Commentary: Episode #04

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Postby Magami No ER [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:32 pm

That? I didn't know that was a real joke.... Image

Originally posted on: 27-Mar-2005, 03:09 GMT

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Postby Reichu [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:32 pm

Well, don't worry. That isn't the stupid "Easter Egg" I planted in (although it probably was Wayne's fault).

Originally posted on: 27-Mar-2005, 03:56 GMT

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Postby Mr. Tines [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:32 pm

Reichu wrote:When Toji isn't around? :gets confused:

When Kensuke and Touji are together, Kensuke seems to spend most of his time articulating the words that strong, silent Touji should but doesn't.

Originally posted on: 29-Mar-2005, 15:34 GMT

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Postby Incisivis [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:32 pm

Magami No ER wrote:Wasn't this thread suspose to be sticked? Incisvis hasn't posted yet....

I'm busy with exams. How's that work out for you? Image

I eventually plan to post here, but I can find it anyway. No sticky. Carry on without me if you must....

Originally posted on: 31-Mar-2005, 19:06 GMT

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Postby Reichu [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:32 pm

S'okay, we're waiting on a few people. Just post eventually! Image I'm counting on you to fill out this episode out; it's got regrettably little material going along with it, and I trust our local Shinji fangirl can fix that.

Originally posted on: 31-Mar-2005, 19:14 GMT

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Postby Incisivis [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:33 pm

001: For me, this episode continues the early-series winning streak. While there is continuity between all the episodes, episode 4 has the distinct feel of being a "sequel" to episode 3, being that it deals with the aftermath of not only the Angel's attack, but of Shinji's induction into school. It's also very character-driven, which is a big plus.

And I suppose here's as good a place to say it as any, even though there's many examples throughout the episode: #4 makes very effective use of silence. That's true for the entire series, but here it stands out particularly.

014: So Shinji leaves without telling Misato to her face. Here I think Shinji's motivation is not fear of Misato as it will be in episode 24, but a desire to "find himself". Shinji has recently had his first taste of active violence and wonders what it means for himself and his future, and needs to get away from the human world to determine that. I don't think Shinji gets any answers, though.

But leaving the message for Misato shows that Shinji does care to an extent, that he doesn't want to leave without saying something, which points to his redemptive potential. Also, "Misato-sama" may be his way of showing that he "respects" Misato enough to leave that message, or such a respectful honorific may be Shinji's way of asking for forgiveness.

021-031: A recurring theme in the series is Shinji's "difference" from what might be seen as "normal" teenage male behavior, and Touji and Kensuke's presence helps to illuminate that. Consider: only after a period of time has passed does Touji go to talk with Shinji. Also, even when desiring atonement the boys mark Misato as attractive.

036: And so Shinji goes onward into the "train-as-journey-symbol" cliché. The train will appear in Shinji's visions again, in a more obviously metaphoric context, making me wonder if the train ride had an influence on Shinji, so that it keeps recurring in his visions. Or, like I just said, it could be an easy symbol.

041: "I should go back," he says. As always Shinji recognizes his own failings and does not relish them, something which I think exempts him slightly, though not entirely. In my mind, true evil, true wickedness comes from a lack of self-examination or a pure enjoyment of the bad things you do.

048: The theater scene almost seems to foreshadow Shinji's meeting with Kensuke; violence becomes entertainment, disaster becomes specactle. I don't believe violent entertainment is in itself bad, but there is something about the transformation of real tragedy into fantasy that makes me uncomfortable.

071: The cicadias may represent the "sound" of his conscience, which he's covering his ears to block out, a futile gesture since the noise is coming from inside his head.

092: When Misato and Ritsuko have a conversation about the age of the pilots and the ethics involved, it makes me wonder. Most anime have teenage protagonists, but they often seem to be older because of their looks, actions, or attitudes (see: Gundam Wing, Saint Seiya). When the notions of "child soldiers" or ethics related to age arise in those series it looks clunky because of the aforementioned "anime aging". NGE is kind of in the middle here. It's Shinji that's more credible as a teenage boy than either Rei or Asuka, probably because the female characters are presented as more "grand" and sexualized more often.

