"You know you're obsessed with NGE when" thread

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symbv
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why I lost 10 years of anime life after EoE

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Postby symbv » Wed Mar 23, 2011 8:10 pm

View Original Postrhfxz1s wrote:I'm just curious, could you elaborate a little more on this? Is it because you can't find anything that compares to EoE or what?


No it was much worse than that... It is a long story so I am not sure if you want to go over it. Anyway, if you are really interested, you can take a look at the spoiler below.

SPOILER: Show
I watched EoE in cinema in 1997 at a stage when I was an obsessive fan of Eva. I not only bought the film comics of the TV anime, the character art books but also a lot of doujinshi and the multiple books of Eva analysis (in Japanese -- because Eva was so popular that there are "books of anlysis" written about it from different angles). Although at that time Internet was far less developed and widespread than now, I already joined some EVA "mail-list group" (not sure how many of you were old enough to know this kind of internet forum that relies only on emails to keep people engaged in discussion) and I helped translation of a bunch of Eva material. With that background I went to EoE without any idea of what I should have expected (information did not flow as quickly or in as much details like now -- those were the early days of the popularization of the Internet you know) and I was totally shocked by the images I saw. Like many fans, I was not too happy with the awkward TV ending and I was thinking of some elaboration of how that ending came into place. I did not expect to see the characters fell into even more dysfunctional states, massacres and brutal killings abound, group rape and cruel torture of Eva02/Asuka, and of course all the ramblings from Rei/Kaworu that fell into confusing flow of contemplation linking things to real life breaking the 4th wall.

I went to the movie not realizing I had already gone over my obsession limit of Eva, and the movie experience effectively broke me. I was under such a turmoil of emotions, mostly negative ones - frustration, pain, unhappiness, regret, sadness, anger, that I tried even harder on obsession over Eva, digging more books, reading material I could find, trying to find some salvation that I could see something positive about what happened in EoE and its ending. Soon I got really tired and weary about the whole thing and the full backlash came back to me, and I felt disgusted at myself of having put so much time and effort just to be happy with myself. A few other big changes also happened in real life at that time which forced me to switch focus and devoted time to issues in real life. I just pulled myself out from everything I was doing with Eva, and very soon I was not watching anime or reading manga any more. The Eva stuff that I got over the years either got lost (or sold) during later house moving, or sealed in some boxes away from my sight.

Over the next 10 years I basically removed anime/manga from my life and did not try to think much about it -- so powerful was the backlash. I never thought that I grew out of anime and I did not have any bad feeling against anime. It was just that I had gone so tired after all the Eva experience -- I did not want to become obsessive with another anime like Eva, and I did not know I never had a real closure with my Eva journey.

Nothing in the ensuing years gave me reason to go back to anime. Life in reality was enough to keep me busy anyway, until almost 2 years ago when I got hospitalized. This gave me a chance to adjust my priorities of my life -- that was the time I picked up manga reading again. A few months later my cousin came to visit me in Japan and he expressed interest to see what Akihabara was like. I had not been there for 10 years and our exploration gave me a sense of how much I had missed on anime during all those years and how interesting the anime world had become (in the 90s Akihabara was more a place for electric appliance and computer than an anime otaku paradise like now). We went to a doujin store and the very well drawn covers of the doujin EVA RE-TAKE caught my eyes. Although I did not buy them then, it stayed in my mind so much that I later went there and bought two volumes of the series. Again I was buying something I did not know what to expect but it was the first Eva stuff I had bought for a long time. I read it with some trepidation thinking it may be the same bad sex stuff I had read previously in Eva doujinshi, but was overjoyed to find that the artstyle was close enough to the original and there was a world view that was quite close to the original world, with a plot that arguably had even more twists than the original Eva. I got the rest of the series later and there I found the most satisfactory ending that closed out the ending in EoE with a very positive spin (albeit through a lot of ordeals) for Asuka my most favorite character ever. It had been a long time since I experienced such a sense of exhilaration and I realized this had been the closure I did not have (but never knew) when I watched EoE. I was so happy to join discussion of RETAKE that I went to Internet to search for groups that would discuss that doujin, and this is how I found this forum Evageeks. I soon restarted in full force my exposure to anime, trying to catch up as much as possible the development of anime over the previous 10 years, devouring anime after anime (the much more developed Internet was a great help in this). And basically this is where I am now, even more otaku than before but perhaps a much healthier one too.

