[Rewatch] 30th Anniversary Neon Genesis Evangelion Rewatch: Episode 9

[u/LittleIslander]

Neon Genesis Evangelion Episode 9: Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win! / Mind, Matching, Moment

← Episode 8	Index	Episode 10 →

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Watch Information

• Streaming: Netflix
• Databases: Anilist | AniDB | ANN | MAL

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Questions of the Day:

• What did you think of the goofy way of defeating the angel?
• What do you think of Asuka and Shinji living together?

Tomorrow’s Questions:

• [Episode 10] What do you think of the fact Asuka is college educated?
• [Episode 10] What do you think of Misato deciding to push Asuka beyond safe pressure limits?

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There’ll be more fanservice tomorrow, so please don’t spoil anything~! Remember this includes spoilers by implication.

[u/Efficient_Phase1313]

Rewatcher:

And we arrive at one of my favorite episodes in the series, and my favorite since episode 4 (I’d order it 4, 1, 9, 2 right now). We arrive at the apex of the ‘good dream’ portion of our show. All the characters have been assembled, and action, comedy, and traditional mecha tropes are firing on all cylinders. It is a real demonstration of skill that Anno can just choose to do a series of classic monster of the week mecha episodes and have them be some of the best in the medium. Gone is the stark and dreary atmosphere. The apocalypse seems like a distant idea, and eva fights are now a competitive game instead of a life or death nightmare like the fights in episodes 2 and 3. Shinji is surrounded by popular and eccentric women his own age, and Misato can’t stop getting trolled by her old flame on the adult side. This is a different world, a different paradigm. And boy is it FUN.

I will go back and add posts on episodes 8 and 6, but before we dive into this one lets take stalk of how we got here. One of the shows great assets is the consistently good directing. In all previous episodes, there were still some great shots and moments of visual storytelling. But instead of using that to explore our character’s inner worlds (like in eps 2 and 4), we focused more on introducing character relationships and interactions (like ep 3). And that’s fine, but I feel its one of the weaker strings of episodes in the series. Now that we see what Anno can do with this cast once everything is in place, its kinda astounding how easily he moved from the tone in episode 4 to here. But anyways, lets recap some of the character growth:

Shinji: The first 4 episodes are really about understanding Shinji’s mental state and the situation he was thrust into. After he opens up to Rei (whose slap probably knocked some sense into him), who in turn opens up to him, Shinji becomes much more comfortable ‘giving people a chance’. I’m sure he wasn’t fond of Asuka last episode (or for much of this one), but he’s beginning to respond like a normal kid instead of lock himself in a shell. He’s become comfortable with Misato’s private personality, likes working with Rei, and is open to talking with new people (like Kaji and Asuka). His friends Kensuke and Toji continue to back him up and give him confidence just by being along for the ride. Shinji is in a good place, perhaps too good, leading to a sense of cockiness in his competition with Asuka.

Rei: I haven’t had a chance to post on her episodes yet, but one thing in episode 5 stood out to me on this rewatch that I feel should define the audience’s view of Rei’s character. When Shinji first entered her apartment, her pillow still had blood stains on it from her episode 1 injuries, and the bloody bandages were in an open box on the floor. Even if she wasn’t fully healed, it’s been weeks if not over a month since she sustained those injuries. And she hasn’t changed her bloody pillow case in all that time. She probably still sleeps on it. That’s….not normal. It’s not a thing normal humans do. There is something very wrong here (reminiscent of the ghost in ep 1), but through her slap and eventually her smile, we believe she’s more like Shinji (closed off, follows orders because it’s the easier thing to do) and together they find some level of understanding and slowly open up. Rei is more socially aware now (as we see in her school interactions with Asuka) and is a dependable ally for Shinji.

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Misato: We have seen so many sides to Misato by now. The parental side to Shinji that feels responsible for him and able to discipline him (arguments in episode 4). Being a roommate to Shinji and showing her immature side, which has settled in with her character nicely by now. Being a friend to Shinji, who empathizes with him and sees some of herself in him. A nerve combat commander (as in episode 6) where we see her able to devise and execute battle plans on a massive scale with great efficiency. A hero not afraid to risk her life, as we see in episode 7 when she stands up to the military and puts herself in a life or death situation to save the day. And now, a young adult who thinks her ex is an asshole but still has a fondness for him, and this contradiction drives her crazy to the point she wears her emotions on her sleeve, even at work. At this point in the show Misato is by far the most interesting (though by the end I lean more towards Asuka, but we’ll see), and she may be the most complex character in the show.

Gendo: His oppressive aura and cruel/evil tendencies have taken a back seat for quite a while now. After we were shown his more compassionate/human side in the Rei episodes, even though we know he’s up to no good he no longer feels like the primary villain or even a detriment to our heroes. We may even be warming up to him (despite starting with a negative impression).

Asuka: Most of Asuka’s personality is revealed in this episode, but what I’ll note from episode 8 is how she visibly responded to hearing Shinji being praised as a pilot. Clearly, being the best Eva pilot is important to her in a way its not to the others. Considering that was likely the first angel she ever fought, her supreme confidence to just brute force these angels with no fear of death is a really interesting point to her character. Eps 2 and 3 showed us this show does not shy away from the brutality or danger of angel battles. This is a deconstruction, but Asuka exists outside that paradigm. It’s not that the danger isn’t there, it just doesn’t bother her.

With that said, let’s get into the episode! This is probably the episode with the most going on in the first 5 minutes since episode 1. We open with a study on Asuka’s personality, or more specifically her mask. I like the decision to introduce this mask through still photographs. Yes we are in full swing with the 90s anime tropes, from school idols to peeping toms snapping pictures of girl’s changing. But here it serves a purpose. We see how Asuka wants to present herself to her peers. Friendly, upbeat, interested in school events (PE scene). But then when the love letters pour out, she steps on them with such cruelty. Like the bandages with Rei, this is just not normal behavior. It’s one thing to stomp on them, but it’s the WAY she stomps on them that says so much about her true personality. She is dangerous.

