In the final episode,main character Shinji Ikari undergoes a profound journey of self-discovery.
He confronts his feelings of self-hatred, admitting, I hate myself.
But maybe I can learn to love myself.
This leads to a moment of clarity: Maybe its okay for me to be here!
Im me, nothing more, nothing less!
I want to be me!
I want to be here!
And its okay for me to be here!
The series concludes with the other characters applauding him, each stepping forward to say, Congratulations!
Viewers were left questioning the intentions of creator and director Hideaki Anno.
Was this abrupt finale a deliberate artistic choiceor simply the result of a rushed and chaotic production schedule?
What did the ending really mean?
But according to Anno, that shift was entirely intentional.
I see filmmaking as a kind of service industry, he explained in a 2001 interview on NHKsTop Runner.
My goal was never to provide answers or a sense of resolution.
The final episodes of the TV series were purposely designed as an incomplete story.
Anno revealed that the fragmented and introspective conclusion was a direct reflection of his mental state at the time.
The truth is,I didnt really understand myself or the world around me, he admitted.
In place of tidy resolutions,Evangelionoffered an honest portrayal of inner turmoil and emotional unrest.
One of the services I could provide to the audience was to show that confusion, Anno said.
I felt that if people could relate to that, then it was a worthwhile experience.
For him, the ending wasnt about explaining the plotit was about laying bare the emotional truth behind it.
But it was the final episodes ofEvangelionthat caused the biggest stir.
The shows abrupt, introspective conclusion sparked controversy in Japan, making headlines in major magazines.
As we approached the final volumes, anticipation was highoverseasfans knew something major was coming at the shows climax.
I remember thinking, Is that it?
Others dismissed the finale entirely, writing the show off asoverly arty, self-indulgent, or just plain pretentious.
Evangelion’s creator says it only looks deep.
Decades later, the mystery lives on in every fan theory and rewatch.
That same uncertainty still pulses through every version ofEvangelion, and maybe thats why it sticks with us.
The mystery was never meant to be solvedit was meant to be felt.
