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Is NGE worth watching for someone who never was really into anime? The only animated thing I've watched in ages was Arcane, but that's completly different style

Is NGE worth watching for someone who never was really into anime? The only animated thing I've watched in ages was Arcane, but that's completly different style that NGE.

ajford 5y ago
As a long-time fan of NGE, I'd say yes. It's got a fair bit of the classic "teens in mechs" tropes to it, but there's definitely more to it under the hood, and it's universe is rather well put together in my opinion. I'd try to walk into it without focusing on it being animated though. It's cinematography like anything else, it's just a different medium and a different style that makes use of the flexibility it's medium provides.
- Claude_Shannon 5y ago
  I grew in a environment where admitting to even thinking about watching anything anime was like a social suicide. Only in high school it changed. I just can't help but treat everything anime related as childish (and I know that genre has some problems, with, uhh... fan service). Thank you, I will. The only thing I know about NGE is that ending(?) song, Komm Susser Tod.
  - ajford 5y ago
    I luckily got into anime right on the verge where it became more socially acceptable (late 90s early 2000s). Also, I grew up in an area where the dominant local culture was more accepting of anime since Dragon Ball Z, Gundam (of some flavor), and Saint Seya were all localized into Spanish and popular with my age group. The more off the beaten path animes like NGE, Hellsing, etc. didn't become as popular until a few years later when I hit high-school.
  - aidenn0 5y ago
    I remember my mom walking into the room during one of the more soap-opera-ish moments of Robotech and saying "What on earth are you watching?" I assured her that people would start shooting lasers at each other in giant robots soon...
  - dragontamer 5y ago
    > and I know that genre has some problems, with, uhh... fan service NGE is quite Freudian and psycho-sexual. If you're worried about fan service moments, I'd say stay away. NGE isn't quite the worst when it comes to fan service, but its pretty up there IMO. This ain't a "waifu-simulator" or a harem but... its like 80% of the way there. I mean, full on themes of Oedipus complex, teenagers discovering their sexuality, and other such sexual issues. Its certainly a mature theme and if you're worried about it... maybe its a better idea if you do stay away. ------- There's a reason why I push "Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood" in my other post. There's almost no fan-service in that show. (Like, "Lust", the character representing the deadly sin has a low-cut dress but that's about it in Full Metal Alchemist, and its kind of acceptable for her character to do that cause she's Lust after all. Despite the name, she has almost no themes of sexuality and mostly serves as an incredibly powerful villain for the heroes to take down). In contrast, NGE takes sexuality front and center in many episodes. In most cases, I think it does advance the story and is therefore acceptable, but plenty of blush-worthy scenes that are largely explained by "fanservice".
  - apocolyps6 5y ago
    Just as a warning, its a relentlessly horny work. At least in the original series every single female character is sexualized, and two of them are 14 years old. There is at least one instance of "casual" sexual assault. The plot might be great, but it felt pretty gross to watch
    - GhettoComputers 5y ago
      Isn’t that a critique of many animes?
      - dragontamer 5y ago
        There's a lot of good anime without fanservice if you find that sort of stuff icky, in all genres too. * The Promised Neverland (Thriller / Shonen) * Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle (Comedy) * Spirited Away (And really, virtually everything by Miyazaki has no fanservice) * Oddtaxi (Film Noir / Zootopia world) * Little Witch Academia (Iyashikei / Healing genre / School) * Full Metal Alchemist (Battle / Epic Journey anime) * Fate / Zero (while the Fate/series in general has fanservice and/or harem tropes, Fate/Zero has none) * Your Lie in April (Romance / Drama) I know some people just find the fanservice scenes icky, so I try to keep an eye out for the fanservice-free shows for them. There are also some kinds of nudity which are more artistic in nature rather than fanservice. I think Spice and Wolf handled that sort of thing well for example: Holo's occasional nudity is somewhat representative of her Wolf Goddess form / Pagan diety background, and I don't think it was really used too much for what most would call fanservice (and certainly fit the setting of "Pagan Diety travels across Europe with Merchant").
