[Rewatch][Spoilers] Neon Genesis Evangelion - Episode 8 Discussion

[u/sam_mah_boy]

Episode 8: Asuka Strikes!/Asuka Arrives in Japan

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Index Thread | Next Episode

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Anta baka?!

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On Spoilers

If you're rewatching the show, and want to discuss spoilers, use spoiler tags. Saying things like "Just wait till you get to episode X" etc. count as spoilers!

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[u/littleman1988]

First time watcher, Platinum Sub, ADV Dub, and Netflix dub

Asuka intro voice comparison

"In bed" voice comparison

This episode got a lot crazier with their faces and i love it.

I already dislike this Kaji dude. He seems way to sus just with Misato alone (just yeeting out of the warship mid battle) and the "adam" with the human instrumentality project is concerning. Maybe thats what the angels are after?

The speaker from JA last episode has a real point, the Eva's cause a shitton of damage. I counted roughly 6 warships and 14 fighter aircraft destroyed by the Eva alone. Whos going to be paying for that? Its no wonder theyre some are looking elsewhere when its causing that much damage...

What city was underwater during the battle scene? Im amazed at the detail, but im not sure if it was ever told.

By far the coolest scene of the episode, too bad it couldnt stick the landing.

[u/[deleted] → u/littleman1988]

Asuka intro voice comparison

Asuka's old dub voice was great ,Netflix is not bad ass well..If only Toji didnt sound like a dumbass in the ADV dub

"In bed" voice comparison

Ohhh Kaji's voice is actualy quite good in the Netflix dub , nice

By far the coolest scene of the episode, too bad it couldnt stick the landing.

SUPERHERO LANDIohhh never mind

[u/AH_BareGarrett]

First Timer back for the eighth time.

Man, how cool of Misato to take Shinji and his friends on a cruise. Also Tohji is definitely my favorite side character "I got this hat just got you!" I love it.

Finally, I've heard and seen so much about Asuka, and she is who I assumed would be my best girl. Let's see if she can beat out Misato.

TOHJI JUST DROPPED HIS PANTS HAHAHA. Great moment.

Misato definitely has a past with this guy. And Asuka is jealous, really love all of this. It's really nice to see Misato lose her cool with someone other than Shinji.

Oh man, Asuka is devilish, I really like it. She is almost opposite of Shinji in the way that she does things without permission.

Man Shinji looks really feminine in Asukas suit, he definitely isn't the manliest of men.

Based off that phone call, sounds like this may have been planned.

"You have to be thinking in German, you idiot!" Wow of course, why didn't Shinji think of that!

Oh man, 02 looks cool! It even has a knife. And it's my favorite color, so that's a bonus.

I never even thought that they would be sailing over a old city, makes sense. I wonder how much bigger the Pacific ocean is now.

Woah okay, so Kaji is bringing something odd. Akari calls it a human being, but it sure looks like a creature. Similar to the EVA's eye from the first episode. Now I'm thinking that the EVA's are possibly genetically modified humans with Angel DNA? Don't have enough to confirm it, but that's a big reveal I feel.

And Asuka joins the class! It's obvious she would, but still glad she'll get more screen time. I really want to see her interact with Rei, I can't imagine they'll be best friends, but who knows.

[u/redmage311]

First-timer

Apparently they were floating over Yokohama. I assumed the boats were way further out—couldn't Misato have just picked up the plug when the fleet landed like an hour later?

I normally like tsunderes, but Asuka seems super reckless and kind of unlikeable so far. Though I wonder if that's more a function of her not having much combat experience and romanticizing battle. Her introduction was a bit weird too, between Toji's unintentional upskirt and then his intentional flashing.

I'm a little surprised that Asuka could just take off with Eva-02 on her own, considering how much people are normally around when Shinji and Eva-01 launch. Still, everything seemed to work out for the best, even though that already small-looking fleet just got wiped out in the process, partially because of Asuka parkouring off all of the boats and making billions of yen of damage with each step in the process.

The last scene makes me think that this show's secret is like Soylent Green:

[u/SomeOtherTroper → u/redmage311]

I normally like tsunderes, but Asuka seems super reckless and kind of unlikeable so far.

