Official Welcome Thread

[KaijuMaikeru]

Hi guys!

I'm here... because I love Eva.

That's about it. (๑╹っ╹๑)

[Compiling_Autumn]

Hey guys, I've been lurking this board ever since I came down with an inflammation in my knee back in February. The knee got better but I kept lurking. I've loved NGE ever since I first saw the dub on Adult Swim but it was this forum that inspired me to finally buckle down and get the Perfect Collection and EoE on DVD.

Eva rules, that's all I have to say right now. I'm sure I'll have more once I've finished rewatching it again.

[AngelNo13Bardiel]

Hello and welcome to EGF, KaijuMaikeru and Compiling_Autumn.

Remember to trust in the wiki and don't believe everything you read about Eva elsewhere: maybe those particular maps and legends have been misunderstood.

[Tumbling Down]

Hi, guys! I'm a brony! I'm here to share my fan art of all the Evangelion characters as ponies! And when I say all, I mean all! Every last character design from the entire series run has been ponified! This is my life's work aaaannnndddd the joke's dead.

I'm actually here because I just finished watching Evangelion and I'm still not clear on everything. There's a small chance I might actually become part of the community, but probably not. I'm not even sure I'm going to need to make very many posts because a lot of the information I'm looking for can probably be found by lurking.

So, here's a bunch of questions off the top of my head.

SPOILER: Show

1. Why can only kids pilot the Evas?

2. What was with that part where Genndo reveals a big secret and we don't hear it? Was there a reason for that scene?

3. What exactly does the Human Instrumentality Project do? Does it merge all the humans into one body, like in Bioshock 2? Why did SEELE want to do that?

4. The show ended with Shinji learning to love himself and stuff, but the movie seemed to end with him deciding that he was a terrible person. Wha?

5. In fact, why would Shinji choose to go to an abandoned Earth?

6. When I rewatch Eva, should I skip the last two episodes and go straight to End of Evangelion?

7. This isn't a question. I just want to share the weirdest version of Calm Seusser Todd I've found yet. Maybe you've heard it already.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuMbVNDW31o

8. So I guess the reason Rei's so emotionless is because she knows she's going to die at some point and then be replaced. ..Or is it actually because she's not really human? Or both?

Those are just all the ones I can think of right now. Oh, wait, one more.

9. What was the symbolism in the sandbox scene in the movie?

Oh, wait, another.

10. Why did NERV go to war with SEELE? I thought NERV was a military unit that was supposedly its own thing but was actually being operated behind the scenes by SEELE. Didn't they have the same goal?

oh wait another

11. Were the angels summoned in the first place by NERV/SEELE? Did they initiate the second impact?

Okay, I think I'm done.. until I think of another and edit this post.

[TehDonutKing]

SPOILER: Show

1. Why can only kids pilot the Evas?

2. What was with that part where Genndo reveals a big secret and we don't hear it? Was there a reason for that scene?

3. What exactly does the Human Instrumentality Project do? Does it merge all the humans into one body, like in Bioshock 2? Why did SEELE want to do that?

4. The show ended with Shinji learning to love himself and stuff, but the movie seemed to end with him deciding that he was a terrible person. Wha?

5. In fact, why would Shinji choose to go to an abandoned Earth?

6. When I rewatch Eva, should I skip the last two episodes and go straight to End of Evangelion?

7. This isn't a question. I just want to share the weirdest version of Calm Seusser Todd I've found yet. Maybe you've heard it already.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuMbVNDW31o

8. So I guess the reason Rei's so emotionless is because she knows she's going to die at some point and then be replaced. ..Or is it actually because she's not really human? Or both?

Those are just all the ones I can think of right now. Oh, wait, one more.

9. What was the symbolism in the sandbox scene in the movie?

Oh, wait, another.

10. Why did NERV go to war with SEELE? I thought NERV was a military unit that was supposedly its own thing but was actually being operated behind the scenes by SEELE. Didn't they have the same goal?

oh wait another

11. Were the angels summoned in the first place by NERV/SEELE? Did they initiate the second impact?

Okay, I think I'm done.. until I think of another and edit this post.

1. The Evas contain the souls of the pilot's mothers. Rei is the exception, as Eva-00 contains a fragment of her soul that she regains when Eva-00 goes kablooey and Rei goes sizzle. The next Rei has the full soul of Lilith.

