Thread:KNN005/@comment-14138255-20161217050619

KNN005 wrote: I'm not saying it's wrong to like Shinji or that anime. I'm just saying I don't like it. That anime and the hero do not embody what I like in my leads or the themes I strive for. It's not holier than thou it's different taste. Perference. If I had known you were a fan I would've chosen my words better. If I seemed like I was shitting on your favorite anime, my bad. I'm sorry, that wasn't my intent. I just passionately don't like that stuff. I'm more of a "we work really hard, we hit a lot of set backs, but we save the day and we do it with style" type of fan. Something uplifting. Something to put a smile on your face after a depressing day. I apologize for being too harsh on you (though it was less about you not likeing it and more you coming to that conclusion based on a false premise). I for one do not seek out "fantasy" series, since they tend to not be as realistic as I'd like (though I probably would indulge in it more than I claim), and they tend to breed the kind of fan that can't accept Pyrrha's dead. Shows like Sword Art Online, which are crappy and saccharine, not to mention squandering the chance to show what life would be like if millions were trapped in a death game (it's also one of my guilty pleasures, as no matter how much I know otherwise, I can't hate it).

I'm just going to ramble now, have fun reading :)

The appeal of Neon Genesis Evangelion (which I'm saying since I know you won't watch it yourself), is its deconstruction. It took the common threads of Super Robot anime shows (and other shows as well) and either flipped them or, most importantly, took them to their natural conclusion.


 * A 14 year old kid being thrust into a giant mech he's only seen that day to fight an eldritch monstrosity? He's gonna be terrified, unskilled, and in mortal danger.


 * A hot-blooded tsundere love interest wearing red who bases her life on being the best pilot? She'd be a basket case who can't accept losing the status she spent her life cultivating. When she tries to get with the main character, her antagonistic attitude is going to hurt him and push him away, making her think he's rejected him and hurt him more.


 * A father who left his family to design a robot that his son will eventually pilot? His son is going to be hurt and confused and the father probably isn't going to handle that well (if he even tries, which Gendo in the series doesn't).


 * The kid hero given the power to end the world after having endured enough pain and hardship to scar a trained adult for life? He's going to mess up. Big.

The reason I'm as defensive as I am is because whenever people hate on NGE or Shinji (especially Shinji), it's because they have a poor understanding of all the things that happen in the show that are based on human emotion. They aren't used to a mech pilot being as passive and unmasculine as Shinji is, they think it'd be cool. What it'd really be is horrifying, especially someone who went through the things he does in the series. He's certainly not the hot-blooded, Gurren Lagen type hero who proudly declares "I am not my bro" with a straight face, he's the hero who needs a break after a hard battle (and depending on the time of the year, won't always get one).
 * Etc.

I'm losing steam, but I'm sure I can think of more, but I'd like your response first, this is fun actually. 