Comments

Open minded I do have, I do wish I can get into a lot of Anime because they are beautiful to watch. The good thing about these video reviews you get more information out of the reviewer. As confidant as you are with this item I'll take your word on it. Great review traschcanman.

hey, trashcanman, I loved the series and I've always wondered how this movie would be. Thanks for the great review, bro. Take care.

Do watch the series first, Miss Jenny; this movie confuses even established fans on the first viewing, but it is among the biggest payoffs ever as far as finales go. The final scene alone still generates arguments among anime fans. If you loved the series, Woopak, then this film should blow your mind. thanks for the love, I'll see you folks later.

Brilliant review, and I hate it took me so long to get around to watching your video. These video reviews are actually really cool and a great way to give a great review in a shorter amount of time compared to putting it all down in print. I love your bit about it keeping you up that night with its imagery - as it kept me up many a nights after seeing it the first time, and it IS an emotionally draining experience. I also love you mentioning the live action theater bit, though shockingly I didn't know that that was the audience from the first showing of the film (where did you get this info, btw?). The word you were looking for though was, beyond surreal, very metafictional. Anno is turning his camera on the very audience watching the film attempting to enjoy some escapist entertainment, and these live action scenes are his way of "waking them up" from the "dream" (remember the "dream/reality" dialogue during this part?) of the fictional film and getting them to face "reality" (the live action shots of Tokyo show this). Even though this is slightly precedented (you can see a similar thing in Dziga Vertov's brilliant 1929 experimental silent film "The Man with the Movie Camera"), it's certainly unprecedented in the annals of animation - especially in this context.

Again, great review, and it's nice to have another member of the NGE faithful. :)

I believe we've met before, miss. This isn't my first NGE video review, after all. I think I even sent you a friend invite at one point. The info about the live-action sequence was from the great feature commentary, I think. It's my second favorite commentary track after "Evil Dead 2" and it is both extremely informative and entertaining. I'm glad you enjoyed my review. Thanks for the outstanding comment!

Yes, yes, I know we've talked before. I remember your other review, it just took me a while to get around to watching this one. Ahhhh, the commentary. It's great fun, but it ranges from flat-out false (The "Asuka in the end is NOT an amalgamation of Shinji's girls) to being too focused on the not-nearly-so-important religious symbolism. I wouldn't tell anyone to not enjoy it, but it has been labeled the "Commentary of Evil" by the fandom and the English production teamed are kind of a laughing stock, especially Matt "Everything-is-a-penis" Greenfield.

"Commentary of Evil"? Mwa-ha-ha! They were goofy, but I like that. Too many commentaries are just some dude droning on (like me!) about stuff that you can't recall once it's done. Those guys made it fun and memorable. Check out the commentary on "Slayers Premium" for an interesting little glimpse into anime fandom's relationship with the producers. One of the voice actresses makes a comment about potential character romance and Crispin Freeman hushes her and warns her that that is a can of worms she doesn't want to open. Beware the Con. What is it about anime fans that makes them so militant about such flippant things? Anyway, the religious symbolism isn't all that important to the story, but I do find it very interesting. And you just taught me a new word, madame (amalgamation)! That's an Amazon first. You rule.

The end is largely up for interpretation in my opinion and the suddenly brown eyes and bandages on Asuka are very conspicuous to say the least. I'm still not quite sure what to make of it, but the notion of a composite woman (Asuka's looks, Rei's moment of vulnerability, Misato's.....ummmmm eyes?) being sort of created by Shinji as a companion makes some sense to me. Not a lot, but some. Got anything to back up your accusation of falsehood on that particular theory? I've tried checking my (or their) facts on that movie theater bit and can't find anything online about it. Odd. Well it's an awesome story if it is indeed true. Thanks.

[[[What is it about anime fans that makes them so militant about such flippant things?]]]

Reminds me of what Chris Jericho said about metal fans: "They're passion for the music is so strong that one step over is hate and it's just as strong". That's kinda how it is with anime fans too - especially Eva's hardcore fandom who've spent years puzzling through its mysteries and depths.

I'm of two minds on commentaries: One is to make them really insightful in a "serious" manner. Discuss all the complexities associated withs something that's impossible to catch the first time around. Two is to just make it silly, spontaneous and fun. To that front, I enjoyed (though I didn't learn a damn thing) with the commentaries on Planeties. I think the cast/production who did those were drunk - they spent half the time coming up with censored Japanese curse words. :D

I've actually considered doing an audio commentary project for the entire Eva series. But it's a really intimidating concept. I'd have to script out every episode in advance to make sure I got everything I wanted in, and there's just so much to discuss that finding a place for it all would be a challenge.

[[[Anyway, the religious symbolism isn't all that important to the story, but I do find it very interesting.]]]

Oh, it's interesting surely, and I do think serves a purpose in relating the narrative. Primarily in the idea of how certain elements (like the cross/crucifixion) are used. But it's too complicated to go into on here. I've thought for about a year now of trying to write up an extensive analysis of it, but any analysis doing with NGE is an intimidating proposition.

[[[And you just taught me a new word, madame (amalgamation)! That's an Amazon first. You rule.]]]

Does that make me honorificabilitudinitatibus? ;)

[[[the suddenly brown eyes and bandages on Asuka are very conspicuous to say the least... Got anything to back up your accusation of falsehood on that particular theory?]]]

