📀𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎.𝟏-𝚃𝚘 𝙴𝚡𝚒𝚜𝚝, 𝚃𝚘 𝙱𝚎 𝙷𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗, 𝚃𝚘 𝙱𝚎 𝙾𝚗𝚎, 𝚃𝚘 𝙱𝚎 𝙰𝚕𝚕 [𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐒]

This was initially written for a Science fiction lecture, It was written last minute and I was very tired at the time, so it may not be coherent or correlate with future posts if I am to continue writing analysis and reaction blogs. Despite being unorganized, abstract, and loosely philosophical, a significant amount of work was put into writing the following article, and I appreciate any who take the time to read it.

-Sentient

The End of Evangelion

To Exist, To Be Human, To Be One, To Be All

End of Evangelion is one of the two endings following the popular anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion being incredibly infamous for its disturbing nature and abstract philosophical notions, reflecting heavily upon the writer’s mentality at the time. While debuting as merely another “Mech Anime” or animated series featuring colossal mechanical behemoths, the series heavily featured human behavior- trauma response, self-worth, sexuality, it begs the questions- What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be oneself? In parallel to pondering the self, past all the blinking dials and retro futuristic stylization, Evangelion produces its own view on existentiality and creation of mankind. With such beliefs in unity with technology, those of higher power are shown to exhibit exploitation of science for personal gain to achieve the idolized form at the cost of the individuality of the human race. End of Evangelion is a beautifully disturbing masterpiece that calls forward what it means to be human and an individual, all while deconstructing from conformity to reality to its most raw form.

Hidekaki Anno’s unconventional and thought provoking film retains its prior series’ science fiction setting, but focuses more heavily on the nature of humanity, testing the limits of bizarre dark themes. Such of which was merely sprinkled throughout the series. However, the film was so poorly received to the extent of death threats, either meaning that something resonated with or shook the audience so deeply, good or bad, to trigger such a retaliation, or the sheer abstraction and non-conformity of the structure was too confusing to grasp. Regardless of the reason, a reaction was certain to follow, the large splash and ripple effect in the first few frames almost foreboding of the events, both fictional and real to follow. 

Not even five minutes into the film, the audience is met with an alarmingly grotesque scene, such of which is not spoken of amongst most fans, but put briefly the protagonist “relieves himself” after accidentally indecently exposing one of the other main characters, whom is comatose, by shaking her desperately in attempt to wake her. This highly controversial moment is then followed by the main character, repulsed by himself, uttering “I’m the lowest of the low”(Anno 3:48) in the subtitled Japanese version. For context’s sake, the main character already believes he is a horrible person, this act gives him more validation for this perception to seem true. As repulsive as this scene is, the audience is forced to confront the ideology that as humans, people consciously make bad decisions and go against the moral compass. No one ever wants to admit they have done something so grotesque, or go so low as an individual, but to not commit what is viewed as sin and wrongdoing ever in a lifetime is simply inhuman in itself. Although it was not a very E-rated way to go about it, deviation is within human nature and shapes the individual.

Going against the idea of individuality, we have the perceived antagonists, who also are victims to their own desires but in a more widely-impactful- genocidal way within the film. While conformity and deemed good that comes with a certain population of individuals may appear to open a gateway to opportunity and self-improvement, forcing upon the rest of the species to forcibly adopt to such ideals is not generally a well received concept. The antagonists, who will be referred to as Seele have their plans explained as the main character’s guardian monologues while gazing at the remnants of a post-apocalyptic Japan. “The human instrumentality project meant to artificially evolve humanity, a flawed colony organism that’s hit an impasse into a perfect single life form. Talk about a paradise on earth”(Anno 4:26) she concludes sarcastically. This is confirmed moments after, in an ominous pitch-black room, as the voices of the factions boom throughout the space “the fate of extinction also contains the rapture of a new birth. Through death, god, man, and all lifeforms will at last become one.”(Anno 5:22) While the earlier scene with the main character is considered shocking and unconventional, why does this moment feel weirdly tame? These characters are quite literally discussing bringing about the end to not only humanity, but ALL lifeforms, it certainly feels bizarre. But there is sense to it. If one person does something wrong, they are singled out and spotlighted, but as a group, evil can be mistaken for conformity, or the norm. Consider the theoretical notion- if everyone is doing it, it must be okay. While it may still be a few individuals, desires amongst a shared population are generally more well-received. As for the conformity aspect, it drastically contrasts but works in parallel with the previous scene, humans make conscious bad decisions as individuals, but are not liberated from the notion of evil and wrongdoing by conforming with the choices of the collective. Humans are chastised to flaw and err regardless of circumstance.

