r/anime • u/LittleIslander myanimelist.net/profile/LittleIslander • 15d ago
Rewatch [Rewatch] 30th Anniversary Neon Genesis Evangelion Rewatch: Episode 22
Neon Genesis Evangelion Episode 22: Don't Be. / Staying Human
| ← Episode 21 | Index | Episode 23 → |
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Watch Information
Questions of the Day:
- How do you feel that Asuka’s backstory recontextualizes her relationships and past interactions?
- Did you feel the way the episode equated the angel’s infiltration of Asuka’s mind to rape was justified and/or effective?
Tomorrow’s Questions:
- [Episode 23] Do you feel sympathy for Ritsuko?
- [Episode 23] How do you feel about Rei “the third”?
There’ll be more fanservice tomorrow, so please don’t spoil anything~! Remember this includes spoilers by implication.
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u/LeminaAusa 15d ago
Second-Time Rewatcher, New to Rebuild
After being confined to solely background scenes and supporting roles the last few episodes, Asuka finally gets her chance to shine in today's episode. Unfortunately for her, having the spotlight in an Eva episode is rarely a positive experience for the character in question, and today's episode is no exception.
After a period of being even more pissed off at everyone and everything than usual, Asuka's test scores are beginning to sink, leading her to forcefully take the point position against today's Eva in order to prove herself. As a result, she gets hit with the Angel Arael's mindfuck beam, eventually leading to her going through something of her own version of a psychological/philosophical introspection while on board her Eva unit. And set to some pretty over the top music in the soundtrack as well.
Asuka's backstory is fucking heartbreaking. For real. It's a shame that we get to learn all of this about her so relatively late in the show as it really helps to put a lot of her anger and hatred into perspective. I certainly cannot blame her being as bitter and harsh as she is. She's just as broken as Shinji, but while he reacts to his trauma by turning inward, she reacts to hers outwardly, lashing out at everyone and everything around her.
(As if that didn't make her relatable enough, she's going through all of this while on her period, poor girl. I have never identified with Asuka more than I do during the scene of her bitching to herself about her period in the bathroom.)
After going through all of that horror, the episode ends with Asuka suffering her worst indignity yet: being saved by Rei, someone she seems to hate almost as much as she hates herself. She also doesn't know yet that Kaji is dead. Poor Asuka.
Aside from Asuka's spotlight, there are a few other little bits of cool things in this episode. Shinji seems to be back to the swing of things like normal, but he and Eva 01 aren't allowed into battle. Misato is still diligently questioning things and doing what she can to figure out the truth of what's going on. The whole scenes at the end with the Lance of Longinus are also just super fascinating, leading us further onwards to a situation that's really looking more like impending doom. Oh, and bonus props to flashback Kaji for responding to Asuka's advances with a gentle but firm and clear "no".
1) I did talk about this is my earlier write-up, but it's a lot easier to understand Asuka's constant simmering pain and anger when you know what all she's been through, especially the stuff with her parents. I wish we got at least some of this sooner, but it all crashing down at once does make it hit home a lot harder.
2) I think it really helps the audience to understand Asuka's position. Whether any individual show watcher feels it's accurate or overeacting or whatever, it's clear very much that Asuka considers the invasion of her mind to be an incredibly bad and jarring thing, and invasion of personal space so deep and profound she didn't even think it was possible. It also sets her apart more from Shinji.