Neon Genesis Evangelion & End of Evangelion

Some background: Neon Genesis Evangelion is an anime series (comprising 26 episodes) and End of Evangelion was a movie (in a sense; it supplemented [some would say replaced] the last two episodes of the series).



Genre(s): Anime (heh), Mecha (involves robots, or in this case cyborgs), Shonen (aimed at more mature males, hence: violence/gore (lots) nudity (an unhealthy amount).



*Sigh*



Did I mention Evangelion contains a mish mash of metaphysical randomness and a fine dose of Christian symbolism?



With that in mind, let's proceed.



The first episode of the anime begins with a battle. We see how the most powerful weapons are useless against the Angels (the series' main antagonists). Then we find our reluctant hero, Shinji.



He is one of the "Children" (the second one, actually) who are able to pilot the Evangelion (huge cyborg battle suits).

And thus, the show begins. But the Evangelions' are no undefeatable super weapons (at least, most of the time). We see them sliced and diced, blown to bits and voila, repaired again (the price: a hefty chunk of Japan's budget).



But Evangelion does not stop there. Besides the interludes where we are given more of the characters' backstory, we are treated to the psychological torments that plague the pilots of the Evangelions: Shinji in particular (he is what we would call a typical emo kid), Rei (she is so emo to the point that her character is as lively as a doll) and Asuka (grossly extroverted, a big contrast to the other two).

We are treated to the thoughts and monologues of most of the characters here. And the montages and random flashbacks can often become very annoying (as with the tedious "existential" conversations).

But some credit can be given here to the creator and producers for not leaving this as a mindless bash-the- bad-guys-up anime, and at least trying to make it more thoughtful. It succeeds sometimes, yes. But for the most part it got on my nerves.



Anyways, there is the usual Christian symbolism here: Tree of Life, Lance of Longinus (a.k.a. Spear of Destiny) we see an Angel crucified (any point here that they were trying to make is beyond me) and etc.



Violence. Yes, heaps. Mutilations, dismemberings and all that. And they get rather gruesome, too. Not to the forget the often pointless nudity/sexual references: There is a scene where Shinji visits Rei's apartment. Apparently, no one is there. But then she suddenly comes out of the shower, surprises Shinji and what do you know? He trips onto her, and lands with his hands on her breasts. Right.

More: We hear people having sexual intercourse. Nothing is shown, but the sounds are explicit. And in End of Evangelion, we are treated to the sight of Shinji's semen. Yup.



Oh well. Up to you to decide if you wish to wade through this stuff to reach the good parts.



It can be said that Evangelion displays its characters with all their human flaws, in full glory.

Let's move on to the movie: We are treated to a nice enough battle sequence, and as things get more interesting (and complex) we immediately thrown back into Shinji's head, with all his existential and metaphysical musings. Tiring, I thought.



You might find Evangelion in its totality (metaphysical monologues and all). I only found its battle scenes and backstory entertaining. And Evangelion is strongest where we are told of the backstory behind the Angels' appearances, as well as the story behind the Evangelions.



I only found one interesting thing at the final scenes of the movie End of Evangelion (Spoiler):



Shinji, instead of choosing to become "one" with the rest of humanity (who has since been reduced to primordial soup), chooses individual existence. Quite interesting, as it takes a good swipe at Hindu/Buddhist doctrines of the final goal for all humans: Oneness (which is Pantheism, by the way).



I guess Shinji doesn't like Nirvana.



So, my overview of the series (and movie):



Interesting story, engaging battle scenes, characters are developed rather well. But the the most terrible parts are the internal monologues, while not all bad themselves, were rather annoying after a while.

Upcoming Personal Projects

Yes, every once in a while, I begin a personal project to occupy my time (I fondly refer to "time" as "life". Ergo, "you're wasting my life" is used on occasion)



It's also necessary to post such things here, as they provide you a motivation to complete them. I've begun countless "projects", and most of them never get completed. Yes, readers (my few, loyal readers- you know who you are, and you are few enough in number that I know who you are), please "tegur saya" if such projects never reach their fruition.



So here goes:

Reviews, review, reviews. Yes, I know, the easiest of my projects. And also an ongoing thing. Expect the anime Evangelion (series and the movie) to be reviewed (and analyzed here). I'm eager to write the review for this- this show has a lot of metaphysical allusions. And nonsense. Also: God of War 2 (the game) and Air (the anime). And maybe, if I have the time, I'll have a go at Avril Lavigne's latest album (The Best Damn Thing)



I'm also working on an as of yet untitled fantasy novella (hopefully, it reaches that word count). But please, don't think I have descended to the level of amateur (and teenaged) writers who have no better ideas of a story than of a chosen boy who shall save the world.