        GhettoComputers 5y ago
        I would reword "fanservice" since its more like pleasing the audience, I consider Macross Frontier fanservice with singing SDFM songs for instance, oversexualization for male viewers is always fan service but not vice versa, Miyazaki I also see as a lot of feminist fanservice (which I enjoy, having a female lead with depth is great!). Many of those I haven't heard of, but do you consider something like Gurren Lagann as fanservice to Evangelion fans? I also consider GiTS nudity non sexual.
  - GhettoComputers 5y ago
    In the 90s it was ok to like DBZ but nothing else. I think anime fan sites linking to hentai didn’t help kids feel like it was anything but a gateway to porn either. Blast from the past: anyone remember the pink hair girl with green bouncing her anime titties? https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/fairy-bounce https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/fairy-bounce
mas-ev 5y ago
I'd recommend watching it with subtitles. If you don't like subs after the first episode or two then go for dub. Once you get to episode 25 & 26, you could choose to watch the End of Evangelion movie instead. Episodes 25 and 26 are very abstract and rushed due to initial production budget. EoE is a more watchable ending to the series. If you're craving more after that! The plot continues with the four Rebuild of Evangelion movies on Amazon prime video.
- nemo1618 5y ago
  Call me crazy but imo it's worth watching the entire series just so that you can then properly enjoy EoE -- which is surely one of the greatest animated films ever made.
  - dragontamer 5y ago
    Nah. I'd push things like Spirited Away or Tokyo Godfathers first, as far as anime-movies go actually. EoE is good for the Evangelion fans. But honestly, Tokyo Godfathers hit me way harder. EoE probably doesn't even hit my top 5 list of anime movies. #1: Spirited Away #2: Tokyo Godfathers #3: Girl who Leapt through Time #4: Summer Wars #5: "Voices of a Distant Star" for #5? Hmm, or maybe "Time of Eve" ?? A lot of things I wanna fit in here but not EoE yet. Not even getting to the "classics" like Akira, Eden of the East, Ghost in a Shell or whatever. These above movies have some mainstream appeal but still manage to hit that thoughtful analysis and depth. I'd still put something like Ghost in a Shell or "Your Name" above EoE... There are also 'kid anime movies' like Patema Inverted that really were excellent and deserve recognition. EoE is niche and fine for Evangelion fans though. Absolutely beautiful, and some of the best fight scenes I've ever seen. But you gotta see some of the __good anime movies__ out there. They all stand above EoE IMO.
    - nemo1618 5y ago
      meh, I found Girl who Leapt through Time, Summer Wars, and Your Name to be pretty forgettable. Spirited Away, Tokyo Godfathers, and Akira are obviously classics, but none of them have made quite as deep an impression on me as EoE. I guess it hinges on which themes are most personally meaningful to you.
dragontamer 5y ago
> Is NGE worth watching for someone who never was really into anime? Maybe? NGE is not very representative of anime in general. Its definitely its own creature. These days, "anime" lovers like "That Time I was Reincarnated as a Slime", "Naruto", "My Hero Academia", or "Demon Slayer". And back then, this "style" was carried by Sailor Moon or Dragon Ball Z. You know: powerful hero collects a bunch of things and saves the world kind of plot. None of these shows are anything like NGE. I'd say people who like NGE will probably not like Demon Slayer, and vice versa. --------- NGE is an existential mecha-pilot anime about depression, being forced into a losing battle with powers you don't understand. If you feel like dragging yourself through 26 episodes of that, yeah, go ahead. But this ain't the happy-go-lucky overpowered main character always wins kinda show that's popular by 2020 standards. That's for sure. Don't get me wrong, I like both style of shows (!!!), and both have their place. But "anime" is so diverse that you really can't compare this story with other great anime stories. ---------- That being said, I'd say the perfect "starter anime" is "Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood". This show has a lot of the crazy fights you'd see in some of the more battle-oriented anime, but also has some deeper self-introspection that was more common to 90s era anime. Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood hits a lot of themes and concepts that seem universal, that many people both anime-fans and non-anime fans can enjoy. EDIT: In particular, the main character: Edward Elric, may be a kid but he grows up through the show and becomes a hero. Not your typical "anime superpower" growth (Naruto/Demon Slayer / Dragonball Z)... but instead actual outlook on life and maturity kind of growth. Yes, its a hero's journey but there's a reason this story is told over and over again, its a classic epic tale setup with widespread appeal. What's exceptional is that Edward Elric is a mostly mature character even from episode 1. So starting from a largely mature character and seeing him grow even more is quite spectacular honestly. FMA just does the hero's tale extremely well, far better than most typical anime... with a few deconstructive bits thrown in here and there. NGE is almost a self-loathing kind of story that makes you feel pitiful. Its good at it too, but I don't think it'd be popular or mainstream. NGE is really out there and goes 100% for whatever depressing feeling its trying to drag you into. I really don't think its something I'd typically share (despite its widespread acclaim, it really is a niche-storyline IMO that few people would enjoy). EDIT: In contrast: FMA does have a couple of self-loathing parts (The early "Tucker" arc is especially a horrific ordeal), but never quite to the degree that NGE ever gets to. Its still horrific what happens in FMA: Brotherhood, but you never really lose hope in Edward Elric. You can root for the hero from the beginning and never lose faith. In contrast, NGE absolutely expects you to lose faith in Shinji Ikari, his father, and the entire set of humans involved in the plot. These are not good people. You're watching a train-wreck in slow motion. This is very unusual, even by anime standards. ---------- Lets put this in terms of WW2 movies. There's lots of WW2 movies: like "Downfall / Der Untergang" and "Midway". Both have their benefits, both are WW2 movies. But "Downfall / Der Untergang" is simply going to be more niche because the depressing stories are just less popular than the mainstream happy / boom boom fighting movies (like Midway). If you were trying to get people into WW2 movies, would you start them on "Downfall / Der Untergang" ?? Probably not. Similarly, I wouldn't recommend NGE to a beginner anime watcher... I'd start you on something happier and more mainstream.
aidenn0 5y ago
Enjoyment of it does rely a tiny bit on knowing the general tropes of "giant robot" anime as it does deconstruct a lot of those. If you have seen even a few episodes of Robotech/Macross/Gundam that's plenty. Even a bit of Voltron or having seen the movie "Iron Giant" may do. That being said, if you are familiar with the general idea of "Only this one average/milquetoast/nerdy teenager can save the world for contrived plot reasons" it should still be enjoyable as that's where it dials the deconstruction knob up to 11 the most.
- dragontamer 5y ago
  > If you have seen even a few episodes of Robotech/Macross/Gundam that's plenty. Even a bit of Voltron or having seen the movie "Iron Giant" may do. Power Rangers might be the most mainstream concept for US-audiences. (It helps of course that Power Rangers is somewhat loosely based on Sentai Zyuranger, but a large chunk of the scenes were replaced with American actors) Power Rangers is a really good example of the mainstream trope that NGE is deconstructing. A team of "teenagers" are given all-powerful giant robots to kick the ass of the bad guy. And... you just trust Zordon, right? Zordon doesn't have like, nefarious purposes or anything. And these "teenagers" have the right psyche for the job right? We won't need like, a sad commander constantly barking orders at these teenagers to get in the freaking robot to save the world. And these teenagers won't get hurt right, in these fights? Like, if a heat-ray hits the robot and the internal fluids of the robot begin to boil, the pilots won't get severe burns or mental scars from these traumas? Oh... right. Why 13-year-olds? I mean, there's an in-universe reason that I don't want to spoil. But its really because its a deconstruction of "teenagers in giant robots" trope that was all the rage in the 90s (like Power Rangers).
  - aidenn0 5y ago
    I've never actually watched Power Rangers (well after my time watching TV on Saturday mornings), but that does sound like a good bet.
