Ya know, when I wrote that essay about what I call "Evangelion Syndrome", I took a gamble. You see, I never have seen the Eva series, or the Eva movies, and I've never read the Eva manga. However, I do know about how it mindscrews with the audience towards the later episodes, (Since people everywhere on the internet won't. fucking. shut. up. about Eva.) and also, I have played Xenosaga I and III, and people did describe it as "inspired by Eva" and I know for a fact that XS loves a mindscrew.
Nonetheless, that did not deter me from watching a few episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion on veoh.
Good news! NGE doesn't suck! It's actually a decent action/drama series! More good news! I have seen the first 8 episodes so far, and I haven't seen very many things that exist only to screw with my brain! (yet.)
Bad news, when it comes to "mecha" serials, this pales compared to Eureka 7. But, ya know, considering that NGE came out during the '90's, and considering how I feel about a lot of retro '90's anime, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.
It's a typical sci-fi action show about mechas that must fight these strange creatures. However, there are a few twists (What if the main hero doesn't want to save the world? And why does everything not go according to plan? And why fourteen year olds?) that set NGE apart. Of course, because of the show's blatant spoilering, I already know a few things I shouldn't. (for example, I already know the truth about the existence of the Evas.) And yet I keep coming back.
It may be because I'm watching "remastered" episodes, but the animation's pretty good. Close ups look great, and the fights between the Evas and the Angels are awesome. The sound design is fantastic; rarely have I seen a show with the ambiance NGE has. The music is decent, but doesn't come in surround, so it sounds tinny on my computer speakers. I'm watching the show in Japanese with English subtitles, and most of the characters have very good voices. So far, my favorite character is Misato. She's the most fun to watch. (please don't snicker like Beavis and Butthead and say, "uh huh huh huh huh, you like watching Misato. Misato's body! Uh huh huh huh huh." If you do, you will die.) I love how her apartment is a total mess. And, I know that fans love to make fun of Shinji and say, "LOL! Shinji's a pussy! LOL!" But, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret: when I was 14, I was a lot like Shinji. Okay, I didn't hate myself, and I didn't have any issues with my father, but I can relate to his isolation from his peers.
So, I think I'll keep watching NGE, at least until it starts screwing with my mind. However, if my research is incorrect, that NGE really can be comprehended, I'm gonna have to rewrite my essay. Definitely have to change the title.
So here's a bet, Internet. I will keep watching NGE until I see an episode that does nothing but make me stare at my monitor with a puzzled expression and say, "what just happened?" If I do, I will keep the name "Evangelion Syndrome" as my own. If not . . . well then I'm gonna have to rename it something like Xenogears Syndrome or Matrix Syndrome, 'cause I'm on a roll so far.
P.S. I already changed my "Evangelion Syndrome" essay. I just added two paragraphs to the end. Hoepfully, I won't have to change anything else.