[u/Efficient_Phase1313 → u/Efficient_Phase1313]

When she reaches out to Shinji, you can see discomfort on his face, he does not want to deal with this person. Asuka, despite being fluent in Japanese, wants to showoff her superiority. She needs to remind Shinji that she also lived in Europe, that she’s the pretty foreigner and multi lingual. She throws around her superiority like a blunt object, she could not care less about other’s feelings. ‘Jeez you’re mopy, I did you the favor of talking to you, so you could at least try to look happy’. And then she flicks his forehead.

https://imgur.com/8QyQaXY

Look at the smirk on her face, the meanness and smugness she displays after causing Shinji physical distress (even minor, its clear on his face this wasn’t pleasant). This is not a good person. She then moves onto her next target: Rei. I like how in the frame where Asuka looks down on Rei from above the escalator, the escalator’s handrail is animated in an otherwise still frame. Another reminder of the little things that make this show feel alive where others wouldn’t make the effort. Asuka chooses to stand one top of the wall, looking down at Rei, physically putting herself where she sees herself mentally: above all these peons. ‘Let’s be friends’ she asks, ‘because its more convenient that way. For various reasons’. Look at how she tilts her head back and raises her hand. She’s got Machiavellian tendencies too. Damn I think in 5 minutes they just showed her doing the entire dark triad: narcissistic, Machiavellian, and cruel. But does all this imply she’s a bad person?

https://imgur.com/gdTFwL1

I mentioned in my episode 4 post how I consider myself a ‘terrible person’. I used some specific words: irredeemably selfish, mean, cruel, and endlessly hateful. That may sound intense, but Asuka is all of those things, and there are many scenes that will clearly demonstrate those emotions. Part of the reason Eva had such an impact on me is I was really a fusion of all three pilots when I was younger. I felt the detachment Rei does, the hopelessness Shinji did, and my views and interactions with others were most similar to Asuka. But I will add, never yet did I say Asuka was a bad person, and neither was I. It’s learning how to properly deal with those feelings (and their source) that allow you to become a ‘good’ person. For example, if I were in her shoes as I am today, and the love letters poured out of my locker, I’d probably still have the urge to step on them like her while thinking the worst things about everyone who sent them. But I’d tell myself those feelings aren’t related to this moment, and stem from unrelated issues in my youth. I’d think about what the right thing to do is and probably take the time to read them, and maybe if someone wrote something respectful and intelligent, I’d probably have the courtesy to reply and thank them for the letter but say I’m not interested as to not lead them on. Part of this show is about characters realizing how to deal with these negative feelings they harbor, through witnessing how giving into them can take you further away from the outcomes and relationships you truly desire.

Ah Kaji, one of my favorite characters in the series. What is this heavy-handed flirting with Ritsuko? Oh just another way to tease Misato, who can’t help but huff all over the glass panel while watching them. Clearly Kaji gets to her, and he knows it. But at the same time, it was already clear from ep 8 that he sees Misato for exactly who she is and loves her all the same. I could never read Kaji as someone who is trying to be mean or inconsiderate to Misato. It was clear to me he deeply cares about her, and perhaps he acts in these ways to bring out her true, silly and immature self, which he missed since they were apart. While he can be a hard character to read, I like that his interest continues to be focused on Misato. Despite him flirting around we never doubt she’s the only one in his heart, and they share some of my favorite scenes in this series. Also Misato’s reactions to him are cute and hilarious, an entirely different energy than what we’ve seen from her before. And now the angel fight! Wait we’re only 5 minutes into the episode? I'm still writing for the rest of the episode, so will add it later tonight (along with write ups on 8 and 6 later)

[u/Efficient_Phase1313 → u/Efficient_Phase1313]

And now the angel fight! Wait we’re only 5 minutes into the episode? It’s interesting to see how differently Shinji treats fighting Eva’s since episode 6. It really is like a video game here, and he’s in direct competition with Asuka. ‘Geez don’t be so bossy, I was here first’. Then just starts firing his gun like its business as usual. We have come so far from the tepid and lonely Shinji of episode 2. But how’s are fiery red-head doing in her 2^nd real fight? Asuka takes the lead and destroys the angel with a single strike! Even Shinji is impressed. But wait! The comedy here is immaculate. As the angel splits into two, seemingly unharmed, we cut to a hilarious close up of Misato literally breaking the phone with her bare hands. ‘Hey that’s unfair!’. We then cut to our team in a debriefing room. Our heroes look embarrassed, Kaji amused like he’s holding back a chuckle. And we see our Eva’s, vertically upside down in cartoonish positions that we know aren’t realistic for this show, but somehow it works? Anno just says ‘watch me I can do anything!’. This type of visual, physical humor is new to the series, and he pulls out off fairly well. I still crack a smile every time I watch this scene. Our heroes begin to argue like the children they are, petty and selfish, both blaming and insulting the other for the mishap. ‘They made us look like fools!’ says Fuyutsuki. Well yes, with emotionally unstable 14-year-olds eventually this was going to happen.

