by MangaMoon

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Remember... when everyone applauds Shinji at the end of "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and tells him, “Congratulations!”? In Episode 26, the familiar world around Shinji begins to fall apart. Empty spaces, unfinished sketches, and the voices of people he knows alternate across the screen. Their questions bring him back to the same painful thoughts: Why does he hate himself? Why does he believe he only has value to others when he pilots an Eva? In a completely white space, he is free, but has nothing to ground him. He cannot even define where he stands. As soon as a line is drawn beneath him, the ground appears. That limitation also gives him a sense of direction. Then, unexpectedly, he sees a different life: Asuka is his childhood friend, Rei is a student running late for school, and both of his parents are alive and at home. This sequence, resembling an ordinary school comedy, shows that his existence is not limited to being an Eva pilot. Another Shinji is possible — one with different relationships and a different perception of himself. Little by little, he begins to accept an idea: just because he hates himself now doesn't mean he always has to. Perhaps he can learn to love himself. Perhaps he has the right to exist. The enclosed space around him shatters. Against a bright background, familiar faces appear — Misato, Rei, Asuka, his friends, and his parents. Everyone applauds and congratulates him. Shinji smiles and thanks them. The hope of this ending lies in that small change: for the first time, Shinji sees the possibility of accepting his own existence.

Material: wooden