Evangelion 1.0: I Am (Not) An Otaku
Evangelion changed my life. This is something that's difficult for me to say openly, something that I'm usually a little embarrassed to tell someone until I've known them for a while, but it's 100% true. In the years since it happened I've done quite a bit to distance myself from the world of the "otaku", but Evangelion's impact will remain with me forever.
For those uninitiated, Neon Genesis Evangelion is an anime series originally released in 1995 by Gainax. It's a giant robot story known for its angst and existential themes. It's a singular work in the genre, and one that influenced many and has spawned countless imitators. Okay, let's move on.
I first heard of the Eva almost exactly ten years ago. My interest in Japanese animation had piqued after a chance encounter with Project A-Ko on the Sci-Fi Channel, and I happened upon an article in Gamers' Republic magazine about an N64 game based on the series. It quickly became an obsession, and what little money I had often went toward Eva VHS tapes, t-shirts, action figures, and other weirdness. I memorized its jargon and unraveled its mysteries as best I could. My crowning jewel was a fansub of The End of Evangelion, the controversial feature film which I still believe to be the high point of the franchise and a completely brilliant piece of art.
Hideaki Anno's magnum opus showed me just how meaningful and personal art can be, and without it I may have never transitioned into the obsessive film dweeb I am today. Evangelion may not be explicitly related to Bergman or Godard, but it gave me the first push in that direction.
I had it bad indeed, but my passion for the series and anime in general eventually faded a bit. I went to college and began to focus on other things (see PSP Mon Amour), but I still checked up on Eva news every couple months. I'd always at least try watching any new Gainax shows, but I stopped paying attention to pretty much any other non-Miyazaki Japanese animation.
Then Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone was announced. It's the first installment in a series of 4 feature films that are re-telling the story from scratch. Series creator Hideaki Anno released a statement about the project filled with lofty statements and big ideas, and as a fan I was quite excited for what was to come. I've now seen the film a few times, first as a raw cam rip and recently in theaters with an English dub, I can't help but feel a little disappointed. 1.0 is not a staggering revitalization of all things Eva, but instead a fairly conservative re-creation of the first six episodes of the series.
This isn't to say it's not a well done recreation, because it absolutely is. The first (roughly) three hours worth of story has been masterfully edited to feature length, and the animation has been vastly improved. There are a few additions, such as more scenes focusing on Misato and Ritsuko and an appearance by Kaworu Nagisa, but by and large it's exactly the same- usually shot for shot, in fact. The biggest change, though, is that the iconic battle with the "diamond angel" has become far more epic. The updated sequence is pretty breathtaking, and the only point in the film where I started to feel I was watching something that matched Anno's statement.
The dub is interesting, especially as someone who wore out my dubbed VHS tapes back in the day. Aside from Shinji and Misato whose voices are the same (for better or worse), everyone else has been recast. The production and acting are a bit better than the original, but I noticed that most of the new voices just aren't as interesting or memorable as the originals. A few iconic lines (such as "I'm home", "welcome home" and "Bathing cleans the mind and soul") have also been altered, though I assume that's in service of a more accurate translation.
I'm disappointed that pretty much the only thing Evangelion 1.0 does with its source material is give it a new coat of paint, but it is enough of an improvement than I would rather watch it than the first six episodes of the series. Unfortunately, what really makes the show special in my eyes (the expressionistic and sometimes post-modern psychoanalysis of the characters) is in short supply during this first part of the story.
I recently watched a raw cam-rip of the follow up, Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance, and was pleased to find it was everything I wanted from 1.0 and more. It keeps the heart of the story while changing countless details, making for a viewing experience that I found absolutely enthralling as a long-time fan.
Over the past few years I've begun to follow anime a little bit more, thanks in part to my Japanophile girlfriend, but I've found that few shows manage to break through the barrier of "good... for an anime" for me the way Gainax classics like Eva (and FLCL, and Kare Kano) did. In fact, Gurren Lagann is the only show I've fallen in love with since I saw Paranoia Agent back in 2005. Perhaps my film buff pretentiousness has raised my standards too much, or maybe I'm just not looking hard enough. Either way, I'll probably never forget the meaning of terms like AT Field, The Marduk Institute, The Human Instrumentality Project, LCL, The Lance of Longinus, and Gehirn for the rest of my life. I also don't see the second half of End of Evangelion ever being topped as my most-watched piece of media- I still can (and do) sing along to "Komm, Süsser Tod". Thanks, Evangelion, for the memories.
