Art From Adversity: NEON GENESIS EVANGELION

NEON GENESIS EVANGELION
1995/96 - 26 episodes 
Director: Hideaki Anno
Country: Japan
IMDB: 8.6

CinemaChagrin's Rating: A

(some spoilers)

Wow. Just wow. 

What the hell did I just watch?

That pretty much summed up my thought process upon completing the (in)famous Japanese anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. Never had I been so enthralled yet simultaneously confused by a TV production. I immediately re-watched all 26 episodes, and I can safely say that it now stands as one of my favorite examples of cinematic art. NGE has received widespread attention and analysis since its initial airing in 1995 (entire theses and books have been written on it), so I won't go into too much detail here. Instead, I'll try to explain why I enjoyed the series so much.

Yeah, another awesome mecha action show! Erm, not quite.

The Plot

The plot of Neon Genesis Evangelion is incredibly complex (and quite convoluted), but essentially boils down to this: in the year 2000, a massive explosion at the South Pole melts the Antarctic Ice Cap. The subsequent rise in sea levels floods much of the world, wipes out nearly half of humanity's population, and permanently alters the Earth's rotation to the point where the whole planet remains stuck in a perpetual summer.

Nearly fifteen years later, humanity is still recovering from this "Second Impact" (the first being the meteor strike that created the moon billions of years ago). Suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere, giant Lovecraftian monsters appear and attack. These creatures, called "Angels", prove immune to conventional and nuclear weaponry. To combat the Angels, the United Nations turns to the secretive organization NERV, which manufactures giant robots called "Evangelions". Said machines can only be piloted by a select group of 14-year olds born immediately after the Second Impact. And yes, if you find yourself thinking that sounds familiar, 2013's Pacific Rim borrowed heavily from NGE's basic premise. However, any similarities end at giant robots fighting giant monsters.

This is a very broad overview. On the surface, NGE sounds like a lot of other apocalyptic animes. However, as the show progresses, it becomes quite apparent that it is anything but.

Earth is under assault from mysterious and powerful beings named "Angels"

Background

NGE first aired in 1995 at a pivotal time in the history of Japanese animation. The country was in the midst of the "Lost Decade", several years after its booming economy unraveled and sank into deflation. The animation industry had also fallen into a slump after the robust 1980s. 

The show was the brainchild of director Hideaki Anno and Studio Gainax, an upstart animation studio founded in the early 1980s by and for fans of the animation medium. They had a string of modest successes through the late 80s and early 90s, but struggled financially. As a result, NGE's production faced constant budget shortfalls and cuts (more on that later).

Anno himself was also going through a rough time during the show's production, suffering from clinical depression. He also expressed great discontent with the direction the anime industry and its fans were moving. Anno felt the industry was increasingly catering to its hardcore fanbase, which he viewed as obsessed with mindless action, sexualized female characters, and extensive merchandising. His frustration visibly manifested itself in the construction and themes of the show (again, more on that later).

NGE's creator and director, Hideaki Anno

NGE was initially aired in a timeslot reserved for children's shows, yet was a surprise breakout hit, quickly becoming one of the most popular and critically-acclaimed animes of the 1990s. The series also turned out to be a huge cash cow for Studio Gainax, and continues to make money today through re-makes, spin-offs, and merchandising. The cultural popularity of NGE in Japan has often been compared to that of Star Wars in the United States. 

Finally, along with Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell, the show is credited with initiating a "second wave" of Western interest in Japanese animation in the late 1990s/early 2000s. 

Reversal of Established Tropes

NGE is considered the seminal deconstruction of the popular "mecha" genre of anime, which typically features teenage protagonists, rip-roaring robot action, highly-sexualized female characters, and apocalyptic themes. Many of these characteristics are prominent in the first half of the show, ostensibly to draw traditional anime viewers in. The early episodes contain plentiful action, humor, and sensuality. However, in a cynical commentary on the genre, these themes are all turned on their head in the latter half of the series. I'll highlight a few examples.

A stock-looking anime cover proves deceptive

1) The protagonist, Shinji Ikari, is not a fearless and handsome action hero. Instead, he is an awkward and depressed teenager whose emotional instability stems  from a tumultuous childhood. Shinji's mother died when he was a toddler, while his father remains neglectful, cold, and manipulative. Unlike most protagonists in traditional mecha shows, Shinji reacts in a genuinely understandable way when asked to place his life on the line by piloting a giant robot - with extreme fear and reluctance. 

