Spotlight Character: Gendo Ikari (Neon Genesis Evangelion) MAL Character Information Page: Gendo Ikari MAL Favorites: 164 For the next week I would like to have everyone familiar with this character discuss what they think makes it an exceptional character. What attributes make it stand out in the ocean of interesting characters that exist in the realms of anime and manga. Unlike the other two subjects I will not force this conversation to fall into any set structure. Characters that are nominated typically get here because they are adept at breaking the existing character moulds and defying definition. Because of this freedom I encourage everyone to do their very best to stay on topic and keep any and all debate civil. Have fun and I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say about this character. RESULTS OF THE YOU DECIDE POLL Gendo Ikari was NOT inducted into the club Character list: 15 Yes - 21.4% 55 No - 78.6% 14 Don't know this character - 14.8% of the total number polled 10 Abstained - 10.6% of the total number polled |
santetjanDec 22, 2009 7:31 AM
| You do not beg the sun for mercy. |
| The ideal father. Probably will vote yes. |
 Waratte Oemashou Sore ha Chiisana Inori |
Prayermad said: A very limited character who only exists to complement Shinji's character and everything that revolves around him. Nicely said. It's ironic really. The main reason I consider the original NGE to be only an average show is because it's far too Shinji-centric, with very little analysis of Gendou's motivations, thoguhts and feelings. He's presented as someone cold, calculating and callous, yet he goes to great lengths The main reason why a good number of people consider Shinji to be a whining maggot is purely because we only get to see glimpses of Gendou's true self - the passionate, driven soul who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. Without knowing this side of him better it becomes far more difficult to sympathise with Shinji, or any other character for that matter, especially as Gendou is, to all intents and purposes, the true "bad guy" (and I use the term loosely). As it is though, he's only half a character, so it's a no from me. |
| What a day! What a lovely Day! |
| He had a strong personality and that had a major influence on the series, so we can't deny that he was a good character to the series. But he was a major creep, you can just try to understand him and you may in some way, but that doesn't mean that he was a good guy by all means. The screwd up personality of his made the Father/relationship one of the worst relationship between father/son, but it was not only his fault on the matter, the screwd up son was also at major fault. Archaeon said: something which is clearly at odds with how he's presented, and the audience is supposed to swallow that whole without questioning the discrepnacy. It's not that extreme. Well, the anime itself had a lot of loose screws, the lack of depth on this character was one of them. The man had a problem with him, it's not that we never saw those type of cases in other fiction works before. He was another of those classic case of the type of calculating and callous person who makes enemies out of "nakama" just to achieve his/ her own goal. It could have had more focus on that fiel, I also think this, but it's not that we didn't understand what was motivating him. For me, it's also a "NO". I didn't like the guy. |
| @ RobdeFR My point was simply that unlike most other characters of Gendou's type, he's motivated not by a desire for power, knowledge, wealth, or any of those things. His motivation is something far more personal, and while one can call revenge a personal goal too, he's not out to destroy the world - that's simply a by product. |
| What a day! What a lovely Day! |
Prayermad said: A very limited character who only exists to complement Shinji's character and everything that revolves around him. I agree |
Archaeon said: @ RobdeFR My point was simply that unlike most other characters of Gendou's type, he's motivated not by a desire for power, knowledge, wealth, or any of those things. His motivation is something far more personal, and while one can call revenge a personal goal too, he's not out to destroy the world - that's simply a by product. Don't be concerned about it. I do agree with you at a certain extent. |
| idk, he was too predictable. just the same mean old bastard throughout the whole series. so yeah, agree with: Prayermad said: A very limited character who only exists to complement Shinji's character and everything that revolves around him. |
| Gendo is an interesting character in that he is a father... 1st off, you don't see that much in anime, usually the parents are dead, work abroad, live in the house and you never see them or you see them occasionally but no where near enough to drive the story in any direction. He is one of the few story and plot driving parents present in anime... its unfortunate that he's portrayed to be an ass. Gendo is a father that was a scientist and work-o-holic that had his own ambitions, he had goals that he saw as paramount, saving the human race is a pretty important task. Then he became a father. Even though Uyi and him loved each other and their son, Shinji, he really didn't know how to interact with him. As a father i can relate, When a child is an infant the primary relationship is between the child and the mother, the father kinda takes a back seat. Then his wife is killed, and he is left with Shinji. He's left wondering "What do i do now?" He has this monumental task that he has been assigned to and now he must alone raise his son. In the end he did what was right for both of them and humanity. (Until later in the series) Only after having a child and see the options he was faced with did i understand Gendo and his point of view. Ulterior motives aside he ruled to side with what was best for the greater good. When Shinji was brought to NERV, he didn't really know how to interact with him, he had a place for Shinji and if he couldn't fill that place then he had to move on for the greater good. Gendo, misunderstood: yes determined: yes manipulative: yes deep character: yes My vote: yes |
| Personally I don't think it's even worth it to consider Evangelion characters until a cannon that can be accepted as valid is completed. Currently there are 4 cannons: 1. The original anime, which failed to have an ending. 2. The semi-retcon movie, which failed to have a complete ending. 3. The complete retcon movies, which have yet to end. 4. The manga, which has yet to end. I actually do think Gendo is one of the better characters from Evangelion but allot (all?) of what makes him an interesting character has to be loosely inferred. It's quite likely that he's just a huge gap whom I imposed depth into for completion's sake. Based on the first two cannon my vote would have to be no but since the 3rd and 4th cannon are still incomplete I'll be abstaining. For what it's worth Avakar makes a good argument for Gendo's archetype but there isn't much to support Gendo specifically. I think Van Hohenheim (Ed's father from Fullmetal Alchemist) manages to fill the archetype much more coherently and would be a much better choice for induction. |
| To be honest, I think the thing that Avakar's ignored is the deisre Gendou has to be with his wife, as this overrides everything else, including his duties as a parent. Gendou didn't do what was right for humanity or Shinji, only what he felt was right for him. Actually, there's a very good example of the father abandoning the child after the wife dies in Clannad: After Story. It takes a few years and some devoted friends and family to turn that around, none of which is ever inferred in Gendou's case, so there's a high probability that he wouldn't see Shinji as anything more than a tool (which he is, of course, but that's by the by). It's still a no from me as what bbobjs says is true - much of Gendou's character is inferred by the viewer, and that's why he's incomplete. |
| What a day! What a lovely Day! |
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