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Shinji Ikari
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Shinji Ikari (碇シンジ, Ikari Shinji?)[2] is the Third Child, the main protagonist of the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise, and the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-01. He is the son of Gehirn bioengineer Yui Ikari and NERV Commander (formerly Chief of Gehirn) Gendo Ikari. After his mother's death, he was abandoned by his father and lived for 11 years with his sensei, until he was summoned to Tokyo-3 to pilot Unit-01 against the Angels. He lives initially just with Misato Katsuragi; they are later joined by Asuka Langley Soryu.


Appearance

Shinji has medium-length straight brown hair and grey-blue eyes. Shinji is also very skinny, and often has his shirt tucked in, showing that he is a rather tidy person. When spending time at NERV or out in the city, he wears his uniform which is a white dress shirt, blue t-shirt, dark pants and white sneakers, though when in his apartment, he will often wear something more casual. Shinji's plug suit has a very light blue torso, complemented by the rest being a dark blue color with black portions as well.

Personality

Shinji initially shows a passive and laid-back personality, inheriting such traits from his relaxed life with his sensei. When he is told to pilot Unit-01, he denies, not wanting to do it. Though Shinji denies it, he yearns for praise, and he eventually begins to pilot Unit-01 to gain the approval and love from his father. He also continually tells himself "I mustn't run away!",[3] further demonstrating his need to move forward and let go of the past.

Shinji shows a great fear of emotional pain and of being hated or left behind, likely due to his perception of being abandoned in his youth and, subsequently, blaming himself for not being good enough to make his father stick around. In general, Shinji is shown to be introverted and disconnected from physical reality due to having little to no meaningful contact with others. In social party situations, he is shown to be quite uncomfortable, and he often has difficulty controlling his emotions around others due to his hard time letting go of the past. He is shown to the extreme of this, forsaking many lives (even his own) to save one person.

Due to Shinji's high nostalgia and fragile emotional state, he chooses to shut out the world, as evidenced by the headphones he wears rather often, plugged into an SDAT music player.[4] Through all this, Shinji is also aware of his own faults, has a detailed memory of the past, and generally is outwardly gentle. He is the only one who tries to find a reason to fight the Angels, and sometimes his justification for fleeing from piloting is to avoid hurting others.

Relationships

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Gendo Ikari

Shinji ID (Rebuild)

Torn-up letter from Gendo.

Gendo abandoned Shinji shortly after Yui disappeared into Unit-01, sending him to live with his sensei. Shinji resents Gendo for this, despite having run away from Gendo the last time they spoke, three years before, the last time they visited Yui's grave.[5] In Episode 01, Shinji shows Misato the letter his father sent, summoning him to Tokyo-3. The entirety of the letter is blanked out, except for the handwritten words, "Come. — Gendo Ikari".

Nonetheless, Shinji still longs for words of praise from Gendo.[6] He never understood his father's motives (neither did anyone else, except perhaps Fuyutsuki) until the very end of the series—at the same time as Gendo realizes Yui's. Gendo, in Episode 21, resembles Shinji even more strongly and reveals he is used to being hated and alone. He can be seen as a kind of negative adult mirror of Shinji, in contrast to Kaji, as Gendo reveals in End of Evangelion that he resents not being able to connect with Shinji and was afraid of hurting him, so he chose to shut himself away from Shinji, as he believed that when he was close to Shinji he only hurt him, so Gendo thought it was better to do nothing at all, just like Shinji shut himself away from other people, as Gendo believed he wasn't worthy of love. He apologizes to Shinji as he accepts his "punishment".

Misato Katsuragi

After moving to Tokyo-3, Shinji lives with Misato in her small apartment with her pet penguin Pen Pen. He disapproves of her lifestyle of beer, snacks, and instant meals. He also shows an obvious fright toward Misato's perceived attraction to him. However, Misato shows that she has deep respect and regard for Shinji, breaking to tears after she thought he was lost to the Angel Leliel.

Despite a rocky start, Shinji's relationship with Misato becomes one of his strongest connections. Though they are slow to admit it, they understand each other well due to each being aware of the insecurities of the other. Their interpersonal problems stem from their fear of losing those they love, and though Misato tries to help Shinji understand that life involves both joy and pain, she herself struggles with the same fear. Shinji's fraught relationship with his father mirrors Misato's with her own, and each understands the feelings of abandonment and isolation that plague them, albeit with differing outcomes. When Toji and Kensuke point out that Misato allows Shinji to see that side of her because she considers him family, their connection becomes even stronger. He is comfortable enough around her to answer Kaji's prying questions about her personal life without embarrassment. He often comically scoffs at Toji and Kensuke's infatuation with Misato. Misato, however, has difficulty in reaching out to Shinji in later episodes[7] and Shinji is horrified when she offers her body to him, seeing her as a mother figure.

ShinjiMisatoEp16

Shinji's joy at being praised by Misato

As his "boss"/NERV Chief Tactical Officer, Misato can be quite intense, causing Shinji to not come home at night more than once, though they always reconcile. Shinji comes to admire Misato's resolve in combat situations—something which often serves to fuel his own dire confidence, leading him to disobey her orders on certain occasions. He compares her calm yet bossy demeanor when they first meet Asuka to Ritsuko's own stoicism. Shinji, for much of the earlier parts of the story, wants Misato to always praise him, and while she is quick to do so when Shinji shows prowess and courage, she also criticizes him when he acts recklessly and goes against orders. Initially, this frustrates Shinji, but it is through Misato's prodding over the length of the series that Shinji comes to realize why he pilots the Eva, as she has much influence in helping him develop a greater sense of responsibility and maturity. Losing Misato in The End of Evangelion and in the manga devastates him. In the manga adaptation, it is unclear how much of the story Shinji remembers (if any at all) after he rejects Instrumentality, but in the very last panel, he is shown going off confidently into the future with Misato's cross pendant (which she gave to him just before she died saving him) tied to his suitcase.

Asuka Langley Sohryu

Shinji is attracted to Asuka, though the reasoning is not explicitly stated. It might be that her bullying sometimes causes Shinji to bite back at her, as Asuka wants his attention, and he views Asuka, in a strange fashion, as a source of strength, one that he misses when Asuka is laid low by her encounter with Arael. However, Shinji directly expresses his feelings for Asuka by trying to kiss her as she sleeps,[8] when he masturbated at the accidental exposure of the then-comatose girl's breasts,[9] and in the Episode 26 Instrumentality sequence when he says "I want to help you somehow and be with you forever.", and Asuka states she wants Shinji all to herself and that she is not only aware of his masturbation at the hospital, but also implies that it is, in fact, a habit of his.[10][11] In Episode 22, Asuka laments that Shinji "won't do anything, won't help me, won't even hold me.",[12] revealing Asuka's frustrations at Shinji not picking up on her advances, particularly earlier in Episode 9 and their kiss in Episode 15, despite him barely understanding them.[13] Asuka also seems very jealous of Shinji's interactions with Rei, which furthers her antipathy at her.

Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win!

Asuka and Shinji listening to music in Episode 09.

This is also paired with Asuka eventually letting go of seeking Kaji to validate her as an adult, as she starts to begrudgingly accept Shinji's piloting prowess and to find an equal in him, something she is unwilling to do with Rei. After Episode 16 however when Shinji surpasses her synch scores, she starts resenting his success as in her view, Shinji hasn't worked for it whereas Asuka spent her whole life training for piloting Eva and she is unsure of how to deal with not being the best. Asuka's expectations for Shinji as a strong male, that she used to project on Kaji, clash with the reality of him as a "housebroken male", despite him being much more than that: Asuka believes Shinji is unwilling to help her, in combat or otherwise, despite him showing bravery even without request - like when he rescued her from the volcano in Episode 10. Additionally, Asuka interprets Shinji's inaction during their kiss in Episode 15 not as lack of understanding, fear or insecurity, but as conscious rejection, which she greatly resents.[14][15]

Despite Asuka's own abrasiveness toward Shinji, she develops a rather skewed mentorship with him. It is her constant battling, coupled with her seemingly unquenchable energy, that often gives Shinji strength and confidence he didn't know he had. During the days that they lived in a furnished room at NERV HQ practicing their dance routine, Shinji began to understand where Asuka was coming from and allowed himself to confide a little in her. In the end, it was her perfectionism which awakened Shinji's confidence, allowing them to synchronize and defeat Israfel. Asuka's ambivalence regarding their mutual feelings often confuses Shinji, leaving him unsure as to what he feels for her, as Asuka, in order to avoid intimacy forming between them, sometimes reverts to her self-defense mechanisms, and pushes Shinji away, even if Shinji seems barely affected by those, as per his passive nature he seems content to merely have her attention.

Her frustration with Shinji often leads to her recounting her own insecurities to him, much to her surprise. Their occasional public bickering often comically leads to annoyance on the part of the NERV staff—particularly Fuyutsuki, who feels that they are constantly embarrassing the organization, and Misato, who has to live with them. Due to this constant bickering, their classmates often tease them by referring to them as "newlyweds", which results in them blushing and getting embarrassed. These instances give subtle clues that their friends and others around them see a relationship between them that even Shinji and Asuka aren't yet aware of.

Asuka forms less of a connection to Shinji in the manga but they still show interest in each other. They meet under slightly different circumstances, as Asuka has already defeated Gaghiel by herself. Her more childish personality turns Shinji off at first, but they quickly grow closer. They almost kiss in an elevator, but are interrupted by Misato and Kaji. Shinji demonstrates feelings for Asuka in the manga's hospital scene, and states he wants to protect her. Unlike in EoE, they fight together against the MP Evas, and they do not kill her. They meet again in the ending of the manga, when Asuka is stuck in a crowd and Shinji pulls her hand, and they seem to have a faint memory of each other and some sort of lingering feelings. Sadamoto conceived their dance training in the manga as akin to a "kiss", underlining his psychological connection "to a girl he loves", in place of kiss scene in Episode 15. Asuka would be Shinji's symbol for his longing for the opposite sex, differently from Rei's "motherly" existence.[16] Asuka is present as his childhood friend in the alternative world in Episode 26 and Rei seems to think they are an item. In contrast to the simple "favourable feelings" Shinji has with most other characters, Evangelion Chronicle describes their relationship as "complex feelings" and "love and hate[17][18]

AsukaShinjiSexEoE

Shinji with Asuka on top of him in The End of Evangelion.

In The End of Evangelion, Shinji spends much of the film seeking Asuka and has multiple fantasies and exchanges with her, including of a clear sexual nature. Shinji says he is just like her, but Asuka says Shinji can't understand her. Shinji replies that Asuka never tells him anything, and thus it is impossible to do so. He is certain nobody cares about him. Asuka comments on his masturbation earlier in the hospital, and implies it is in fact a habit of his. Asuka gives him an ultimatum, demanding him give herself to her, but Shinji is unwilling to give back any affection himself, much like Asuka herself is, and believes nobody is nice to him, which Asuka and other characters disagree, but Shinji doesn't believe it. Shinji desperately asks for Asuka's affection and even proclaims he wants to be with her forever, but Asuka refuses, as she is unwilling to serve as just an emotional crutch and escape to him. This causes him to lash out at her, and he begins choking Asuka. However, Asuka is the second person to come back after he rejects Instrumentality, and Shinji finds her laying by his side. Shinji starts choking her again, to feel the existence of an Other, of the person he had hoped to meet again,[19][20] but instead of reacting with aggression or hostility, Asuka caresses Shinji gently (similarly to how Yui had done a few minutes earlier in the film) which stops him as this first open act of compassion demonstrates to Shinji that he might be accepted after all.[21][22][23][24] Overwhelmed, Shinji begins to cry. It is left open where their relationship will go from there. Hideaki Anno has also written a song about their relationship, which was fully produced and recorded, but ultimately unused, in favor of Komm, süsser Tod.