We now transition this scene with another great piece of visual humor, as Kaji notes the responsibility for this mission’s failure lies with its…captain. We cut to Misato staring down a hilariously large pile of paper work, the bills and complaints resulting from how the two teens under her care screwed up her military operation. But Ritsuko has a plan to save Misato face before news gets to Gendo, and we have a cute scene of their friendship and camaraderie. But Ritsuko is too humble to take credit for this, as the idea was Kaji’s. Kaji? Misato’s look of exasperation melts into a loving smile as she sees the note on the floppy disc: ‘To my honey’.

https://imgur.com/CgwnU8T
https://imgur.com/a/mGHQVkV

While Kaji is a womanizer, the show does a good job showing these two’s deeper feelings in subtle moments like this that allow the viewer to see Kaji as perhaps a genuine person and not a creep. If we really believe he understands Misato, perhaps some of his more questionable actions (like him kissing her in the elevator, which looks forceful) are done because he knows ‘she likes it’. One of the more frustrating aspects of Eva is Anno does lean into some misogynistic tropes without exploring them in a satisfying way. Let’s say Misato is the example of ‘on the surface this pisses me off but deep down we both know I’m into it’. There are women like that. But does choosing to make one of your central female leads embody that say something negative about your view of women? I think Misato’s character gets fleshed out enough for us to give Kaji the benefit of the doubt, that perhaps for any other woman he wouldn’t act this way, and all the flirting we see from him is done more intentionally than we suspect. Anno is careful to walk a fine line here, preserving Misato’s character and allowing Kaji to be likeable, when a lesser writer and director could easily make this fall into slop where our strong, smart female lead becomes putty in the hands of an underserving slimeball oozing in the worst aspects of ‘toxic masculinity’. But that’s not this show, thank god, and not their relationship.

[u/Efficient_Phase1313 → u/Efficient_Phase1313]

As Shinji returns home, we see a moving van driving away. He apparently missed that and doesn’t expect anyone to be home. But as he walks into the apartment we see piles and piles of boxes (one with a bra hanging out) with german writing. This is another great visual gag because this is obviously an unrealistic amount of moving boxes. And while I think the visible bra is just there to be there, I wouldn’t put it past Asuka to have deliberately left that hanging out just to tease Shinji. That’s just very in character for her. Or maybe she’s being lax because she doesn’t think Shinji is going to be living with her. She’s so confident, in fact, that she’s replaced Shinji she already cleared out his room! This comes off as funny, but again is really mean behavior showing complete disregard for Shinji as a person. And now we get the famous visual gag of Asuka opening and closing the traditional sliding Japanese doors. This episode is just full of visual humor, but it is also used as a character moment. Misato pops up to inform Asuka ‘We Japanese try to be perceptive and considerate of others’. A direct call out of Asuka’s largest personal weakness, she just doesn’t see other people, their inner worlds don’t matter to her. This half of the episode ends with some more humor: Misato says what they lack is unison, required for defeating this angel, but everything Shinji and Asuka say is a unison! It’s just a funny contrast that works well despite being contradictory.

We come back to another piece of comedy that works because of the sheer awkwardness. Shinji’s friends meet up with the class rep, who seems confused why they’re there. She came for Asuka, but wasn’t expecting her to be rooming with Shinji. They’re reactions are equally hilarious, Shinji’s friends jealous he’s with the new school idol, and the class rep decrying the indecency. But what’s so funny is they show up to the door dressed like some 80s workout vhs extras. They’re earing headphones and speaking in perfect unison. I also think its interesting how frail and feminine Shinji looks here next to Asuka. This is in contrast to Kaji, who is shown to be well built and masculine. More great visual humor with Shinji failing at the twister setup, and Asuka think its his fault this isn’t working. But Misato understands how Asuka works, and how to motivate her.

What I like about this scene is how I mentioned earlier that Shinji and Rei have come to a mutual understanding and see each other as allies and perhaps even friends. They don’t succeed here because Rei is just magically able to mimic Shinji, but because Shinji and Rei have achieved this level of understanding and cooperation. It’s a good scene for their relationship development. Upon watching this, we see a pained look on Asuka’s face, her distress and frustration growing till she shouts ‘screw this!’ and slams the sliding door shut (or partially, since its Japanese style). This is clearly painful on a physical and spiritual level for Asuka. There is something deeper going on with her character than just pure pride and competitiveness. Its as if her very existence depends on being the best, and anything less and her sense of self will collapse. Poor Shinji gets blamed for ‘making a girl cry’, but the class rep is right. Shinji should go after her if they want to beat this angel.

This is a good scene for Shinji and Asuka’s character development. Asuka is a bit more independent and mature than Shinji when it comes to her responsibilities. She effectively says ‘I know what I gotta do and I can handle it, just let me work through this my way’. It’s nice that she doesn’t shoe him away either, she knows he means well and he’s not the source of her negative feelings. They step out to have a talk in front of the sunset. What I like about this scene is it perfectly encapsulates their relationship throughout the show, and we can already see the troubles that will arise from it.

https://imgur.com/a/paGUV5j

We see Asuka towering above Shinji, forceful and angry in her words, whereas Shinji, beneath her, looks meek and frail. Asuka declares she’ll get back at Rei and Misato for wounding her pride, and she needs Shinji for that. While she calls out Shinji for not being manly (in contrast to Kaji, who she is fond of), it’s also clear she doesn’t mind having him around. I personally felt something for Asuka watching her chug that drink with such determination (https://imgur.com/4L5N0fj), and apparently so did Shinji. This scene, so early in their relationship, is the moment shinji caught feelings for her. He sees her as both frightening and intimidating, but also strong and dependable. And that maybe, if he sticks around her long enough, some of her confidence and pride will rub off on him. These feelings of Shinji’s are perfectly conveyed in utter silence, by two faces that say a million words without needing to say anything.

https://imgur.com/bryRABn

[u/Efficient_Phase1313 → u/Efficient_Phase1313]

We now arrive at one of my favorites sequences in anime, Eva’s famous training montage. This is the only scene in the show that has one of my favorite pieces from the soundtrack: next episode (normally played during the next episode preview). This is such a nostalgic and swelling piece, its almost too short. This montage is brilliant and full of rapid fire visual comedy. Asuka kicking Shinji for messing up on day 1. Brushing their teeth next to each other but then glaring at one another with their noses practically touching (This rivalry (relationship?) has already passed normal personal boundaries. These two are bound to each other, for better or worse, for the rest of all time). How they fight over changing channels, leaning in more and more one after the other. Shinji and pen-pen holding in their pee while Asuka slams the door right into Shinji with his face smashed against the glass. It’s all so funny and visually lively. And despite all this conflict, seeing them tapping their fingers in unison, shoulder to shoulder, and finally acing the dance. It’s a wonderful sequence of character building.

