Rei or Asuka?

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.

Moderators: Rebuild/OT Moderators, Board Staff

Forum rules
By visiting this forum, you agree to read the rules for discussion.
Joseki
Marduk Selectee
Marduk Selectee
Posts: 1908
Joined: Dec 27, 2016
Location: Italy
Gender: Male

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby Joseki » Wed Dec 28, 2016 12:04 pm

View Original PostKendrix wrote:There is nothing personal, cute or intimate about hammering somebody with insults every time they're near you - It was a step forward for Asuka at the time because, at least she was beginning to see him and not a role she had assigned to him before even meeting him ("Daddy's boy") and she's very limited in the ways her pride lets her express affection.

But, they could simply go back to baka Shinji, too, because even that would be a definite improvement to "Go down quietly you stupid brat."


She may be very proud but in Q she ask him to help her at the beginning and scold him for not helping her at the end and called him "baka Shinji" both times. I also don't think that we can extract something said in a fight and make it something general otherwise we could even say that Shinji is a strong and selfless guy given how he acted before causing NTI. It's out of context and it's a pretty standard battle dialog, it's not like she wanted him dead.

Geometer
Adam
User avatar
Posts: 73
Joined: Dec 22, 2016

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby Geometer » Wed Dec 28, 2016 1:04 pm

I really don't see Asuka having strong feelings for Shinji anymore. She had a crush on him 14 years ago, and then everything went to shit. She might have some nostalgia and sympathy for him, but nothing really that strong or romantic. I think the best case scenario is that they reconcile and end up as friends by the end, with maybe, maybe, the potential of a relationship being left open, but then we still don't know exactly how mature Asuka(14 years in a childs body) is and if she would be able to get along with Shinji.

RadicalRandy
Adam
User avatar
Age: 26
Posts: 79
Joined: Jan 01, 2017
Gender: Male

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby RadicalRandy » Mon Jan 09, 2017 11:34 pm

Very frankly, I don't think that Asuka truly 'grew up'. She never had a normal childhood or development, and her raging 14 year old hormones are definitely not helping her through the events of Near-3I. Shinji is Shinji, so...

Maybe they'll make up, but it's been a long time since 2.22.

(Please though it's the only ship I'm 100% for)
"Thunder Cross Split Attack!" - Dire
"I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe." - Shmango Fett

https://www.fanfiction.net/~misterradical

Lennik
Sachiel
Sachiel
User avatar
Age: 31
Posts: 205
Joined: Apr 18, 2013
Location: USA
Gender: Male

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby Lennik » Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:24 pm

Leaving aside for a moment whether Asuka is mentally a teenager or not (we've had this argument a million times here, and I think both sides make good points, so I won't reiterate it), I think we also need to ask which angle Anno is going for in their relationship.

And honestly, even noting everyone's objections to the relationship, I think Anno is going for Shinji/Asuka, given the fact that Shinji's reaction to finding out about Rei's origins does not seem to lend itself to foreshadowing any kind of romance between him and his own sister, and then there's Mari's teasing to boot. ("Oh, so you went to see his face?")

RadicalRandy
Adam
User avatar
Age: 26
Posts: 79
Joined: Jan 01, 2017
Gender: Male

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby RadicalRandy » Thu Jan 12, 2017 8:20 pm

Quite frankly, I think he's just going to fuck with us again and only tease with implications. Shinji is too broken, Asuka's too bitter. Rei-whateversheisnow is definitely out of the question. Mari's the goddamn Scooby-Doo villain of the Rebuilds except they don't do the whole "Mari was the gardener the entire time!" bit at the end.

Then watch as the ending of 3.0+1.0 is even more ambiguous as NGE or Shinji just sticks his limp noodle into a personified version of his SDAT.

Shinji x SDAT all the way, baby.
"Thunder Cross Split Attack!" - Dire
"I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe." - Shmango Fett

https://www.fanfiction.net/~misterradical

Geometer
Adam
User avatar
Posts: 73
Joined: Dec 22, 2016

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby Geometer » Thu Jan 12, 2017 9:06 pm

I think there simply isn't enough time for a romance. Shinji has to get his own shit together and that probably will either take all the movie or the first two acts, with the third act being about taking down NERV. Although I do lean towards Asuka being more likelyunfortunately either option is very unlikely, Rei is well Rei, the soul of a goddess in the body of his mother, and Asuka probably has mixed feelings, but its been 14 years, child's body or not. Neither side looks particular strong. At most I think we will get something hinting at the potential for a relationship starting at the end of the movie, but nothing will be shown in the movie.