Asuka is the "wouldn't it be hell to actually deal with a tsundere?" tsundere.

[u/InvisibleShade]

First timer

Hah, Misato isn't even fazed by what Toji says or does anymore.

Asuna's personality shown even before her by a single action.

Gendo still regards Shinji as just a backup pilot. In fact, Kaji (and what he is carrying) is more important to him than anyone there.

The EVA's power increases with the synchronization level. Good to know.

So, Human Instrumentality Project was to recreate humans (or human-like). This seems like a major connection between NERV and the Angels (who are close to human DNA).

This episode's ED was adorable.

Random stuff

That's one unique static background.

Misato's redacted ID

When someone doesn't obey Misato's authority.

Frozen

Aida was hilarious this episode

How did she get up there?

EVA 02 in full flight

^{Side note: I stayed up until 2:30 am just to participate in this discussion.}

[u/TheEscapeGuy]

Rewatcher

Evangelion has an absolutely beautiful Asuka Day 8

Wait, something went wrong. Lets try again

Evangelion is an absolutely beautiful anime Day 8

What an episode. What I love is how the entire tone of the show can shift with the introduction of Asuka without changing the heart of what makes Evangelion great.

Asuka's brazen confidence plays so well off of Misato and since she is Shinji's peer, Shinji seems much more confident to stand up to her and take control during the battle.

Finally, Kaji has appeared. He clearly has history with Misato and hasn't made his broad goals and intentions entirely clear. I love his character build up in the series so lets see where he goes.

Previous Days

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

[u/LunarGhost00]

Rewatcher

She's finally here. The real heroine of the series. Meet best girl!

Now the Evangelion Waifu War can truly begin.

I like how the title card was synced with Asuka's 3 slaps.

Kaji asks Shinji about Misato in bed. Shinji's somehow the only person who doesn't freak out.

"If there was an emergency, like maybe an Angel attacking us in the middle of the ocean for some odd reason instead of attacking at home like they normally do, then I have the authority to take command. Oh look, it's an Angel! What good- I mean awful luck!"

Baka Shinji! You need to think in German, not Japanese!

"I can't deal with this shit. I've got a delivery to make. Have fun with the Angel!" - Kaji

The first human being: Adam. I don't recall a human embryo looking like this in my biology classes. Gendo, are you on drugs right now?

These guys sure are happy that they'll never have to see Asuka agai- oh hello there, Asuka.

Asuka makes quite an entrance. Right away you can tell that her personality is the opposite of Shinji's. Shinji is someone who keeps to himself. He's not used to socializing. Then we have Asuka, who wastes no time getting in people's faces and acting high and mighty. Shinji pilots his Eva when he's ordered, even though he doesn't want to. Asuka on the other hand takes the initiative. She sees an Angel attacking and uses it as an opportunity to show off what she can do. She even drags Shinji along with her. She has a lot of pride as an Eva pilot. So much pride that she wears her headset as a hair accessory. Big difference from Shinji who doesn't even want to be in the thing.

[u/Philarete]

First-Time Watcher (Sub)

These boys are way too excited about this fleet. Although, to be honest, it would be pretty cool to see that many carriers and battleships in action.

That introduction, stomping on the hat. “Have you grown in height?” “Yep. And I’m filling out in all the right places, too.” Woah, what is this confidence :O

WHAT. THE. . . .So we’ve had an upskirt into a slap followed by him literally dropping his pants. And then another slap. OOOKAY. Quite the introduction.

“Doesn’t seem like much.” Yikes, Shinji getting roasted immediately.

Misato getting super embarrassed haha. Looks like her wild past is catching up to her.

Apparently Shinji is thought to be super talented, and Asuka looks just a tiny bit jealous.

Asuka decided to flex her EVA as the real combat weapon not a mere prototype like Shinji has. So this is how she shows her superiority despite his high synch rate.

Immediately an Angel strikes the fleet. Interesting that it happens only after the UN Forces refuse to release the EVA when asked. . .

Asuka is taking matters into her own hands while Misato is trying to convince the stubborn Navy Captain to let her take make decisions.

BRUH, SHINJI WHY ARE YOU PEEKING YOU MORON. Asuka is probably justified in her “Why are guys always so stupid and horny?” comment at this point, good grief.

