Description
Book SynopsisWhen most people think of anime, they think of large-eyed adolescents fighting fearsome monsters (kaijū). On the surface, Neon Genesis Evangelion is just the same, filled with destructive explosions and gigantic EVA missiles that can only be piloted by super-hot teens. But as every otaku knows, anime as a stylized artform has much more to offer, often pushing the artistic, emotional, and intellectual boundaries of its audiences with its storylines. Neon Genesis Evangelion is one such anime: beyond the fearsome monsters and Evangelions, Neon Genesis explores the depths of the psyches of the adolescents when they become the very weapons needed to destroy the onslaught of Angels. The emotional complexities of the show make Neon Genesis Evangelion an emotional and intellectually challenging anime to watch. Fortunately, many of us do not undergo as extreme of experiences facing Shinji, Rei, and Asuka. But many of us do face tragedies that prompt us to ask questions about our own existence, how to live, and how to relate to others. Neon Genesis Evangelion and Philosophy encourages readers to take a moment to explore the wide range of philosophical topics found within the anime to challenge and encourage you to reflect on who you are and how to live with others.
Table of ContentsThe Consolations of Anime vii
I Finding Meaning in Instrumentality 1
1.The Desperate Search for Meaning in Life -HEATHER BROWNING AND WALTER VEIT 3
2.How Do We Know Who We Are? -NATHAN VISSER AND ADAM BARKMAN 13
3.A Teenage Existence-SANO YASUYUKI 23
4.My Life Is Worth Living Here! -JAKE POTTER 33
5.The Meaning of You -JONAS FARIA COSTA 43
II After (Re)Birth and Before Death 49
6. When Heroes Can (Not) Choose to Become Themselves-ANDREW M. WINTERS 51
7.The Young, the Old, the Monstrous -HANS-GEORG EILENBERGER 61
8.What Do Children Find in the End? -YUUKI NAMBA 71
9.Shinji’s Choice -LUCA CABASSA AND MATTEO CAPARRINI 81
III How to Think When You Are (Not) Alone 91
10.When You Have Two Right Hands and They’re Both in Flames -DAVID FAJARDO-CHICA 93
11.The Mysterious AT Field -LUKA PERUSIC 103
12.Loneliness and Watermelons -YOSHIHIRO TANIGAWA 113
13.Evangelion’s Terminal Dogma -KHEGAN M. DELPORT 129
IV You Can (Not) Exist 141
14.Living Questions or Dead Ends?-ZACHARY VEREB 143
15.A Tale of Two Anti-Heroes-MARK CHEONG 153
16. Plant a Tree, Build an AT Field, and Wait for the Apocalypse -GIONATAN PACHECO 163
V Tools to Rebuild After Impact 173
17. Hands Off My Show! -JEREMY CHRISTENSEN AND ERIC HOLMES 175
18.Desperately Seeking Misato -DAVID BORDONABA-PLOU 185
19.From Kabbalah, Angels, and Apocalypse to Kaiju, Mecha, and Personal Growth -DENIZ YENIMAZMAN 195
Bibliography 205
The Pilots 209
Index 213
