"Anno intended Rei to be creepy"

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PapalMercenary
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"Anno intended Rei to be creepy"

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Postby PapalMercenary » Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:24 pm

I always always always see people casually referring to this idea that "Anno intended Rei to be really creepy and off-putting but those perverted fanboys didn't care and started popping boners for her anyway." I've even heard people say this in real life!

I've never found any source for that statement, whether it be a quote from Anno in an interview, or something he said in a book (or on an internet forum) or anything like that. So either I just haven't been looking nearly hard enough or this is a fan myth (similar to the oft-cited claim that Akira Toriyama had intended to end Dragon Ball with the Freeza saga, but his mean ol' editors made him continue the series).

If any of you know where this comes from, please point me in the right direction, as I'd seriously like to see what Anno actually said about it (if anything at all).
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Postby Ornette » Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:37 pm

I doubt he's ever said "creepy", though if you do a search for "Rei creepy" on the forums you'll see quite a few people think she, or aspects of her, or versions of her, are kind of creepy. So you may find something where he says he wanted Rei to be a certain way, it just so happens some people find that kind of creepy.

As for fanboy reactions, Anno says a few things about that here:
http://wiki.evageeks.org/Statements_by_Evangelion_Staff#Hideaki_Anno:_.22Let.27s_Die_Together.22.2C_Atlantic_Magazine.2C_May_2007
and
http://wiki.evageeks.org/Statements_by_Evangelion_Staff#Hideaki_Anno.27s_Roundtable_Discussion specifically at the end:
When told that the American audience favors Misato ...

ANNO: I'm surprised. In Japan, the overwhelming favorite is Rei . They can't handle strong women such as Misato and Asuka .

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Postby Na7e » Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:10 pm

He never said it. But, come on her mannerisms are definitely off-putting. She would come off as creepy to some people, I think so as well. But, just calling her creppy just lessens her as a character, like calling Asuka a bitch, or Shinji a wimp.

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Postby AuraTwilight » Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:13 pm

While I agree she was probably intended to be creepy and off-putting, there is just NO FUCKING WAY he never intended people to masturbate to her, given that the whole show is an exercise in baiting otaku and pulling the rug out from under them. Rei is perfect for this.
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Postby r0ach » Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:29 pm

View Original PostAuraTwilight wrote:While I agree she was probably intended to be creepy and off-putting, there is just NO FUCKING WAY he never intended people to masturbate to her, given that the whole show is an exercise in baiting otaku and pulling the rug out from under them. Rei is perfect for this.



Well it may be a little naive of him to create a character who was quazi-attractive and expect some people not to be into her. Regardless, he probably didn't expect to get as out of hand as it did. I still do not see the big deal with her. She is a pretty neat character, but damn.
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Postby Na7e » Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:43 pm

View Original Postr0ach wrote:Well it may be a little naive of him to create a character who was quazi-attractive and expect some people not to be into her. Regardless, he probably didn't expect to get as out of hand as it did. I still do not see the big deal with her. She is a pretty neat character, but damn.


Yea he did, Rei is the Otaku's dream girl. Quiet, and submissive, and awkard. But, then he shows you exactly how said dream girl actually is. damaged, alone, and in the middle of an identity crisis which isn't really something that should get you turned on. But, not as a masturbation tool, and he shows it both with Asuka and Rei. He puts them in positions were there at their most exposed and vulnerable, and then dares them too find something sexual about the scene, especially in EOE.

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Postby child of Lilith » Wed Feb 22, 2012 3:10 am

As others have already said, I wouldn't say Rei was suppose to be creepy, but she certainly wasn't suppose to be the moe icon she became. Unfortunately for Anno, most people apparently can't see the forest for the trees.

But that's fine. It's kind of nice being one of the very few people who actually get her.
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Postby Allemann » Wed Feb 22, 2012 9:06 am

When you limit yourself on what you see from Rei in school, she appears to be a beautiful polite and withdrawn girl who, when she gets older, becomes excellent marriage material.

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Postby Na7e » Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:43 am

View Original PostAllemann wrote:When you limit yourself on what you see from Rei in school, she appears to be a beautiful polite and withdrawn girl who, when she gets older, becomes excellent marriage material.


No she isn't. But neither are Shinji or Asuka. As for the school, I don't recall Rei having any suitors, or friends excluding Shinji, of course.

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Postby Allemann » Wed Feb 22, 2012 11:42 am

View Original PostNa7e wrote:No she isn't.


Yes she is.

As for the school, I don't recall Rei having any suitors, or friends excluding Shinji, of course.


Why should it be in the cartoon? I'm talking from the real world perspective.

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Postby Na7e » Wed Feb 22, 2012 12:30 pm

View Original PostAllemann wrote:Yes she is.


Yes, anyone is if you gloss over all their flaws. So would Asuka if you ignore her flaws.

View Original PostAllemann wrote:Why should it be in the cartoon? I'm talking from the real world perspective.


