When Moses had his encounter with God he sent this powerful image of a burning bush, and he command him to speak with the Pharaoh of Egypt to set his people free. When Moses asked whom is sending him the voice - God- answer Exodus 3:14 : "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you" -King James version-. Some thousand years later, in Neon Genesis Evangelion, an anime created by Gainax and aired in japan from 1995 to 1996, Shiji Ikari, the main character of this series, his words resonate - like in the answer that god have Moses in the desert- "I am me". A timeless response to a everlasting question .
Neon Genesis Evangelion.
This anime has been acclaimed by fans and critics as a master piece, Hideaki Anno, the creator, makes a rich symbolic history, dark and open to interpretation which allows to seek for an answer, and that is never found within the series. Thus forces you to interact with the ahow, check your own ideas, creating a different ending to everyone. Neon Genesis Evangelion translate to "the new beginning of the word of god" .
History:
Evangelion starts in a very action pack anime style series, the main character Sinji Ikari, has been summoned by his father Gendo Ikari to meet up to and undisclosed location within the reach of the Tokyo 3, the year is 2015, 15 years has passed since a meteor impacted the earth destroying the north pole and killing two thirds of the human population, all resources has been directed to the sole purpose of the survival of human kind. Now something, or someone, is attacking the men, a gingantic humanoid like Mecha - robot- are trying to destroy Tokyo 3. This enemies - later on are named "angels"- can only be defeted with the use of other gigantic humanoid like robot: the Evas, this safeguards of human kind can only be piloted by children that where born after the meteor impact - later one know as the Second Impact- the sole purpose of the Evas is avoid the destruction of the human race, God is angry with the human kind and is sending his angels to destroy us.
Captain Misato Katsuragi is sent to pick up Shinji Ikari when suddenly an angel is attacking, then both get safe to the base, Nerv, the agency in charge to defeat the angels, the Nerv's motto : " God is in Heaven, everything is ok on Earth", Shinji then is re united with his father - with has not seen him for a long period of time- in a really emotional scene you can see the distress and distance in father- son relationship. Ritsuko Akagi - the Nerv's science chief- is introduced as well Rei Ayanami, the first children that was chosen to be a pilot of the first EVA - unit 00- and has been badly wounded when trying to synchronized with her unit, suddenly Shinji Ikari is asked by his father to operate the second EVA -unito 01- to destroy the angel now attacking NERV, without previous training he declines the duty and suddenly the EVA reacts saving Shinji and Rei from harm, with no pilot on the EVA, this is seen as a good omen and Shinji - reluctant- agrees to pilot the robot, thus destroying the enemy.
As the history evolves and new characters are introduced, the action theme history starts to be put aside and a more introspective view of the character's psyque evolves. Evantually a third pilot - and briefly a fourth one- is added Asuka Langley Soryu and Touji Suzuhara. The real intentions of Gendo Ikari slowly are showing up, Misato Katsuragi it's the one trying to tight all the loose parts on the puzzle, and the real objective of Nerv, the association behind everything; Seele.
Character and Psyque, relationship with EVA.
Freud is the father of psychoanalysis his work as been the milestone of many theories of themes related with the mind. One of his many works - and maybe his best analogy in the conscious- subconscious relation is the horse and horse man, the horse ( subconscious) is our animal side: fear, sexual appetite, breathing all the functions that are not governed by out rational side and thus the horse man ( conscious) , the one that can direct those actions, one another do not speak the same language and might have different goals but they work in a synergic way.
The EVA units and the pilots work in the same way, the eva represents the animal side and the pilot the rational one and this is probed in episode one when Shinji Ikari losses control of himself - he gets quite scared- and the EVA 01 runs out of control or " Bersek Mode" - Bersek was a know by viking warriors in which literally they go into a trance and kill everything on their way, even family and friends- and becoming more a very efficient warrior.
There is a very sexual nature regarding the relation between the EVAs and pilots, there are three main pilots, one male - Shinji Ikari- and two females Rei Ayanami and Auka Langle Soryu- this is implicit but when the pilot gets inside the EVA is thru a "pilot plug" thus the inuendo of the EVA gender is female ( check pic below ) and as well that the difficulty of the two females trying to syncronize with their unit, this idea is not related of sexuality, is more with the polarity of the characters of EVAs and pilots; Shinji Ikari being male and receptive tends to sync better with the unit. Asuka and Rei, being more strong personna, have a more difficult position to interact with their units. If the creator is trying to illustrate the idea of the polarity of the person this is almost tacit and very subtile in episode 20, Shinji a receptive and male character gets " absorbed" by the EVA/female character. A stronger individual/leader. This point of view is new in anime because the majority of the male-female interactions has been regarded with the female side as the " negative one" - Adam and Eve- and it is true that in Japan anime culture women get main roles - Miyazakis Spirited Away and Wolf's Moving Castle and Ponyo- but the interaction on male-female, strong-weak is essential for the development of the character. Later on, Shinji gets back to reality but the "revelations" start to show a deeper level of understanding of himslef.
PILOT INTERACTIONS.
The pilots are known as The Children by NERV, is never completely clear how they are chosen for being the pilots of the EVA units but one requisite is well understood; to be a candidate the pilots has to be born after the second impact. The Marduk Association is in charge to find this children later on this is a fake company created by NERV.
There are three main pilots - and characters- in Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shinji Ikari - receptive and male- Rei Ayanami - quiet and female- and Asuka Lanlgey Soryou - outspoken, visceral and female- this idea can be translated to the archetype of the human apparatus by Freud: Id, ego and superego.
Id is Shinji, a person which tries to satisfies everyone thus avoiding and pain, a psychological force more identified with the subconscious.
Ego is identified with Rei Ayanami, as defined by Noam at al 1984, seeks to please the id’s drive in realistic ways that will benefit in the long term rather than bringing grief.
Super Ego, Asuka Langley Soryou the part that aims for perfection.
In a surprising way, the characters personality are not static, the change with the time the become more interactive, Shinji evolves from a quiet, introspective individual to a more accepting person, in charge of his own reality, Rei from apathetic, care from no one, realizes the interactions with all are important, she becomes more human. Asuka Langley Soryuo, goes from a well planned, good for everything and well capable person - is the only children with an university degree- to a someone with a childish behavior and capable just to watch.
Other characters, Angels, places and gadgets.
Gendo Ikari, Kojo Futyusiki, Misato Katsuragi, Ritsuko Akagi, Ryojy Kaji are just few of the member of NERV and have a interesting role but no as important as the children but al least worth to mention.
The super computer MAGI, is in charge of the combat and the GEO DOME operation if Ritzuko Akagi created the software of the super computer it was her mother, the doctor Naoko Akagi created MAGI, and literally her brain is part of this computer.
There are 17 angels - some infer 18 - in the tv series of NGE.
The end on Evangelion:
The last two chapters of NGE, is rather obscured and open to interpretation, the series achieve something like no other series has done before, it shows the duality of life in a dynamic way, from general - action theme animation- to singular - Shinji's inside monologue- from well behave and eager to proof worthiness -Asuka Langley Soryuo- to be caught from you own fears and for care for no one - Rei Ayanami- to give you life for what you think is worth it.
NGE is not you classic anime with answers at the end, actually is really obscure and vague, at that's what makes this series so deep , this show is like a Roschach ink blot test, the reflection of your inner thoughts will give a different taste to all the observers.
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