Anno ACTUALLY DEFINITIVELY EXPLAINED "I Need You"

[NAveryW]

Out of everything I've read on the Onegeek archives recently (though this isn't actually from Onegeek), finding this shocked me the most, and I feel it deserves a thread of its own instead of being put into my thread with all the other frakking shart. ANNO ACTUALLY EXPLAINS THE MEANING OF THE ENDING, AND EVERYONE BUT Asuka, Shinji AND Rei REALLY IS DEAD. Apparently.

http://www.animeboards.com/archive/index.php/t-33439.html

Apparently, some Japanese students, intending to worm out an explanation for One More Final, asked Hideaki Anno about it. He (in his Anno way) told them to discover for themselves what it means, but the students did get out a half explanation from Anno on the last scene. He said that all returned to the beginning, Shinji is Adam, Asuka is Lillith, and Rei is Eve. As we all know Adam and Lillith get on very badly, always with fighting like Shinji and Asuka.
At the final Lillith was thrown out of the paradise to give entry for Eve, made of nearly the same material as Adam. Remember that Rei is part of the soul of Yui Ikari, and that Shinji during the oral stage pleaded with the soul of his mother (as all have part of the soul of Yui).
So Shinji since he got on so badly with Asuka and saw the ghost of Rei he noted the entry in the paradise. He decided to kill Asuka (Lillith) so that Rei (Eve) can enter and live happily. In that moment Shinji gives the account that he made badly in killing her and all stays in in the air (is up in the air). The continuation is what each one creates. *end Anno*

As the page points out, this is indeed quite different from the Cardass facts. I suppose this is more accurate though, since it's apparently directly from Anno.

Still, seeing such a definitive explanation is mindboggling, and my skeptical side is yelling at me with vehemence I haven't seen in quite a while. Or it could just be the kind of "I don't really like this..." feeling I have, since I had always liked to think that others returned, and people won't have to survive through generations of incest like they did in Biblical times.

Now, the Cardass seems to contradict this, and Evangelion Chronicle's look at Eva as historical seems to contradict this, but neither of those were directly from Anno. And Anno's supposed statement seems to make a lot of sense.


So... then... is it... ... ...actually... is this really it?! We actually have an absolute statement on Anno's interpretation of the ending?!

[BrikHaus]

With all this Adam and Eve talk, Stardust-chan is going to throw a fit.

And who cares about contradictions, anyway? The show is full of plot holes as it is. Personally, I like Anno's interpretation better than teh ghey "everyone can come back if they believe in their own hearts" shit.

Or maybe Anno doesn't even understand his own show? A distinct possibility.

[chee]

If that it is true, and he didn't just tell them that to piss them off, then one could make the conjecture that , as Adam and Lillith, Shinji and Asuka eventually reconcile and restart the human race, like Adam and Eve in biblical old times. Not THAT bleak.

Or they don't mate and everything ends.

This really only helps a small bit. It's still up to the viewer.

[NAveryW]

What plotholes are there aside from that in episode 24'?

I don't consider the Evangelion Chronicle's contradiction to really be canonical, as the Chronicle isn't even made by Gainax. It just uses input from them.

Sorry, Stardust; Anno outranks you.

[DatDude]

These doesn't sit well with me.

[NAveryW]

What's wrong with running away from Anno's statement if it sucks?!

[SEELE 08]

*headdesk*

This cardgame has even less credibility than the video games, and they are third tier cannon!

It has to be a fake, otherwise it we would be FAR more well known.

[DatDude]

It's just to easy. Anno ( that has a reputation for saying things that aren't true about eva like Asuka being pregnant) explained it along time ago and its buried on of web archive.

come one man tell me you don't doubt this ?

[NAveryW]

*headdesk*

This cardgame has even less credibility than the video games, and they are third tier cannon!

It has to be a fake, otherwise it we would be FAR more well known.

But what I'm quoting here isn't from the card game; it contradicts it.

And I just realized how ironic Rei being Eve is, what with her also being Lilith.

[chee]

Also, keep in mind that:

A) This could be a hoax

or

B) Anno was BSing them. He is known for being a prick.

This explanation doesn't make sense the more I think about it. Since when was Eve a part of NGE's mythology? And Rei isn't Eve, she's Lillith. And what about Yui's words? Something stinks.

And if this explanation IS correct....well, it's not a TERRIBLE ending, by any stretch.[/u]

[DatDude]

Also, keep in mind that:

A) This could be a hoax

or

B) Anno was BSing them.

This explanation doesn't make sense the more I think about it. Since when was Eve a part of NGE's mythology? And Rei isn't Eve, she's Lillith. And what about Yui's words? Something stinks.

And if this anecdote IS true...well, it's not a TERRIBLE ending, by any stretch.