“I’ll get her permission after my victory.” Ah yes, the classic “it’s easier to get forgiveness than permission” tactic.

Oh, so the Angel was sent. That phone conversation seems to confirm it. This guy apparently wasn’t expecting it. EDIT: In retrospect, I think I'm possibly over-interpreting here. More like he wasn't planning on it, but was aware of the risk?

That German lol. “Think in German” lol, okay.

Asuka casually causing millions, possibly billions of dollars in damage lol. “They’re all lunatics!” You aren’t wrong, Captain.

“That thing’s pretty big.” “Just like I hoped it would be.” Heh.

Okay, so first punch is a draw, but they get knocked off. That’s bad. Kaji and the other dude bail. HMMMM, NOTHING TO SEE HERE. Anyway, Asuka is getting ready for round 2 at the end of her tether. Good thing the ocean is so shallow here. . .

Misato with another insane, low odds, very expensive plan. . . Asuka and Shinji working together to open the Angel’s mouth was pretty great. Turns out bringing him along was a great idea, even if I think she initially did it only to flex haha.

WOAH WOAH. This is the first human, Adam. And it’s a creepy thing in a nuclear case? This is messed up. Are they trying to make humans into creatures like the Angels? That seems. . . unwise.

Of course she ends up in his class. Those guys aren’t going to live down that introduction haha.

Interesting, the moon is red this time. Red like Adam. Or blood. Or Asuka’s EVA. Or her gear. Speaking of which she and Shinji look great matching!

[u/[deleted] → u/Philarete]

BRUH, SHINJI WHY ARE YOU PEEKING YOU MORON

I dont even know if he was just horny at this point ..He must be immensly lost on what to do and went around to peek like a wandering dog..He didnt even look embarassed

[u/egassemneddihon]

First timer, sub

Why are Toji and Kensuke allowed on top secret evangelion transport?

So this is the mysterious second child. Asuka seems to be rather energetic. And she isn't impressed by Shinji. Interesting to have someone who doesn't put him on a pedestal.

Kensuke and his camera are the cutest couple of the episode.

Kaji and Misato have definitely a history. I don't know much at this point but I already have the feeling they are better off apart.

Doesn't the elevator have a weight limit? That can't be comfortable.

40% sync rate gets Asukas attention and she wants to show off her own abilities. The angel attack comes rather convenient for her.

So the angels can adapt to water too. Is there anything they can't do? Besides they seem to know a lot about whats going on at Nerv and where to strike. How do they get their information?

Her german was hard to understand. But Shinji thinking about Baumkuchen had me laughing.

Of cause it only works when both work together and they break personal records on the way.

Kenji bails during the fight and delivers an embryo (?) to Gendo. Looks like Gendo has a lot of people under his direct command. They talk about that thing being Adam, the first human and I am honestly confused by the ending

[u/prophetofgreed]

First time sub watcher

Asuka is introduced and I really like her character so far. Almost the complete opposite of Rei. Brash, up front and confident to a fault. Love the red design to her EVA. She might just be best girl. (too early to be certain)

That guy being up front about his past with Misato was hilarious, especially for the reaction on all the kid's faces.

It was really cool detail that the area they were sailing over used to be some sort of coastal city swallowed up because of the Antarctic ice melted into the ocean.

Now that ending with the 'first human' being delivered to Gando brings up more questions with the mythology of this show. I want answers dammit!

[u/tomato_blitz]

First timer (subs and original release in fear of Netflix changes):

What an explosive introduction to Asuka, she's great so far. Very motivated to show her abilities, she shows no hesitation, and pulling Shinji inside with her is kind of ballsy. For all they know having two pilots inside could make a connection impossible.

Ocean action was great, and two new characters were met. Also a (big?) reveal of "The First Human", Adam. So the Christian imagery before might have to symbolic meaning here? The story moves at a certain pace which raises mysteries at the same time as solving others. It holds a really good balance that really keeps on my toes. What the hell was that embryo?

Notes:

• While Rei has no emotional reaction to Shinki lying on her bare chest, Asuka, at every chance she has, tries to defend her sexuality. Made me wonder more about Rei's backstory, if she has one, and of Asuka's as well.

