Evangelion 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone is a 2007 Japanese animated science fiction action film written and directed by Hideaki Anno. The film is set in the futuristic city of Tokyo-3 were fifteen years after a global disaster known as the second impact a boy named Shinji Ikari is recruited by a special agency called nerv the pilot a giant robot known as an Eva and fight along with polit Rei Ayanami against a mysterious species named angels. Evangelion 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone is a retelling of the book of genesis with Cristian and Jewish symbolism. The film delves into the philosophy of Schopenhauer, Freud, and Kierkegaard to showcase the profound nature of human connection and how people must band together to stive forward and become better.
The film opens with images of red seas witch links to the book of revelations. This second impact world relates to a religious story in the book of revelation called the breaking of vassals as this red sea shows that this story in on a loop were the story takes place in a post third impact end of evangelion world as shown with the outline of one of the dead Evas. When Misato sends Shinji a letter explaining were and when to meet, she contains a scantily clad picture on herself in his message with an arrow towards her breasts. This shows how Miasto deals with her loneliness through her sexuality as that’s what gives her meaning. Rei then appears as Lilith god and the silent observer watching man and a mother watching their child. An angel then attacks which shows the films links to Jewish mysticism and the Kabala. The names of the angels are based off Jewish mysticism with names in the Kabala. The names of the angels are based off names in the book Zohar, The Almud and The Book of Enoch written in El theosophy as divine names have el at the end. The character of Shinji has a fear of people. This demonstrates the hedgehog’s dilemma a theory by Schopenhauer. Shinji constantly wants the acceptance and validation for others but is terrified of rejection and therefore minuses his existence inalterably creating distance. This also links to Freuds oral stage as Shinji is motionless and needs to be dependent on people. The angels in the film ate from the tree of life demonstrating the series as retelling of the book of gneiss as the angels ty and take back the world from man. Shinji’s shown to have torn up his ID paper that has the simple words come here on its witch is Sellotape together as the film shows that both Shinji and Misato have issues with their father. This again links to the hedgehog dilemma as Shinji hates his father but comes to him because he desires his acceptance. This hedgehog dilemma is also shown in Gendos struggle to show Shinji love as he doesn’t know how to be a father nadtheforerej3etcs love to not fell pain. From this the film examens the idea of ambivalence in the way people passionately hate and love one another. Shinji and his father reunite he tells shinai he will polit the Eva but Shinji doesn’t want to as he has his doubts and doesn’t want to do it. Gnedo simply has a need from him, and Shinji has slot of self-doubt as people try and convince him as he questions why he came here even though he doesn’t want to run away from his father and himself. Rie then gets wheeled out injured order to guilt trip Shinji who sees himself as useless. It is also when an injured Rei struggles, he accepts his mantra and doesn’t run away. This showcases the hedgehog’s dilemma in that Shinji hates his dad but constantly gets in the Eva to seek the validation from others. This also relates a sickness unto death and despair as Shinji hates himself and Gendo rejects love to not feel pain. Shinji having self-doubt relates to Arthur Schopenhauer’s idea of life is suffering. This is due to the world being made up of will and representation with is the nature of reality peace in not possible because people can’t connect and suffer as individuals which is showcased in the fracked relationship between Shinji and Gendo. Shinji hates his dad but gets in the Eva to her the praise from his dad, Shinji runs away but he keeps on coming back. This links to a Kierkegaard idea that the characters in Eva are fractured between who they are and who they want to be or need to be as the film demonstrates the idea of need vs necessity. This paradoxical nature is shown in Shinji as he wants to do his job and runs away from existence. Shinji enters the Eva by being inserted into a being that is flooded with liquid for him to beath. This links to the Freudian idea of a desire to return to the womb a place with no pain as shown as the pilots of the Eva’s must connect and disconnect from the giant robots. The film is a deconstruction of the mecha genre and Shinji is not a stereotypical anime character he falls over on his first step as Gendo smiles as he is disconnecting from his son. This disconnect makes Shinji feel hopeless as the angel destroys him, but he survives as the Eva which has has Shinjis mums’ soul in it goes berserk and attacks the angel destroying it in the shape of a cross as the Eva breaches the AT field. This links to the biblical undertones of the film as the angel are casting biblical judgment on humanity. This idea of the Eva going berserk Showcasing the Freudian motherless children of Shinji’s mum being in the soul of the Eva as his mother protects him.