The eyes aren't brown, they're Asuka's typical blue with a darker tint due to the environment. I remember there was a screen cap I found a while back that showed very clearly that Asuka's eyes were still blue, but just a darker shade. The bandages reflect her injuries in her Eva. Remember during the Harpy battle how she reaches up with her right towards the Harpies (chanting "I'll kill you!") and one of the lances splits Eva-02's arm in half and you can see Asuka's arm split as well. That's where the injury came from. Though it's a complicated subject of why she's able to move it at all in the end. The theory is that after being reborn the pain is only mental and not physical (we see this happen a couple of times when pilots suffer damage in the Eva). Further, what we know about Instrumentality doesn't allow for those leaving to be amalgamated. It's simply "coming back to yourself", or your consciousness. Shinji and Asuka just happen to be two of the first two back.

You can read up on that particular theory and get some other info here: http://www.evaotaku.com/html/evafaq.html

It's a good start. But if you really want to get into it, definitely check out Evageeks.org - especially the Wiki project and the forums.

If there's anything else you want to know, just ask. I've spent roughly the past 2 years filling my head with more Eva knowledge than you can shake a yebichu at.

You are hardcore! Awesome. My interests are ridiculously diverse so I never delve that deeply into any one thing, but I can certainly appreciate the passion. One more thing, though: who the hell bandaged Asuka up? Instrumentality is so abstract in concept that one could only assume one would reintegrate as one saw themself being as it is that the entire concept revolves around a strong sense of individuality. Personally, Shinji seems like the last one who ever want to reintegrate and separate himself from the collective seeing as how the entire series is him brooding over not fitting in. Instrumentality is the ultimate commune, after all. Asuka opting out I totally get -being a misanthrope and all- but the bandages are still just plain odd. Perhaps she sees herself for the damaged goods she is and reflected that in her appearance during re-emergence? The notion that somebody entered her Eva in the minutes between the battle and Third Impact and bandaged her wounds and then stayed put during disintegration and reintegration is as goofy as the commentary. And yes, you are indeed honorificabilitudinitatibus.

[[[My interests are ridiculously diverse so I never delve that deeply into any one thing,]]]

I'm very much the same way. My only "solid" interests are the arts collectively (mainly music, film, literature, poetry, and a smattering of TV... and poker, since its my profession, and audio... heck, just check my Wish Lists!). But within those things there are only a select few works/artists I've stayed actively interested in, and it's probably a testament to the depths of NGE that after 2 years I'm still not tired with discussing it and learning about it.

[[[who the hell bandaged Asuka up?]]]

The topic of the final scene and all that happens in it is a very complex subject. It's remarkable given the short amount of time given to it. There was a thread on Evageeks that reached 10+ pages on the topic. But to that question, it's not entirely certain but the most logical theory is that she bandaged herself up. The final scene is full of temporal ellipses. For instance the oft-noted "rust on Misato's cross pendant" that Shinji supposedly nailed to the poll. It's thought that, given the noted temporal ellipses that it's likely Asuka had climbed out of the LCL, found some bandages, bandaged herself, and fell down to rest next to Shinji. This whole temporal problem allows some room to maneuver theoretically. For instance, it's often thought that Shinji was on the beach for a long time before Asuka showed up and had gone quite mad from isolation - like Tom Hanks in Castaway!

Just to give you some ideas, here's some threads you might want to skim through:

http://www.evageeks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4339&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
http://www.evageeks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1922
http://evageeks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2270

There was one thread that dealt specifically with that concept but, for the life of me, I can't find it or remember what its title was.

[[[Instrumentality is so abstract in concept that one could only assume one would reintegrate as one saw themself being as it is that the entire concept revolves around a strong sense of individuality.]]]

Perhaps the best illustration I read of instrumentality came from a CG Jung book:

"All those who do not wish to deprive themselves of the great treasures that lie buried in the collective psyche (collective unconscious - the concept of the part of the psyche shared by everyone made up of instincts and intuitions) will strive by every means possible to maintain their newly won connection with the primal source of life. Identification would seem to be the shortest road to this, for the dissolution of the persona in the collective psyche positively invites one to wed oneself with the abyss and blot out all memory in its embrace. This piece of mysticism is innate in all better men as the 'longing for the mother,' the nostalgia for the source from which we came."

[[[Shinji seems like the last one who ever want to reintegrate and separate himself from the collective seeing as how the entire series is him brooding over not fitting in.]]]

That's the "didactic" part of the series if any part is. Here's this kid who suffers terribly from loneliness, "the Hedgehog's Dilemma" and individual separation from everyone and goes through the worst kinds of inner and outer hell on earth. But in the end, after seeing the grass on the other side he decides that a life of individual pain is better than a non-existence. That's probably where the series ending helps to fill in what Shinji "learns" in instrumentality. This also echoes Anno's own struggle with depression and the idea of suicide VS learning to live.

[[[Perhaps she sees herself for the damaged goods she is and reflected that in her appearance during re-emergence?]]]

This brings up a theory of mine I've had in a while: If you notice, all three children in the series suffer damage to their arms/hands and eyes, as well their Evas (this happens to Shinji and Rei all the way back in ep. 1/2 and Asuka in EoE). The way I associate these things is that we often see the "eye" linked to the notion of the soul, and Shinji's hands - especially the clenching/unclenching - seem to be a metaphor for action and inaction. So the damaged eyes and hands seem to be saying that "damaged souls create damaging actions". And it's not an accident that the final scenes ends in a struggle of hands - one standing in for "despair/death" (the strangulation, which also initiates 3rd Impact and Instrumentality) and the other for "hope/life" (Asuka's caress).

[[[And yes, you are indeed honorificabilitudinitatibus.]]]

One can only try their best and forget all the rest (some silly, trite trochaic heptameter for ya).