095: The difference between Ritsuko and Misato shows up again, as Ritsuko considers the need for pilots and Misato seems to be the more compassionate one. Though as we'll see later, emotions are not so simple for either of them.

105: I actually find this scene funny, mostly because it's so out of character for Shinji. Though I agree if it happened often it would be annoying, because of the difference between being wanting to be annoying, and your reactions provoking annoyance in other people when you don't mean it. Shinji seems to like messing with Misato here.

138:I think it's interesting to note that Kensuke's attitude is one often expressed by non-NGE fans, albiet in a more hostile way than his: that since Shinji lives with a beautiful woman and gets to pilot a "robot", he has no right to complain. That's ********, really. Whatever thrills Misato and the EVA might provide in someone's fantasy have nothing to do with what helps people with their problems and restores their strength.

His attitude also begs the question whether or not Kensuke is a spoof or a wreck. I want to say a little bit of both, but the truth is I'd rather concentrate on "wreck". More than once I've wondered if his warphilia is a way of coping with his situation.

139: Shinji's attitude towards Kensuke's war games is one of distance and slight confusion. He says that Kensuke's mother might be worried if he piloted an Evangelion, and can't seem to grasp that Kensuke would do these things for fun (hence the "gureilla warfare" question, which I think is willfull ignorance). This happens because at this point in the story Shinji is basically pacifistic. He's had hatred and now violence, but his surface self still dislikes them. It illustrates Shinji's lack of masculinity, but also that it's hard to romanticize something once you've experienced it firsthand.

156:When we return to the classroom, the roles of Kensuke and Touji are switched from the previous episode: now Kensuke is the level-headed one and Touji looks foolish.

157:In what I think is pure coincidence, Touji looks like a parody of people who would demand the best from everyone at everytime when he demands to know why Kensuke didn't resist the NERV MIBs, showing the kind of overzealous accountability that's just as ludicrous as allowing no accountability.

167:I know that when Shinji says, "You've got no relation to me." it's likely a cultural example of Japanese collectivism, that family members are more suited to help others deal with them and hold authority, while the intervention of outsiders is seen as unwelcome (this is cited as part of the reason why Asian-Americans are slightly less likely to seek counselling for family violence--Anyone with more expertise in the culture, feel free to correct me). But I also can't help but see it as another a veiled reference to Misato's sexual designs on him; she wishes to be more than just a mother substitute.

175: Misato's two meetings with Shinji are quite alike, showing a distance between the two characters. The second time Misato tries to break that when she gets angry about Shinji's dispassionate approach to piloting, but I don't think it works.

191: The departure at the train station is where the friendship between Shinji, Touji, and Kensuke is cemented, I think. Often I wonder if their relationship sprang from guilt, at least on Touji and Shinji's account.

200: Everyone's going to hate me for saying this, but both of your descriptions of Touji remind me so very much of Katsuya Jounouchi from Yu-Gi-Oh!, who's a character I really like. Conversely I'm not very interested in Touji, but I don't dislike him anyway. And he deserves points for his quote in 223, though I doubt even he could take 'em all at once. Image

201: That Shinji doesn't want to punch Touji is another indication that Shinji is not a "typical" teenage boy. He can't understand the connection between punching and atonement, the sort of male-bonding-through-mild-violence that we in the West recognize as a clap on the shoulder, an elbow in the side. Also Shinji's dislike of violence at this point in the series.

221: Kensuke and Touji are also a big influence in keeping Shinji at Tokyo-3, though they don't mean to be. At this point Shinji would gladly put others' happiness above his own, and stays so Touji and Kensuke won't have to leave. Even the memory of Misato telling him to "Hang in there," would be part of that drive.

234: When Shinji protests that he deserved to be hit, not Touji, he's exempting himself just a little bit, again. Even if he doesn't act on it, I still consider recognition to be better than denial. Also, Shinji is showing some backbone, going against the orders of some big and tough NERV MIBs to say what he feels needs to be said.

