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Thread: Evangelion discussion (spoilers!)

  1. #1
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    Evangelion discussion (spoilers!)

    Hello all,

    Well, I just finished to watch (yeah I know, I'm darn late) Neon Genesis Evangelion (the series and the "end" movie).

    I'm somehow confused, like when I just watched a David Lynch movie - the feeling that's there's something huge that I think I understand, but reaches farther than I can grasp.

    Knowing the number of sci-fi aficionados on these boards, I thought maybe you had interesting theories about the series, hence this thread, intended to discuss... the symbols, the plot, the motivations of it all.

    Well, to begin the discussion, I watched End just after eps 25-26 and I think it was a bad idea because that made too much info at the same time.

    I however feel the movie is near to useless - eps 25 & 26 give a nice conclusion, as for the Human Instrumentality project completed. Now we don't know what was SEELE's objective compared to Gendo's, but...

    ...from where I stand, it appears End states that, at the difference of the series, SEELE's project was completed.

    ...Yet I fail to see any difference between the final result for humanity in the series and the movie: all finally become one. (The only difference being Shinji who refuses this evolution in the movie, while he comes to terms with himself in the series).

    What do you think?

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  2. #2
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    I haven't seen the movie and it's been a while since I watched the series, but as the end of the series has a rather 'dreamlike' quality I am not even sure that humanity became one in the end.

    It could just as well be taken as being just a symbolic representation of Shinji finaly coming to terms with himself and his life - and nothing more - at least from what I remember.

    I'll have to watch some episodes again it seems.

  3. #3
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    Yes, it's true that the end essentially focuses on Shinji and his issues - but it's said that Instrumentality has indeed begun (in the series).

    It says each mind has its voids, its darknesses and fears (maybe that's because humans supposedly come from Lilith and not Adam) - Instrumentality intends to fill these voids by, erm... merging human consciousness? Showing each person the representations of her in other peoples' minds, I wager.

    I think the end focuses on Shinji's Instrumentality - ep 26 both has a symbolic quality, and participates in the story.

    But that's my intepretation

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  4. #4
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    You know, the funny thing is that during ep. 25 and 26 more than once I was thinking that the whole project was set up by Shinji's father to help his son grow.

    Sure, the instrumentality project may have started, but IIRC we never learn what the true goal of this project was, and there are enough hints that the various factions involved in the project each had their own goals, so we can't be sure that whatever we are told on-screen about the reasons behind the project is really what finaly became of it.

    let me re-watch some eps and I'll come back to you in a day or two.

  5. #5
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    You know, the funny thing is that during ep. 25 and 26 more than once I was thinking that the whole project was set up by Shinji's father to help his son grow.
    A very interesting theory... I think he's more into trying to find Yui, but that's my interpretation...

    Check especially ep24-25 IIRC, that's where most of the info about Instrumentality is given.

    End clarifies this "goal" a bit but the treatment is even more obscure than ep26...

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  6. #6
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    Originally posted by KillerWhale
    End clarifies this "goal" a bit but the treatment is even more obscure than ep26...
    You are pulling my leg, are you.
    "Even more obscure than ep. 26" is simply not possible.

  7. #7
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    Nope The first half of End is quite clear, but the second part... adds even more elements, asks new questions, and answers half of them.

    I managed to follow everything until the last 10 minutes. There, I got lost.

    Or did I really?


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  8. #8
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    I honestly think you're supposed to be left wondering ... thinking about what it would mean if we were all of one mind, and would we really be able to deal with it.

    -- Daniel
    - Daniel "A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having."

  9. #9
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    Yeah. At least that's how I see the series ending. The movie... well, is confusing

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