Evangelion 3.33 Review

[Gruntagen]

Chuck complains a lot about being confused by the Lore, but the problem is the Lore was never as important as the hardcore fans wanted it to be.

It's funny because even if he understood the lore, it wouldn't matter. It's not very good anyway.

Dude, please don’t belittle my life choices by judging them from an incomplete experience.

[Rodan56]

What you're currently doing is like watching a news, in which they talk about the story about someone in internet accusing CYBERPUNK 2077 being racist. And after watching half of it you just started running around saying you hate CYBERPUNK because it's racist and "it's not my fault, I'm just repeating what they said."

I would say it's more like someone accusing a the game of being racist and then making a big to do about every person claiming the same thing and how they're wrong, but I see your point and I acknowledge it. Either way I'm not exactly doing matters any favors by complaining about how one guy interprets something through his own worldview, one that I vehemently disagree with and take it as sancroscant as if everyone else believes it. That's unfair of me and you're right to be critical.

Dude, when people link videos in an attempt to explain a show for people who haven’t even watched it, don’t watch those videos. Maybe try watching the show proper, see what you can get out of it. Then once you’re done that, look for Demolition D’s videos on Evangelion instead.

It hasn't always gone like this, watching some videos on stuff like My Hero Academia got me interested in actually seeing the show. Same with other people who have analyzed series and anime. Hell, Chuck did the same for me regarding Star Trek in general. I think in this case I ran into someone who's viewing of Evangelion is directly contrary to most others because of his own philosophical standpoint. And if I'm being real honest, I'm probably misrepresenting his own arguments because of my own biases. So this is a game of broken telephone to a degree.

I did watch a fair chunk of the video regardless, so I think I have a good grasp on his opinion, but I still find it to be a shit opinion because it interprets EVA as something I'd never be able to agree with. But that shouldn't matter, it's his interpretation, and I can't juxtapose it onto the entire fandom or the show itself. All I can really say is that I'm still not sure I'd like the show or be able to get much out of it beyond "I don't really like any of these people and I don't care about them."

So basically what you are saying that you don't have your own opinion about EVA and you don't even want to form your own opinion so you much rather repeat what some one else has said about it.

I feel the need to clarify, I'm not really trying to pass off another person's opinion as my own. I think my original intention was to simply see how a fan of the show explained a lot of this shit and I found his explanation wanting. I also didn't like how he was so enamored with a take that was so deeply cynical and bleak that I was just frustrated with the very idea and I suppose I wanted to rant. No one else was bothering to find the video themselves and watch it, so I took it upon myself. In retrospect, I should've just left a link to it and let others form their own opinions.

I can acknowledge I made the mistake in taking the person's word as standard, but this was probably the first time I've seen an actual fan of EVA analyse things. Most of my prior knowledge of the series comes from people who also didn't like the show. I am aware of it being a deconstruction, however, very much so. It's very obvious given how, at its bare minimum, "forcing teenagers to pilot robots is a bad idea" is its primary theme as a takedown of basically every Gundam series ever.

It's why I got annoyed with so many people comparing Pacific Rim to Eva as a ripoff, as if EVA is the only mecha on kaiju series in existence and originated the whole genre to begin with. And I suppose a friend of mine who didn't like EVA has colored my perception to a degree to begin with, so when I finally start trying to understand through an actual fan of the series, I'm willing to admit some of my prejudices were seemingly justified. For that, I'm more than a little ashamed. That's not how I want to consume media.

I think it would be more prudent to actually share my history with the franchise, rather than coming in here to rain on anyone's parade. This was not an auspicious start to thinks, let's try again shall we?

My first real connection to EVA comes from... well, not knowing a thing about but still coming across it. If anyone remembers the Newgrounds Dating Sim from back in the day, yeah that did not exactly leave a great impression of the series. But it was a parody, so whatever. I also saw a lot of videos related to EVA in the anthology series FMV Hell, which I watched along with everyone else who wanted to laugh at funny cartoons.

My first real connection was through a friend on a forum I still frequent, he did not like EVA as I said before. He had real base emotions concerning the series, mostly related to its plot, how its characters were unlikable and the ending that only seemed to piss him off. We've lost touch over the years, he doesn't frequent that forum anymore. I still miss him, even if he could get hot-headed and angry over minor things and perhaps judge series too harshly based on one or two things that he doesn't like. He's not a bad guy, just very particular in his views. But I did agree with him initially that EVA sounded overrated, mainly because of how Shinji didn't seem to care about everyone dying and how he needed to get over himself and just get in the robot. Granted, I came to realize further on the various problems, mainly that you're not supposed to like Shinji and, more importantly, being forced to undergo the kinda mental strain and trauma of being linked to an EVA is a bit much to ask of a kid.