- GhettoComputers 5y ago
  Does it? I watched it as a depressed teen without any super robot context. After watching other super robots I don’t feel like I missed context.
skhr0680 5y ago
Evangelion is pretty polarizing, if you watch a couple of episodes and hate it , there’s nothing wrong with you.
elihu 5y ago
Possibly. I think you can get a pretty good idea if you'd like the original series just from watching the first few episodes.
- GhettoComputers 5y ago
  It went from shounen monster of the week to wtf around 12 or something
latexr 5y ago
> Is NGE worth watching for someone who never was really into anime? No. I recommend something by Satoshi Kon instead. Not the least because the time commitment is way shorter (movie instead of TV show). Watch Every Frame a Painting’s video[1] and pick any movie. It’s Christmas season, so maybe go with Tokyo Godfathers[2]. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz49vQwSoTE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz49vQwSoTE [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Godfathers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Godfathers
Pxtl 5y ago
If you were ever a depressed and lonely 14 year old kid, then yes. Watch the original TV series. It perfectly captures the isolation of being a young outcast full of hormones and mental health problems, mixed with a twisted cross-pollination of Japanese "monster of the week" giant robot Sentai framing and a biblical apocalyptic subtext. Watch the first 24 22-minute episodes, then skip the last 2 and watch the film versions of those "End of Evangelion". A more recent version is the Rebuild movies (unrelated to the old finale movie EoE). The rebuild movies are beautiful and modern and tell a new story (after the first one which is almost a straight reshoot) but they just not as visceral as the original. They're called 1.11, 2.22, 3.33, and 3.0+1.0. Watch those after the original show if you're craving more.
- cehrlich 5y ago
  I strongly disagree with skipping the original ending. I'm personally on the side of people who love it, but even for those who don't I think it's very interesting and absolutely worth watching. I'd say watch the original show, wait at least a few days, and then watch End of Evangelion.
forgotmyoldname 5y ago
It's fine, but the first few episodes absolutely will not hook you. It's very bland and generic at first.
GhettoComputers 5y ago
Nice name! I recommend Gurren Lagann, it’s got more memorable characters, it has a lot of the same elements and it’s also a lot of fun, Simon is like if Shinji grew up. Mild spoilers (without context it doesn’t matter much) but this 1min clip captures the mood, it’s organized much better and doesn’t feel esoteric 2deep4u (it’s popular because it’s not wrapped up neatly and less from quality, it’s more of a dive into the mental state of Anno’s depression). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUzzAlorT7Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUzzAlorT7Q
- Claude_Shannon 5y ago
  Thank you. It's hard to come up with good ideas for a nickname... and Shannon concept of entropy was one of things that led me into studying CS. And thanks for recommendation :)
  - GhettoComputers 5y ago
    Did the video seem entertaining? It less realistic, it has Simon act like Shinji but there is hope, the power of believing in yourself, and way more memorable characters as well as every robot having a face and to avoid spoilers they have very interesting designs like these geometric enemies https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/gurennlagann/images/d/d6/Mugann.gif https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/gurennlagann/images/d/d6/M... and the shape of the spiral is essential to the anime. If you like other media I can recommend others based on what you also like, Junji Ito's horror manga are masterpieces, welcome to the NHK is pretty relevant in Covid times (A NEET trying to change his life, being aimless, and also a dive into Japanese and otaku culture).
    - Claude_Shannon 5y ago
      Thank you. That being said... it's hard to say, but at the first look, hardly. I do realise how this sounds, but it reminds me of cartoons I saw in TV when I was younger, and I don't remember them as good :P I know, I know, misconceptions, but it's hard to break habits. Either way, thank you, I saved your answers, I will get back to them one day, I promise. Though, I remember I wanted to watch Ghost in the Shell one day. Do you recommend it? And where to start - I saw there were many spinoffs, movies, and so on