Rei Ayanami

Shinji first encounters Rei at the Nerv HQ in Episode 1, after being summoned by his father regarding the oncoming Angel attack. Despite being heavily injured, Rei insists on piloting the Eva when Shinji protests against getting in the robot, eventually forcing him to face his responsibility. She is shown as a practical and mysterious figure, acting solely on commands and refusing all social contact. Shinji is initially puzzled at Rei's behaviour, and the bond she seems to have with Gendo, in contrast to Shinji's own and much more strained relationship with his father. Through his persistent efforts to befriend Rei however, she ends up opening up somewhat to him and realizing more about herself and her role in the Human Instrumentality Project.[17]

ReiShinjiEp16

Rei getting visibly flustered at Shinji saying she'd "make a good mother"

The extent of Shinji's attraction to Rei is unclear even to him; certainly, it is of a different sort than his sexual and seemingly romantic attraction to Asuka. It is implied that he is drawn to the vestiges of his mother that lie within Rei. As they grow closer, their relationship is a source of both joy and pain for both of them. It should be noted though, due to being genetically related to Rei's ultimate fate, the two may never have a romantic relationship, or even wish for one. Rei also seems to associate Shinji with Gendo with some level, implying she might also feel a form of familial connection with him. Shinji relates to Rei's sense of isolation and loneliness; it is not until Shinji is absent that Rei begins to understand that she was in fact feeling these things. She comes to realize that she wants to protect him, and in the battle with Armisael, she self-destructs to save Shinji. After Rei comes back as another clone, Shinji becomes alienated from her, however, in End of Evangelion she decides to hand control of Instrumentality to Shinji instead of Gendo, and gives him the choice to accept or reject it. She is last seen in her Quantum form briefly watching Shinji just before he notices Asuka on the beach.[25] Anno has described Rei as Shinji's unconscious self.[26]

Rei has a much stronger bond to Shinji in the manga and their relationship has far more development, as Rei is greatly impacted by touching Shinji's hands and as Armisael attacks her, she realizes she has feelings for him she cannot understand. She also realizes she is jealous of Asuka dividing Shinji's attention. However, she is absent from the ending. While Asuka was as a symbol of "heterosexual desire", Sadamoto designed Rei as a "mother figure",[27][28] thinking of her as "the Yin opposed to Asuka".[29] As such, he decided to give Rei more room in the manga, emphasizing Rei's maternal role.[30][31] Perhaps alluding to them having a sibling relationship instead of a romantic one, official material states Gendo intended for his biological daughter to be named Rei had Shinji not been born a boy.[32]

Ryoji Kaji

KajiShinjiEp19

Kaji convicing Shinji to pilot again in Episode 19

Shinji looks up to Kaji as a sort of mentor, and accepts behavior in him that he would disapprove of in other characters. For instance, in Episode 08 when Kaji asks him about Misato's sleeping habits, implying that Shinji and Misato might be in a sexual relationship and simultaneously implying that he is intimately familiar with these habits as well, Shinji just laughs rather than being overwhelmed with embarrassment. After the Israfel fiasco, it was Kaji who came up with the idea of the dance routine to help Shinji and Asuka synchronize with each other. His relationship with Misato is constantly paralleled with Shinji's own relationship with Asuka, A common interpretation is to see Kaji as Shinji's positive adult role model, with Gendo as a more negative model.[33] Similarly, Misato and Ritsuko are mirrors for Asuka, as are their respective relationships.[34] Kaji gives advice to Shinji multiple times on many matters though Shinji has difficulty understanding him, as Kaji has his own insecurities. He motivates Shinji to pilot again in Episode 19.

In the manga, Kaji's mentorship of Shinji is more developed, and after the accident with Toji and Unit 03, Kaji makes Shinji realize the true power of his actions (and inactions), as Kaji is considerably more critical of Shinji in the manga. After the battle with Bardiel, Shinji says Touji's death was Gendo's fault alone, but Kaji replies that Shinji had a chance to save him but decided to just sit back. He tells Shinji he is no different from him, and needs to stop pretending nothing has happened. Shinji asks him what he can do, and Kaji tells him he must fight and not look away from the truth. This helps him to accept his role as Unit 01's pilot. Shinji is the first (after Misato) to realize that Kaji had been killed.

Kaworu Nagisa

Though fans have speculated on the exact nature of Shinji's relationship with Kaworu, it is clear that Kaworu represents a sort of idealized figure to Shinji,[35][26] as he appears out of seemingly nowhere when Shinji is completely desperate for any sort of connection with anyone, as all of his friends are either dead, unreachable or alienated from him. Kaworu had premeditated encountering Shinji in the lake.[36][37][38] He immediately shows great interest in Shinji, making him initially uncomfortable.[39] However, Kaworu telling him he liked him surprised Shinji as he is afraid of talking to Asuka, Misato or Rei, as Shinji has internalized his belief that nobody cared about him thanks to his own partly self-imposed isolation - afterwards, feeling that Kaworu has simply used him further reinforces this, as he thinks everyone is lying to him, because Shinji is unwilling to recognize the ambiguity and insecurity in other people, and the risk and uncertainty involved in reaching out to them himself, something Kaworu temporarily allowed him to ignore. Kaworu uses the ambiguous "suki" form which includes intimacy or friendship or anything more and can simply mean "like" or "fond of", and that he is deserving of "koui" (好意), which means simply "good will" or "favor", not "koi", "love".[40] Similarly, public baths are casual, even public social occurances in Japan, specially in the countryside that Anno is from.[41] When he mentions this to Misato later, Shinji also used the ambiguous "suki" form. This line has necessary ambiguity in order to represent Kaworu's own lack of understanding regarding levels of intimacy and societal norms, part of what shocks Shinji and allows Kaworu to bypass his barriers of self-defense, as he isn't even aware those exist, as he himself has none. When Shinji is fighting Kaworu, he states Kaworu has betrayed him, just like his father did, indicating he might have been seeking a similar form of support from him, reinforcing his role as an idealization.[42][43][44][26] This metaphorical meaning of his presence is emphasized further with the reappearance of Kaworu in End of Evangelion, when Shinji is traumatized by experiencing Misato's death and seeing Asuka's dead Eva, Shinji becomes desperate, but Kaworu reveals himself to be part of Lilith to stop Shinji from going into a frenzy and allow Third Impact to begin, although Shinji only enters Instrumentality after Lilith reverts to Rei's form and melts by seeing a woman's breasts, when Yui asks him what he wishes for. Though the precise nature of their relationship is debatable and yet to be determined, Kaworu forms a strong connection with Shinji. His absence from Instrumentality and even the Congratulations scene when even characters like Aoba are present bring into question how much Kaworu affected him besides Shinji's own desperation. Shinji, in fact, seeking unconditional affection from everybody, unwilling to return their own needs, is a fact that has hindered Shinji's happiness throughout most of the series, and Kaworu, being a somewhat non-human character without his own emotional needs (whereas Rei had slowly developed those) is the only one that does that. Moreover, the way Kaworu treats Shinji as a sort of avatar for humanity also brings into question if his affection is directed towards humanity as a whole.[45][46][47]

This, paired with the fact that Shinji had killed what he saw as a human being and someone he cared about, was part of what drove him into his state of absolute despair in Episode 25, in which he declared that he felt unworthy even of the piloting which had consumed his identity, thinking that if all he did was hurt and kill others, it was better to do nothing. By that, though, he may have condemned Asuka, who was fighting against the Mass Production Evangelions, to death. Had this not been the case, it is very possible he and Asuka could have defeated the Evas and stopped Third Impact altogether, a fact that greatly benefits SEELE. Shinji depositing all of his hopes for self-worth onto Kaworu, and having that fail him, also reinforces Shinji's notions that if he can't rely unconditionally on people and never risk rejection then he is not actually loved by anyone at all and everyone should just die, part of what motivates him to start Third Impact. In End of Evangelion, Shinji desperately seeks this same sort of unconditional affection from Asuka, and is still certain that he is unloved and unworthy, as he demonstrates he has, in fact, returned to his own childish beliefs about himself, even after the way Kaworu (whom he does not even mention) treated him, and other characters respond to him that he is, in fact, liked and treated nicely by them, but Shinji refuses to believe it. In contrast to Kaworu, when Shinji, in a similar state of desperation, asks for Asuka's own unconditional affection, Asuka refuses as she does not want to be an emotional crutch and an escape for him, and demands he gives himself to her as well, but Shinji is unwilling to give back any affection himself. Asuka says he doesn't really like anyone, as he doesn't even love himself. When Kaworu and Rei as Adam and Lilith state they collectively represent the hope for understanding and love, Shinji replies it is just a pretense, but if he returns to the real world, at least there he will know his feelings are real.[21][31]

In volume 10 of the manga Shinji is repulsed when Kaworu does CPR on him while he is hyperventilating, and insistently questions Shinji on human feelings, which he rebuffs and then angrily storms off. Shinji in the manga constantly avoids Kaworu as when he met him Kaworu killed a stray cat, which upsets Shinji. He recalls this just before Shinji kills him and says Shinji can no longer be indifferent to him if he decides to kill him, and Shinji imagines himself strangling him personally when they met. Shinji admits to Misato that he was indeed drawn to him and his mysterious nature, because he thought he did need new friends after killing Tōji, but asks Misato why people are drawn to others, and Misato tells him it is because man was made incomplete and needs to seek out others in order not to feel alone. Sadamoto has stated that their relationship in the manga is like that of a younger primary school student seeking admiration from an older, middle school one, not romance.[48] Sadamoto complimented this by comparing Shinji's perspective to how he himself felt towards superheroes and other role models as a child and teenager. Conversely, "In Kaworu's case, through Rei's heart flowing into his own, he is held captive by feelings that would get him nowhere—because he was still unable to even comprehend the feelings."[49] Sadamoto has also explained he wished to make the relationship less ambiguous in the manga. Sadamoto says Kaworu feels for Shinji a reflection of Rei's feelings, however Shinji rejects him as he is not Rei. The choking scene in the manga is inspired from a film called Betty Blue, by Jean-Jacques Beineix. This is contrast to the scene in End of Evangelion, which according to Megumi Ogata was based on an experience of a female acquaintance of Anno's.[20] He says it does not have the same meaning as the film's. He also says he does not understand the success of his character.[50] Sadamoto has also has expressed the view that Kaworu was interested in how humanity evolves and their relationships.[51] Staff also seems to have not been expecting Kaworu to provoke such a strong sexual impression in the first place,[52] and attribute their lack of attention to this to the lack of time and rushed production when making the latter episodes,[53] and mention Kaworu was not supposed to hold Shinji's hand in the bath scene, as this was an animation error and he was instead supposed to touch it,[54] nor was Shinji supposed to blush,[55] indicating Kaworu as a breakout character of sorts,[56][57][58] Shinji's voice actress Megumi Ogata also agrees with the translation for the Netflix/Khara release, saying she originally interpreted Kaworu's lines as "like", and says she's glad that the new version is closer to the Japanese original[59], as she interprets her relationship as friends.[60][61] Like other characters, Anno described Kaworu as being based on himself, though he likened him to Rei as part of his Jungian shadow, in contrast to Shinji, Asuka and Misato as his conscious parts.[43] This comparison was also made with Gendo.[44] Hideaki Anno has also denied "carnal feelings" on Shinji's part.[62]

