![]() And, all the while, you creep along a path of dread, instinctively understanding that you are heading toward certain doom. ![]() You perpetrate humiliation while being a victim of it. Which means as a viewer, you both bear witness to atrocities and commit them. It places you deeply into the brainspace of its characters, and that’s rarely a comfortable place to be. ![]() One moment you’ll feel paralyzed, then embarrassed, then angry, then lonely, and all to the point that you’re feeling like you’re being turned inside out by the strength of these very emotions (or sometimes the lack thereof). Much like the 14-year-olds at the center of the story, you end up feeling so many different emotions as the narrative whiplashes in tone and intent. The act of watching Neon Genesis Evangelion is a deeply visceral experience. Just a quick heads up for this piece, though: There will be discussions of depression and suicide. So if you have not seen it, please do so immediately.Īnd if you have, let’s take a first step into the depths. Thus, the following essay is a long-form deep dive into the complex themes and meanings behind the show. There was no reaction I could have except immediately jumping to heavy analysis. ![]() Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most complex, harrowing, and altogether dense works of narrative art that I have ever seen. The more I sunk into what the series was trying to do, the more I felt that 2019 was a good time for it to become so accessible. But now that it has arrived on Netflix, it has provided an opportunity for more casual outsiders to come see what the fuss is all about. ![]() This rarity was part of its legendary status. Some of those had to do with the show’s erratic production, often spurred by the brilliant but vulnerable and inscrutable nature of creator Hideaki Anno (whose personal struggles with depression are written into the fabric of the narrative).īut some of it also has to do with the fact that it spent many years being difficult to see in America, from VHS to bootleg Blu-rays. This reputation was earned not just for its perceived quality, but through many intangible factors as well. Originally broadcast from 1995 to 1996, it is considered one of the seminal works of Japanese animation. There is a reason I had been hearing about Neon Genesis Evangelion for nearly 20 years. ![]()
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