[End of Evangelion] Komm, susser Tod - 甘き死よ、来たれ

Actually, several characters (Yui, Tabris) indicate that everyone will be returned from the mass of everything, as long as they remember who they are. Shinji just made the decision first (of those we see), but many souls are seen retuning to Earth after GGNR dies. He tries to strangle Asuka to establish that they are indeed separate. (This mirrors him strangling her to start the instrumentality).

You mean Seele (= Soul).

Oh, right. yeah, seele.

I once showed EoE in a cinema and a girl came up to me after the movie was over to tell me she thought it was one of the best 'film noir' she ever saw :D

No it's not the end, death 'yes' but not the end... it's a rebirth... a new chance for humanity.
Hideaki Anno's rebirth after his depresion once he realised that being an Otaku got him nowhere.

i dont get the end of this... why was shinji strangling asuka???

Shinji was the only one of the entire human population who refused to become part of the whole (the next step in our evolution, without body, spiritual beings who become one god like being). This is because he could not breach his own AT field (absolute terror field; a psychological term for people who have constructed a psychological wall around them).
But for some strange reason fate didn't allow him to be alone and kept Asuka alive aswell. He does not like this and tries to kill her...

But ultimatly realises that even he can not live alone. (he says:"kimochi warui" = this is horrible)... by some strange twist on fate Shinji and Asuka become the new Adam and Eve.

twisted f-ing plot if ever I saw one.

Anno _O_

Oeps... just remembered... Asuka was the one who said:Kimochi warui.
gomen :P

back in the day when i was able to watch the series i taught the ending was a complete rip off.... little did i know that there was going to be a movie to be released after that... i just got a hold of the movie recently and made me watch NGE from the start again... it really made me appreciate NGE now cuz i hated it back in the day....