Hexon.Arq wrote:Shinji's position in Instrumentality essentially makes him the conscious hub of human existence.

Well, it should be noted that the part of the movie beginning with the sandbox scene and ending with Shinji wringing Asuka's little neck takes place before Instrumentality proper starts. Shinji melts into a little puddle of LCL before anyone else, and, courtesy of Rei, he is linked to our favorite corpses (Misato, Asuka, and Ritsuko) and, of course, Rei herself. This leads to Shinji's decision that everyone should die, at which point everyone goes splat and are funneled into the Black Moon -- leaving Shinji, Rei, Kaworu, and, of course, Yui-sama as the only real individuals left. (Well, that was my impression, anyway... Everyone was thrown into the Black Moon hivemind except them. And, appropriately, all traces soon disappear of all individuals except them once HIP starts.)

Best pilot... that's a tough one. If we're talking about pilot abilities alone, and not motherly/survival Eva instincts and deus-ex-machina surprises...

Shinji doesn't even want to pilot. The only thing that makes him half-decent in there is who's really at the controls. So no, not Shinji. Rei... stoic almost to the point of seeming robotic, and whatever's asked, she'll do. Perfect for a dummy system, or what? Her synch rate and performance might be average, but we all know who the Commander's favorite is, and who's trusted to deal with the Lance. Asuka's spirit is in the right place, and that should probably put her in pole position. She actually wants to pilot; that's gotta count for more than being vacantly stoic or not wanting to pilot at all.

...I'd vote Asuka.

Although methinks Kaworu could kick her ass six ways from Sunday.

Tabris wrote:Perfect for a dummy system, or what?

The dummy system decidedly lacks Rei's stoicism. In fact, it's even more batshit crazy than Yui on the warpath. At least SHE knew when to stop.

Although methinks Kaworu could kick her ass six ways from Sunday.

We never got to see if he was any good at ACTUAL piloting. Kyoko was "hiding her soul away", so was he did to control her was using his built-in cheat.

But if it's built-in, is it really cheating?

...Yes, sure, why not.

Reichu wrote:The dummy system decidedly lacks Rei's stoicism. In fact, it's even more batshit crazy than Yui on the warpath. At least SHE knew when to stop.

Hey, they were still working out the bugs. Blame Gendo.

Tabris wrote:Hey, they were still working out the bugs. Blame Gendo.

And Seele's version was even worse! At least EVA-01 didn't eat EVA-03. And she did her the favor of breaking her neck before she started the dismemberment. :P

Reichu wrote:

Mr. Tines wrote:Shinji is rather the last out of a field of exactly one... And we the viewers have more information than she does about his one act of volition during 25'

Whaaaaat? Asuka knows far more than we do. Her mind gets connected to his, for crissake.

For most of the series, we standing outside the narrative, can see this event looming in the future during the all the "are they/aren't they" play beforehand. Come ep 25' that is all he actively does - but she doesn't yet know that while she is fighting the harpies. She has Misato's promise that Shinji will be on his way, but reacts

Asuka:
I have to destroy them all?
Is she forgetting she's talking to a convalescent?

No wonder she's PO'd when she's left in the lurch by Shinji's "acts" of omission.

Later, in Complementation, when she does find out about his one act of commission during that timeframe, her reaction conveys a degree of displeasure.

Reichu wrote:At least EVA-01 didn't eat EVA-03. And she did her the favor of breaking her neck before she started the dismemberment. :P

I'm not sure that Zeruel had quite stopped twitching, though, when Yui-sama started feasting.

Mr. Tines wrote:I'm not sure that Zeruel had quite stopped twitching, though, when Yui-sama started feasting.

If he was, they didn't bother animating it. ;)

Also, I'm not sure what you're referring to with Shinji, two posts above...

i tend to think tha zeruel was still alive when the meal began...
and PO'd?
and the dummy system wasnt completed, and never was...
so...i guess you could say that that was the reason for the screwups...

I didn't know who to go with, so i picked Rei cause no one else did. She is all right as a pilot, and is also crucial in the HIP. Plus she gets to use the lance.

Reichu wrote:Also, I'm not sure what you're referring to with Shinji, two posts above...

He proves himself in 25' to be a useless wanker when the chips are down.

Recapping - Asuka's expressions in 25' (harpy fight) and 26' (instrumentality sex) are a result of extreme provocation. The context available in 25', when all she is able to infer is the useless part, might by itself be enough by itself for her to revise any feelings resulting from enforced proximity to the only male pilot during the period when he does function.

sadsadshinji wrote:i tend to think tha zeruel was still alive when the meal began...

Well, yeah. He was alive until she broke into his core (and how she did this with her teeth alone is unexplained...) for yum-yums. But he was in no position to complain.

and the dummy system wasnt completed, and never was...
so...i guess you could say that that was the reason for the screwups...

I think the harpies indicate that Dummy Plug = Savage Brutality. Going by their example, the only thing EVA-01 did wrong in #18 was not eat her victim while dismembering it.

didnt they say some jargon about the emotional factor? if there was an unclear emotional factor, perhaps that could be the reason for the rage and brutality

That makes sense, Shinji was really pissed off at him for delivering a can of whoop-ass to Asuka and Rei, so he got in the plug and was pissed off enough that it woke up Yui and they both kicked Zeruel's ass. while doing this he got a 400% synch rate and got absorbed in to his unit while it "awoke".

ChronoX wrote:That makes sense, Shinji was really pissed off at him for delivering a can of whoop-ass to Asuka and Rei, so he got in the plug and was pissed off enough that it woke up Yui and they both kicked Zeruel's ass. while doing this he got a 400% synch rate and got absorbed in to his unit while it "awoke".

Shinji wasn't so much "pissed" as panicking feverishly over the future of humanity. "If you don't move, everyone's gonna die!"

lol
and he was in a grumpy mood...or rather...a desperate one, possibly partially caused by the incident with the dummy plug

So it seemes Asuka kicked some ass..14 votes on her while Shinji has 6 and Rei 1..i believe this thread has run his course..in the words of MAGI may rest in peace..amen..