[EVA] Angel Names and BAckground

[Ebj]

> i think you've misinterpreted my statements. i am not suggesting that
> evangelion is a cabbalistic anime. in fact, i said:
>
> "using the cabbala as a base to interpret eva's meaning isn't viable..."

I used an ambiguous statement, but what I wanted to stress is that there is
no dismissing any work by considering the religious imagery as mere
aesthetics.

> i do not feel that the meaning of evangelion is meant to be interpreted
<snip>
> work that is evangelion.

Well, I agree that he dove in the subject to get what he needed, but still
don't see much of it outside the aesthetic environment, much less in the
storyline. All the names and terms that recall Judo-Christianism are
codenames, therefore the associated objects may remind or recall of the
original name-holders, but will bend their characteristics at the plot's
needs.

> your own example of K' from KoF is precisely why i made my point. that's a
> tossed-off, effortless implementation of christian imagery.

And also, something Japanese people do all the time in real life too. In
these cases coolness has its own signifiance, just like the "Violence Jack
Off" fashion shop: any English-speaking bloke would laugh it off, but it's a
very cool name for the average Japanese.

> the implementations in eva are impressive. all i was suggesting is that we
> shouldn't dismiss their implementation along with dismissing the idea that
> they are meaningful.
>
> all in all, they are not relevant to the >meaning< of evangelion. but
can't
> we talk about the artistry of evangelion? the creative power of the show?
> that's a deep, abiding draw to it, for me at least. it's also something
that
> doesn't get discussed on this ML very often.

Yes we can, of course. And to that, I must say that Eva is an example of a
very fine balance between the coherence of the imported religious icons and
concepts, and the way they have been integrated with the story/aesthetics of
the show. This is ensured by the mere fact of using names as codenames: this
way, the Lance of Longinus is not to be mistaken for the lance that was used
on Christ, Adam is not the first man of Judo-Christian-Islamic tradition,
and so on, thus allowing the author to take what liberties about the
characters and objects bearing these codenames he feels adequate to his
purposes. This is not true in many other cases, Angel Sanctuary and
Bastard!! being the first ones to come to mind now. They're shows for a
Japanese audience too, so they are to be taken with that in mind, but still
I (not being Japanese and incidentally being Christian) am unconfortable
with the use of religious imagery that they make. Well, there's another
example coming to my mind now, and it's Devilman, but that is a special
case, because it's from Go Nagai. ^_^;

> i think you're just willfully misiterpreting my statements.
> i mean, you yourself quoted me saying it's "not very meaningful for the
> interpretation of evangelion." how plain do you want it?

Not willfully, I assure you. I think I got it right, this time.
__________________
| .org \---------|
|@   n |---------| @:       immano.org at flashnet.it
\_E_>_/  abcdefg | .org:    http://immano.port5.com/
 |  |    hijklmn | .square: http://digilander.iol.it/immano/
 |  |    opqrstu |
 |  |    vwxyz.  |