End of Evangelion
One has to wonder how the series of Neon Genesis Evangelion could have ended without the events of the movie.
As far as I knew, Asuka’s mother had simply gone crazy and killed herself. There was nothing to indicate her presence in Eva Unit 02, or even that Eva Unit 02 had a soul in it the same manner as Eva Unit 01 did.
Rei appearing before Misato as she died, I recall her appearance before Shinji in the first episode of the series. Is this Rei’s soul? Is she able to appear apart from her body? She appeared when Ritsuko was shot, with Rei standing nearby. Is this Rei’s soul, whereas the third Rei with Gendo is her body alone? If Rei is killed, and her soul is left in search of her body, then makes sense for the first epsiodes. Rei’s soul would have appeared before Shinji, then she returned with her body, wearing the same mock bandages as after the second Rei’s death near the end of the series.
A lot of things that should have been explained in the series are explained by the movie, and the final two episodes of the series become more understandable. Still, something’s missing. I was able to see a resolution for Asuka, after the series went from her in the hospital to the Istrumentality.
Everything else, I’m lost. So, First Impact would be when Lilith and the Black Moon crashed into the Earth. Second Impact turned Adam back into an embryo so it could be cloned, and the Evangelion born to fight off the Angels. And Rei was created to initiate Third Impact, when all souls would be one. But Shinji…chooses to become separate again? And Asuka, and others, as well? But why did he try choking Asuka at the end? What was with her reaction? A movie that’s supposed to end a series has only raised more questions about the characters than it answered about the events.
Shinji’s mother would live forever in Eva Unit 01, but how did Asuka’s mother come to be in Eva Unit 02? What about Eva Unit 00?
Maybe I’d better stop asking questions or I’ll only come up with more.
Excepting the parts that explained things, the final episodes and the movie made very little sense to me. And it feels as if a lot of information was left out. I’m all for leaving out information…until later, but if a series reaches its end, and even has a movie made to further explain things, and still things are left uncertain…
What becomes of everyone? Can Shinji and Asuka exist as normal humans, or have their psychotic breakdowns ensured there’s no point in trying to live?
Maybe I’d better stop asking questions, and go watch a light-hearted series.
I do congratulate Rei for standing up to Gendo, and being her own person.
At the very least, I can watch the Director’s Cut of episodes 21 through 24, and pretend I understand things.