Is NGE worth watching for someone who never was really into anime? The only animated thing I've watched in ages was Arcane, but that's completly different style that NGE.

ajford 5y ago

As a long-time fan of NGE, I'd say yes. It's got a fair bit of the classic "teens in mechs" tropes to it, but there's definitely more to it under the hood, and it's universe is rather well put together in my opinion. I'd try to walk into it without focusing on it being animated though. It's cinematography like anything else, it's just a different medium and a different style that makes use of the flexibility it's medium provides.

Claude_Shannon 5y ago
I grew in a environment where admitting to even thinking about watching anything anime was like a social suicide. Only in high school it changed. I just can't help but treat everything anime related as childish (and I know that genre has some problems, with, uhh... fan service). Thank you, I will. The only thing I know about NGE is that ending(?) song, Komm Susser Tod.
- ajford 5y ago
  I luckily got into anime right on the verge where it became more socially acceptable (late 90s early 2000s). Also, I grew up in an area where the dominant local culture was more accepting of anime since Dragon Ball Z, Gundam (of some flavor), and Saint Seya were all localized into Spanish and popular with my age group. The more off the beaten path animes like NGE, Hellsing, etc. didn't become as popular until a few years later when I hit high-school.
- aidenn0 5y ago
  I remember my mom walking into the room during one of the more soap-opera-ish moments of Robotech and saying "What on earth are you watching?" I assured her that people would start shooting lasers at each other in giant robots soon...
- dragontamer 5y ago
  > and I know that genre has some problems, with, uhh... fan service NGE is quite Freudian and psycho-sexual. If you're worried about fan service moments, I'd say stay away. NGE isn't quite the worst when it comes to fan service, but its pretty up there IMO. This ain't a "waifu-simulator" or a harem but... its like 80% of the way there. I mean, full on themes of Oedipus complex, teenagers discovering their sexuality, and other such sexual issues. Its certainly a mature theme and if you're worried about it... maybe its a better idea if you do stay away. ------- There's a reason why I push "Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood" in my other post. There's almost no fan-service in that show. (Like, "Lust", the character representing the deadly sin has a low-cut dress but that's about it in Full Metal Alchemist, and its kind of acceptable for her character to do that cause she's Lust after all. Despite the name, she has almost no themes of sexuality and mostly serves as an incredibly powerful villain for the heroes to take down). In contrast, NGE takes sexuality front and center in many episodes. In most cases, I think it does advance the story and is therefore acceptable, but plenty of blush-worthy scenes that are largely explained by "fanservice".
- apocolyps6 5y ago
  Just as a warning, its a relentlessly horny work. At least in the original series every single female character is sexualized, and two of them are 14 years old. There is at least one instance of "casual" sexual assault. The plot might be great, but it felt pretty gross to watch
  - GhettoComputers 5y ago
    Isn’t that a critique of many animes?
    - dragontamer 5y ago
      There's a lot of good anime without fanservice if you find that sort of stuff icky, in all genres too. * The Promised Neverland (Thriller / Shonen) * Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle (Comedy) * Spirited Away (And really, virtually everything by Miyazaki has no fanservice) * Oddtaxi (Film Noir / Zootopia world) * Little Witch Academia (Iyashikei / Healing genre / School) * Full Metal Alchemist (Battle / Epic Journey anime) * Fate / Zero (while the Fate/series in general has fanservice and/or harem tropes, Fate/Zero has none) * Your Lie in April (Romance / Drama) I know some people just find the fanservice scenes icky, so I try to keep an eye out for the fanservice-free shows for them. There are also some kinds of nudity which are more artistic in nature rather than fanservice. I think Spice and Wolf handled that sort of thing well for example: Holo's occasional nudity is somewhat representative of her Wolf Goddess form / Pagan diety background, and I don't think it was really used too much for what most would call fanservice (and certainly fit the setting of "Pagan Diety travels across Europe with Merchant").
      - GhettoComputers 5y ago
        I would reword "fanservice" since its more like pleasing the audience, I consider Macross Frontier fanservice with singing SDFM songs for instance, oversexualization for male viewers is always fan service but not vice versa, Miyazaki I also see as a lot of feminist fanservice (which I enjoy, having a female lead with depth is great!). Many of those I haven't heard of, but do you consider something like Gurren Lagann as fanservice to Evangelion fans? I also consider GiTS nudity non sexual.
- GhettoComputers 5y ago
  In the 90s it was ok to like DBZ but nothing else. I think anime fan sites linking to hentai didn’t help kids feel like it was anything but a gateway to porn either. Blast from the past: anyone remember the pink hair girl with green bouncing her anime titties? https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/fairy-bounce https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/fairy-bounce