Shinji’s psyche is shown by a train carriage as his mum and dad talk about kids saying they will name it Shinji if it’s a boy and Rei if it’s a girl. The children in Eva are motherless as Shinji’s mums’ soul and Auska’s mums’ soul are in there Eva’s. The Eva’s bond their souls to the polit as the pilot the Eva they are mourning them as a lost soul, Rei however is melonic as she has no sou no mum and don’t know what she mises showing deep sadness. Lilith the second angel that created humans comes form Jewish folk law is known as the mother of demons. Nerv secretly are doing something called the human instrumentality project to bond all souls into one to remove pain and suffering. This links to a Kierkegaard idea that humans are fractured, and that people battle between who they are and who they want to be as a need vs necessity. Misato has a cross witch shows her biblical faith. The sea tuning into lakes of blood form the second impact looking like hell. The red oceans come from the book of revelations with links to the breaking of vessels as everything was connected but then broke apart reconnecting the world. when they go to the lift Gendo is in there, Shinji refuses to go in the lift and turns his head away. This links to Arthur Schopenhauer’s hedgehog as hedgehogs want warmth but can’t get close due to their spines, Gendo struggles to show Shinji love and doesn’t now how to be father and so rejects love to not feel pain. This links to Arthur Schopenhauer’s idea of life is pain because the world is made up of will and representation people will be at peace without the struggle to counteract suffering to individuality. This also links to idea of ambivalence how people passionately love and hate each other. Shinji hates his dad but gets in the Eva to hear the passionately from his dad he runs away but keeps coming back. Gendo disconnects as he wants people to be one and destroy personhood and avoids the pian of being with others, this links to the pain of having a self as Shinji can’t relate to others in society. Shinji can’t exist in society and retreats instead of reaching out, this links to the hedgehog’s dilemma and people want intimacy but pain hurts as they fear intimacy and close themselves from others as Shinji can’t accept himself. Misato jokes about messing around with Shinji as Misato deal with loneliness though her sexuality as that what gives her meaning. Shinji and Miasto overhears two women at the shop talking about problems Nerv has caused. Shinjis identity is based on people around him as he wants to be ordered and not make choices. Shinji paradoxically wants to do his job and run away therefore he minimises his existence. He wishes not to be as he can’t exist in society and retreats as he can’t accept himself. Misato tries to cheer Shinji up showing him the city rising from the ground this is the city he protected as Misato takes on the role of Shinji’s surrogate mother figure and a Freudian subtext. The film contrasts the idolised image of Miasto and the real Miasto a lazy, dirty, alcoholic. This links into Kierkegaard as people are fracture between who we are and who we want to be as it is need vs necessity. The Freud subtext is here as Shinji looks at hear bras and runs out naked as Miasto then shows her real broken self when she is alone.
Shinji thinks of the bad things when his in the bath. Shinji’s identity is based on the people around him he wants to be ordered and not make choices. He wants to paradoxically do his job and run away from existence; Shinji minimises his existence as he wishes not to be. Rei in a similar way removes her individuality as Shinji can’t exist in society and retreats instead of reaching out as Shinji can’t accept himself. The reason Shinji listens to the same two tracks again and again that he is sacred of change, in the bath Misato shows her venerable self as she’s in a state of unowning. Misato talks to Shinji like a caring mother but also shows sexuality with her draped in a bath robe saying he sound be proud, this demonstrates the hedgehog’s dilemma Misato tries to reach out to him, but Shinji is too sacred to accept it. This links to the oriel stage with Miasto taking on the caring mother role. This links to Kierkegaard as people between who they are and how they want to be. Shinji can’t exist in society and retreats instead of reaching out showing the hedgehog dilemma the people in the series want intimacy, but they fear pain so they close themselves from others as Shinji can’t accept himself. Touji punches Shinji as his sister was injured as Shinji’s life was not glamorous. Shinji becomes somewhat robotic during the training simulations as he obeys as that what makes his life easier for himself. This again shows the hedgehogs dilemma as he distances himself to not feel pain. Shinji thinks about the fact that his father is not even watching him, as Toji and Kensuke sneaks out to see the fight. Shinji is in a state of fear and can’t fight and is messed up and can’t move and Toji and Kensuke get in the pod. Shinji then ignores Misato and attack the angel killing it. This fears links to Arthur Schopenhauer as the suffering in life comes from identity Shinji suffering comes from himself. Shinji and his father have ambivalence as the hate each other but they need each other. This shows a death drive and drive to life as he wants to end it all but wants others to love him, this also shows the fractured reality of who people are a Kierkegaard d what they want as Shinji wants to be loved. Shinji’s identity is based on the people around him and he wants to be ordered and not make choices. He wants to do his job and run away, he minuses his exitance. He doesn’t want to exist Shinji isn’t a normal person and crawls into himself as he hates himself.