And this is also why I had that signature and avatar pic.
I never thought I would come back to Evangelion after EoE,
But I discovered Re-Take (or it found me?) and
now here I am.
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Asuka FAN FOREVER
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Postby rhfxz1s » Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:21 pm

Oh wow, great post. It's always interesting to see how something as simple as a TV show or movie can have profound effects on people like that.

Have you ever considered giving EoE a second chance? I can somewhat relate in that the first time I saw EoE, I didn't really like it because of the disturbing imagery and the lacking of a proper, "happy" ending. However, after some discussion, thought, and time, I re watched it and it might now be my favorite movie of all time. Of course, judging by the way you reacted to it the first time, there's a chance your second time won't be like mine at all.

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Postby symbv » Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:51 pm

View Original Postrhfxz1s wrote:Oh wow, great post. It's always interesting to see how something as simple as a TV show or movie can have profound effects on people like that.


That's why in another thread ("So, why do we love Eva again?") I said I cannot say I like Eva now but it was true that I LIKED Eva once. And actually LIKE is too weak a word to express the impact of the show on me. Anyway, it has become part of my past and what constituted me now, so I will just have to take it from here.

View Original Postrhfxz1s wrote:Have you ever considered giving EoE a second chance? I can somewhat relate in that the first time I saw EoE, I didn't really like it because of the disturbing imagery and the lacking of a proper, "happy" ending. However, after some discussion, thought, and time, I re watched it and it might now be my favorite movie of all time. Of course, judging by the way you reacted to it the first time, there's a chance your second time won't be like mine at all.


At some point I think I will. Not sure I am ready now. I did buy the film comics of EoE then and went through the whole thing on paper a few more times after watching the movie, so it was not as if I dropped EoE after just one watching, but that movie could easily bring back undesirable memory so I would need to get prepared before I watch it again.
I never thought I would come back to Evangelion after EoE,
But I discovered Re-Take (or it found me?) and
now here I am.
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Asuka FAN FOREVER
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Postby tehprognoob » Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:42 am

When you fall in love with Cecilia Alcott (Infinite Stratos) as character based solely on her obvious Asuka-type character.
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EoE raped my mind when I first saw it, but now, to think of it, would this crowd have been satisfied by a purely happy ending? Evangelion doesn't feel like Evangelion unless it's something dark and powerful all the way through.

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Postby Light » Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:46 am

View Original Posttehprognoob wrote:When you fall in love with Cecilia Alcott (Infinite Stratos) as character based solely on her obvious Asuka-type character.

The hell are you talking about? They are nothing near comparable to each other at all...

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Postby symbv » Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:01 am

View Original Posttehprognoob wrote:When you fall in love with Cecilia Alcott (Infinite Stratos) as character based solely on her obvious Asuka-type character.


You love Infinite Startos too? Anyway, Cecilia is one of the typical tsundere foreigner character which many trace its root to Asuka, but it is hard to say that when you fall in love with Cecilia, then you are you're obsesesd with EGF... :)

View Original Posttehprognoob wrote:EoE raped my mind when I first saw it, but now, to think of it, would this crowd have been satisfied by a purely happy ending? Evangelion doesn't feel like Evangelion unless it's something dark and powerful all the way through.