Most of my stories never take off. But I'm confident this one will. Well, we'll see.



And I'm in the midst of writing up a few detailed articles. They'll be mostly my thoughts and findings on various things. Most definitely they'll be either philosophical and/or theological.



But I'll definitely be going to write a satire/critique of teenage romance. It's just too amusing, and yet sad. I think you have a vague idea of what to expect. Hehehe.



So there you have it. All nicely laid down for you, what will probably my blog's future posts, and some evidence that I've done (and will be doing) some proper stuff in my life, and not just sitting down watching anime and playing the PS2.



Soli Deo Gloria.

Abortion: Whose Rights?

The Supreme Court has outlawed partial birth abortion. Wonderful, except this is merely a small victory, and the pro-choicers are claiming a big crime has been done to women. I myself don't believe this decision will hold for long.



I will keep my comments brief.



They say what will happen to women should the unborn be allowed to survive. I ask what would the unborn say, if they were given a choice whether to live or die.



In this case, choice only belongs to one person. Murder? Not so, apparently, to them.



I call this selective ignorance coupled with self-delusion. Much like how we happily eat our buffets while thousands of others starve to death each day. As Reagan quipped, "I noticed that those who oppose abortion are already born".



In this case, the murders of the unborn are given the blind eye, and I wonder since when did a women's "right to choice" supersede the value of a life.



The Evangelical Outpost, by the way, has two good posts on the subject.



The Infanticide Procedure

The Infanticide Procedure Pt. 2

When You're Bored

Well, you know you're really bored when you even bother to do these quizzes. Well, here's some:

You scored as Hestia. You are Hestia, even though playing no part in any myth you are happy just being the godess of virginity. You also love babies.

Hestia 67% Poseidon 67% Aphrodite 67% Athena 67% Hera 58% Hermes 42% Zeus 33% Nemesis 33% Artemis 25% Ares 17% Hephaestus 17% Hades 17% Which Greek God are you most like? created with QuizFarm.com

I certainly knew I was going to score as a goddess. I would've preferred Artemis though. Not so bad. I'm close to Athena. And virginity? For men, that would be rather bad ;)

You scored as Christianity. Your views are most similar to those of Christianity. Do more research on Christianity and possibly consider being baptized and accepting Jesus, if you aren't already Christian. Christianity is the second of the Abrahamic faiths; it follows Judaism and is followed by Islam. It differs in its belief of Jesus, as not a prophet nor historical figure, but as God in human form. The Holy Trinity is the concept that God takes three forms: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost (sometimes called Holy Spirit). Jesus taught the idea of instead of seeking revenge, one should love his or her neighbors and enemies. Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to save humankind and forgive people's sins. Christianity 83% Judaism 46% Buddhism 42% Paganism 33% Islam 29% agnosticism 21% Hinduism 17% Satanism 13% atheism 4% Which religion is the right one for you? (new version) created with QuizFarm.com

Oh...I thought so myself.

You scored as Bomb. Your death will be by bombing. You will probably be an innocent bystander, not doing anything wrong and not a person who was targeted at, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bomb 73% Disappear 67% Suicide 60% Natural Causes 53% Gunshot 47% Poison 47% Eaten 33% Disease 33% Drowning 27% Cut Throat 20% Accident 13% Stabbed 13% Suffocated 13% How Will You Die?? created with QuizFarm.com

Oh dear. Blown to bits. That's sad. On a lighter note, at least I'll be on the news.

You scored as Angel. Angels are the guardians of all things, from the smallest ant to the tallest tree. They give inspiration, love, hope, and positive emotion. They live among humans without being seen. They are the good in all things, and if you feel alone, don't fear. They are always watching. Often times they merely stand by, whispering into the ears of those who feel lost. They would love nothing more then to reveal themselves, but in today's society, this would bring havoc and many unneeded questions. Give thanks to all things beautiful, for you are an Angel. Angel 67% Faerie 58% Mermaid 50% WereWolf 25% Dragon 17% Demon 0% What Mythological Creature are you? (Cool Pics!) created with QuizFarm.com

Ah that's nice. However, I don't think angels are mythological creatures. ;)

You scored as Wisdom. You're Wisdom!!!! You know what your doing and your wisdom will come in handy in the furture. Your knowledge is very important to you. Wisdom 92% Love 83% Hope 83% Peace 83% Grace 83% Courage 83% Faith 75% Joy 67% What feeling are you?? (cool pics) created with QuizFarm.com