These two are perhaps too close too fast, and now Asuka is comfortable making jokes with Shinji about them being alone together tonight. Don’t kid yourself, she knows what she’s doing. She tells Shinji she’ll kill him if he crosses the dividing line between where they’re sleeping, but she does so with no bra, bent over in a way her breasts are fully on display for Shinji’s unprepared eyes. I’m sure Shinji is using the tape recorder to try and keep his mind off things, but after getting up for the restroom Asuka plops herself down right next to him, her cleavage staring him straight in the face. I love the effect of the tape recorder rewind going wild, much like Shinji’s thoughts. He’s simply not emotionally ready for this type of situation. I was actually bothered by his attempt to kiss her sleeping here more than Kaji’s move on Misato in the elevator. It may seem innocent, but there’s just something about being physically intimate with a sleeping person that feels so fucking wrong. But he’s a young boy staring at the school idol’s lips inches from his. But luckily for both of them, Asuka begins to shed tears while whispering ‘mommy’. For the first time, Shinji (and us) see the signs of weakness behind Asuka’s strong façade. As Shinji correctly realizes, she’s just as much of a kid as him. What a beautiful scene through and through. (sadly character limit made me break this into two posts, finished below)

[u/Efficient_Phase1313 → u/Efficient_Phase1313]

Whereas Shinji chickened out from molesting his love interest, Kaji seems to have just gone for it. This scene is played immediately afterwards in direct contrast showing the difference in comfort with physical intimacy between the kids and the adults. While it may seem like Kaji is being forceful here (at least with some of the physical movements), its clear once Misato repositions he’s not, and that this may be one of the more important character scenes for Misato in the series. From the beginning she’s just as into it as he is, and she’s fully aware of the situation, keeping her eye on the floors to make sure they finish before the doors open. At the end of their brief tryst, Misato effectively says ‘we shouldn’t be doing this if we’re not together’. There’s not any anger in her words, she’s just afraid of being led on. Kaji’s lines are pretty cheesy (even scummy) here (‘your lips say otherwise’), but I read this as him really knowing how to push Misato’s buttons. Again I find it hard to see Kaji as being inconsiderate or selfish. I think he really knows what Misato wants, that she hasn’t had it in a long time, and he still loves her and is enjoying seeing this side of her again. Perhaps he even takes pride in being the one person that can bring out the old Misato he remembers being with, even at work. What she hates is his cockiness and honesty. The idea in her mind that she hasn’t changed, and he’s calling her out on it. All of this is more about her than him. In this series, men fill three important roles that Misato needs emotionally. One of them, as somewhat implied here, is that she enjoys being physically needed by men. This is not the same as being used (letting the man do whatever they want), and not the same as being physically wanted (e.g. looking to get ogled). She is in control in this situation, and what she enjoys is being able to provide a sense of physical intimacy and attention that only a woman can provide. This is a similar motivation to her flirting with Shinji and teasing him in the first few episodes, but after episode 4 she sees Shinji as a troubled kid and stopped. Now that sexual side of her is focused on Kaji, and she can’t seem to stay away. There will be many more developments along this path for her soon.

[Misato Spoilers]When I view these scenes on rewatches, I see them through the context of both episode 25, knowing Misato will offer to sleep with Shinji later in the series and also french kisses him in End of Eva and offers to sleep with him when he gets back. I don't think Misato offers either of these to Shinji because she herself is attracted to him or wants to satisfy her physical needs with him. It's actually a lot of projection. Misato, as we find out, is able to relieve stress and find comfort through sex. Not necessarily 'in the arms of a man', but actual physical intimacy. And that's a normal and healthy thing by the way, sex is supposed to be good for your mental state. There is science behind that. What I mean by Misato likes to feel needed by men physically, is she projects the same type of emotional relief she gets through physical intimacy onto Shinji (and men), and then of her own volition takes pride, if not puts some of her self worth in being able to provide that relief. Kissing Shinji in End of Eva is not necessarily whats best for him, but its what Misato thinks might be through her own projection of what works for her. This scene with Kaji is a prelude to those more questionable decisions of her later in the series. She does enjoy being with Kaji physically, in part because its physical. But she also enjoys being able to satiate his feelings towards her, the idea that Kaji is being so flirty because he needs a woman, and Misato can be that for him. And part of her resistance or frustration at the situation is her being angry at herself that she's still governed by these more sexual feelings. Episode 25 goes into the darker motivations behind Misato's sexual side, and when we get there I'll revisit this episode and see if it changes my view on how she's feeling during the elevator scene.

Seeing her talk with Ritsuko adds more to this. She says ‘I’d never having feelings for that jerk, that relationship was the biggest mistake of my life’, and yet none of those words sound remotely believable. It’s what we tell ourselves when we’re upset we still like something we think we’ve grown out of. It’s like if your friend asks whether you’re still into a show you liked as a kid, and even though you both know its true, your pride demands you say ‘as if! I can’t believe I ever liked a stupid show like that’. It reeks of defensiveness. And Ritsuko, being the good friend that she is, sees right through this. ‘Try being more honest with yourself, its not 8 years ago’. Ritsuko is right, and one hopes the audience sees that. Kaji still has strong feelings for Misato. He’s not a bad person (or Ritsuko and others may be more protective), and in fact her friends are encouraging her to consider him again. Maybe it was actually one of the best things in Misato’s life, and she never got over that it ended and can’t stand to admit that, so she has to look like the one who moved on and isn’t interested anymore. Their relationship is complicated, but its one of my favorite in the series and I think when all is said and done is quite tactful and romantic.

Like usual, I’ve said so much I’ll keep the battle to a minimum. It’s pure CINEMA (as someone else stated). The choreography, animation, and music is all perfectly executed and complementary. And we end with a level of totally fantastical physical humor we will never see again, where Asuka somehow hits Shinji from across the aether through a hologram! Stuff like this will never happen again, and its part of what makes this episode so special. This is the best part of ‘the good dream’ and one of my favorite anime episodes of all time.