C.T.1290
Zeruel
Zeruel
Age: 33
Posts: 836
Joined: Apr 22, 2017
Location: U.S.A.
Gender: Male
Contact:

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby C.T.1290 » Sat Mar 03, 2018 2:54 pm

Neither. No deserves anyone.
“This is the way”-The Mandalorian

Asuka'sBigBrother
Banned
User avatar
Age: 23
Posts: 363
Joined: Oct 20, 2017
Location: Nueva Yorke
Gender: Male
Contact:

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby Asuka'sBigBrother » Mon Mar 05, 2018 4:01 am

So we're assuming Rei isn't Shinji's clone mom in rebuild?

I would think anno wouldn't be into shipping basedon NGE, but Rebuild has constantly shown a change in philosophy from Anno. I'm hoping the 4th movie ends up with meta commentary on the first three, but if it plays out like the rebuilds, there's prolly a relationship here.
Just a big bro looking out for sistah

Mess with this crew, and I'll give you a blister

pwhodges
A Lilin in Wonderland
A Lilin in Wonderland
User avatar
Age: 77
Posts: 11034
Joined: Nov 18, 2012
Location: Oxford, UK
Contact:

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby pwhodges » Mon Mar 05, 2018 5:25 am

View Original PostAsuka'sBigBrother wrote:So we're assuming Rei isn't Shinji's clone mom in rebuild?

Fuyutsuki tells Shinji in Q that Rei is a replica of Yui from the "data" that was all remaining of her; so actually it's made clearer (to him, if not to us) than in the series.
Last edited by pwhodges on Mon Mar 05, 2018 5:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Being human, having your health; that's what's important." (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?" (from: The Eccentric Family )
Avatar: The end of the journey (details); Past avatars.
Before 3.0+1.0 there was Afterwards... my post-Q Evangelion fanfic (discussion)

pwhodges
A Lilin in Wonderland
A Lilin in Wonderland
User avatar
Age: 77
Posts: 11034
Joined: Nov 18, 2012
Location: Oxford, UK
Contact:

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby pwhodges » Mon Mar 05, 2018 5:26 am

.
"Being human, having your health; that's what's important." (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?" (from: The Eccentric Family )
Avatar: The end of the journey (details); Past avatars.
Before 3.0+1.0 there was Afterwards... my post-Q Evangelion fanfic (discussion)

Joseki
Marduk Selectee
Marduk Selectee
Posts: 1908
Joined: Dec 27, 2016
Location: Italy
Gender: Male

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby Joseki » Mon Mar 05, 2018 5:44 am

View Original PostAsuka'sBigBrother wrote:So we're assuming Rei isn't Shinji's clone mom in rebuild?

I would think anno wouldn't be into shipping basedon NGE, but Rebuild has constantly shown a change in philosophy from Anno. I'm hoping the 4th movie ends up with meta commentary on the first three, but if it plays out like the rebuilds, there's prolly a relationship here.


I'd say that Rebuild makes very clear from the very beginning that Rei and Shinji are related.

I recently saw 1.0 with friends what never saw NGE or anything Evangelion-related and they immediately suspected a brother-sister relationship between the two, mainly because of the "if it's a male Shinji, if it's a girl Rei" train sequence.

Asuka'sBigBrother
Banned
User avatar
Age: 23
Posts: 363
Joined: Oct 20, 2017
Location: Nueva Yorke
Gender: Male
Contact:

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby Asuka'sBigBrother » Mon Mar 05, 2018 6:24 am

View Original PostJoseki wrote:I'd say that Rebuild makes very clear from the very beginning that Rei and Shinji are related.

I recently saw 1.0 with friends what never saw NGE or anything Evangelion-related and they immediately suspected a brother-sister relationship between the two, mainly because of the "if it's a male Shinji, if it's a girl Rei" train sequence.

