I Just Got Mind-Raped...

[Gugabalog]

:confused::(:huh:

I just watched Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Can anyone whose seen it help me undo my mindplosion?

(Some weird ass japanese anime that's a masterpiece of some sort...)

1) I just can't figure it out...I see the references and have a limited knowledge of japanese history to try and understand the original sociological context when/where it was made...

But there's not so much a hint as there is a flood of that traditional japanese insanity. I just can't relate to the protagonist's internal conflict at all. I don't get why he or anyone seeks definition. It just seems insane to try to define something contained within itself using the same methods on both the internal and external concept.

Not that that made any sense...

2) But what the FUCK was the overall message that was trying to be conveyed? I also don't get the like-father like-son moment where the protagonist strangles the dead/alive/spirit thing that was his love interest throughout the series. I get that as funding ran out alot of the stuff got really abstracted but I just couldn't follow.

[Neurotoxin]

NGE... sideboobs and giant robots, the rest is a buncha wordy crap. I couldn't finish it, it was boring as hell, probably saw about 8 or 9 episodes and it wasn't getting better. I liken it to Big O, awesome gritty anime about this tough negotiator guy, gets ruined by a buncha giant robots and some pseudo-religious crap.

Watch Robotech / Macross instead. Is has 3 great features:
1 - They kill characters, characters die. Joe who you meet as part of the team at the beginning of the episode dies by the end of the episode.

2 - Culture clash is a major part of it. The aliens are very stodgy, war-like, and non-sexual though there are distinctly male and female, so sexy artistic human culture fucks with them.

3 - Good, cohesive, worthwhile plot and storyline.

[Vancha]

It's been a while since I've seen it, but yeah, Shinji is whiny and the ending is abstract. Sure it was because they ran out of funding, but it's nice to be able to come up with your own theories if you're not the type that needs it given to you on a plate.

I suggest anime/fansites rather than here if you want other peoples' explanations, though.

[Electrofreak]

I recommend watching Death Note. There's a mind-f*ck that's enjoyable to watch.

[Gugabalog]

Ah. I'll check those out. Only heard about this one from a friend to begin with.

Now I just kinda hate Sinji, He's a whiny prick that gets people killed and appears to have homicidal tendencies despite all his talk about not wanting to kill other people.

[Vancha]

Death Note's not a mindfuck...It also starts to suck mid-way through.

If you're new to anime, I suggest Ghost in the Shell or Cowboy Bebop. They seem to be good introductions to anime without too much cultural what-the-fuckery.

[berzerkerking]

Cowboy Bebop, or Samurai Champloo

[Neurotoxin]

Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo if you want to see how to start and finish a great series in under 30 episodes.

Ghost in the Shell if you want something longer but equally as epic.


Paranoia Agent was more of a mindfuck than the different series I mentioned above, and I really appreciated it.

[Kyonye]

DRAGON BALL Z!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj7jSWEOdIk

[Electrofreak]

I also really enjoyed Outlaw Star.

[Vancha]

My first taste of anime was actually the English dub of Outlaw Star...The only dub I've ever watched as far as I can remember.

For a mindfuck I was thinking Paranoia Agent as well, along with Serial Experiment Lain. Higurashi also applies, but in an entirely different way. I wouldn't recommend any of them to an anime neophyte, though.

[HinataHitman]

The feeling is mutual for the mindrape. It happens to the best of us, but it seems that you watched End of Evangelion. Unless you saw the series, not a lot of what goes on with Shinji is gonna make a whole lot of sense.

For the rest of you, if you want an anime full of headsplosions, check out Boogiepop Phantom...^_^

If you couldn't tell, yeah, I'm an anime geek.

[Captain1nsaneo]

Alright, you're getting an info dump. Hold on.

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/5821/1337299355253.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/839/1337299355253.png/)

(btw, I have RE-TAKE, it's awesome.)


If you're looking for a good dose of wtf I hear Higurashi is good (as is Lain). If you want badassery check out Berserk. If you want vampires who hunt other vampires go for Hellsing, make sure you check out the Hellsing OVAs if you do they're awesome. (Their animation quality is better and more faithful to the original plot but I enjoy both) Read or Die OVA is supposed to be good but I've only seen and enjoyed the TV version. And then, and then, and then...

Everything mentioned by the others here is pretty good. Anime isn't so much a story type as it is just an animation style. So if you say what kind of stories you like we probably can point you in a better direction than just saying "Go watch this!" Speaking of "Go watch this":

Go watch Black Lagoon. No you don't have a choice.
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is also mandatory.
Did I mention Berserk? Oh yeah, I did. Let me do it again.

[Gugabalog]

I watched the anime then the movie. I just hate Sinji and the shounen theme. I find the identity conflict completely unsympathetic and Sinji's actions bizarre and unforgivable.

[Captain1nsaneo]

I watched the anime then the movie. I just hate Sinji and the shounen theme. I find the identity conflict completely unsympathetic and Sinji's actions bizarre and unforgivable.

From what I understand Shinji has gone literally insane by time of the last episodes and the movie due to the stresses of having to save the whole world each go round. Most people don't like him as a character, that's normal. Though I've heard argument that he's not as much of a wimp as he's normally made out to be because he keeps getting back in the EVA which is a giant pain machine.

If you're looking to detox with far too much info check out the wiki:
http://wiki.evageeks.org/Main_Page

[Gugabalog]

Yea, I read a bunch of the wiki.

But EVA 01+Rei Urges+Sinji= NASTAAAAAY

[Vancha]

Go watch Black Lagoon. No you don't have a choice.
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is also mandatory.

Black Lagoon's good, but I wouldn't say it's required watching. It's just a solid anime.

TTGL...I wish I got the appeal of this one. The first half was average, then it shined for the briefest of moments before going bat-shit retarded.

[Captain1nsaneo]

TTGL is more like a ride than a show. The characters start at an extremely low point and end up throwing galaxies like weaponized frisbees. If you can't maintain a suspension of disbelief then I can understand not enjoying it. It's kind of a send up of all the anime that have the same plot of the underdogs winning through pure determination. It's at once mocking the genre while at the same time making use of it. They know it's silly and that's half the fun.
Hope that helps in that regard.
(Though since you bring it up it probably wouldn't be that good of an introductory show until other shows have been watched so the joke can be better understood.)

I'll agree that Black Lagoon isn't required, just that it's so out of line with what is normally considered an 'anime' plot that it removes a bit of the jading. Darker than Black is kind of similar as is Akira to some degree.

I notice you didn't have a complaint about Berserk. If you haven't yet check out the comic, its quality is head and shoulders above all of its competition (http://www.google.com/search?q=berserk%20manga&sugexp=chrome,mod%3D17&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=ZUUqUI_pF43VigLnzYHQDg&biw=1447&bih=925&sei=Z0UqUMm0JcqFiAKapIHgAg). Trade off is that it runs on Valve time.

I'm nowhere near an expert on the stuff though and I'm pretty easy to please. I can really only talk about what I've enjoyed or heard about.

[Vancha]

I haven't actually seen Berserk. I know the anime ending is supposedly poor, but I'll probably watch it at some point.

If TTGL had been pure parody, I'd probably have dug it, but it included enough "serious" content that the ridiculousness became more of an irritant than entertainment. If I'm put in a place to respond emotionally to the subject matter of Episode 23 (trying to avoid mentioning anything specifically), you can't suddenly switch to frivolous whimsy, or you'll give people whiplash.