Review of Neon Genesis Evangelion
Because of my experience, and many other people's experiences with Neon Genesis Evangelion, I find it difficult to write an objective review on this anime, simply because, well, It's shit. And despite this fact, I can't help but to love it with all of my heart, being the disgusting neck-bearded inbreed that I am. From the countless people I have met regarding this show, I have found that how much you like yourself is inversely proportionate to how much you'll like the show, including its concluding film 'The End of Evangelion'. Alright, let's add some context to it. Evangelion was the first of its kind, bridging the gap betweenshows made for children and late night shows made for obsessive otaku, and created something that a wide age group could appreciate, and most importantly, relate to. The subject matter concerned in this show is something I believe related not only to many Japanese people at the time, but just many introverted people in general, much like the director himself, Hideaki Anno.
Evangelion is praised most often for its role as a deconstruction of the mecha genre, but I want to talk about something beyond this aspect of the show. The show does start as a typical 'monster of the week', and despite the seemingly mundane nature of me mentioning this, I believe it is held up well by the subtle and masterful visual direction of Hideaki Anno (I'll be talking a lot about this guy btw). Many of his shots will always mean something in the long run, and everything ranging from the items shown in frame to even the camera angles are used to imply certain aspects of the characters and their motives. It strikes a good balance between substance and style, leaning a bit more towards style, and I feel that this aspect of direction holds up the show extremely well especially during the second half of the show, as forbidden truths are revealed and the characters' mental states are constantly challenged.
Which brings me to another point - one thing that I have seen in Evangelion that I have never seen in any other show is the emotional rawness that had been poured into the show. During production, and long before it, Hideaki Anno suffered through clinical depression, and this aspect of stress and almost ruthless self-reflection showed through as the show progressed. I feel that it isn't too far fetched to say that Shinji, the main character, is somewhat of an extension or reflection of Mr. Anno's self-image.
For me, this was a huge plus, as it created additional meaning as something that related to the creator's struggles, but I also acknowledge that this can be a drawback for many viewers as Shinji is quite a self-loathing character (aka a whining bitch). Though this aspect of the show does interfere with other important parts of the story (which I will talk about later), I couldn't help but to admire this raw honesty and how painfully relatable it can all be at times.
I believe that his honesty is also what gave the many tragic moments of the show the impact they needed. Hideaki Anno surely knew 'crazy', and he knew how to implement it well. The show does gradually become more violent as the stakes get higher, but this violence isn't 24/7, occurring only between more calmer parts of the story - but when violence does occur, it is brutal, grotesque, and presents the animalistic nature of humanity in general.
I think the effectiveness of this violence can be futher explained through other seemingly 'violent' or 'edgy' shows, such as 'Elfen Lied' or 'Mirai Nikki'. Courtesy of what Demolition D (Youtube Anime Reviewer) mentions in his Evangelion analyses, the violence in shows like Elfen Lied and friends are, despite the gore and the blood, tryhard and heavy-handed. The violence in these shows are there only for shock-value and a poor attempt at catering to an older audience. It doesn't help that the characters in these shows are written with more shallow motivations. Evangelion's violence on the other hand has meaning, and there are implications for the characters' motivations and psychological well-being for every incident that occurs.
Finally, the characters - I believe this is where the show shines, and is also why it is so often praised as the mech genre deconstruction. The main characters of this show resemble at first the typical tropes of the generic series - a timid pacifist boy, a silent 'kuudere' girl, and a loud rowdy 'tsundere' girl. Of course, because this is Hideaki Anno, these tropes are twisted, and he inserts implications behind these characters' actions, effectively highlighting how unnatural these kinds of people really are. It's like Anno is making a statement towards the otaku with this aspect of the show - that for a girl to act according to these ideals, they would have to be mentally fucked in the head. Each of the characters in the show have deep seeded traumas that drive them at a subconscious level, and I found it extremely interesting to see how these characters would deal with each obstacle that got thrown at them.
The show isn't without its flaws though, and as I mentioned before with Hideaki Anno's depression and deteriorating state of mind at the production's making, the show does suffer from it, mainly the plot itself. The plot as whole is a mess, especially during the second half. Many points can be difficult to understand, and in addition with the very stylistic way of directing, some sequences can be especially confusing to digest. Evangelion is one of those shows that become more clearer with every rewatch, and with every rewatch you do, you may always find something new. So with this in mind, I can't say that it is for everyone, especially those who are just looking for a good ol' time.
I believe though that the concluding movie of this show 'End of Evangelion' clears some doubts about certain points of the show and, though an utter mindfuck at first, neatly wraps up many of the threads that were left hanging out in the open at the shows controversial final 2 episodes.
---
I don't feel it would be wrong to describe Evangelion as a masterpiece, along with the inclusion of the ending movie 'End of Evangelion', which I also definitely recommend after the show, as I feel that it gives the entire story good closure. In fact, I feel that without End of Evangelion, the show wouldn't have the praise that it does today.
Evangelion is a mess, it's confusing, and it can be scary, so it's kind of like sex in the dark - even though you don't know what's happening, you can't help but to enjoy it (at least, some of you). Though it carries its flaws, I don't think you can deny that it is a very important show, and that you'd be doing yourself a disservice by tossing it to the side.