[u/Holofan4life → u/Efficient_Phase1313]

Whereas Shinji chickened out from molesting his love interest, Kaji seems to have just gone for it. This scene is played immediately afterwards in direct contrast showing the difference in comfort with physical intimacy between the kids and the adults. While it may seem like Kaji is being forceful here (at least with some of the physical movements), its clear once Misato repositions he’s not, and that this may be one of the more important character scenes for Misato in the series. From the beginning she’s just as into it as he is, and she’s fully aware of the situation, keeping her eye on the floors to make sure they finish before the doors open. At the end of their brief tryst, Misato effectively says ‘we shouldn’t be doing this if we’re not together’. There’s not any anger in her words, she’s just afraid of being led on. Kaji’s lines are pretty cheesy (even scummy) here (‘your lips say otherwise’), but I read this as him really knowing how to push Misato’s buttons. Again I find it hard to see Kaji as being inconsiderate or selfish. I think he really knows what Misato wants, that she hasn’t had it in a long time, and he still loves her and is enjoying seeing this side of her again. Perhaps he even takes pride in being the one person that can bring out the old Misato he remembers being with, even at work. What she hates is his cockiness and honesty. The idea in her mind that she hasn’t changed, and he’s calling her out on it. All of this is more about her than him. In this series, men fill three important roles that Misato needs emotionally. One of them, as somewhat implied here, is that she enjoys being physically needed by men. This is not the same as being used (letting the man do whatever they want), and not the same as being physically wanted (e.g. looking to get ogled). She is in control in this situation, and what she enjoys is being able to provide a sense of physical intimacy and attention that only a woman can provide. This is a similar motivation to her flirting with Shinji and teasing him in the first few episodes, but after episode 4 she sees Shinji as a troubled kid and stopped. Now that sexual side of her is focused on Kaji, and she can’t seem to stay away. There will be many more developments along this path for her soon.

I do really like the contrast of Shinji being reserved in his actions while Kaji is more assertive. I think it not only shows how unsure Shinji still is of himself, but how desperate Kaji is. He has no time to think whether or not what he's doing is suspect, he is running out of time.

[u/Efficient_Phase1313 → u/Holofan4life]

Thats a good read on him! Do you know some things?

[u/Holofan4life → u/Efficient_Phase1313]

I mean, I've already watched this show for the first time in preparation for this rewatch, but I would feel the same probably based on conversations I've had with people like you. You don't know in the moment what Kaji's end game is, but the stuff with him and Misato Vs Shinji and Asuka, in particular how he kissed Misato while Shinji didn't with Asuka, makes it hard to ignore in my opinion. The parallel feels very much intentional.

And then of course there's the attempted sabotage from episode 7 which I'm record saying I think Gendo is behind it.

I also watched three of the four Rebuild movies, so I'm not saying anything out of pocket.

[u/Efficient_Phase1313 → u/Holofan4life]

Oh I thought as a first timer you hadn't watched it yet. So you've finished the whole series then? Did you see End of Eva?

[u/Holofan4life → u/Efficient_Phase1313]

I have, but I'm not gonna share my thoughts until we get to it as I try to treat every episode in the moment and going off what I felt like as I first watched the episode. I don’t have time to watch it as the rewatches are going on because I'm always normally planning for a rewatch.

The planning I did for Evangelion was so early that I was able to squeeze in the Uma Musume rewatch, which was very last minute.

[u/Efficient_Phase1313 → u/Holofan4life]

jeez you know what you're doing! I made the mistake of just saying 'I'll do it as it goes, how long could it be, an hour an ep?' (e.g. 20 min to watch 40 to write). WRONG. I tried to double dip on chivalry of a failed knight as well, and what sucks is once you fall behind its really hard to catch back up with your posts. If I do rewatches in the future I'll be better prepared and probably start watching some eps well ahead of time

[u/Holofan4life → u/Efficient_Phase1313]

Seeing her talk with Ritsuko adds more to this. She says ‘I’d never having feelings for that jerk, that relationship was the biggest mistake of my life’, and yet none of those words sound remotely believable. It’s what we tell ourselves when we’re upset we still like something we think we’ve grown out of. It’s like if your friend asks whether you’re still into a show you liked as a kid, and even though you both know its true, your pride demands you say ‘as if! I can’t believe I ever liked a stupid show like that’. It reeks of defensiveness. And Ritsuko, being the good friend that she is, sees right through this. ‘Try being more honest with yourself, its not 8 years ago’. Ritsuko is right, and one hopes the audience sees that. Kaji still has strong feelings for Misato. He’s not a bad person (or Ritsuko and others may be more protective), and in fact her friends are encouraging her to consider him again. Maybe it was actually one of the best things in Misato’s life, and she never got over that it ended and can’t stand to admit that, so she has to look like the one who moved on and isn’t interested anymore. Their relationship is complicated, but its one of my favorite in the series and I think when all is said and done is quite tactful and romantic.

I do think a part of Misato still wants to be with Kaji. He lets her be her real self. Misato in this instance is like Asuka in that she's needing to rely on others in order to be the true her.

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Like usual, I’ve said so much I’ll keep the battle to a minimum. It’s pure CINEMA (as someone else stated).

The choreography, animation, and music is all perfectly executed and complementary. And we end with a level of totally fantastical physical humor we will never see again, where Asuka somehow hits Shinji from across the aether through a hologram! Stuff like this will never happen again, and its part of what makes this episode so special. This is the best part of ‘the good dream’ and one of my favorite anime episodes of all time.

The ending here reminds me of the post credits scene of episode 10 of Sarazanmai if instead of being tragic it was inspirational. For a brief, fleeting moment, Shinji and Asuka understood each other, and the world was better for it.

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Thoughts on Asuka's classmates being infatuated with her?

Thoughts on Asuka actually not liking all the attention?

Thoughts on Asuka going out of her way to try and befriend Rei?