I've probably softened on Shinji a little bit, he is getting the shaft and it's unfair so many people keep forcing a job on him that he's not qualified to handle. I can even understand, to a degree, what the point of all this is. So at this point, after watching Bennet the Sage's review on the series, I've come around to better understanding EVA as a series. And what it did for Anime. I still can't bring myself to like it because of how unlikable its characters are. Chuck's videos presented a series that was at least trying to be different, less cynical, still a deconstruction, but not overwrought with its own philosophy. Like it was an anime that maybe, just maybe, I could finally get behind and understand because the characters grew, they weren't one note and they were flawed but not horrible.

Then this video comes along, it basically says the fact they're all horrible people is the point and that they need to suffer to have meaning and they can never be happy. Shinji is a worthless shitstain, kills the entire world and strangles a girl he likes to get her to acknowledge him. And this was the first time I was hearing a defense and explanation of EVA from a fan, not someone who hated the series or anything, but someone who actually liked it. So, I guess I went overboard in my response to it.

It's unfair of me to not really give EVA a chance to grab me, but I honestly feel at this point it's already lost me. I'm not one to rip a landmark work down for no good reason though, or to use someone else's praise of it as a means to damn it. Especially when there is more than one interpretation. I've heard criticism of EVA from a purely narrative point of view, from an understanding of it being a deconstruction, how a lot of its percieved flaws are part of the message. This was the first time, for me, hearing this kind of argument, this anti-escapism interpretation. Before now it's always been about deconstructing the genre or how Anno suffered a psychiatric break and the end of the series was his way of medicating himself into overcoming his depression. Never once did the notion of escapism, good or bad, enter the fray. So, maybe that's why it got to me. It came out of nowhere as an argument.

I can even see how the pieces fit together in said argument, I just feel it's a shitty take and a terrible thing to praise in a piece of fiction that is critical of my own beliefs as a storyteller. Before now it was a show that was critiquing genre and self-worth/perception. Nowhere before was it an argument against escapism.

I feel like this is a retread of a different experience I had. There was a video I ran across that was doing a deep dive into BioShock and the philosophy of Objectivism. I thought it would be an interesting look at how BioShock's story mirrored Ayn Rand's life and how adherence to an ideal destroyed the city. Instead, it turned into one giant defense of Objectivism, Andrew Ryan as a tragic hero, how Ayn Rand was right about everything and that Altruism was the worst thing ever! Guy even tried to argue that the Robber Barons of turn of the century America were good people who totally didn't exploit the working class at all. It was disgusting to watch after a point.

Now I wonder, if I didn't know anything about BioShock, would I have actually bought into his interpretation and decided this game actually supported objectivism? I can't say for sure. There very evident fundamental flaws in his video that even someone with only passing knowledge about BioShock would point out. Like how it's fairly obvious that Fontaine easily exploits the cracks in the system Ryan creates through his strict adherence to his ideals. How the system in BioShock is so faliable because it has no safety net for anyone in the labor class and how profit for profit's sake does not trickle down to benefit everyone. Rapture falls because of the inability of Andrew Ryan to alter his beliefs in response to the reality and his own need to hold onto power. That's obvious, even without playing the game. But, I don't know, maybe I could've still been fooled into believing the game is pro-Objectivist without all that context.

I guess what I'm trying to say with all of this is, it was unfair of me to use an analysis video that no one else had seen to get angry over and I had no intention of spoiling anyone's parade. I guess I just wanted someone else to correct me more than anything, tell me that this person was wrong and re-contextualize things into a different interpretation that was less antithetical to my beliefs on escapism and reality.

[Ritchian]

So, yeah. 3.33 is a weird movie. I overall liked it and that it's doing its own thing. But it's really hard to figure out, doubly so if you're not someone who isn't familiar with the original EVA. There's a lot of meta stuff going on that fans have been reading into a variety of ways. My take is that the Rebuilds are a second run-through (or third or fourth or greater if some fan theories are to be believed) of the events surrounding theses character with Kaworu being one of the only characters to actually know this has all happened before. Thus his infatuation with Shinji when the two haven't interacted in the Rebuild movies until the third film. And Shinji's actions in the original series and the End of Evangelion film (Chuck, if you think these are confusing... Oh boy.) have resulted in a lot of the small changes in this cycle from the original series.

Really, from the first time I saw 3.33, I felt like most of the conflict in the film could have been fixed if Misato sat Shinji down after they rescued him and give him at least the cliff notes version of what happened. I mean, with the way everyone had treated him and the girl he nearly broke the world trying to save there to return the favor, what was he supposed to think?

"Look, Shinji. Last time you piloted an EVA, you nearly destroyed the world. So, here's the deal. Don't get into an EVA ever again, and humanity might have a chance of surviving. We'll have a longer version of this talk when we're not being attacked on a ship full of rookies and civilians. Maybe come up with a way to let you help fix things, even. Just stay here and don't do anything. And for the love of God, DON'T LISTEN TO YOUR FATHER. He's an asshole."

[Sam]

I don't know of many other places to pose this question so I'll just ask: should I watch the Netflix version of NGE? The one with the new English dub that is supposedly more accurate or should I just pirate the old English dub? I know the old English cast didn't like Eva all that much and that may have translated into the dub. Thanks in advanced.

