Evangelion's ending was controversial because it didn't pay off the main storyline and it was a weird therapy session for Shinji (who is the self insert for the creator). It seemed to be very personal for the creator and the criticism for the ending seemed to annoy Anno. Which then he made a second ending that finished the storyline, but it seemed to be spiteful because it turned Shinji into a master debater and pervert, Misato into a pdfile and killed everyone off in an extremely violent manner. But it also had Shinji end up with Asuka and sexual interactions with Misato, so it was also fan service for the weirdos in the fanbase too.
True, abrupt and weird endings suck (like Evangelion) but the alternative is worse (like what happens in Western superhero comics).
My issue with western super hero comic is the "runs", a brilliant writer can write some brilliant material an then just have it tossed in the thrash by the following writer.
I absolutely loved Michael J. Straczynskis Thor run, and Olivier Coipels art was sublime, I was so enthralled in those comics that when I think back on them, I imagine them animated. He left the comic as soon as he learned marvel were going to just undo his entire run of having asgard work on earth.
As for EOE, It's one of my favourite movies ever and it's not as simple as it was a fanservice movie or to spite the audience, there was plans to arrive to the same conclusion according to old scripts. instead it was made to be completely on the nose with everything because many fans at the time in Japan thought Rei was the best female character, things should have panned out so Rei and Shinji got together, despite the fact she's technically his sister genetically and did not view her sexually and this is made clear throughout the show.
Anno had no idea anyone thought anything of Misato till he was interviewed by a western Magazine in 96, in which he was informed that she was the most popular female character in the west at the time, much to his surprise as he points out the Jpanese audience that was the male segment of it was obsessed with Rei, but he throws all the Rei fans under the bus by saying something very inflammatory about them. He was quite sore about them rejecting Asuka as she is the character he is still most proud of writing to this day, so much so the 30th anniversary short focused on her and it was brilliant
meta wise. We see Misato in various ways to show Shinji's eyes don't move when they would have if he was attracted her, he's shown being disgusted by her on several occasions, especially when he sees Misato with Kaji in instrumentality.
Asuka was actually quite disliked amongst the japanese fanbase at the time, even hated, even in the west she was just seen as annoying and bratty back in the 90's. To paraphrase, he said the guys that liked Rei just want a passive doormat for themselves and have been made spineless by the post world war 2 mindset. I'm paraphrasing here, but you can look it up. Anno did not hold back.
Back to all the on the nose stuff in EOE, it's made very clear that Asuka and Shinji have an issue with communication, He is constantly shown noticing her sexually, but not Misato, Rei or anyone else throughout the series, the Kawaru stuff is not what most fans interpreted it as, Anno made that clear in an interview in Japan at the time when asked about it, and the director of that episode, of his own volition, intended for it to a full blown "boys love story", Anno and the rest of the staff vetoed it, it's Shinji's ideal self and that's the intended appeal of Kaworu to Shinji. Asuka also teases him in a provocative manner at times, overtly so when wearing her bikini in front of him. So she deliberately frustrates him, but ironically dirves him away with the excess teasing, there's ale the fact he leaned in to kiss her when she first layed on his bed and he stops because she started crying in her sleep.
So, how does Anno make it clear, very clear that Asuka was the object of Shinji's desire and a reflection of Jung's anima and animus between them both? By beating the audience over the head with it in the hospital, but he give us an awesome Asuka is the hero battle (Asuka was originally the protag but Anno was rejected because of Nadias poor ratings) and show us a surreal visualisation of instrumentality featuring come sweet death. As for Misato giving Shinji a kiss, I would assume that based on his friends reaction to her, she mistakenly assumed he had a crush on her and kissed him since she was bleeding out and thought it would motivate him.
Anno says we can interpret it how we want, clearly not since he was insulting the audience constantly between 95 - 96 for doing just that and making demands of the story.
Having to explain the point of EOE definitely not being made to spite the audience was not on my bingo card for today but that's a myth that showed up years ago and some fans still believe it. This would cause many fans to just interpret the whole movie, and if anything dismiss most of it, though he was clearly beating us over the head with crumbs he placed throughout the series. A lot of the spite stuff actually stemmed from internet forums at the time stating as such because he didn't put Rei with Shinji.
Damn that post got long, and I really don't want this thread to turn into an Eva one, but when such profound movie is reduced to spite and fan service I felt I had to point out why it wasn't. You're obviously free to feel the movie isn't to your taste etc., but Anno really doesn't give a shit what the fans think, let alone make a whole movie to spite them and especially not back then.
what is that why