Me in high school, proudly sporting one of my many Evangelion t-shirts (and giant hair).
For those uninitiated, Neon Genesis Evangelion is an anime series originally released in 1995 by Gainax. It's a giant robot story known for its angst and existential themes. It's a singular work in the genre, and one that influenced many and has spawned countless imitators. Okay, let's move on.
I first heard of the Eva almost exactly ten years ago. My interest in Japanese animation had piqued after a chance encounter with Project A-Ko on the Sci-Fi Channel, and I happened upon an article in Gamers' Republic magazine about an N64 game based on the series. It quickly became an obsession, and what little money I had often went toward Eva VHS tapes, t-shirts, action figures, and other weirdness. I memorized its jargon and unraveled its mysteries as best I could. My crowning jewel was a fansub of The End of Evangelion, the controversial feature film which I still believe to be the high point of the franchise and a completely brilliant piece of art.
Hideaki Anno's magnum opus showed me just how meaningful and personal art can be, and without it I may have never transitioned into the obsessive film dweeb I am today. Evangelion may not be explicitly related to Bergman or Godard, but it gave me the first push in that direction.
I had it bad indeed, but my passion for the series and anime in general eventually faded a bit. I went to college and began to focus on other things (see PSP Mon Amour), but I still checked up on Eva news every couple months. I'd always at least try watching any new Gainax shows, but I stopped paying attention to pretty much any other non-Miyazaki Japanese animation.
Then Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone was announced. It's the first installment in a series of 4 feature films that are re-telling the story from scratch. Series creator Hideaki Anno released a statement about the project filled with lofty statements and big ideas, and as a fan I was quite excited for what was to come. I've now seen the film a few times, first as a raw cam rip and recently in theaters with an English dub, I can't help but feel a little disappointed. 1.0 is not a staggering revitalization of all things Eva, but instead a fairly conservative re-creation of the first six episodes of the series.
This isn't to say it's not a well done recreation, because it absolutely is. The first (roughly) three hours worth of story has been masterfully edited to feature length, and the animation has been vastly improved. There are a few additions, such as more scenes focusing on Misato and Ritsuko and an appearance by Kaworu Nagisa, but by and large it's exactly the same- usually shot for shot, in fact. The biggest change, though, is that the iconic battle with the "diamond angel" has become far more epic. The updated sequence is pretty breathtaking, and the only point in the film where I started to feel I was watching something that matched Anno's statement.
The dub is interesting, especially as someone who wore out my dubbed VHS tapes back in the day. Aside from Shinji and Misato whose voices are the same (for better or worse), everyone else has been recast. The production and acting are a bit better than the original, but I noticed that most of the new voices just aren't as interesting or memorable as the originals. A few iconic lines (such as "I'm home", "welcome home" and "Bathing cleans the mind and soul") have also been altered, though I assume that's in service of a more accurate translation.
I'm disappointed that pretty much the only thing Evangelion 1.0 does with its source material is give it a new coat of paint, but it is enough of an improvement than I would rather watch it than the first six episodes of the series. Unfortunately, what really makes the show special in my eyes (the expressionistic and sometimes post-modern psychoanalysis of the characters) is in short supply during this first part of the story.
I recently watched a raw cam-rip of the follow up, Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance, and was pleased to find it was everything I wanted from 1.0 and more. It keeps the heart of the story while changing countless details, making for a viewing experience that I found absolutely enthralling as a long-time fan.
Over the past few years I've begun to follow anime a little bit more, thanks in part to my Japanophile girlfriend, but I've found that few shows manage to break through the barrier of "good... for an anime" for me the way Gainax classics like Eva (and FLCL, and Kare Kano) did. In fact, Gurren Lagann is the only show I've fallen in love with since I saw Paranoia Agent back in 2005. Perhaps my film buff pretentiousness has raised my standards too much, or maybe I'm just not looking hard enough. Either way, I'll probably never forget the meaning of terms like AT Field, The Marduk Institute, The Human Instrumentality Project, LCL, The Lance of Longinus, and Gehirn for the rest of my life. I also don't see the second half of End of Evangelion ever being topped as my most-watched piece of media- I still can (and do) sing along to "Komm, Süsser Tod". Thanks, Evangelion, for the memories.
Me in high school, proudly sporting one of my many Evangelion t-shirts (and giant hair).