236:

Magami No ER: There should be an anime law that states that all bodyguards/suits are hardened, quick to anger bastards who use intimidation to sound fierce. These guys remind me soooo much of Kiba's suits from "Yu-Gi-Oh". Weird.

Okay, so I'm not the first person to mention that series on the commentary. Weird. And it's "Kaiba", by the way.

273: The reunion with Misato suggests a rebirth of sorts, being that Shinji and Misato repeat the same greetings as when he entered her apartment. But there is also a darker suggestion: that Shinji can't escape even when he wants to. It is the right thing to do in this circumstance, but the notion still remains, and it will be revisited in episode 19.

Originally posted on: 01-Apr-2005, 15:47 GMT

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Postby Magami No ER [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:33 pm

Sorry about that....spelling and Magami just don't mix, as unprofessional that sounds. Hopefully I'll grow out of this annoying bad habit of mis-spelling. And I believe there was another time I mentioned Yu-Gi-Oh, not for the commentary, but in one of the many "soul" threads....when it comes down past the commercialization of the cards, this series is about people's relations to, just a bit more fantasy-like, through games. And Ancient Egypt. Image ^Very nice reads, Incisvis.

Originally posted on: 01-Apr-2005, 19:04 GMT

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Postby Mr. Tines [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:33 pm

A comment on the commentary on 203 - I'm interested to see my "odd couple" comment against this frame, as opposed to the earlier one (159, Kensuke commenting on his own solo adventures, the culmination of one of the few sequences where we see him acting as other than as Touji's interpreter) which triggered my thought.

Perhaps I was being just too cryptic & elliptical in my hints - I'm not sure which couple Reichu thought I might have been referring to, or is attempting to bring to mind by juxtaposing the comments at this point. While it's true that this sequence shows that Aida-kun has a level of empathy and understanding of another human being that is pretty much unique in the show, it wasn't Kensuke/Touji Image I was alluding to.

Originally posted on: 02-Apr-2005, 15:00 GMT

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Postby Reichu [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:33 pm

It wasn't? I guess you need to be a bit more straight-forward with me. What WERE you talking about? Image

Originally posted on: 02-Apr-2005, 15:32 GMT

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Postby Mr. Tines [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:33 pm

Reichu wrote:It wasn't? I guess you need to be a bit more straight-forward with me. What WERE you talking about? Image

I was actually thinking, give him a couple of years and I could see Kensuke and Asuka being right together.

Originally posted on: 02-Apr-2005, 17:56 GMT

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Postby Reichu [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:33 pm

Mr. Tines wrote:I was actually thinking, give him a couple of years and I could see Kensuke and Asuka being right together.

o_O

Whereas I would thinking, "NO chemistry!" Easier for me to see Kensuke and Toji spending the rest of their days together! Image

Originally posted on: 02-Apr-2005, 18:48 GMT

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Postby Siendra [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:33 pm

It's also pretty easy for you to conceive Adam and Lilith going at it. I wasn't aware anything was outside the realm of your imagination.

Originally posted on: 03-Apr-2005, 08:41 GMT

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Postby Reichu [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:33 pm

Are you referring to that old cartoon I did? I tend not to conceive of Adam and Lilith getting it on these days.

With regards to Asuka getting it on with anyone, I try to think about the matter as little as possible and stick to the images provided in the show. Image

Originally posted on: 03-Apr-2005, 08:48 GMT

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Postby Gundampilotspaz [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:33 pm

159 - It could also be some kind of reference to the war effort agenst the angels. Because truly humanity can't win, even if the angels are defeated third impact will happen anyway.

179 - The first thing that pops into your head when you hear Gendo say that, and see Rei still looking horribly injured is, "You Cold Bastard!" and of course, you would be right.

200 - And on the deeper phsycological side he is a physical character. He must be the best in shape of all the main characters, and he shows emotion openly though physical violence. Like when he needed to hit Shinji to express anger. He NEEDS to have Shinji hit him back because that is the only way he can have emotion expressed. Also later on when Hikari is interested in Toji he doesn't notice untill she offers to feed him. Hunger is a physical characteristic and thats how he figures out that he she likes him.

