Ask John: Why Are Evangelion Fans So Obsessive?

Question:
From what I’ve seen and heard online, a good deal of Evangelion fans seem to think of anime as something that seperate and “lower” than Eva. Although I am a big fan of Evangelion, I consider this somewhat arrogant. I consider myself more of an Evangelion fan than an anime fan, but I also watch and enjoy many other anime, and other types of anime. Isn’t the self-isolation from society of many Evangelion fans a direct contradiction of the show’s message? What is it about the show that makes its fans so obsessive?

Answer:
The philosophical message of Evangelion is that during adolescence people have to develop an understanding that human beings are individual and isolated by the boundaries of their bodies and minds, and that people seek to bridge the distance between each other through communication. Both individuality and community are necessary to create a normal, healthy person; one can never be completely a part of anyone else, nor should one be. Creating a hierarchy of anime with Evangelion at the top based on personal preference or perceptions of cinematic quality is debatable but legitimate. It’s natural for criticism to be based on either quality or taste. One can debate the relative quality of Evangelion, and, as the saying goes, there’s no accounting for taste. As far as Evangelion thematically deals with encouraging discovering one’s own place in society and recognizing the individual among the whole, it could be said that being fully devoted to only Evangelion contradicts the message the Evangelion itself wishes to convey, but I think that’s a tenuous conclusion. And I would encourage careful consideration to anyone who seeks to identify life lessons or stereotypes based on anime. Hundreds of thousands, if not more, otaku worldwide live their lives around anime, but I don’t know of anyone that tries to live by a personal philosophy suggested by anime.

While I believe that it’s fairly straightforward to base one’s life on real world circumstances and influences instead of trying to adhere to principles within an anime, the rationale for obsessive devotion to Evangelion is more nuanced and more interesting. Actually, although hardcore Evangelion fans will probably wish to deny it, I think that obsessive Evangelion fandom is identical to exclusive interest in Dragonball or Sailor Moon or Star Wars, Star Trek, or any given musician. The only difference lies within the perception of hardcore Evangelion fans themselves. Anyone who is intensely devoted to a singular hobby finds something personally affecting and satisfying in that thing. In the case of Evangelion, fans may relate to one of the characters, may enjoy the complex philosophical and analytical subtext of the series, or may simply appreciate the impression that Evangelion is more intellectual and exclusive than other examples of pop culture entertainment. Fans who place Evangelion on an elevated pedestal above all other anime allow themselves to feel exclusive. Furthermore, judging Evangelion superior to all other anime not only honors Evangelion, it allows hardcore Evangelion fans to feel as though their taste, appreciation, and intellect are likewise superior to those of other anime fans who watch more banal shows.

Evangelion is unique. No other anime has its combination of erudite theory, spectacular action, and multi-faceted characterizations. There are plenty of other outstanding anime series, but titles like Evangelion, Dragonball Z, and Sailor Moon have precise combinations which make them unusually appealing to large groups of fans. But Evangelion fans themselves don’t want to think of Evangelion as similar to Dragonball Z and Sailor Moon because doing so strips away the self-gratifying egotism of Evangelion being an elite, highly intellectual program, opposed to the childish, entry level Dragonball Z and Sailor Moon. (It’s ironic that Evangelion has achieved such prominence that it is also now practically an introductory anime for fans becoming interested in “serious” anime fandom.) To put it simply, worshiping Evangelion above all other anime is an ego trip. Being totally devoted to Evangelion and considering all other anime inferior creates a sense of exclusivity and pride; Evangelion is the best, so those who love only Evangelion are also better than other anime fans who like more mundane, less intellectual anime.

I’m not suggesting that all Evangelion fans are snobs. I’m not implying that Evangelion doesn’t deserve its reputation as a masterpiece. In fact, I suspect that most of the egotistical “Evangelion snobs” don’t even realize that they’re using Evangelion to affirm their own self-image and unknowingly limiting their own familiarity with, and exposure to anime. There’s no harm in being a fan of one particular show, but insightful fans ask themselves why they like what they like and evaluate their own preferences along with the characteristics of their favorite anime. I suspect that many hardcore Evangelion fans know that they love Eva, and appreciate the complex quality of the show, but have never thought to consider why they personally like Evangelion so much, and why they cherish Evangelion to the exclusion of other anime.