Favorite/Least Favorite Eva Episodes and Why

[Sailor Star Dust]

Dunno, best way to find out is to start one and see if the mod's get pissed off and merge it.

Or a search function is fine, too!

Worst episode? Episode 27 sucked really hard.

After the End is a masterpiece of art at it's finest I tell you!

[Ornette]

I personally don't think it's so much the episodes themselves as much as what it did to the entire show (tv series). You have a build-up of tension and conflict that lasts 8 episodes, constantly building up, shit hitting the fan, the stakes getting higher, and right before the biggest shit of all is about to hit the fan, you get... episode 25 and 26.

But unfulfilled expectations speak more about the conceits of the audience rather than the quality of the work. Remember, this is a series that tried to jar its target audience. It does this in various ways, but there's no better example than the utter uniqueness that is 25/26. It's what separates those who appreciate what an artist is doing, and how they do it, from those who are simply in it for some escapist pleasure and don't give a crap about the rest. In order to get people thinking Anno had to find a way to disrupt those watching, and I can't conceive of a better way of doing it than stripping the series of its narrative. But I think of it more like a progression - something that's slowly been happening since ep. 14 and just comes to fruition in 25/26.

Sure, those were great episodes in retrospect, filled with arguably more character insight than the entire 24 episodes preceding it and even EoE, and sure, it was unique and an amazing product from an overworked, under budgeted staff, and sure, they were important episodes that did bring about somewhat of a closure, and sure, after watching the series and movie several times and sat down to analyze it, these 2 episodes are invaluable and actually quite a work by themselves. But, boy, did it completely ruin my first experience of watching the TV series. All signs pointed to something big happening, all the players were poised to settle the final match, ALL the chips were on the table, I wanted to see it all play out, but I get... none of it. I realize the situation Anno and Gainax were in, and I'd completely understand how he'd feel about negative feedback considering the monumental amount of effort that was put into just getting these 2 episodes aired, but I'd be willing to bet if Anno had the oppurtunity to, he'd redo the ending OH SHI-

I'd venture to say that a good number of people who didn't like Evangelion and watched it all didn't like the pacing (regardless of whether this was the reason or not), and I wouldn't say they didn't "get it" or aren't schooled enough to appreciate it. I probably would have been one of these people who didn't like Evangelion if I wasn't so hooked on the narrative and there was already an ending that satiated my need for a resolution for all this built up tension from the previous 3-4 hours worth of episodes. Afterwards, it was a lot easier to look at the show in a more analytical light, since I was no longer fuming about a monumental disaster of pacing that I had previously witnessed, second to only a handful of shows that suffered from the same thing (but were ultimately terrible shows to begin with). Again, I'm not complaining about the episodes themselves, I have a lot of respect for them and for the staff that produced them, but it ruined the show for me as a first time viewer.

I do want to commend you for writing this as I feel it's as intelligent and well-stated an exposition as possible on the reasons so many dislike them. I think you encapsulate the feelings of many fans extremely well.

I found the picture I was thinking of when I wrote all of that:

[Vegeta 20XX]

Diving into a volcano with a billion dollar piece of hardware? Is it so difficult to just send a remote piloted probe?

If NERV had a remotely piloted probe that could open up a can of whoop-ass on the Angels, then they wouldn't need the Evas in the first place.

Episode 8. Most of the reasons stated before will suffice.

[Action_Bastard]

The episode with Jet Alone and Magma diver = utterly pointless IMO



Also, Ornette, that pic is hilarious, and somewhat true.

[Eva Yojimbo]

I found the picture I was thinking of when I wrote all of that:

Great pic, but if you ask me, that just proves my point about what makes those eps so great! ;)

The episode with Jet Alone and Magma diver = utterly pointless IMO

There's a lot of good qualities to be found in Jet Alone if you can get past the, you know, actual Jet Alone. The only point I ever saw in Magma Diver is its developing of the Shinji/Asuka relationship and especially Shinji's aversion to sexuality.

[Zkh]

Jet Alone is my favorite mech in history, I actually got a tattoo of Jet Alone on my right shoulder blade. It isn't colored yet but when it is I will post pictures.


My least favorite episode is 24 because it was too rushed, and it used that cliche Ode To Joy crap song. BORING.

[Eva Yojimbo]

and it used that cliche Ode To Joy crap song. BORING.

1. Ode to Joy is not really a song.
2. You're talking about part of what is likely the most important piece of music in history.
3. Boring is the last thing I'd call ep. 24.

[Zkh]

1. Ode to Joy is not really a song.

2. You're talking about part of what is likely the most important piece of music in history.

holy moly make some sense!! It's actually the least important piece of music in history, it's too easy to play and doesn't bring any joy to my heart like the title promises.

