of episodes 24 and 25. It's evident Shinji doesn't feel attached to the material world, it's all a series of labels and potentials. He doesn't like her platonically or sexually; he likes the idea of being with her since he is so emotionally desperate. So when she is comatosed she becomes this blank canvas and can be whatever he wants in his delusional fantasy. It's all part of Anno's warning against escapism. You need to confront reality as it is. Kaworu's gone, and yet you still run, Shinji. You poor boy.

If you look at his relationship with Kaworu in the NGE2 and other visual novel games then it becomes even more apparent how just much this affected him. It builds upon their relationship a lot more than in the show where they only knew each other for a brief period. He asks Kaworu to keep his makeup practice a secret but he still enjoys it. Whether you want to consider the games relevant or not to the original storyline of the TV series and EoE is not important. It shows the kind of person Shinji is. Timid, gentle, "fruity" if that's a term? Stark contrast to the world around him where he is forced to be something he isn't and shouldn't: a mercenary soldier. Losing and being deprived of what gave you that little shred of authentic being and happiness? Yep, I get it man. No hard feelings, Shinji.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JITGKHUVunY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FduY4PNmadc

[Gendos Glasses]

I would change Asukas name. No part of her name is remotely a name you would have on Germany, and it breaks the immersion for me.

[silentleviathan]

For me, I would have liked more explanation about the backstory. I realize that NGE is about the characters but sometimes, when they're talking about stuff like the 2nd Impact, it would have been nice to have a flashback episode showing what happened. Same thing with the contact experiments with Yui and Kyoko.

[Gendos Glasses]

@silentleviathan

What more information about the second impact were you interested in than shown in the episodes/eoe?

[silentleviathan]

@silentleviathan

What more information about the second impact were you interested in than shown in the episodes/eoe?

Just quickly off the top of my head:

- how was Adam discovered
- how was it activated
- how was it stopped
- what did they think would happen when it was activated
- where did the spears come from
- how did humanity figure all of this out
- I'd like to see the contact experiments with Yui and Kyoko
- How were the Evas created using Angels 1 and 2

I get that NGE is about the characters and their journey and all the other stuff is just supposed to be cool and "don't worry about it" but I think more back story would be really interesting

[OneShotPunch]

The first time I watched Evangelion and got to the part where Shinji was going to kiss Asuka while she was sleep, I kind of put it off my mind largely because it was in the same episode that revealed Touji and Kensuke ran a business where they took pics of girls changing without their consent AND Kaji forces a kiss on Misato. I didn't know whether to take it as just 90s value dissonance or if it really was meant to be foreshadowing Shinji's conduct in EoE. I think the change I'd make is to either remove the camera/Kaji stuff or have them come back around later in a way that recontextualizes that stuff in a darker light.

[DSC35]

Firstly I would change the lines where Gendo refers to Lilith as Adam. I can excuse Kaji doing so as his knowledge of the inner workings of NERV was limited, but Gendo has no reason to make such a glaring mistake and this clearly was a case of the writers failing to plan ahead.

Secondly certain shots, such as those of Shinji and Misato's face in Scene 3 of Episode 4, Misato's horridly distorted face in Scene 2 of Episode 6, the close up shot of Hikari's face in Episode 17, and worst of all, EVA-01's laughably short arms in Episode 19 during a few shots of the berserk scene, I would have fixed as they are glaring animation errors and simply impede on my viewing experience.

Most importantly, I would make the end credits of The End of Evangelion as it was originally intended, with the credits rolling horizontally whilst "Everything You've Ever Dreamed Of" would be playing in the background. It would add an ataraxic tone to the film whilst still not neutering the lachrymose aftertaste of the "One More Final: I NEED YOU" scene. Also, I would change the pizzicato which plays during "Everything You've Ever Dreamed Of" from the obvious MIDI violin pizzicato to a real violin recording of pizzicato to improve the musical quality of the work.

Certain other musical touches I would also make, for example the repeating two note motif that plays before the chorus starts and after the chorus ends in Escape to the Beginning I would put higher dynamic markings on during the chorus (because it does play during it but is barely audible due to the orchestral accompaniement drowning the notes out) and I would also give higher dynamic markings to the beautiful triangle strikes. I would also exponentionally increase the volume at which Escape to the Beginning plays at during Episode 26' because it deserves to be heard in all its compositional genius and sublimity. I would also add subtitles to both Escape to the Beginning and to Komm Susser Tod as their lyrics do complement the narrative very much so.

This may be an unpopular take but I also wholeheartedly think the extended live action sequence should have been included in The End of Evangelion, presumably after Rei talks about the nature of dreams and reality, and before Rei's head begins to spray LCL, though I would remove the "Jesus Beiblet Meine Freude" piece in the extended sequence as having it played twice closely after one another would unfortunately make the piece slightly redundant.

This may be quite eccentric of a change, but I have always found the more delicate sequences of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13 to go hand in hand aesthetically speaking to The End of Evangelion's Episode 26'. And thus I would include the 85th measure of the symphony from the third, adagio movement, into a sequence showing the LCL sea, before Expansion of Blockade would play. The waltz coda of the symphony's final movement would also be included in an extra sequence between the scene of Shinji emerging from the LCL scene, and the One More Final: I NEED YOU scene, where a few shots would pan over the barren post-3I world as the violas would be playing the bittersweet waltz. Though this of course is purely out of aesthetic interests rather than to add anything of narrative substance to the film.

Aside from Everything You've Ever Dreamed Of none of the changes I suggest are serious, and it frankly is because I see very little in the work that isn't nigh-perfect, as hyperbolic as that may seem. Even the thematically weaker episodes such as Episode 7-13 I still find phenomenal in their own right as they help mask Evangelion as an escapist work whilst still showing subtle prodromal symptoms of despair that will become major in Episode 16 onwards, and thus have no interest in changing them.

As a ginormous fan of both Shosty 13 and Evangelion, this post made my month. Also not saying it should be added to the movie, but if you've heard the coda of the 4th Symphony, I think it describes the element of human suffering's boundaries so well. Truly some of the most emotional and overwhelmingly dark music ever written, despite most of the coda's fanfare actually being in a MAJOR key, which is seemingly a paradox.