Starting from 36:45: ritsuko is betrayed as she attempts to shout down her mother’s supercomputer controlling the facility. The computer is based on Ritsuko's mother, quite literally containing her brain, exhibiting rationale as a mother, as a scientist, and as a woman. Ritsuko’s shut down program is denied by her mother as what remains of her chooses her lover, the facility director, over her daughter. Individuals’ desires, while motivating to the self in accordance with their beliefs, can be destructive and traumatizing to those around them. To be an individual is to choose the rejection of others and pursue their own ideals and decisions. In paradox, being human often restrains one to moral compass and having ideas of good and bad choices, in turn requires prior human influence and conformity to some ideal to produce. Is it truly possible to be human and an individual in such a context? What defines existence?

Halfway through the film a ghostly figure of Rei appears right before Misato’s death as she humors herself at the moment of downfall by joking that she should’ve gotten a better carpet for her apartment. Rei also makes an appearance at the launch of the human instrumentality project amongst everyone who is about to die, sometimes appearing as the person the individual desires most before exploding them into a mysterious liquid substance called LCL in the series. Why does she appear before death? In the universe of this film, rei represents  a superbeing referred to as the angel Lilith, whom all of humanity originated from. She represents the epitome of humanity and appears prior to death as to symbolize being human is to eventually cease. Human life is so valuable and meaningful because it is definite. In this film, Rei is humanity, she is the beginning and the end, but why is she perceived as different forms by different people? Perhaps rei’s morphological illusions are derived from people desiring comfort in their last moments, or something entirely more sinister that our desires both good and bad will bring about humanity’s end. To have desires is to live, endless pursuit motivates people to go about their days one after the next, it is when either or both purpose and struggle are obscured an individual may begin to question their worth.

For context, there are three impacts. The first impact marks the birth of mankind, the second triggered by mankind driving the world into chaos and disorder, and the third resulting in the death and union of the metaphysical in an attempt to achieve a superior form when in reality it is regressing to the former. The human instrumentality project enacted by Seele is the third impact.The motive of the human instrumentality project is to disable A.T. fields which are considered “the walls of the heart” while being used as a form of protection, it is also mentioned that A.T. fields are what enable humans to maintain their physical forms, entailing that humanity has quite literally, “walled off” from each other with the lack of unity blocking mankind from any future progression. Seele aspires to trigger a third impact using the eva series as sacrifice to unify humanity by rejoining lilith as one conscious and soul, dismantling the walls of individuality and returning to the raw and original form. But by destroying the individual and preserving the soul, there is no true death, conformity is achieved but without a definite end calling it humanity is meaningless. Existence is defined by choice and definiteness, in true liberation beyond the constrictions of reality, there is no self. Only by abiding by the outlines and rules of the physical realm, and retaining the ability to reflect and choose (higher order thinking/sentience), both the individual, and human concept can coexist.

The End of Evangelion is an abstract multi-media mish-mash that upheaves fundamental questions of human origin, sense of self, and reality. Anno, in their current state, declares through the film that with individuality, subconscious barriers erect that produce a fear of the unknown. Such barriers can drive individuals from others and can cause people to do conscious wronging and be reprimanded for it, pressing it forward. But without individuality, one can not experience, nor experience others, nor reality, constructs and barriers divide existence and people into a fathomable, physical environment. Humanity cannot conform if there are no individuals to conform, and with the eradication of the individual there is no humanity. The nature of the film exists in a hauntingly philosophical paradoxical mindset that walks the line of where truth begins and reality stops, calling forth the fundamentals of not just societal constructs, but the constructs of society and the world as it is perceived.