Evangelion: Classic or Overrated?

dwchang · Post by **dwchang** » Thu Mar 20, 2003 4:39 pm

Koopiskeva wrote:I think it's both.

Classic yet also overrated, and/or rather.. overhyped.

Agreed. I think it's a great show, but it's not the second coming like a lot of people think. In fact, it's not even my favorite show (Escaflowne is), but that's because of it's inconsitency in quality (i.e. the episode where Shinji runs away...and comes back).

Meksikanfude · Post by **Meksikanfude** » Thu Mar 20, 2003 6:09 pm

Evangelion has got to be one of my favorite series. Sure, the battles were badass, but I loved the characters the most. Asuka is one of my favorite characters, i mean, right when you see her, you can see that theres more to her than that persona she shows the world. Sure, some of it I didnt understand it, and the ending of EoE made me stare at a black screen for half an hour trying to think if Im disapointed or overjoyed, I didnt know. I loved the use of the classical music, the episode when asuka gets mind raped by the angel with ode de joy... or however it went, i was awestruck, i was gripping the damn seat till my kunckles got white (bout the only other time that has happened was Cowboy Bebop, episode 5 where spike falls from the cathedral).
When I show people anime however, I show them Cowboy Bebop, since its more action based, and then Eva.
Eva is the most loved series of all time, i mean, its at the top 30 anime in this very site.
It just had so many memorable moments...
It was a spiritual awakening for me.

whiteboywonder101 · Post by **whiteboywonder101** » Thu Mar 20, 2003 11:16 pm

it was cool for the first 23 episodes, but when it got to 24, it turned into a total mind rape.

so I just skipped to the movie and got everything caught up. I liked it. 8)

CaTaClYsM · Post by **CaTaClYsM** » Fri Mar 21, 2003 12:42 am

as far as mecha animes go, it is oen of the best.

Bluemantis · Post by **Bluemantis** » Fri Mar 21, 2003 1:12 am

I like eva alot myself. I can rewatch every ep up till Toji gets crushed, than I mentally omitt the rest as if it never really happened. It is a little overrate ( like akira is).

But to me it is the best way to truely introduce anime to a newbie. It covers every anime element from bad ass action to fuck up situtations.

Beefmaster10000 · Post by **Beefmaster10000** » Fri Mar 21, 2003 1:53 am

I have seen Death and Rebirth, as well as End of Evangelion, and just from those I actually quite enjoy the series. Those two DVDs alone make me want to see the series even more.

dwchang · Post by **dwchang** » Fri Mar 21, 2003 1:56 am

Beefmaster10000 wrote:I have seen Death and Rebirth, as well as End of Evangelion, and just from those I actually quite enjoy the series. Those two DVDs alone make me want to see the series even more.

What?!?! You saw those and not the show?! Holy CRAP! That's like the end of the show. Damn you must've been confused.

Bluemantis · Post by **Bluemantis** » Fri Mar 21, 2003 2:29 am

Damn! And I thought I was confused for watching the first OAV of ranma before the series was confussing, But starting with the end of eva. WOW

AtomicWeezleman · Post by **AtomicWeezleman** » Fri Mar 21, 2003 9:36 am

Eva eva eva, why does everyone always concentrate on the BIG MECHA aspect of the show, i mean there more to the show, onest, the only thing that kept me watching the series was a) what shinji would do next and b) the quality of animation (by the way NGE was the first anime that i watched end to end, all others i have only seen the majority of)
However in answer to the original question. No, the story has been to overated analised and bitch slaped to ever make it to clasic status in my book, althought it is still one of my favs

As for watching D&R before the series, that must have been a total mind fuck, the whole film is like 10 yrs ago, 5 minutes later, 3 weeks prior, 8 yrs later and so on. (ps i know those arnt the actual times, so don't bother picking up on it)

dwchang · Post by **dwchang** » Fri Mar 21, 2003 11:05 am

AtomicWeezleman wrote:Eva eva eva, why does everyone always concentrate on the BIG MECHA aspect of the show, i mean there more to the show, onest, the only thing that kept me watching the series was a) what shinji would do next and b) the quality of animation (by the way NGE was the first anime that i watched end to end, all others i have only seen the majority of)

(nod nod). I'm sure you've seen the other thread where we are discussing the non-Mecha aspects of the show. I think you mentioned in that thread about how Eva is about people and their interaction with each other which is dead on the money IMO.

AtomicWeezleman wrote:However in answer to the original question. No, the story has been to overated analised and bitch slaped to ever make it to clasic status in my book, althought it is still one of my favs

True, it has been overanalyzed, but I think that shows that the show has different impressions on everyone which is in itself an accomplishment. I also don't know if that really makes it not a classic because of overanalyzation. I mean people overly analyze a lot of classical literature take for example anything written by Shakespeare. Not to say that Evangelion is on par with classical literature, but you get my point about just negating it like that.

To answer the original question, I guess this is somewhat "haughty" of me to say, but...regardless of what we say about it being a classic, it doesn't matter for two reasons:

1) (more importantly) if you like the show, you cares. If you don't because it's over-rated...(shrug) you're free to.

2) Neon Genesis Evangelion is regarded as one of the greatest anime of all time in Japan and I hate to break it to you, but...anime is made there and a bigger deal. Every year Eva is in top five in "best anime of all-time" polls (If you're curious generall Nausicaa, Nadia, Bebop and Eva are the staples. The last spot usually goes to some new show that people are fanatical about, but then it drops out). Regardless of how much we argue the point, in Japan Eva is highly regarded and in many ways already a classic. Of course perhaps there is some age-threshold until something is called a classic and it is approaching that since it's already been 9 years. Regardless, I believe the general anime population (since Japan would be the majority) regard Eva as awesome.

Again, I realize this can come across as "The Japanese are better and hence they are right" and by no means do I think this (like a lot of <i>otakus</i> tend to). I'm just making the point about majorities and anime-core fans.