mas-ev 5y ago

I'd recommend watching it with subtitles. If you don't like subs after the first episode or two then go for dub. Once you get to episode 25 & 26, you could choose to watch the End of Evangelion movie instead. Episodes 25 and 26 are very abstract and rushed due to initial production budget. EoE is a more watchable ending to the series. If you're craving more after that! The plot continues with the four Rebuild of Evangelion movies on Amazon prime video.

nemo1618 5y ago
Call me crazy but imo it's worth watching the entire series just so that you can then properly enjoy EoE -- which is surely one of the greatest animated films ever made.
- dragontamer 5y ago
  Nah. I'd push things like Spirited Away or Tokyo Godfathers first, as far as anime-movies go actually. EoE is good for the Evangelion fans. But honestly, Tokyo Godfathers hit me way harder. EoE probably doesn't even hit my top 5 list of anime movies. #1: Spirited Away #2: Tokyo Godfathers #3: Girl who Leapt through Time #4: Summer Wars #5: "Voices of a Distant Star" for #5? Hmm, or maybe "Time of Eve" ?? A lot of things I wanna fit in here but not EoE yet. Not even getting to the "classics" like Akira, Eden of the East, Ghost in a Shell or whatever. These above movies have some mainstream appeal but still manage to hit that thoughtful analysis and depth. I'd still put something like Ghost in a Shell or "Your Name" above EoE... There are also 'kid anime movies' like Patema Inverted that really were excellent and deserve recognition. EoE is niche and fine for Evangelion fans though. Absolutely beautiful, and some of the best fight scenes I've ever seen. But you gotta see some of the __good anime movies__ out there. They all stand above EoE IMO.
  - nemo1618 5y ago
    meh, I found Girl who Leapt through Time, Summer Wars, and Your Name to be pretty forgettable. Spirited Away, Tokyo Godfathers, and Akira are obviously classics, but none of them have made quite as deep an impression on me as EoE. I guess it hinges on which themes are most personally meaningful to you.

