I've removed the spoiler warnings... I would hope that the movies are
not new news by this point.

takloufer@aol.com (takloufer) wrote in message news:<4e10be70.0306301550.64ca6fc7@posting.google.com>...

> The Series Ending:
> 
> Unlike the movie, these episodes focus mainly on Shinji's internal
> thought process.  However, we do get glimpses of the events leading up
> to the Third Impact(Asuka in her Eva in the bottom of the lake, Misato
> and Ritzuko bodies).  From what I can tell, about halfway through
> episode 25 the Third Impact occurs.  All human conscieness joins in a
> unity, and people from Shinji's life help him contemplate himself, and
> thus allow him to see himself as having worth...and thus the he and
> the other people are complemented themselves.  Episode 26 ends with
> Shinji accepting himself and everyone is happy.  The human race has
> ascended.  Everyone gets a happy ending.  All problems have been
> solved.  The End.

And, yet, the ending of 26 does not seem so much to be Shinji's
acceptance of himself as of the world around him. After all, his
conclusion, if I remember correctly, is that he *can* live in a world
which is not perfet -- that is to say, he *can* live in the world as
it already exists. I always got the impression that Shinji's decision
at the end of 26 returns the world to "normal." The congratulations
are in order because Shinji has finally been able to decide the rather
vague conclusion to keep on living, despite all of the terrible things
he has incurred and borne witness to.

> 
> End of Evangelion:
> 
> The movie fleshes out the details of how the Third Impact occured. 
> The events in the movie coincide with the series until the very end,
> when the movie takes a different path.  Unlike the series, Shinji
> changes his mind and goes back to earth, thus aborting Humanity's
> Complementation and turning the Earth into a hellhole covered with
> rei's corpse.  It ends with Shinji on a beach with Asuka...for some
> reason he tries to strangle her but breaks down into tears...Humanity
> is dead, save for Shinji and Asuka...Asuka is disgusted.  The End.

Humanity is NOT dead, that is quite clear, as it is stated to Shinji
that he need not worry; that all beings will find a way to survive in
the new world he creates. Where they are, and if what we see is
Shinji's new world, is questionable. We don't even know how much time
has passed.

> 
> The Shinji in the movie also seemed a bit out of character(what with
> the mastubation and making Misato drag him around like a toddler--he
> was never *that bad*)...or maybe he was just more unhinged then usual.
>  In any event, he didn't coincide with the Shinji in episodes 25 and
> 26.

Until I saw EoE, I really liked Shinji and despised Gendo. This movie
turned that around somewhat, and, yet, the actions that these
characters take are exactly in line with the personalities presented
us in the rest of the series. Shinji was indeed that bad; the entire
series, he has postponed the inevitable decision he has to make about
himself and the fate of humanity. Left with no more time to postpone,
he simply refuses to go farther.

> IMO, EoE was what Anno wanted to do originally for episodes 25 and 26,
> except he made the movie while he was angry at the fans, so he gave it
> the "Angry Bitter Ending".  Personally, I like the "Happy
> Congradulations" ending better, as the EoE ending just left me cold
> and felt like Anno was just getting back at the Otaku.  I consider the
> series ending to be more "real" than the movie ending.

Remember what they say about dreams in EoE -- none of this is real by
any means. Also, EoE / Death and Rebirth are by far the most violent
parts of the series, so the way they end seems much more the
inevitable conclusion of the events leading to it. I only wish I had
an inkling as to the final scene. This much is clear to me: Shinji
asks Asuka, either a representative of her personality in his mind or
her Complemented soul itself, to make the decision for him. She
refuses. Shinji, seeing this, makes the decision to end it all --
Instrumentality, pre-3rd-Impact humanity, everything, and thus begins
strangling Asuka, rather symbolically of everything else. But... he
doesn't go through with it. I would say for the better.

Actually, looking at things that way, it is quite possible to conclude
that both endings are in fact the same. Shinji at the end refuses to
kill Asuka: since the 26 ending is in Shinji's head, maybe this is
what it really looks like. Two perspectives on the same facutal event.

> Honestly, while I'm glad I saw EoE, I don't think it was nessesary. 
> The Series Ending dealt with the Intrumentality better, and drew a
> better emotional responce from me.  The details of how and why the
> Third Impact occured weren't really that important, and, IMO, were
> better left to the viewer's imagination.

I couldn't really see EoE as being too technical, though. I felt that
the movies proved the show's genius.

> Does anyone else prefer the series ending?

Sort of. If you want to see another possible ending (and I can't
believe I'm recommending this, but...) try reading the very
comprehensive fanfic "Garden of Eva" available at
http://www.animeprime.com . It's a hoot, and quite touching at the
end, although my personal opinion of the author and his ... sexual
mores... is somewhat low. Actually, I can't believe I read the whole
thing, as I was alternately disgusted and interested the entire time.

> On a side note: Episodes 25 & 26, and parts of EoE, reminded me of my
> experiences with the plant Salvia Divinorum.  Especially the second
> half of episode 26.  I wonder if Anno ever used psychedelic
> substances?

Don't know, don't want to know, hear no evil, see no evil, speak no
evil. However, whoever named that plant (which my college roommate
last year apparently has had experience with) has a sense of humor, as
I am a former Latin scholar and as far as I can make out "salvia
divinorum" translates more or less to "medicine of the gods."


Your resident teetotaler,
Drinian