The Loneliest Anime - The Philosophy of Neon Genesis Evangelion - Wisecrack Edition 

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evangelion is a cry for help disguised as a mecha anime

Me at 16: get in the damn Eva, Shinji! Me at 29: Oh, crap... I am Shinji.

Fun fact : the H in Neon Genesis Evangalion stands for happiness

The audience: Can I see the big robots fight? The show: _To live is to suffer_

I've noticed that it's perfectly normal to have an existential crisis after watching this series.

It's somewhat ironic to me that Evangelion has a reputation of being depressing. I mean, yeah, the show can be a downer most if the time (although it does a good job of injecting a lot of comedy to offset all the bleakness), but the ultimate message at the climax of the End of Evangelion is actually an uplifting one: "Anywhere can be paradise as long as you have the will to live. After all, you are alive, so you will always have the chance to be happy. As long as the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth exist, everything will be all right."

"If we want the rewards of being loved, we must subject ourselves to the mortifying ordeal of being known."

This show and video made me realize that I use escapism to get out of interacting with others. I went through 4 years of college without making any friends or having relationships. I remember putting on headphones and listening to music to get through the day, come home and do it all over again. I now know it is not really healthy. I will try to do better.

The last 2 episodes felt like I was having a trip on LSD

i just wanted to see big robots fight and now my depression is back

Evangelion is the Shakespeare of anime.

Rei actually does have a soul, the OG Japanese said so, idk if its different in the dub version. Rei was the only one of gendo's creation that had a soul, but all the Rei clones in the basement tank are souless, acting as spare parts.

Evangelion: come for the fighting robots, stay for the theories and philosophy

Only a director diagnosed with clinical depression could’ve made such a lonely anime. Probably why the last several episodes are, as the video describes, “a psychotherapy session”. This anime is a true bearing of an artist’s soul, and I admire it for that.

I actually just finished this anime yesterday, and then watched The End of Evangelion this morning. This anime actually really helped me through a dark time that I’m going through rn. I recently was taken to a psychiatrist after being told to by a doctor that said I showed very concerning signs of depression and suicide. And because of that now a good chunk of my family knows that I was close to cutting myself with a kitchen knife, so it’s really weird now. I relate a lot to Shinji and a lot of what he was going through was near identical to what I’m going through. This show came around at a good time.

The way he says “Evangelion” hurts.

*The amount you like Evangelion is inversely proportionate to the amount you like yourself.*

Asukas breakdown still sends chills down the spine, one of the greatest anime series of all time.

I love watching different videos explaining Evangelion because everyone has a slightly different theory or take due to their individual human experiences and perceptions, and that fact meshes with the show's overall message very beautifully. Everyone takes something different out of it and learns about their own humanity in a different way. It's so different from any other anime I've watched, it's more like a strange and elaborate work of art, I love it

AT Fields are also "anti-terror fields", literally, which is something in psychology that all people have, (like the hedgehog) a shield put up to keep people out, or at a distance to prevent pain. This is usually greater or stronger in those that have lost a parent or both, hence the Eva pilots being orphans.

It hurts everytime I hear Asuka say "how disgusting"

The last episodes when they start going through the cases made me feel like I was going insane.

8:16 That song used is called "Hedgehogs Dilemma" and (from what I've seen and think) it's used whenever a character is trying to get close to another, but instead grow farther apart, and it's also used when explained

Not gonna lie, I came here because I’m a huge fan of Blue Apron

Asuka is disgusted by herself because she finally accepted someone (Shinji) when she was used to rejecting everyone. Amazing.

This was the final message for me: "Were there's life there's hope." People tend to perceive Evangelion as a depressing work, but the message is actually uplifting. The idea that I can always achieve happiness as long as I'm willing to endure life kept me from the literal brink years ago.

i just wanted to watch something and now have depression

I just realised that, the Evas are developed from a part of Adam, as like according to the Bible Eve was created from Adam

Bruh i started watching cause i thought it would be some cool action anime now im here cause i want to know what i just watched

"In the distant future of 2015...." I laughed at this point

Finished the series 2 AM. Haven't slept for a day. I need fking answers before I go nuts.

ah, evangelion. come for the epic mecha battles, stay for the deeply rooted trauma.