Ah...they always said I was smart. =)

You scored as Divine Command. Your life is directed by Divine Command: Your god and religion give you meaning and direction. “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.” --King James Version of the Bible “Even as a tree has a single trunk but many branches and leaves, there is one religion--human religion--but any number of faiths.” --Mahatma Gandhi More info at Arocoun's Wikipedia User Page... Divine Command 100% Justice (Fairness) 85% Hedonism 80% Utilitarianism 60% Existentialism 45% Kantianism 35% Strong Egoism 35% Apathy 15% Nihilism 0% What philosophy do you follow? (v1.03) created with QuizFarm.com

Divine Command, yep definitely. Although there is a fair bit of hedonism in me. Heh. And yes, no nihilism. Yucks.





Oh well. That's it. I promise you, I'll never post such stuff here again.

It's...Maths!

Rant on maths begins.



Yes, I survived accounting in college. But it's that time of the year where we begin...numeracy & statistics! Yep. But our college is a special one. Most of us just absolutely hate maths. We are allergic to it. Not fond of it all. Mortal enemies. So on and so forth.



Even our lecturer puzzled over how she was going to educate us. A bunch of people who have long forgotten most of their maths save the basic arithmetic.



So we learned algebra today. Yippee. One student started: "The horror...the horror!"



Indeed, although elementary algebra (I emphasize, elementary) is easy enough for me. So I, and most of us breezed through. Except for those who said "The horror!". Of course.



How annoying. How do we explain our fear of maths? (Anyone willing to think up an evolutionary explanation that would be worth putting into Steven Pinker's next book?)



Alright, explanations aside, I've been finding ways on how to overcome with. I've begun with geometry. Yes, that's a good way, no? Looked...easy enough. So far.



But I'm afraid of the unknown. Algebra II? Trigonometry? Calculus? Save us Lord.



Rant on maths ended.

Sunshine

If I were to name one movie that most closely parallels Sunshine, it would be Michael Bay's Armageddon. But that would be insulting, as Sunshine is much more refined and yes, much better than that overwrought disaster epic.



Danny Boyle's Sunshine feels, however, like a combination of all the sci-fi disaster epics out there. Yes, I spotted Armageddon, Deep Impact, The Core and I'm sure if you've seen a lot of other similar movies, you could name more. But that's just what it is. The first half of the movie, while spectacular to a certain extent, nevertheless feels very formulaic.



The second half, however, just reeks of Paul Anderson's Event Horizon. This is not so much of as insult as a disappointed sigh. Surely Sunshine could have been so much better if it had not descended, by this time, into a cheap horror flick. But I suppose, some compromise would be necessary in order to draw in the crowd. Not many people go for pure sci-fi nowadays (see my comments on the previous review).



But despite being that unoriginal, Sunshine still, well, shines. It is visually dazzling, and the story (as well as the good enough performances from most of the actors) keeps us interested.



A little nitpick: Why in the world would they name a ship that would save humanity the Icarus? Was he not the guy who fell out of the sky when he got too close to the sun? Most people would say it would be rather bad luck. I suppose such a name was given for more poetic effect.



Sunshine, nevertheless, is still quite an entertaining movie, as long as you do not treat it as the movie that will refresh the entire sci-fi genre (in order words, don't expect too much from it). It doesn't. It merely should entertain you, and I think it succeeds well in doing that.





The Thoughtful Critic: B-



The Relaxed Moviegoer: B

The Fountain

How sad. This movie didn't do well (relatively speaking) in the US, and so the distributors (whoever they are) probably thought that the market in Malaysia wouldn't be that interested.



I guess they were right.



When we go for a movie, we expect everything to be explained in clear, understandable terms. The Fountain, however, is not such a movie.



This movie is complicated. It requires interpretation (gasp!). It is vague and ambiguous. Hence, not a movie you'd take your girlfriend out to.



How sad that our puny little minds are not worthy to think of such great things. Okay, maybe I went a little overboard.



Well, Hugh Jackman is Tomas/Tommy/Thomas. He finds the Tree of Life (The Fountain, truth be told, does not feature any fountain whatsoever). And we are treated to three seperate but interweaving narratives, him in the past, him in the present, him in the future.



This is where I throw in my first few criticisms. The scenes in the past (somewhere in ancient South America, where he is a Conquistador in a search for the Tree of Life) are very much dull and not very original. Slightly interesting yes, but not exceptional.



How about the present? This is where most of the personal story comes from. Thomas (a doctor) tries to save his dying wife, Izzy.



