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Neon Genesis Evangelionis a series that’s loaded with quotes which can make you think, but there’s one particular quote which has always stuck with me, going back to my first time watching it nearly 20 years ago. The quote in question happens to come fromEnd of Evangelion, and it’s been a source of comfort and strength in dark times.
Given how darkEvangelioncan be, it may be a surprise to think that the series has anything to offer that would actually be reassuring, but to feel that way would be to miss the entire point of the series. In the end,Evangelionis about hope, not despair; it’s about the persistence to continue existing, in spite of all the pain that life can bring your way. The particular quote which lives in my mind is spoken by Shinji’s mother, Yui Ikari, near the end of the film. While the line is translated slightly differently betweenthe originalEvangeliondub and the Netflix dub, in both the essence is the same:“As long as there is the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth, it will all work out.”
Yui’s Quote Sums Up the Themes of Evangelion Well
The World Continues On, Through Good Times and Bad
The context of the quote is afterthe advent of Instrumentality, when all the people of the world have been joined into one collective, with no boundaries left between the self and the other. Shinji is beginning to wish that this wasn’t the case, and for things to return to the way that they were before, even if that means that the pain and isolation of being an individual returns, too. Shinji hears this reassuring line from his mother while in the LCL ocean, affirming to him that it is possible to go back to how it was, and that even in that individual form, happiness is a possibility.
It is, in effect, a summary of the entire themes and morals of the series.Evangelionshows throughout its run the pain which being an individual can bring, and how suffering may well be an intrinsic part of life. However, that’s no reason to give up hope, or to retreat into one’s self and cast aside connections with others. Connecting with others is in fact one of the best sources of joy that one can find in this life, and it’s worth risking the pain of rejection or misunderstanding in order to pursue this happiness.
10 Best Neon Genesis Evangelion Quotes That Prove Just How Deep The Series is
Neon Genesis Evangelion is full of brilliant lines of dialogue which carry with them more weight than one might expect, proving the series' depth.
Yui emphasizes to Shinji that happiness is something of one’s own making, stating just before this that"so long as you are alive, you will always have the chance to be happy.“It’s certainly a difficult idea to fully grasp, as this world can make it feel like so much is beyond your control… but there’s always one thing that will be in your control, and that’s your reaction to the world. One can only feel despair by giving into it, but it’s always possible to resist it, and to cling on to hope.
Yui’s Quote is An Affirmation of Life
The Line Signifies the Stability of the World
Even in the darkest point ofEvangelion, when it seems all is lost, Yui emphasizes that the constants of the world remain, and that so long as that is true, the world will continue on–as it does in the end of the film.Things aren’t exactly the same, and they never will be, really, but Shinji is alive, humanity is returning, and eventually it will all be okay.Even in this devastated world, happiness is still a possibility, but one must try to have that happiness.It can only come from within.
Outside ofEvangelion, the quote works as something of an affirmation when I feel like I’m on the verge of despair. My mood is often shaped by the big picture goings-on in the world, and that can be pretty bleak sometimes. I could list examples, but there’s really no need; you certainly know what kind of world events there are to worry about just as well as I do. In those times, Yui’s words will often come back into my mind, andI’ll ask myself, “Will the world still be here at the end of this?” and the answer is always yes. No one has the power to change that, after all.
If you’ve by chance read aboutmy favoriteCowboy Bebopquote, you might notice a bit of a theme connecting the two ideas. While Spike’s “Whatever happens, happens,” has helped me to deal with the anxiety surrounding events beyond my control, Yui’s quote affirms that no matter what it is that does happen, life will continue on, and so long as it does, it’s possible to become happy again. If I can’t control it, and the world will still be there at the end, then what use is there in worrying about this at all? Major events, both good and bad, will come and go, but the Earth keeps turning regardless.
Evangelion’s Message of Hope is Critical to Its Success
No Matter How Bleak, Evangelion Never Fully Loses Hope
There’s no denying thatEvangelionis a dark series, and many have tried to emulate its success by going even darker and bleaker than whatEvangelionhad to show. However, to do that is to miss the point ofEvangelionaltogether; it’s not a success because it’s dark, but because it holds onto hope no matter how dark things get.End of Evangelionis unquestionably the darkest the original story gets, and yet this message of hope and persistence is key to its ending.
It can be hard to put this feeling into action sometimes, and I may need time before I can fully accept new circumstances, but these ideas have remained strong in my mind, a mantra that I can repeat to myself during difficult times. Yui’s words don’t instantly make everything better, but they remind me that dark times don’t have to last forever, and I think that’s what Hideaki Anno would’ve wanted me to take away fromNeon Genesis Evangelion.