I don't know, but EoE really pushed me to the extreme and one thing and another, it led to me giving up anime for 10 years. So I don't know -- if I had the choice again I might pick a happy ending... But as you said, people may not be satisfied by a PURELY happy ending, but a clearly happy ending that was achieved by ordeals and hardship may be an appropriate one (ala the doujin EVA RE-TAKE).
I never thought I would come back to Evangelion after EoE,
But I discovered Re-Take (or it found me?) and
now here I am.
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Asuka FAN FOREVER
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Light
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Postby Light » Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:04 am

View Original Postsymbv wrote:Anyway, Cecilia is one of the typical tsundere foreigner character

Cecilia is LITE-tsundere at best.

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Postby symbv » Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:26 am

View Original PostLight wrote:Cecilia is LITE-tsundere at best.


The anime gave her too short time in the tsun part. The original light novel has much more tsun moments and some explanation of why she changed to dere, but the anime cut all of them and thus made she look like she just tsun for a short while and then went all dere. Anyway, Cecilia is considered a proper tsundere character. But of course she is nothing compared to Asuka :wink:
I never thought I would come back to Evangelion after EoE,
But I discovered Re-Take (or it found me?) and
now here I am.
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Asuka FAN FOREVER
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Light
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Postby Light » Thu Mar 24, 2011 6:56 am

View Original Postsymbv wrote:The anime gave her too short time in the tsun part. The original light novel has much more tsun moments and some explanation of why she changed to dere, but the anime cut all of them and thus made she look like she just tsun for a short while and then went all dere. Anyway, Cecilia is considered a proper tsundere character. But of course she is nothing compared to Asuka :wink:

Yes, she was a tsundere at the beginning, but from being the psuedo-tsundere that she is in the IS anime to an "Asuka-type" (lolwut) character is veeery long way. In addition, Asuka as a character shares nothing in common with Cecilia aside for the (supposed) tsundereness and a foreign background.

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Postby KogareruAsuka » Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:42 am

You are friends with Asuka Langley on Facebook
Scheiss!... Even without my umbilical cable attached... I've still got 12,000 plates of fortified armor! And I've got my AT field!...There's no way I can lose! EAT THIS ARSCHLOCH!

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Postby tehprognoob » Thu Mar 24, 2011 10:16 am

i shuldve clarified; i meant cecilia as she was in the first episode and a half, before the meele rush rampage of bullshitty-overpowered byakushiki. in the first 30 seconds of her introduction, the Asuka resemblence is very strong, ie im so awesome that everyone shuld worship me, the excessive use of "elite" and the bitchy-streak. the outburst in ep2 when she wasn't nominated...i definitely saw a shadow of Asuka there. compare backgrounds, and you see that cecilia wants "only to marry a strong man "(curtesy of wikipedia), as compared to Asuka's pursuit of Kaji for fatherly support. note also that cecilia lacks a proper father, a spoiled aristocrat who died early anyway, and her having to protect her family. (curtesy of wikipedia again) now, the later episodes botched this initial look with moe and main male character pimpingness, but @ the beginning she was a very asukaesque character if you look for these connections.

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Postby Light » Thu Mar 24, 2011 10:36 am

View Original Posttehprognoob wrote:i shuldve clarified; i meant cecilia as she was in the first episode and a half, before the meele rush rampage of bullshitty-overpowered byakushiki. in the first 30 seconds of her introduction, the Asuka resemblence is very strong, ie im so awesome that everyone shuld worship me, the excessive use of "elite" and the bitchy-streak. the outburst in ep2 when she wasn't nominated...i definitely saw a shadow of Asuka there. compare backgrounds, and you see that cecilia wants "only to marry a strong man "(curtesy of wikipedia), as compared to Asuka's pursuit of Kaji for fatherly support. note also that cecilia lacks a proper father, a spoiled aristocrat who died early anyway, and her having to protect her family. (curtesy of wikipedia again) now, the later episodes botched this initial look with moe and main male character pimpingness, but @ the beginning she was a very asukaesque character if you look for these connections.

