I know why, but I don't think it's a valid reason.
Shinji is pretty much the ultimate type I Anti-Hero, a character who's not badass, and a prime case of This Loser Is You. Fans don't like that because they feel belittled and always answer with "the author being pretentious" argument.
It's not exactly naive. And it can happen. But it's tough. And definetly worthwhile.OK, here's the first of two part review on Episode 23: Rei III.
Everyone is depressed.
Yes, by now, everyone has reached the bottom of the barrel (or what I’ve seen so far of the barrel) Asuka is still destroyed after her Mind Rape and she starts to isolate herself from Shinji due to jealousy and all the reasons I stated in my other review. Misato is falling into alcoholism, while Shinji has no one to keep him company and avoids most people, and one of Ritsuko’s grandmother’s cats is dead
In this psychological mindset our episode of today starts.
We start with Gendo being berated by SEELE because of his use of the Lance of Longinus in the last battle. He justifies himself by saying the most logical thing ever “(Destroying the thing that was killing one of my pilots and could destroy the whole fucking planet was my priority!”)
One of the many things I noted is that Serious NGE (or Cerebus Syndrome’d) delays the fights, instead focusing on the characters (more than usual, that is) So, I was a little bit weirded out by how the fight started pretty much immediately. But then I remembered what I was watching and I knew the fight wasn’t going to last long.
Instead, Rei (and her Eva) is infected by the angel. Which gives us…another Mind Rape. Sort of. Kinda.
In many ways that top quote on The Tvtropes page for Evangelion had been obsessing me, and now I know why. This series is what would happen if David Lynch decided that he should do Anime. Well, not so much as Lynch as I would say Dali.
Anyway after this little sequence, we see Rei crying. And the angel continues it’s rape of the EVA until it impregnates it. Not kidding there, it actually looks like the EVA is pregnant. I laughed…again.
Misato and the crew suggest Rei to run away, but she decides to play the Heroic Sacrifice card. Now, she’s dead. Works for me!
Ok, that was a bit cruel, but I have a point to make. During the whole show, they’ve developed every character properly and dutifully. And yet Rei was still the same Creepy Child during the whole thing. I was sick of her boring pseudo-philosophical mono toneslogues, and I was specially sick of how everthing she did was stare into space and not care. So, Good riddance!
Anyway, NERV sends a team to retrieve everything they can. And they decide to play cover up with it. Also, the SEELE comitee restates (is that even a word?) how their show plans have been moving so far and mentions that they let Fuyutsuki off for a reason.
After this, we move to another depressed scene in which Shinji decides to get away from Misato and sink deeper on isolation. Then Misato (who’s obviously in need of comfort) decideds to at the very least get it from the penguin. But he doesn’t want to comfort her. Wow, even the fucking penguin is depressed. That’s just…wow.
After this, Misato gets a phone call. And…no. I’m sorry but no, I’m not going to let you do this, no. No way. NO!
Rei is alive.
I know that this isn’t the same Rei we know and you love. But the moment I saw her covered eye, I screamed at the screen…Ok, not precisely, but I was pissed. I thought we were moving on here! Not only did you decide to go back in your daring narrative, NGE, but you also decided to erase the (minimum) character development Rei has been going through. If you’ll excuse me I have to beat on someone right now
It's not exactly naive. And it can happen. But it's tough. And definetly worthwhile.I think Rei is a pretty cool and tragic character and I enjoyed her for who she was from start to finish. Also, given that she didn't live with Shinji&Co and her interantions with humens are minimal it's pretty norma she didn't develop much, she wasn't given the chance. Of all eva, she is the one I feel sorriest for, asfter Shinji-kun. HUUUUUUUUUUUG
'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?I don't want to be redundant here, but I want to answer anyway. I don't believe that the characters develop in NGE (except for maybe Misato) so much as we peel out layers. It just bugs enrages me how the show forgets completely about her. I do not feel sorry for her, because she was just a girl who piloted the EVA instead of a son who was completely abandoned by his parents or a daughter who expects to be so much of herself that she fails. Those characters have complexity. Miss "Emontionless" doesn't. At least so far.
edited 22nd Jan '11 6:04:00 PM by juancarlos11
It's not exactly naive. And it can happen. But it's tough. And definetly worthwhile.I think I agree with you on that. That the characters don't develop, I mean, just that our perceptions of them develop as the show goes on. Which is cool too. In fact, pretty much the only character development that anyone gets is in flashbacks which show how they were before the show's events unfolded.
edited 22nd Jan '11 5:56:48 PM by Sporkaganza
Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.People will say what they want about some of the changes Sadamoto made to the Evangelion manga, but I really like that he gave Rei more character development and took the time to flesh out her and Shinji's feelings for each other more. I read the first few volumes of the manga before I watched the series, and when I found out the truth about Rei's origins, it made Shinji's line about her feeling "like a piece of [him] that was torn away a long time ago" rather chilling.
