What made you a fan of Eva?

[slothen]

I got hooked on NGE within the first 5 minutes of episode one. It was the first anime I had ever seen and I watched all 26 episodes in one sitting.

[Squirrel Ninja]

As I side note to OP, Walking Contradiction is a great song.

[Iron Rooster]

Rei

No, seriously though, the first episode I saw was 19. I saw the Zereul fight and thought "alright! A big purple robot kicking ass!" Then I thought "why are they fighting?" At the time I used to play DDR for 2-3 hours at a time only on heavy, and then watch TV at midnight when I was done. In particular, it was perfect timing to watch the dubbed version of NGE on Adult Swim. Eventually, my DDR routine got me into the show. So I saw 19-26. I go "WTF?" So I go to the store and buy it cuz' they quit showing NGE. And that's what happened.

[Incisivis]

That's an excellent short summary of what makes the series resonate for so many, and I think it's dead on. There are so few films that come to mind that even get close... some from David Lynch (Eraserhead especially) and perhaps Bergman's Persona.

I haven't yet seen "Persona", but I can't compare Eraserhead to NGE. NGE seems a lot more straightforward. Yes, it is also very esoteric in some senses, but on the sheer level of "what are you thinking", it's much less metaphorical than Lynch's work.

[Evangelion217]

NGE seems a lot more straightforward

It is until the last two episodes. And "End Of Evangelion" is a complete mindfuck on a first viewing. I fail to see what's confusing about "Eraserhead." Yes, it's disturbing, and we don't know what it all means in the end. But it's probably Lynch's most linear film to date. If were talking about abstract films, then I can see why Yojimbo compared "NGE" to films like "Persona", and "Eraserhead." It's approach to cinema is also simular to "Mulholland Drive" in some ways.

[Eva Yojimbo]

NGE seems a lot more straightforward. Yes, it is also very esoteric in some senses, but on the sheer level of "what are you thinking", it's much less metaphorical than Lynch's work.

I actually think Eraserhead is pretty simple when you look at it as merely nightmarish metaphors on common male fears and in particular marriage and fatherhood. NGE is more allegorical while Eraserhead is more surreal and openly metaphoric. But in terms of difficulty, I still give the edge to NGE (especially EoTV and EoE).

But it's probably Lynch's most linear film to date.

Linear as in... narrative? I actually think it's Lynch's most openly surreal and metaphoric. In later films he tempered surrealism and metaphor with more typical storytelling and found interesting ways to mingle the two.

[TheAyanamiOtaku]

I don't know, I think "A Clockwork Orange" is a lot worse.

whaaaat? Who doesn't like raep scenes? Well...A Clockwork Orange is...well....it's a great interpretation of the book.

Eraserhead...I REALLY need to watch that.

And now for something completely different...

I was attached to Evangelion as soon as everyone's relationships w/ each other got more complicated. The comedy was very nice, not too cheesy...and I loved the development of the characters and the plot. Everything was so surreal, because, like many of us here, I was fighting depression (left the hospital 1-2 or so years before) during that time period, so I could really identify with the characters (I cried with Misato) when they got screwed over.

EoE blew my mind away. The philosophy really took me in, and I still use it to this day. Milestone? Hell yes. My second best choice around that time period was joining this jungle.

[Squirrel Ninja]

The comedy was very nice, not too cheesy...

Curiosity: did you watch it in English or Moonspeak first?

[Evangelion217]

Linear as in... narrative?

As in "straight-forward" storytelling. Yes, it's openly surreal, and full of metaphors, and symbolisms, but it's not confusing. And that's mostly due to the fact that it doesn't jump back and forth in it's storytelling, and stays a on straight path. It's not a narrow path by any means, but it is linear. I think what boggles peoples minds, is the the disturbing imagery, and it's abstract approach to it's plot. And all abtract films will always alienate a lot of viewers.

I actually think it's Lynch's most openly surreal and metaphoric

Not like "Inland Empire." And if somebody wants to see a none-linear film, then "Inland Empire" is the best that I could name. :)

In later films he tempered surrealism and metaphor with more typical storytelling and found interesting ways to mingle the two.

I agree. But "Inland Empire" is probably his most none-linear film to date.

[Mr. Tines]

Film talk goes where?

It is until the last two episodes. And "End Of Evangelion" is a complete mindfuck on a first viewing.

