Neon Genesis Evangelion – 15/16 – Throwback Thursday

It only took 16 episodes, a couple of close calls and an odd recap, but Neon Genesis Evangelion has finally entered weird territory. There really is no other way to put it without getting into the nitty gritty. So let’s just jump straight into this weeks double feature.

Starting off we have Episode 15, Lies and Silence. This was largely a more Slice of Life style episode, really focusing in on Evangelion’s characters. The problem with this though is that without any major conflict, it really showed just how weak some of its characters are. Rei for instance was always and continues to be just lifeless. Devoid of almost any purpose or emotion behind what she does. I have suspicions for why this is that we will get into later. But regardless of if they are true or not, she simply isn’t particularly interesting nor can she hold a scene on her own. Similarly this week also shows us the worst parts of Asuka’s character and just how annoying she can be. Episode 16 continued this, with a tad more context yes, but she wasn’t particularly enjoyable to put up with.

Before I can really follow up and provide examples of that though, we have to talk about Shinji. Shinji did a lot of… weird and interesting things this week. Effectively carrying half the episode, though not always for good. What I mean is, his short time with Gendo at his mother’s grave was interesting. It shows there is still something connecting them, some kind of bond between them. And I also think it informed a lot about Gendo, as he basically says he has never forgotten her. Keeping it all in his head/heart. Meanwhile with Rei, Shinji is starting to project a lot of… motherly tendencies onto her. Which when combined with her relationship with Gendo is… concerning. But we will get to that. The last big one though was Asuka, and that stupid, pointless kiss. This kiss exists purely for fanservice and I don’t like it.

Carrying the other half, and most of the episode, though we have Kaji/Misato. Misato is easily my favorite character in Evangelion, and her relationship with Kaji has grown well. I love basically everything about her, and how Evangelion has expanded her connection with Shinji. Paralleling their home lives, their fathers, their issues with self-confidence and how they ignore their own problems. I actually quite enjoyed her interactions with Kaji this week. Because for the first time it felt like both of them dropped their joking, flirting pretext and really communicated. Like they opened up about each other, and convinced me that their problems felt real. Not to mention how the relationship throws everyone’s loyalties out of whack. Asuka is obsessed with Kaji, so who knows what she will do. Meanwhile Kaji is investigating NERV, whom Misato is loyal to. It’s basically a James Bond spy romance, with giant robots.

Speaking of Kaji, this week also had him start to play a role he is much more suited towards. That being the investigator trying to figure out what the hell Gendo is doing. And I have to say, its weird, and I love that he trusted and brought Misato in on it all. As for what he discovered, well from the top: Gendo just has Adam, the first Angel, sitting in his basement nailed to a cross. Presumably, they cloned the current EVA’s from Adam, which explains their power and why the other Angels are trying to get in. To get Adam back, effectively funneling them towards their defense line. Meanwhile we also see Rei in a tube, with Gendo looking like Satan. Standing on top of a Fullmetal Alchemist style magic circle, like he is about to summon a demon from hell.

And with what we are about to talk about, i’d believe it. You see, here is this week’s crazy theory #1: Rei is a clone of Shinji’s mom, who Gendo is trying to bring back using NERV as an excuse. Going full “Deal with a Devil” to do so. From Shinji’s motherly comments, to episode 16, the themes are all there and pointing to it. Meanwhile she is sitting in a tube, emotionless, clearly not all there in the head. As if she was grown in a test tube. It makes me wonder if the Rei we are seeing now is still the same Rei from the start. Regardless, there are clearly some “raise the dead” shenanigans going on here, and the Christian symbolism doesn’t help. All I can do is hope that Evangelion doesn’t end with Shinji banging a clone of his dead mother.

Next up we have Evangelion episode 16, In sickness unto death, and…. This was a trip and a half, and one I actually really liked. Before we get into how great the Angel was though, I need to talk Ritsuko. As it is her comments with Gendo that basically solidify that the EVAs are clones of Adam. Talking about the power they have unleashed, are they on their side, etc. It all but confirms that they are Angels and makes one wonder. Are robots on them to power them? Or is it to restrain them? What are the odds this ends with EVA on EVA combat, with Shinji’s EVA going berserk as it gets closer and closer towards becoming a True Angel? Or something along those lines. Regardless, shit has gotten weird and Ritsuko knows it, and Misato knows she knows it.

As for the fight itself, this was actually a pretty cool one. The Angel felt like a legitimate threat, and I thought it was an interesting concept. I am still no closer to understanding how they work of course, because the metaphysics of it all make no sense. But it forced some nice confrontations between characters, showing what they cared about. For instance we got some real emotion out of Rei, her even doubting an order to draw back. We saw Misato prioritize rescuing Shinji over destroying the Angel, and fighting with Ritsuko about it. The only disappointing one was Asuka, though her’s sort of made sense and we will get to that later. All around though, it forced the characters into a very real life or death situation they had avoided until then. And I enjoyed that.

Of course, this wouldn’t be Evangelion if there wasn’t some weird shit going on. And Shinji’s time inside the Angel was definitely that. I am still not entirely sure what actually happened in there to be frank. Was he talking to the Angel? To himself? There was an interesting point about “the Shinji each person see’s is a different Shinji”. The idea being that there are an infinite number of yourselves, each one both real and not, based on perceptions. But it didn’t really end up going anywhere. I suppose you could look at it as a self-critique, with Shinji looking at himself and not liking what he sees. A sort of self-reflection. But the time inside the Angel was very screwy, and I might just chalk it up to oxygen deprivation or something. That is, I would, if one important thing didn’t happen at the end.

That of course being Shinji/the EVA unit literally being birthed from an Angel. It’s hard to look at it any other way, especially with Shinji’s comments and the themes of Motherhood in episode 15. It was like the EVA was being birthed, as it ripped its way out of the Angel, screaming into the world. Right after Shinji seemingly embraces a motherlike figure in his dream state. It makes one wonder, has the EVA unit awakened? Will we see it go berserk more and more now that it has been born? Or similar to the earlier Rei theory, is this Shinji still our old Shinji? Was he perhaps replaced or changed by his time inside the Angel? This birth marking the start of a new, more confident Shinji. There are a lot of questions surrounding it, but the imagery is clear. Something monstrous was born this episode.

Finally, we get to Asuka’s issues which I mentioned earlier. So I said that I was not to happy with Asuka, and that was only partly true. I didn’t find her entertaining, at least in the sense that I enjoyed her presence. I still don’t like the kiss. Even if it ties in to her jealousy of Kaji and wanting to take something from Misato. I still don’t like her being how she is towards Shinji, even if its rooted in her inferiority complex. They just don’t make for a likable character to me, even if they can make her an interesting one if continued right. Now, I think Evangelion has a chance here to do that right. She was clearly horrified by the EVA units after the battle, this thing she took so much pride in. Combined with Kaji, there’s a lot of growth potential. If used well.

So all in all, how was Evangelion this week? Pretty good actually. I am still not entirely sure what I think about the Angel fight, or atleast the Shinji part of it. But we also still have 10 more episodes to go, along with a whole movie. So there is still plenty of content that needs to be looked at side by side with it. At the very least, I can say it’s interesting and there is definitely the potential for something great in here. My primary concern is just, how far off the deep end will Anno go? Because if you go to far, get to wrapped up in this, you end up like Ikuhara. You just become a jumbled mess of themes and ideas that don’t go anywhere. So far, I think Evangelion is safe on that front. But we will have to wait and see.

See you next week!