Neon Genesis Evangelion

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

Personally I think people dig too much into the whole "Evangelion is anti waifu/otaku/weeb/*insert whatever I don't like here*."



Anno talks about the designs of Asuka and Rei at 1:45 until 2:07 (turn on closed captions). He basically admits they're supposed to be appealing to fans. Doesn't strike me as someone railing against such things too much. Or at least as much as people seem to claim. But that's just my take.

[Jetty_Jags]

Yeah, that video is pretty clear. However, I don't really know how to read scenes like the infamous hospital scene as not criticism of over obsession with fictional female characters. I think there can be a difference between people how like to look at attractively designed characters, and people who delude themselves into developing "real" relationships with obviously inanimate sexual stimuli instead of formulating legitimate emotional connections with people whom they can actually interact with. The way I see it is Anno is talking about the former in the interview, while other scenes in the series refer to the latter.

[LegendZilla]

^Shinji is not so much a character as he is a tool used to project Anno's wallowing in depression.

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

^Shinji is not so much a character as he is a tool used to project Anno's wallowing in depression.

To an extent, yes. Hence why I don't take some fans analysis of the series too seriously, Anno was incredibly depressed by the latter half of Evangelion and he's admitted many characters in it have attributes of himself. Depressed people have a habit of being incredibly hard on themselves and imagine negative aspects of themselves as worse than they are.

[LegendZilla]

^Shinji is not so much a character as he is a tool used to project Anno's wallowing in depression.

To an extent, yes. Hence why I don't take some fans analysis of the series too seriously, Anno was incredibly depressed by the latter half of Evangelion and he's admitted many characters in it have attributes of himself. Depressed people have a habit of being incredibly hard on themselves and imagine negative aspects of themselves as worse than they are.

What do you have to say about legit detractors of the series who give honest and constructive criticism?

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

^Shinji is not so much a character as he is a tool used to project Anno's wallowing in depression.

To an extent, yes. Hence why I don't take some fans analysis of the series too seriously, Anno was incredibly depressed by the latter half of Evangelion and he's admitted many characters in it have attributes of himself. Depressed people have a habit of being incredibly hard on themselves and imagine negative aspects of themselves as worse than they are.

What do you have to say about legit detractors of the series who give honest and constructive criticism?

Sometimes I listen, or read, whichever. Then move on. It's not something I dwell on because I don't really care, if I'm honest.

[Major sssspielberg!]

The hospital scene is clearly a criticism of the waifu stuff, but by the time they were making EOE there was more of a prerogative to critique the crazy shit coming from the rabid fans at that point.
So I'd say you can definitely get that from EOE, less so in the series proper.

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

So I'd say you can definitely get that from EOE, less so in the series proper.

Definitely. Even more evident because Anno included some of the hate mail he got from fans in some of the movie's montages.

[LegendZilla]

^If Hideaki Anno were to attend G-fest and hold a Q&A panel, I would ask him how he would take criticism of his work so long as it was honest and constructive.

[Major sssspielberg!]

So I'd say you can definitely get that from EOE, less so in the series proper.

Definitely. Even more evident because Anno included some of the hate mail he got from fans in some of the movie's montages.

I think also that having Asuka be Shinji's wank bait in the hospital juxtaposed by her kicking massive ass solo served to show that these are strong characters, and to reduce them to beat off material would mean stripping them of everything that makes them so appealing. Also how sick it is lmao

Added in 1 minute 10 seconds:

^If Hideaki Anno were to attend G-fest and hold a Q&A panel, I would ask him how he would take criticism of his work so long as it was honest and constructive.

Imagine Anno at G-fest lol

[Gigantis]

Imagine Anno at G-fest lol

Wait, i thought he already went to G-Fest?

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

Imagine Anno at G-fest lol

Basically this. XD

[Major sssspielberg!]

Imagine Anno at G-fest lol

Wait, i thought he already went to G-Fest?

Shinji Higuchi has done a few, I think he was supposed to be there this year if I'm not mistaken. Anno hasn't, which is a shame, but I'm not sure how much he'd like to do something like that.
Higuchi on the other hand seems like he was in his element.

