You are not alone

"...the closer they get, the more they injure each other..."


I watched the Evangelion movie as part of this Japanese Film Festival at George Street cinemas. I love Evangelion! The height of my obsession peaked 4 years ago, in year 8, but I feel like getting into it again.

It was the Evangelion 1.0 You are not alone film

"It is the first of four films released in the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy based on the original anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. It was produced and co-distributed by Anno's Studio Khara.

The plot is largely a point-for-point adaptation of episodes 1 through 6 of the original Evangelion series. While some scenes and events are replications of the original series, others unfold differently with new or omitted scenes and newly-available 3D CG technology.

After the end credits, a trailer for the next film, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, was shown." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelion_1.0)

I thought the animation was beautiful,and I loved the explanations, the tiny added bits, the art details! And of course I love the story. Not just mecha robots fighting awesomely evil and mysterious angels, but the human plotline. People think Shinji is a wuss with his constant angst ("I am nothing...nobody wants me... I don't want to live...I am alone"), that Rei is weird for being so alone (she says "I have nothing else" other than piloting the eva and pleasing Gendo.) But I understand how Shinji feels - it is what I feel.

I definitely accredit this to Hideaki Anno, director of Neon Genesis Evangelion, who suffered depression. According to Wiki - "Many believe that Anno's four-year period of depression was the main source for many of the psychological elements of the series and its characters, as he wrote down on paper many of the trials and tribulations of his condition."

Ritsuko: Well, I would guess that Shinji isn't exactly the sort of person who makes friends easily. Do you know the fable the "Hedgehogs' dilemma"?
Misato: Hedgehog? You mean those animals with the spiny hair?
Ritsuko: Even though a hedgehog may want to become close with another hedgehog, the closer they get, the more they injure each other with their spines. It's the same with some humans. The reason he seems so withdrawn, is because he's afraid of being hurt.
Misato: Well, he's just, going to have to learn, someday, that part of growing up means, finding a way to interact with others, without distancing pain.