Misato scolds Shinji for disobeying order as Shinji gives an emotionless response, he says his just here to be used with changes her because in a way he’s right, but she is also right. This links to the hedgehog dilemma as Shinji wants to be used to be useful for people and Miasto hates the fact that he is sort of correct. Shinji wants to be a person that is loved and therefore doesn’t want to be an individual. He wants to minimise pain he wants intimacy but fears rejection. Shinji runs away taking the train playing his cassette playing, he then wanders around with headphones on as Miasto says a jerk for avoiding her. There is then a scene near the edge of a cliff as it seems like wants to commit suicide, when he comes back Misato scolds him with him saying he will do what they want but Misato scolds him into thinking for himself. Shinji wants to be liked by them but fears rejection. The people in the film wants intimacy but also fear it. They battle between who they are and who they want to be. His identity is based on the people around him as he wants to be ordered and not make choices. He wants to run away but doesn’t and instead hide in himself. He wants intimacy but fears it as he can’t accept himself.
Toji gets Shinji to punch him showing the hedgehogs dilemma as the way for people to connect is though negative acts. Rei was rejected by the plug causing her injuries as the Christian imagery shows her to be a sort of holy spirit, as Shinji sees Rei talking to Gendo in a friendly way. Shinji wants his father to love him to ease his loneliness like Miasto and her father. Again, witch the hedgehog’s dilemma he wants to be loved but can’t accept people due to fear and self-hatred. This suffering is forced on people’s inability to communicate. He is a fractured individual between who is and who he wants to be as he constantly has battle in himself. Therefore, Rei removes herself from humanity and rejects her individuality. Though the hedgehog’s dilemma the characters wants intimacy but far it as Shinji can’t accept himself and Rei is like a blank slate. Shinji then visits Rei’s grotty dwellings and tries on Gendo’s glasses, he sees her naked and gets embraced as Rei has no response and removes the glasses. He then trips and falls with her with him grabbing her breasts as Rei has no response. Again, with the hedgehog’s dilemma Shinji wants intimacy but she gives him none. Rei is melancholic as she has no soul no mum and doesn’t no what she’s missing and has deep sadness, Shinji and rei also have ambivalence as they hate and over each other Rei has a death drive. Rei has no individuality showing the pian of having a self as she can’t relate to people and be part of society. Shinji can’t be a denial and sinks into himself as Rei has no emotion. This hedgehog’s dilemma shows that he wants and fears intimacy, but Rei gives him none.
When Shinji insults Gnedo Rei slaps him. Again, with the hedgehog’s dilemma Shinji reaches out but says the wrong thing to Rei slaps him. this shows the struggle of humans to connect and understands each other. Rei has traits that map on to Gendo as he is melancholic and doesn’t know what she’s missing. This shows ambivalence as Shinji hates his dad but constantly pilots the Eva for his approval. The characters are fractured between who they are and who they want to be with Shinji wanting to be loved and Rei wanting to be human but hey cannot connect to people. They both have no existence for themselves. Shinji and Rei cannot interact to each other though the hedgehog’s dilemma. They then fight the diamond angel witch links to the Kabala and Jewish mysticism as the angles are based off the books the Zohar the almud and the book of Enoch, they are also written in El theosophy that ties names to the divine with El at the end and Adam Kadman in the film is a Jewish mysticism character that links too Adam’s angel. Shinji instantly attacked by an angel and retreats and goes to the hospital showcasing a deconstruction as he is not an anime hero as the angel shoots a cross beam showing biblical judgement. Shinji then takes the train talking to himself and Rei. Then in hospital bed he is talking to rei as he says he can’t do it and rei says just to stay him, saying he doesn’t want to pilot people hate him they are sending him to his death he wants to die, he hates the pian, runway form pain, is there a point for Shinji to live, no one wants him to polit Eva. Shinji doesn’t want to suffer but suffering in part of what makes you human to be an induvial is to suffer. Shinji wants the appeals for others. People in the film want to get rid of pain and in a Freudian way return to the womb. Shinji is disconnected form himself and wants to be ordered to make people like him. By not running away he minimise his experience like Rei removes identity as they want intimacy but fears others as they hate themselves.
