History Recap / NeonGenesisEvangelionEpisode03ATransfer

* BrokenTears: After the both physically and emotionally challenging battle against Shamshel, a mentally exhausted Shinji is unable to hold himself together breaks down weeping. Both Kensuke and Toji look on in sympathy.

We open on an emotionally distant Shinji, sitting in the cockpit of Unit-01. Ritsuko contacts him over the radio and asks him how he is doing. Staring into space, he answers that he is "getting used to it." Ritsuko briefs him on the Eva's technical capabilities, and tells him how the Eva is normally powered by a cord, but can last in combat for one minute in combat with its emergency battery. She then proceed to load up a combat training simulation. Shinji approaches it with the same emotional distance, lining up the targets and shooting them with mechanical disinterest. In the control room, Maya wonders why he agreed to continue as a pilot. "He just obediently goes along with what others say," answers Ritsuko. "That's his secret of success in life."

Next morning, as Shinji heads out for school, Misato gets a call from Ritsuko, asking who her "boyfriend" is doing. Misato admits that she is getting concerned about Shinji's distant behavior, noticing that he, despite going to school for two weeks, doesn't seem have made any friends and the new phone she gave him hasn't made a peep. Ritsuko tells her the fable of "the Hedgehog's dilemma", "the closer we are to each other, the more we risk hurting the other", and that Shinji probably has a hard time making friends because he is afraid of getting hurt. Misato, however, remains hopeful that he will learn to open up to others as he grows up.

Meanwhile, Shinji has arrived in class. Before sitting down, he notices the injured Rei staring out the window. Elsewhere in the classroom, another student, Kensuke Aida, is playing with a model plane. He is interrupted by the class representative, Hikari Horaki, who asks him if he got around to hand the school papers for yesterday to his friend, Toji Suzuhara, who hasn't been in class for two weeks, but Kensuke answers that even he doesn't know where he has been lately. Hikari wonders if his absence is related to the "giant robot-incident." Another student questions the possibly of this, as the official word is that no one was injured, but Kensuke interjects that with so much collateral damage, no injures, let alone no causalities, is an outright impossibility.

Just then, Toji walks into the classroom. Taking a look around, he quickly notices the lack of other students, and Kesuke tells him that many has been transferred away after the battle. He then asks Toji about the reasons for his absense, and Toji tells him that his kid sister was injured in the battle, and with his father and grandfather's work hours, he was the only one who could keep her company in the hospital. He then vents his anger about the pilot of the giant robot, blaming him for his sister's injury and the city getting wrecked. In response, Kensuke tells him about the new transfer student, Shinji, and how he showed up after the incident, a coincidence that has started many rumors about his identity.

The school day continues as the class' old teacher monologues at extreme length about the story of the Second Impact without paying any attention to the bored class. Suddenly Shinji gets a chat message on his school computer, asking him if he is indeed the pilot of the robot. He has barely answered "Yes", before the class erupts in surprise and quickly surrounds him, asking him questions about the giant robot. As Hikari desperately tries to reestablish order, a surprised Shinji tries to manage his new popularity. However, after class, Shinji is accosted by a furious Toji, who proceeds to beat him up. Kensuke apologetically explains Toji's situation to Shinji, but refuses to getting further involved. The roughed up Shinji is approached by Rei, who tells him that NERV has placed an emergency call for them, and that she will run ahead. Seconds later Tokyo 3's sirens start to blare. Hovering over the ocean, the angel, Shamshel, looking like a cross between a giant horseshoe crab and a squid, approaches the city.

The civilian evacuation is quickly completed, and Toji and Kensuke finds themselves in a shelter along with the rest of the class. Kensuke laments that the news has been censured again, complaining that he wants to witness the event. Inside NERV's HQ, Shinji is placed in Unit-01. He wonders why he bothers piloting, both noting that it lead to him getting beaten up and that his father isn't even around. Meanwhile, Kensuke talks Toji into sneaking out of the shelter along with him. After successfully exiting the shelter unnoticed, the duo finds a hill overlooking the center of the city, and they see Unit-01 being launched against the Angel. Kensuke is awestruck by the sight and quickly pulls out his camera to film everything, while Toji looks on in stunned silence. Shinji, however, screws up the initial attack and panics.

The Angel goes on the offensive, using whip-like tentacles to attack, and Shinji is quickly forced into retreating while he frantically tries to dodge the Angel's attacks. Unable to keep up, he is finally struck by an attack and takes a fall, while the Eva's cord is cut in the process and the battery is activated. Shinji is unable to find his footing and is grabbed by the Angel and thrown into the air, and the Eva lands right next to Toji and Kensuke, only barely avoiding landing on top of them due to pure dumb luck. The Angel moves in for another attack, and Shinji while manages to hold it at bay by grabbing its tentacles, he finds himself unable to counter-attack without risking crushing Toji and Kensuke, rendering the situation a stalemate. Misato decides to improvise, and orders Shinji to get Toji and Kensuke inside Unit-01, despite Ritsuko's protests that they will disturb the synchronization. After both boys are aboard, Shinji pulls on the Angel's tentacles and manages to chuck it away, giving him some breathing room and Misato immediately orders him to retreat.

