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NEWS: Terminal Dogma: Essays on Neon Genesis Evangelion

Kagemusha wrote:

It's a bit sad that this gets a entire book devoted to its analysis before many more deserving series, but I can't say I didn't expect it. On the possitive end of things, I'm sure gatsu's take on things will be amusing.

On the contrary, if other series' were so "deserving" it would have happened.

Throw a fanbase a bone, and they will bite. The semiotics of Evangelion are begging to be thoroughly analyzed by a group or person.

Unless the pop culture reference in Eureka 7 are somehow subject to more thorough analysis?

silver_omicron wrote:

Kagemusha wrote: It's a bit sad that this gets a entire book devoted to its analysis before many more deserving series, but I can't say I didn't expect it. On the possitive end of things, I'm sure gatsu's take on things will be amusing. On the contrary, if other series' were so "deserving" it would have happened. Throw a fanbase a bone, and they will bite. The semiotics of Evangelion are begging to be thoroughly analyzed by a group or person. Unless the pop culture reference in Eureka 7 are somehow subject to more thorough analysis?

Nooo, if the anime fanbase recognised more intelligent series rather than overblown, fanboy-oriented shows with shallow symbolism then we might see more attention given to things like Haibane Renmei or Mind Game. But since Eva is in a familar format (angsty teens pilot mechs), has pretty standard plotting until the last couple of episodes and TELLS you how important it is, it gets all the attention. For the record I don't hate Eva like many; it's entertaining, with interesting direction and a "trainwreak" kind of appeal to it. I even found Anno's gross misuse of directorial control interesting. But the deepest, most thought-provoking series ever created? Give me a break.

Nooo, if the anime fanbase recognised more intelligent series rather than overblown, fanboy-oriented shows with shallow symbolism then we might see more attention given to things like Haibane Renmei or Mind Game. But since Eva is in a familar format (angsty teens pilot mechs), has pretty standard plotting until the last couple of episodes and TELLS you how important it is, it gets all the attention. For the record I don't hate Eva like many; it's entertaining, with interesting direction and a "trainwreak" kind of appeal to it. I even found Anno's gross misuse of directorial control interesting. But the deepest, most thought-provoking series ever created? Give me a break.

Well, i'd have to disagree.

The chaos, confusion, and "WTF?!" aspects of the series are part of its charm. Besides, what other series do you know has three (soon to be four) endings all in the same universe?

Maybe i'm just taken but I enjoy the angstier aspects of Drama, I think they more or less reflect real life more realistically then anything else, because often we do have alot of angst in our lives. I mean, yes, they are incredibly troubled as human beings but you also have to analyze their positions. I think Shinji and Asuka are already broken human beings to begin with, you throw them into Eva, and voila, they are near destroyed.

Unfortunately, I think Eva is one of those series that has "It's uberly popular with alot of merit so I am going to dislike it" syndrome.

Paranoia Agent or Utena is more deseving.

Do fans have to be unlike Anno, and do research and stuff?

On the contrary, if other series' were so "deserving" it would have happened.

Nooo, if the anime fanbase recognised more intelligent series rather than overblown, fanboy-oriented shows with shallow symbolism then we might see more attention given to things like Haibane Renmei or Mind Game.

But the deepest, most thought-provoking series ever created? Give me a break.

Actually, there's only two endings at the moment.(Death & Rebirth is only the series compressed into one hour plus the first half hour of End of Evangelion)

Anyway, I'd probably buy this book, if good ol' Wikipedia didn't already have the same information.

I'd be much more interested in a psychoanalysis of Anno really. That might explain better a few things about EVA.

You see, I don't mean to say that it's pointless to analyse Eva, because there is discusion to be had; I'd even be willing to participate in it, reguardless of whether or not I feel the show is overated and some of the themes are poorly explored. That doesn't make it a great show, nor does it mean that critical discusion of it should take priority to superior shows that are not only better, but manage to say much more without sledgehammer-style symbolism and "end-of-the-world" metaphors. It's like the Matrix trilogy: if you look, there's alot of stuff that can be analyzed and pondered over. Does that mean it deserves more attention that another Christian-themed film such as Andrei Rubalev, which is not only a better movie than the Matrix, but also is a better exploration of Christianity ("Whoa, Neo is totally Jesus!") Of course the former gets attention because it's an entertaining action flick, while the later is in Russian (which means "slow" for many film fans) and is three hours. It's the same situation with Eva and Haibane Renmei: the later has FAR more substance and is a better show in ever sense, yet it doesn't have giant robots kicking the shit out of eachother and delivers the themes rather subtly, meaning that it isn't going to appeal to as wide an audience.

I'd be much more interested in a psychoanalysis of Anno really. That might explain better a few things about EVA.