Ritsuko Akagi

Ritsuko's relationship with Shinji is different from the ones she shares with the other pilots. She acts in a more motherly, kindly, less intense sort of way than Misato does, perhaps because she is aware of the sufferings a pilot undergoes and of Gendo's own indifference toward his son. Shinji's cynical attitude mirrors her own detached stoicism; in a scene from the manga, when Misato notes Shinji's rather glum mood, Ritsuko responds, "A cheerful, confident Shinji would be all the more disconcerting." Initially, in the series, Ritsuko is on friendly terms with Shinji and colludes with him in chiding Misato on her disastrous approach to instant food, preferring to be invited over for dinner "when Shinji's cooking". In the anime, it is Ritsuko, not Misato, who asks Shinji to take Rei's ID card to her apartment. Shinji's closeness with Rei disturbs Ritsuko; in the manga, it is implied that her jealousy toward Rei also stems from Rei's friendliness with Shinji, since he is Gendo's son. (Moments before attempting to strangle Rei, Ritsuko notes how the girl has "both the Commander and his son wrapped around her little finger.") Ritsuko notes Shinji's complacency and trusts him to do as he's told, making him an ideal pilot in her view. Nonetheless, she seems to resent having to use child soldiers, though she believes this is acceptable as a necessary part of a greater goal. In episode 23, in retaliation for SEELE's interrogation and Gendo's indifference, she takes Shinji (with Misato in tow) to Terminal Dogma, reveals some of NERV's deepest secrets, and destroys the Dummy Plug system before their eyes.

Others

Shinji with Toji and Kensuke (NGE)

Shinji with his friends.

Shinji is friends with Tōji Suzuhara, Kensuke Aida and Hikari Horaki. He is sometimes confused by Toji and Kensuke's more typical teenage male behavior and by Kensuke's burning desire to be an Evangelion pilot. After befriending them after Episode 3, they start teasing Shinji often about his attraction towards Asuka and Rei and seem to want to motivate him to become more secure. They seem to be somewhat unaware of Shinji's anxiety at piloting Eva, particularly Kensuke who envies him for it. When Toji is chosen to pilot Unit 03 in Episode 17 however, he seems to want to confide this to Shinji but is unable to reach out to him. Shinji refuses to fight Unit 03 when he is informed another child is inside it, and when he finds out the pilot was Toji by the end of Episode 18, this disturbs Shinji greatly, motivating him to retaliate at Nerv and Gendo, and later to temporarily quit piloting. Though it is unclear as to whether or not he knew of Hikari's feelings for Toji, he preemptively discounted her from his friends after the incident with Unit-03.

Fuyutsuki has a soft spot (albeit not always visible) for Shinji, presumably because he reminds the Deputy Commander of Yui Ikari; unlike Gendo, Fuyutsuki shows concern for Shinji's well-being.

History

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Shinji (Toddler)

Three-year-old Shinji, from Episode 21

Around the age of three, Shinji lost his mother to the Unit-01 Contact Experiment. As he witnessed this event, he was subjected to considerable trauma that had lingering effects upon him.

First appearing in Episode 1, Shinji Ikari, aged 14, is summoned to Tokyo-3 by his father, Gendo Ikari to pilot Evangelion Unit-01. After initially refusing, Gendo calls for the heavily injured, stretcher bound backup pilot, Rei Ayanami. Suddenly, an earthquake knocks Rei out of her stretcher and Shinji rushes to her aid. After lifting her off the ground, Shinji looks to his hand which had been covered with Rei's blood. Realizing he both literally and metaphorically has her blood on his hands, he reluctantly agrees to become the pilot of the Evangelion.

Shinji enters the Evangelion and is lifted to the surface where he comes face to face with the angel, Sachiel. At first, Shinji is able to take a few steps, but he very quickly trips. The Evangelion is picked up by the angel and takes multiple direct blows to the head before Shinji passes out, waking up in the NERV infirmary some time later with no recollection of the events which took place. It is later revealed that after passing out, Unit-01 went Berserk, acting without the pilots control, and defeated the angel. After Shinji recovers from his first fight, Misato Katsuragi takes to live with her rather than letting him live on his own.

Several weeks later, Shinji begins to attend school, where he meets Tōji, Kensuke, and Hikari. When it is discovered that Shinji is the pilot of Eva Unit-01, Tōji beats him up, in retaliation for his little sister being injured in the Angel battle. Shortly thereafter, Shamshel attacks, and Shinji pilots Unit-01 once again. However, before defeating the Angel, Shinji's battle puts two of his classmates in serious danger. Because of this, Shinji spends several days wandering the town, until he sees Kensuke and spends the night with him. The next day, agents from NERV come and take Shinji back to NERV HQ. After being reprimanded by Misato, Shinji overcomes his own weakness, stays with NERV, and goes back to live with Misato.

Later, at NERV HQ, Shinji sees Rei happily chatting with Gendo, who has burns on his hands. After asking Ritsuko about them, she describes an incident where Gendo put his hands on scalding metal to save Rei, to which Shinji is skeptical. Shinji begins to eye Rei, though he brushes it off as curiosity about why she is always alone. Soon thereafter, Ritsuko has Shinji return Rei's ID card to her; Shinji accidentally walks in on Rei as she is getting dressed, and clumsily knocks her to the floor, touching her naked body. A bit shook up, Shinji follows Rei to NERV, returns her ID card, and asks her about his father; when he tells her that he has no faith in Gendo, she slaps him.

With Rei still unable to enter battle, Ramiel approaches, and Gendo sorties Unit-01 with Shinji as the pilot. Shinji is immediately hit by one of Ramiel's attacks and is forced into retreat by Misato. As Shinji wakes up and begins to recover from his injuries, he helps defeat Ramiel with a positron beam. During the battle, Shinji's first shot fails to destroy Ramiel. When Ramiel fights back, Rei, in Unit-00, steps between them, taking heavy damage. Shinji then destroys Ramiel with another blast. Shinji quickly escapes Unit-01, and opens Unit-00's hatch, burning his hands as Gendo did in the past, to see Rei. He expresses a deep sadness for her but tells her to smile nonetheless.

We soon learn that Shinji is embarrassed by Misato and her unhealthy lifestyle. After she visits his school, however, a new robotic unit called Jet Alone appears in a demonstration but goes out of control. Shinji must use Unit-01 to get Misato into Jet Alone so she can shut down its reactor. Then, after Tōji and Kensuke point out that Misato's personality is only shown to Shinji because she considers him family, he happily accepts her.

In Episode 08, Asuka makes her series debut and immediately regards Shinji as "dull". Despite this, Asuka displays an interest in Shinji (after learning of his innate ability to synch with Unit-01); as Gaghiel attacks, she seizes her chance to impress Shinji, and tells him to get into the cockpit of Evangelion Unit-02 with her. Eventually, as the two cooperate, they can open Gaghiel's mouth underwater, and the armada of Navy ships present are able to destroy it.

As the Angel Israfel arrives, Shinji and Asuka are both deployed in their Evas to destroy it. After Asuka hits it and divides it in two, it revives as two separate Angels, which defeat both Evas; Shinji and Asuka proceed to argue about whose fault it was. Kaji and Misato devise a plan to take down the Angel after it heals and returns in a few days time; however, the plan requires the cooperation of both Evangelion units. Shinji and Asuka, during their next several days living together, undergo numerous tests and training exercises to synchronize themselves to better attack Israfel. When the battle day comes, the two defeat Israfel seamlessly through a synchronized dance routine.

Shinji and Asuka hang out at a pool after their friends go on a field trip, where Shinji is having trouble with schoolwork. Showing off a bit, Asuka solves his problem with relative ease, then compares his topic of thermal expansion to that of her breasts, much to Shinji's embarrassment. Meanwhile, Sandalphon has been active in a nearby volcano, and Asuka takes the call. Trying to show off to Shinji, she takes a dive into the volcano, where she loses her Eva's knife, but eventually encounters the Angel. Shinji throws his knife to Asuka, and after a short struggle, Asuka defeats Sandalphon. A few days later, the power to NERV HQ goes out, and Shinji, Asuka, and Rei must make their way to NERV together in order to defeat the Angel Matarael. Though they come into conflict many times, they are all able to deploy their Evas and defeat Matarael before it can attack NERV HQ.

In Episode 12, it is discovered that Shinji is rapidly increasing his synch rate with his Eva, much to Asuka's dismay. As Sahaquiel approaches in the fashion of a meteor destined for NERV HQ, Misato hatches a plan in which Shinji, Asuka, and Rei must all cooperate to stop the Angel by catching it with their A.T. Fields at maximum. As it nears the ground, Shinji is the first to get under it. He struggles to last long enough for Rei to expose the core for Asuka to destroy, killing Sahaquiel. Later, Shinji does a test in Evangelion Unit-00, but when the nerve connections go bad, the Eva goes Berserk just as it had previously, though Shinji escapes virtually unharmed.

Asuka kiss Shinji

Asuka and Shinji share a kiss out of Asuka's "boredom"

Shinji is next seen visiting his mother's grave with Gendo, who reveals that there is nobody there, nor does he have any pictures of Yui. Though Shinji attempts to make a connection with Gendo, the latter dismisses him completely. Shinji returns home and begins playing the cello, with which Asuka notes he has great talent.[63] He says he started playing at age five, and still plays now and again because, "No one told [him] to stop." She then says she's bored and wants to practice kissing and though Shinji is nervous, they share a kiss, though Asuka is upset by his lack of emotion.

During Episode 16, Shinji's synch test gives the highest results among his, Rei's and Asuka's, an event that inspires confidence in him. Due to this and the arrival of the unusual 12th Angel, Shinji ventures to face it alone, resulting in Unit-01 being captured in the Angel's shadow, trapping him in a Sea of Dirac. As the Eva's life support starts to turn off, Shinji begins to lose hope, and the Angel tries to communicate with him, talking about the psychology and understanding of others, and revives the memories of his abandonment, alongside his imperfections. However, once the life support cuts out entirely, Unit-01 goes Berserk, and frees itself from the Angel's grasp, killing it in a shower of blood.

Soon after, Unit-04 vanishes, and Unit-03 is transferred to Japan. Shinji and Asuka are left at the care of Kaji while Misato goes to supervise the test activation of Unit-03. During the night, Shinji asks Kaji about Gendo, thinking he has started to understand his father, to which Kaji replies he just believes he understands.

