Forum - View topicNeon Genesis Evangeliquestions (Spoilers)
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DrizzlingEnthalpy
 Posts: 255 |
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Looking at NGE forums, FAQs, etc., I've found the answers to most of the more commonly-asked questions about NGE and End of Evangelion, but there are a few things that I'd like to ask:
1. Why is NGE considered a "giant robot anime"? Although the Evas appear to be giant robots at first because of their armor, by the end of episode 18 (probably earlier) you see that they are clearly not robots. 2. Why is EoE considered an "ugly, unhappy ending"? It was very disturbing at some parts as I'm sure it was intended to be, but the ending is so incredibly open that it allows people to interpret it practically however they want. The world obviously can't go back exactly to the way it was before, but any of the people who died who had a will to come back to life could choose to, including Misato and the other characters who died in EoE. In fact, according to most interpretations it isn't really even technically the "end of the world." 3. Was Pen Pen ever supposed to be anything other than an unusually-intelligent penguin? I kind of thought through the series that there would be more of a revelation about Pen Pen and he would have more of a meaning/involvement in the story, but now it kind of seems like he was just there for animal cuteness-style fanservice. |
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CyberViper
Posts: 218 Location: Matsumoto, Nagano Japan |
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Probably for that reason. Just because they appear to be giant robots. And episode 18 is quite far into the series, and by the time the viewers realizes they're not giant robots...well you get the idea. But also consider if it wasn't considered 'giant robot' from the start. This would leave viewers wondering what they were. I think it's more of a shock for them to think they're giant robots and later find out they're not. Also, it's considered this because it's what Shinji beleived them to be, however the viewer and Shinji both find out they aren't giant robots at around the same time. I think EoE is a much better ending than the TV series ending. It's mostly because I was able to understand it more and get more out of it. It's also because it stayed closer to the storyline than the last two episode of the TV series. I never really considered it to be an ugly or unhappy ending. Perhaps it's considered 'ugly' because it's a lot more gruesome than the one in the TV series. Pen Pen is probably symbolic of something, but I never really thought about it until you mentioned it...and it's been a while since I've watched the show. I guess he's kind of a medium in the show, or someone (thing) that observes everything from the background. He observes the relationships of everyone in that household without really taking part in them. I guess when he's around it gives the viewer a chance to think about what the world looks like through his eyes, along with the relationships between the characters that are in his presence. But again, he could also have a deeper meaning if you look for it. Or he could just be there for fanservice as you mentioned. |
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Kazuki-san
 Posts: 2251 Location: Houston, TX |
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Because "giant robot" when defining a genre (and I use that word rather loosely) of anime is not a literal interpretation. Rather it describes common connections that most titles inheriting that genre tend to share. While an Eva itself is a biological being, it is still equipped with a large amount of computing power, electronic, and mechanical systems.
You answered your own question there. |
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squeakyL
 Posts: 71 |
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Pen Pen is kind of a symbol for Misato, the penguin who was left abandoned and alone, and she took him in.
Shows Misato's soft side, and also allows her the scene where she talks with Shinji about it, and it also relates to her and her loneliness. |
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DrizzlingEnthalpy
Posts: 255 |
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Thanks to everyone for your answers. There are also two that I forgot to ask that I meant to when starting the topic:
4. A lot of people seem to think that Rei (soul-endowed version) can't be replaced in entirety and that she was simply fixed after injuries by replacing parts of her with parts from some of the soulless Reis. If so, why would she comment in episode 23 (I think it's 23, I could be wrong) that she was the "third one"? 5. Since the title was originally "New Century" as opposed to "Neon Genesis", what was the intention of changing it? I can understand the "Genesis" part very well, but the dictionary's only definitions for "neon" are: 1 : a colorless odorless mostly inert gaseous element that is found in minute amounts in air and is used in electric lamps 2 a : a discharge lamp in which the gas contains a large proportion of neon b : a sign composed of such lamps c : the illumination provided by such lamps or signs and none of these definitions seem to have anything to do with the series. Were they thinking of "neo" and mistranslated or something similar to that? |
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Kazuki-san
Posts: 2251 Location: Houston, TX |
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I've never run across anyone who thought that way, but it's rather obvious that she is indeed wholly replaced by the next "spare." It's hard to simply replace parts on you when you've completely been destroyed via self-destruction of your Eva. You'll also notice that each "version" of Rei has slight differences in personality.
The approximate translation is something along the lines of "Gospel of the New Century/Era". Neon, aside from its association with the gas, is also a form of the Greek Neos, which also happens to mean new. Genesis carries meanings of "origin" or "beginning." Evangelion is Greek for "good news/message," which is often translated as "Gospel." So, translating the meaning of Neon Genesis Evangelion, gives us something along the lines of "Gospel of the New Beginning." |
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Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6897 Location: Kazune City |
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There is some discussion in the "Translating Titles" thread about NGE--apparently it was Anno's wish to have the English title be what it is.