Rei: "just a girl who piloted the EVA"
Wow... you really haven't been spoiled yet. Don't worry, we learn Rei's story soon enough. The way I see the series is that you have the first 6 episodes which establishes Misato, Shinji, and Rei- and gives Rei her first little bit of character development.
Then Asuka comes along, and suddenly Rei sort of fades into the background. She's there, but the intensity of Asuka and the effect she has on Shinji and Misato are so blatant, that the changes taking place in Rei are rather hidden. (I agree that the manga does a better job in giving Rei more smooth development). It fits with Rei's character, in that she's very introverted, and so her character development is taking place, but she never shows it- until the end.
And the interesting thing is that once these changes in Rei appear you can actually look back and identify specific earlier scenes in which Rei was interacting with Shinji and Asuka, and at the time Rei appeared to be unaffected, but now we get to see that it actually did change the way Rei thought about herself and the world. I thought it was particularly noticeable how Asuka was the final key element in Rei's character development. But at the time that it happens, the scene plays out as if Rei is unaffected and we are focused instead on how Asuka is developing (or coming apart).
So personally I think Rei is the character that has some of the best character development in the whole show. But then, I can understand your point of view at this point in the anime.
edited 23rd Jan '11 12:14:10 PM by Sackett
Plus, Rei Mark II has a kickass theme
OK, I’m back. I actually was thinking of dropping the show right here and now. It really pissed me off. But you guys are advocating for it, and I’m going to trust you.
So, we’re in the hospital and Reid is alive. We’re revealed to the fact that she’s not really Rei, but another clone.
Am I the only one who did notice already who she’s supposed to be based on? It’s pretty obvious that she’s Shinji’s mother’s clone. Now why the blue hair? That’s a question I hope the show answers (No, it won’t)
Anyway, after this we’re back to Rei in her apartment. And she cries, because of the glasses. I need you to remind me what those glasses were exactly. Were they Gendo’s? Nah, too big.
Anyway, so after this, Seele wants a replacement. Why doesn’t Gendo just say she has another Rei? I don’t know. I mean it’s not like he hasn’t done this before. So, whatever move he has up his sleeve must be awesome. For my interest's sake. So, she sends Ritsuko, naked, to have a lovely chat with SEELE. And, it’s just like Black Swan. You know the scene. You cannot help but think these people are not jerking off while they talk. But, they aren’t. Thank god.
So, after this, we hear SEELE plans for today. They decide to use Ritsuko as a replacement for Fuyutsuki, and then they talk about the EV As supposedly there eight more under construction and the other four “are not”. Then SEELE 1 says, “The destruction of Tokyo-3 will change that…”
Ok, so SEELE is going to destroy their hometown? See, this is the one thing I’ve always loved on shows like Lost and Evangelion is starting to fail at. Exposition is great when you have it in medium doses. Small enough to make you come back, big enough to make you believe that you’re at least knowing something. But the knowledge that SEELE is planning the destruction of Tokyo is neither interesting nor I care for it.
Now, due to Misato getting access to Kaji’s information on NERV, she decides to find Ritsuko and force her to tell her everything. Ritsuko, on the other hand, decided to call Shinji so he can see two these secrets.
So, we get a tour on NERV’s basement. On the first level we see Rei’s birthplace (nothing to write home about) and then we go to the “Graveyard”. This where all the failed attempts at creating an EVA are. And supposedly, the deathplace of Shinji’s mother. Nothing really interesting either.
And then, the final level. The place with all the clones. This where they manufacture Reis. And where we get our revelations. One: The EVAS are created from ADAM Two: They have souls inserted on them. Three: NGE could get away with naked little girls en masse If I missed anything, you can tell me.
Anyway, the episode ends with Ritsuko crying and asking to be killed. Misato tells her that she’s an idiot while thinking that maybe they are Not So Different. There's nothing more to add here except that the voice acting was really powerful and engaging in these scen.
