Een nieuwe lente,

I have chosen to make a Tumblr account in the year of our Common Era 2025, Lord save me. In my twenties, they/them.

[goncharovadvocate]

Fly Me To the Moon #4

Neon Genesis Evangelion, episode 4 "Rain, after running away"

The fourth episode of Evangelion is one of the most emotionally rewarding and possibly my favorite episode of the series.

The episode ends on two close-up shots of first Shinji and then Misato, who say respectively “I’m home” and “Welcome back”. To talk about the significance of this moment, we must first return to the shot just before. In this approximately 40 second still frame we see Shinji standing on an elevated train platform and Misato just outside of her car. Neither their faces can be seen, as Misato’s back is turned to the camera, while Shinji’s face is in the shadows. The shot is far zoomed-out and the characters look only small figures in the wide station, making both look very lonely.

The image parallels the final shot of the previous episode in which Toji tries to call Shinji, but whereas that episode ends without them laying contact, here Shinji and Misato reach out to each other and bridge the gap between them. The series thus literally moves past the previous episode and shows that the Hedgehog Dilemma can be overcome. Note here also the stark difference between the gloomy rain and the clearing sky (while episode four is the one with “rain” in the title). 

What happened to make Shinji change his mind is hard to say as we get practically no access to his interiority this episode, but it seems clear that the connection he makes with Kensuke and Toji is the chief contributor. Especially the scene in which Toji asks Shinji to hit him, might have made Shinji realize that pain isn’t only something destructive that is to be avoided, but that it might be worth enduring in order to connect with others. Thus making him reconsider his relationship with Misato and taking the first step in allowing himself to be vulnerable around her.

This version of Fly Me To the Moon, like episode 3, is also sung by Yoko Takahashi, and, like episode 2, it features no strings. This way the ED makes apparent that in episode 3 and 4 form a pair in the same way, 1 and 2 did. This makes sense as apparently this episode did not exist in the early stages of the planning for the series. It instead grew out of the third episode, as the writing staff felt that more time needed to be spent on Shinji dealing with his traumatic experiences and his connection with the people around him.

The preview makes one thing abundantly clear: the next episode will be about Ayanami Rei (you know the spinning girl from the ED), who has hitherto received little attention. The fanservice joke is also finally dropped here, which to me feels tonally appropriate after the depressed atmosphere in this episode and the cathartic ending.

[spacenoirdetective]

Yoshitaki Amano, cover art for the Japanese edition of "The Book of the New Sun" by Gene Wolfe

[grindrbooks]

[goncharovadvocate]

NGE: Fly Me To the Moon #3

Episode 3 "The Silent Phone"

A remarkably straight-forward and self-contained episode. The story focuses on Shinji’s school and introduces his soon-to-be friends Toji and Kensuke.

The episode ends in a silent scene in which Toji tries to call Shinji, as a way to reach out to him. We see Toji entering Shinji’s number on the public phone (from three different angles), but it then cuts to a shot from outside of the building in which we see Toji’s back through a window. The rain outside sets an oppressive mood. In this cut Toji hangs up the phone apparently without having spoken to anyone. It is deliberately unclear whether Toji changed his mind and didn’t call Shinji or Shinji didn’t answer the phone. 

The episode is called “The Silent Phone” in the Japanese-release, which has to refer to this scene, showing that this was considered to be an important scene. It specifically illustrates a concept that is introduced earlier in the show, namely ‘The Hedgehog’s Dilemma’. It is explained within the show by Ritsuko as follows: “Even though a hedgehog may wish to get close to another hedgehog, the closer they get, the more they injure each other with their spines. It’s the same with some humans [note: the metaphor was conceived as to apply to all humans].” Intimacy always opens the door to being harmed, thus people stir towards isolation. Toji and Shinji are both afraid (the amazing thing about ambiguity in fiction is that both possibilities get to be true simultaneously) to open up and thus they don’t call/ don’t answer. Sidenote, the concept of the Hedgehog's Dilemma originates from Schopenhauer and was later picked up by Freud, making it a very appropriate term, as ideas from both Schopenhauer and Freud will be often recurring in the show. 