Didn't Rei and Shinji blush near each other?

There was also 2.0's ending which came across to me like "Boy saves girl he love no matter what"

Brother and sister is plausible, I suppose.

If it's not Rei, then I guess it'll be Asuka. It's also possible the first three were a ruse which the 4th film makes a point about. But if not, I'd expect some sort of relationship.
Just a big bro looking out for sistah

Mess with this crew, and I'll give you a blister

kuribo-04
Evangelion
Evangelion
User avatar
Age: 27
Posts: 3230
Joined: Feb 03, 2013
Location: Spain or Germany
Gender: Male
Contact:

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby kuribo-04 » Mon Mar 05, 2018 6:50 am

View Original PostAsuka'sBigBrother wrote:I'm hoping the 4th movie ends up with meta commentary on the first three, but if it plays out like the rebuilds, there's prolly a relationship here.

I don't think Rei's role is that of a normal girl so far. On the surface yes, but Anno is still teasing the godess aspect of her.
Whatever happens, it'll be on a more symbolic level probably.
I just don't see a relationship there.
Shinji: "Sooner or later I'll be betrayed... And they'll leave me. Still... I want to meet them again, because I believe my feelings at that time were real."
Ryuko: "I'm gonna knock ya on your asses!"
-Asuka: THINK IN GERMAN!!! -Shinji: Öh... Baumkuchen...
Hayashida: "As game developers, our work is special. All of us here can put smiles on very many people's faces with our work."
~('.'~) (~'.')~ Dancin Kirby

Cybermat47
Clockiel
Clockiel
User avatar
Age: 24
Posts: 418
Joined: Jun 20, 2017
Location: NSW, Australia
Gender: Male

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby Cybermat47 » Mon Mar 05, 2018 8:01 am

View Original Postkuribo-04 wrote:I don't think Rei's role is that of a normal girl so far. On the surface yes, but Anno is still teasing the godess aspect of her.
Whatever happens, it'll be on a more symbolic level probably.
I just don't see a relationship there.


I see the relationship, but I agree with you that Rei still has her goddess role being hinted at. So chances are that the relationship will be stopped in its tracks.
Reichu wrote:It’s all weird and phallic.

Gendo'sPapa
Committeeperson
Committeeperson
User avatar
Age: 38
Posts: 5599
Joined: Oct 24, 2006
Gender: Male

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby Gendo'sPapa » Mon Mar 05, 2018 12:24 pm

No Rei or Asuka. It will be Shinji himself.

2.0 intentionally played into, among other things, fan interests in shipping - will it be Rei or Asuka who wins Shinji's heart? OMG it's Rei! Shinji is being all cool & heroic to save her! - as a form of misdirection for the switch in 3.0 & most likely Final.

While each of the four films have to work on their own - I feel they all do succeed on that front telling micro narratives in Shinji's overall macro journey - they are still four chapters in a single story. 2.0 explicitly sold (the majority of) viewers the version of Evangelion they're in love with in their heads. A technically polished, action packed story where cool characters do cool things, where those lady Eva pilots are just so damn cute, where Kaji is absolutely charming & where Shinji can get his shit together to be with the girl. It's intentionally the smiling pilots on posters, calendars & toys that has on the surface become the face of Evangelion.
3.0 in response is directly what Evangelion has always been that rarely gets played up in the mountains of fan-fiction, merchandise and spin-offs that the series has created - it's an austere & emotionally naked story about the crushing importance of feeling needed in the world you live in. Shinji's connection with Kaworu is immediate & necessary for him but that's not enough for him so the driving force in the narrative still ends up being Shinji's overwhelming neccesity to be needed (the whole setpiece with the Wunder taking out the Angel Drones while effective as spectacle is there to really drive home that Shinji is no longer NEEDED to pilot an Eva - at least at the moment - and that they've moved past him) and it's so debilitating he's willing to buy into such faulty logic as "Grab those spears and it will all be fixed."