Following the failed activation test of Unit-03, and its abandonment and re-classification as the 13th Angel, Shinji is sortied to defeat it alongside Rei and Asuka. Even after Rei and Asuka are dispatched by the unit, Shinji still shows reluctance to fight it, claiming that he'd rather die than kill the pilot inside. Seeing this, Gendo cuts the synchronization between Shinji and Unit-01, giving control of the Eva to the Dummy Plug that proceeds to slaughter the Angel. When Shinji finds out that the pilot was Tōji, he refuses to abandon the Eva, claiming he will destroy half of NERV HQ in pure revenge against his father. With Shinji unable to reason, Gendo orders the technicians to raise the LCL pressure to force him out of his rampage. As a result, Shinji is taken to Gendo, and abandons NERV and his duties as an Eva pilot, right as the 14th Angel starts its assault, destroying the Geofront defense and defeating Unit-02 and Unit-00 without difficulties. As Shinji hides in a nearby shelter, he sees the disembodied head of Unit-02 crash against the building, then hurries outside, only to witness the devastation caused by the Angel. He encounters Kaji watering his garden, and he explains to Shinji that while that is all he can do, Shinji can do much more, and convinces him to pilot Unit-01 once more. Shinji engages the Angel as it is about to destroy Central Dogma, and guides it outside before the Eva runs out of energy.

Zeruel mercilessly proceeds to try and destroy Unit-01 core. However, the Eva reactivates and goes Berserk, easily overpowering the Angel, and proceeding to devour its S² Engine into itself. After the incident, Shinji was absorbed inside the Eva's core, which caused him to go through a series of mental journeys that guided him to realize he pilots the Eva to receive the kindness of others, and remembers that he saw Unit-01 years before his arrival at Tokyo-3. On the outside, Misato and Ritsuko try to salvage Shinji's soul back to his body, but the experiment goes awry, and Shinji initially decides not to come back. However, after recognizing the scent of the Eva as his mother's, Shinji finally comes back through the core of the Eva.

In Episode 23, when Armisael attacks and Asuka is too mentally fragile to control her Eva, Shinji is launched to attack it. As he touches it, however, it fuses with his hands, and forces him to see hundreds of Rei faces telling him, "it hurts." Through this, the real Rei discovers that her desire is to be with Shinji, and contains the Angel and self-destructs, killing both Armisael and herself. Shinji is devastated, though he soon arrives at the hospital to see Rei, alive. Shortly after, Ritsuko shows Misato and Shinji the Eva graveyard, as well as the many clones of Rei.

After being too scared to go home, Shinji finds himself at the edge of a crater at the beginning of Episode 24, where he meets Kaworu Nagisa, sitting amongst the wreckage from the battle with Armisael. Since Shinji is desperate for any sort of affection, they quickly connect. After Shinji returns to NERV, he, Kaworu, and Rei undergo synch tests, after which Shinji is greeted by Kaworu while loitering at NERV's HQ, seemingly reluctant to return home. Kaworu accompanies Shinji to a NERV public bathing room and, at one point, Kaworu places his hand on Shinji's, who doesn't react. Kaworu also declares that Shinji deserves to be treated well, and that he likes him. When their bath is done, Shinji tells Kaworu that he needs to go to bed, to which Kaworu is confused and asks if they will go together. Shinji is quick to decline the offer, though he does spend the night at Kaworu's apartment, sleeping on the floor beside his bed, as he is afraid to go home.

Do you love me

Shinji and others inside Instrumentality

The next day, Kaworu is identified as the 17th Angel as he descends into Terminal Dogma. Shinji is placed into Unit-01 and pursues Kaworu, who manipulates Unit-02 to slow down Shinji. After Kaworu activates the door and enters, he appears to reach an understanding that the giant crucified there is not in fact Adam, but rather Lilith, and after Shinji defeats Unit-02, he allows Shinji to grasp him in Unit-01's hand. Shinji is hurt that Kaworu betrayed him, "just like his father did,"[42][44] and lied to him about his identity after befriending him. However, Kaworu tells Shinji that his life is complete and had more meaning after meeting him, and requests to be killed, claiming that the only freedom there is, is to choose how one dies. Following a prolonged period of silence, Shinji grants his request.

Episodes 25 and 26 have Shinji feeling lost and hopeless after killing Kaworu, who he saw as human, as Shinji again feels alone and that nobody cares about him. Tormented by guilt, he falls into despair and begs for others to help him. Much of the TV ending is devoted to Shinji being taught by the other characters about the ability of individuals to make their own destiny by reshaping their viewpoint. At the end of their discourse, Shinji comes to terms with his self-loathing and how much it distorts his perception of reality. Finally, he learns that he has value as an individual, and accepts his own will to live. In Episode 26', Shinji chooses to reject Instrumentality for individual existence, even though it will mean running the risk of experiencing more pain. Shinji eventually learns that he needs other people to exist in order to experience happiness; and realizes that he wants real feelings of his own even if it means once again exposing himself to betrayal and pain.[21] Despite their differences, both endings suggest that buried deep within Shinji, is the capacity for redemption and change.[23]

The End of Evangelion

In Other Media

Neon Genesis Evangelion manga

Shinji in the manga

Shinji in the manga.

The Shinji of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's manga is considerably different from his animated counterpart. Although Shinji still has issues with his father and his past, and is plagued by self-doubt and feelings of worthlessness, he is considerably more apathetic, depressive, and he is also prone to being angry, snide and sarcastic rather than being fearful and cringing. Shinji in the manga is also much more violent than he is in the anime. For example, one of the first things he does after being forced to attack Toji (who is severely injured and crippled in the anime, but actually dies of his injuries in the manga) is to try to punch his father. He is also something of a know-it-all and slightly more audacious and cynical when it comes to dealing with others, for instance mentally thinking of Asuka as a "bitch" and displaying a dislike for her, though they get closer over time. Fan opinion of this characterization is mixed, with some preferring the manga Shinji because he has more of a "backbone", more like a typical hero. However, other fans feel that removing Shinji's neurotic anti-hero aspects makes him less human and harder to relate to.

Throughout the majority of the manga, Shinji appears to be attracted to Rei Ayanami, and their relationship is far more developed than in the anime, which instead focuses heavily on his relationship with Asuka. When she is introduced, Shinji also develops feelings for her, but these are less explored than in the original anime. After the battle against Ramiel, Shinji offers support to an injured Rei to walk to the rescue team, in a similar way it is implied at the end of Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone. He openly encourages Rei to fight for her life for she would be glad to have survived eventually. One day she invited him into her home to drink tea, even though she never made tea before. She gets burned in the process, leading Shinji to aid her against the burn and to prepare the tea for both of them. She also encourages him to speak to his father. At one point, she says a monologue about her feelings towards touching his hand in multiple occasions, ending with her asking to hold his hand again. He is also more visibly upset over her death after Unit-00's explosion. They share a final conversation before Shinji leaves to the new world, in which Rei thanks him for teaching her many things, which ends with her smiling at him and asking if it was the right expression.

However, after the death of Kaworu, Shinji visits Asuka in the hospital, similar to how he does in The End of Evangelion. He confesses his love to her in a way, claiming, "The Asuka I want to protect isn't this empty shell!" However, instead of shaking her and revealing her body, Asuka wakes up and chokes Shinji until she is subdued by the nurses. This suggests that Shinji's manga adaptation has feelings for Asuka as well.

Shinji's reason for refusing to pilot Unit-01 is also different in the manga. Unlike in The End of Evangelion, where he refuses to pilot out of fear, in the manga he does not wish to pilot simply because he is unsure about what to fight for anymore. He is then convinced by Misato that he will pilot to become stronger, to no longer be afraid and rely on others, and he reluctantly agrees, since he knows Misato is dying. Shinji's relationship with Misato is a little more fleshed out; he shows a great level of sadness when Misato pushes him into the elevator after kissing him as unlike in The End of Evangelion where he merely sobs, he cries out her name many times once it closes and then succumbs to tears.

The final stage of the manga depicts Shinji's world after he rejects Instrumentality. In this world, he was never an Evangelion pilot, had a few friends who cheered him on, and meets Asuka and Kensuke for the first time on his way to a boarding school in Tokyo (in mid-winter, a season Japan hadn't had since Second Impact). It is unclear how much of the pre-Instrumentality world carries over into this one, although the déjà-vu Shinji experiences on seeing Asuka and Kensuke, as well as "relics" resembling Angels, suggests that some significant portion of it has. Shinji is different in this world: although he is still plagued by self-doubt, he is much more confident and open, and is ready to meet change head-on. In the very last panel, as Shinji leaves the train station in Tokyo, Misato's cross pendant is seen tied to his suitcase. He thus fulfills the promise he made to her in her final moments, though it is unknown how much of Misato's memory carries over into this reality.[64]

In the manga, Shinji lived with a maternal uncle, aunt and cousin instead of with his sensei before going to NERV. One of them is the older sibling of Yui Ikari though the dialogue does not make it clear whether it is Shinji's aunt or uncle.

Rebuild of Evangelion

Main article: Shinji Ikari/Rebuild

Neon Genesis Evangelion: ANIMA

Main article: Shinji Ikari/ANIMA

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Shinji Ikari Raising Project manga

The Neon Genesis Evangelion: Shinji Ikari Raising Project manga portrays Shinji as acting more like his manga counterpart since he's more confident about himself. Shinji here also is something of a pervert, which goes along with Shinji's personality in the possible world sequence of Episode 26 as well as Girlfriend of Steel 2 video game Shinji. Rei is presented a distant cousin of Shinji. In these adaptations, Shinji is childhood friends with Asuka, who tends to get jealous of Shinj's dividing his attentions with other characters, particularly Rei.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days

In Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days, however, Shinji acts like his anime self, to the point where he doesn't have the perverted side of his personality that the video game shows. He also still acts shy and introverted around others, although he's friendlier with everyone. Later, he eventually reconciles with his feelings for Asuka and they become a couple.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Gakuen Datenroku

In Neon Genesis Evangelion: Gakuen Datenroku, Shinji is again portrayed similarly to his anime counterpart. He joins with Rei, Kaworu and Asuka to defeat the Angels, and manifests his EVA as a stylized handgun. He later learns that his father has been replaced by an alternate Gendo from an alternate universe, who plans on trapping Rei in the Tree of Yggdrasil in order to free Yui. Gendo instead tries to trap Shinji within the tree after Rei rebels, prompting Kaworu to sacrifice himself in order to save him. With his last words, Kaworu thanks Shinji for his friendship, which helped him embrace humanity. At the end of the story (with Gendo having been killed), Shinji is shown attending another school alongside Rei and Asuka, with the three children now adjusting to normal lives.

Video games

This section of the article is a stub. You can help the Neon Genesis Evangelion Wiki by expanding it.

Shinji's personality in video games is usually reminiscent of his anime self, but his choices depend on the player choices. Most games, such as Girlfriend of Steel 2, allow him to pursue relationships with Asuka and, less commonly, Rei and Kaworu, and many other characters including Misato and Hikari, or original characters such as Mana and Mayumi. Some games have no romantic options or only one Petit Eva: Evangelion @ Game. Shinji is generally more confident in games like Battle Orchestra.

Voice Actors

  • Japanese: Megumi Ogata
  • English: Spike Spencer, Casey MongilloWP (Netflix)
  • French: Donald Reignoux
  • Italian: Daniele Raffaeli, Stefano Broccoletti (Netflix)
  • Portuguese (Brazil): Fábio Lucindo
  • Portuguese (Portugal): Raquel Rosmaninho
  • Russian:
  • Spanish (Spain): Albert Trifol Segarra, Carlos Larios (Netflix)
  • Spanish (Latin America): Víctor Ugarte
  • Catalan:
  • German: Hannes Maurer
  • Hindi:
  • Korean:
  • Chinese (Simplified):
  • Chinese (Traditional):

Development

Sadamoto nadia-shinji

Sadamoto showing how to draw Shinji.

