Zhang Qi
11-23-2008, 02:47 PM
Evangelion Synopsis:
Billions of years ago, an alien race called the First Ancestors launched several machines called white and black moons into space in order to spread life across the galaxy. The white moons were intended to automatically create �angels�, giant inhuman monsters with powers that seemingly defy physics. They were equipped with artificial embryos called Adam who were tasked with overseeing the reproduction of the angels throughout the colonized planets. The black moon on the other hand is also designed to create life, however they are tasked with making creatures called �lilim�, who are normal humanoid creatures from which homo sapiens emerged. The creatures known as Lilith are in charge of overseeing the procreation of humans. The Moons are only intended to initiate the birth of a species after which the procreation of the species continues itself naturally. Both the moons are equipped with weapons called the �Lance of Longinus� which will be used by the overseers of the moons to defend against whatever dangers they encounter on their colonies. Earth was one of the targeted planets since it provided sound environmental conditions to foster life.
The two moons were not intended to coexist with each other as the angels and lilim might attempt to exterminate each other in a battle for the dominance of their birth planet. A white moon was already planted in the South Pole of the Earth but its activation was delayed due to technical malfunctions. To compound things, an accidental alteration of the trajectory of a black moon also landed it on Earth which was already supposed to be populated by angels. The black moon�s altered path caused it to crash onto the Earth violently, destroying its lance of Longinus and forcing out particles of the crust which would later form the Earth�s moon. This incident would later be called the First Impact. Millions of years later, the humans would dominate the Earth with their civilizations whilst the white moon of the angels remained dormant. In the year 2000A.D. the Katsuragi research team is conducting experiments in the South Pole as they have discovered the white moon underneath its center and are attempting to make contact with the parent angel, Adam. They have forcibly extracted the Lance of Longinus to attempt to touch the body of Adam. The contact triggers a violent explosion, reducing Adam to an embryonic state and activating the white moon�s dormant mechanisms. Most of the research team is killed and the governments cover up the infamous experiment saying it was a crashing comet that triggered the explosion. Now that the white moon is active, angels started to appear and with their intelligence, equal to the humans, they will begin their struggle to control the planet starting with the recovery of Adam which was stolen by the survivors of the Second Impact and used in the Human Instrumentality Project for rapid human evolution.
Sociological Interpretation of Evangelion:
The premise of the conflict between the angels and humans is survival and dominance. This is similar to the stories of Starship Troopers and Reign of Fire where the humans� battle against the insectoids and dragons who are also intelligent beings and are seeking dominance over the Earth. The root of the conflicts in these racially driven war stories is an inability for people to share things and even territory. When people want to take things for themselves, the natural consequence is conflict and these types of conflict are rooted in greediness and selfishness. In real life, many wars are fought over land such as the conquests of the Romans and Mongols who are greedy for wealth and power and the end result of this greed is countless bloodshed and suffering.
Religious Symbolism in Evangelion:
Many of the religious terminology mentioned in Evangelion are suggestive in nature and only cloud the main source of conflict in the story. For example the angels are not actual angels from heaven but are only living beings of a different species. The First Ancestors are not almighty Gods, they simply posses very advanced technology, allowing them to create machines that can produce life. The other terms such as the Magi super computers and the Lances of Longinus, Adam and Lilith are only called as such to give a religious feel to the story since it revolves around the creation of life, a battle for survival and the sinful greediness of intelligent life human or not.
Psychoanalytical Aspects of the Story:
Since the story is about the nature of existence, even the traumatic personal histories of the main characters are explored to give meaning to the conflict. Shinji Ikari the pilot of Eva unit 01 for example is suffering from separation anxiety disorder due to his Father, Gendo Ikari�s cold and distant treatment of him and his mother�s accidental demise in an experiment on the Eva 01 model. Asuka Langley Soryu, pilot of the Eva unit 02 experiences superiority complex because of her insane mother�s suicide and her father�s willingness to remarry right after the tragedy. Misato Katsuragi went into catatonic schizophrenia for several years because her father�s death in the Second Impact at the South Pole made her feel isolated and unloved and would later contribute to her AADD, alcoholism, and Electra complex. What would eventually lead to the story�s tragic outcome would be the form of Ahab complex Gendo experiences due to his beloved wife�s death, driving him to commit his murderous Hive Mind scheme wherein all the souls of the living humans would be absorbed into the original black moon hidden in the geofront. Ultimately, even the creator of the story Hideaki Anno expressed his devalued perspective of life, regarding the humans and angels as nothing more than creations of an advanced race and giving the story an apocalyptic ending. The creator, Hideaki Anno is known to have experienced clinical depression which explains the low regard for life shown in the story.
