Evangelion: Reimaging or whatever
So I forced Teacher to come out with me on Wednsday to see the Eva movie. Let me let you know what was on my mind;
I felt that this was just another round of the people behind Eva cashing in, duh. Change some plot, paint the eva a little different, BOOM, cash prizes. I knew this, but felt that seeing Eva on the big screen in Japan would sort of be well, really freaking cool, so screw it, I was gonna do it anyway.
Turns out I was plesantly suprised. For those who do not know, they are telling the Eva story again, over the course of 4 movies, but they will deviate oh so subtly from the TV version. This was true for a great deal of the movie; it was pretty much the same, but certain nuts and bolts were removed, or I should say it was streamlined. You see, the movie is sort of like Eva sans mind-fuckery of the old ones, and instead of plastering you with odd questions with no answers, they jacked up the interpersonal dialouge and gave the characters more room to play. I mean I cannot speak Japanese all that well, but I could tell that there was much more there, you felt more between the characters in these initial scenes than you did before. Also when I say streamlined they took out some plot points and chacters too. In the first scene where Shinji meets Rei, and an Angel blows a freakin hole in the roof, this time Shinji protects Rei, but there is no giant Deus Machina Eva hand that guards him. Small thing I suppose, but interesting none the less that they took it out. Also, Maya, and the other two dudes who are Eva employees are not given much focus.
Some things however, were added that kicked ass. Like when Angels die, they no longer stop or just blow up. Their S2 organ explodes into a gyser of blood. Pretty freaky hot they use it, like when the first Angel bites it, he explodes, and rains blood all over Tokyo 3, and a berserk Eva 01 walks through the aftermath. I should also mention they make the 3rd Angel (Razel?) about 400 times cooler, I would even say scary. The scene where Shinji reloads the particale cannon/sniper rifle is probobly one of the more emotional moments, it was what really showed what the new movie was about; making shit look cool, adding to characters more than brain fuck, and only deviating slightly from the plot thus far.
I'll talk about the ending, but I'll safety it up in case you don't wanna read...
The ending was very interesting. Basically it ends the way the fight did with the 3rd angel, Shinji burning his hands, getting Rei out (though this time he cuts her out, kinda cool) and so on. After this you are all of a sudden looking at a row of what look like black graves with the new Seele symbol on it. One moves, and out comes Kaoru. He then looks up and is confronted by Seele 1 Sound Only, and they chat about shit having to get done. In the background is either Lilith or Adam, seemingly sitting in the ground like it's a hot tub, the earth in the background. If I'm crazy I'd say they were on the moon. Why? Who the hell knows, but there they are.
After this ominus scene we get the credits, then afterwards we get the usual face paced song like at the end of the lold episodes telling us about the next movie, voiced by Katsuragi Misato. Here is where I got the 45 inch boner; the new movie will clearly deviate in some ways. The chick from girlfriend of steel appears, as well as Units 05 and 06, non-mass production type. You see their sillouettes. You also see AdamS (multiple) and well what just looks like a whole bunch of new and different shit. It got me real excited.
So the credits are playing the new Utada Hikaru song "Beautiful World" all fancy, and I could not help to think that I have sort of come full circle with this stuff. I mean, I would be lying if I said watching Eva in High School has no effect on my decision to eventually come to Japan today. Eva really got me thinking about Japanese culture, and pulled me deeper into anime. It was sort of a gateway drug, and here I am like 9 years later watching it in Japan on screen on a date. I mean, it was an odd culminating moment for me I suppose, in a stupid way a milestone of sorts.
I always tell myself that what I am doing here is real, I am doing real things, meeting real people and doing something that will contribute to the rest of my life. On occasion though I wonder secretly if I am really not much different from the overweight sailormoon costume wearing Con-goers of the past. I mean, did I trancent that fandom, did I do something different than they did, did I make it real, or did I just go so deep into the fandom that I came out the other side, slightly changed in a new, sleaker super geek proto-type shell? Am I post nerd or neo nerd? I mean I know I am me and thats that, but if I was to be classified, where would I fall? I sometimes wonder. In the end I am happy with all my decisions and I still feel like this is some wacky dream, even 1 year into it. I mean I help coach a Japanese High School Track Team, I'll be DJing at some music event, I rock out like a rockstar in Tokyo. I climbed Mt. Fuji. Even in all of my crazy J dreams from home I never even imagined half this shit. I feel like everyday I am defining what this is to me, writing the pages of what this adventure will entail. It's exciting and scary and it souds silly but watching the credits of that movie reminded me of that; that I really am swimming in this sea of ..er.. life, and not just doggie paddling in place. I suppose it's empowering, knowing that I pushed myself here, that I took care of business and did it, and now I am writing the story. It's crazy stuff.
Anyways that was a deviation. Sorry.
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