Neon Genesis Evangelion The End Of Evangelion -1997-
The central metaphor of the series. Humans are like hedgehogs seeking warmth; if they get too close, they prick each other with their quills. If they stay apart, they freeze. Instrumentality offers a solution where quills no longer exist (loss of individuality), but Shinji chooses the pain of the quills over the loss of self.
me, before End of Evangelion: "I just want to see cool robots fight angels"
me, after End of Evangelion: "Congratulations. You have unlocked: existential dread, religious trauma, mommy issues, and a sudden appreciation for sad J-Pop."
The year is 1997. Anno has no mercy. Asuka fights for her life. Shinji does… that. And humanity collectively decides that turning into orange Fanta is preferable to paying taxes. neon genesis evangelion the end of evangelion -1997-
If you get it, you get it. If you don't, congratulations — you're still sane.
🍊 The End of Evangelion (1997) Streaming on Netflix & Amazon Prime.
#EvaMemes #EndOfEvangelion #FantaApocalypse #ShinjiGetInTheRobot The central metaphor of the series
With Unit-01 ascending, the Third Impact begins. The Mass Production Evas form the Tree of Life (Sephirot) using Unit-01 as the core.
Upon release, the film was met with shock, confusion, and polarized reactions. Many fans were expecting a traditional "hero saves the day" ending, only to receive a grim psychological study. However, over the decades, the film has been reevaluated as a masterpiece.
The film is split into two halves: Episode 25: Air and Episode 26: Sincerely Yours. With Unit-01 ascending, the Third Impact begins
Part 1: Air (The Descent into Hell) The film opens not with hope, but with disgust. Shinji Ikari, having just murdered the last Angel (Kaworu), has lost his will to live. He visits the comatose Asuka Langley Soryu in the hospital. In a scene that remains the most controversial in anime history, Shinji masturbates over her sleeping body. This is not fan service; it is a character study in absolute alienation, loneliness, and the inability to connect.
Simultaneously, the JSSDF (Japan Strategic Self-Defense Force) attacks NERV HQ on orders from SEELE, the secret cabal controlling humanity's destiny. They slaughter the NERV staff in a hail of gunfire. Asuka, awakening from her psychic coma after realizing her mother’s soul lives within Unit-02, unleashes a legendary rampage. She single-handedly destroys the entire fleet of mass-production Evangelion units—until they turn the tables. In one of the most gruesome scenes ever animated, the fake EVAs grow copies of the Lance of Longinus and devour Unit-02 alive. Asuka screams, "I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!" before being impaled.
Part 2: Sincere to You (Instrumentality) Shinji, watching the destruction, falls into a deep despair. Gendo Ikari, his father, attempts to merge the Adam embryo in his hand with Lilith (in Terminal Dogma) to initiate Third Impact on his own terms. However, Rei Ayanami, the vessel for Lilith’s soul, betrays him. She absorbs Adam and returns to Lilith, transforming into a giant, spectral figure. She offers the fate of the world to Shinji.
What follows is a 25-minute abstract nightmare. Third Impact begins. Humanity loses their physical forms (Tang) as their AT Fields—the barriers that separate self from other—collapse. Shinji is forced to witness the truth: people are fundamentally afraid of each other. Yet, he is also given the choice.
In the climax, Shinji rejects Instrumentality. He chooses the pain of individuality, the risk of rejection, and the beauty of reality—even if it hurts. He strangles Asuka on the beach of a red, post-apocalyptic Earth. Asuka, instead of fighting back, reaches up and caresses his cheek. Shinji breaks down crying. As she looks at him, she whispers the final line of the film: "Kimochi warui" (気持ち悪い — "Disgusting" or "I feel sick").