Misato talks to Shinji and explains that half of humanity died during the second impact in Antarctica and the angels initiated third impact then humanity is destroyed and if the angel gets to Lilth who is nailed on a cross like Jesus with the spear of longlines then everything’s over and they need to guard Lilith with the Eva’s. This is based on Jewish folk law as Lilith is what humans are descended from as the angels wish to whip humans out. There is a wall between Shinji and Rei as they are changing which links to the hedgehog dilemma as they want to get close but though a physical and metaphorical barrier they can’t. Rei says, “you won’t die I will protect you” to which Shinji replies “I don’t feel I’m worth protecting”. They are both disconnected from their bodies as shinji’s identity is based on off how people perceive him as he lives to not make choices. By on one hand just wanting to do his job and on the other hand running away he minimises his existence. As Rei removes individuality Shinji fears existence in society and retreats. Rei in contrast has no emotional connections as the film shows that people having their own ideas makes things messy. This again shows the hedgehogs dilemma as they both crave a link humanity but cannot fully archive it. Shinji cannot accept himself as the film shows to stop this people must have faith in something despite logic as people aren’t logical and that has failed humanity.
Toji and Kensuke leaves a message for Shinji. This shows the hedgehogs dilemma in that his friends despite first hating him at first care for him. Shinji and Rei sit far apart on different platforms as Rei says she pilots her Eva as it’s her link to humanity it is what makes her human it all she has; she then says farewell as if she’s going to die. This again links to the hedgehog’s dilemma Rei wants to be human have a link to humanity but due to who she is can’t. Misato gives Shinji her gratitude witch again shows the hedgehogs dilemma as she gives him some degree of warmth and comfort. Shinji when at the gun talks about how he doesn’t have Rei’s courage and resolve as he shouldn’t have much confidence in the Eva or himself witch again showcases a sickness unto depth showing Shinji’s despair. Shinji shoots but doesn’t kill the nag el as it shoots its beam and Shinji starts to cry. Shinji has Schopenhauer sickness unto death causing his despair. There is a Kierkegaard fracture between who Shinji is as weak and who he wants to be as strong. Shinji fights the Eva because he wants people to make choice for him like rei pilots the Eva to be human, they both want a link to people. Shinji minimises his experience though comfort though the Eva whilst Rei uses it as her link as this is how they live. They both want intimacy but though the hedgehog’s dilemma they fear it and reject each other and themselves. Gendo wants to relive Shinji of duty, but Misato wants Shinji to do the job, as Gendo struggles to show Shinji love as he doesn’t know how to be father and rejects love don’t to feel pain. Shinji is influenced by the positivity of other as he must believe in both himself and the people around him as though collective subjectivity people form bonds and achieve great thing if people have faith to commit to an idea and symbolically become immortal as Shinji disproves the hedgehog’s dilemma. Misato says everyone will intrust everything to him. Shinji ends up believing in himself and the people around him as these bonds create great achievements as people can have the faith to relay behind an idea and but it into practice. Shinji gets shot by the angel, but rei protects him with the shield, as Shinji shoots the angels killing it. Again, once people believing themselves and each other as they can rally behind a cause and achieve great things and people have faith and become higher people which disproves the hedgehog’s dilemma. The angels have names based of off religious texts that have dive names showing this as a biblical battle for humanity. The way Shinji refocuses Rei from the pod mirrors Gendo as he tells her not to say bad things and goodbyes. Rei doesn’t know what to do but when Shinji tells her to smile, she does so as he helps her out. This again disproves the hedgehog’s dilemma as Shinji and Rei form and bond and a connection. The film ends with gthe character of Kaworu on the moon as it has been sprayed with blood as he awakens form one of the many coffins to say Shinji has awakened as he talks to Seele as they have a pack, and he says his looking forward to meeting Shinji. Kawuru has many versions of himself as Evangelion is on a time loop as this film take place after The End of Evangelion as the film ends on the question are people doomed to their endless cycle of despair or can they break them.
Evangelion 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone is a film about the agony of existence and the human condition and that how people smut come together to break humanities cycle of despair.
