First of all, as far as the plot is concerned, the seemingly ordinary setting is actually extraordinary. Since the location in the play is mainly on the earth, the references to Tokyo, the United Nations, military agencies, and even the enemy-the apostles are all derived from human religious literature "The Bible" and the "Dead Sea Document"; others are like meteorites falling Landing in the Antarctic, triggering the "Second Impact" that is close to the "end of the world"...etc., various settings that are "similar to human culture", and the stage is also the "near future" era in which human history is moving forward. This has greatly reduced the "acceptability" of this animated work. Most people think of "cartoons" as "for children," but EVA breaks through this barrier. Let’s take a look at its mechanical settings. According to Mr. Yamashita, the mechanical designer, EVA abandons the inherent image of performance or hugeness that can be felt just by seeing it in previous mechanical animation works; it uses the human skeleton as the main body, and uses mechanical parts to seem to wrap the "body" "(EVA content)-like structure gives people a strong feeling like a creature, and the design concept of EVA is "a huge force subject to restraint"... This makes people feel that it is different from previous animation works. . This retro-flavored EVA robot has also made achievements in design art. Back to the plot. The first 1/3 or so of EVA are all orthodox robot animations, fighting and winning against the apostles; by 2/3, the plot appears like the mysterious organization "SEELE" behind the scenes, Adam's embryo, and the script "Dead Sea Documents" ", and the implementation of the "Human Completion Project"... and other settings, a large amount of information poured into the animation, allowing the audience to be in the mysterious Wuli Fog; allowing the audience to enjoy the fun of reading a mystery novel; the astonishing power of EVA Not only that, in the next 1/3, the story has become three routes: In addition to the battle with the apostles still continuing, the structure of the story has gradually expanded and twisted; and with the influx of mysterious information, The atmosphere of the story is weird, and as the background of the main characters in the story becomes clearer, a lot of psychological dramas appear! Everyone seems to have their own agenda; what is their purpose in joining NERV? Through abstraction and fantasy, , spiritual expression techniques and "psychological description scenes" presented in sentences of psychological analysis dialogues appear in large numbers later, showing that EVA not only pays attention to military machinery, but also pays a lot of attention to psychology. The care and ingenuity in character setting can also be seen from this. The audience seems to be able to find a part of themselves in the characters on the screen, making them excited. In previous animation works, the characters may have distinct personalities, but there are very few psychological descriptions. It was not until the 1990s that some works gradually appeared, but they did not cause shock and excitement like EVA. This is a major breakthrough and achievement for EVA in the history of animation. "A large number of ideological psychological descriptions" - EVA has achieved a higher level of animation art; this feature is almost synonymous with EVA, and EVA, the humanoid robot, has become the two major characteristic trademarks of this work. In terms of plot, in addition to the above-mentioned artistic achievements, EVA's artistry is also reflected in literature. Although EVA has ended, its mysterious story is difficult to understand. Not only did its TV animation end inexplicably, but the theatrical version also appeared frequently, causing heated discussions among a large number of EVA fans. As a result, some people started to search for the true identity of the apostle. It was discovered that EVA is closely related to the Dead Sea Scripts. It can also be said that EVA is a new translation of the Dead Sea Scripts: expressed through technology and a modern perspective. The following is the most reasonable inference made by EVA fans after comparing the story with the Bible and the Dead Sea Documents: Starting from the setting of the story, the apostles are "messengers of God" who descend to earth to destroy mankind; after the seventeen apostles were completely annihilated, Humanity finally defended its own life, but this was only the completion of SEELE's "script" and the arrival of the "appointed moment". It also indicated that the "Human Completion Plan" was about to be launched, and for "humanity" this "Incomplete groups" are transformed into "complete single" organisms through artificial evolution. This is the truth of this plan. Many things in EVA that are incomprehensible on the surface can be explained to a certain extent after comparing them with the Dead Sea Documents. Like the "Tree of Life" that appeared at the beginning of the OP, various religions around the world have different concepts, but the main theory is that it symbolizes the process of human salvation.

But in EVA, it has another role, as if it is the summons or welcoming ceremony of Lilith, the mother of mankind; in a certain sense, it also echoes the true meaning of "salvation". Therefore, if we compare the "Human Completion Project" with the Dead Sea Documents, we can understand. It is stated in Judaism: Lilith and Adam were a couple created by God at the same time, but Lilith abandoned Adam because she was dissatisfied with the inequality between the two in "sexual" matters; after God persuaded her not to return, he created another Eve, and Lilith became a witch and was together with the fallen angel Lucifer (the devil in the future); her descendants are us humans, called Lilin, who reproduce on today's earth. When Noah came to the earth in the ark, in addition to his family and the creatures God instructed to carry, there was also the embryo that God restored Adam to before his death. However, as a latecomer, the descendants of Adam could not compete with the descendants of Lilith and gradually withered away.

