end of Evangelion (episodes 25 and 26) - confused

Tsunami Jones · Post by **Tsunami Jones** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 11:51 am

I personally enjoyed the regular ending far more than EoE. Anyways, I don't think there is one right interpretation to the last two episodes. Just about everyone I've talked to believes something else. Which, I think, makes a far better ending than the more direct one in EoE.

HeartbreakerByZep · Post by **HeartbreakerByZep** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 6:22 pm

Neon Genesis Evangelion TV episodes 25 & 26 are two of my all-time favorite episodes. Of course, The End Of Evangelion is also one of my all-time favorite movies. They're both superb. The TV ending is pretty in-depth, it's great to watch. As for what it means - I'd consider it the kind of thing that is better for someone to analyze (watch a bunch of times) and decide for yourself what each part means.

HeartbreakerByZep · Post by **HeartbreakerByZep** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 6:26 pm

(Sorry for the double post)

If Evangelion had ended at episode 24 everything would be completely ruined. There's no other way to think about it. People complain about plot points not being hit on in the TV ending (though those plot points are concluded in EoE0 but if you cut off Evangelion's well constructed ending you don't have any conclusion what-so-ever. It would be like ending Cowboy Bebop at Jupiter Jazz... no worse.

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 6:28 pm

Perhaps, perhaps you're right.

I'm just speaking from the experience of watching Eva with a friend of mine who was perfectly on top of the series... until after #24. Although it's fair to say he's not the most intelligent person imaginable

That was kind of his reaction. 25 and 26 are what makes the series love-it-or-hate it; until they roll around, most people are perfectly content with it.

Jnzk · Post by **Jnzk** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 6:51 pm

I liked the TV ending better too, not to say that EoE was bad in any way. Eps 25 & 26 were great because they were so dream-like, emotional and confusing.

AtomicWeezleman · Post by **AtomicWeezleman** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 4:16 am

Arghh, again with the episode 25 26 stuff..........

lets see, how to put it, as someone said earlier, the cases are how instrumentality happens, and how the characters perceive themselves, how they are perceived by others, and how they perceive others...... its all generally a 'find myself' kinda thing, being sure and happy with who you are.........hence Shinji coments in ep 26 ' I am no more or less than myself, I AM ME' perhaps not the exact line, but something like that (hey, i dont exactly carry the script around with me!!) and the congratulations of everyone was them all accepting Shinji for who he was, which was what Shinji always really wanted............ Ask UncleMilo, he can perhaps give you a better idea of what its all about....

UncleMilo · Post by **UncleMilo** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 1:13 pm

I can't enjoy End of Evangelion all that much, because I hate the reasons for why it was created. The movie is filled with the anger and frustration that its creator felt after all the hate mail and the antagonizing he received for the ending of the TV series.

The TV series and its original ending gave us an empowering message of hope, an optimistic view on life... one that tells us that we can make our lives better.

The movie, on the other hand, is just a lot of anger...
Sure, it offers some resolution to the "surface story"... sure, we get to SEE the instrumentality instead of hearing about it from Gendo...

but the end of the movie is just vague and leaves you uncomfortable and unsatisfied... depressed and lost.

It is not a complete ending like the one we recieve in the TV show. It is not the message of the show Evangelion.

but hey, who needs a compassionate message when you can watch Asuka kick some ass?

but hey, who needs a thought provoking examination of life and its meanings when you can watch NERV get all shot up?

I just can't enjoy the movie all that much.

I try to just say it's something else that happened while the more important events of the last 2 TV show episodes were happening...

but that the last moments of the TV show are where the whole thing truly ends.

-Uncle Milo

P.S.

I have always offered up my e-mail address of unclemilo@yahoo.com to discuss Evangelion with anyone who wants to and I will continue to do so.

Thanks.

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 2:17 pm

Well, I do understand this stance on EoE.

However... I have to say that the reason why EoE is there, and the way it complements the original ending for those who weren't satisfied with it, should be praised rather than cursed.

Sadly, in the modern culture of like and dislike, this doesn't seem very possible

Frankly, I'm glad EoE is there, and for me, it stands at least equal to the original ending. It was Anno's right to do what he did, and I fully respect that. What's more, considering where Eva was going, this was the expected place for it to end up. Ep. 25 and 26 tried to defy this expectation, and make something more out of it; and they did for those who were satisfied with the ending.

Those who weren't, should be happy with EoE. Because if they aren't, they probably were too blind to see where the series was going in the first place.

But, in this culture of like and dislike, people place demands and expectations upon artists as if a work was somehow their own and required approval from fans and a nod from critics before it should were made.

I simply suggest that people who hold some sort of animosity towards either EoE or the original ending simply drop it, and move on. Just because it wasn't made for them, it doesn't mean it shouldn't have been made at all.

I'm glad both endings were made, and they're pretty well equal in my book. I see them as complimentary rather than detracting from one another.

HeartbreakerByZep · Post by **HeartbreakerByZep** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 7:42 pm

There's far more to The End of Evangelion than just Anno's frustration. It has a positive messege. Anno expected that his original ending would call for another. From what I know, since EoE Episode 25 is based on the original idea for episode 25, Anno was unable to acheive what he originally wanted to acheive at first, and so he went in the different direction that he desired to go in at the time (the original TV ending) and then went back and did the other version of the ending. I preffer the TV ending myself, but both are completely essential as far as I'm concerned.

Kracus · Post by **Kracus** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 10:23 am

UncleMilo wrote: but hey, who needs a thought provoking examination of life and its meanings when you can watch NERV get all shot up?

Seeing as how nothing they put in 25 and 26 tv series, it new or thought provoking, why not?

Anyway, I agree with you though in the feeling the two bring about. I however, don't care, either one is fine. Two sides to the same coin to me. Yea the reason EoE was made was out of anger, so what.

I don't think EoE clears up anymore than the last two episodes did. I do know the first time I watched 25 and 26, I was falling asleep cause I was already sick of that throughout the series in the first place with shinji. I never liked shinji. This is one of the series for me that I didn't care for one particular character but rather for the story.

EoE also doesn't give me a gloomy feel at the end. Maybe cause I'm normal, but I don't need a bunch of people standing around cheering "you did it" to feel good about myself or about the series. The end of EoE ended on a good note cause Shinji choice a form instead of no form. Everyone in time will reform. I have no hate towards either episodes or movie, I like them both.

culture of like and dislike? what? HUMANS tend to like or dislike something, that has been a trait from the beginning of humanity.

[rant]Also, for those who like to mention the creator of the series and use them as a reason against something in the series; I have this to say: so what? I can say he or she sold out cause they made EoE. A bunch of fans don't like something I did, so what. I'm making money, oh well I guess I'll revisit it......but not before I put a bunch of frustration and anger in it! One will the anger fans even care that the anger is there? Are you a big loser cause you can ignore hate mail? Or do you really care cause you will still get money for it. I can make the dumbass argument that Anno did that on purpose to piss people off and give him a reason to make yet another Eva ending so that he can have more money. Is that true? Most likely no, but I'd prefer that then to some adult getting childishly upset cause they are getting hate mail. "oh no, someone didn't like what I did, I better get back in their monies...err good graces." [/rant]