2) The female leads - Rei Ayanami, Asuka Langley Soryu, and Misato Katsuragi - are initially set up to be little more than walking stereotypes/potential love interests. In the second half of the series, these expectations are brutally demolished as we discover more about the characters' pasts and ongoing struggles, which include, but are not limited to, alcoholism, suicide attempts, and schizophrenia. Pretty uplifting, eh?

3) The show initially follows a "monster of the week" formula, with a different Angel attacking each episode. This quickly dissolves later in the series as more is revealed about the Angels, the Evangelions, and NERV.

Bottom line - NGE was one of the first (and is still one of the best) examples of a show taking an established genre and turning it completely on its head. Little hints are dropped here and there in the show's earlier episodes of what's to come later, but for a first-time viewer, the drastic shift in tone is rather shocking. It reminds me in a lot of ways of Joseph Heller's famous novel, Catch-22. The first two-thirds of the book are insanely hilarious before later devolving into highly-horrific and depressing subject matter. In both cases, the contrast between the two styles magnifies and intensifies the shift in tone.

Ironically, the surprise popularity of the series led to the very things about the industry Anno despised - extensive merchandising and an unhealthily-ravenous fanbase. The show was meant as a deconstruction of a genre and critique of the anime medium, but a majority of the initial viewership completely missed this point, instead obsessing over the action scenes and lusting after the female leads. 

Religious Imagery and "Symbolism"

Aside from the aforementioned deconstruction of many anime tropes, NGE is also flush with religious imagery and symbols incorporated from Christian, Judaic, and Shinto beliefs (among others). Even the title of the show alludes to the religious overtones prevalent in the series: Neon Genesis Evangelion roughly translates into "Gospel of a New Century".

One of the many religious symbols in NGE

Much of the religious imagery in NGE is overt. For example, when defeated, many of the Angels explode into enormous crosses (see above). The image of the cross is also prevalent in a number of other fashions throughout the show, some subtle, some less so. The Angels themselves are named after angels present in ancient Judaic texts, while the world of NGE experienced apocalyptic flooding that destroyed much of humanity, similar to the legend of the Flood present in many major religion traditions. Numerous other religious icons and figures appear, including the Lance of Longinus (the spear which pierced the side of Jesus as he lie crucified), the Three Magi (Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar), and the Dead Sea Scrolls. There is even a Christ-like figure who sacrifices himself for the sake of humanity.

My personal favorite? The first Angel is named Adam. The Evangelions (Angel-fighting robots) are referred to as "Evas." Adam and Eve. I won't spoil the reasoning behind these names as doing so would ruin much of the intrigue of the series for a first-time watcher. Needless to say, all the allusions were really neat, and I actually learned a lot about early Christian and Judaic history through subsequent research after completing the show.

 Handel's Messiah is played during one climactic battle with an Angel

So what does all this religious imagery mean? Does it serve a purpose? Well, yes and no. On the one hand, some of the folks at Studio Gainax have stated that the religious references were initially thrown in because they made the show appear more "exotic." Given that Christianity and Judaism have a modest presence in modern Japan, the rationale was that such an addition might pique the curiosity of initial viewers and convince them to stick with the series.

On the other hand, the religious overtones in the show tie in expertly with many of the philosophical questions that are posed in later episodes, including musings on the genesis of humankind and our purpose for existence. Anno himself has stated that the intermixing of symbols and figures from different religious traditions intensifies the atmosphere of mysticism and provides a potent canvass against which the other themes of the show are splayed.

Character Psychoanalysis

One of the other major aspects of the show involves the intensive examination of the main characters' psyches and emotional states. NGE borrows heavily from Jungian and Freudian psychology, including the concepts of individuation and pyschoanalysis. The troubled pasts of many characters are explored extensively, while conflicts between the conscious and subconscious mind are frequently featured.

Our protagonist, Shinji Ikari

Strong Freudian themes of maternity appear throughout the series as well. Several main characters struggle with difficult pasts involving their mothers (one character's mother suffered from a complete mental breakdown before hanging herself) that continue to impact their present emotional state. The Evangelions themselves also feature several maternal characteristics. For example, while operating their Eva, each pilot is submerged in a life-sustaining liquid called LCL (much like amniotic fluid in a womb). The Evas themselves draw their energy from massive power cords called "umbilical cables." 

Defensive and coping mechanisms are also explored as characters who wish to grow closer to others face insurmountable emotional barriers in doing so. The metaphor of the Hedgehog's Dilemma is a prominent recurring theme throughout the series. Like hedgehogs who wish to huddle together for warmth but cannot do so lest they risk pricking each other with spines, many of the characters in NGE long for increased emotional intimacy but ultimately stray away from it because they possess deep-seeded fears of rejection.  Despite mutual interest between characters for deeper emotional connections, their fears and emotional instability drive them further apart.