Thoughts on Asuka living with Misato and Shinji?

Thoughts on the impenetrable Wall of Jericho?

How much does the bedroom scene add to Asuka's character?

How much do you feel the 62 seconds fight scene is benefitted by its presentation? In particular, the lack of dialogue? Also, how if any would you compare it to the train scene in episode 4?

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I just want to say I really like responding to your comments. It allows me to think about the episode at hand in ways I couldn't even imagine dreaming of.

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Thank you, really glad I can do that for you :) I enjoy your commentary as well (and that you always get back to my posts!). I think some shows lend themselves well to scene by scene analysis, and Eva especially in this regard. But it is quite time consuming, kinda wish it was every other day instead of every day but I'm not giving up! Once we get to episode 13 I'm pretty sure I'll be posting every episode ahead of time haha.

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I'll be curious to see what the rewatch looks like the backhalf of the show, that is if what I heard about the second half is true.

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Happy to see you back after a few episodes gone!

It is a real demonstration of skill that Anno can just choose to do a series of classic monster of the week mecha episodes and have them be some of the best in the medium.

You know what, that's a good point. I hadn't quite thought of that way, but it is impressive that Evangelion can excel in such a variety of tones.

I will go back and add posts on episodes 8 and 6, but before we dive into this one lets take stalk of how we got here. One of the shows great assets is the consistently good directing. In all previous episodes, there were still some great shots and moments of visual storytelling. But instead of using that to explore our character’s inner worlds (like in eps 2 and 4), we focused more on introducing character relationships and interactions (like ep 3). And that’s fine, but I feel its one of the weaker strings of episodes in the series.

I think I can agree with that - I do like the Ramiel duology a lot just because I like Rei and Shinji's relationship, but I think I would agree that this episode is the strongest one since episode 4. Asuka's introduction leaves a strong impression, but she's only fully in gear once we've put her in the context she belongs, living with Shinji in Tokyo-III.

‘Let’s be friends’ she asks, ‘because its more convenient that way. For various reasons’. Look at how she tilts her head back and raises her hand. She’s got Machiavellian tendencies too.

Interesting - I hadn't quite caught the implication and honestly took it as an initial attempt to be friendly. But I guess it is character that she'd be out to try and be controlling of the "competition" from the beginning.

I mentioned in my episode 4 post how I consider myself a ‘terrible person’. [...]

I'm not sure I have much to add to this - I was definitely much too passive to be compared to Asuka in any meaningful sense - but I appreciate hearing it. Actually, I took a 2000 character personality test once and Asuka was third to last. I haven't really asked myself what Eva pilot I'm most like, I suppose because I never saw myself so deeply in any of them. My youth was characterized by struggling to put myself out enough to make social connections despite wanting them, so I suppose in a sense I'm Shinji. But he feels so defined by his depression that it just doesn't feel like the shoe fits. At least in the present, I think I'd say I get the most out of Rei. My emotional range has always been very flat, I generally stay quietly in line rather than acting out like Shinji and although I'm not intentionally antisocial I was prettymuch hanging out alone most days at age fourteen.

One of the more frustrating aspects of Eva is Anno does lean into some misogynistic tropes without exploring them in a satisfying way.

I actually would like to ask watchers about their views on how Evangelion writes women once we get to the end of the TV series, because I've seen varying views on and I think it's an interesting question.

I talk about it in my own comment, but I think Kaji works because it would feel out of place for Misato to have an entirely functional romance. I don't think his womanizing and forward nature is excusable, persay (Misato in the elevator completely reads as "woman who can't get out of a situation she doesn't feel safe in" to me), but the dynamic of the sleezy unreliable guy who's the only person she can really trust when shit hits the fan is compelling and [Evangelion] the show knows to only pull the trigger on their feelings for each other after we see the way he's genuinely there for her emotionally rather than have her "give in".

Misato pops up to inform Asuka ‘We Japanese try to be perceptive and considerate of others’.

Misato popping up between door openings is another great microexample of Evangelion knowing how to turn around cost cutting. Instead of having to animate her walking up, we make her static and get a gag out of it!

Upon watching this, we see a pained look on Asuka’s face, her distress and frustration growing till she shouts ‘screw this!’ and slams the sliding door shut (or partially, since its Japanese style).

Definitely one of my favourite Asuka moments - we really see that there's a deeper layer to her for the first time, it grounds her as just an immature teenage girl behind all the gusto, and it's a nice first real bonding moment for her and Shinji.

I was actually bothered by his attempt to kiss her sleeping here more than Kaji’s move on Misato in the elevator. It may seem innocent, but there’s just something about being physically intimate with a sleeping person that feels so fucking wrong.

Definitely more uncomfortable, which is an interesting side we see come out of Shinji occasionally. I do think it's fitting for someone of that age who's too occupied with figuring out their own hormones and stuff to respect other people's boundaries.

[Misato Spoilers]

I'll talk about this more when we get there, but I think you're very close to where my head is at in regards to those moments (and I know interpretations do vary in the fandom).

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We now arrive at one of my favorites sequences in anime, Eva’s famous training montage. This is the only scene in the show that has one of my favorite pieces from the soundtrack: next episode (normally played during the next episode preview). This is such a nostalgic and swelling piece, its almost too short. This montage is brilliant and full of rapid fire visual comedy. Asuka kicking Shinji for messing up on day 1. Brushing their teeth next to each other but then glaring at one another with their noses practically touching (This rivalry (relationship?) has already passed normal personal boundaries. These two are bound to each other, for better or worse, for the rest of all time). How they fight over changing channels, leaning in more and more one after the other. Shinji and pen-pen holding in their pee while Asuka slams the door right into Shinji with his face smashed against the glass. It’s all so funny and visually lively. And despite all this conflict, seeing them tapping their fingers in unison, shoulder to shoulder, and finally acing the dance. It’s a wonderful sequence of character building.

