Neon Genesis Evangelion Chapter 95.5 (Last Stage) Discussion

8/10, I'm Emotionally broken, I really liked the whole series. and I don't know what to say, the series left me injured and chapter 96 is applying oil on the injured areas, tears aren't coming, I'm not able to cry, I'm too stunned to react and yeah, I haven't watched the anime yet T^T

I do hope that the first half  that happens AFTER what happens in chapter 94 is translated for you guys. I found it at the Spanish forum I always follow and it was a really nice transition from that (reading it after I read the English 95) and then going back to what happens. Such an ending. Cannot believe I will not read this anymore.

yezbel said:
Sadamoto clearly left this bittersweet classic with an elegant touch and meaningful finale. I wished to ask for more but asking for more isn't even necessary anymore.



Seeing Asuka and Shinji in character yet accepting of change, and hopeful for the future is beyond satisfying. I'm not even going to go in on the connection and fate these two had all along, it was more than obvious.



I take that this was a more settling yet akin interpretation to End of Evangelion.

In EoE, we are left with Shinji and Asuka in a renewed world. Different yet similar directions but all in all, a familiar end. Both appear to be looking ahead (poster of the both together looking on at the red sea) and hopeful of what was ahead (meeting each other again in Shinji's new norm world).



I'm guessing since the manga has gone on for so long, many readers struggle to get the ending, but honestly, it couldn't get any clearer.

The many struggles Shinji, Asuka, Misato, Rei, and the others had has come into conclusion and we are left with a definite ending for each of them.

Now, the continuation we are to create for Shinji and those he's with now are left to us.



"I don't have anything I want to be when I grow up. I've never given any thought to things like dreams or hopes. But I've been thinking, lately. Maybe the reason I've never seen any hope is because I've never looked for it." - Shinji Ikari



" It might rain, and the wind might blow. But the sun will still shine on the road ahead. My future's unfolding forever ahead of me." - Shinji Ikari



I couldn't be any more proud of our boy.



The message reaches to us and stamps a peaceful end to this psychological roller-coaster. 18 years, and remains forever in our hearts.



Excellent manga, series, and franchise. (high hopes for Rebuild)



I finally read the last chapter after weeks of fighting the itch (I've been reading the hardcopy and was gonna wait for it LOL) but gave in. I was very happy about this ending and wanted to put it into words but this post really sums it up for me.



I enjoyed Sadamoto's take on Evangelion. What a long ride it's been.

I've just finished it. Haven't watched the anime yet so I can't compare but it was definitely one of the best series I've ever read. I heard that the manga focus a lot more on relationship between Shinji and Rei, that's kinda sad cause I prefer this pairing over Shinji x Asuka but well...




did Rei had to die



now I'm going straight for the anime

Guigas said:
Very good closure, I was expecting a depressive tone but I'm glad that they earned their happy ending. BTW the ending just got RahXephon'd, lol.

Ah if only it had THE scene where this girl stands by the sea shore and a guy drawing a pic of her....



One of the best endings I've had the pleasure to read/watch in this medium. Sadamoto really goes full circle here, with Shinji's monologue looking eerily similar to the monologue at the very first page of this manga, only to get showered with a healthy dose of optimism at the end. Its a completely new world, so technically Shinji shouldn't really wonder if he has seen Asuka before. But oh well, 'tis the power of love. Also nice touch at the setting being right in the middle of winter, suggesting the world as a whole has changed.



'My future extends to infinity', probably the most satisfying ending line in manga? You can't help but feel happy for Shinji, and no one can say he and the other characters doesn't deserve such a satisfying ending. Overall, this manga was more coherent, more fulfilling than the anime has ever been. I loved it the first time I read it, and love it even more now the 2nd time. Its not without its shortcomings, mind. The whole SEELE was very poorly done, and they basically appeared as a pathetic cult more than anything. At times I felt the manga focused too much on Shinji, or used convenient plot devices (Toji) to usher emotions from him. I would have liked the likes of Misato, Kaji, Ritsuko to get a bit more focus not just for the sake of plot/back story, but as genuine characters. Just some nitpicks. Besides that, the manga does remarkably better on the problems I had with the anime.

A job well done by the mangaka.

This is better than the anime or the rebuids in every aspect besides the manga limitations of motion or graphics. I am really glad that the manga version does exist. I like this ending that can replace the ending of the anime while not fully omitting EoE parts and we know more about the backgrounds of the main and side more deeply. Asuka is really a fun character, Shinji did more things he could do and Rei is more likeable than in the anime. Second manga i would rate 10/10 besides OMK.

Feels like ages when I started reading this manga. I like the ending more than the one in the anime or the movie, it is more lighthearted without being too cheesy or too melodramatic. I'm happy to see that Shinji evolved to the point of being actually really mature insted of whining all the time like in the animated series. The only thing that I din't like is that the fate of some other characters wasn't resolve at all, I just wanted to see them again in a happy life or something like that, but i guess I can make my own conclusions about that.



9/10 - Just beacuse Sadamoto made one of my favorite animes, into something better.

Guigas said:
Very good closure, I was expecting a depressive tone but I'm glad that they earned their happy ending. BTW the ending just got RahXephon'd, lol.



Agreed. I do kind of wish we'd gotten some info on whether Misato emerged as well. The one thing the manga's missing by lacking the "Quantum Rei" thing from the show is the slight possibility that not only could Misato come back, but maybe Kaji as well, so those two could have their own happy ending.



(I guess that's part of the reason why I like Re-Take).