Lilin continued to multiply, and inherited the life experience and knowledge brought by Noah, claiming to be the descendants of Adam and the people of God. The "Dead Sea Document" in EVA records the prophecies such as the Day of Binding, Adam's resurrection, and Lilith's desire to gather all the descendants from all over the world to become one; and SEELE used NERV to complete the matters stipulated in the "Dead Sea Document". , then all humans can return to her, reunite with the awakened Adam, eliminate all original sin, and return to the throne of God together. In addition, the apostles who have always been regarded as "enemies" are actually recorded in the Dead Sea Documents as "angels"; and it is also pointed out in the play that the order of all salt genes between "apostles" and "humans" is 99.89 % the same... The apostle in the animation has no fixed form. If compared with the Dead Sea Script, the results are as follows; The third apostle: also known as the Angel of Water. The Fourth Apostle: The angel of day. Fifth Apostle: The angel in charge of "Thunder". The Sixth Apostle: The angel in charge of fish; quite similar in appearance design. The Seventh Apostle: The apostle who makes music; when EVA fights him, special music is used in the background, which can be said to be similar in concept and an alternative way of expression. The Eighth Apostle: The "fetus" angel; in the play, when the apostle comes into contact with EVA, the apostle rapidly evolves from the pupa state as it emerges. The Ninth Apostle: The Angel of Rain; looks like a spider, but has eyes in the center and can drip liquid like rain. The Tenth Apostle: The apostle who controls the "sky"; comes from outer space. The Eleventh Apostle: The angel in charge of "terror"; this apostle is very special. He directly targets the Magi system, the core of NERV. It can be described as "terror" to NERV. The Twelfth Apostle: The angel who controls the "night"; his true form is a dark space "Dyrek Sea". The Thirteenth Apostle: The angel who is in charge of "Cloud Patch". The Fourteenth Apostle: The angel who holds "power"; this is also the strongest apostle, with great power. The Fifteenth Apostle: "Bird"; the appearance design matches. The Sixteenth Apostle: The angel in charge of the "womb". The Seventeenth Apostle: "Free Will"; When fighting this apostle, the background music is quoted from Beethoven's "Ode to Joy", which echoes it musically, which is an innovative expression technique. It is also worth mentioning that in the EVA theatrical version, there was a scene where Rei Ayanami had 6 pairs of wings and 2 heads, which is consistent with the appearance of the Seraph described in the Bible. In addition to the two major points mentioned above, the "Gear of Longinus" and "Dead Sea Document" in the play are also quoted from scriptures and have their origins. The detailed investigation and citation make this animation work more literary, which is also the artistic style of EVA!

Painting is the soul of animation. Eastern and Western animation styles are different, mainly in terms of painting. In the East, if we look at Japan, realism is the mainstream; with the advancement of the times, in addition to "realism", more and more attention is paid to "beautiful form". EVA is mainly based on realism. For example, the director once said that the characters are modeled after a certain Asian race. Other aspects, such as machinery, are almost realistically depicted. The so-called "animation" refers to the "dynamic" visual effect produced by several or hundreds of static continuous pictures.

However, in EVA, there are a lot of "stop frames", that is, a certain picture stays for a few seconds or even more than a minute. This kind of expression technique is usually rare; but this kind of "stop frames" will make people deepen their emotions. Impression also has the effect of aggravating the atmosphere; at the same time, it also allows the audience to take a breather and think from the compact plot. Compared with these scenes, the battle describing EVA and the apostles is extremely dynamic. Often in just one or two minutes, thousands of animations may be used! This sharp contrast between "motion" and "stillness" is also impressive. Moreover, the "violence" that Japanese robot animations are criticized for is not only intensified in EVA, but also includes a large number of scenes of blood spurting and eating apostles; there are also scenes depicting sex and nudity... which can be said to reach the limit of animation standards. In addition to the good quality of the picture and painting, the performance of the word card is also eye-catching: the big words written on the completely black paper are impressive.

EVA is a milestone in the history of animation. In terms of EVA's outstanding performance, it is indeed a masterpiece; and EVA can become a milestone only if it has a major impact on the animation industry and Japanese society. When EVA was first screened in Japan, it did not cause a big craze at first; but as the plot took a turn for the worse and became more and more difficult to understand, it began to cause topics: crazy discussions among animation fans, media reports, and even people who never liked watching animation. Adults have also begun to notice this animation work that subverts the conventions of previous animations. EVA peripheral products began to sell out; a lot of books discussing EVA sprung up. At that time, Japan was in an economic crisis; under the shackles of this environmental bottleneck, EVA actually set a record of annual revenue of 30 billion yen, which is really amazing! Although some people joked that this profit was "money fraud", but It is a rare miracle that an animation can trigger such an economic effect that is enough to support the country's economy! EVA became the most internationally famous masterpiece in the 1990s, and is also well-known in Europe and the United States and other countries. In addition to its impact on social economy, it also has an impact on social culture. The word "rage" in the play has become a popular term nowadays. The male and female protagonists in the play are set at the age of 14, which is the period of physical and mental growth of young people. It has also attracted the attention of adults to the education of today's youth. Of course, EVA is an animation, so the most direct impact is animation. For example, Rei Ayanami, one of the heroines in the EVA drama, has a beautiful appearance but a cold personality and doesn't talk much. She innovated the style of beautiful girls in previous animations and became popular in future animations. Important works such as "Mobile Battleship". It also made extensive use of freeze frames to reduce production costs and focus on the content and theme of the work. The script was not as difficult to understand as before, and the scale was relaxed (such as sexual descriptions), which also had a huge impact. Important works such as "Girls' Revolution" and "Lain". In particular, EVA has a large number of descriptions of psychological dramas, which has changed the trend in the animation industry; works after EVA obviously have more psychological descriptions, and they are all influenced by EVA. The huge influence of EVA has marked a new century for animation.