215 - Nerv agent 1: "He punches like a girl."

223 - Once again a physical interpretation of emotion.

242 - Shinji can't be close to anyone, and he can't tell people how he feels. But he does feel emotion and the way he shows he gives a damn about Misato and the other people in his life is piloting Evangelion and winning with Evangelion even though he hates it. This continues to develop though out the series but we see some as early as episode one and the reason it develop was because of Gendo. The only think Shinji can do for Gendo is pilot Evangelion. Thats the only connection they have. They barely have a connection as father and son anymore. Only the Evangelion.

273 - But when he does say it he says it with conviction, while in episode two he didn't. He really means it this time he has begun to form emotional bonds with Misato, Kensuke, Toji. So he truly does feel as if he has come home now. In episode two it was more of a place to live, now he feels as he belongs. Such a powerful emotional backing put into two words. That is the true power of the first four episodes the way that Shinji is built from an emotional wreak to a human being (almost) in the next episode you can tell right away of the change that Shinji has gone though.

Originally posted on: 12-Apr-2005, 21:31 GMT

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Postby Dr. Nick [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:33 pm

I'll contribute my ep. 04 comments when I get that cursed broadband connection (might take two months), so feel free to move on to the next episode whenever ready.

Originally posted on: 13-Apr-2005, 18:12 GMT

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Postby Otaprince [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:33 pm

121- This scene reminds me of the airgun game in FLCL, which is also played in a field, and of the scene in Honneamise.

Image

145 - It's worth explaining that Kensuke is not simply "playing soldier' as most boys do, but that Japan has a certain type of otaku who are totally into uniforms and gun replicas: military otaku. I suspect that a number of Gainax creators have been some shade of military otaku, including Anno, who seems to be very interested in submarines and WWII-era naval ships in particular. Military otaku are satirized, along with other otaku types, in Gainax's earlier work, Otaku no Video.

Shinji is probably confused because, even in Japan, military otaku are a rare breed.

161- Throughout the show, this scene is repeated with various people imprisoned by NERV.

180 - Re-watching this scene, I sense jealousy, not just concern, from Ritsuko.

188 - It occurs to me here that part of Anno's trademark technique (lingering on traffic signs and telephone poles) is also a money-saving device in anime production. Here, the cut focuses on the phone wires while we hear the car pulling up to a stop. Animating that car would've cost money.

This is a good thing. I've always thought that limits on creativity lead to the most interesting creative innovations: back when film was in black and white, filmmakers were forced to come up with creative ways of using black and white. Think film noir. Similarly, budget constraints on anime have led to a lot of Anno's most recognizable techniques, including the one mentioned above, his tendency to linger on a single shot (as at the end of this episode) and his rapid-fire succession of shots technique, seen in later episodes, in the place of actual animated movement.

215 - I like how the NERV guys are amused...

227- Does R-55 have some significance?

Originally posted on: 28-Apr-2005, 20:58 GMT

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Postby Dr. Nick [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:33 pm

My comments (etc.) for episode #04:

039: Again, from Kiyone's collection of nitpicks: [I'm posting the entire passage here (again), but I don't think we need to mention all of this stuff in the commentary, for example these tape side-switching inconsistensies; as I've said before, they are quite obviously caused by frame recycling and therefore not very interesting findings (we can mention them in the bloopers appendix, though). The most interesting thing here is the odd hour / minute system:]