dragontamer 5y ago

> Is NGE worth watching for someone who never was really into anime? Maybe? NGE is not very representative of anime in general. Its definitely its own creature. These days, "anime" lovers like "That Time I was Reincarnated as a Slime", "Naruto", "My Hero Academia", or "Demon Slayer". And back then, this "style" was carried by Sailor Moon or Dragon Ball Z. You know: powerful hero collects a bunch of things and saves the world kind of plot. None of these shows are anything like NGE. I'd say people who like NGE will probably not like Demon Slayer, and vice versa. --------- NGE is an existential mecha-pilot anime about depression, being forced into a losing battle with powers you don't understand. If you feel like dragging yourself through 26 episodes of that, yeah, go ahead. But this ain't the happy-go-lucky overpowered main character always wins kinda show that's popular by 2020 standards. That's for sure. Don't get me wrong, I like both style of shows (!!!), and both have their place. But "anime" is so diverse that you really can't compare this story with other great anime stories. ---------- That being said, I'd say the perfect "starter anime" is "Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood". This show has a lot of the crazy fights you'd see in some of the more battle-oriented anime, but also has some deeper self-introspection that was more common to 90s era anime. Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood hits a lot of themes and concepts that seem universal, that many people both anime-fans and non-anime fans can enjoy. EDIT: In particular, the main character: Edward Elric, may be a kid but he grows up through the show and becomes a hero. Not your typical "anime superpower" growth (Naruto/Demon Slayer / Dragonball Z)... but instead actual outlook on life and maturity kind of growth. Yes, its a hero's journey but there's a reason this story is told over and over again, its a classic epic tale setup with widespread appeal. What's exceptional is that Edward Elric is a mostly mature character even from episode 1. So starting from a largely mature character and seeing him grow even more is quite spectacular honestly. FMA just does the hero's tale extremely well, far better than most typical anime... with a few deconstructive bits thrown in here and there. NGE is almost a self-loathing kind of story that makes you feel pitiful. Its good at it too, but I don't think it'd be popular or mainstream. NGE is really out there and goes 100% for whatever depressing feeling its trying to drag you into. I really don't think its something I'd typically share (despite its widespread acclaim, it really is a niche-storyline IMO that few people would enjoy). EDIT: In contrast: FMA does have a couple of self-loathing parts (The early "Tucker" arc is especially a horrific ordeal), but never quite to the degree that NGE ever gets to. Its still horrific what happens in FMA: Brotherhood, but you never really lose hope in Edward Elric. You can root for the hero from the beginning and never lose faith. In contrast, NGE absolutely expects you to lose faith in Shinji Ikari, his father, and the entire set of humans involved in the plot. These are not good people. You're watching a train-wreck in slow motion. This is very unusual, even by anime standards. ---------- Lets put this in terms of WW2 movies. There's lots of WW2 movies: like "Downfall / Der Untergang" and "Midway". Both have their benefits, both are WW2 movies. But "Downfall / Der Untergang" is simply going to be more niche because the depressing stories are just less popular than the mainstream happy / boom boom fighting movies (like Midway). If you were trying to get people into WW2 movies, would you start them on "Downfall / Der Untergang" ?? Probably not. Similarly, I wouldn't recommend NGE to a beginner anime watcher... I'd start you on something happier and more mainstream.

aidenn0 5y ago

Enjoyment of it does rely a tiny bit on knowing the general tropes of "giant robot" anime as it does deconstruct a lot of those. If you have seen even a few episodes of Robotech/Macross/Gundam that's plenty. Even a bit of Voltron or having seen the movie "Iron Giant" may do. That being said, if you are familiar with the general idea of "Only this one average/milquetoast/nerdy teenager can save the world for contrived plot reasons" it should still be enjoyable as that's where it dials the deconstruction knob up to 11 the most.

dragontamer 5y ago
> If you have seen even a few episodes of Robotech/Macross/Gundam that's plenty. Even a bit of Voltron or having seen the movie "Iron Giant" may do. Power Rangers might be the most mainstream concept for US-audiences. (It helps of course that Power Rangers is somewhat loosely based on Sentai Zyuranger, but a large chunk of the scenes were replaced with American actors) Power Rangers is a really good example of the mainstream trope that NGE is deconstructing. A team of "teenagers" are given all-powerful giant robots to kick the ass of the bad guy. And... you just trust Zordon, right? Zordon doesn't have like, nefarious purposes or anything. And these "teenagers" have the right psyche for the job right? We won't need like, a sad commander constantly barking orders at these teenagers to get in the freaking robot to save the world. And these teenagers won't get hurt right, in these fights? Like, if a heat-ray hits the robot and the internal fluids of the robot begin to boil, the pilots won't get severe burns or mental scars from these traumas? Oh... right. Why 13-year-olds? I mean, there's an in-universe reason that I don't want to spoil. But its really because its a deconstruction of "teenagers in giant robots" trope that was all the rage in the 90s (like Power Rangers).
- aidenn0 5y ago
  I've never actually watched Power Rangers (well after my time watching TV on Saturday mornings), but that does sound like a good bet.
GhettoComputers 5y ago
Does it? I watched it as a depressed teen without any super robot context. After watching other super robots I don’t feel like I missed context.

skhr0680 5y ago

Evangelion is pretty polarizing, if you watch a couple of episodes and hate it , there’s nothing wrong with you.

elihu 5y ago

Possibly. I think you can get a pretty good idea if you'd like the original series just from watching the first few episodes.

