It turns out I have a lot of feelings about Evangelion

[meteordust]

I didn't get the big deal about Netflix acquiring Neon Genesis Evangelion, until the articles pointed out that it's been out of distribution since ADV went under. That surprised me. It's a classic. And for ages no one could see it? So I guess it's about time. It's been (literally) 20 years since it first aired. And now it can be discovered by (literally) a new generation.

(The cataclysmic event in the backstory is Second Impact in 2000. The present day of the story is 2015. It must have seemed like forever away when the show started in 1995.)

It's been fascinating to read other reactions online. One forum commenter said, "It's the most pretentious and overhyped anime I've ever seen." I laughed, because the thing is, they're not wrong. It's just that, being pretentious and overhyped doesn't stop it from being awesome.

(The thing is, I don't think it has aged badly? What I mean is, its flaws today - fanservicey, indulgent, inexplicable - were flaws we complained about back then. It hasn't gotten suddenly worse in retrospect.)

And the music! One of my favourite anime soundtracks of all time. Pulse pounding, adrenalin spiking, and occasionally wistful. I still get shivers when I hear those opening notes to "Cruel Angel's Thesis". And to this day, "Ode to Joy" makes me think of Evangelion. The music takes me right back across the years, to that hushed theatre, everyone riveted to the screen, not knowing what would unfold. Enthralled by what did.

Comments

[thawrecka]

I still think of Eva when I hear 'Fly Me to the Moon'. It's so good, though. I've looked up occasional short clip on Youtube and I think it's aged really well.

[meteordust]

I'm glad to hear it still holds up after all this time! I should check it out when it's on again.