The slow fade-out over the sound of falling nicely transitions into Fly Me To the Moon, which for once feels like it picks up the pace. The vocals are sung this time by Yoko Takahashi, who performs a more laid back version of the song. To me it feels appropriate for an episode with relatively lower stakes and which seeks to establish the domestic background in which the show operates. The backing track appears to be the same as the first episode.

I really like this preview. Visually, it is a super efficient retelling of the coming episode and it shows a lot of the directorial highlights with the experimental lighting and framing. And the fanservice gag continues.

[voidoboido]

its June!

[horbse]

H

[auberylis]

O

[horsefigureoftheday]

R

[fabledgalaxies]

S

[the-arcade-doctor]

E

[circus-mcgurkus]

!

[horsefigureoftheday]

[galaxylaserteam]

In the Green Room

by Floating Disc

[goncharovadvocate]

NGE: Fly Me to the Moon #2

Episode 2 “Unfamiliar Ceiling”

What I consider one of the most important techniques in Evangelion’s storytelling, is the stark switches in high-tension scenes (action scenes, dramatic music, the alarm blaring) and low-tension scenes (often in a melancholic or comedic/slice-of-life tone). Nowhere is that technique more clearly employed than in this episode. “Unfamiliar Ceiling” has a sort of “sandwich”-structure. It begins and ends with the high-tension action scene that immediately follows from the previous episode, which cuts to and from two very quiet scenes of Shinji laying in bed. 

What I find interesting, is that the episode then doesn’t end on the action scene, but instead cuts away again to the same scene of Shinji lying in bed. Misato then opens the door to his room and tells him that he should be proud of his actions today. The final shot is a close-up of Shinji’s face, facing away from Misato and looking rather shell-shocked. The transition to the ED this time feels very natural and well-placed. I think the final low-tension scene creates some closure, closure that the first episode was critically lacking. I think this is why the first two episodes feel to me as a two-parter, despite being very distinct episodes.

It is important to mention here the original TV Broadcast show (OBS) and the 2004 Renewal-release, which is by far the most commonly available one, sometimes feature different versions of Fly Me To the Moon. In general it can be summed up that Renewal has more variation, having a different version of the song for each episode, while the OBS sometimes repeats versions. For this analysis Renewal is obviously the more interesting to cover, but I will also continue to pay attention to the OBS and discuss the differences. 

In this episode and the coming two, the OBS uses the same version of Fly Me To the Moon as in the first episode. In Renewal the song is also similar, but without the orchestra, resulting in the song sounding more laid-back and jazzy. It’s like some of the sheen has been scraped away, making the thing more discernible as to what is really going on. The slight variations in the piano and bass are much more audible. I should also note that this is probably my favorite version.

Like in the previous episode, only much more so, the preview sells the show as if it were a pastiche of itself. The preview promises middle school drama and fanservice, while also showing action shots (without comments). The intense psychological drama is almost entirely absent for all but the final shot, which shows Shinji screaming completely in red tones, while Misato narrates (very roughly translated) “Next episode I’ll give [cuts to title card] more fanservice too”. Giving the impression that the final shot wasn’t meant to be shown.

[galaxylaserteam]

The Odalisque of Abaia

by Floating Disc

[nemfrog]

Initiation device: a blindfolded candidate, told he is taking a strength test, bends to grip handles — triggering a spring-loaded paddle, an electric shock, and the sound of a gun firing.

De Moulin Bros. & Co. catalog. 1908.

Internet Archive

[worldsandemanations]

Rabbit and Squirrel. The Art Of Drawing And Colouring, From Nature, Birds, Beasts, Fishes, And Insects. 1830.