-Shinji's Digital Audio Player has a rather unusual LCD display. On the train, while Shinji is sitting silent and motionless, his Digital Audio Tape player switches directions automatically, and the track number switches from 25 to 26. When the tape switches to the other side, presumably 76 minutes and 5 seconds later (to show us how long Shinji has been sitting), the track number displayed switches from 26 back to 25! Even if you accept the rather unlikely premise that the second side of the tape contains one 76 minute long track (which would make epic Guns N' Roses songs like "Coma" (just a hair over 10 minutes long) seem as short as commercial jingles in comparison), what happened to tracks one through 24? Shouldn't they be on the first side. Not only that, but, when the tape first switches over, the timer continues from 76:03 to 76:04, rather than starting over from 00:00. Yet, when it switches back to the first side, the counter goes from 76:05 to 76:06! Since I've established that the counter doesn't automatically reset itself when switching sides, the fact that the counter does not read 152:09 at the end of the second side would seem to indicate that Shinji would have had to have pressed the "Counter Reset" button at some point, but I thought that, in this scene, Shinji was supposed to be oblivious to what was happening around him! But the strangest thing of all with the cassette player is that the display includes the hour as well as the minutes and seconds, but when we see the time displayed, it's always 00 hours 76 minutes XX seconds, rather than 01 hours 16 minutes and XX seconds! (Perhaps, after the Second Impact, the Earth's rotation slowed so that an hour is much longer than the 60 minutes (or 0:59:56.17, if you assume that an hour is 1/24th of the actual amount of time (23:56:04 according to Moore's Atlas of the Universe) that the Earth takes to rotate around its axis) that it is today?)

I'm not sure if Kiyone's theory about earth's rotation being altered by 2I needs to mentioned though - I don't think there's anything else in the series to support it. Once again, I shall leave the tricky editorial choices for Reichu.

Mr. Tines' fan-service comments in 092 are quite similar to my own comments in #01 / 074... To avoid repeating the same thing in two different episodes, maybe some of these older comments could be moved to ep. #04, like this:

Reichu: Refreshingly, the undergarments are treated as simply being there, rather than dwelt upon by the camera like a TRUE fan service shot.
Mr. Tines: Quite. Eva's "service" at least avoids being blatant -- even if there are a lot of camera angles that seem to be composed while forgetting that the female characters have faces, it's not exaggerated.
Dr. Nick: Well, thanks to their perverse creativity, the fan service aspect in Gainax's series is generally executed in such a manner that it doesn't make you want to stab your eyes with a fork, unlike with so many other series. A bold statement, I know, but I stand behind it: If you think Mahoromatic was bad, thank heavenly lord you haven't seen any truly evil shows...
Reichu: In my case, it was probably a good thing there weren't any forks around last time I watched "Gunbuster"...
(connect these comments together however the hell you want)
Reichu: They've had such opportunities for "PANTSU" before (#01, C-074; #03, C-121/3), but not taken them... Just for contrast, take "Blue Seed"*, where a running gag is made out of a different animal appearing on the heroine's panties in each episode.

The #01 / 074 comments would then look like this:

tv33: Interesting camera angle...
thewayneiac: Some might think that this is a weird time for fan service... but, actually, it's always a good time for fan service!
HeWhoPostsStuff: Ridiculously enough, the fourth shot down reminds me of an old episode of "Ren and Stimpy," wherein a dramatic sunset rises over the "rolling hills" of Stimpy's butt, with dramatic music playing in the background. And no, I haven't watched "Ren and Stimpy" since.

This is just a suggestion, though.


146: Considering that's just a normal two-man tent with no kind of heater whatsoever, it must have been one helluva cold night for the boys.

153: Am I the only one who thinks Nerv security agency is overdoing things a bit?


And now, the mandatory Dr. Nick's Bad Joke of teh Episode

161: Are those blood stains on the wall? "Throw him into the torture chamber!"
162 (continued from 161): "Time for your punishment, Shinji."

Feel very free not to include this in the finalized version. Thank you.


236: Looking at the topmost storyboard here it almost seems as if the MIB on the right used a taser gun on Shinji's back. ZAAAP!!!

261: The blood of a street ricer flows thick in her veins, I can see.


That's it. I was about to add in comments about Gomen-style kung fu, Ligyro-porphyrophobic panic attacks and the MIBs fitting Shinji with an explosive collar to keep him from running away, but luckily I came to my senses. Also, cut 150 simply SCREAMS for "silent alarm", but it's no good since only Rachel understands that in-joke...

BTW - read and obey my new signature!