The enigmatic Rei Ayanami

The boisterous Asuka Langley Soryu

As mentioned previously, Hideaki Anno suffered from clinical depression while writing and directing the series, and intentionally incorporated many aspects of his depression into the various characters of the show. Similar to how many depressed individuals maintain an illusory positive exterior, several characters in NGE project confidence on the outside but remain fragile on the inside.

It's many of these aforementioned traits that make the show's characters and their motivations absolutely fascinating. Unlike most traditional character arcs, the characters of NGE don't mature, grow, and change for the better. Instead, they regress, devolve, and ultimately collapse under the pressure of their internal and external conflicts. It's tragic and excruciating to watch, but also enthralling and compelling.

The Ending 

The ending. Oh boy, the ending. I could honestly write an entire blog post just on the final two episodes of the show (25 & 26) given the numerous themes presented and questions raised. I'll try to hit on all the main points.

I mentioned earlier that Studio Gainax suffered from constant budget pressures and shortages during the production of NGE. By the time they got around to crafting the final two episodes of the show, they literally had run out of money to animate scenes. To get around this obstacle, in a stroke of brilliance, Anno devoted the final two episodes to intensive character psychoanalysis of the core ensemble. All of this takes place within our protagonist's (Shinji's) mind. Each character takes turns on a stage under spotlights as the other cast members interrogate them. Their innermost fears and coping mechanisms are exposed for all to see and questioned.

Characters on stage as their insecurities are revealed

During the course of these interrogations, characters also turn inwards and ask themselves the granddaddy of all existential questions - what is my purpose in life? They phrase this question in the most relevant way given the circumstances - "Why do I pilot Eva?" Indeed, why do these children continue to pilot giant fighting machines that inflict irreparable psychological and emotional damage upon them? Why do they continue to place their lives on the line by battling the Angels? I won't go into any detail about what conclusions each character arrives at in these final two episodes, but suffice to say the ending of the series kept me thinking long after the proverbial credits rolled.

Shinji's breakdown

The ending understandably polarized viewers of the show. Anno received numerous death threats and other rants from NGE fans. Given the success of the show (and the much-needed cash injection that it provided), Anno and Gainax were actually able to "re-do" the ending of the series in a full-length feature film entitled End of Evangelion (which I won't review here). It provides an alternate retelling of the conclusion of the story, less focused on character psychoanalysis and more on the actual wrapping up of the plot. Naturally, the fandom continues to argue to this day about which is the true ending to the series.

Final Thoughts

While the length and adulatory tone of this review may have led you to believe that I think NGE to be the second coming of the Messiah, it is certainly not without its faults. Given its rushed and underfunded production schedule, certain subplots are not wrapped up well. The voice acting (Japanese w/ English subtitles), while not weak per se, certainly isn't the strongest I've heard. The English dubbing, on the other hand, is flat-out terrible. 

Despite its shortcomings, NGE is one of the few examples of a film/show which contains "flaws" that actually strengthen its themes and overall presentation. The budget restrictions and resulting experimental storytelling fundamentally make NGE a more memorable experience. In this regard, I feel the series perfectly embodies the age-old adage "art from adversity" - in which a great work of art is largely shaped by the limitations placed upon its makers during its creation. The original Halloween is also a good example of this phenomenon - a film shot on a shoestring budget which resulted in an unconventional approach that  redefined the genre.

Budget cuts in the series finale

So, should you watch it? Well, that depends. My heart says everyone and their mother should watch this show immediately, as it is an audiovisual experience unlike any other. My brain says that it definitely isn't for everyone. It's depressing (and horrifying) at times, and certainly does not end on a happy note. Many people also complain about the fact that literally every character in the show is a basket case - a valid observation, I must admit. If you dislike characters that suffer from severe psychological issues, this one's probably not for you. The series is also very violent at times. Finally, if you can't bring yourself to watch a subtitled animated television series that is most certainly not for children, well, I won't hold it against you. I'll just say you are certainly missing out on a lot of great stuff!

However, if you can overcome the above "difficulties", I can't recommend Neon Genesis Evangelion highly enough. It's simply unforgettable. 

And on a final note, the soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal! It evokes a 60s/70s thriller/action serial vibe and acts as a clever throwback of sorts - after all, the show itself is a deconstruction of the mecha genre of anime, which got its start back in the 1970s. Check out one of my favorite tracks below.

-CC