Asuka as the main star

Radical Lanzar · Postby **Radical Lanzar** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 3:07 am

Just read about this while on Wikipedia. Asuka was meant to be the main star, but was deemed by the creators a fallacy of mediocre anime - so she was turned into an idol/diva and Shinji was created as the story's lead instead.

I'm just thinking Asuka as the main star, and Shinji as Rei's replacement.

Why didn't they do this?

esselfortium · Postby **esselfortium** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 3:39 am

Same reason they got rid of her freckles from the concept art: would have been too awesome.

Alaska Slim · Postby **Alaska Slim** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 3:44 am

A strong, confident female protagonist had been done before, Hayao Miyazaki is sort of famous for it.

The show was meant to be in part a deconstruction of Mecha tropes. Having a male still center, and portraying them as a coward does so more subtly and more meaningfully than just swapping the hot-blooded guy with a hot-blooded girl.

Further, it was Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's idea that this lead girl have an attitude. My impression is that Hideaki Anno at first wanted a girl lead, but regardless wanted the lead to have a personality like Shinji's in order better reflect the point he was going to make.

A faint hearted girl in a mecha series? They're not typically the protagonist, but they're also not new. Ultimately, Mr. Anno must of seen having the protagonist be male better served his purposes.

Stryker · Postby **Stryker** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 10:02 am

Alaska Slim nailed it there. Also, having a rather faint hearted boy in the series as a main character would cause more drama (hurts me to say) because he's a boy. If you haven't noticed, the more drama, the better (in Anno's eyes).

Postby **NemZ** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 10:35 am

Indeed, there's a lot of gender politics going on. The Asuka/Yui show that was proposed would have probably been just disposable nonsense.

AuraTwilight · Postby **AuraTwilight** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 1:39 pm

Because Asuka is BORING as a protagonist. Most of her character drama comes from Shinji one-upping her and wrecking her world-view.

Postby **Mr. Tines** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 1:52 pm

This has been discussed somewhere on the forums before; with the essential point being that Anno was argued out of going with another female lead after having immediately previously done so with Nadia.

Alaska Slim wrote:The show was meant to be in part a deconstruction of Mecha tropes. Having a male still center, and portraying them as a coward, does so more subtly and more meaningfully than just swapping the hot-blooded guy with a hot-blooded girl.

Also
http://forum.evageeks.org/post/183486/Random-Hypothetical-Gender-Bender/#183486

YouTube · Postby **Reichu** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 2:40 pm

I never heard that it was supposed to be Asuka specifically, just "it was going to be a female protagonist, but then... Shinji".

Bagheera · Postby **Bagheera** » Fri Feb 24, 2012 3:23 pm

AuraTwilight wrote:Because Asuka is BORING as a protagonist. Most of her character drama comes from Shinji one-upping her and wrecking her world-view.

Yeah, this. Asuka-as-Shinji would be boring, and Asuka in Shinji's role just wouldn't work (since she'd be succeeding at every turn, which is exactly what she wants). There's no way to do it without radically changing her character, at which point she's no longer Asuka.

It might work okay with a different female protagonist, but good luck finding one who fills the role as well as Shinji does. I'm not sure what you'd do for foils in that case, though; Asuka and Shinji play off of one another very well, and it's hard to see how that dynamic would work with a female lead in Shinji's role.

Allemann · Postby **Allemann** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 12:03 pm

I'd really like a complete sex swap in Evangelion. :jiggy:

AuraTwilight · Postby **AuraTwilight** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 12:50 pm

"You see, the Evangelions are actually...your fathers."

"...That...doesn't seem very symboli-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GET IN THE EVA."

Radical Lanzar · Postby **Radical Lanzar** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:09 pm

AuraTwilight wrote:"You see, the Evangelions are actually...your fathers."

"...That...doesn't seem very symboli-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GET IN THE EVA."

Gendou: You see, there's a problem. I'm not actually your father.

[Shinji wakes up from his dream]

Everyone: Congratulations Shinji!

[Shinji's bedroom ceiling is lifted off and Eva Unit 01 stands down at him]

Eva Unit 01: No Shinji, I'M your father.

Shinji: NOOOOOOOOOO!

[Edit] Shinji goes berserker ftw.

BulletShoot · Postby **BulletShoot** » Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:56 pm

If Asuka had been the main character, it's seems like it would either have become Nadia or it would have become Gunbuster, and while both of those are fine series, I believe the series is better off the way it turned out (at least in that regard).

Kamon-san · Postby **Kamon-san** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:49 am

I'd really like a complete sex swap in Evangelion.

This link... it made my day. I had a few laughs through the video, but when it got to the committee scene, I think I died laughing. Thanks for sharing, Allemann.

Postby **Mr. Tines** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:00 pm

The real problem is, to make Asuka the main character, you'd have to do more than have the events we saw in the series from a different viewpoint -- we lose both the start of the Angel invasion and its culmination; and while flashbacks could handle some of that, the "what this story is about" isn't set up for her.

Radical Lanzar · Postby **Radical Lanzar** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:22 pm

Mr. Tines wrote:The real problem is, to make Asuka the main character, you'd have to do more than have the events we saw in the series from a different viewpoint -- we lose both the start of the Angel invasion and its culmination; and while flashbacks could handle some of that, the "what this story is about" isn't set up for her.

Well, not quite. There's a lot going on around the world that isn't covered - events at Nerv HQ 2 are shown - at least the aftermath. It wouldn't be much different covering plotlines from Germany and having NERV mid battle.

But then again, the entire plot would most likely be rewritten to take place in Germany.

An unsure cadet from Japan is sent to help Asuka out and she can't figure out why this 'jap' is helping the mighty company of Germany. Yeah, it would probably follow Germany's WWII history or something.

Postby **Mr. Tines** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:54 pm

By "what the story is about", I meant this

Radical Lanzar · Postby **Radical Lanzar** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:17 pm

Mr. Tines wrote:By "what the story is about", I meant this

Oh, the young boy slaying dragons bit?

Hmm! I wonder how it would be rewritten in Aska's mind?

arkiel · Postby **arkiel** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:59 pm

Sex change would be totally boring. Make the feminine character female and the masculine character male? Instantly transform hot yuri bathouse scene into uncomfortable yaoi scene? Somehow convey Asuka bending over in a bikini top with the use of a speedo?

Hmm. If you wanted to keep things from being completely ridiculous, you'd probably want to just flip the roles of Misato and Kaji, rather than genderswap then. Then Oscar can awkwardly come on to Misato on the Over the Rainbow. Yay.

Postby **Mr. Tines** » Wed Feb 29, 2012 3:15 am

arkiel wrote:Instantly transform hot yuri bathouse scene into uncomfortable yaoi scene?

Don't you mean the other way around?

Asuka as the main star

Asuka as the main star

Factor it out. Bl

Re: Factor it out. Bl

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