[sayla0079]

I don't know of many other places to pose this question so I'll just ask: should I watch the Netflix version of NGE? The one with the new English dub that is supposedly more accurate or should I just pirate the old English dub? I know the old English cast didn't like Eva all that much and that may have translated into the dub. Thanks in advanced.

I'm biased due to seeing it first but i'd go with the original dub it seemed the cast put more effort into it then the new one does.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl6vvTWFubg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FoaL7s6HqQ

theres a couple comparison between the two dubs

[Gruntagen]

So at this point, after watching Bennet the Sage's review on the series, I've come around to better understanding EVA as a series.

NO! DEAR GOD, NO! THAT IS A TERRIBLE MEANS OF LEARNING ABOUT EVANGELION! HELL, HE’S A TERRIBLE MEANS OF LEARNING ABOUT ANIME PERIOD!! THE GUY JUST FUCKING MOCKS THE SHOW FOR THE FIRST VIDEO BEFORE MAKING THE SECOND VIDEO A GISH-GALLOP OF EASILY ANSWERED QUESTIONS THAT EVENTUALLY TURNS INTO A SELF-INDULGENT DISPLAY WHERE HE SAYS HE’S BETTER THAN THIS SHOW!!! PLEASE DON’T LISTEN TO ANYTHING HE SAYS, I BEG OF YOU!!!!

There was a video I ran across that was doing a deep dive into BioShock and the philosophy of Objectivism. I thought it would be an interesting look at how BioShock's story mirrored Ayn Rand's life and how adherence to an ideal destroyed the city. Instead, it turned into one giant defense of Objectivism, Andrew Ryan as a tragic hero, how Ayn Rand was right about everything and that Altruism was the worst thing ever! Guy even tried to argue that the Robber Barons of turn of the century America were good people who totally didn't exploit the working class at all. It was disgusting to watch after a point.

Did the video creator’s name happen to be “Davis Aurini”?

[Madner Kami]

A nineteenth century French modernist sculptor, but that's not important now.

That would be Rodin... You were schooled in the US, right?

Thank you Captain Pendantry.

I don't have anything to do with pendants and I am willing to testify that before a court.

[LavarosVA]

I don't know of many other places to pose this question so I'll just ask: should I watch the Netflix version of NGE? The one with the new English dub that is supposedly more accurate or should I just pirate the old English dub? I know the old English cast didn't like Eva all that much and that may have translated into the dub. Thanks in advanced.

The netflix dub has a few minor problems, like not having the rights to Fly Me To The Moon and going for a more literal translation that leads to a few bits of awkwardness, but in general it's better. This isn't even a slight against the original english cast, because they are all talented and we've seen most of them embody these characters well in the rebuild films, but when Eva was first dubbed it was a different time and translation and quality has improved since then.

So at this point, after watching Bennet the Sage's review on the series, I've come around to better understanding EVA as a series.

NO! DEAR GOD, NO! THAT IS A TERRIBLE MEANS OF LEARNING ABOUT EVANGELION! HELL, HE’S A TERRIBLE MEANS OF LEARNING ABOUT ANIME PERIOD!! THE GUY JUST FUCKING MOCKS THE SHOW FOR THE FIRST VIDEO BEFORE MAKING THE SECOND VIDEO A GISH-GALLOP OF EASILY ANSWERED QUESTIONS THAT EVENTUALLY TURNS INTO A SELF-INDULGENT DISPLAY WHERE HE SAYS HE’S BETTER THAN THIS SHOW!!! PLEASE DON’T LISTEN TO ANYTHING HE SAYS, I BEG OF YOU!!!!

While I would say Bennet isn't exactly the best filter to get an opinion on Eva, I wouldn't say his opinions on anime are worthless. He does tend to zig where most anime fandom zags though, so using him to get a pulse on the anime community would be a mistake.

[FaxModem1]

Only going by the reviews, if I were to make a guess, this series is about the Christian apocalypse happening somehow. And instead of humanity just blindly accepting this, they used the power of human souls and giant robots to fight them. And for some reason, thought throwing teenagers into the giant robots was a good idea.

Meanwhile, the leader of this organization to fight the apocalypse cloned his wife for shots and giggles, drafted his son into being a pilot, hired the antichrist to work for him, the antichrist plays piano, said son eventually has a gay romance with the antichrist, and things continue to get worse because they think they can make the world do a mulligan and bring things back to normal, but they can't for some reason.

That's me shooting at the hip here. Because this looks so far up its ass that logic and narrative left it a long time ago.

[Gruntagen]

While I would say Bennet isn't exactly the best filter to get an opinion on Eva, I wouldn't say his opinions on anime are worthless. He does tend to zig where most anime fandom zags though, so using him to get a pulse on the anime community would be a mistake.

Please don’t describe him as some kind of contrarian. He’s an idiot, plain and simple. The guy makes videos in which he acts like he’s better than all the shows he’s watching, because he has no idea how criticism works.