Well, see you mentioned her in the fictional setting of the cartoon. So naturally, I'm going to point out she didn't interact with anyone. As from the real world perspective she wouldn't exist. Hate to dissapoint you she's bait for the Otaku, their ideal girl, which doesn't exist in reality. Good luck trying to find your nice,sexy,quiet,smart, and let's not forgot submissive girl.

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Postby Allemann » Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:02 pm

View Original PostNa7e wrote:Yes, anyone is if you gloss over all their flaws.


Did I have Rei Ayanami as a complete character in mind? No. She's obviously a freak.

Well, see you mentioned her in the fictional setting of the cartoon. So naturally, I'm going to point out she didn't interact with anyone.


Which is irrelevant.

As from the real world perspective she wouldn't exist.


Because politeness and introversion are traits that don't exist among humans, especially in a single person. :rolleyes:

Hate to dissapoint you


You haven't disappointed me. Just be more attentive when reading what I write.

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Postby Na7e » Wed Feb 22, 2012 2:02 pm

View Original PostAllemann wrote:Did I have Rei Ayanami as a complete character in mind? No. She's obviously a freak.


And, you just said she was perfect marriage material. Which she really isn't she's a mentally damaged 14 year old girl who needs help. And, taking parts away from her character doesn't really make her the same character anymore now does it?

View Original PostAllemann wrote:Which is irrelevant.


It actually is because she's a fictional character. We're talking about the character Rei. Not some random girl. You can't bring her out it into the real world. You can't bring in IRL arguments to a fictional characters especially her. Considering she is a clone of a human being spliced with alien DNA. We don't have the technology to clone a human being, and we sure as hell haven't had contact with human beings.

View Original PostAllemann wrote:Because politeness and introversion are traits that don't exist among humans, especially in a single person.


Once again your taking her and, bringing her into the real world, and chopping her character to pieces so she wouldn't really be Rei, which is kind of important because were actually talking about the character hence the thread name.

View Original PostAllemann wrote:You haven't disappointed me. Just be more attentive when reading what I write.


Yea same here. Considering what me and Aura said already. She's bait, a fantasy, a masturbation tool for basement dwelling Otakus. And, Which is why in the story Rei=Fantasy, Asuka=Reality. Or, the fact were talking about the character Rei. Not some random girl.

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Postby Allemann » Wed Feb 22, 2012 2:53 pm

View Original PostNa7e wrote:And, you just said she was perfect marriage material.


The way she's presented in the entire show no. Return to what I wrote and reread it.

Which she really isn't she's a mentally damaged 14 year old girl who needs help.


I said this. I don't need an echo.

And, taking parts away from her character doesn't really make her the same character anymore now does it?


I don't have the completely same character in mind. Isn't this already clear?

It actually is because she's a fictional character. We're talking about the character Rei. Not some random girl. You can't bring her out it into the real world. You can't bring in IRL arguments to a fictional characters especially her.


Character analysis is always about "bringing him" into the real world.

she wouldn't really be Rei, which is kind of important because were actually talking about the character hence the thread name


She's a modified Rei.

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Postby Na7e » Wed Feb 22, 2012 3:53 pm

View Original PostAllemann wrote:I said this. I don't need an echo.


No you called her a freak. I said she was a mentally damaged girl who needs help. How is that an echo?

View Original PostAllemann wrote:She's a modified Rei.


I'm done. She's not Rei then, because the entire point of her character is she's a fantasy and, will never exist in the real world.

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Postby Reichu » Wed Feb 22, 2012 5:24 pm

Enough omnislashing.
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Postby Sachi » Wed Feb 22, 2012 6:45 pm

That argument was dumb anyways.

For my two cents: Rei is creepy. But given the way she was delivered through the show, her creepiness factor was not overbearing at all, and was frankly downplayed. Think about it; without even exaggerating her characteristics, she could have easily been portrayed as a much, much creepier character than she was, had the focus only been on her creepiness. However, the series got us quite familiar with her character pretty early on, and familiarity tends to negate creepiness.
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Postby Radical Lanzar » Wed Feb 22, 2012 6:54 pm

Rei was a monotone character built for one purpose. It just so happens she was running around defending the Earth in the meantime. She is what you call a plot device. If she was creepy, I'm going to point towards the blanks that are meant to house her soul.
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Postby Sachi » Wed Feb 22, 2012 7:02 pm

If Rei really is simply a plot device, she's a damn well-crafted plot device.
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Postby Reichu » Wed Feb 22, 2012 7:06 pm

Rei is only not creepy if everything Rei that isn't Rei 2 is completely ignored.

Rei 2 is there to get you to lower your guard. Then all of a sudden there's this flashing bug-eyed thing rushing the screen, and a creepy leering kid, and a tentacle rapist Angel with the same creepy leer who sprouts Rei parts (some hideously deformed) and screams and giggles using her voice, and inanely-grinning sorta-sentient tanked clones that take manic glee in their own destruction, and a third iteration with all the enthusiasm toward life and physical integrity of a zombie, and...
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