And then the future, where most of the awesome visual effects can be scene. He is now bald, traveling in a bubble through space, and doing yoga (something very much derided by critics!).



He carries with him the Tree of Life (talks to it, and eats of it), bringing it to another far away nebula. He is tormented by hallucinations (?) of his dying wife.



Some of this is interpretation on my part, as some scenes are very vague. Baffling is the word, should an ordinary (i.e. just there to relax, not to think too hard, here for the fun, give me something good) kind of movie goer, which is incidentally encompasses 90% (or more) of our population.



Don't expect an easily coherent narrative, and this could either be the movie's worst flaw, or its best aspect (most critics lean toward the former). I personally think it is the latter, although I do agree it should have been a little clearer. I was, very often, left baffled myself.



Oh yes, the visual effects. If you hate such stories, then at least feast yourself on the fantastic (all the more, considering that almost all of it is not CGI) scenes.



The ending of the show is both confusing and brilliant (confusing storywise, brilliant visually). I have tried to find some interpretations, but most don't go into enough detail. I myself am not sure about what happens in the end (and for that matter, throughout) the movie, but I'm pretty sure, for the most part, it was great, contemplatively so.



I suppose it will clear up after a few viewings (which would make my rating for it so much better) or just stay as confusing (then it fully deserves its poor critical ratings).



Darren Aranovsky (the director) attempted to make a new kind (genre breaking) title, but I don't think he quite succeeded. Like 2001: A Space Odyssey, it is hard to understand. Which is why it was derided by many. But as you well know, in the years to come the latter movie became an all time great. Perhaps The Fountain will be as lucky, perhaps it won't. We can only wait and see, and ponder it's meaning.



The Thoughtful Critic: A-



The Relaxed Moviegoer: C+



(Note: The above two ratings reflect a new rating system I thought up: what the critical side in me thinks, as well as the "just want to be entertained" side in me opines. I suppose those two different sides of rating will help add some clarity.)

Extremely Intriguing

It is, really. What happens when you have a world-class violinist fiddling away for your spare change?

Hellsing/Trinity Blood

**Spoilers**



Here we go- two shows about vampires. Well, actually one is truly about vampires (namely, Hellsing). Let's start with that first.



Hellsing, if you have noticed, is not about the guy who kills vampires (if you'd read Dracula or watched Van Helsing). Rather it's about the Helsing organization...who (you guessed it) hunts down freaks.

From the get go, the anime starts off impressively. The music accompanying is suitable and slick enough, and certainly enhances the mood.



Alucard, a vampire, works for the Helsing organization (he has his own motives, but also because he is a servant the organization's head- Sir Integra Helsing) hunting down vampires. Throughout the entire anime, we see him getting sliced, diced and chopped (or blown) into bits, and yet he never dies.



He is of course, an immortal vampire (also, the legendary one- read his name backwards). And so the fight scenes come out rather redundant- we know who's going to win anyway. That is, if you come to watch it with no previous knowledge. Then, you'll have a little more fun.



The series is also centered on Serris Victoria, a person turned into a vampire (see the first episode). Being a new vampire is not easy, although you do get to carry some lovely weapons with easy.



Yes, while this show has some plot and character, in the end we stay for the action. And Alucard creaming the vampires. Woohoo, the anti-hero saves the day.



I watched it in English, and I must say, this is the first anime I've come across whose English dub is better than the Japanese one (or at least, more authentic- you get to hear the character's English and Irish accents, and not static Japanese throughout). The voice acting is done well, Alucard's being very much believable.

There's a lot of violence in the show (decapitation, mutilation etc.). And of course, where there are vampires, there must be some sort of sexual overtone as well, and while there is no overt nudity here, there is lots of implied sexuality throughout.



Hellsing is not without its religious themes as well, although they are the fantastical and exaggerated sort, it's interesting to see how they play out.



The Helsing organization as it happens, is Protestant (actually, to be exact, Anglican) and they are often at odds with (if not vampires) the Vatican.



It's an enjoyable watch, sometimes intriguing, though being, very often, a "been there, done that" one. After all, this genre is close to being exhausted.



Trinity Blood, also by Gonzo, fares about the same, while being much longer (24 episodes compared to Hellsing's 13).



There are no real vampires here, just genetically altered beings that come close to the real thing. There is of course, very little occultic/spiritual elements here, most, if not all the stuff is science-fiction.



It's the end of the world (nuclear war, what else) and the Terrans (unfortunately, it's a close to overused word to describe us earthlings), emerging from the rubble, find themselves confronted with a new enemy- the Methuselah (a.k.a. the Vampires).