Originally posted on: 29-Apr-2005, 21:34 GMT

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Postby Reichu [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:33 pm

Dr. Nick wrote:039: Again, from Kiyone's collection of nitpicks: [I'm posting the entire passage here (again), but I don't think we need to mention all of this stuff in the commentary, for example these tape side-switching inconsistensies; as I've said before, they are quite obviously caused by frame recycling and therefore not very interesting findings (we can mention them in the bloopers appendix, though). The most interesting thing here is the odd hour / minute system:]

I'm not sure if Kiyone's theory about earth's rotation being altered by 2I needs to mentioned though - I don't think there's anything else in the series to support it. Once again, I shall leave the tricky editorial choices for Reichu.

Heh heh, yes. Well, my fault for putting myself on the sacrificial altar. I'll think of something.

Mr. Tines' fan-service comments in 092 are quite similar to my own comments in #01 / 074... To avoid repeating the same thing in two different episodes, maybe some of these older comments could be moved to ep. #04, like this

Hmmmm... Again, I'll have to see what I can do about this. Good thing I have you to point this stuff out to me!

And now, the mandatory Dr. Nick's Bad Joke of teh Episode

161: Are those blood stains on the wall? "Throw him into the torture chamber!"
162 (continued from 161): "Time for your punishment, Shinji."

You know, I don't think I've ever seen a dominatrix-Misato. I'd better go suffer through more H-doujinshi!

236: Looking at the topmost storyboard here it almost seems as if the MIB on the right used a taser gun on Shinji's back. ZAAAP!!!

Wow, you're right!

That's it. I was about to add in comments about Gomen-style kung fu, Ligyro-porphyrophobic panic attacks and the MIBs fitting Shinji with an explosive collar to keep him from running away, but luckily I came to my senses.

Do it! Do it!!!

Also, cut 150 simply SCREAMS for "silent alarm", but it's no good since only Rachel understands that in-joke...

Like I said! You must make the tale of your months of suffering available to all! A treasure to behold.

Okay, okay, shutting up.

Originally posted on: 29-Apr-2005, 22:27 GMT

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Postby OMF [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:34 pm

Finally got around to this. I always seem to write more than I intend to for these.
Enjoy the lunacy.

005: I find it somewhat ironic that Misato is at her most fully clothed when IN bed.

009: How wrong is this! A big pink heart on a 14 year old adolecants door. Yet another indication that Misato is still clueless when it comes to kids.

010: Misato is using a rather put on tone of voice here. She still hasn't connected with him enough to talk naturally.

014: It's just like Shinji. I'd wager the letter is an elaborate and breathtaking study in written apology, overflowing with deeply considered prose, and inscribed with intricate calligraphy.

015: (After Reichu) Seconded. Some episodes have really strange character designs. This is one of them. It's not that they're bad, so much as, "not quite right".

016: Perhaps Gendou has confiscated it all, just to be nasty! "G: Fond memories? No. He won't be needing those. Confiscate Them!"

017: Shinji just couldn't leave the house without spotlessly cleaning his room and leaving a carefully handwritten explanation. He far too principled to just storm off.

020: If only he was around to see it... *sniffs*

021: Touji does do an awful lot of bowing in the following scene. You can notch that one up as the new number one reason not to wear tracksuit pants!

025: Yes you are! Gendou was livid remember!? His eyes....his terrible eyes...

026: See! This is what makes the commentary project worth it. This scene just became ten times funnier after learning this fact!

031: And straightens his back.

033: (After Mr. Tines) And her failure to get him to keep staying with her is probobly another reason she's so glum here.

034: Looks like the Tokyo-3 loop line uses a Maglev track propulsion system. What a pity no one has bothered to design aerodynamic carriages to go with such an elaborate system.

035: This bag looks suspiciously like Asuka's plugsuit carry case. I wonder is it Shinji's? Do you think he's taken his plug suit with him as well?

041: It's also interesting that we only now find out he's been taking the loop line, orbiting Toyko-3, but still unable to escape its pull. Always being drawn back by something. Quite profound that.

057: Dallying!? They're philandering I tell you!