I think that my opinion of this ep was pretty clear. I didn’t like it. It bored me, it dragged. And it teased me with my biggest wish and then took it away from me like a mother who takes the candy away from his son.
Now, there are couple of news here:
1: I’m considering doing a review of the whole show (After I finish it I will comment on everything I can) Maybe I’ll do it as a vlog…
2: I’ve found Rebuild. So, I assure you I’ll review it, for those who asked.
3: The big one. After Evangelion, is there any show that was either as influential or interesting in Anime? Because I think I want to keep going with these reviews.
edited 23rd Jan '11 8:10:35 PM by juancarlos11
It's not exactly naive. And it can happen. But it's tough. And definetly worthwhile.Those were Gendo's glasses; he wore them prior to the orange ones. They broke when he was prying Rei out of Unit 00's entry plug after that test that went so wrong and hurt her...I forget the episode. That's why she kept them as a memento, but now that she's been re-cloned, and not only doesn't have that emotional bond anymore but doesn't really want to be alive again (another point which, IIRC, the manga handled better), they're a painful reminder of what she really is to Gendo.
edited 23rd Jan '11 8:34:12 PM by Willbyr
Yeah, we first saw the glasses when Shinji visited Rei.
They were Rei's memento of a time when Gendo burned his hands to save her- demonstrating that Gendo actually cared for her. A demonstration of affection for an affection deprived Rei- a pretty special moment for her.
Now Rei is looking at them and realizing that Gendo really doesn't care about her, because he can just replace her whenever she dies.
Oh, and you must have missed the part of Ritsu's breakdown when she reveals that Rei is genetically crafted to synchronize with the Evas- she's not quite human. Apparently somehow Rei's soul is transferred to the new clone body- so there's some sort of link between them. And that Ritsu's jealous of Gendo's affection for Rei, since apparently Ritsu is Gendo's lover. (Not sure if that had already been revealed).
SEELE knows Gendo still has Rei, but they want to impose their own pilot on him for... reasons as of yet unrevealed.
Also, I think you missed the part that shows there is part of Rei inside her EVA. That's back when she is attacked by the angel and Rei says "Is that me? The me in the EVA?". So unlike Shinji and Asuka who are synchronizing with the souls of their dead mothers, Rei's soul is actually partially inside EVA Zero. (Which helps to explain why Rei is so messed up).
Other interesting and influential shows in anime?
Well there is Star Blazers in the space opera genre.
Maison Ikkoku in the romantic comedy genre.
And Touch in the sports romance genre.
Fullmetal Alchemist might be interesting to review.
Haruhi Suzumiya has been a big impact on anime, although it's hard to define how.
You might also look on the Essential Anime page for more ideas.
I honestly don't remember the fight very well, Sack. But, yeah i understood why Ritsuko had the mental breakdown at the end. But I was pretty exhausted when writing the review. Sorry. I still don't like the episode. Maybe in hindsight I'll grow to like it.
edited 23rd Jan '11 11:16:52 PM by juancarlos11
It's not exactly naive. And it can happen. But it's tough. And definetly worthwhile.Well I don't. Then again, I have a lot of trouble empathizing with such a character.
'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?
Huh? I know it's about Ritsuko. But I don't get what you're trying to say.
Also, I'm going to ask because I have a schedule to meet. Are the last two episodes a two-parter? Or is it just one ep?
edited 24th Jan '11 8:59:54 AM by juancarlos11
It's not exactly naive. And it can happen. But it's tough. And definetly worthwhile.I hate Ritsuko. Because Gendou is like my father in many aspects. This is one of them. She has a Real Life counterpart in my life, bleached blonde hair and everything, and my mom ain't even dead.
'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?![]()
Life and Death are the names by which End Of Evangelion was originally released on Japan, as two separated movies. Don't bother with them. EoE has both and a bit more. In fact, the whole conclusion (the last 10 minutes) is only on EoE.
The broken glasses are more or less the explanation for why Gendo goes for Sunglasses at Night (or underground). I think the fact they are not 'cool' is intentional. Showing Gendo is not really that cool at all. I've not seem most of the anime, but at last in the manga Gendo seems very dorky in the flashbacks.
Anyway, I am anxious for your reviews on the last two episodes. Also, I would ask you to please not do a vlog for the final review. I can't understand spoken English well so I would miss most of it. I believe I wouldn't be the only one.

why do you believe otaku or just about anyone hates shinji as opposed to the other characters in the series?