Fast forward a few hundred years to where the anime takes place. The Catholic church is a major power, and they are in a cold war with the Methuselah (or the New Human Empire).



While not filling us on all the details completely, it nevertheless sets up an interesting story. I found it not very original, but still, it entertains.



Anyway, the main guy here is Abel Nightroad, your typical clueless priest (we see his idiocy on a couple of occasions). But he is also a very much lethal weapon, something that not even the Methuselah, with their enhanced powers, can fight against.



One problem with Trinity Blood is that it goes too slow. Many episodes contribute little to the overall plot, and I was left feeling bored on occasions. In the end, I think, the only thing that brought me through to the end of the series was my wanting to watch Abel in Crusnik mode, which is (fanboy-esque rave here) super cool.



Animation wise, I thought it was superb, combining CGI with 2D (as always with most of Gonzo's work nowadays). Nevertheless, the plot development was half-baked, and we are never quite interested with many of the characters. The ending leaves much to be desired, though I suppose you're gonna have to resort to the novels, from which this anime is adapted from.



Much of the content here is in violence (not as extreme as Hellsing, but not for children, nonetheless), and there is a variety of religious references. And there is the mandatory bathhouse scene (that's seinen for you).



Other than that, it's not that remarkable. Storywise, it could've been much better. The fight scenes, while good enough, would be boring to someone who has watched enough Naruto (not me, thankfully).

*Sigh* Accounting.

Lecturer challenges students to do a tough question. Lecturer gives treat at Pizza Hut as reward. Students unhesitatingly accept.



And so, we faced our accounting test with determination. And we failed. Ah well.



None of us got our Balance Sheet to, well, balance. Darn. And just now, my friend called me and told me what was the problem. Oh dear, what regret he had! And so do I. Darn. And I lost in Table Tennis. Darn.



A day of darns. Darn. Darn. Darn. Oh well, Pizza Hut some other time.

Life Tires...

Yes, life is tiring. And this is so not an emo post.



Okay, so I go to college every three days, spend a few hours day, chat with friends, go back. Rinse and repeat. And every now and then we are given the wonderful task of completing an assignment. Wonderful.



Not that I complain. It is great, and a learning experience. But sometimes I wonder if Business was what I should have taken. My interests are totally different. I love science, the thing is, I just hate (and suck) at maths. Sad, sad.



Well, I'm trying to improve the situation, but when you're 17 (at least, going to be) and hardly even know the Pythagorean theorem (yeah, truly sad) then you're in trouble. I have a long way to catch up. And guess what? It's SAT this year. Nooo way. Maybe two, three years from now. This year would be suicide. Or at least, a waste of exam fees.



So I have more things to do now. Like trying to balance entertainment with study. Lots of re prioritizing (which I realize has become a problem: an imbalance between work and play, and guess which one I do more)



Homeschooling? I guess not anymore. Maybe more like self-study. My reading/study interests are hardly practical at the moment. Evolutionary psychology? Philosophy of science?  I know more metaphysics than physics, suffice to say. Something that won't be very useful, come examination time.



Oh but please, someone please ask me to write a thesis on theology. I would like that. Covenantal nomism? Soteriology? Pretty please, I would like to write something on Charismatics (my forte, as it happens).



Okay, maybe I'm going overboard with my concerns. I've yet to learn anything truly...useful. Like I don't know how to use any musical instruments. (Oh wait...are they useful?)



But I guess, I do have other expertise. What I lack is the guts. You know, I have this job that requires me to call people, and it freaks me out every time I hear the ringing tone. Freaky.



I guess that's just me. Not outgoing. Extremely contemplative. NOT melancholy, as some of my friends mistakenly point out. Hardly ever emo. Just, taciturn.



I say what I have to say, and don't say what I need not say. That is all.

Weekend, & Monday

Was a rather (relatively) busy last 3 days. I had to wake up early on a Saturday, for a sports competition my youth church was holding.



Let's just say, it wasn't a very good Saturday morning spent. Organization was at best messy, and when it finally got to the games they were only so-so. Most people (especially the women) ended up being left out, and most games were rather boring, to say the least. Well, at least our team won the the capture the flag contest, which was nice.



Sunday was church. Duh. I guess you could say it was a rest day. I virtually spent the whole day watching anime. Expect a review of Hellsing to come soon. Right now, I'm watching Trinity Blood. Somehow, I'm into that genre.



Oh yes, today, my first day at a new job. Bearable enough, and I suppose I could get used to it. Lots of databasing and calling. Oh well.