GhettoComputers 5y ago
It went from shounen monster of the week to wtf around 12 or something

latexr 5y ago

> Is NGE worth watching for someone who never was really into anime? No. I recommend something by Satoshi Kon instead. Not the least because the time commitment is way shorter (movie instead of TV show). Watch Every Frame a Painting’s video[1] and pick any movie. It’s Christmas season, so maybe go with Tokyo Godfathers[2]. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz49vQwSoTE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz49vQwSoTE [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Godfathers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Godfathers

Pxtl 5y ago

If you were ever a depressed and lonely 14 year old kid, then yes. Watch the original TV series. It perfectly captures the isolation of being a young outcast full of hormones and mental health problems, mixed with a twisted cross-pollination of Japanese "monster of the week" giant robot Sentai framing and a biblical apocalyptic subtext. Watch the first 24 22-minute episodes, then skip the last 2 and watch the film versions of those "End of Evangelion". A more recent version is the Rebuild movies (unrelated to the old finale movie EoE). The rebuild movies are beautiful and modern and tell a new story (after the first one which is almost a straight reshoot) but they just not as visceral as the original. They're called 1.11, 2.22, 3.33, and 3.0+1.0. Watch those after the original show if you're craving more.

cehrlich 5y ago
I strongly disagree with skipping the original ending. I'm personally on the side of people who love it, but even for those who don't I think it's very interesting and absolutely worth watching. I'd say watch the original show, wait at least a few days, and then watch End of Evangelion.

forgotmyoldname 5y ago

It's fine, but the first few episodes absolutely will not hook you. It's very bland and generic at first.

GhettoComputers 5y ago

Nice name! I recommend Gurren Lagann, it’s got more memorable characters, it has a lot of the same elements and it’s also a lot of fun, Simon is like if Shinji grew up. Mild spoilers (without context it doesn’t matter much) but this 1min clip captures the mood, it’s organized much better and doesn’t feel esoteric 2deep4u (it’s popular because it’s not wrapped up neatly and less from quality, it’s more of a dive into the mental state of Anno’s depression). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUzzAlorT7Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUzzAlorT7Q

Claude_Shannon 5y ago
Thank you. It's hard to come up with good ideas for a nickname... and Shannon concept of entropy was one of things that led me into studying CS. And thanks for recommendation :)
- GhettoComputers 5y ago
  Did the video seem entertaining? It less realistic, it has Simon act like Shinji but there is hope, the power of believing in yourself, and way more memorable characters as well as every robot having a face and to avoid spoilers they have very interesting designs like these geometric enemies https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/gurennlagann/images/d/d6/Mugann.gif https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/gurennlagann/images/d/d6/M... and the shape of the spiral is essential to the anime. If you like other media I can recommend others based on what you also like, Junji Ito's horror manga are masterpieces, welcome to the NHK is pretty relevant in Covid times (A NEET trying to change his life, being aimless, and also a dive into Japanese and otaku culture).
  - Claude_Shannon 5y ago
    Thank you. That being said... it's hard to say, but at the first look, hardly. I do realise how this sounds, but it reminds me of cartoons I saw in TV when I was younger, and I don't remember them as good :P I know, I know, misconceptions, but it's hard to break habits. Either way, thank you, I saved your answers, I will get back to them one day, I promise. Though, I remember I wanted to watch Ghost in the Shell one day. Do you recommend it? And where to start - I saw there were many spinoffs, movies, and so on