Maybe her introduction was a bit like Asuka's, but they are still not comparable to each other in my opinion. Cecilia speaks like an ojousama (she uses desuwa and very polite speech) while Asuka always speaks informally, even to her higher ups. Also I wouldn't say that Asuka's pursuit of Kaji was for his "fatherly love". She was constantly trying to prove him that she is an adult woman; taking him along to buy a swimsuit, saying that she doesn't care about the other guys in Japan because the only guy she cares about is him etc. She was clearly looking for a romantic love, not a parental love. She said herself that she can live without a family, and she kept repeating that she is an adult already and inside herself she pleaded him to look at her that way.

But yeah, this is getting way off-topic.

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Postby Mr. Tines » Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:34 pm

View Original Posttehprognoob wrote:EoE raped my mind when I first saw it, but now, to think of it, would this crowd have been satisfied by a purely happy ending?
I think it's the lack of any redemptive qualities to the ending which gave it that punch. After the TV ending had set you up for the glorious -- albeit hard-won -- conclusion of the Human Fulfillment Project, an ending that just was just played you for a sucker.
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Postby Trajan » Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:43 pm

View Original PostMr. Tines wrote:I think it's the lack of any redemptive qualities to the ending which gave it that punch. After the TV ending had set you up for the glorious -- albeit hard-won -- conclusion of the Human Fulfillment Project, an ending that just was just played you for a sucker.


That's why I don't like the TV series ending, it seemed too happy after the the entire second half of the series was basically 'shit, I thought everything was fucked up before, now this!' After getting through 21-24 I was expecting something so incredibly soul crushingly depressing I'd cry...and then, "congratulations!"


Then I saw EoE and I got my soul crushingly depressing ending......and it was awesome.
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Postby liquidus118 » Thu Mar 24, 2011 4:04 pm

From my second viewing onwards I found EoE's ending to be positive.

To me it showed hope, and a desire to live, no matter how dire the situation may be. Even though the world had gone to hell and he was the only one alive, Shinji - after wanting to die at the beginning of the film - decided to live. I always found this to be uplifting and it put a smile on my face. Though I can't say the same for Shinji's reaction to Asuka, but at least she chose life too.

I need to watch that scene again sometime soon, I find that it's always 10x more powerful when watched on it's own, for some reason.


OT: When you realised you posted this with an Eva t-shirt on.

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Postby Eva Yojimbo » Fri Mar 25, 2011 4:26 am

View Original Postliquidus118 wrote:To me it showed hope, and a desire to live, no matter how dire the situation may be. Even though the world had gone to hell and he was the only one alive, Shinji - after wanting to die at the beginning of the film - decided to live.
Considering I watched NGE/EoE at the the darkest time in my life, this is always the "message" I got out of it too. I can understand the "soul crushing depression" thing that SOME get out of it, but I think it's only that if you've never really been there. If you have, it's more like "yep, that's what it's like and, hey, there actually IS hope and a reason to live after all of that crap!" So, yeah, I see it as rather optimistic in that respect.
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Postby pen-pen » Fri Mar 25, 2011 5:27 am

.....When you check in on this forum every 10-20 minutes :ninja:
BOOMZ!

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Postby tehprognoob » Fri Mar 25, 2011 4:35 pm

When you hear J.S.Bach's Air (on the G String) frm the Third Suite and want to cry...look it up.

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Postby BiQ » Fri Mar 25, 2011 4:43 pm

^^ THIS. EoE ruined (or powered up) that song for me forever.

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Postby Shogo-Kun » Fri Mar 25, 2011 5:08 pm

When you start fantisising about Shinji having sweet hot sex with Gendo... and Gendo is the "bitch" in this scenario.

GENDO: Oh, Shinji! Give it to me hard! AHH!! AAAAHHHH!!!

Shinji: Yes, father... enjoy the taste of baby batter as it trickles down your tongue...

GENDO: Oh, God... oh, God... oh, God...!!

Shinji: Yes... Yes! YYYEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH, BITCH!!!!

BOTH: AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!



Does this count as fanwank?
NGE was a damned good anime
EoE was an anime masterpiece
And Rebuild is nothing short of epic
Long live the EVAs!!

AVATAR Oreo Nakamura, Light and Dark


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