I've watched this anime 3 times. once when I was in high school and didn't really get much out of it beyond crazy kids and cool fighitng robots. at that time I could only really understand the latent sexual frustration of the characters. the second time I watched it was in my early 20s when dealing with depression and loneliness. and I think that on this watching I picked up more about what it was trying to say than I grasped consciously. Now in my late 20s I just recently went and rewatched my dvd box set due to the netflix hype. and on this watching I think I finally understood everything this show was trying to convey. It doesn't just show the deepest pits of loneliness and despair, it also shows the way out. only by getting past your fear of confronting people, letting yourself be vulnerable and accepting can you experience real intimacy and love. Overall I'm glad I watched it this last time as it really gave me insight into how I have progressed emotionally throughout my life, and made me feel a lot better about where I am.

Great analysis as always, but I feel like a major talking point was left out; Evangelion's creator Hideaki Anno. The series (and to a certain extent the Rebuild movies) were his criticism of the growing otaku mindset of escaping further into fantasy rather than contending with the difficulties of daily life. Eva lures you in with the promise of smartly animated monster-of-the-week fights and relatable characters before it ridicules you for consciously choosing escapism over the necessary tasks of building and maintaining a healthy life. The downward spiral of the main cast also corresponds to Anno's own deteriorating mental health. More so than his past works, Eva became the means by which he vented his own struggles with otaku obsession and the pain and isolation that comes with it. Shinji's eventual mental breakdown and ensuing destruction of mankind in instrumentality was Anno shouting at the audience how escapism would be the death of viewers themselves. And, just as everyone interprets the same experience differently, fans chose to view Eva differently than what Anno envisioned. The Eva pilots meant to enlighten viewers about the dangers of escapist obsession became the idols of otaku culture for decades to come. The last two episodes and End of Eva's message of accepting the pain of reality was met with scorn and death threats by fans who felt this world they were invested in had been taken from them in the worst possible way. Basically, Anno had done to anime what Alan Moore had done to comics with Watchmen. He deconstructed the genre down to its core, hoping to inject some meaningful message to viewers, and instead created the template by which many would follow without understanding what made it significant. Its no small wonder Anno checked into a mental institution after finishing the series. So, that's my overly-long comment on Eva. A fantastic series, but its also a rorschach painting that will devour you if you gaze at it too long. Enjoy watching it, but don't forget to eat, exercise and talk with friends in between binge sessions. Or you could cure any nihilistic depression brought on by Evangelion with the ass-kicking optimism of Gurren Lagann. That's also a good idea.

Literally just finished this series and I need to watch it again, I didn't catch everything but this explains what happens more than what the show did. Thank you for making this video. Subscribed.

It's 2 years later, and I still can't get over his pronunciation of Evangelion

Being over 20 years old, and still just as beloved and relevant as ever, is a testament to its success. Great work!

For a philosophy major who also loves anime, this is porn

I just finished this show and the movie for the first time. I was traumatized for two days. This artwork has the power to change people, for better or for worse. It holds up a giant mirror to your own life and forces change. I’m choosing to live better. Massive respect for this series.

For some further reading, the ending of the show where Shinji is discussing how he can’t really exist without others is ripped straight from Hegel. Hegel’s Concept is a cycle of “self-recognition in otherness.” We as humans cannot see ourselves without others, ‘see’ meaning a literal and metaphorical sense. Instrumentality in the show is basically death because without the interactions with others and without our individuality we cease to be anything. A combined consciousness would eventually just stop being because it would have nothing to interact with.

E E V A N J E L L I O N

I'm sure its been mentioned, but the christian symbolism was chosen because Christianity wasn't/isn't very wide spread in Japan, so they thought it would be cool.

