The final shot of going to live-action, which has been done previously in End of Evangelion, was telling us to go out and live our best lives. The first two are obvious, but the third is where all the loose ends get tied up. Oscar: I was reminded how in some games you have the good, bad and then a "true" ending. I was really nervous going into this film, but it managed to blow my expectations and leave me feeling satisfied. The film ends with Shinji and a character named Mari running through a train station that's actually live action footage shot by a drone. He relents and lets Shinji re-create a reality without Angels and Evas, undoing this whole mess. But after talking with Shinji, Gendo realizes that the last bit of Yui left is in his son, who he pushed away after her death. Gendo admits that he's doing this to reunite with his wife, Yui, the only person he's truly loved. When Shinji sees they're equally matched, he stops and does the sensible thing and talks to his father. Visually, they look amazing.Ĭase in point: Shinji and Gendo fight in their Evas in some meta combat scenes. In the middle of all this are some big mecha fights, but they're mostly just a metaphor for the characters' emotional struggle. As different as the various versions of Neon Genesis Evangelion are, the same general scenario plays out: Someone (usually Gendo) triggers another "Impact," a cataclysmic event where all life converges into a single soul, usually depicted as liquid goop (don't ask). Roger: That's an impressive summary of such a complex ending. He then essentially re-creates the universe where he's a bit older, and he, along with everyone else, is living a normal life. Then he does the same with all the other key characters: Rei, Asuka and Kaworu. He does this by confronting his father and becoming at peace with him. Oscar: Oh you're really going to put this on me? Shinji finally understands his feelings and realizes he's the one who can literally save the planet, as well as the universe. Speaking of which, can you explain what the heck happened at the end? It shouldn't take the end of the world for a father and son to have a chat, but there you go. Having Shinji confront his father and actually getting Gendo's perspective after all this time provided a huge source of catharsis for viewers.
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For as much as this show is known for giant robots and crazy monsters, the real key themes are about isolation (it nailed the topic of social distancing long before the pandemic) and how to form connections without the fear of getting hurt. Roger: You hit it on the head about his father. We finally get some big revelations about his father Gendo that was seemingly that last puzzle to this whole franchise.
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Funny enough, the ending made complete sense as the whole series has been about Shinji (the main character) overcoming his own fears. Oscar: I'm glad there are YouTube videos out there trying to help me understand everything that went on with the movie. Roger: So Oscar, it's been a really long time coming.