Proposal shinji

Shinji's early designs

According to an interview with Yoshiyuki Sadamoto featured in volume 2 of the manga, Shinji's design is a male version of Sadamoto's design for Nadia, the title character from Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, which Hideaki Anno also directed. He also initially designed the protagonist as an "Asuka-type girl" but this was eventually changed in favor of a boy, as Sadamoto suggested it'd fit a "robot story" better. Similarly, the relationship between Asuka and Shinji would be similar to the relationship between Jean, Nadia's love interest and eventual husband in the earlier Nadia.[65][66]

Sadamoto drew Shinji in an ordinary summer school uniform with a white shirt, making him "an average character", alongside Gendo as his first two designs. He wanted a "realistic and ordinary" boy, a character "that'll be hard for others to make".[67] Since Shinji lacks the enthusiasm and courage of other robot-anime heroes, Sadamoto gave him a different heroic interpretation: "rather than a reflection of a hero, sort of a refraction of a hero". At first, he tried to create a character "that would tap into the consciousness of today's anime fans". Shinji was first drawn with slightly different features, which were changed by the main staff. In one of Sadamoto's original proposals, he had long hair which would have covered his face or fluttered in the wind. Sadamoto changed his mind, finding his original design "too wild".[68]

Shinji's birthday is the same day as his seiyu Megumi Ogata. This is a trait that can be found in several of the Evangelion characters, Rei Ayanami being an exception. Shinji's SDAT walkman is a WMD-DT1 model. It could be seen that Shinji's preferred weapon in battle is the progressive knife seeing as he will usually go for that first in a battle. Shinji has never learned to swim.

Shinji was named after Evangelion animator Shinji Higuchi. Higuchi also had large involvement in animating Asuka's scenes and felt for her as if she were his daughter, and felt very strange to be called "stupid" or later "brat" by her during recording. Higuchi also couldn't stand being called "Shinji-kun" by Kaworu. He was relieved he didn't have to animate his scenes and that he was instead handed to Masayuki.[69] For the last name, he chose the Japanese word Ikari ("anchor"), linking it, alongside the names of other characters in the series, to nautical jargon or Japanese Imperial Navy warships, particularly Gendo and Kaji.[33]

Proposal 28 eps23-26

Early sketches of Shinji's plugsuit

Shinji's character was conceived to reflect Anno's personality "both in conscious and unconscious part".[70] Like all characters, Anno based Shinji on himself, and like Asuka and Misato, Anno considered Shinji as part of his conscious self.[43] He was thus represented as "a melancholic oral-dependent type" caught "in [an] oral stage", like Anno considered himself.[71] Seeing Shinji as a reflection of Anno, assistant director Kazuya Tsurumaki avoided depicting him as a brave character, since "Anno isn't that much of a hero".[72][73] "Shinji was summoned by his father to ride a robot, Anno was summoned by Gainax to direct an animation", he said.[74] Like other male protagonists in Gainax series, Shinji was conceived with a weak and insecure personality. Gainax wanted to reflect the psychological state of animation fans and the Japanese society, in which fathers are always at work and emotionally absent.[75] Anno set the protagonist at "age fourteen", when "independence of mind starts manifesting".[76] Initially, Shinji. was more mature, robust and less introverted than the final version; he should also have been portrayed as a studious boy, a "quiet A-student".[77] His scholastic conduct would not be seen in a positive light, but as a sign of passivity.[78] Although he's not shown to be physically active, early plans make mention of Shinji being good at sports and dedicated in physical education class as part of this. In an earlier Episode:05 draft, a scene was included with him playing basketball with Toji, and beating him with "a brilliant shot", driving the attention of his female classmates. However, this was deleted as the writers realized they didn't want to make Shinji seem too perfect, and him being oblivious to their attentions also made him more grounded. A scene where he is cheered by his classmates and seen as attractive and popular is retained afterwards.[79] As an overall goal, Shinji's age meant he was at a formative point in life.[80] In Anno's original outline for Episode 03, Shinji would reconcile with Toji and Kensuke easily, but this was eventually changed at the behest of screenwriter Akio Satsukawa, who called such a resolution too "anime-like".[81] Shinji's cello playing was an idea by scriptwriter Akio Satsukawa. He also picked Shinji's cello piece. [82][83]

Proposal 23 sonota

Early sketch of Shinji alongside Toji and Kensuke

For the Evangelion manga, Sadamoto wondered "what the world looked like through Shinji's eyes", changing the main theme from "running or not running away" to "being honest with themselves".[84] This led Sadamoto to change Shinji's characterization and psychology. He wanted to reflect contemporary teenagers in the character and as more of a "bad boy",[85] and was influenced by the Gulf War, wondering how a 14-year-old would have behaved on a helicopter. [86] Sadamoto also drew on his own experiences as an adolescent, saying that his characterization was "more like a flunk-out" than Anno's version.[87] Sadamoto said he was not as comfortable with the image of a Shinji who'll hunker down and say "I can't do anything", but envisioned him as a someone who simply tried his best.[88] He conceived Shinji with a "clean image that a woman tends to project" in his mind, portraying him as a "cold, unambitious" character, "the type who would commit suicide, but can't bring himself to do it". "It was my intention to create a wistful character who had given up on life", he said. Sadamoto has mentioned he identified with Kensuke the most out of all characters, as Shinji himself is instead modelled on Anno, and for that he preferred to have an alternate intepretation of Shinji, but not one based on himself. Instead, Sadamoto identified with Kensuke.[89][90]

In contrast to his comments in the 1990s regarding NGE, in 2009, afer the release of Evangelion 2.0, Anno had instead said he identified with the younger adults.[91] and when making 3.0+1.0, he now identifies with Gendo rather than Shinji. For this reason, he felt incapable of developing Shinji's story, and asked for the input of his voice actress.[92][34][93]

References

  1. Evangelion Chronicle 01 p.05-08
  2. "Ikari" means "anchor" in Japanese, but written in different Kanji, it can also mean "anger".
  3. "I mustn't run away!", or "Nigecha dameda!" in Japanese, which is one of Shinji's trademark lines, starting in Episode 01. According to Anno, this phrase inspired him to keep working on and finish Evangelion.
  4. He usually plays tracks 25 ("You Are the Only One") and 26 ("Blue Legend"), though in episodes 02 and 23, the songs are varied to different background music and vocals. The songs are from "Lilia from Ys", an image album for the "Ys" RPG series. The vocalist is Kotono Mitsuishi, Misato's voice actress. However, Episode 02 has two Eva BGM pieces playing, while Episode:23 has a different vocal song for Track 25 instead.
  5. Episode 15
  6. Episode 12
  7. Misato stretched out her hand to Shinji. At this time she may have intended to offer her body to com­fort Shinji. However, this was merely substitutive behaviour in or­der to assuage her own loneliness. -Filmbook Vol. 9
  8. Episode 09
  9. Episode 26
  10. In the original Japanese, Asuka uses the idiomatic expression "I know you've been using me as a side dish". In Japanese, "using something as a side dish" is an expression for using something or someone for one's erotic fantasies, but with the underlying implication that the person using the "side dish" is too scared to actually act on their feelings. As such, Asuka might even be implying that Shinji could have had the "real thing" before, but hesitated.
  11. In an earlier draft for End of Evangelion, Shinji would have simply masturbated in his room, thinking of her. This further reinforces Asuka's implication that this was a habit of his, not only a spur-of-the-moment act. Shinji's face as he orgasmed would have been shown also.
  12. In Japanese, "to hold [someone]" a double entendre of "having sex with". In effect, Asuka is not only lamenting that Shinji won't support her and hold her during the kiss, but that he didn't even at least give her affection through sex. Incidentally, to amplify the Misato/Kaji and Ritsuko/Gendo parallels, in Episode 25, during Misato's Instrumentality section, she is questioned by Ritsuko why she slept with Kaji. Ritsuko uses the same euphemism as Asuka: "Is that why you slept with him?" (itself an euphemism in Enlgish), in the Japanese literally "Is that why you held/embraced him?". Likewise, Misato replies, "No, I embraced him because I loved him.". Similarly, in Episode 24, when Ritsuko is confronted by Gendo during her imprisonment, she tells him, literally: "Now that I ain't happy even if you hold me. You can do anything you like to my body, as you did at that time.". In the English dub, the context here is more obvious, so it's outright translated as "when you make love to me".
  13. Asuka says, "This is the wall of Jericho, never to fall!" of the sliding door that separates the two rooms, but the "Wall of Jericho" is a reference to the Western film It Happened One Night (1934, America). In the film, a rich runaway girl and an unemployed newspaper reporter end up spending a night in the same room, and they put a blanket as a divider, calling it the "Wall of Jericho." Incidentally, the original "Wall of Jericho" is a castle wall that appears in the Bible. [And it is known for being taken down in the Biblical story, despite being supposedly invincinle. In the film, the girl loses her initial disdain for the reporter and they begin to fall in love. Asuka is, in effect, daring Shinji to take the walls down, a reference lost on him.] Also, she says, "It is proper that boys and girls sleep apart after the age of seven," but the correct proverb is "it is proper that the boys and girls sit apart after the age of seven." This is a saying in the ancient Chinese Confucian text of The Book of Rites, and the seat refers to a straw mat. In ancient China, sitting on the same mat meant that the two were husband and wife. Is it the genius girl's pride that leads her to want to use difficult sayings, even though she's not supposed to be used to Japanese yet?-Platinum Episode Commentaries
  14. "Why does Asuka want to kiss Shinji? Even assuming she was spiteful of Kaji, one doesn't understand the real underlying motive. After the kiss, Asuka states: "I did it just to kill time." She yells, as if to make Shinji perceive it and to confirm it to herself, as if she wants to hide some embarrassment" Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book vol 5, pp. 44–45.
  15. Yuko Miyamura describes Asuka in 2007 as "what we now call a tsundere. It's Shinji that she's interested in as a member of the opposite sex, but she cannot really show it - FLASH EX Neon Genesis Evangelion Special Feature
  16. Sadamoto: Like in the anime, Asuka will act like she is a "good girl," but have a second aspect to her personality. I think it would be good if I can make Asuka an existence that, to Shinji as a member of opposite sex, he can respect to a certain extent and feels longing for. Sometimes a friend, sometimes a rival, but sometimes a member of the opposite sex.
    [...] I decided not to do the kiss scene that was present in the anime as part of the storyline where Asuka and Shinji have to come together in unison in order to defeat the angel. From a boy's point of view, the first kiss is an enchanting incident. But if you start to think about what a kiss is, isn't it the first incident where you connect physically with the girl you love? But to me it is more real that before that psychological connection comes first. Moreover, I felt I could depict the psychological connection between fourteen-year-olds as being more pure than that between adults. For me, the scene depicted in the manga where they dance together to the music is something like a kiss.
    [...] Sadamoto: I think, if you take Asuka as being, for Shinji, a symbol of the longed-for opposite sex, Rei is "maternal." For one, it seems like she has the genetic material of Shinji's mother. For myself, if I am asked who between Asuka and Rei I like more, it is probably because somewhere in Rei there is something motherly, and when Shinji looks disheartened she "scolds" him ever so softly. Rei asks Shinji, "Are you running away again?" Quite often she says harsh things that really get down to the point. It would be ideal if a friend of his would say it, but for some reason that doesn't happen. That [action of Rei's] is because a mother will absolutely not abandon her child. I think that, for Shinji, Rei is that sort of motherly existence. - Sadamoto interview, Newtype 1997
  17. 17.0 17.1 Shinji/Asuka: Colleague-Complicated Feelings;Colleague-Love/Hate
    Rei/Shinji: Colleague-Favorable;
    Kaworu/Shinji: Colleague-Favorable
    "Proud and assertive, Asuka possessed many strong qualities but lacked the ability to truly control her feelings. [...]It was only after Kaji's death and the Fifteenth Angel's psychological attack that Asuka came to realize Shinji and Kaji both occupied a similar place in her heart. This realization was quite shocking to Asuka, as she had thus far gone out of her way to dismiss and mock Shinji whenever possible.
    Asuka's default behaviour toward Shinji emphasized mockery and distaste, though she couldn't deny also feeling some semblance of romantic interest toward him. When their synchronicity levels "officially" indicated that Shinji was superior to Asuka in some way, she started suffering a kind of psychological instability and had a hard time dealing with the love/hate she felt for him"
    By chance, Asuka observed Rei and Shinji sharing a conversation. Asuka felt a very dark emotion welling up inside of her as she watched Shinji enjoying himself in Rei's company.
    During Instrumentality, Asuka encountered Shinji inside his inner world and told him she didn't need anything if she couldn't have all of him. Despite the significance of this statement, Shinji's response was vague at best and he only sought a place at her side because it was a "comfortable" place to be. Hurt by the notion that she was nothing more than an escape for Shinji, Asuka outright rejected him. As a result, the Human Instrumentality Project did not reach its intended result, and any changes to the relationship between Asuka and Shinji were left unclear.
    "Though Shinji and Asuka are both EVA pilots and living under the same roof、they are polar opposites. Despite their differences、Shinji did feel an attraction to Asuka at certain moments throughout their time together. When Shinji expressed his feelings to Asuka and sought her help during his instrumentality、she outright rejected him. Shinji and Asuka in the new world where the Human Instrumentality Project was not fulfilled Shinji had chosen a world where others existed、and for him Asuka became the first "Other".
    "Asuka Langley Soryu Piloting EVA-02 was Asuka's way of maintaining her self-respect, and it also served to deepen her confusing love/hate for Shinji. Her repeated failures in combat against the Angels during the war had forced Asuka to face her own weaknesses, and though she did make a comeback during SEELE's forced requisition of NERV headquarters, she fell in battle against the mass-production model EVA units. Immediately after Asuka's defeat, the Human Instrumentality Project was activated, Asuka was the first "other" to exist in the new world that was created when Shinji wished for a world where others existed, and she was found lying. next to Shinji."