062: I'd say Shinji is as annoyed with himself for having stared at them as he is with the couples flirtatious behaviour. Going back to Reichu's comment in 046, we might well be seeing a conflict between Shinji's id, which stared, and his superego, which disaproves of both their behaviour and his staring. Shinji's a prude who doesn't really understand sexuality at all.

063: He's so put out by the flirtation going on inside that he's retreated to the lobby to get some sleep. Shinji always shys away from sex. He's not the most lecherous teen around.

065: It's got to represent blood, violence, anger etc... negative emotions. Especially considering Rei's words following the above quote by Mr. Tines.

072: I think this whole psychadelic scene is meant to represent Shinji's fear and revulsion of the violence he has witnessed and participated in since he came to Tokyo-3. The blood red sky and the beastial howling, which sounds a lot like the Eva, might represent the primal rage or bloodlust that he has expierienced. Shinji is a gentle person who is afraid of violence and especially afraid of his own capacity for it. If only they'd let him minister those breakfast nooks.

083: Given that a lot of the earths arable land is now underwater, perhaps these mountains have been terraced to provide more space for tillage.

089: Something is drawing him back to Tokyo-3. Rather like the angels really. He's inexorably bound to return to the place.

093: I don't think it's ever actually explicitly stated in the show exactly why only 14 year old children are the only ones that can pilot Eva. I guess the anime watching public have become so numb to the unbreakable law that only teenagers can pilot giant battle machines, that the director didn't ever feel the need to give some hackneyed explanation.

098: Misato has to be the most casually dressed person in Nerv. I'll bet it irritates Gendou no end.

101: Shinji is very out of character in this scene. The reason is probobly that he's realised what he still hadn't in #03-161. He's here because they need him to pilot Eva. He's probobly feeling a lot of ambivilence about this. He's both powerful and powerless at the same time. On the one hand, people need him, he's not useless and is in fact essential. But on the other hand he's believes he's just a pilot to them now, a weapon with a larynx weapon with a larynx who no one really cares about. He's doing something he hates for people who don't really care about him at all. He probobly thinks everyone is laughing at him and he's finally gotten the joke. The following conversation will only reinforce that belief.

103: Misato's comments here are only confirming what Shinji already feels. She's his commander, and he's her subordinate. Nothing more.

105: Shinji's not declaring understanding of her orders here. It his own distorted understanding of his current situation that he has reached. Misato's comments confirmed to him that his use is as a pilot only.

107: "The end justifies the means." Shinji thinks his only purpose now is to destroy angels, so what does it matter if he doesn't do it by the book. The only thing they can do is complain.

109: He doesn't seem to care if he lives or dies. Death would only release him from his purgatorial conscription. He still has no motivation for piloting, or indeed living.

111: Shinji first line here shows he's not interested in Misato's opinion of him. In his next he shows his one and only source of consolation. He's the only one who can pilot, so dispite all their bossing, the worst they can do is simply send him out to fight.

115: Misato really hates the idea of Shinji piloting when he doesn't want to. Even more so because she's main person cattle prodding him into Eva every morning.

Originally posted on: 10-May-2005, 01:50 GMT

OMF [ANF]
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Postby OMF [ANF] » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:34 pm

Yes I have commentary diarrhoea, and unfortunately it isn't contagious! Image

121: The sound effects for the grass is quite well done too. Good foley work here.

123: I've just realised. I haven't done this in years. Must arrange a sky staring session soon.

138: Kensuke's envy of Shinji's situation will gradually seem more and more idiotic as the series progresses. Eventually his desperate urge to pilot Eva will seem like a man asking to drink hemlock. Kensuke holds onto the dream of piloting, despite the nightmare that the reality actually is.

140: I think Kensuke is the only other non pilot we know for certain has lost his mother. We can deduce it for Touji and Hikari, but Kensuke's the only one who confirms it beyond doubt.

142: How the hell does he know so much? Something tells me those security blokes should have dragged him off as well.

143: Someone who's lost his mother, and is actually a cheerful and balanced individual. No wonder Shinji is so speechless. That said Kensuke probobly never got quite as cold a paternal shoulder as Shinji.

145: He probobly doesn't understand regular playing soldiers. He's more into cooking, cleaning, writing, sewing ...etc.

