What about Chairman Keel of SEELE? Or Kaji? Charming bastard, but not to be trusted. Personally, I never liked Rei. She lives too far into the Valley of the Uncanny for my comfort. Gendo I actually kind of like, but he loses points for shooting Ritsuko and being a rat with women generally. Asuka is ...

Maya Ibuki is probably the cutest Eva charaxcter, but I've had a jones for Misato since forever.

I just got the first Shinji Ikari Raising Project omnibus volume, and I'm right in the middle of part that you cite as homophobic. I suppose it could be read that way, but it's not mean-spirited. Really, all that's going on here is Asuka being wildly jealous about what appears to be a BL situation d...