Is Evangelion your FAVORITE anime?

[bobbyfischer's ghost]

Yes, but there are other shows that come a really close second. It's still the first show that pops into my head when I think about anime.

[C.A.P.]

Other than a casual skimming through EOE a while ago and seeing 3.0 when it was brand new, I don't think I've seen Eva since High School. Probably for the best it stays that way.

Probably still in my top 20 somewhere though.

[Rei IV]

It's one of my favorite anime series.

[Compiling_Autumn]

Other than a casual skimming through EOE a while ago and seeing 3.0 when it brand new, I don't think I've seen Eva since High School. Probably for the best it stays that way.

Probably still in my top 20 somewhere though.

Rewatch it. You'll probably like it even more now that you're older.

[C.A.P.]

No thanks. I'd rather spend that time watching anime I haven't seen and/or do other stuff that interests me. I'd also like to remember Anno as an otaku who got his big break, rather than a depressed otaku who put his soul into a movie and was this close to ending it all.

Maybe in the future when I actually have spare time.

[The Cruel]

From all the animes I've seen all these years, Evangelion is my most favorite one, especially for being related to many other things that I also like, for being a inspiration and revealing new perspectives, for its reputation and history. My other favorites are Golgo 13, Jin-Roh, Perfect Blue, Higurashi, Speed Grapher, Black Lagoon and The Running Man from the Neo Tokio Anthology.

[Bryan]

NGE is without question my favorite anime. It's not only my favorite anime, it's extremely far above any other anime. I've seen other deep anime before (Serial Experiments Lain comes to mind first), but absolutely none that seemed to be as well crafted, lovingly made and thought provoking as NGE. Thinking of other animes that people often list as their favorite (Cowboy Bebop and Fullmetal Alchemist come to mind first), it's a bit hard to think of them as the same thing. It's like comparing Johannes Brahms and Stone Temple Pilots, yeah they're both music but that's it. Don't get me wrong, I did really like Bebop and FMA (though they wouldn't be in my top 5), but my appreciation for NGE is just that much greater. And lets face it, even animes on the level of Bebop and FMA are incredibly rare. For every 1 of those, there's 100 Dragonball Z clones or High School DxD. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with liking those, they're just not for me. Despite all my praise for NGE, it's not like I consider it a piece of art which is unparalleled. I've seen plenty of movies, read plenty of books and even heard plenty of musical albums which have similarly amazing insights in what it is to be human. Frankly, it's pretty weird that anime only has NGE.

[StarShaper7]

How was Bantorra's ending happy? I remember a hell of a lot of death in it. I mean, yes, it was great to see some old faces once again, but even so . . .

Also, I kinda like the fact that the ending is so bizarrely complex that I can't even think of a way to summarize it. People call Eva a mindfuck, but it's got nothing on Bantorra as far as complexity of the plot goes.

Relative to the rest of the series, it was happier than it had any business being. It went in a direction that I felt didn't suit the rest of the show. What I was expecting/hoping for was a tragedy (or at least bittersweet ending) for everyone involved. Not something like Evangelion, but something similar to Volken's death at the hands of Hamyuts. He dies realizing that the very cause he'd been fighting for was a lie. He's given a miserable dog's death despite his main character-y (perhaps altruistic) attitude and actions.

To me, that event solidified Bantorra's world as cynical and cold. Hell, even Noloty meets a cruel fate. Her death isn't even the climax of the arc in which it is featured, but rather a narrative device that motivates Enrique (the name Enlike just doesn't sounds right) and inspire Arlit as her actions and ideals still have effect after her death. Idealistic characters like Volken and Noloty serve second fiddle to the morally gray leads like Hamyuts and Enrique. It's their world, and Volken and Noloty pay the price for thinking otherwise.

That's why I felt that saving the world and having Mirepoc and Mattalast and the rest of humanity continue to live on in peace was kind of, this might sound morbid, disappointing. It just didn't have the same impact as something like the ending of EoE. Bebop and Utena ended perfectly, Bantorra just felt... off. I remember disliking that scene with Mirepoc and Mattalast in her office, some years after the defeat of Nienui.

