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Not all TV episodes are created equally.
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For every gem, there's bound to be a stinker.
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This is Eva Monkey, and in this video,
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we're taking a look at what episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion people love and hate.
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To do this, I surveyed fans to find out three things...
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"What episodes do you like?"
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"What's your favorite episode?" and...
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"What is the WORST episode in all of Neon Genesis Evangelion?"
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I surveyed fans in this way, as I wanted to measure people's general attitudes
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in addition to the strong opinions that they had about the show's episodes,
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because there are certain episodes that are sure to be well liked,
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even if they might not be someone's favorite.
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Also, it's worth mentioning that even with several hundred responses,
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we're still talking about a relatively small sample set.
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So this is by no means a conclusive assessment,
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but it should help give everyone a good idea of how fans feel about the series and its episodes.
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First, let's take a look at what episodes of Evangelion people liked.
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Coming in at number 5 is Episode 8,
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Asuka Arrives in Japan / Asuka Strikes!
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While the previous episode kicked off what fans refer to as “the action arc”,
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it was with "Asuka Strikes!" that it was on full display.
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If nothing else, this episode is noteworthy for having introduced fans to the now iconic Asuka Langley Soryu.
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We also met Ryohji Kaji, saw Unit-02 in action for the first time,
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and as an added bonus, we got our first look at the first angel Adam.
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This episode is full of fun and action, so it's not a surprise to see it make the cut.
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Number 4, Episode 26,
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The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World / Take Care of Yourself
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While it might not have been a completely satisfactory conclusion to the series,
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there's something incredibly earnest about the ending that Hideaki Anno and Gainax cobbled together in the eleventh hour.
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While many fans have speculated that the production ran out of money,
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Gainax president Hiroyuki Yamaga has stated that the budget wasn't the issue, it was a matter of time.
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This falls in line with accounts of Hideaki Anno constantly rewriting episodes in the second half of the series,
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and the statement that what Anno ultimately wanted at the end was for Shinji to smile.
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By all accounts, Anno forced himself into delivering an unconventional conclusion that,
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despite being inherently incomplete, still managed to be deeply touching.
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Number 3, Episode 22,
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At least, be human / Don't be.
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Asuka's traumatic childhood is first teased at all the way back in episode 10,
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but it's not until this episode that we finally delve into her past,
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touching on her mother's mental breakdown and eventual death.
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Not only that, but this episode also prominently features Asuka experiencing a psychological attack from an angel
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that propels her further on her downward spiral.
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This episode definitely didn't pull any punches, so it's easy to see it claim a spot.
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Number 2, Episode 19,
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A Man's Battle / Introjection.
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My personal favorite, this episode picks up immediately after the gruesome destruction of Unit-03
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at the hands of a dummy-plug-controlled Unit-01,
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that nearly claimed the life of Touji Suzuhara.
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Shinji understandably stands in defiance of this, and once again leaves Nerv.
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However, just as he does, the newest, and mightiest angel descends upon Tokyo-3
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to make short work of Nerv's defenses, Eva units included.
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After a heart-to-heart with Kaji in his melon patch, Shinji accepts his responsibility as a pilot,
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and rushes headlong into a close quarters brawl with the angel.
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And to top it all off, the episode ends with a cliffhanger that challenges everything we know up to that point.
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Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
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Episode 1, Angel Attack / Angel Attack
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Episode 9, Moment, Heart, Together / Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win!
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Number 1, Episode 24,
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The Final Messenger / The Beginning and the End, or "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
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Not everyone was a fan of episodes 25 and 26,
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largely due to the way in which they abandoned the plot of the show,
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and instead focused almost exclusively on the internal,
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psychological aspects of the show's cast of characters.
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In a way, you could consider episode 24 the ending to the series,
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as it is the point from which the story branches off into The End of Evangelion,
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which many will agree is a masterpiece that addresses both the internal
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and external conflicts of the series.
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In this episode, we meet the final angel, Kaworu Nagisa,
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who, despite his short amount of screen time,
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remains one of the series' most popular characters.
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The episode perfectly sets up both endings,
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by forcing Shinji Ikari into killing the one person who expressed genuine love for him.
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Brutal...