[retroscifiart]

The Dark Crystal (1982). Concept art by Brian Froud

[goncharovadvocate]

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Fly Me to the Moon twenty-six times #01

I initially wanted to write one blog about all the versions of Fly Me To the Moon in EVA, but it turned out that it's gonna be longer than I thought. So now I am going to post it by episode, because I need to hold myself accountable to actually finish it and share it. Very open for feedback. Also spoiler warning.

------------

When the anime classic Neon Genesis Evangelion was imported to Netflix, one of the biggest sore points among fans was the removal of the iconic Jazz-cover Fly Me to the Moon used as the ending song for the show, being replaced with a toned-down instrumental song. With Netflix being one of the most accessible ways to watch Evangelion, many new viewers will be unfamiliar with the fun and innovative way Evangelion played with its ending theme. This has inspired me to write this piece in order to bring attention to it and help conserve it.

What makes Eva’s ending (ED) special is that each episode features a different recording of the song. While some of these versions are rather similar, there are also wild differences, varying in arrangements, genres and singers. In total six artists sing the song: Claire, Yoko Takahashi, Megumi Hayashibara, Aya, Yuko Miyamura, and Kotono Mitsuishi, while there are also a few solely instrumental arrangements. It is a bit more difficult to find out who performed the instrumental parts. It seems the core line-up remains consistent over all versions, featuring Tatsuya Ikeda on bass, Osamu Matsuyama on the drums, Masahiro Itami on guitar, and Makoto Kuriya on piano. It is unclear to me who performed the strings and wind instruments, although it seems likely that it was performed by the same orchestra as the rest of the Evangelion soundtrack, but led by Rolf Wilson who is credited as concert master for the ED. I won’t list off the rest of the names of the orchestra, suffice it to say that they can be found in the credits on Anime News Network: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=4

Still, while having 26 different versions of the same ending-song is a fun fact, it may seem to me no more than just that. But what makes the EDs appealing to me is that they can be used as a lens through which to view the structure of the series as a whole. I will now go over the ending of each episode and discuss how they fit (or purposely don’t) within the larger structure of the series. Because these endings don’t exist within  a vacuum, but are viewed with the rest of the show, I will also discuss the final sequence of ‘the show proper’ and the preview for every episode.

Before I dive into the specifics of each episode, it seems to me a good idea to sketch out what in a general sense is going on in the ED. Visually, there is a looped sequence of about three seconds that continually plays while the credits roll. At the center of the image stands the moon in a blueish tint. In the background—or is it the foreground?) the perspective is purposefully confusing—there is rippling water in which the moonlight is reflected. The horizon divides the image at the center, the top half depicts the surface of the water, while the bottom half is in a flat deep blue representing either the depths of the water or possibly the night sky viewed from upside down. To the right of the moon is the outline of the character Ayanami Rei upside down; her body is naked and she is spinning. The spinning figure creates a silhouette illusion, meaning that the figure can be seen spinning both clockwise and counter-clockwise due to the lack of visual information needed to construct depth. Some people (myself included) have also reported that the figure appears to be walking, although upon closer inspection it is clear that this is not the case. (Sidenote: Wikipedia credits this spinning silhouette illusion to Nobuyuki Kayahara in 2003, which is curious because Evangelion aired in 1995. Could this have been the first example of this particular optical illusion?) The positionality of the objects also seems to be contradictory: the moon blocks off a part of the spinning Rei, while the light reflecting on the water covers the moon, but the Rei then occasionally appears to block off a part of the reflecting light.

With all this in mind, it can be said that both optical illusions (spinning Rei, positionality) and reflections (light in water, the moon) stand central in the ED, while the blue colouring gives the image a contemplative mood. This focus on illusion and reflection prompts the viewer to ponder over what they just in the episode and question whether things are as they seem. It is also plain unsettling to see one of the main characters of the show spinning  upside down in perpetuum.