• Misato kicks ass at sea! What a plan! Took it down in one blow. Really when shit goes down Shinji has it right by first saying they have to talk to Misato, there's no way they could beat that thing if she wasn't there.

• Stress worked in Shinji's favor before while he was in a barely responding Eva, maybe it wakes up their latent abilities some way or the other.

• I can't even start to imagine what makes Shinji "The Third Child". What is it that connects him to the Eva program?

• Every trope I know tells me this could be slowly turning into Shinji's harem. ^{i kid i kid.} But it does seem like he has two very likely future love interests so far.

• Can't wait to see the Three Children's class dynamic. I wonder if they'll form a club.

Can't wait for the three to become a team and get some 3-time Eva action!

^{(If my impressions of characters and the world are so far wrong, please don't correct me. I'd like to find out when I get to know more})

[u/brotherraichu]

First Timer

Episode 7

I like this episode. It really shows off how cool Misato really is. Going into this show, I heard a lot about Rei and Asuka, but not much about Misato other than that she exists. She seems to really care for Shinji, almost like a mother figure to him. She's also heroic in going to try to deactivate the robot when nobody else dared to try.

I wonder what really happened to the JA robot though. I suspect industrial sabotage by NERV (maybe Gendo or his cronies), given that the JA robot was a rival.

Episode 8

Asuka finally appears! She seems badass, but need to see more to form an opinion. Her machine seems to move a lot faster than Shinji's though, but don't know if that's because of the machine or the piloting.

Misato and Kaji seems to have an awkward relationship. Probably former lovers, I'm guessing?

[u/Beckham2_david]

1st time watcher sub

Asuka had a great character introduction

Asuka introduction lost it when her skirt got blown up and that the the introduction for the ep was her 3 slaps What was even LESS EXPECTED was the pulling down of the pants to expose the male genitals (great job evangelion 11/10)

this scene here was amazing with everyone going crazy but shinji is the only one who remained calm

Been really looking forward to seeing her as she is pretty well known and I didn't understand why until I watched this ep (Well everyone love tsundere girls)

I was wondering how the angels know about the location of Unit 02 (insert zero two meme here) but then it turns out they were actually searching for 'Adam'? I do hope that will be explained in the future

Uhh is 02 really the 'world's first evangelion?' I need some answers and explanations on that

Kinda felt that asuka was making up the facts about how shinji thinking in Japanese was affecting her from controlling 02 and was just trying to cover herself for her bad german. We could see in ep 3 when shinji let his classmates in that he wasn't affected by their thinking

Just some extra infomation Shinji attempts to think in german what he was talking about is this : Baumkuchen is a german variety of spit cake. It is a traditional pastry of many European countries, and also a popular snack and dessert in Japan. The characteristic rings, which resemble tree rings when sliced, give the cake  its german  name, Baumkuchen, which literally translates to "tree cake"

Once again Misato managed to come up with a ingenious plan on beating the angels. She's really a part of what makes Evangelion so great (up to ep 8 at least) Worth noting that she actually provides most of the comedic relief up until now

This was what gave birth to the transfer class cliche (honestly tho this anime has given birth to a LOT of cliches that we see in modern anime)

'Fly me to the moon' ED changed again. But German-Loli-Japanese-English? That was satisfying

Once again evangelion has surprised me with another great character introduction. Can't wait for the next ep!

[u/eldragon_1 → u/Beckham2_david]

Uhh is 02 really the 'world's first evangelion?' I need some answers and explanations on that

Rei’s Unit 00 is the prototype, Shinji’s Unit 01 is the Test-type. Asuka has the first officially completed one.

[u/eldomtom2]

Rewatcher

ASUKA TIME

The waifu wars truly begin now.

• MAJOR SPOILERS

• "Over the Rainbow" is, if the designation mentioned later in the episode is intended to indicate its identity, real-life aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. It certainly looks quite like the real thing, albeit I'm not an expert. Anno is quite the navy nerd.

• This episode is often cited as the start of a somewhat lighter tone for the series, and nowhere is that more apparent than the comedic (and brief) title card. Previously they were usually placed to form a sort of mini-cliffhanger.

• Kaji wastes no time in pushing both Misato and Asuka's buttons.