    - The Essential Evangelion Chronicle, Side B
  18. "Shinji meets Rei in the sea of ​​L.C.L. while Human Instrumentality with Unit 01 as a substitute is in progress. Shinji didn't want a world where his boundaries were gone and he was nowhere else. Shinji's eyes tell that he that he will accept the fear of others, the strength of life that moves forward while being frightened can be seen. When their consciousness returned to reality, Shinji and Asuka lie in a world where Human Instrumentality is incomplete.
    In the world where Shinji wanted to have others, Asuka became the first stranger, and Shinji reaches out to her [for her neck]. It is difficult to understand Shinji's emotions as he wonders if Asuka is the one who will hurt him or the one who will complement him.
    Shinji and Asuka stand alone in a space where no one else is around. In her mental world, Shinji was rejected while expressing her feelings to Asuka and asking her for her salvation, but the relationship between the two can/will* change in the new world."
    - Evangelion Chronicle Vol. 22, alternate translation from the Japanese
    *Translator's notes: "The verb kawaru (変わる) means to change. In this passage, we have kawatte (変わって), which means changed. Add iku (いく) and it means changing. Add nodarou (のだろう) means probably. [The relationship] will probably change. The nature of such indefinite change means it is still likely unclear. So those two sentences basically say the same thing (unclear vs will change). The former wording is used in the English translation of the Essential digest version, while the latter is used in the French translation.
  19. Evangelion Cardass Masters: "Shinji renounced the world where all hearts had melted into one and accepted each other unconditionally. His desire... to live with 'others' -- other hearts that would sometimes reject him, even deny him. That is why the first thing he did after coming to his senses was to place his hands around Asuka's neck. To feel the existence of an 'other'. To confirm (make sure of) rejection and denial." "In the sea of LCL, Shinji wished for a world with other people. He desired to meet them again, even if it meant he would be hurt and betrayed. And just as he had hoped/wanted, Asuka was present in the new world. Only Asuka was there beside him. The girl who he had hurt, and by whom he had been hurt. But even so, she was the one he had hoped/wished for...." "Neither Yui, Rei nor Misato could do as a woman for Shinji. Asuka alone was the only girl on equal footing with him. So, Shinji desired/sought after Asuka. "I'm afraid of Misato and Ayanami." However, Shinji's crude affection only hurt her. In the end, he used her as an object of lust/desire to soothe/ console himself..."- D-88, D-84, P-66, P-68, H-11, full set here
  20. 20.0 20.1 According to Megumi Ogata, Shinji's voice actress, the scene itself was modeled on a experience of a female friend of Anno's. This friend got into an argument with her boyfriend, and at some point he choker her in rage. Instead of reacting violently, this friend felt no fear, hatred or even a need for survivl, but rather a desire to caress him tenderly. In response, her boyfriend lost her grip. However, Anno's friend instead grew cold, and muttered Asuka's line from the EoE draft almost verbatim. Ogata believes this scene was how Anno wanted to "convey different ways how to bring feelings of love to a conclusion that exist in reality. You are you, I am I". Naturally, this reflects on the films' themes of individuality and the duality of reaching out to others present in Eva.
    Anno also guided Ogata to treat OMF partly as a separate story: "as something that just exists. As if everything that happened before in the film is merely a dream that never happened. It is its own narrative unity, something that can fundamentally be taken away from its context in the film and still be interpreted as a dramatic whole. It is and is not the final scene of EoE."
    Furthermore, Ogata asked Anno to help her understand what Anno wanted to convey through the scene and how Shinji is supposed to act. Hearing this, Anno first stands silent and confused for a moment. Then he firmly wraps his arms around himself and hugs himself. This is on the "purpose" of what he is trying to express. As for how Ogata should play Shinji Anno asks her to not play Shinji: " "For this scene alone, I want Ogata to take on and express my feelings rather than Shinji's" - Koji Ide's Evangelion Forever
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 24. Opening of a Dream (Piano – Leave It To Version)
    Shinji’s independence that he bid farewell to his mother and chose to live in the world of others despite the fact that he would hurt others is portrayed in this song with a somewhat sad piano solo. It is as if it suggested the relationship between the project of EVANGELION and the audiences. - Refrain of Evangelion booklet interview
  22. Ogata actually choking Miyamura for the EoE scenes was clearly consensual, despite rumours to the contrary.
  23. 23.0 23.1 It's still a long way off, but what will the end be like? Will it be about the connection between Shinji and Asuka like the anime?
    That's the hard part. I don't know how it will turn out yet. I want to make a happy ending, but it's difficult to say what is happy. The film version is happy in its own way. Humans are nothing when they are born and at the moment of death, so if the process of living is not enjoyable, they cannot live. Shinji had a hard time, but he wanted to live. That's why he's happy. - Sadamoto, Sadamoto, The Other Side of the Story, Newtype December 1997
  24. Screenwriter Akio Satsukawa, who worked on twelve Evangelion episodes, also worked with Anno on Love & Pop, a 1998 live-action romantic drama film. Anno had first approached Satsukawa about the project, which he felt was a way for Anno to "run away from Eva". They had inserted some references to Eva and particularly End of Evangelion in the film. Notably, the shooting version of the script began with the same line as Asuka's final line in End of Evangelion: Disgusting (Kimochi warui), but this was edited out of the film at the last moment. Satsukawa noted the thematic similarity with Eva, and felt Love & Pop was almost like a continuation of Evangelion, and Anno said he was attracted to the protagonist, a mentally ill girl with multiple personalities. In fact, the film starts in the same date End of Evangelion was released.- Love & Pop Theatrical Booklet (1998)
  25. When Shinji comes to New Tokyo-3, he sees a girl that seems to be Rei Ayanami for just an instant. Considering how she is injured and wrapped up in bandages, when he later meets her in NERV Headquarters, the natural assumption would be to think that this was a phantom vision. But in Episode 26, "My True Heart For You," [from End of Evangelion] a different possibility is suggested. The girl that appeared for just one cut in this scene may be the Rei Ayanami who is "the existence that gazes upon man." - Platinum Episode Commentaries
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 Jinken: You only look at the superficial aspects of the story, and towards the end, the character Kaworu Nagisa appears. I was watching the movie as a regular person, and I was wondering why this character appeared at the end of the movie. Did you think about the fans who came in for the yaoi? Anno: Not really, I didn't think that much about it. Jinken: I thought that Kaworu Nagisa was a character for commercialization, like Saint Seiya. Is that not the case? Anno: Actually, I had planned for him to appear a little earlier. I didn't have any intentions to go that far, but I did intend on having a bishounen [the little boy controlled by the cat]. Jinken: On the contrary, it made him a very memorable character, though. Anno: If the planned relations had worked out - the plan was that the ‘unconscious Shinji-kun’ would be Ayanami Rei, the Shinji-kun who appears on the surface would be Ikari Shinji, and the ‘ideal Shinji-kun’ would be Nagisa Kaworu-kun. [Kaworu was] supposed to be an ideal male but when I tried putting him together he was just a strange fellow (laughs). That was something of a lack of capability on my part. - 2000 December Anno: Interview ‘with a mem­ber of Waseda Uni­ver­sity for the pur­pose of “character study.
  27. Sadamoto: "The Other Side of the Story"
  28. Sadamoto interview, Newtype 1997
  29. "Interview with Sadamoto Yoshiyuki", Der Mond
  30. Asuka and her relationship with Shinji have a central role in the series, while in the manga she is kept in the background compared to Rei. What is the reason for this difference?(laughs) Anno and I have a different point of view on this. The manga is less spectacular than the anime, there's less action, so I preferred to focus on the relationship between Shinji and his mother, which is the core of my work. The anime, on the other hand, precisely because it's more spectacular, has another point of view. Of course, the relationship between me and my mother is different (laughs). A manga that influenced me a lot was Hyouryuu Kyoushitsu, by Kazuo Umezuo, which talks about the relationship between mother and son. Any mother in the world wants the best for her child, and my manga is about that. - Sadamoto Days – i fan meet e l’intervista
  31. 31.0 31.1 Shinji/Asuka: Colleague-Complicated Feelings;Colleague-Love/Hate
    Rei/Shinji: Colleague-Favorable;
    Kaworu/Shinji: Colleague-Favorable - The Essential Evangelion Chronicle, Side B
  32. Death & Rebirth program book
  33. 33.0 33.1 Kaji is named from the Japanese word for "rudder", forming a triad with Gendo and Shinji, whose surnames come from the words of other ship components, "anchor" (Ikari) and "sextant" (Rokubungi). See Character Name Origins
  34. 34.0 34.1 Ritsuko's name, incidentally, was borrowed from a girlfriend of series creator Hideaki Anno that introduced him to sci-fi and shojo manga: In junior high school, Anno had a friend - nowadays, he says, you would call her a girlfriend - named Ritsuko, who had a major impact on his life and introduced him to sci-fi and shojo manga - 2nd June Interview
  35. "Anno: But that is a boy. It's as if there was no womanly feel at all. That's because it's Shinji and one more Shinji. Because ideal Shinji appears it's no good to make him a female. - Ahh, I see. Anno: [He is ideal Shinji] Because he is a character who has been cleared of all of Shinji's complexes." - JUNE Interview
  36. Evangelion Chronicle explicitates that Kaworu expected to meet Shinji there, and it wasn't an accident
  37. Death & Rebith program book "He sought active contact with Shinji as a friend, but his true identity was that of the final Angel."
  38. End of Evangelion program book "He made contact with the Third Children -- Shinji Ikari-- as a human, and although he became friends with Shinji, he was ultimately crushed to death by Eva-01 piloted by Shinji."
  39. The Essential Evangelion Chronicle: Side B
  40. Some early fansubbers misheard this as "koi", but the scripts for this episode make it clear it is "koui". As for "suki", the original ADV VHS subtitle translation gives the word as "like," while Platinum and the English dub use "love." The Netflix release, translated by Khara, chose to use "like" again. Khara's own official translator has publicly defended this change, and the ambiguity it retains from the original text.
  41. "Anno: Around the time when you’re a middle school student, you often go with friends to public bath-houses and stuff, right? On the way home from school and so forth. Also, going there right after you go play at the beach, just as you are. There are more public baths in the boonies, you see. So it almost feels like a watering hole for men. Well, people don’t go washing each other’s backs or any skinship things like that. In any case, it’s a sort of place that you can all go to together, play there, and head home." - June interview