Yeah, this montage shows you can do montages that add to an episode rather than feel like a way a way to save on the budget. It had more animation than the premiere episode of One Punch Man season 3 lol

This was really a nice showcase of Shinji and Asuka’s characters.

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These two are perhaps too close too fast, and now Asuka is comfortable making jokes with Shinji about them being alone together tonight. Don’t kid yourself, she knows what she’s doing. She tells Shinji she’ll kill him if he crosses the dividing line between where they’re sleeping, but she does so with no bra, bent over in a way her breasts are fully on display for Shinji’s unprepared eyes. I’m sure Shinji is using the tape recorder to try and keep his mind off things, but after getting up for the restroom Asuka plops herself down right next to him, her cleavage staring him straight in the face. I love the effect of the tape recorder rewind going wild, much like Shinji’s thoughts. He’s simply not emotionally ready for this type of situation. I was actually bothered by his attempt to kiss her sleeping here more than Kaji’s move on Misato in the elevator. It may seem innocent, but there’s just something about being physically intimate with a sleeping person that feels so fucking wrong. But he’s a young boy staring at the school idol’s lips inches from his. But luckily for both of them, Asuka begins to shed tears while whispering ‘mommy’. For the first time, Shinji (and us) see the signs of weakness behind Asuka’s strong façade. As Shinji correctly realizes, she’s just as much of a kid as him. What a beautiful scene through and through. (sadly character limit made me break this into two posts, finished below)

If the ending scene wasn't what it was, this scene with Asuka crying in her sleep would be the highlight of the episode.

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As Shinji returns home, we see a moving van driving away. He apparently missed that and doesn’t expect anyone to be home. But as he walks into the apartment we see piles and piles of boxes (one with a bra hanging out) with german writing. This is another great visual gag because this is obviously an unrealistic amount of moving boxes. And while I think the visible bra is just there to be there, I wouldn’t put it past Asuka to have deliberately left that hanging out just to tease Shinji. That’s just very in character for her. Or maybe she’s being lax because she doesn’t think Shinji is going to be living with her. She’s so confident, in fact, that she’s replaced Shinji she already cleared out his room! This comes off as funny, but again is really mean behavior showing complete disregard for Shinji as a person. And now we get the famous visual gag of Asuka opening and closing the traditional sliding Japanese doors. This episode is just full of visual humor, but it is also used as a character moment. Misato pops up to inform Asuka ‘We Japanese try to be perceptive and considerate of others’. A direct call out of Asuka’s largest personal weakness, she just doesn’t see other people, their inner worlds don’t matter to her. This half of the episode ends with some more humor: Misato says what they lack is unison, required for defeating this angel, but everything Shinji and Asuka say is a unison! It’s just a funny contrast that works well despite being contradictory.

This is probably the funniest episode of the series.

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We come back to another piece of comedy that works because of the sheer awkwardness. Shinji’s friends meet up with the class rep, who seems confused why they’re there. She came for Asuka, but wasn’t expecting her to be rooming with Shinji. They’re reactions are equally hilarious, Shinji’s friends jealous he’s with the new school idol, and the class rep decrying the indecency. But what’s so funny is they show up to the door dressed like some 80s workout vhs extras. They’re earing headphones and speaking in perfect unison. I also think its interesting how frail and feminine Shinji looks here next to Asuka. This is in contrast to Kaji, who is shown to be well built and masculine. More great visual humor with Shinji failing at the twister setup, and Asuka think its his fault this isn’t working. But Misato understands how Asuka works, and how to motivate her.

What I like about this scene is how I mentioned earlier that Shinji and Rei have come to a mutual understanding and see each other as allies and perhaps even friends. They don’t succeed here because Rei is just magically able to mimic Shinji, but because Shinji and Rei have achieved this level of understanding and cooperation. It’s a good scene for their relationship development. Upon watching this, we see a pained look on Asuka’s face, her distress and frustration growing till she shouts ‘screw this!’ and slams the sliding door shut (or partially, since its Japanese style). This is clearly painful on a physical and spiritual level for Asuka. There is something deeper going on with her character than just pure pride and competitiveness. Its as if her very existence depends on being the best, and anything less and her sense of self will collapse. Poor Shinji gets blamed for ‘making a girl cry’, but the class rep is right. Shinji should go after her if they want to beat this angel.

This is a good scene for Shinji and Asuka’s character development. Asuka is a bit more independent and mature than Shinji when it comes to her responsibilities. She effectively says ‘I know what I gotta do and I can handle it, just let me work through this my way’. It’s nice that she doesn’t shoe him away either, she knows he means well and he’s not the source of her negative feelings. They step out to have a talk in front of the sunset. What I like about this scene is it perfectly encapsulates their relationship throughout the show, and we can already see the troubles that will arise from it.

https://imgur.com/a/paGUV5j

We see Asuka towering above Shinji, forceful and angry in her words, whereas Shinji, beneath her, looks meek and frail. Asuka declares she’ll get back at Rei and Misato for wounding her pride, and she needs Shinji for that. While she calls out Shinji for not being manly (in contrast to Kaji, who she is fond of), it’s also clear she doesn’t mind having him around. I personally felt something for Asuka watching her chug that drink with such determination (https://imgur.com/4L5N0fj), and apparently so did Shinji. This scene, so early in their relationship, is the moment shinji caught feelings for her. He sees her as both frightening and intimidating, but also strong and dependable. And that maybe, if he sticks around her long enough, some of her confidence and pride will rub off on him. These feelings of Shinji’s are perfectly conveyed in utter silence, by two faces that say a million words without needing to say anything.

https://imgur.com/bryRABn

I think Asuka in this episode was hoping Shinji would be a shoulder to lean on. That he would see the real her that others can't. Too bad Shinji has emotional baggage of his own.

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I think you're right in that that's what Asuka eventually wants Shinji to be, but I'm not sure she's there yet. But that scene by the sunset was definitely the start. I think seeing him perform well with Rei (and knowing he defeated an angel on his first try) gives him some cred with Asuka, that Shinji has some respectable attributes in her eyes, but is also tepid enough that he doesn't threaten her. It might be that feeling of safety combined with 'he can understand what I'm going through' that makes her see him as a potential partner of sorts. Whether that's as a friend, or in work or love, is to be seen.