This is the best explanation of Evangelion I have read to date. Thanks for your hard work.

I had never watched an anime in my life. A week ago I decided to try one. “This Evangelion thing sounds familiar, I’ll watch this one” Now here I am. Devastated. I think this wraps up my anime experience, I don’t need anything else

13:27 MAYOR mistake, Rei DOES have a soul, if she hadn't she wouldn't have an AT field. She has a fragment of Lillith's soul, like Unit 02 has a part of Asuka's mom's soul.

You finally made a video on NGE *CONGRATULATIONS*

thank you for the deep analysis of this masterpiece anime, I actually really need to hear it now at my current situation of disappointing life, reality, & existence.

Man, sigmund freud wins again. We cannot let this man win.

you can (not) understand evangelion

The last episodes were a mix between an acid trip and a mindfuck. My head hurts

This really helped me comprehend this after binging it while on a Thanksgiving trip. Appreciate it

this show somehow got my life back on track..

me after watching Evangelion what??? me after watching this video what??

Evangelion in 4 words Yer mum's a robot

I watched this like 2x and I’m blown away, thank you, I need to re watch this anime again and again, love stuff like this

watching the end of this anime literally made my head hurt, like there was so much to think, to many memories like, i just left a feel of numbness in me

Christ... So, there are two options for the universe: Reject individuality and merge as one peaceful mind, losing all parts of its own Humanity in the process or... Continue forward and keep both the individuality of the human population but at the same time keeping the self-destructive nature of this choice. Whatever you do, you reap what you sow.

I’m so glad people are still talking nge to this day.

I don't really get how people feel existential crisis after watching the anime, the series finale resolves every bit of fear to existence astonishingly, I've never, ever witnessed such caring for these themes by any author in history. Anno was precise to find a narrative direction to these kind of ideas, the contortion of anguish in front of the abyss, even though he didn't resolve the dramaturgical demanding. But who cares, really. The last two episodes are so unique, and so well done.

This video perfectly explained basically everything I would want to understand about Evangelion. I was going mad and was so confused after watching the last two episodes and the part right before the end of the movie.

This analysis is missing another reading level: Hideaki Anno wrote Evangelion also as a criticism towards otaku culture where people would choose to withdraw from the world in order to not be hurt by it and where they would find comfort in forms of escapism such as anime, and he was able to represent that state of mind because he's an otaku himself. However, as in the final stages of the story, his message is to face reality and try to connect with people over and over because, basically living in a state of constant escapism is not real life and it can't lead to a satisfying existence. Also, the religious analysis is interesting and this is actually the first time I ever heard or read anything about it because Anno said all the religious imagery was inserted in the story for no particular reason but just because "it sounded cool". However, since it seems to make sense, I guess I'll just choose to believe he explained it that way because he couldn't be arsed to put all of that into words for the press lol Anyway, a correction: it's pronounced Kaworu, not Kowaru.

I've been watching several videos about Evangelion from my favourite channels. It was a good suprise discovering that Wisecrack had one. On this video I've seen some interesting new view over the anime. Thanks a lot, it was brilliant. It seems like getting something new from Evangelion is a never ending pleasure

Hands down best analysis you guys have made! so awesome

Hundreds of hours of research and you can't figure out how to pronounce Evangelion

Anywhere can be a paradise as long as you have the will to live

Me when I started “hahah cool robots wow misatos soo hot” Me now: what is this pain and torrential wave of loneliness that we call existence

It's more difficult than usual to move on to another series after watching this and EoE. Such an unforgettable series that keeps drawing you back in some way.

Me before watching evangelion: this look like a cool show Me after watching evangelion: GET IN THE GODDAMN EVA SHINJI!!!

