Just a couple of things about Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Thing one
Most people I know stopped thinking about watching NGE right when they learned it’s anime. That’s not right; it should be considered as a [the] [perfect] drama in teeny and anime shirts. Yes, with all sucking eeeeeeeh and pantsu episodes, but still the perfect drama. And just as how it should be with the perfect drama, you don’t need any explanations to understand the emotional side coming from the screen.
And it’s not just some-tragic-accident-put-those-people-against-each-other thing, it’s more natural and humane story than any other. I love stories like McDonagh’s, but they are always somewhat forced by nature as a kind of conscious third party — if not all the stipulations put by author, things would go in a quite different way, should any scene be excluded, it would be a different creation with different impact. NGE feels totally different — the plot, of course, moves on, but you don’t have a feeling that any single feature taken out would ruin whole tension. Those plot curves just push you deeper into world of pain and compassion, but even without them drama would still be the same.
And, finally, the plot itself. It may not hit you as deep as the emotional flow, but it is done so good and embraces all the episodes so well that it helps main line just by being nearly perfect, fusing everything together and patiently knitting whole storyline behind all characters and the universe it takes place in. It just fits the drama it is created for.
Thing two
It’s End Of Evangelion, of course. It’s the last scene.
Usually people tell that everything that happens is because Shinji is not sure if he’s out of Instrumentality. I don’t think it’s right. You don’t usually do that kind of thing to check if you’re in reality, and checking if there will be punishment for that, well… it’s kinda ridiculous.
I think it’s something else. I think that all three of them — Shinji, Asuka and Rei — were only just serving status-quo of an equation. Equation is simple — do what you’re told, and others won’t leave you; do not fail, and nobody will reveal that you’re vulnerable; protect others at the cost of your life, because it’s a bond and you’re indebted forever. There is no personal decision in those. There are no personal needs as well.
The first <redacted> scene during Instrumentality is somewhat of obtaining that personality, personal space, aggression, weakness and all other things they did not have. That’s where Asuka first time refuses not because she needs to belittle someone or is afraid that contrary may lead to her vulnerability, but just because that’s her decision at that time. Shinji’s aggression is very humane (though immoral) reaction as well. I don’t think Asuka didn’t react because she couldn’t — I just think she somewhat lost to reality, weakness, acceptance and last battle at that moment. She has frustration, she doesn’t interact with anyone, she doesn’t want to live or fight.
So the last scene, for me, is finally getting out of that equation, but this time on their own and for real. Shinji and Asuka are first time opened to expressing their real emotions and protecting their private space (I also want to note that I absolutely loved the idea of AT field being just a private space projected into physical world). Shinji expresses his hatred second time throughout whole Evangelion; he is both deeply frustrated with constantly being belittled by world and Asuka personally (who just doesn’t know another way of communication) and loves her. Asuka accepts that she might be in need of other person and gives her reaction to prior events in non-belittling but her own real emotion way as well. That’s it.
But I must admit that whole scene (and EOE as well) was created just for rants like this, and there is no certainty.
And there shouldn’t be any certainty at all.
It would kill the drama.