151: The MIBs one weakness! Morning fog! Only then will they remove their protective sunglasses. Strike now Kensuke!

153: Shinji seems to have been anticipating something like this. His resigned "Hai"'s are reminisant of Rei's in #01-249. Duty calls, at gunpoint.

157: Touji is just so charmingly uncouth at times.

158: Shinji would love these chicks...but, not in that way!

161: What's with those marks on the walls? Are they executing people down here?

163: Misato is still using here lighter tones her. She still doesn't know how to deal with him.

164: Straight to business. Misato is, dispite her concern for him, letting her professional duties dictate the course of the conversation.

167: Shinji still feels there is no connection between them, apart from the chain of command. He's still laughing bitterly at his own lonesome dilemma.

169: Shinji's looking for an escape here. Anything to get out of piloting again.

170: Misato is quite addled by now. She'll never be able to decrypt Shinji's conversations, unless he's at his most forward.

171: Leaving Rei to pilot it is not the escape Shinji was looking for. He could never leave knowing someone else was suffering in his stead.

174: Misato's pent up guilt has finally burst out. She no longer wants to deal her remorse for forcing Shinji to pilot against his will. You can tell she's really upset to finally learn what she's always suspected, that he's doing this because he's been ordered to, and that he hates it.

175: She's very upset here, close to tears in fact. She's been bottling up her feelings for some time.

177: Shinji has been quite profoundly affected. Misato has just obliterated the only support he's been leaning on, that people need him to pilot. Again he had been declared unnessesary and useless. There are resoundings of his reaction to Gendou's "Leave" in #01-228 here.

178: This isn't Gendou's most flattering shot. He looks rather like an old man, thinking about prunes, who's eaten too many prunes, with a rather prunish complexion. He looks wierd. Also note how Ritsuko does not refer to Shinji by name as she did with Rei. Perhaps she knows from expierience not to mention the S word around Gendou.

187: Shinji's clenching at his knee here revealing his frustration at his reinstated powerlessness.

192: From the sound of it, I think his laptop is in there. It's likely the only item, along with other school gear, that Touji and Kensuke would have a reason to bring.

195: It's Shinji! Sent back in time to save the world from annihilation! However, without Asuka or Misato to boss him about, he does little except get a rather menial job in Nerv intelligence guarding his younger self. He'll only be able to leap once his younger self falls in love with Asuka though, and as you've already guessed, even Ziggy won't be able to help him with that one.

201: Shinji cringes at the very thought of violence. Couldn't Touji just write a formal apology, or some other non-violent act of contrition!

206: Touji's pretty psyched up for this!

207: Sound's like laptop, or a chemistry set.

209: Something tells me Touji's taken martial arts lessons. My instructor used to come out with these exact lines. Same tone and everything! And in Japanese naturally!

213: Screensaver!!

216: Such touching male bonding. This kind of thing never works in real life though.

218: You Lie Kensuke! You hacked Magi, didn't you?

234: Shinji couldn't leave Tokyo-3 knowing people had a good impression of him. He feels his actions are undeserving of any respect, and so has to tell everyone else. He really has no self confidence at all.

242: Misato's figured out that in his own introverted little way, Shinji was really just crying out for a hug.

244: Perhaps they've left for that very reason.

252B: Her most supportive one so far at that. This won't be the last time Shinji remembers these kind words, even if he didn't really seem to be paying attention at the time.

256: My posterior aches at the memories of long hours spent sitting on such fiendish contraptions.

261: I'm surprized the whole Tokyo-3 traffic squad isn't in hot pursuit, sirens blazing, with Hyuuga leaning out the side window of the lead car with a megaphone, begging her come back to the command center so they can work all this out. Couldn't resist that one.

272: The announcer's reference to small children simply has to have deeper meaning with regard to Misato and Shinji.

274: I may weep openly.

P.S. I've just noticed that both the episode 01 and 02 commentary threads are, well gone... so... what about unentered comments... oh dear...

Originally posted on: 10-May-2005, 01:58 GMT


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