Evangelion had so much impact in my life. My fave anime EVER. Nothing comes above it. I've watched this anime at least 3x, as different ages and it surprises me how different i react to the scenes. I watched this anime when i was like 10. I did NOT understand any of it. Quite the same as the kids in the show. Just all i did was protest why the adults cant understand the children. I watched the anime again when i was around 19. I finally understood the plot, thank god. But hey it felt so much different. I started telling that life is not always fair, and even adults have their own wishes, wills, and they also need to be understood. Yet from my age i still cannot fathom the decisions made by the adults. Then i rewatched it when i was around 24. My goodness, i literally understood how the adults thought. I also get impatient with the whims of children. I understood why the adults told those lines, why they acted like that. Now im almost 30 and see this world in a hopeless case. I quite agree as to why old people just wants to undergo instrumentality. Humanity is in so much pain, that the only relief would be another genesis. And im mad that the future of humanity (in the anime) rests in the hands of a child who just wishes to be loved. I will watch this anime over and over as i get older.

I was expecting a dope ass mecha anime, but I came out with depression..

I'm 21 and this is my first real anime I ever watched. Started it last weekend and finished it today. I feel like I don't need to watch other animes. THIS was already THE one. I will think about this for a long time and will rewatch the show somewhen. Especially the last 2 episodes were super mindblowing. I just love the art and philosophy behind this anime. Absolutely great experience to watch this.

The second I saw this in my feed I freaked out a bit. My favorite anime being covered by my favorite channel? This is great!

This honestly explained the ending to me better than looking up the ACTUAL ending. I guess the actual events are more confusing than their philosophical implications. Ain’t that a first.....

This was so very well done you guys, thank you.

Appreciate the effort you put in this, I learned a lot!

Thanks for the Evanjelion video, Gared!

Thanks Wisecrack team

this video is masterfully written, good job

Even Jared pushing an ad is very pleasant to me... GREAT VIDEO!!!!

...Alright. Let me see if I've got Evangelion figured out, and can put it in a concise little nutshell. At its core, Evangelion is about the pain & loneliness of isolation vs the pain & anxiety of being with others, and accepting the inevitable suffering that comes with existing is the way towards living a better, happier life. It's better to put yourself out there, learn to live with the flaws of yourself & others, than to run away. ...Okay. I think I got it. I understand why a lot of people like it. And I also understand why a lot of people hate it.

Eva's aren't former angles, they are clones of the original angel.

You guys just amaze me with the level of research you put in to make these analyses.

Thank you WiseCrack! Amazing analysis.

At the end of Eva, it's not just shinji and Asuka as they clearly state that all humans can return, if they want to

One of your best videos by far.

Thanks for this!! Good job and very interesting! im watching the series for the second time. very cool!

this is the best explainer video I've seen on NGE. So much I didn't realize. I love this show so much and can't believe it took me so long to watch it. It overlaps a ton with my own work as a writer and my thoughts on the world in general.

Seriously if you haven't seen the show *DON'T EVEN WATCH 2 MINUTES OF THIS it's the heaviest spoilers right from the start*

Let's not forget how amazing the "Fly me to the Moon" cover is at the end of each episode

14:57 holy shit that’s the most emotion I’ve seen come from Rei

This is way to well done, this puts a whole other meaning to neon

I was too young to understand this anime back then Thanks for the smart and profound video!

All of this, and yet still only scratching the experience of the show.

Perfect video, there are huge Hegelian references even on the scenes you guys picked on this video, and as a psicoanalyst they are all melancholic as they self image is affected and shinji main theme is losing the love of his father, which is still alive, and he doesn’t even recognize that for the biggest part of the show.

Very detailed. Good job👍

I saw someone else in the comments suggest Serial Experiments Lain, and I'm seconding that because that would be a perfect show for this channel to tackle!

The philosophy of Serial Experiments Lain!!!!! I am pretty sure you will have some interesting time with this one

This video gave me closure on this anime, I didn’t fully understand the physiological themes and depression present in this anime it was very confusing. This for sure is helpful. I can move on from this experience but will not forget what it made me think.

Excellent! Excellent! Thank you very much for this wonderful video. Peace Profound to you. Cheers. 👍👍👍