Shinji and Asuka, living in sin
After becoming a transfer student as Shinji's school, Asuka's popularity skyrockets. When the Angel Israfel suddenly attacks Tokyo-3, Shinji and Asuka fight it. Unfortunately for the pilots, it ends in catastrophe. Upon moving in to Misato and Shinji's apartment, Asuka must train with the latter in a synchronized attack to stop Israfel within six days...
Tropes in this episode include:
- Actually Pretty Funny: While most of the NERV Staff's mortified by Shinji and Asuka's teenage bickering in the ending, Maya's visibly amused while Kaji's laughing his head off.
- Bland-Name Product: The DHU moving company is a not-so-subtle reference to the logistics company DHL.
- Bonding Through Shared Earbuds: One scene of the montage of Shinji and Asuka living together briefly shows them sharing earbuds and listening to the same music player.
- Call-Back:
- The remains of Ramiel (the octahedron Angel that was the last to attack Tokyo-3 prior to Israfel) are seen when Unit 01 and Unit 02 are deployed against Israfel.
- When Asuka moves in to Misato's apartment, one of the items packed in the boxes is Shinji's room sign that was used starting in "Hedgehog's Dilemma".
- Coordinated Clothes: Much to both Asuka and Shinji's embarrassment, they are asked to dress in identical leotards and loose t-shirts as part of their coordination training.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Once Israfel regenerates itself into Targets Alpha and Beta/Bravo, they send Shinji and Asuka on the receiving end of this trope with the aftermath shown in photos.
- Dance Battler: Taking out the Angel necessitates a coordinated assault by Shinji and Asuka, which is accomplished by having them fight in rhythm to music.
- Dude, She's Like in a Coma: Shinji nearly kisses Asuka while she's asleep, only stopping when she tearfully mutters "Mama..." In their argument at the end of the episode, Asuka half-seriously accuses him of trying to kiss her while she was asleep, and is appalled when he doesn't deny it.
- Elevator Going Down: Misato and Kaji make out in an elevator, and she eyes the elevator's timer to ensure no one walks in on them.
- "Everybody Laughs" Ending: The only one of its kind in the series, as Shinji and Asuka get into a spat that is broadcasted live to the whole NERV complex.
- Facepalm: Misato in response to Units 01 and 02's less than graceful landing, then Fuyutsuki in reaction to Asuka and Shinji's bickering.
- Foreign Cuss Word:
- The ADV dub has Asuka yelling "Scheißt!"note after her failed attempt at the coordination drill causes her to throw her headphones in frustration.
- In the Netflix dub, Asuka says "Verdammt!"note when calling out Shinji for his actions that led to their earlier defeat.
- Foreshadowing: Several occasions.
- Asuka’s frustration at Rei’s coordination with Shinji and her own repeated failures is when she starts to show her true colours, and the special connection Shinji and Rei have is hinted at.
- The main goal of their training, reaching perfect synchronisation, hints at SEELE’s true goal: a global Assimilation Plot.
- Asuka tearing up and mumbling, "Mama..." in her sleep.
- Gemini Destruction Law: Misato's plan to defeat the angel involves Shinji and Asuka working in unison so they can defeat the enemy's dual parts at the same time.
- Godzilla Threshold: With NERV aborting operations after Israfel's attack leaves Unit-01 and Unit-02 incapacitated, the U.N. decides to use an N2 mine to buy the pilots some time.
- Gratuitous German:
- In the first half, Asuka greets Shinji with a "Guten morgen"note and Shinji returns the favor to her.
- Among the German words on Asuka's DHU moving boxes are Vorsicht (Careful), Kleid (Dresses), Nicht Stürzen (Do not fall) and Zerbrechlich (Fragile).
- Hammered into the Ground: In the aftermath of their first battle with Israel, Unit-01 and Unit-02 both crash into the ground head-first with their legs sticking up in the air.
- Hint Dropping: Asuka’s warning to Shinji not to try to cross her doorstep is a clever misdirection, as, Asuka, with her European background and academic level of education, would know the story of the so-called impenetrable Wall of Jericho and how it fell down to the sound of a trumpet. But her problem is that it is too clever, as the reference is completely, and understandably, lost on a Japanese junior-high-schooler like Shinji, so he takes the warning at face-value instead of picking up on the underlying implication.
- Doubly so, considering what we later see of Asuka's taste in TV (trashy romantic dramas), she’s probably directly referencing It Happened One Night. Which even went over the head of NewType (and Shinji's no Clark Gable).
- Hope Spot: In the first half, Asuka uses the prog knife to slice Israfel in half. Unfortunately for her and Shinji, the Angel splits into Targets Alpha and Beta/Bravo and launch an offscreen Curb-Stomp Battle on them.
- Locker Mail: Asuka opens her locker to see a pile of love letters just for her. However, she stomps on them in aggravation since her eyes are only for Kaji.
- Longing Look:
- Misato takes a wistful look at Kaji's message, being the first serious hint that she still carries a torch for him.
- Shinji looks admiringly at Asuka as she irefully and grandstandingly declares that she will show up both Misato and Rei for injuring her pride.
- Not What It Looks Like: Shinji and Asuka answering the door to their classmates in their matching dance uniforms raises a number of questions and eyebrows, with Hikari crying that they're being indecent.
- Never My Fault: Asuka blames Shinji for their pitiful performance at the coordination drill, but the observant viewer will notice that Shinji actually follows the instructions perfectly, while Asuka makes several missteps.
- Paperwork Punishment: Misato is given a literal mountain of paperwork to deal with by the Japanese government and the JSSDF because of the first sortie against Israfel, in all of its FUBAR "glory".
- Race Against the Clock: Asuka and Shinji have only one week to launch a coordinated attack on Israfel or Tokyo-3 will be doomed.
- Remote Control Ruckus: Shinji and Asuka fight over the TV by repeatedly changing the channel on their respective remotes.
- Took a Level in Smartass: Shinji is much more competitive and prone to bickering with Asuka in this episode, despite passively accepting her verbal abuse when she was introduced in the previous episode, and many following episodes.
- Training Montage: When Asuka and Shinji give working on their coordination a serious shot over the next six days.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Fuyutsuki notes that Asuka and Shinji's actions in their first battle with Israfel have understandably caused major frustrations for NERV.
- Wild Take: Shinji's eyes pop out for a moment when Asuka falls asleep next to him.