The song that plays is a Jazz classic, most famously covered by Frank Sinatra. What stands out is that, compared to most covers, this version is much less upbeat. It instead has a steady, possibly bossa nova-inspired rhythm: the plucky guitar is locked in with the snare following a tresillo rhythm, the bass keeps a steady shuffle, all the while Claire’s ethereal singing soars above it and the strings add a lavish feel. The song rings with melancholy, while remaining swingy and jazzy.

Episode 1 "Angel Attack"

Now to actually discuss the first episode. It ends on a moment of high action and tension (largely created by the song A Step Forward into Terror), as EVA unit-01 has just launched ready to fight the angel. The final shot zooms-in on Misato's face, who says in internal monologue “Don’t get killed out there Shinji” and the soundtrack reaches its climax, as the screen cuts towards the black endcard. 

The ED then diffuses that tension with its melancholic tone in a way that, musically, flows really well. The imagery, however, feels disconnected from the show and might be experienced as shocking or surprising. The spinning Rei especially is of such a bizarre caliber as has so far only appeared in the flashing images in the OP. This has an effect of alienation, but also functions as a way for the viewer to step out of the show, as it were, and readjust to reality (which might perhaps be the purpose of EDs in general).

The preview, read by Misato, features a more upbeat tone. Rather surprisingly, it completely spoils the cliffhanger by immediately stating that the EVA triumphs over the angel, followed by a three sentence summary of the next episode. Misato ends with what will turn into a running gag of the previews by promising that the next episode will contain more fan-service. 

I find the question as to what level this is a joke or is a serious promise of sexualization of the show’s characters, very difficult to answer. The characters are commonly sexualized; this mostly happens with Misato (who also seems to be portrayed as a person who is comfortable displaying her sexuality in a way that feels true to life in my opinion), but the underage Asuka and Rei are also unmistakenly sexualized by the show. The sexualisation mostly (but definitely not exclusively!) happens during comedic or slice-of-life moments, while there is relatively little during the drama or high action parts of the show. I don’t know what to do with that information. It is obviously bad, but at the moment I have nothing else to say on it. 

Overall, I think it can be said that the preview is written in a tone that is lighter and more pulpy than the show actually is. Especially when comparing Evangelion to other anime in its context, the show is darker, grittyer and has a more serious tone than what was generally shown on TV. The preview thus, I think, builds a false expectation that the show is more generic or trashy than it really is.

[calliyx]

nepeta!!! sees a cat!!! and pets it!!

nepeta goes to cat café and discovers just how smoll earths domestic meow beasts are

[uwmspeccoll]

Wood Engraving Wednesday

Leonard Baskin

Today we present a few wood engravings by renowned artist Leonard Baskin (1922-2000) from Leonard Baskin The Graphic Work 1950-1970, published in New York by Far Gallery as part of its 35th anniversary celebration in 1970. Baskin, who with his founding of the Gehenna Press in 1942 was among the first American fine-art book printers, spent a good proportion of his professional life in the Northampton region of Western Massachusetts where he was a teacher, mentor, and inspiration to numerous American artists working today, especially in wood engraving, and as such was the dean of what we like to call the Pioneer Valley School of artists.

Death and the human condition are recurring themes in Baskin's work, as can be seen here. In his idiosyncratically formal, almost 18th-century style, Baskin remarked:

It is the special province of the Graphic Arts to be tendentious, to excoriate, attack and denounce (even rarely to praise), inventing scarifying images with specific and immediate purport.

The Graphic Works, one of many hundred of items donated by our late friend Jerry Buff (1931-2025), was designed by Leonard Baskin, typeset by the Stinehour Press, and printed at the Meriden Gravure Company.

View posts including some of the Pioneer Valley School artists.

View more posts with work by Leonard Baskin.

View more posts with wood engravings!

[vivinhun]

mushishi riso!

[goncharovadvocate]

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[goncharovadvocate]

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[goncharovadvocate]

The 10.000 gecs post broke :(

Too many gecs for tumblr