2. There's a lot of debate on this one. General consensus tends to be that he said "Truly, I needed you." The manga (which is an alternate continuity) renders the line as "Truly, I loved you." All we can say for sure is that the first word was "Truly". The important part is Ritsuko's reply. He's about to kill her; he has no reason to lie. Yet, she calls him a liar. The expression on her face is one of betrayal, and her tone of voice makes her sound unsure. His line is muted because people would focus too much on what he said, when the focus is supposed to be on Ritsuko's response.

3. Instrumentality is the merging of all life into one consciousness. No idea why SEELE wanted that. They seem to be a doomsday cult that got too much power.

4. Shinji, at the end of the movie, decided that life is worth living, not that he's a horrible person.

5. Other people can come back, so Earth may not be abandoned. The reason is because life is worth living. Instrumentality is symbolic for not living your life, be it through suicide, giving up and letting yourself wallow in despair, being a basement-dwelling NEET, or becoming a drug addict and "checking out" all the time. Shinji's rejection of Human Instrumentality is symbolic of deciding to continue living.

6. No. They are two complementary endings; the show would be incomplete without both.

7. Neato.

8. Rei isn't emotionless. She feels emotions, but doesn't understand them and seldom expresses them. This is because of her fucked up nature; she is a clone of Yui, with the fragmented soul of Lilith. After her second death, she has the whole soul of Lilith. Yippee! Too bad it made her want to die....

9. [url]http://wiki.evageeks.org/Theory_and_Analysis:Sandbox_Sequence[/url]

10. Gendou wanted to see Yui again no matter what. He didn't want a permanent Instrumentality, like SEELE. SEELE knew this, but needed NERV for its own goals. Once NERV finished, SEELE effectively ordered a hit.

11. Second Impact was caused by researchers in Antarctica digging up Adam, whom was paralyzed by a Spear of Longinus. They removed the spear, and Adam tried to destroy all life born from Lilith. They somehow reduced her back to an embryo, which is why she's in that form when Kaji gives her to Gendou. Anyway, before Adam became a fetus, she ovulated a spat out most of the Angels. Adam and Lilith are exceptions, as they were already on Earth, Lilin are an exception as they're Lilith-based, and Tabris is an exception, as he is Adam's soul placed into a clone of a Lilin and given the pseudonym of Kaworu Nagisa. As for why SEELE created him and sent him to NERV, it's because Shinji's character development relied on it. The plot to this show is kinda silly, but Eva isn't something you watch for the plot. You watch it for [s]the tits[/s] the characters and themes.

[delispin25]

Greetings fellow gentle sir *tips fedora*

[Tumbling Down]

4. Shinji, at the end of the movie, decided that life is worth living, not that he's a horrible person.

I guess the depressing imagery [s]made me project[/s] threw me off track. But, uh, the idea that life is worth living doesn't make much sense if it's on an abandoned Earth. Guess he didn't know that part?

Greetings fellow gentle sir *tips fedora*

Some memes are not meant to be memed.

[TehDonutKing]

I guess the depressing imagery [s]made me project[/s] threw me off track. But, uh, the idea that life is worth living doesn't make much sense if it's on an abandoned Earth. Guess he didn't know that part?

If others make the same decision, it's no longer abandoned.

[delispin25]

Some memes are not meant to be memed.

That's the last time I try to be cool.

[AngelNo13Bardiel]

Hello there and welcome to EGF, Tumbling Down. May you not be chanced upon and/or haunted by the various eldritch horrors that run amok.

[JassRoke]

Hi, everyone

I got into the EVA series about a year ago. It has kind of helped me I suppose. If anything it reminds me of the fact that I'm not alone.. Which gives me hope I guess. I still haven't decided whether or not I actually enjoy the series. (It reminds me too much of myself. It makes me think, which for me thinking is not a good thing.) I hope to meet new people, learn new things, and hopefully have interesting discussions.

I'll try my best not to step out of line. Please let me know if I do.

[Foodistasty]

Heyyyyy.
EVA is really cool. Definitely one of my favorite shows of all time. I love everything about it, the music, the characters, that fine animation, gosh it's great. Currently hunting down the DVD's. Haha I should really spend my money on something more important but honestly what is more important than EVA.

[Dataprime]

but honestly what is more important than EVA.

I like you already.

[Tumbling Down]

Hello there and welcome to EGF, Tumbling Down. May you not be chanced upon and/or haunted by the various eldritch horrors that run amok.

You're funny and I like you.

[AngelNo13Bardiel]

^ Thank you, I do try my best.