It depends what you mean by that term -- the top level of Attack, "Holy fuck, hard take-off Singularity!", the non-G-rated version of the TV ending, Sysop failure and it all comes tumbling down are quite simple; the audacity and brutality of the telling are what leaves the violated feeling.

[TheAyanamiOtaku]

Curiosity: did you watch it in English or Moonspeak first?

Never watched the dubbed version.

[Incisivis]

I actually think Eraserhead is pretty simple when you look at it as merely nightmarish metaphors on common male fears and in particular marriage and fatherhood. NGE is more allegorical while Eraserhead is more surreal and openly metaphoric. But in terms of difficulty, I still give the edge to NGE (especially EoTV and EoE).

That was my reading of Eraserhead (though I will always argue that reproduction is as much a mystery/strange to women; *we* don't know what's going on in us, either)

What I meant was that, though NGE is symbolic in a lot of ways, there are as many points where we just have the character saying directly what they're feeling (or shouting out what they're feeling). I don't get that from Eraserhead, which is more "nightmare come to life" without any more direct comments.

[Evangelion217]

It depends what you mean by that term

I'm talking about the confusion, and complexity of "EoE." There are atleast 5 things going on at the same time during the whole film, and it's very hard to keep up with it during a first viewing. It's whole abstract approach to storytelling is very jarring, and that's not a bad thing. Repeated viewings, and explanations have helped me keep up with it a lot better, and my love for it has grown to a very high degree. It is a masterpiece. The whole thing is a masterpiece in my opinion.

[TheAyanamiOtaku]

I thought Fuyutsuki's narrative before 3I was awesome, and the Rei/Kaworu/Yui conversation was priceless. So much philosophical value in those 5 or 9 minutes, not to include the Instrumentality scenes themselves.

Before, Asuka rocked in her poorly-redesigned Nigouki...

[Squirrel Ninja]

Curiosity: did you watch it in English or Moonspeak first?

Never watched the dubbed version.

It seemed to me lie the comedy was more well done, or at least used more often in the english dub, though at times inappropriately. I can't say I really miss it though when I watch the subs, the only thing I oddly miss a lot is Fuyutsi's voice, especially in 21.

[TheAyanamiOtaku]

Hm. If I have more time during this summer....

[Eva Yojimbo]

What I meant was that, though NGE is symbolic in a lot of ways, there are as many points where we just have the character saying directly what they're feeling (or shouting out what they're feeling). I don't get that from Eraserhead, which is more "nightmare come to life" without any more direct comments.

But think about this; despite the constant exhibition in NGE of its themes, emotions, and ideas, how utterly confused do most walk away from it the first time? How many conflicting interpretations and readings are there of it? That's pretty incredible when you consider just how much NGE tries to spell out for people. The answer is that there's an incredible density in it. Often times you'll have dialogue and images working together to say several times at once. Combine this with how tightly its all packed and how it quickly moves from one scene of great significance to something else and its impossible to keep up with and process the first several times.

Eraserhead by comparison lingers on images long enough to allow time for digestion. NGE doesn't allow for that luxury.

[Evangelion217]

Eva Yojimbo really hit the nail on the head. I think that's why so many viewers get confused by "Evangelion", and try to step away from it. It can alienate viewers, if the viewers decide to give up, and not keep up with the process. But if you give it a lot of time and effort, it can be a VERY rewarding experience.

Eraserhead by comparison lingers on images long enough to allow time for digestion. NGE doesn't allow for that luxury.

That's exactly what I was trying to get at. I think "NGE" gives you some time to digest what you're seeing, but it's "EoE" that is the REAL challenge for the mind, body, and spirite. I think the only scene that really lets you digest the whole experience, is during the live action scenes of Tokyo. In that sequence, he plays some nice classical music by Johan Sebastian Bach, and it can really calm you're nerves. When you go through more then an hour of disturbing sequences, then you earn a scene like this. And Anno really showed a side to Tokyo that you don't see in films everyday.

[Incisivis]

re: NGE and Eraserhead

I was referring to the more emotional and character-related aspects when I talked of NGE being more "direct". That I didn't make clear.

I do believe as a whole there are some parallels to how NGE presents itself and how Eraserhead (and Lynch's other work) does.

[iamsynch]

EoE made me a fan of Eva.

When I first watche the series, I didn't hear much about it, and pretty much skimmed through the series, then I saw EoE. I was new to Postmodernism/Theory during that time and when I saw it I knew there was something to it, I didn't know what then, but I knew it was special, that's whne I started to rewatch everything, which made me even a bigger fan.