01-11-2014, 03:01 AM
Well, the problem with Evangelion - and I do see it as a objective legitimate shortcoming - is that it's very condensed. And, while that might be something a lot of fans are "proud of", I simply see it as technical fault.
The show is pretty slow paced, but even like that, it's too condensed and it's virtually impossible to get everything in the first (or fourth, for that matter:) ) viewing. Every line has it's place and meaning, there are no insignificant coffee talks, important plot and setting info is often either omitted or leisurely mentioned once etc. And I don't even include psychology or leitmotifs when I say that, we could stay at the plot only.
Which can easily lead to people dissing the show or abandoning it halfway through, and rightfully so, because you can't expect someone to watch the show with 100% focus for like ten times. Yes, they ran out of money and stuff like that but, regardless of that, it's a fact that the show can be tedious and seem like a load of pretentious crap if you are watching it like a regular show - and why would you watch it differently?
I mean, after the first viewing, I have approached it quite surgically and watched it with full focus and I had "ahaaaa" moments even through my tenth viewing or something. Which is ridiculous.
That said, I still think the show is objectively a masterpiece, but if we omit the hordes of angsty teenagers that adore the show because they think it caters to their feeling of being misunderstood and alone and special (not because they shouldn't count but because I don't see that kind of popularity as some pivotal argument), we are basically left with a relatively narrow niche of people that look for certain parameters in the literature and cinematography and also have interests which correspond to the tools which are used throughout the series.
I don't know, from the top of my head, for example, the unfamiliar ceeling is somewhat typical impression that a socially autistic schizoid person might have when left with their thoughts in a new environment. It also could be "cold wall" or "bland room" or stuff like that. And, in the show, it's well placed, it's timing is correct etc. And that's one line.
Or, for example, Misato's display of Elektra complex. And yes, that syndrome is a common knowledge and it has been exploited in right about every movie on this planet. But, Misato's authenticity in conveying it is something that's masterfully done. In addition to knowledge, you have to have excellent perception to present something like that.
Or the, (purposefully) over the top, but still brilliantly conveyed, interaction between two neurotic love interests, Shinji and Asuka and all the mechanics of one such social apparatus. I have seen it and even researched it numerous times in theory and practice and I would vouch for the quality and authenticity of the presentation. While, if you are not interested in that field, you would only receive the top of the iceberg and some really basic, probably plot-based info.
So, those points are real, they are not product of over-analysis or something. But you need to "work for them", so to speak, or to have some kind of specific prior knowledge, which is something that the show should basically do for you, but when there are so many aspects and much depth, it becomes impossible and you basically get a niche piece. On the other hand, that means the show is somewhat unapproachable, but the stuff that makes it a masterpiece is - there.
That doesn't mean that there is no massively over-analyzed content done by fans .The best example of fan made over-analytic aspect regarding Evangelion would be analysis of the religious aspects, symbols and allegories, which have been analyzed to death and beyond, when in most cases, it's a simple matter of flavor and nothing more. Which makes it harder for the quality analysis to come up to the surface and not be dismissed in advance as another angsty over the board Evangelion diarrhea:)
And, also, there is the matter of usage of some leitmotifs both with depth and as flavor only, depending on the specific scenes. Which doesn't help either. For example, the usage of phallic symbols throughout the show. Sometimes they are used simply as freudian puns for the sake of freudian puns and yet sometimes they are placed intentionally and cleverly.
Argh, I've evangelioned myself again, I'll diminish and go to the west... err, go to draw now:D
edit: if you want to rewatch the series, I would advise to watch it slowly but consistently, for example, three episodes a day, but in one sitting:) And to not be shy from actually reaching out to secondary resources, such as eva wiki or something when you feel you missed something. Of course, if you don't find something like that tedious.
The show is pretty slow paced, but even like that, it's too condensed and it's virtually impossible to get everything in the first (or fourth, for that matter:) ) viewing. Every line has it's place and meaning, there are no insignificant coffee talks, important plot and setting info is often either omitted or leisurely mentioned once etc. And I don't even include psychology or leitmotifs when I say that, we could stay at the plot only.
Which can easily lead to people dissing the show or abandoning it halfway through, and rightfully so, because you can't expect someone to watch the show with 100% focus for like ten times. Yes, they ran out of money and stuff like that but, regardless of that, it's a fact that the show can be tedious and seem like a load of pretentious crap if you are watching it like a regular show - and why would you watch it differently?
I mean, after the first viewing, I have approached it quite surgically and watched it with full focus and I had "ahaaaa" moments even through my tenth viewing or something. Which is ridiculous.
That said, I still think the show is objectively a masterpiece, but if we omit the hordes of angsty teenagers that adore the show because they think it caters to their feeling of being misunderstood and alone and special (not because they shouldn't count but because I don't see that kind of popularity as some pivotal argument), we are basically left with a relatively narrow niche of people that look for certain parameters in the literature and cinematography and also have interests which correspond to the tools which are used throughout the series.
I don't know, from the top of my head, for example, the unfamiliar ceeling is somewhat typical impression that a socially autistic schizoid person might have when left with their thoughts in a new environment. It also could be "cold wall" or "bland room" or stuff like that. And, in the show, it's well placed, it's timing is correct etc. And that's one line.
Or, for example, Misato's display of Elektra complex. And yes, that syndrome is a common knowledge and it has been exploited in right about every movie on this planet. But, Misato's authenticity in conveying it is something that's masterfully done. In addition to knowledge, you have to have excellent perception to present something like that.
Or the, (purposefully) over the top, but still brilliantly conveyed, interaction between two neurotic love interests, Shinji and Asuka and all the mechanics of one such social apparatus. I have seen it and even researched it numerous times in theory and practice and I would vouch for the quality and authenticity of the presentation. While, if you are not interested in that field, you would only receive the top of the iceberg and some really basic, probably plot-based info.
So, those points are real, they are not product of over-analysis or something. But you need to "work for them", so to speak, or to have some kind of specific prior knowledge, which is something that the show should basically do for you, but when there are so many aspects and much depth, it becomes impossible and you basically get a niche piece. On the other hand, that means the show is somewhat unapproachable, but the stuff that makes it a masterpiece is - there.
That doesn't mean that there is no massively over-analyzed content done by fans .The best example of fan made over-analytic aspect regarding Evangelion would be analysis of the religious aspects, symbols and allegories, which have been analyzed to death and beyond, when in most cases, it's a simple matter of flavor and nothing more. Which makes it harder for the quality analysis to come up to the surface and not be dismissed in advance as another angsty over the board Evangelion diarrhea:)
And, also, there is the matter of usage of some leitmotifs both with depth and as flavor only, depending on the specific scenes. Which doesn't help either. For example, the usage of phallic symbols throughout the show. Sometimes they are used simply as freudian puns for the sake of freudian puns and yet sometimes they are placed intentionally and cleverly.
Argh, I've evangelioned myself again, I'll diminish and go to the west... err, go to draw now:D
edit: if you want to rewatch the series, I would advise to watch it slowly but consistently, for example, three episodes a day, but in one sitting:) And to not be shy from actually reaching out to secondary resources, such as eva wiki or something when you feel you missed something. Of course, if you don't find something like that tedious.