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Kazuki-san
Posts: 2251 Location: Houston, TX |
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I'm not certain I would go as far as to credit Anno with that choice, but it was certainly Gainax's. |
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Efan
 Posts: 340 |
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1. This has been answerd the same way I would have answerd it. 2. How ugly is it that you get the chance to change the world to however you want it to be, to creat the perfect world but you deside to leave it the way it is with its greed, suffering, pain etc... If you ask me thats an unhappy ending, and interprets that people have the option to change the world for the better but decide not to. 3. I think Pen Pen represents those helpless and powerless. An example would be; Pen Pen see's the fight between Asuka and Shinji, he has the intelligence to understand what's going on but can't do anything about it, this again makes me think of those who understand the troubles of the world but don't/can't help at all. Those are just my opinions though. |
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kyosukekasuga
 Posts: 8 |
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Drizzling:
Let me take a shot at answering your questions: 1. Why is NGE considered a "giant robot anime"? Although the Evas appear to be giant robots at first because of their armor, by the end of episode 18 (probably earlier) you see that they are clearly not robots. Part of the charm of EVA is that you don't really know that until the middle of the series. Many Otaku, if they knew what the EVA were initially, would proabably have never watched the show (though Ep 1 has a really big clue to this!). Anno-sensei knows his audience and he sort of trapped them in. 2. Why is EoE considered an "ugly, unhappy ending"? It was very disturbing at some parts as I'm sure it was intended to be, but the ending is so incredibly open that it allows people to interpret it practically however they want. The world obviously can't go back exactly to the way it was before, but any of the people who died who had a will to come back to life could choose to, including Misato and the other characters who died in EoE. In fact, according to most interpretations it isn't really even technically the "end of the world." [i]That's a point that's going to be debated forever (see the other forum here). I personally think EoE's ending is excellent and very profound. [spoiler]Shinji's the new Adam, Azuka's the new Eve (what that makes Rei I really dont' know, other than this big glowing thing on the horizon).[/spoiler] It's true you can make out the ending be what you want, that's actually pretty common in Japanese film. But fans get bent out of shape because it actually ended, and all of this wonderful universe that Anno came up with, the characers, the mecha, etc, just goes away. I think many fans just liked EVA so and never wanted it to end, so they're all in a tussle about it.[/i] 3. Was Pen Pen ever supposed to be anything other than an unusually-intelligent penguin? I kind of thought through the series that there would be more of a revelation about Pen Pen and he would have more of a meaning/involvement in the story, but now it kind of seems like he was just there for animal cuteness-style fanservice. [i]Pen-Pen is like the ultimate mascot. I think that he's there just for cool-factor, and to act as a foil for Misato, and not really much else (they get rid of him around Ep 20, so obviously he's not really key to the plot). There's nothing really to read more into it than that.[/i] |
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DrizzlingEnthalpy
Posts: 255 |
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But if Shinji went along with Instrumentality, it wouldn't actually be reality, it would just be kind of like, say, The Matrix-style reality. Just primacy of consciousness; the world would still be how it was. I think that's how it would be in the movie, anyway; in the series ending it appeared as though what he chose would be actual reality for him, and anything anyone else chose would be reality for them as well; in other words, the same amount of realities as there are people. I could be wrong though. This is Evangelion, after all. |
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Efan
Posts: 340 |
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I would personaly prefere that world over this one, your only as happy as you think you are, and if you this/dream a happy reality, you will be happy :3. Confusing? Just think of it as a never ending dream of happyness (Vanilla Sky comes to mind, GO TOM CRUISE!). |
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DrizzlingEnthalpy
Posts: 255 |
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I'm pretty sure that in EoE what happened was that each person could choose to go along with instrumentality or go back to how you were before. Shinji and Asuka chose to go back to the real real world, but anyone else, dead or alive, could have chosen not to. |
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Efan
Posts: 340 |
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I thought that it was all up to shinji, I remeber watching it and somewhere from someone they were talking about the fate of the world if the 3rd impact occured, and someone (I think it was Shinjis dad) said: "It all depends on the pilot". I always thought that Shinji had the decission to either go thorugh with the 3rd impact, or revers it and keep everything the way it was. |
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Kazuki-san
Posts: 2251 Location: Houston, TX |
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Even in the Matrix, it was reality because their brain believed it to be, so their brain made it reality. In the case of Eva, it would be reality on an even deeper level. Although the physical word would still exist, unlike the Matrix, there would be no ties to that world any longer (i.e. a living body). Reality would simply be whatever the mass-conciousness of "souls" conjured up.
You and Efan are both correct, to a certain degree. During actual Third Impact, Shinji was the one who held the power to make the choice. Lillith (Rei) partially allowed this to happen, and also because Unit 1 (a clone of Liliith), with Shinji as its master had created the inverted Tree of Life. (Giving him the power to decide). Once he chose to destroy the AT Fields, nobody had a choice as to what would happen. You blew up into LCL, period. After he decided that he had made the wrong choice, broke free, and allowed AT fields to once again form, it then became the choice of every individual as to what they would do. Oddly enough, during TI, the souls are taken back to the Black Moon (Egg of Lillith), which contains the Hall of Gaffe, or the place where souls are kept before they are born. So, by choosing to return, they would be essentially "born again." |
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