I'm with you on Rei. They at least play it up as weird and creepy sometimes. They just don't do it often enough. A lot of the time she's just kind of there occupying space and screen time.

Finished Trinity Seven. I'm... not going to really recommend it, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Show very much does not put its best foot forward. When it actually gets into the second half, the ecchi humor that's kind of hard to swallow is still there, but it shows itself actually capable of doing some good, emotional moments as well, and none of the characters are really godawful like I'd feared on first meeting Arin and Yui.

Evangelion Episodes 6 & 7
Maybe it is the english VA that makes him a hated character, because I think I like where Shinji is going. Granted, he's got to actually keep moving forward, he can't afford to be or become a static character even now. Also, he and dad finally have something in common as of the end of Episode 6 I guess. Part of me wants to see them interact (or Shinji to try to) but I think they're saving any of that for after Shinji has grown even more. Episode 7 felt kind of filler-y, but it did help grow Shinji and Misato in an interesting way so much like the mid-show "filler" in Franxx I actually think it's a good use of an episode. And it's nice to know what kind of jerkwad Dad Ikari is, since it's clearly implied that he set up the disaster and 'miraculous' save, ruining a competitor through underhanded means for no good reason and endangering gods know how many people to play politics a little harder.

Also, one of my previous comments was addressed: the Second Impact (Why second? whatever.) was an exploding Angel, namely the first. That means it was the second that was fought properly 15 years before episode 1 (presumably), leading to the timeline for 3 & 4 we were given in episode 3. At least, that's what we're told now, which does allow everything to add up for the moment.

Pen2 (PenPen? That would fit based on how I've seen people use 'squared' in written pet names) has the best reactions.

Oh, the next episode preview includes a certain feisty redhead! Actually, as much of the preview as I saw (I don't tend to watch them) featured pretty much nothing but her, mostly looking particularly feisty. I've been looking forward to her, since I've pretty much always enjoyed the heck out of characters people tell me owe a lot to her.

Evangelion Episode 8.

We meet Asuka, and she's about as great as I was led to believe. Fiery, competitive, rule-breaking, confident, powerful...


In all seriousness, she has made a good first impression, which is good because she's got a lot of hype to live up to, at least for me. As for the overall content of the episode... it was a good angel fight, a kind of interesting window into how EVAs are controlled, and Boss Ikari is up to something involving, apparently, the preserved embryo (huh?) of the first human, Adam. You know, the symbolism of Evangelion gets talked up a lot, but between this (which makes me think "evangelion" is meant to evoke "eve"), cross shaped explosions, "angels"... it's not exactly subtle. Not bad, but not subtle.

i watched a few episodes of that anime where the girl is a bunny

it was kind of cute and overall pretty good but it didn't blow me away

also evangelion is relevant to my interests

asuka is best girl

I'd been thinking about giving Bunny Girl a watch, since it seemed weird and maybe interesting, good to hear its at least alright.

Evangelion episodes 9&10

OK, everybody talks about how this show is deep or meaningful or powerful... a dramatic masterpiece. Nobody ever mentioned that it can be really pretty funny when it tries to be. These last two episodes have had some great dramatic, emotional, or action moments, but they've also had a good helping of comedy (Thanks, Asuka). The EVAs identically head-down in holes in and the DDR synch to victory in episode 9, the vacation bait-and-switch and horrible plug suit in 10... there were a lot of lighter moments here.

I really like that, and it's something that dramatic anime seems able to do in general better than western media, that even if something is a dramatic work it doesn't need to be all dramatic all the time (The Christopher Nolan Problem, if you will.) It feels good, and helps you connect with the characters, if both the audience and characters get a chance to smile, or can take a breath that's not emphasizing how important and significant everything is. Some of the best western dramatic works I can think of are the ones, like Lord of the Rings, that *don't* fall prey to that trap, that know how to have and use levity. Anime avoids the trap significantly more often, and Evangelion has, mercifully, escaped it as well.

I'm feeling really good about this show.

I have similar frustration with the humour problem. People just undervalue humour in our culture. Everyone must be serious all the time. And that brings me to one of my all time favourite Youtube videos.

Going through episodes 11 and 12 of Evangelion. These feel mostly like good mid-show continuations without a whole hell of a lot of meta-plot. I mean "Who cut the power?" in 11 and "What is Ikari doing in antarctic hell?" in 12, as well as why Shinji Pilots in 12 are good notes, but these episodes are mostly here it seems for the cool and unique angel fights, which were both really good. These were good episodes. I like this.

Since Darling in the Franxx is really my touchstone for comparison, it seems like the structure of an individual episode in the middle of the series is inverted. In Evangelion, we mostly get some really good action, building plot and character on the side around it. In Franxx the action was still good, but it was a means to the ends of exploring the characters, and by far the secondary consideration. I don't necessarily think one structure is inherently superior, I just think they indicate a difference in focus between the shows. Evangelion is a mechas-versus-monsters sort of show with strong dramatic characters, Franxx was (to me, at least) a character drama with mechas-versus-monsters in it. I'd say this would suggest Evangelion would handle it's plot better, since plot is more the main course, but its ending is infamous enough that even not really knowing any details I know I'm in for a ride when we get into the final arc(s) of Evangelion.

When I've finished Evangelion (At least the series I'll probably do an essay-form comparison of my fresh impressions of Evangelion versus my several-months-of-consideration impressions of Franxx. Since I haven't finished Evangelion I don't know for sure, but it already feels like, as with Puella Magi Madoka Magica versus Yuki Yuna is a Hero, there's potentially a lot to talk about in the comparison even if there's a clear qualitative difference.