The philosophical theory contained in EVA

When it comes to EVA now, everyone must be familiar with it. A cartoon that combines Christianity, Judaism, zero theory and robot war; a work full of pseudo-theology that thoroughly implements Hideaki Anno's ideas; another sensation of GAINAX after "Nadia of the Mysterious Sea" Sexy work; an animation milestone that is regarded by fanatical fans as being comparable to the Gundam series. At the same time, it is also a business miracle; a magic weapon to make money.

Now, 10 years have passed since the birth of this miracle, and everyone's enthusiasm for it has slowly dissipated. Words such as LILITH, ADAM, ANGEL, A.T.FIELD, Dead Sea Scrolls, Completion, etc. that are widely spread among enthusiasts are no longer heard mentioned. ("Complete" is an exception) Even the EVA research station has not been updated for nearly a month, and there is nothing to do. Now, if I tell you that I want to share my views with you on some things in EVA, you will definitely think that this person is going to repeat what the Jedi people have talked about countless times. I can't say that my views have nothing to do with everyone's past research results, but they will definitely be different. I believe that the subject of EVA is much more than just theology.

Jedi, the boss of the EVA Research Station, once said that EVA is "religion + science fiction + psychology + society". This view comprehensively summarizes the scope of EVA. Another fan, CASPER, who has done a lot of research on EVA, has done some analysis on the philosophical aspects of EVA. He said: "I saw Nietzsche, Marx, and Hegel in EVA..." These two people have a profound understanding of EVA. There is already some understanding of these characteristics of EVA. However, Jedi's analysis is a bit biased towards the popular world, and only sees the superficial religious clues of EVA (of course, he may be a pioneer in the theological research of EVA, but it should be said that his ideological influence is too far-reaching, which makes us think that his understanding is "popular"); Although CASPER has found the hidden thread of EVA - philosophy, it is too superficial. It only sees the impact of philosophical thoughts on the expression of EVA, and fails to deeply explore the important role that philosophy plays in the entire EVA. That is, it has a guiding role in Anno Hideaki’s overall conception. A good work should have two clues, one bright and one dark. After summarizing, I think the main purpose of EVA should be summarized as "one center and two basic points" (laughs).

One of the core points of EVA is to enlighten and educate children in the rebellious period, or to use the terminology of EVA - completion. The two basic points of EVA are: one is the familiar Judaism and its derived religions and myths; the other is the philosophy of the Hegelian system, especially the "alienation" proposed by Hegel and elaborated by the young Marx. "Thought.

Everyone should also be aware of the completion of the psychology of children in the rebellious period. The age of the EVA driver is set at 14 years old because Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge when they were 14 years old and were expelled from the Garden of Eden. The Bible places the time for eating forbidden fruit at the age of 14, precisely because this is the period of rebellion that humans must go through. This period is a period of challenge to the authority of parents, and it is also the period when confusion is most likely to occur. Many characters in EVA reflect the psychological characteristics of children in the rebellious period. The protagonist, Shinji Ikari, is introverted, autistic and does not interact with others, and is weak and does not argue with others. His mother died when he was young and lacked maternal love; his father was obsessed with his career and cared far more about his work (Ling Bo) than his children; when his children needed father's love, he ignored them and waited until the children were about to become adults ( Only when it is useful to yourself) will you contact your children; strict, demanding, and typical parental style. Asuka's family also has many problems, the lack of family affection and care are exactly the same as Shinji's. But she developed another typical character: extremely competitive, strong self-esteem, and domineering. Although Ling Boli is not an ordinary human being, she also represents some of the characteristics of children in the rebellious period: apathy and suicidal tendencies. Misato Katsuragi is a very special person. She was the bridge between that group of children and the adults. She was also present during the second impact 15 years ago. She happened to be 14 years old at that time. Her psychological characteristic as a teenager was dissatisfaction with her father. But after being rescued by his father at the cost of his life, his view of his father has changed a lot, and he obviously has a strong Oedipus complex. It can be said that although she was mentally shadowed for a long time after the second impact and lost her father, her rebellious psychology was completed at that time, and she corrected the prejudices of her elders and Recognizing the value of loved ones, etc., should be said to be a relatively successful example of psychological compensation in the attitude towards family members. That's why she was particularly concerned about Shinji, who had more or less the same problem. But her completion is not complete either. She only corrected her views after her father's death, which made her always brood about herself and couldn't let go?