Heh, last Evangelion post. I swear.
I've been getting some feedback from people who have read my recent LiveJournal entries and are interested in watching Evangelion, which they should. However, I think that knowing these few tidbits before watching the series would really help anyone who's interested:
1. Have patience. This is not your everyday movie experience. Evangelion is long. Really long. As stated earlier in this journal, there are 26 episodes in the core series, all of which range from 27 to 24 minutes in length. Plus, there is a 1 1/2 hour "finale" film, entitled End of Evangelion, which should be watched directly after finishing the actual series. Overall, you're devoting about 12 1/2 hours of screentime to this series. Every second of which, might I add, is certainly worth it. You're crazy if you try to watch it all in one day, though. The first time I watched it over about a week and a half - a couple episodes a day. But to get the full experience, I suggest watching it in about four days. Day 1: episodes 1 - 7. Day 2: episodes 8 - 13. Day 3: episodes 14 - 20. Day 4: episodes 21 - 26 and End of Evangelion.
2. Again, have patience! The plot doesn't really pick up until around episode 14. Episodes 1 - 13 aren't bad at all - in fact, some of the best imagery and fight scenes occur in this first half of the series. But the plot doesn't REALLY get going until episodes 14 and 15.
3. There are subtitles. You can watch it as a dub, but I don't recommend it. The dubbed english voices are only mediocre, and only detract from the dialogue's significance. I would suggest watching it in original Japanese with English subtitles. This does not take away from the series at all. I've always been a fan of foriegn films, and I've always believed that people who can't get past subtitles are devoid of any artistic taste. Even if you've never watched a movie or television series with subtitles before, after the first few episodes you barely even notice them anymore. I promise.
4. As amazing as it is, this is still an anime. There are certain odd nuances and idiosyncracies of Japanese animation that often come across to first time Western viewers as silly or downright stupid. For example, the occasional use of cliche, slapstick, goofy anime humor. For people interested in Eva that aren't seasoned anime fans, try to ignore these moments the best you can. They have little to no importance to the actual plot, and only exist because of the derivative, traditionalist nature of the medium. This is not - I stress *NOT* - Dragonball Z. Comparing Evangelion to Dragonball Z is like comparing prime rib to Spam.
5. You will NOT understand Eva the first time you watch it. After watching the entire series for the first time, I was literally overwhelmed with the depth and magnitude of it all. It wasn't until, honestly, the THIRD time through the series - and many late night conversations with avid and learned fans - that I really began to grasp the entire plot, and what it was trying to say. The last two episodes, coupled with EoE, are *very* artistic and often times downright weird. They're incredibly hard to understand at first. But don't fret. I consider myself a very well read person, and very knowledgable of the arts, and like I said, I had to watch the series three times before I really started to figure things out. Don't get discouraged. Only realize that you're dealing with an incredibly deep and intricate work of art.
Those are the only real forewarnings I can give. Like I said, as different as Evangelion may seem at first, I believe everyone should watch it. The artistry is amazing. The imagery is amazing. The direction is amazing. The music is amazing. The plot is amazing. The characters are amazing. The overall message is, well, "amazing" doesn't suit it.
With the above five pointers in mind, anyone can experience and appreciate Eva for what it's worth. I highly suggest you do so. As silly as this may sound, it's a life changing experience.
1. Have patience. This is not your everyday movie experience. Evangelion is long. Really long. As stated earlier in this journal, there are 26 episodes in the core series, all of which range from 27 to 24 minutes in length. Plus, there is a 1 1/2 hour "finale" film, entitled End of Evangelion, which should be watched directly after finishing the actual series. Overall, you're devoting about 12 1/2 hours of screentime to this series. Every second of which, might I add, is certainly worth it. You're crazy if you try to watch it all in one day, though. The first time I watched it over about a week and a half - a couple episodes a day. But to get the full experience, I suggest watching it in about four days. Day 1: episodes 1 - 7. Day 2: episodes 8 - 13. Day 3: episodes 14 - 20. Day 4: episodes 21 - 26 and End of Evangelion.
2. Again, have patience! The plot doesn't really pick up until around episode 14. Episodes 1 - 13 aren't bad at all - in fact, some of the best imagery and fight scenes occur in this first half of the series. But the plot doesn't REALLY get going until episodes 14 and 15.
3. There are subtitles. You can watch it as a dub, but I don't recommend it. The dubbed english voices are only mediocre, and only detract from the dialogue's significance. I would suggest watching it in original Japanese with English subtitles. This does not take away from the series at all. I've always been a fan of foriegn films, and I've always believed that people who can't get past subtitles are devoid of any artistic taste. Even if you've never watched a movie or television series with subtitles before, after the first few episodes you barely even notice them anymore. I promise.
4. As amazing as it is, this is still an anime. There are certain odd nuances and idiosyncracies of Japanese animation that often come across to first time Western viewers as silly or downright stupid. For example, the occasional use of cliche, slapstick, goofy anime humor. For people interested in Eva that aren't seasoned anime fans, try to ignore these moments the best you can. They have little to no importance to the actual plot, and only exist because of the derivative, traditionalist nature of the medium. This is not - I stress *NOT* - Dragonball Z. Comparing Evangelion to Dragonball Z is like comparing prime rib to Spam.
5. You will NOT understand Eva the first time you watch it. After watching the entire series for the first time, I was literally overwhelmed with the depth and magnitude of it all. It wasn't until, honestly, the THIRD time through the series - and many late night conversations with avid and learned fans - that I really began to grasp the entire plot, and what it was trying to say. The last two episodes, coupled with EoE, are *very* artistic and often times downright weird. They're incredibly hard to understand at first. But don't fret. I consider myself a very well read person, and very knowledgable of the arts, and like I said, I had to watch the series three times before I really started to figure things out. Don't get discouraged. Only realize that you're dealing with an incredibly deep and intricate work of art.
Those are the only real forewarnings I can give. Like I said, as different as Evangelion may seem at first, I believe everyone should watch it. The artistry is amazing. The imagery is amazing. The direction is amazing. The music is amazing. The plot is amazing. The characters are amazing. The overall message is, well, "amazing" doesn't suit it.
With the above five pointers in mind, anyone can experience and appreciate Eva for what it's worth. I highly suggest you do so. As silly as this may sound, it's a life changing experience.