Evangelion Episode 14

After another more or less standard adventure, we get our first real "WTF" Episode (at least in the second half, first half was recap. Was there a production gap?) Apparently Rei's brain, at least synching with Unit 01, is a hell of a bizarre place. And 00 berserks with Shinji just like it did with Rei.

I like the saturation we're getting for Commander Ikari. He's present, and you know probably doing sinister things, but he and his plans aren't totally on display.

It's been awhile since I've watched the series Tevish, could you tell me how accurate a reflection this is?

Well, the show is about Shinji and he does live in a future world (the distant future of 2015. Tokyo-3 is on a hell of a different world line than Hill Valley) that has seen some rising sea levels (due to Antarctica exploding), and he does fight entities that could be described as alien in an Evangelion, which could be described as a robot. He'd sure like to hear that his friends and dad love him, but... yeah, the production there is clearly intended to capture some broad strokes, with a few deliberate errors (New Orleans, "built a robot for his birthday") for comedic effect. It's evoking the Carl Macek style extremely unfaithful pragmatic sort of translation that 4Kids got kind of infamous for, as well as being utterly tone deaf. And you know what? I'd believe that the wrong company at the wrong time (particularly 90's 4kids) would have recut Evangelion and written the dub to be all about robots fighting aliens. It would even be less monstrously disrespectful than some things that actually happened (like the "Warriors of the Wind" cut/dub of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind).

That said it's hilariously inaccurate in a ton of ways.


Evangelion Episodes 15 & 16

So, the conspiracy angle seems to be ramping up as we learn more about the Evangelions. I mean, we've known they were biomechs since episode 1, but apparently them being based on an angel template is the cover and not the dark truth, and they are possibly sentient and hateful. Also external power is only a suggestion.

Asuka's great. Her relationship with Shinji is weird and funny (unlike his relationship with Rei which is weird and vaguely creepy. Seriously, Shinji, how does one wring out a towel "like a mother"?). Shinji's also pretty great. He's deeply flawed, possibly even dangerously, but he's a well explored character. Gendo Ikari is the scheming intelligent villain the show needs (I say this without it even being technically revealed that he's at all villainous, I'm just assuming). Misato is really growing into her role as caretaker of these kids. Rei is just kinda there.

Evangelion Episode 17

D-did Rei actually experience and express an emotion in a way that's not "creepy soulless smile"?

Cloak and dagger continues.

I get the distinct feeling that the Fourth Child is both our jock friend (I mean, it would be a shocker if it wasn't after the focus he had this episode) and not long for this world

Evangelion Episodes 18-20

So, I feel like I'm now in the infamous trippy bit. 18/19 provided a hell of a lot of harsh action (which will be a talking point if I do that in-depth compare-contrast; also Toji survived, which was a little surprising), but 20 was almost all... how do I put this... there are times, and they're increasing, where Evangelion reminds me of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that some of the Shinji stuff here was directly inspired by the film's ending. The surreal imagery is, as in 2001's ending, rather justified by the surreal scenario the character is in, and luckily we have cuts to reality and Shinji's inner monologue to help piece it together... but I'm not sure I can say without reservation that this is a strength. 2001 was, throughout its running time, a slow-paced and atmospheric exploration of fairly high concept, even when there was drama with death on the line. Evangelion had psychological material from the beginning, but if I were watching this totally sight-unseen I'd say I was hoping that they could keep up the show's action backbone rather than totally replacing it with the psychological former side-dish. Knowing the show by reputation, I don't hope... I just strap myself in for the ride... though I am kind of wondering where the show goes from here. I think Gendo is going to have to make his play soon, because we can't really go back to business as usual, even if I'd like SOME business as usual on the side.

Briefly, I did like the cuts to Asuka and Rei this episode. They were both very short, and neither girl is taking it very well. Asuka, understandably because she was helpless and shown up when she's got a thing about being the best, Rei because she... survived? She mentioned in 19 that she could be replaced if she died, which I guess hooks in to her very robotic world-view. I guess she sees herself as nothing but a tool. Sorry, still not really endearing... but interesting, at least. We also got some weird plot hints around her, in that Gendo would have named his own daughter Rei, and its her voice largely challenging Shinji in his warped mental merged-with-EVA space. Maybe some of that will pay off?

Random Prediction: Eva 01 is, in some way, Shinji's mom. Probably from the failed salvage 10 years before show (which would about coincide with her death, and we're told there's no body in her grave. I kind of suspected something like this before, with the previous tripping-out-in-Eva scene, but now I have the means and supporting evidence.

Misato makes a really good surrogate mom, though.

Ironically, Rei was created as a character to be somewhere along the uncanny valley. So if you aren't finding her endearing, and are finding her to be creepy from time to time, that's intended.

It's an effort that seemed to have failed if the sheer quantity of fan art is an indicator.

They underestimated the appeal of a pale, passive, cute girl. Which is odd, since pale skin is considered beautiful in Japan, not to mention that a lot of Rei's personality traits are close to the ideal of the Yamato Nadeshiko.

I like to think they overestimated the value of personality. But that's just a way of taking pot shots at Rei.

Catch this, anime squad!

where is the anime

Evangelion Episodes 21 & 22

Filing more stuff for my Evangelion/Franxx talk with episode 21. On its own, the window into Gendo's past was... interesting, but didn't explain as much as I would have hoped. It did let us know that apparently Rei with a personality is somehow worse than Rei without a personality, since kid Rei got (nearly) murdered for saying/repeating some pretty awful things. I'm guessing that incident is why she said she could just be replaced if she died earlier.

Something tells me we just broke Asuka and won't be getting her back in reasonable shape.

It's a meme that Drake and Josh is an anime.