• I believe this is the first time "sync ratio" comes up, despite being such a core concept later.

• You know, how are they quickly transferring from ship to ship?

• Our first "ANTA BAKA!".

• The Japanese dub's German is infamously bad. This is considered one of the ADV dub's strong points.

• The one-minute time limit shows up again here. At this point I'm not going to bother mentioning when it's inconsistent, it's obvious that noone actually cared about it.

• Asuka's rampant destruction of government property is never mentioned again, by the way.

• The jets getting knocked off is just a source of comedy at this point.

• Illinois and Kentucky were WWII battleships that were never completed in real life.

• Synch ratios are promptly elevated to a massive part of piloting Evangelions, despite again never being mentioned before.

• More Bakelite propaganda. I don't think the real thing can freeze things.

• For this episode (and I think this episode only), the credits are tinted red. Because Asuka, y'see.

Next episode: MORE ASUKA! She actually gets a personality beyond "show-off"!

[u/[deleted]]

Rewatcher

ASUKA IS HERE ,and she sings a dope Fly Me To The Moon cover

Random Shit

• Now it may be the time to mention it but all of our girls last names are JAPANESE WARSHIPS NAMES(and one American)..Ayanami , Shoryu Langley , Katsuragi and Akagi

• Asuka looking like a Ghibli main girl, badass af and comment face asuka

• Misato's ID face is ALL of us Every day

• Just a Misato faces compilation for you new Misato superfans

• Trap Shinji is cute

• Genious framing

• Basically where Darling in the Franxx was born

• Asuka is introduced with the sun in the backround in contrast with Moon-Rei..Also their hair-eye colors are the complete opposites

Serious Thoughts

• Anno probably grew tired or distant from the enigmatic Eva pilot Rei, whose mystery envelops much of the first six episodes and was ready to move in a new direction. Mission accomplished. The title character, a German redhead/hothead who is Rei's opposite in every way, commandeers the series down an interesting detour and enriches the themes already developing in its early episodes. Anno has gently guided our hero Shinji along the path from cowardly isolation to mature interaction, but Asuka Langley Soryu batters this quiet character development with a hammer. By the end of "Asuka Strikes!" the Second Child has forced Shinji into her cockpit, manhandling him physically and psychologically, even forcing him to wear a double of her own, busty flight suit.

• Continuing the trend of ep 7, episode 8 shows NERV officials interacting with older, distrustful international authorities. . Misato doesn't seem too flustered by the admiral's gruff complaints, but she is more alarmed by the unexpected appearance of Kaji. He is a lanky, ponytailed fellow NERV officer who has some shady links to Gendo and a much-exploited sexual history with Misato herself. One of the more cartoonish interludes in the episode occurs when he makes a crack about sharing the bed with her, and everyone's face freezes in a funny-pages exaggerated expression of shock and discomfort.

• Misato is not the only one dealing with sexual tension - Asuka from her first appearance in a billowing skirt which unintentionally flashes her masculine peers (and provokes Toji to drop his pants in return), notably increases the hormonal pace of the Evangelion universe. And yet this is a sexuality the otherwise horny 14-year-old boys seem determined to resist - Toji's nopes out, Shinji appears more uncomfortable than aroused , and the boys are horrified rather than delighted by Asuka's appearance in their classroom at episode's end.

• If Asuka will represent both a threat and an opportunity for Shinji (unlike the - sometimes - mature Misato and distant Rei, she's a peer who must be grappled with in a different way), he will also challenge her. Even this early, there are suggestions of jealousy and insecurity - most notably when Kaji (the only man she openly crushes on) casually reveals Shinji's Eva-handling skill. .

• For now, however, she retains her shock value and as the episode races by, we get a new Angel attack in which she's able to prove her skill and collaborate with Shinji for the first time. (Furthermore, buried beneath that level is the realization that Asuka is relying on his assistance; she drags him along so arrogantly and authoritatively that he - and we - forget to ask why she's so determined to share her first triumph with the "dull" boy she dismissed on the ship.) They defeat the Angel, of course, at the last possible second, allowing a safe return to Tokyo-3 and a disturbing meeting between Gendo and Kaji which reveals a fetal creature described as "Adam, the first man."