Hi there, JassRoke and Foodistasty, welcome to EGF. A good post-EoE thought/line: "It's a far cry from the world we thought we'd inherit".

what is more important than EVA

Oh, so many things...but most of those are back in the real world, not here. In this place, it is indeed Alpha and Omega.

[galaxyvigilante]

Hi! I've also been a fan of eva for about a year, but I kicked my (near) obsession back into high gear recently, after I watched the rebuilds! i had to watch EoE after to flush them out of my system I don't know anyone irl who likes eva so hopefully this will help satisfy my need for (at least the viewing of) discussion and maybe reassurance that one day I'll stop crying about Komm, susser Tod

[AngelNo13Bardiel]

Hmm, you have Eva underwear as an avatar.

...yeah, you're going to fit in here just fine. Welcome to EGF.

I don't know anyone irl who likes eva

I've had this problem, too. The only two people that know Eva/I can discuss it with offline were both introduced to it by me.

[HiImAnAlien]

Hi! I'm a 20 years old guy from Romania.

For me, the original series from '95-'96 is what really got me into anime. That is, I was a fan of Digimon, Pokemon and Dragonball Z when I was younger, but had a so-so relationship with "serious" anime. After I've grown-up too much to watch the previous mentioned anime, there followed a period in my life pretty much devoid of anime. The channels that broadcasted anime where also no longer, as I'm from Romania and TV channels sometimes get replaced with other. Still, close to finishing high-school, a certain nostalgia got me Mostly, a nostalgia for Digimon but also for the kind of atmosphere that could only be found in anime for young people. What I no longer was much of a fan of in shows like Digimon was the rampant idealism, the idea that strength comes only from willing enough etc., thought it was a very feel-good but ultimately poisonous way of thinking. American cartoons like X-Men: Evolution were only giving me a part of what I've wanted, the drama showed the possibility of leading to something substantial but it never did, the comedy was corny and nobody seemed to bleed during fight. I didn't either need gratuitous violence and fan-service like I knew anime for teens and young adults had in spades.

So, what anime to watch?I remembered watching bits and bits of Cowboy Bebop when I was younger but not liking it much, and also Slayers but didn't remembered the show's name at the time. I should also say that I also had a certain interest in philosophy, reading on the internet about famous thinkers and even read some books. I found out about a certain acclaimed but also controversial anime called Evangelion, and it sounded interesting enough. The first thing I've ever watched from Evangelion was a part of Asuka's battle in EoE with the white monsters -didn't know what they were then. Talking about a start in force. Well, yeah, it was just an uncomfortable as I feared it would be, great art but senseless sadism. Utterly repulsive I said to myself, but I still read some of comments to see what people like about this. There was this one comment that saved me. Someone was explaining the situation along these lines "... and the only ones who can pilot these robots are teens who are fucked-up". Suddenly, a new dimension was added to what I saw. The situation no longer seemed as senseless, there seemed to be some psychological motives behind the apparent grotesque of the situation. I was not ready convinced, but if I ever wanted to make it clear to myself if extreme violence in anime can have any sort of justification, this was my best chance.

So, I started watching the series. Obviously the firs thing that I liked was the catchy, fun yet somehow unnerving theme. At time went by, it seemed to me that everything I've expected and more was there. Interesting creatures with unique designs that fight against each-others like in the good old Digimon and Pokemon, mystery behind the nature of these creatures that seems to make from such a simply but entertaining premise a truly interesting SF story, attractive character designs, drama that's actually played for what it's worth, gone away with the silly idealism, violence that wasn't there just for the sake of it and felt much more real and visceral as such, a main character with which personal problems I could relate like no other, the kind of psychological inquiry into characters motivations like one would expect from a show like House MD, an episode named after one of these philosophy books I've read before, and a finale that was so much more than fighting the most powerful guy/monster around. Yeah, I was left like every other one who watched the series, perplexed by the final two episodes, but my god how satisfying was the last episode in it's own right, and at the right moment in my life.

By now, I've already watched the original series twice, EoE and Evangelion 2.2 two times each, Evangelion Q, but also many other anime movies and series. Neon Genesis Evangelion was for me the greatest starting point I could ever have!

So, yeah this is my short story regarding Evangelion.

[AngelNo13Bardiel]

^ Well, that was...very informative. Hopefully, that's a good indication of what you'll be posting elsewhere.

Hi and welcome to EGF, HiImAnAlien. Just remember: no random probings. Only the mods can do that, and only when they've been sufficiently ticked off.

[Nepheliad]

Hi. I'm... not really sure what to say here, so I guess I'll just go and post topically.