Well, Evangelion opened quite a few new doors for me. Beyond my newfound interest in religions origins, I have delved into how one might percieve their own reality. Psychology is now a present interest of mine, which shows how important this anime was for me.
My initial reaction, though, was much less optomistic and positive. I had originally watched Neon Genesis Evangelion during a particularily dark phase in my life, and it's safe to say that it had not immediatly helped my headspace. Seeing people succumb to their own dark perception of reality was inspiring in the worst way possible. I simply discovered that I had a very prominent desire to just escape from my existence. After some careful reflection and a lot of media review later, I again used NGE to analyze my own thoughts (I have a habit of attaching myself to certain pieces of media). This anime was to show how glorified escapism is, despite how it paints you as a coward. Shinji is a wimp, yada yada, speaking for humanity and all that.
The way that Evangelion wrote its characters still sticks with me to this day. It has made me embrace certain realities and see them for what they truly are. I cannot know if seeing beyond the sugarcoat is a blessing or a curse. I think Hideaki Anno showed a very unique view on our reality, yes, but this could only come from someone who has experienced the harshness of it. I fear for my future in encountering grief. |