  42. 42.0 42.1 See Anno's comments from Schizo/Parano: Much like Rei is likened to Kaworu as parts of Anno's unconscious, in contrast to Asuka, Misato and Shinji, he's also linked to Gendo as his "Jungian shadow".
  43. 43.0 43.1 43.2 Eva Special Talk with Anno Hideaki and Toshiya Ueno (Newtype 11/1996)
  44. 44.0 44.1 44.2 Takekuma: You are projected into every one of the characters in your work, but you were in Gendo's position, right? The staff had to follow you anyway, even though [they] didn't know what [you were] thinking.
    Anno: I'm in that position as far as my standing is concerned. As to whether I'm projecting that much [into him], I don't really think so. But he is certainly my shadow." - Schizo/Parano
  45. Just as it holds true for the Fifteenth Angel that appears in this episode, none of the Angels that appear in the fourth part [Episodes 21-26] launch brute force attacks, but instead, try to shake the Eva pilots psychologically. - Platinum Episode Commentaries
  46. Humans constantly feel emotional pain and feel that living is suffering. And Kaworu himself, who speaks eloquently about the human heart to that effect, draws Shinji to him emotionally and then deeply hurts him. - Platinum Episode Commentaries
  47. He is the last apostle written in the Dead Sea Scrolls of Seele. The twelfth, fourteenth, and fifteenth Angels were interested in the human mind and probed into it. He may be the completed form of the apostle born from the end of that information gathering.[...] For Shinji, Kaworu is the one who he thinks can help him. Also, for him at this point, a woman would have felt unreachable [after Kaji's death]. How ironic that the person with the best communication skills in this film, which is based on the theme of communication between people, is a non-human. At the end of this episode, Shinji laments the fact that he killed Kaworu, but Misato tells him that he died because he didn't have the will to survive. Shinji responds, "That's cold, Misato." The relationship between Shinji and Misato here is in contrast to the relationship between Shinji and Kaworu. In contrast to Kaworu, Misato is firm and realistic. [...] Maybe Misato wanted to say something kind here, but Misato has her own feelings and her own reasons. We can't always act in accordance with others. Because Kaworu is not human, he is not coiled up inside himself, and he has little desire for others. Perhaps this is why he is able to be so carefree with others. It's ironic, after all. [...] "That's cold, Misato." is a line that shows the harshness of the world and the loneliness of people. As of Kaworu, the dialogue at the end of the episode is also excellent:SHINJI: "An AT Field!" KAWORU: "That's right. That's what you Lilin call it. The sacred domain where none may trespass. The light of the soul. Lilin, you know, don't you? That the AT Field is the wall that everyone has in their heart?" SHINJI: I don't understand that! Kaoru-kun!Or, "Life and death are of equal value to me. Dying of your own will. That is the one and only absolute freedom there is." SHINJI: "What? Kaworu, I don't understand what you're saying! Kaworu..." The narcissistic phrasing of Kaworu and the fragmented mysteries of the story make for a very good match. The fact that Shinji says "I don't know" in response to Kaworu's incomprehensible comments is also very kind to the audience. It is easy to understand that what Kaworu is saying is a mystery. Not only in this scene, but throughout the series of "Eva", there are many cases where the point is clearly presented as "this is a mystery". This is the difference between "Eva" and other works that only have complicated settings and do not allow viewers to be interested in the contents. In episode 21, Kaji died, and in episodes 22 and 23, the characters were damaged and their minds were torn apart. For that reason, Kaworu's approach to Shinji in episode 24 must have spoken to him. Both in Shinji's mind and in the minds of the viewers. Having killed Kaworu, the one who he thought could help him, Shinji is now trapped inside himself, and the story is heading towards destruction. At the same time, the narrative also destroys the framework of so-called story anime. - Oguro Staff Commentary #57
  48. "Speaking about Kaworu and Shinji’s relationship, I want to write it like what often happen between primary school boys and middle school boys. For the boys, instead a girl’s admire, they actually want to have admire from the other boys. That is why they imitate other boy’s behavior. The same thing happened to me. When I was a primary five student, a transfer student came to my class from Tokyo. Even though I thought “Tokyo is not great” in my mind, but I still felt that he looks handsome. He liked to say “だからさー”, though I said “it make me sick”, but secretly I thought it was very cool.(laugh) It is this kind of feeling. It is not romance……It is a delicate feeling in a delicate age." - Interview with Yoshiyuki Sadamoto from All About Kaworu Nagisa book, pages 148-152
  49. Sadamoto's Manga Commentary, Volume 9
  50. First, Sadamoto claims that he does not understand the success of Kaworu's character. Personally, he loved the voice of the character, thus finding himself in difficulty in making it on paper and therefore deciding to modify it compared to the anime. If in the anime he had remained deliberately ambiguous about the true nature of his relationship with Shinji, leaving the viewer free to create their own interpretation, in the manga Sadamoto decided to better define everything leaving less freedom to the reader. In the manga, Kaworu, whom Sadamoto remembers being an angel while Shinji is a human, feels for Shinji a reflection of Rei's feelings, however Shinji rejects him as he is not Rei. [...] Speaking instead of the scene in which Shinji strangles Kaworu, it is a quote from a film that the master adores: Betty Blue Milano Manga Festival: Reportage dei Sadamoto Days
  51. Sadamoto: When looking back at human history, human evolution, you can see a very important relationship between parent and child. When humans want to evolve their own genes, a man would meet and fall in love with a talented woman and make a new baby who is evolving genetically. So I believe that's how humanity has evolved in our history.
    When humans decided to evolve as a species, they can only live up to maybe 100 years. So they would experience anything as much as they can within the 100 years, and pass that knowledge to their child. And the cycle of doing that would eventually evolve the DNA of the species. In comparison, the Angels are already in their complete form, and out of all the Angels, Kaworu is the ultimate form of the Angels. Kaworu becomes interested in the way human evolves and thinks that the humans should inherit this planet, and that's how he feels towards Shinji."
    Yoshiyuki Sadamoto Interview @ JX USA 2013
  52. I: But it caused female audiences in front of their televisions to shriek with joy. M: We never thought it will turn out like that. T: Was it not planned? M: We really only realised it afterwards and never thought of much at that time, after all we were going berserk. - Schizo/Prano interview collection, "judging Hideaki Anno in his absence".
  53. Anno and the rest of the Gainax team had been pushing production of the various episodes up closer and closer to the deadlines issued by their TV station, to the extent that they were actually biking episodes over to the broadcast center on Beta tape only minutes before the broadcast time77. This was tolerated, because Eva had some of the highest ratings of any show ever - until Episode 24. Episode 24 arrived at the station so late that it couldn’t even be watched before being broadcast - it was slapped in a Beta drive and transmitted directly, without being reviewed by any staff at the station. Episode 24, you’ll recall, is the Kaworu episode, which aside from the homosexual overtones (probably not actually an issue), ends with, er, a pop. Bear in mind that this was broadcast in a 6.30pm weekday slot on Japanese national television. The network went apeshit - it may have been in silhouette, and he may have been technically non-human, but you can’t show a 14 year old popping his 14 year old friend’s head off at 6.30pm on TV, even in Japan. Gainax, and Anno specifically, were accused of deliberately holding back the episode to prevent the network from seeing it before broadcast - and the network staff demanded to see the storyboards for the next two episodes. - Rob Fahey
  54. "H: Why hand-holding though? M: Because thats what the script said. H: (flips to the relevant page of the script) it says “touched his hand”. Isn’t it touched, but you drew “hold” (laughs). [...]M: Because thats what the artist drew and I wasn’t really too concerned and ok-ed it. (laughs) there was basically no time. M: [..] I didn’t want to draw that, like to a “If thats how it is I’ll quit” extent. - NGE Storyboard Collection, vol 3-4, interview with Masayuki and Shinji Higuchi"
  55. As per the storyboard for the beach encounter scene, which did not feature Shinji blushing.
  56. Platinum Booklets - Episode Commentaries 21-26
  57. Jinken: You only look at the superficial aspects of the story, and towards the end, the character Kaworu Nagisa appears. I was watching the movie as a regular person, and I was wondering why this character appeared at the end of the movie. Did you think about the fans who came in for the yaoi? Anno: Not really, I didn't think that much about it. Jinken: I thought that Kaworu Nagisa was a character for commercialization, like Saint Seiya. Is that not the case? Anno: Actually, I had planned for him to appear a little earlier. I didn't have any intentions to go that far, but I did intend on having a bishounen [the little boy controlled by the cat]. Jinken: On the contrary, it made him a very memorable character, though. Anno: If the planned relations had worked out - the plan was that the ‘unconscious Shinji-kun’ would be Ayanami Rei, the Shinji-kun who appears on the surface would be Ikari Shinji, and the ‘ideal Shinji-kun’ would be Nagisa Kaworu-kun. [Kaworu was] supposed to be an ideal male but when I tried putting him together he was just a strange fellow (laughs). That was something of a lack of capability on my part. - 2000 December Anno: Interview ‘with a mem­ber of Waseda Uni­ver­sity for the pur­pose of “char­ac­ter study.
  58. It was an experiment of mine, let's say. In the anime one of the most fascinating things about Kaworu is his voice, which is amazing, and it made this character so famous and beloved. In the manga this wasn't there, and I tried to find a way to make this character just as charming, so I tried to change some things. However, I never understood why Kaworu is liked so much.... - Sadamoto, Milan Manga Days
  59. https://comicbook.com/anime/amp/news/neon-genesis-evangelion-original-actor-interpretation-controversial-scene-anime/
  60. Interviewer: [...] But once Kaworu-kun shows up, he immediately goes to him.
    "Ogata: I don't think "goes to" is the right word for it. I always have people asking me, even at conventions overseas, "Kaworu-kun and Shinji-kun are lovers, right?" and when I say no they're always like, "What!?" and totally disappointed (lol). He's been abandoned by everyone, he has no friends or parents to trust in, and no longer has a place where he belongs. And at this point, a single person comes to him and tells him he understands him. Wouldn't anyone act the same way if they were in Shinji's position? He has no one but Kaworu-kun at that point. In that way, he's still just a child."
    "Ogata: He comes to meet Kaworu not as someone he can depend on, but as a friend that's his equal."