"Sound mind and a sound body makes a Greek citizen complete" -Anonymous
"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise" -Benjamin Franklin
"I have not failed, I have merely found a thousand ways that won't work." -Thomas Alva Edison
Billions of years ago, an alien race called the First Ancestors launched several machines called white and black moons into space in order to spread life across the galaxy. The white moons were intended to automatically create �angels�, giant inhuman monsters with powers that seemingly defy physics. They were equipped with artificial embryos called Adam who were tasked with overseeing the reproduction of the angels throughout the colonized planets. The black moon on the other hand is also designed to create life, however they are tasked with making creatures called �lilim�, who are normal humanoid creatures from which homo sapiens emerged. The creatures known as Lilith are in charge of overseeing the procreation of humans. The Moons are only intended to initiate the birth of a species after which the procreation of the species continues itself naturally. Both the moons are equipped with weapons called the �Lance of Longinus� which will be used by the overseers of the moons to defend against whatever dangers they encounter on their colonies. Earth was one of the targeted planets since it provided sound environmental conditions to foster life.
The two moons were not intended to coexist with each other as the angels and lilim might attempt to exterminate each other in a battle for the dominance of their birth planet. A white moon was already planted in the South Pole of the Earth but its activation was delayed due to technical malfunctions. To compound things, an accidental alteration of the trajectory of a black moon also landed it on Earth which was already supposed to be populated by angels. The black moon�s altered path caused it to crash onto the Earth violently, destroying its lance of Longinus and forcing out particles of the crust which would later form the Earth�s moon. This incident would later be called the First Impact. Millions of years later, the humans would dominate the Earth with their civilizations whilst the white moon of the angels remained dormant. In the year 2000A.D. the Katsuragi research team is conducting experiments in the South Pole as they have discovered the white moon underneath its center and are attempting to make contact with the parent angel, Adam. They have forcibly extracted the Lance of Longinus to attempt to touch the body of Adam. The contact triggers a violent explosion, reducing Adam to an embryonic state and activating the white moon�s dormant mechanisms. Most of the research team is killed and the governments cover up the infamous experiment saying it was a crashing comet that triggered the explosion. Now that the white moon is active, angels started to appear and with their intelligence, equal to the humans, they will begin their struggle to control the planet starting with the recovery of Adam which was stolen by the survivors of the Second Impact and used in the Human Instrumentality Project for rapid human evolution.
Sociological Interpretation of Evangelion:
The premise of the conflict between the angels and humans is survival and dominance. This is similar to the stories of Starship Troopers and Reign of Fire where the humans� battle against the insectoids and dragons who are also intelligent beings and are seeking dominance over the Earth. The root of the conflicts in these racially driven war stories is an inability for people to share things and even territory. When people want to take things for themselves, the natural consequence is conflict and these types of conflict are rooted in greediness and selfishness. In real life, many wars are fought over land such as the conquests of the Romans and Mongols who are greedy for wealth and power and the end result of this greed is countless bloodshed and suffering.
Religious Symbolism in Evangelion:
Many of the religious terminology mentioned in Evangelion are suggestive in nature and only cloud the main source of conflict in the story. For example the angels are not actual angels from heaven but are only living beings of a different species. The First Ancestors are not almighty Gods, they simply posses very advanced technology, allowing them to create machines that can produce life. The other terms such as the Magi super computers and the Lances of Longinus, Adam and Lilith are only called as such to give a religious feel to the story since it revolves around the creation of life, a battle for survival and the sinful greediness of intelligent life human or not.
Psychoanalytical Aspects of the Story:
Since the story is about the nature of existence, even the traumatic personal histories of the main characters are explored to give meaning to the conflict. Shinji Ikari the pilot of Eva unit 01 for example is suffering from separation anxiety disorder due to his Father, Gendo Ikari�s cold and distant treatment of him and his mother�s accidental demise in an experiment on the Eva 01 model. Asuka Langley Soryu, pilot of the Eva unit 02 experiences superiority complex because of her insane mother�s suicide and her father�s willingness to remarry right after the tragedy. Misato Katsuragi went into catatonic schizophrenia for several years because her father�s death in the Second Impact at the South Pole made her feel isolated and unloved and would later contribute to her AADD, alcoholism, and Electra complex. What would eventually lead to the story�s tragic outcome would be the form of Ahab complex Gendo experiences due to his beloved wife�s death, driving him to commit his murderous Hive Mind scheme wherein all the souls of the living humans would be absorbed into the original black moon hidden in the geofront. Ultimately, even the creator of the story Hideaki Anno expressed his devalued perspective of life, regarding the humans and angels as nothing more than creations of an advanced race and giving the story an apocalyptic ending. The creator, Hideaki Anno is known to have experienced clinical depression which explains the low regard for life shown in the story.
"Sound mind and a sound body makes a Greek citizen complete" -Anonymous
"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise" -Benjamin Franklin
"I have not failed, I have merely found a thousand ways that won't work." -Thomas Alva Edison