But I'd like to hear what you have to say about this anime. I might just be looking at this the wrong way and maybe misreading (or just not realizing) some of Bantorra. I've only seen it once and in marathon chunks where I didn't give myself much time to think in-between viewing sessions. Along with Utena, it's something I really need to re-watch. From the lurking that I've done on EGF, it seems that you could probably do a better, more in-depth analysis of it than I could.

e: I thought that in the end Bantorra was just about loving something or maybe even everything. Hamyuts' main trait is self-loathing, her thoughts are void and she wishes for love. She learns to love herself because others love her. Noloty loves the world. Volken loves the armed librarians and what they stand for. Colio Tonies finds love despite his programming and status as a Meat, even dying for it and affirming his agency and the love he felt and shared with someone who died years ago without ever meeting him. It's all really beautiful. And, just to clarify, I don't hate the ending, it just wasn't the ending I wanted.

[Bagheera]

You can find my review of it here. Happy to talk about it further if you like.

[Dataprime]

It's one of my favorite anime series.

Ditto.

[LegionWrex]

Is Evangelion my favourite anime? Yes.

Is it the best anime I've ever seen? No.

It used to be, until I saw this little show called Mushishi.



While it may not be my favourite show (hell, it barely cracks the top 10 on personal favourites), it is overall the best anime I've have seen to date.

Strongly recommended.

[Gendo'sPapa]

Most anime sucks. I've given a lot of "good" shows a try & they've usually all let me down.

SO yes, Neon Genesis Evangelion is my favorite anime.

[TheDrmcvey]

Fate Zero is my favorite anime series of all time with Eva being a close second.

[ThanatosII]

To a massive extent, yes. Not just on an anime level, but even compared to Western entertainment, I rank NGE/EoE as my personal #1. Emphasis on personal. I will not say NGE/EoE should be regarded as the best of the best above all forms of entertainment because obviously different forms of entertainment serve different purposes, and NGE/EoE happens to serve a purpose that caters to me.

To me, it's the most humanistic in its narrative, and I do not think (personally) there is something else out there that supersedes what NGE/EoE brings to the table, visually on-screen.

[Meerkat]

Nah,
I like both Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Death Note better.
And I also happen to love The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya + Movie like crazy much... (But you know... Not in Public...)

[Nuclear Lunchbox]

I've heard good things about Haruhi, but haven't gotten around to watching it. Should it take precedence over the other things in my backlog?

[ThanatosII]

I've heard good things about Haruhi, but haven't gotten around to watching it. Should it take precedence over the other things in my backlog?

The series can be a drag at times but the movie makes it all worth it.

[Nuclear Lunchbox]

I'll keep it in mind, then. I've got around 27 shows in backlog, so I'll set it somewhere in the middle.

[Chuckman]

Do you like Hideaki Anno? His early work was a little too 'super robot' for my taste, but when NGE came out in '95, I think he really came into his own - both commercially and artistically. The whole series has a clear, relevant message, and a layer of symbolic depth that really gives the show a big boost. He's been compared to Miyazaki, but I think Anno has a far more modern, deeper storytelling ability. In '97, Anno released this, End of Evangelion, his most accomplished film. I think his undisputed masterpiece is 'One More Final: I need you', a scene so ambiguous most people probably don't know what the fuck they just watched - but they should! Because it's not just about the imagery on the screen, and the Christian symbols, it's also a personal statement about Anno and Otaku culture itself! Congratulations!

[Reichu]

his undisputed masterpiece is 'One More Final: I need you', a scene so ambiguous

Can this misconception go away? Please?

...the final scene is, AFAIK, nameless. "One More Final: I Need You" is actually the alternative title of "Dai 26 Wa: Magokoro o, kimi ni" [Episode 26': Yours Sincerely]. While placing the title card before the final scene was clearly a deliberate decision (one not made until after the storyboard phase, I should note), this was probably for reasons of thematic resonance. I'm aware the phrase "One More Final" sounds like it implies an epilogue, but it's actually a bit of Engrish referring to the fact that 26' is 'another final [episode]'. (Based on the translation we got, my best guess is that the original form was 今ひとつの最終話.)