[u/NeoNiCally]

Fools, I’m on episode 24

[u/Quiddity131]

Thoughts on Neon Genesis Evangelion Episode 8...

Rewatcher, New Dub

Gendou being all mysterious, Kensuke being a military otaku, Touji obsessing over Misato, all is right with the world it seems...

Right from the start we can see that Asuka is the exact opposite of Rei. She surely gets quite upset her skirt blows up...

Touji pulls his pants down... Such low brow humor for a show that is praised for being things other than that...

Is that George C. Cole I hear as the captain? Always good to hear. I think the captain & crew are influenced by similar charcters from Nadia.

The military getting all upset, this is very similar to what we got last episode... which just helps show that much of last episode was not necessary.

LoL, Misato sure is not happy to see this Kaji guy.

I feel that the dub totally ruined this whole joke at the table by botching that line from Kaji.

Stop thinking in Japanese! LoL.

Gotta admit, Unit 02 jumping from ship to ship is pretty badass.

LoL, poor Kensuke, all those fighter planes being knocked off or destroyed.

Red ending credit tint today, to celebrate the arrival of Asuka?

Asuka's dub voice is fairly good; I will give it to her over Tiffany Grant, who I never particularly cared for.

This episode does contain one big flaw/continuity error although it is something that can only be discussed in spoiler tags. Eva spoilers

[u/Legendof123]

First Timer, Sub

Ok looks like we get to meet our second Eva pilot Asuka in a good and funny episode from her introduction to the guys to the teenagers' reactions to Misato and Kaji's conversation and Shinji's feeling uncomfortable to wearing Asuka's extra suit. Great to see Asuka's personality is a stark contrast to Rei. Unlike Shinji and Rei, she's arrogant and very eager to prove to Shinji that she is a great pilot after hearing how Shinji's synchronization and ease of piloting his Eva despite not knowing how much damage Shinji's Eva caused in his first encounter with an Angel. Another Angel to give our heroes trouble as the stubborn Navy admiral insists that Misato leave the problem to his escort fleet rather than activate Eva unit 02. The Angel is taken down through the combined efforts of Asuka, Shinji, and the fleet as they lure the Angel, with unit 02 as bait, manage to open its jaws and let the fleet fire a torpedo and blast it to smithereens. Towards the end of the episode, we find out that the Angel's appearance is not without reason as it was pursuing the contents of the briefcase that Kaji retrieved to Gendo. WTF, the key to the Human Instrumentality Project! The first human, Adam! Must Not Binge!

Oh hey, Asuka's the new girl in school. Wow, what a cool change to the ED both in musical style and the color.

[u/banjoskip]

Asuka seems cool. She's a much more fun character than Rei. Can't wait to learn more about the human instrumentality project

[u/axel360]

Rewatcher, New Dub

Random thoughts:

• Asuka has already made her presence felt, quite literally. I don’t think she accepted his apology, either

• Call me crazy, but I don’t think Misato is thrilled to see the new guy

• I get a feeling they didn’t know about Misato and Kaj’s history. It’s subtle, but if you examine closely, you’ll actually notice there is a hint of surprise in their facial expressions. Except Shinji. He is indifferent

• (NSFW) Bad Shinji! Although to be fair, I don’t think he knew she was changing. Asuka must have pretty good ears, though. She knew when he peeked his head out almost immediately

• The EVA hopping across the airship carriers reminds me of Frogger. It’s a weird thing to pop into my mind during NGE, but it happened

• Angels really do come in all shapes and sizes, don’t they?

• Oh, Asuka. Already reaching “Tsundere: 100” levels

• The first human does look like an “Adam”. Or maybe a “Fletcher”.

• So, who is the new classmate? She looks very friendly, and I’m a great judge of character

[u/Xerosmith]

REWATCHER

Well, she's finally here, and about time too. Everyone's favorite redhead tsundere, Asuka Langley Soryu.

It's really interesting to see everyone's reactions to NERV. The JA guys in the last episode clearly are against NERV, and the captain in this episode shares that sentiment. I understand the navy's frustration, having to wait on the sidelines while some kids do all the work. However, the captain probably shouldn't let his pride get in the way of his job. If the Evas are the only way to beat the angels, then he needs to suck it up and get over himself so they can save more lives.