Quoted for truth

[NAveryW]

Eve was always part of the Evangelion mythology. In most languages, she's not "Eve", but "Eva". "Evangelion" is often shortened to "Eva", and was created from Adam. In Biblical mythology, Eva/Eve was also created from Adam. There's a direct parallel if I ever saw one.

[chee]

Also, keep in mind that even if Anno was telling the truth, the ending still isn't necessarily hopeless. If Lillith and Adam don't get along by nature, then why the caress? Anno telling us that things might go better this time around, maybe?

It's thematically contradictory for NGE to have a totally hopeless ending.

...Perhaps Rebuild will tie into this ending...?

Eve was always part of the Evangelion mythology. In most languages, she's not "Eve", but "Eva". "Evangelion" is often shortened to "Eva", and was created from Adam. In Biblical mythology, Eva/Eve was also created from Adam. There's a direct parallel if I ever saw one.

Good point. However, something still doesn't feel "right". Is Rei Lillith or Eve? If she's Lillith, then how is Asuka Lillith? If she's Eve, then that flies in the face of what occured earlier. If she has Yui's soul, then....what?? If she's Eve AND Lillith, then how is Asuka also Lillith? Are there 1 1/2 Lilliths?

[TriLink]

Or maybe Anno doesn't even understand his own show? A distinct possibility.

Personally, I think Anno has a knack for pulling statements (like this) out of his ass for the sole purpose of messing with people. I wouldn't take it too seriously guys.

[NAveryW]

...Perhaps Rebuild will tie into this ending...?

NO IT'S COMPLETELY NEW!!!! THE (highlight for spoilers) RED SEA AND THE BLOOD ON THE MOON MEAN NOTHING!!!!!!

As for "pulling this out of his ass", it seems to be a bit too elaborate for that. And as to its reliability, it just... really seems like something Anno would think of. Though, of course, that still isn't proof.

I'm kind of 75% convinced on this one. Looking at your signature, Anno says "Evangelion is a story that repeats". The title NGE means "Gospel of the New Beginning". This all... you know...

Still, Anno has stressed numerous times that it's up to everyone to come up with their own interpretations. This one's just his.

[chee]

Um...I don't have the "NGE repeats" signature.

But yeah...part of the reason I don't fully buy it is that as you said, Anno has always said EoE is totally up to the viewer's interpretation, and that, if he was speaking the truth, it was merely HIS way of viewing things. It's like what David Lynch says about his films, which that his own interpretations are no more valid than anyone else's, and that they're all valid. Or what Mamoru Oshii said about Angel's Egg: "I think the answer lies within each and every viewer."[/i] Or Godfrey Reggio's similar statements about Koyannisqatsi. and so on.

[BobBQ]

I'm pretty suspicious of it, not so much because of the idea itself so much as the total obscurity, not to mention the way it contradicts the whole we-just-did-the-religious-bits-for-coolness thing.

[chee]

I'm pretty suspicious of it, not so much because of the idea itself so much as the total obscurity, not to mention the way it contradicts the whole we-just-did-the-religious-bits-for-coolness thing.

That too.

[Apathetic Piggy]

Well, even so, he leaves the end up to the fans. So what if Shinji and Asuka are Adam and Lilith, leaving Rei as Eve? That doesn't mean he's going to expel Asuka from "paradise" for Rei. You can still go into your fluffy fanfiction world of Shinji/Asuka all you want. All it does is give you Shinji's motive for trying to kill Asuka, it still leaves the end up to the viewer.

Also, it could be that Anno's lying. Hell, I would be at that point too. Everyone keeps asking him to explain things, maybe he's just so fed up with the otaku that he's lying to them to keep them in a loop. Out of spite, he racks your brain with inconclusive information and other crap to keep you up at night. He's ruining your brain for his amusement. In a few years, he's going to spin another tale for some poor bastard and we'll be back here debating it.

Are they really Adam and Lilith or was Anno fucking with the fans? Who can say? But this doesn't really change much. It's like when your neighbor kills someone and then you find out their motives. Does it change much? No, you just get to see it in a new light.

EDIT:

I'm pretty suspicious of it, not so much because of the idea itself so much as the total obscurity, not to mention the way it contradicts the whole we-just-did-the-religious-bits-for-coolness thing.

Likewise.

Anno's statements on Evangelion seem to be like Anne Hesche's sexuality; changing by-the-second with no real solid, definitive stance.

[Shin-seiki]

I read this years ago. It sounded like such complete, utter bullshit, that I dismissed it out of hand. Considering how a: it comes from "some Spanish website" (according to Achtungaffen, most Spanish Eva sites are notoriously unreliable) and b: Rei = Eve, not Lilith?? What. The. Fuck. I stand by my initial assesment. This sounds like bullshit that FuzzyChickens couldn't surpass if he was on acid...