Episode 24 was WAY too rushed. It just seems less boring because it's too much stuff shoved into 20 minutes of animation.

[Ornette]

2. You're talking about part of what is likely the most important piece of music in history.

holy moly make some sense!!

learn to read.

[Zkh]

how can something that isn't a song be part of music history.

also learn to hear, because it sounds like a chorus singing to me, and im pretty sure that is a song bro!

[simon]

@Zkh

You're talking about the anthem of the European Union. So it's your opinion against most of the Europe.

And beside this, it's clasical piece. It may not be the best but it's still way better than any shitty pop song that would destroy the apocaliptic mood in 24th ep.

Btw.
Ode to Joy is a classical work, not a song. That's what Ornette meant. Try to be more open minded, Zkh.

[Zkh]

Ode to Joy was a German poem but I don't think in episode 24 there were people reading a poem in the background i think it might have been them singing Symphony No. 9, but maybe on the director's cut they read the poem instead. Perhaps I used "Ode to Joy" because I didn't feel like typing out "Symphony No. 9" though, maybe.

Also I think Katey Perry should have been in that episode.

[Ornette]

@my previous post. Something that is part of a piece of music doesn't have to be a song, and like you've already clarified your own post (or was that an admission of trolling?), it's a Schiller poem, parts of which was used in the finale of a piece of music.

You're more than welcome to have your opinion of episode 24, but you're post lends nothing for a constructive discussion. So I guess that's that.

[Eva Yojimbo]

It's actually the least important piece of music in history,

Actually... no. "Ode to Joy" is a rather small excerpt from the final movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, which was the first symphony to have choral music in it. But that's not really where the innovation came from, Beethoven's 9th was revolutionary in its construction, with its first 3 movements synthesized in the finale and its major final theme, the "Ode to Joy" is developed throughout it as well until it finally reaches the crescendo that is that chorus. That famous melody might be incredibly easy to sing and play, but if you think Beethoven's 9th is "simple" then you don't have a clue about music. There's a good reason why it's listed number one here, a good reason it started the infamous "9th curse", and a good reason it cast a long shadow over every subsequent composer in music history. There's also been no more apt usage of that part in any visual medium I know of than ep. 24 of NGE. This is especially keeping with the theme of having the music act as a counterpoint to the narrative (Hallelujah! in ep. 23, Air in EoE), but with Ode to Joy Anno pulls a unique trick of having the music itself fit perfectly, and the lyrical content and intent be sadistically opposite (he does the reverse again in EoE with Komm Susser Tod).

Even though "song" can mean "music set to sing", the traditional usage of "song" as a form is a vocal piece with a typical AB construction and a single voice. That's what I mean by "Ode to Joy" isn't a song because it's composed for a chorus and is simply a small part of a much larger whole.

It just seems less boring because it's too much stuff shoved into 20 minutes of animation.

NGE, from about ep. 16 on, began heavily condensing its narrative to achieve its last-half subversion effect. Ep. 24 is the moment where that condensation reached its highest point and, to this day, I've never seen that accomplishment equaled in any other animation. It really recalls scenes like Battleship Potemkin's legendary Odessa Steps.

[The Goose]

The only point I ever saw in Magma Diver is its developing of the Shinji/Asuka relationship and especially Shinji's aversion to sexuality.

Yeah, but the episode doesn't keep trying to develop it throughout the episode. It just drops it and moves along.

[Action_Bastard]

And they somehow discovered an angel in a volcano, that just does not make sense to how they found an angel in a hidden place when all the other times the angels have been in transit to Tokyo-3. Also, the battle and the angel itself were pretty lame. Could have done without. But w/e.

[Eva Yojimbo]

Yeah, but the episode doesn't keep trying to develop it throughout the episode. It just drops it and moves along.

Well, it pops up as a scene between Shinji and Asuka (with Rei subtly in the background), and extends to the Angel battle and then to the final scene in the springs, so it's kinda developed. It may not seem like much but I really think it's these small scenes amidst something that is comparatively, at the time, much bigger that builds strong associations with characters and their relationships. It's the details, ya know.

[Xard]

how can something that isn't a song be part of music history.

also learn to hear, because it sounds like a chorus singing to me, and im pretty sure that is a song bro!

Someone has no idea of what is difference between composing and songwriting the :S

[Rei Lover]

episode 25-26 both sucked horribly and had a overkill with the recycled animation , i mean gee couldn't you have ended it in a more dramatic way instead of giving us a headache trying to watch these damn episodes? >_>

[Eva Yojimbo]

i mean gee couldn't you have ended it in a more dramatic way instead of giving us a headache trying to watch these damn episodes? >_>

No. ;)