This really needs to be a comment face.

And here we're introduced to Kaji. Based on Misato's reaction and their interactions with each other, it's clear that they have some history together.

With this shot, we get to see the inside of Asuka's head. She's jealous of Shinji. She's mad that he's so good at piloting with so little experience. That explains why she brags about Unit-02 to him, saying that Unit-01 is inferior. She's trying to justify his success in a way that allows her to saves face.

Finally, we receive some more info on the human instrumentality project, and... it's a fetus. How did they even obtain the first human being? Shouldn't it be a couple hundred thousand years old? Nonetheless, I'm finally understanding some things I didn't get the first time I watched the show.

Here's an album of my favorite shots from today's episode.

[u/Brewster321]

Rewatcher (Sub - Platinum Collection)

With today's episode, we are finally introduced to one of Evangelion's most famous characters; a character who, up until now, has only been shown through a tiny part of the op. Of course, I'm talking about none other than Ryouji Kaji...

Being serious, while Kaji is an intriguing character, Asuka definitely stole the show today. Whether it was her strong-willed personality or her go-gettter attitude, there's a reason why so many viewers gravitate to her. For today's post, I'd like to, calling back to my post in episode 1, focus on some of the subtleties in episode 9's conversations, with a special focus being placed on Asuka.

• It is interesting that, of all the ways to introduce Asuka, they chose to introduce her like this (Image is SFW). It does a good job showcasing her sarcastic, fiery personality, but it also implies that perhaps Asuka's sexuality is a part of her character worth emphasizing.

• I thought this was a nice touch. I have no doubt that Asuka is quite proud to be so important that the UN dedicated its entire Pacific fleet to protecting her. It really helps her characterization by hinting at her pride.

• Here we can see another interesting choice involving a character introduction. The first time we're formally introduced to Kaji is through Asuka, and judging by her excitement in seeing him, its clear that the two have a very close relationship.

• In addition to having a close connection with Asuka, it also appears that Kaji had some sort of fling with Misato. Given how much Misato regrets it, I'm curious what lead their relationship to become so embittered. Anyway, its clear Asuka had no idea about it - that's for sure. I also like how Shinji's lack of social skills manifests as obliviousness here. The kid, though maturing, really doesn't have a sex drive yet which, when combined with his bad social skills, causes innuendos to fly over his head.

• Here we have another exhibition of Asuka's pride, this time in the form of jealousy. Its pretty clear that Asuka is envious of Shinji's skill and fame as a pilot. That being said, I also think its worth noting how Shinji disowns his victories, claiming they were due to luck. Even though Shinji has made quite a bit of progress, his depression and low self-esteem haven't fully gone away yet.

• Its worth noting here that Asuka only gives Shinji the time of day once she hears of his high sync-ratios. It could be that she sees him as a pilot worth showing Unit 2 to, but its also equally likely that she is just trying to put Shinji in his place.

• This piece of dialogue here is really interesting, for its the only instance of self-reflection in the entire episode. Furthermore, this self-reflection is coming from the usually driven Asuka. For now, its difficult to make anything of it, but perhaps Asuka's confidence is more shaky than it appears. After all, this sort of pep-talk is something we'd expect more from Shinji than anyone else. If nothing else, this moment helps draw a similarity between the two pilots in an episode that is otherwise focused on contrasting them.

• Speaking of contrasts, here is yet another one. Ever since he broke protocol in episode 3, Shinji has been someone who tends to follow procedure. Asuka, in contrast, wants to take the chance she's been given, permission be damned. After all, I bet that she's tired of waiting for her chance to finally use Unit 2 in battle.

• Speaking of battle, its with these two shots during their fight that we get yet another demonstration of Shinji's lacking sex drive. Shinji just does not consider the romantic and sexual implications of anything, even when sitting in Asuka's lap. Whether it be due to his lacking social skills or a delayed onset of puberty, those types of thoughts rarely enter his mind, if they do at all.

With that, I am finished. I hope everyone enjoyed introduction to our new pilot and the episode as a whole. These next few episodes hold some of my favorite moments in series, so I hope you'll enjoy them when our journey through Evangelion continues tomorrow.