    Q: Looking from an outsider's perspective, I feel so bad for him. Just how is he going to become happy?
    Ogata: Perhaps he's not in high spirits, but I think Shinji has plenty of happiness. He has a place that he belongs, isn't that in itself an amazing thing? I've never once thought of Shinji as being unhappy. Perhaps there are times where Shinji himself thinks so though, especially in the TV Series.
    [...] It's not as if he isn't loved, it's just that he's forgotten his memories of when his mom loved him when he was little. He grew up without knowing the love of a parent, and so he hungered for love so much he would have been satisfied with the tiniest bit of love from another. And I think Shinji wanted someone to talk about his feelings to. He has the type of personality where it's hard to talk to others. He wants someone to talk to, and even though there are people who care about him, none of them really can listen/be there for him to the extent he wants.
    - Evangelion Special Talk with Megumi Ogata and Detective Tanaka
  61. Megumi Ogata (Shinji) Q&A Revolution 2014
  62. "—— Speaking about the blushing, is it because Shinji was happy that someone said they like him?
    Anno: Yes, Shinji-kun didn’t experience carnal desire there"
    - June Interview
  63. Despite him downplaying his talent in Episode 15, he can play Bach's Suite No. 1 Prelude in G major, BWV 1007, which is not a beginner level piece. "They represent an enormous body of work, taking over three hours to play in one sitting. They also represent a huge and never ending challenge for any cellist. Like so much of Bach's solo works for any instrument, the easier movements can be begun at an early stage, but some movements will be a source of stress for the rest of your life." (http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1372154)
  64. In the Evangelion manga, in the last chapter, we see a hope for a future in which Shinji is finally able to put aside that loneliness and fear that has marked his whole life and his choices. How did you come to write this ending?Yes, I draw on some of my own personal experiences, I come from a country town and moved to Tokyo. When I moved to Tokyo it was snowing and everything was so white and this white meant that I had moved away from my home, that my friends were no longer around me, but it's the beginning of a new future full of hope and that's kind of the image. - Milano Manga Festival 2013
  65. EVA If it weren't for Sadamoto – Redux". Translation of interview with Yoshiyuki Sadamoto about designing the series. An easily recognizable silhouette is also important, but I designed the characters so that their personalities could be more or less understood at a glance. For example, even the color and length of the hair expresses personality. I thought that Asuka would occupy the position of an "idol" in the Eva world, and that [Asuka and] Shinji should be just like the relationship between Nadia and Jean.
  66. The story and the characters were worked out by the whole staff, but my indications in particular concerned, for example, the character of a character, or what voice he should have. The design, on the other hand, is mostly mine. At first we were influenced by Sailor Moon and the idea was to have an all-female cast, it was my suggestion to put in male characters as well. Shinji, for example, was a woman, I was the one who suggested he be a man. With an all-female cast, the story would have been completely different. Another idea I had was for the robots to be piloted by boys up to the age of fourteen. If the characters were adults they would be better, they would look more like experienced military men, but I wanted the robots to have a kind of maternal spirit in them, so only children would ride in them, and there would be a synchronization between the robot and the spirit. Sadamoto Days – i fan meet e l’intervista
  67. Genesis 0:0 - In The Beginning, translation
  68. Q: Did you have a model for his face.
    A: Not particularly.  The image of a hero in Japan is like Ushiwakamaru, the strong champion whom no adversity will affect.  When you say "hero" in Japan, it conjures the impression of a man, just prior to middle age, accomplished at arms, with a burning spirit.  Or maybe you think or a bishonen (beautiful young man).  In the beginning I gave Shinji longer hair, so in the dramatic scenes, it could hide his face or wave in the breaze.   But when I drew that, he looked a little too wild-and so delicate the slightest pressure would break him.  So finally I tried for a look where you could see the forhead through the bangs, shorter hair-the look of a boyish young girl. Spreaking in concreate terms, his eyes are a girl's eyes.  I drew them exactly as I drew Nadia's [the heroine of Gainax's 1990 TV series Nadia, forthcoming in English from A.D.V. Films-ed.] eyes.  He's a male Nadia, just as if I had given Nadia a masculine makeover.  Lengthen the eyelashes and change the hair style, and you have Nadia.
    Q: You don't draw characters out of any love of simplicity.
    A: That's right. Our aim was to be the antithesis of all the giant robot animated shows around us. It's not a world where the wind blows through your hair while you declare your purpose in a booming voice.  Especially in the past one or two years, this type of refractive, feminine character has not been seen. I wanted to tell the tale of a main character taken from my own life, so I designed a character straight from the more stoic part of myself. - Sadamoto, My Thoughts at the Moment
  69. "Evangelion is a work closely related to director Shinji Higuchi's name to the extent that the name of the main character was used. In the TV series, director Shinji Higuchi mainly participated in the part where 'Asuka' appeared. "She feels like a daughter," he said of Asuka."
    "Honestly, it didn't feel good to keep being called by my name during the recording process. Others keep calling me 'idiot' (ばか). Asuka used to call me a fool in the TV series and the old movie version, but the new theatrical version I became a kid (がKI) in Es. It was painful to listen to."
    [...]"I was worried that Kaworu would be entrusted to me, but fortunately, they entrusted him to Mahiro Maeda.
    To be honest, I don't have the confidence to draw Kaworu properly. As I say now, the thing I hated the most because the main character had my name on it was the scene in which Kaworu appeared. Whenever Kaworu said 'Shinji-kun', I couldn't stand it (laughs)"
    - GameFocus interview with Higuchi
  70. Interview with Hideaki Anno (Aerial Magazine 01/1997)
  71. Parano
  72. Otakon - Kazuya Tsuramaki
  73. Red Cross Book
  74. "Amusing Himself to Death: Kazuya Tsurumaki speaks about the logic and illogic that went into creating FLCL".
  75. Carl Horn, FLCL is the Formula
  76. June 1996 NewType Interview with Hideaki Anno
  77. Evangelion Proposal
  78. Evangelion Chronicle 13
  79. Kensuke would also comment that he didn't seem like such a "sports freak". When Toji plays alone later in Episode:17, this was originally meant as a callback to this scene, and also to show Toji's self-doubt as he recognized he wasn't actually that good at sports. Evangelion Storyboard Collection, Vol 1 #5-14, vol 4 #17-36
  80. He is a 14-year-old middle school student in his second year. Now in puberty, and entering a rebellious age, he is in the last stages of forming his own self identify. In short, he is in the process of entering into adulthood. At first, he is indecisive and unsure in the heat of battle and in adult situations, while the opinions and views of the adults misguide and confuse him. Living in a time inundated by so much information, the image of the Japanese people today can be seen in him. The young protagonist believes he can do nothing by himself, but, as new experiences change him and he is able to look reality in the face, he learns and grows as a person. - Evangelion Proposal
  81. As for the fourth episode, I just couldn't accept that Shinji and Toji were on good terms at the end of the third episode in Mr. Anno's original draft, so I told him this kind of anime-like development must be spat out. I told Mr. Anno, that it would be natural for any boy to run away if you're told 'get in the robot' out of blue, and like that, I wrote episode four. - [[Statements by Evangelion Staff#Akio Satsukawa: Love & Pop Theatrical Booklet (1998)|Love & Pop Theatrical Booklet (1998)]
  82. Interviewer: Shinji also played the cello, and played music once, didn’t he? Or else, was that a variety of therapy, or something? Anno: No, I don’t know. That was the scriptwriters’ idea. Well, it was just that the character gave off the feeling of a cello.
  83. Satsukawa: I picked the cello piece that Shinji plays in episode 15. If I knew that "DEATH"s OST would win first place in Oricon, I would have cared more about the movie, too. - Love & Pop Theatrical Booklet (1998)
  84. Parano, pp. 136
  85. In the anime I work with Anno, so nothing is entirely my choice, while in the manga I have more freedom to go into what I want. The biggest difference, for example, is that in the manga Shinji is presented as a bad boy, which is not so explicit in the anime. In the manga Shinji doesn't want to do anything, he's not someone who wants to put his all into it, while in the anime he's a bit more positive, he says "I don't have to run away!". Sadamoto Days – i fan meet e l’intervista
  86. Sadamoto, Milano Manga Days 2014
  87. Interview with Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Animerica Vol. 6, No. 8
  88. Young Ace, Vol. 1, pg. 2
  89. "I think I was pretty sociable. But I didn't like to stand out. In terms of characters, I was probably more like Kensuke. I wasn't that straightforward, honor student type, and I was often told that I was calm. It seems that I give up quickly, but in fact I am persistent. I wasn't what you'd call a delinquent, but I did a lot of bad things and reflected on them. I think that part of me is similar to Shinji in the manga." -Yoshiyuki Sadamoto: The Other Side of the Story (Newtype 12/1997)
  90. "Among the characters of Evangelion, Sadamoto sees himself a lot in Kensuke Aida, a military otaku who really likes girls, but he also empathized a lot with Gendo Ikari, as, being both fathers of families, he saw himself in his dilemmas, in his parental anxieties and difficulties in establishing relationships with children. He doesn't feel like Shinji in the least." Milan Manga Festival 2014
  91. "We naturally put ourselves in the shoes of the 14-year-old Shinji, who was cornered and repeatedly said, "You can't run away," but now, more than 10 years later, many fans may feel closer to Ryoji Kajiand Misato Katsuragi, whom they admired.
    Anno said, "Now I feel more for Misato, Kaji, and Ritsuko than I do for Shinji. - Tsurumaki Interview, July 2009 AERA Magazine
  92. (Ogata): So I asked, "Why did you ask me that in the first place!?" I don't know if it was instrumental at that time or what it meant, but he said, "Among the members of this meeting only Todoroki (Ikki) and you understand Shinji's feelings”. (laughs). So I had a little discussion with the staff about how Shinji would act. (Ogata):"One day, I got a call from Khara, Inc. saying, 'We'd like to discuss the scenario,' so I went there and had a meeting. Anno said, 'I want to know your opinion on how to deal with Shinji's inability to speak at the end of 3.0.' "I told him, 'I'll do whatever Anno decides,' but he said, 'Now I feel closer to Gendou than Shinji. The only people who can understand Shinji's feelings now are Ogata and [Anno's assistant] Ikki Todoroki' (laughs)." - Evangelion 3.0+1.0 Assorted Translations
  93. "Megumi Ogata also explains that for the first time, Hideaki Anno asked her which ending the actress preferred "as Shinji". Will Ms. Ogata's choice be the one that will conclude the tetralogy? Is this a false lead sown by the director? The future and posterity will tell us!" - Japan Expo 2019 - Things seen #9: Evangelion marks the 20th anniversary of Japan Expo!
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