Explain to me what is the deep symbolism Evangelion supposedly has. This is a serious question, as I didn't pick up anything that'd have story relevance. You can also post best girlRei____
>>143689190
People are stupid and desperate.
>>143689190
>Explain to me what is the deep symbolism Evangelion supposedly has.
The religious stuff? Nothing.
Otherwise it symbolizes a boy growing up and dealing with the difficulties of adolescence, in the shape of fucking angels destroying his world.
>>143689190
Anno read some religious texts, badly implemented some concepts and references into it, and called it a day.
Oh and added a lot of idle scenes where nothing happens or the characters whine and cry a lot because that's what deep is. Also the intro had words flashing on the screen and you know that when words flash on the screen really quickly it means it's deep.
>>143689190
Most of the deep stuff is pretty obvious, honestly, don't they directly reference the Hedgehog's Dilemma in the show? So, there's that. The whole idea of Instrumentality in general is actually a really neat idea that has to do with peoples' inability to associate perfectly with other people (which ties back into the Hedgehog thing again). In Instrumentality, the egos of everyone on Earth are broken down, so nobody has any individuality anymore, but it also means that there can't be any more conflict or pain from social interaction. Obiously, since Shinji has some serious problems with accepting himself, this ought to be a tempting concept, but in the end he makes the right choice (according to Evangelion) by aborting Instrumentality, because overcoming the struggle to communicate is not worth the dissolution of the self. Or something like that.
I've read that it has something to do with Schopenhauer, but aside from the Hedgehog's Dilemma I haven't read much of him, so I'm afraid I don't have much insight as far as that goes.
There's no real significance to all the religious stuff, though. I think Anno even admitted that. Western mythological stuff is really neat for people who might be less familiar with it, the same way a lot of Western folks might know fuck all about Taoism but really dig the ying-yang anyway just because it looks cool.
>>143690026
>Also the intro had words flashing on the screen and you know that when words flash on the screen really quickly it means it's deep.
That's a really bizarrely specific complaint. I don't think that "looking deep" was their sole intention in making the words flash really quickly. Are there any other works that do this?
>>143689190
Deep symbolism? It kind of did some nice things with the super-robo like putting in a character that responds a bit more realistically to the whole situation.
But most people don't watch super-robo so in the end, not really.
Same growing up and accepting oneself as all other super-robo shows. The ending calls that Instrumentality thing and wraps up the story with Shinji finally growing up.
There's really no more symbolism to it than there is to the Diablo series. It's there just to provide some cool backdrop.
>>143689190
There is no deep symbolism, whatever symbolism they borrow from older Judeo-Christian is used as a source of eye candy, such as the explosion crosses, which are just pretty lights really.
EoE is one giant allegory for suicide and shut-in mentality
There, have your deep.
>>143689190
People on this board are stupid as fuck.
Holly shit.
Its obviously about lack of self steem and the fact that people isolate themselves afraid to get hurt. This leading to self hatred and maybe suicide.
For fucks sake, one of the last episodes is ALMOST EXACTLY the title of Schopenhauer "The Beast that Shouted Love at the Hearth of the World", but with a japanese pun that changes it for "I" instead of love.
You are a bunch of faggots if you don't know that existencialism of Shoppenhauer is one of the greatest themes of the show.
Greetings from /co/.
>>143690026
It had never to do with religiois simbolism.
>>143692200
You got it.
>>143694206
Like superhero and whatever schlock on Cartoon Network is hip with college students central has much ground to stand on
Every board has all types
>>143694206
>You got it.
Yay!
Like I said, I haven't read Schopenhauer, but I still managed to understand EoE via my general familiarity with other existentialists like Sartre. The original ending specifically really put me in mind of him ("I'm not Misaka, I'm the version of Misaka that exists in your mind" etc.) but I've been meaning to read Schopenhauer now for a while.
On that note, googling "The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World" only turns up results for the short story and short story collection by Harlan Ellison. Am I mixed up somehow?
>>143694206
>"You have to interpret a story the same way I do or you are stupid"
Cool.
>>143689953
This
>>143695620
To be fair, there are a lot of people in this thread who aren't interpreting it at all, just saying "it has no meaning, just 2d4u bullshit."
>>143695620
Interpretations are only really valid if you have evidence to back it up. That guy you quoted at least had some proof of his ideas, like the episode title and shit. What's your interpretation?
