Why did Asuka tell Shinji she didn't receive his help?

Discussion of the new series of Evangelion movies ( "Evangelion Shin Gekijōban", meaning "Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition"). The final instalment made its debut in Japan on March 8, 2021.

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StrokeMeGoat
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Re: Why did Asuka tell Shinji she didn't receive his help?

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Postby StrokeMeGoat » Tue Oct 25, 2016 11:41 pm

I don't think there's really enough evidence to assume that Asuka is referring to anything but going to find and help her in the aftermath. In a way, it's somewhat linked to what happened with the dummy plug and Unit-03, but it's limited to the fact that Asuka was expecting him to do it and Mari was telling him to do it because he couldn't help her with the Unit-03 incident, so he should want to make it up to her or that he even owed it to her to try and help her this time after what just happened. However, I really don't believe it was actually directly referencing what happened 14 years ago, it really doesn't make sense to me.

I mean, if there was a time Asuka was going to bring it up, why wouldn't she have said something when there was glass between them when Shinji was on the Wunder? Given how it fits the situation so well, and both Mari and Asuka say something, Occam's Razor dictates it's referring to what's happening to them then. I know Occam's Razor isn't always right, but it's the most pragmatic assumption to make when you don't have any real evidence suggesting otherwise. If there isn't something solid to go on, the idea Asuka is referring to what happened during the Unit-03 test is just far too contrived for me to believe, it strains credulity to say so in my opinion.

Besides, even despite all that Shinji caused again, Asuka went to help Shinji, only to find he hadn't even left his entry plug out of selfish self-pity for the situation he found himself in. Despite the trauma he just experienced, it's not impossible of Asuka to expect him to try and help her. Just because someone you care a lot about (despite only knowing Kaworu for a few days or up to a month or something) dies doesn't mean you can't try and help people who are still alive, especially when they're in the predicament they are because of something you just did in the first place and it's an emergency situation. Grieving can wait until everyone is safe. It isn't unreasonable for Mari or Asuka to expect him to go help her at all, even if it isn't something he'd likely do (and they had little reason to believe he actually would).

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Re: Why did Asuka tell Shinji she didn't receive his help?

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Postby Angel of Will » Fri Dec 02, 2016 10:00 pm

Yeah, I think this is just referring to Shinji not looking for Asuka's entry plug after her Eva self-destructed. The "save the princess" line was delivered after her ejection, if I recall.
"Reality exists in a place unknown, and dreams exist within reality. And Truth lies in your heart."

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Re: Why did Asuka tell Shinji she didn't receive his help?

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Postby Settie » Sat Mar 18, 2017 11:49 pm

I hope this isn't a necro but since it's still in the front page i hope it's ok to give my thoughts on this after recently rewatching 3.0. In a way this particular line as well as her overall behavior towards Shinji reminded me of the love/hate dynamic Shinji/Soryu had in NGE, though obviously it isn't quite the same in NTE.

It starts with the meeting in the interrogation room where she throws as much anger and disdain his direction as she could, yet from her conversation with Mari later on, it became clear that she didn't just go there to vent at him but also to see him. There is one little thing though that i found fascinating in that scene, as she's leaving she tells Misato how they can't cater to the selfish desires of an individual, yet that's exactly what Asuka does, she barged in for selfish reasons and i found that pretty ironic.

Next up the battle in CD where Shinji is trying to explain himself to Asuka but she doesn't want to listen or even try to talk him out of it. Opting for brute force instead as a way to stop him. That also makes her line about him "hitting a girl" when she runs out of power sound as if she took it personally, less "how dare he hit a girl" and more "how dare he hit ME" type of thing. Comparing her fight versus Shinji to her fight against the Mark.9 where she actually listens and gives pretty good advice to Rei while under the heavy strain of beast mode makes for a pretty nice contrast between the two scenes.

Last but not least the subject of this thread. The way i see it it's just a continuation of of her behavior rather than something that stands out. By that point she shouldn't be expecting his help since their meetings during the movie didn't exactly point to him doing so, even from her perspective, and i'm not too sure it has to do with what happened during the 9th angel. What this shows though is that she may want his help. Perhaps it's about her unresolved feeling towards him (not talking about shipping here) where on one hand she wants to be angry at him for being directly and indirectly responsible for the way the world currently is. Yet on the other hand she wants him to be there for her in an almost selfish way. Even when she starts chastising him for only thinking of himself she then follows it up by bemoaning the fact he didn't come to help her. I expect this dynamic to continue in 4.0 where it'll hopefully make it clearer where Asuka stands.

TL:DR version, Shinji throws Asuka for a loop, even after 14 years.

I hope it all made sense and wasn't just incoherent rambling.

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Re: Why did Asuka tell Shinji she didn't receive his help?

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Postby SoryuUberAlles » Sun Mar 19, 2017 5:06 am

It's interesting to think we might finally see a SANE END to Shinji and Asuka's relationship. It really is thrown in the blender in the Bitter End Arc. Unless you think dysfunctionality is so at the core of their beings that IS the natural ending.
"You're just turning this into a mixture of gibberish and fan service! That's not the Evangelion I know!" - An Asuka, one of many.

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Re: Why did Asuka tell Shinji she didn't receive his help?

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Postby Settie » Mon Mar 20, 2017 2:46 pm

^ Well it depends on what happens in 4.0. Though i suspect they'll be shown to be friends once again by then, since Shikinami isn't as broken as Soryu and Shinji will likely have others to help him through his ordeal. It'll depend on whether Shinji is willing to listen and learn from others while still maintaining his self determination. I don't think 4.0 will be as gloomy as EoE though.


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