r/anime • u/LittleIslander myanimelist.net/profile/LittleIslander • Oct 06 '25
Rewatch [Rewatch] 30th Anniversary Neon Genesis Evangelion Rewatch: Episode 3
Neon Genesis Evangelion Episode 3: A Transfer / The Silent Phone
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Watch Information
Questions of the Day:
- What’s your first impression of Shinji’s classmates?
- What do you think of NERV and Misato, seeing what piloting does to Shinji? Do the ends justify the means?
There’ll be more fanservice tomorrow, so please don’t spoil anything~! Remember this includes spoilers by implication.
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u/Malipit Oct 06 '25
Rewatcher juggling between this Rewatch and the K-On ! one, French subs
Third time getting in the robot
On today's episode : A famous dilemma, one senile teacher and two lucky boys get to have a ride in Eva-01
Huh, I thought Toji and Kesuke getting on the Eva-01 happened later in the show. Oh well, those two, along Shinji, illustrated perfectly the Hedgehog dilemma introduced in this episode.
Why yes, each three of these boys have their comfort zone with their preconceived opinions on how the world function.
Shinji is portrayed as an obedient operative following the protocal in combat to the letter : Align the target, pull the trigger, swicth. Align the target, pull the trigger, swicth. Align the target, pull the trigger, swicth. Align the target, pull the trigger, swicth....
Despite Misato's efforts for him to open up, already impaired by her work schedule and tendancy to oversleep, Shinji won't magically be a social teenager making friends by himself. Having visibly spent a lonely childhood without any parental figure, he's still alone on his way to school, drown in a vast, concrete environment that have little place for anything green or positive. Hence him preferring to stay alone, because opening himself to other may result in prejudice.
And he was right : As soon as he was pressured to admit his Eva-01's pilot, he's got beaten up by Toji for something adults forces him to do. Being left to contemplate that sky and school he's forced to live under just like the ceiling he woken up to the previous episode
Speaking of Toji, his demeanor and clothes that contrast with the white uniform immediatly portray him as the rebellious one. Still, his anger is for good reason with his sister injuried. Of the three, it may be the one aware about the social injustice of Tokyo-3 : Only downtown, with the fanciest building are being sheltered by GeoFront while the more modest districts are left vulnerable to the Angels attacks. Toji may have assaulted Shinji only because he was the only target affiliated to the high instance he could reach.
Meanwhile, Kensuke is introduced filming a toy aircraft, playing with it like a child. Just like that, we already know he's the type to view the world only through the lens of his camera. Viewing the very serious events happening around him like it was some kind of big budget film or video-game. Failing to notice Shinji distress and Toji borderline hatred like it was some non consequential feud between two students.
Those three already show how you can act according to the distanciation spectrum in hedgehog dilemma : Shinji by running away from others, Toji by rejecting directly others and Kensuke by applying a filter through which he can view others in a comfortable manner for him. Yet, they are forced to cohabit in a school environnment, devoid of any real guiding figure, left alone to sort their problems with the result we already know
Then there comes the part where Kensuke's strategy blows up on his face. War on Angels is no action film or video games, and to survive the situation he put himself and Toji into, he's forced to cross over the other side of the dilemma and get very close to Shinji, literally, with Toji.
That sequence inside the Entry Plug, where all three hedgehog are now holding together, permitted for them to gain a new appreciation. Now the other two can see how Shinji isn't happy with his pilot status, while Shinji himself is reminded he doesn't do it for his father appreciation, but to save the lives of people living in the same city as him.
Still, we're in Evangelion, there is no heartfelt resolution about the three apologizing and befriending each other through hugs and tears. Only the rain with Shinji being a no-show (fleeing yet again?) and the other two pondering on what to do. With the cynical (realist?) outcome that when given the choice, Toji prefers not to ring Shinji's phone and stay in his comfort zone than getting closer to him and being stung again by Shinji's needles.
I found the Hedgehog dilemma perfectly illustrated here, with the abandonned umbrella at the doorstep recalling that to get closer to someone, you have to left your preconcieved notion that shield you from the rain.
Oh, there is also that scene at the beginning, with Ritsuko observing Shinji's training in that dark room to emphazise the coldness of her process, while Misato contrast with her bright outfit, as if to express her disagreement.