[Jetty_Jags]

^Shinji is not so much a character as he is a tool used to project Anno's wallowing in depression.

Wouldn’t that just make him an autobiographical character? Idk self inserted characters aren’t uncommon, nor exclusive to nge.

[_JNavs_]

Yeah i just finished all 26 episodes and am currently watching EoE.

Shinji has to be one of the worst characters in anime history.

Shout out to Asuka, Misato, and Shinji's dad for being stand outs of the series. Plus the EVAs of course, but jesus Shinji deserves his title he often gets from fans. He's pathetic.

Added in 11 minutes 23 seconds:
Watching End right now and everyone is going out like a boss, then there's shinji still crying in the corner.

I swear there's no proper defense for him.

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

He's pathetic.

Sorry couldn't resist posting this. XD

[LegendZilla]

Yeah i just finished all 26 episodes and am currently watching EoE.

Shinji has to be one of the worst characters in anime history.

Shout out to Asuka, Misato, and Shinji's dad for being stand outs of the series. Plus the EVAs of course, but jesus Shinji deserves his title he often gets from fans. He's pathetic.

Added in 11 minutes 23 seconds:
Watching End right now and everyone is going out like a boss, then there's Shinji still crying in the corner.

I swear there's no proper defense for him.

How do you counter other people's defenses of him? For example :

To an extent, yes. Hence why I don't take some fans analysis of the series too seriously, Anno was incredibly depressed by the latter half of Evangelion and he's admitted many characters in it have attributes of himself. Depressed people have a habit of being incredibly hard on themselves and imagine negative aspects of themselves as worse than they are.

[_JNavs_]

Yeah i just finished all 26 episodes and am currently watching EoE.

Shinji has to be one of the worst characters in anime history.

Shout out to Asuka, Misato, and Shinji's dad for being stand outs of the series. Plus the EVAs of course, but jesus Shinji deserves his title he often gets from fans. He's pathetic.

Added in 11 minutes 23 seconds:
Watching End right now and everyone is going out like a boss, then there's shinji still crying in the corner.

I swear there's no proper defense for him.

How do you counter other people's defenses of him? For example this what Kaltes had to say :

To an extent, yes. Hence why I don't take some fans analysis of the series too seriously, Anno was incredibly depressed by the latter half of Evangelion and he's admitted many characters in it have attributes of himself. Depressed people have a habit of being incredibly hard on themselves and imagine negative aspects of themselves as worse than they are.

I'd just counter it by saying all Anno had to do was step out of his own shoes, and create a character that actually had a spine. The kid did not grow over the course of his EVA career.

Then come End of Evangelion, he let his step-mother/MILF figure for the entire show, die by moping around while they were getting shot at by the MILITARY. He let his not-girlfriend get absolutely mauled to death mentally and physically on her own, by 8 Mass-Pro EVAs. He vaporized the earth by turning everyone into soup, because "Why don't people like me", it's horrible. It's cool to incorporate aspects of yourself into a protagonist, what's not cool is dragging it to the point where people literally cannot stand this sack of negativity with not an ounce of testosterone in his entire body. He has never stood up for himself for more than 3 sentences.

However with all that being said, the supporting characters absolutely make this show iconic.

Added in 1 minute 13 seconds:

He's pathetic.

Sorry couldn't resist posting this. XD

As you posted that the scene popped up

[Kaltes-Herzeleid]

Even as someone who likes the more controversial/divisive aspects of Eva I'll admit I don't dislike Shinji, just mostly indifferent towards him and find the other characters more interesting and appealing.

Though funny enough I've noticed compared to everyone else Shinji doesn't have that much merch either. Most of the time he appears in ensemble stuff. Or with Kaworu.

[Manuelito Canelito]

You know what's funnier about all the people complaining about Shinji never growing up, not developing a spine etc?

That they somehoe miss the fucking development Shinji gets in the first half from where he started




Compare that with how Shinji started

Anyone who ain't able to see that either has terrible attention skills or confirmation bias