>>143692200
>Are there any other works that do this?
Bakemonogatari
>>143689190
Not symbolism but 2 "deep" very important parallels are pointed out in this edited scene (starts 19:44)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4UQntM4Zjw&t=19m44s
>>143689190
AT fields are your personal bubble/life we try to keep people out of them so we dont get hurt and when we let them into it both mentally/physically we open ourselves to hurt.
The mechs are literally symbolize humans only for him to go a step further and actually say they literally are humans that the only way to generate the field.
This is also the same with instrumentality which basically melds everyone together. Getting rid of our self and making us understand each other from their own perspective, something you can never do since you are one being meanwhile the moral is though we have trouble communicating/understanding each other its not worth it to end everyone's self.
>>143695781
My interpretation is that condensing a story that has multiple themes into a message about social anxietywhile for some reason off-topic mentioning coming from /co/is pretty limited view and doesn't quite guarantee any bragging rights.
Besides, the post doesn't quite answer any questions presented about symbolism, as the series itself literally stating "hedgehog's dilemma" doesn't make any effort on presenting existentialism in a symbolical fashion. Sure, there's the thing about AT-fields, but it's still very limited scope for a person that has a patronizing post.
>>143689190
>>143696144
Or to add a example that is symbolism. Ritsuko and her cats.
Gendo tossed her away and she becomes a cat lady. In one scene the camera focusses on the 2 black/white cats on her desk. Now keep in mind that she still is really into Gendo, and is pretty....broken, when it comes to valuing her body, as seen though SEELE.
What I mean is, the 2 cats on her desk represent what she wants. Gendo.
But she surrounds herself with other "cats" aka men to numb the loss, which is why she is "ok" with being humiliated by SEELE and Gendo. Her self-esteem is already broken at that point.
>>143696570
Also when she snaps, her cat dies.
>>143696143
Because the show comes off as a lot deeper than it really is, and without watching EoE, all you know is that Instrumentality happens... And that's it. Shinji rejects it but then the end is a bunch of people telling him congratulations which doesn't make sense, unless he accepted the Instrumentality. Gendo sure as fuck wouldn't be smiling and happy about it.
I believe most people who post here are confused because of the shitty two episode original ending that feels like it had a 50 dollar budget and they couldn't afford a single artist.
>>143698732
The TV ending probably shouldn't be taken literally (as in, not everything that happens in it is actually instrumentality going on diegetically).
Also episode 26 had plenty of new drawing content and some movement.
>>143699791
>>143698732
I loved the monologues to be honest. But I'm glad that we got EoE to really finish it.
>>143695356
>Harlan
Oh sorry, my mistake its from Harlan.
Sartre was also a huge influence for Anno too.
"One of the complaints most frequently made about [my work] can be summed up as follows: "After all, these people are so spineless, how are you going to make heroes out of them?" This objection almost makes me laugh, for it assumes that people are born heroes. That's what people really want to think. If you're born cowardly, you may set your mind perfectly at rest; there's nothing you can do about it; you'll be cowardly all your life, whatever you may do. If you're born a hero, you may set your mind just as much at rest; you'll be a hero all your life; you'll drink like a hero and eat like a hero. What the existentialist says is that the coward makes himself cowardly, that the hero makes himself heroic. There's always a possibility for the coward not to be cowardly any more and for the hero to stop being heroic."
— Jean-Paul Sartre, Existentialism Is A Humanism
>>143699791
>>143700279
I did too, but I only enjoyed them after seeing EoE. As a solo ending it's clear 25 and 26 were not likely how Anno had envisioned it.
>>143692200
This anon gets the idea, I don't see the need to discuss further
When will /a/ realize that Eva doesn't have any "deep symbolism" but is instead a great character study. Stop trying to make Eva something it's not.
Is it still tumbling down?
>>143703920
It's impossible at this point.
I think the fact many people are exposed to it in their teenage years has caused the "deepfags" to rise. It doesn't help the backstory itself is told in tiny fragments which makes the story appear smart.
>>143690026
You forgot the references to psychology and things to do with the human brain.
The religious symbolism has at minimum the significance of mostly being applied by Seele, geriatrics in power who so fear death and loneliness that they start the plot to sacrifice the world's future and the human condition out of their inability to personally deal.