But Shinji, despite only have one minute of battery power left, stands in place, chanting "I mustn't run away," despite Toji half-yelling, half-pleading with him to follow Misato's order. Instead, he decides to go all out against the Angel as he draws the Eva's knife and runs towards it, screaming in blind anger. Despite the Angel piercing the Eva's abdomen with its tentacles, he ignores the pain and continues his suicidal charge, plunging the blade into the Angel's core. He keeps screaming as the blade cuts its way into the Angel, refusing to burge until one of them are destroyed. The Angel finally dies just one second before Unit-01 runs out of power. With the battle being over, Shinji breaks down crying in front of Kensuke and Toji, who both looks silently on, in mixed pity and fear, both having gotten an understanding of Shinji's plight.

Three days later, Kensuke and a moping Toji hang out in class. Toji notices that Shinji haven't shown up for school after the battle. Kensuke asks him if he is worried about Shinji, but Toji tries, rather unconvincingly, to deny the notion. "Toji, for someone who's so tactless, you're pretty stubborn," says Kensuke somewhat exasperated, telling him and that if he just had apologized to Shinji back then, he wouldn't have had to agonize himself over it for the last few days. He then hands him Shinji's number, telling him: "If you're so worried, why don't you call him?"

At the school's public phone, Toji starts to punch in Shinji's number. But he ultimately decides against it and walks away.
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The school day continues as the class' old teacher monologues at extreme length about the story of the Second Impact without paying any attention to the bored class. Suddenly Shinji gets a chat message, asking him if he is indeed the pilot of the robot. He has barely answered "Yes", before the class erupts in surprise and quickly surrounds him, asking him questions about the giant robot. As Hikari desperately tries to reestablish order, a surprised Shinji tries to manage his new popularity. However, after class, Shinji is accosted by a furious Toji, who proceeds to beat him up. Kensuke apologetically explains Toji's situation to Shinji, but refuses to getting further involved. The roughed up Shinji is approached by Rei, who tells him that NERV has placed an emergency call for them, and that she will run ahead. Seconds later Tokyo 3's sirens start to blare. Hovering over the ocean, the angel, Shamshel, looking like a cross between a giant horseshoe crab and a squid, approaches the city.

The civilian evacuation is quickly completed, and Toji and Kensuke finds themselves in a shelter along with the rest of the class. Kensuke laments that the news has been censured again, complaining that he wants to witness the event. Inside NERV's HQ, Shinji is placed in Unit-01. He wonders why he bothers piloting, both noting that it lead to him getting beaten up and that his father isn't even around. Meanwhile, Kensuke talks Toji into sneaking out of the shelter along with him. After successfully exiting the shelter unnoticed, the duo finds a hill overlooking the center of the city, and they see Unit-01 being launched against the Angel. Kensuke is positively ecstatic and quickly pulls out his camera to film everything, while Toji looks on in stunned silence. Shinji, however, screws up the initial attack and panics.

Three days later, Kensuke and a moping Toji hang out in class. Toji notices that Shinji haven't shown up for school after the battle. Kensuke asks him if he is worried about Shinji, but he denies the notion. Kensuke tells him that he is too stubborn for his own good, and that if he just had apologized to Shinji back then, he wouldn't be agonizing himself over it now. He then hands him Shinji's number, telling him to give him a call so he get the apology off his chest. At the school's public phone, Toji starts to punch in Shinji's number. But he ultimately decides against it and walks away.

Three days later, Kensuke and a moping Toji hang out in class. Toji notices that Shinji haven't shown up for school after the battle. Kensuke asks him if he is worried about Shinji, but he denies the notion. Kensuke tells him that he is too stubborn for his own good, and that if he just had apologized back then, he wouldn't be agonizing himself over it now. He then hands him Shinji's number, telling him to give him a call so he can apologize. At the school's public phone, Toji starts to punch in Shinji's number. But he ultimately decides against it and walks away.

Three days later, Kensuke and a sulky Toji hang out in class. Toji notices that Shinji haven't shown up for school after the battle. Kensuke asks him if he is worried about Shinji, but he denies the notion. Kensuke tells him that he is too stubborn for his own good, and that if he just had apologized back then, he wouldn't be agonizing himself over it now. He then hands him Shinji's number, telling him to give him a call so he can apologize. At the school's public phone, Toji starts to punch in Shinji's number. But he ultimately decides against it and walks away.

Just then, Toji returns. He quickly notices the lack of other students, and Kesuke tells him that many has been transferred after the battle. He then asks Toji about his absense, and Toji tells him that his kid sister was injured in the battle, and with his father and grandfather's work hours, he was the only one who could keep her company in the hospital. He then vents his anger about the pilot of the giant robot, blaming him for his sister's injury and the city getting wrecked. Kensuke tells him about the new transfer student, Shinji, and how he showed up after the incident, a coincidence that has started many rumors about his identity.

But Shinji, despite only have one minute of battery power left, stands in place, chanting "I mustn't run away," despite Toji half-yelling, half-pleading with him to follow Misato's order. Suddenly, he decides to go all out against the Angel, and draws the Eva's knife and runs towards it, screaming in blind anger. Despite the Angel piercing the Eva's abdomen with its tentacles, he ignores the pain and continues his suicidal charge, plunging the blade into the Angel's core. He keeps screaming as the blade cuts its way into the Angel, refusing to burge until one of them are destroyed. The Angel finally dies just one second before Unit-01 runs out of power. With the battle being over, Shinji breaks down crying in front of Kensuke and Toji, who both looks silently on, in mixed pity and fear, both having gotten an understanding of Shinji's plight.