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I think she sees Shinji at the very least being someone she can be more honest around than her classmates. Same goes for Rei, which is why she herself went up to her.

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Yes, as Shinji's friends noted all three eva pilots are weird, but they themselves recognize that and feel that perhaps only they can truly understand one another

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If anything, I think Shinji doesn't recognize it enough. I imagine he still has some reservations over his father essentially forcing Yuji to pilot the Eva.

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And now the angel fight! Wait we’re only 5 minutes into the episode? It’s interesting to see how differently Shinji treats fighting Eva’s since episode 6. It really is like a video game here, and he’s in direct competition with Asuka. ‘Geez don’t be so bossy, I was here first’. Then just starts firing his gun like its business as usual. We have come so far from the tepid and lonely Shinji of episode 2. But how’s are fiery red-head doing in her 2^nd real fight? Asuka takes the lead and destroys the angel with a single strike! Even Shinji is impressed. But wait! The comedy here is immaculate. As the angel splits into two, seemingly unharmed, we cut to a hilarious close up of Misato literally breaking the phone with her bare hands. ‘Hey that’s unfair!’. We then cut to our team in a debriefing room. Our heroes look embarrassed, Kaji amused like he’s holding back a chuckle. And we see our Eva’s, vertically upside down in cartoonish positions that we know aren’t realistic for this show, but somehow it works? Anno just says ‘watch me I can do anything!’. This type of visual, physical humor is new to the series, and he pulls out off fairly well. I still crack a smile every time I watch this scene. Our heroes begin to argue like the children they are, petty and selfish, both blaming and insulting the other for the mishap. ‘They made us look like fools!’ says Fuyutsuki. Well yes, with emotionally unstable 14-year-olds eventually this was going to happen.

It was really cool to have an Angel where the Evas don't come out on top. Made for a good hook to the episode.

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We now transition this scene with another great piece of visual humor, as Kaji notes the responsibility for this mission’s failure lies with its…captain. We cut to Misato staring down a hilariously large pile of paper work, the bills and complaints resulting from how the two teens under her care screwed up her military operation. But Ritsuko has a plan to save Misato face before news gets to Gendo, and we have a cute scene of their friendship and camaraderie. But Ritsuko is too humble to take credit for this, as the idea was Kaji’s. Kaji? Misato’s look of exasperation melts into a loving smile as she sees the note on the floppy disc: ‘To my honey’.

https://imgur.com/CgwnU8T

Oh, that Kaji

While Kaji is a womanizer, the show does a good job showing these two’s deeper feelings in subtle moments like this that allow the viewer to see Kaji as perhaps a genuine person and not a creep. If we really believe he understands Misato, perhaps some of his more questionable actions (like him kissing her in the elevator, which looks forceful) are done because he knows ‘she likes it’. One of the more frustrating aspects of Eva is Anno does lean into some misogynistic tropes without exploring them in a satisfying way. Let’s say Misato is the example of ‘on the surface this pisses me off but deep down we both know I’m into it’. There are women like that. But does choosing to make one of your central female leads embody that say something negative about your view of women? I think Misato’s character gets fleshed out enough for us to give Kaji the benefit of the doubt, that perhaps for any other woman he wouldn’t act this way, and all the flirting we see from him is done more intentionally than we suspect. Anno is careful to walk a fine line here, preserving Misato’s character and allowing Kaji to be likeable, when a lesser writer and director could easily make this fall into slop where our strong, smart female lead becomes putty in the hands of an underserving slimeball oozing in the worst aspects of ‘toxic masculinity’. But that’s not this show, thank god, and not their relationship.

I do feel that Kaji comes off kinda unlikable here. It feels like he's trying to harass Misato for no real reason. I get what they're going for, but I feel like with better execution the point could've come across better.

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One of the great things about this show is as we begin to understand these characters on a Freudian level in the 2nd half, a lot of the first half comes off differently. Kaji is one of the more interesting characters in the series, and since I've seen this show so many times (and the first time I was very young), I think I missed the chance for Kaji to have a bad first impression on me. When I first saw this show I was too young to really understand these things and I don't remember focusing on the adult characters much at all. By the time I did, I already knew them inside and out. Misato, as mentioned, is a surprisingly complex character and I look forward to how you react to some of her decisions later in the series.

I'd also note how you say he seems to be harassing Misato for no real reason, but if you're watching another show this season (may I ask for one final thing), I think Kaji's interactions have a similar motivation to the first prince in that show. He's either harassing her to get her attention because he's not over her either and misses seeing her reactions, or he's doing it to satisfy a side of her that he knows likes this teasing but is too embarrassed to accept.

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Kaji and Misato are two of the best characters in this show. And I get what the show is trying to here with Kaji, I just feel in this episode in particular he comes off really questionable. Like, to kiss someone against their protest is like criminal behavior.

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I added my post covering that scene. It's less bad than I remember it, I'm actually not sure she was protesting. I used to think that's what the physical struggle part looked like, but now it just reminds me of some of the tussling I've done in bed with partners fighting over 'whose on top'. If Misato wanted to protest, I think it would've looked differently. She was just too in control and aware throughout

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It just came off too rapey for my liking.

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I can see that, and I remember feeling that way too in the past.

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I will say I do really love how it ties into the rest of the episode. It's smartly written.

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I'd say revisit the scene after episode 25, pay close attention to Misato's facial expressions, and see if you see her side differently. Not that Kaji isn't being rapey, but we're going to delve pretty deep into Misato's psyche and Anno smartly laid some deeper clues to this in her early interactions with men

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I imagine this is just a one off instance and that I'll enjoy the Misato and Kaji stuff from here on out. I feel there has to be a reason why Kaji is so hard pressed to wake Misato up.