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So that's the positives, but, what about the negatives?
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What are the most disliked episodes in all of Evangelion?
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As it turns out, people's opinions about what episodes they thought were the worst
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varied from how well liked the episodes were.
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Many people liked episodes that they also thought were the worst.
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And, some well liked episodes had vocal contingents of people who hated them.
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So this list is a bit looser as a result.
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Number 5, Episode 3,
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The Phone That Doesn't Ring / A Transfer
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I was surprised to find that overall, Episode 3 was liked less than Episode 4,
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even though most of that episode was Shinji just… walking around.
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Nevertheless, this episode served as an abrupt wake-up call for viewers that Shinji would not only be reluctant,
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but would also be a weak and insecure protagonist.
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Other reasons for it being disliked include it being unnecessary, tedious,
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and an awkward transition out of the series' two part opener.
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All that said, the majority of fans do still like this episode,
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even if it is a bit on the weak side.
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Number 4, Episode 13,
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Angel Invasion / Lilliputian Hitcher
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When you think about it, it's not too hard to see why this episode isn't very well liked.
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Episode 13 largely revolves around Ritsuko,
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and generally speaking, people don't really like her,
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which is ironic when you consider that she was designed to be the sexy character.
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Just think about it, under that white lab coat,
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she wears a sleeveless top that zips down the front,
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a black leather mini skirt, and dark pantyhose,
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not to mention the blonde hair and red lips.
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And to top it all off, she even has a beauty mark.
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More importantly, this episode sidelines the three pilots and their Evas
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in favor of arguably unnecessary character development, More importantly, this episode sidelines the three pilots and their Evas
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in favor of arguably unnecessary character development,
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and a predictable climax that featured no combat.
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This is one of those Angel of the week episodes that would not be missed.
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Number 3, Episode 14,
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SEELE, Throne of Souls / Weaving a Story
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This episode is probably one of the slowest in the entire series.
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While it does contribute to the show by conveying Rei's abstract psyche,
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and while it does also tease viewers with hints regarding the soul of Unit-00,
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the majority of this episode is text, stills, and reused footage.
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While they did at least try to make this episode a bit more than the standard clip episode,
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with the recap of Angel battles taking the form of a briefing
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with the Human Instrumentality Committee,
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it can't be overlooked that more effort could have gone into this episode.
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Number 2, Episode 07,
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The Human Creation / A Human Work
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While this episode did have some subtle world building,
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and some further development of the relationship between Shinji and Misato,
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many felt that this episode was unnecessary filler.
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For some, the three main pilots are what draws them to the show.
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Rei and Asuka are completely absent from this episode,
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and while Shinji is sortied in Eva Unit-01, there's no combat,
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and ultimately, he just holds Jet Alone in place.
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Misato climbs inside to deactivate it, but in the end,
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it's a shallow victory and she accomplishes nothing,
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as Ritsuko programmed the robot to go berserk until the very last second.
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There are no memorable moments for the pilots,
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and the episode is ultimately seen as pointless, redundant, and skippable.
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But at the very least, this episode did give us the now classic disapproving Shinji with coffee mug meme.
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If you weren't aware that that was a thing, well… now you do.
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Number 1, Episode 10,
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Magmadiver / Magma Diver
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Where do I even begin?
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Fat suits, questionable science,
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potentially inappropriate touching, erection jokes…
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Magma Diver may just be the lowest point in the entire series.
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Aside from insights into the Angels' life cycle…
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and maybe a tender smile from Asuka when Shinji saves her life,
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everything else in this episode is either silly or redundant.
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Asuka is obsessed with Kaji, something we see previously and later on.
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We get our first hint that Kaji is an informant, something that is touched upon again later on.
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Even the foreshadowing into Asuka's past is really just that, foreshadowing…
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it doesn't offer any new information, just a hint of what will be detailed later on.
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Overall, Magma Diver is a disposable angel of the week episode… redundant, forgettable,
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and an embodiment of everything fans hate about Evangelion's “action arc”.
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What are your most loved and hated episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion?
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Let me know in the comments.
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If you enjoyed this video, please let me know by hitting that thumbs up button,
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and if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe so you don't miss future videos.
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Until next time, thanks for watching!