Final, like EOE, is probably going to lean heavily on Shinji attaining self-acceptance. Oh sure, fans will read shipping into the story, fans always do. But, I doubt Final is going to preoccupy itself with any sort of shipping. Shinji will undoubtably have intimate scenes with Rei & Asuka, undoubtably he'll have a big cathartic scene with Misato that 3.0 has set up & he may even have a picturesque other-worldly moment with Kaworu's spirit or something & fans will ship all those based on their preferences, but the story is most likely going to end with Shinji accepting Shinji.

pwhodges
A Lilin in Wonderland
A Lilin in Wonderland
User avatar
Age: 77
Posts: 11034
Joined: Nov 18, 2012
Location: Oxford, UK
Contact:

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby pwhodges » Mon Mar 05, 2018 12:44 pm

View Original PostGendo'sPapa wrote:Shinji will undoubtably have intimate scenes with Rei & Asuka, undoubtably he'll have a big cathartic scene with Misato that 3.0 has set up [...], but the story is most likely going to end with Shinji accepting Shinji.

That seems familiar :wink:
"Being human, having your health; that's what's important." (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?" (from: The Eccentric Family )
Avatar: The end of the journey (details); Past avatars.
Before 3.0+1.0 there was Afterwards... my post-Q Evangelion fanfic (discussion)

kuribo-04
Evangelion
Evangelion
User avatar
Age: 27
Posts: 3230
Joined: Feb 03, 2013
Location: Spain or Germany
Gender: Male
Contact:

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby kuribo-04 » Mon Mar 05, 2018 12:53 pm

@Gendo's Papa:
I agree with all of that.
I do think though that Asuka still has to get over her disappointment in regards to Shinji, but that will probably be something she does herself (I can see interaction but in the end each character will probably need to be in peace with themselves).
Shinji: "Sooner or later I'll be betrayed... And they'll leave me. Still... I want to meet them again, because I believe my feelings at that time were real."
Ryuko: "I'm gonna knock ya on your asses!"
-Asuka: THINK IN GERMAN!!! -Shinji: Öh... Baumkuchen...
Hayashida: "As game developers, our work is special. All of us here can put smiles on very many people's faces with our work."
~('.'~) (~'.')~ Dancin Kirby

Joseki
Marduk Selectee
Marduk Selectee
Posts: 1908
Joined: Dec 27, 2016
Location: Italy
Gender: Male

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby Joseki » Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:14 pm

View Original PostAsuka'sBigBrother wrote:There was also 2.0's ending which came across to me like "Boy saves girl he love no matter what"


Gendo'sPapa wrote:2.0 intentionally played into, among other things, fan interests in shipping - will it be Rei or Asuka who wins Shinji's heart? OMG it's Rei! Shinji is being all cool & heroic to save her!


Personally I never got any "romantic" vibe from the ending of 2.0, and I still can't see it.

The movie clearly states that Rei couldn't stop Shinji from running away from NERV after Bardiel, so to me it's obvious that Shinji's action at the end of 2.0 aren't motivated by a simple "hero turns back to save her princess".
There's a lot going on visually in the scene: Kaji's melons destroyed, the blood of Unit 02 on Shinji's palm mirroring 1.0, and of course Rei being eaten by the 10th angel. I believe Shinji drastically changed his mind for all those reasons, and in 3.0 he shout at Misato to let him pilot to help Asuka in the same way he shouted at Gendo in 2.0.

Asuka'sBigBrother
Banned
User avatar
Age: 23
Posts: 363
Joined: Oct 20, 2017
Location: Nueva Yorke
Gender: Male
Contact:

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby Asuka'sBigBrother » Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:19 pm

We shall see.
Just a big bro looking out for sistah

Mess with this crew, and I'll give you a blister

Settie
Sachiel
Sachiel
User avatar
Age: 36
Posts: 212
Joined: Mar 17, 2017
Location: The deep south
Gender: Male

Re: Rei or Asuka?

  •      
  •      
  • Quote

Postby Settie » Mon Mar 05, 2018 10:23 pm

On topic I'd day it's probably Asuka by default no? The whole "if it's a boy Shinji if a girl Rei" plus the whole mother clone thing makes Rei way WAY too incesty.

View Original Postpwhodges wrote:Fuyutsuki tells Shinji in Q that Rei is a replica of Yui from the "data" that was all remaining of her; so actually it's made clearer (to him, if not to us) than in the series.


You know if you want it to take it into a more sinister side of it, there's Gendo mentioning how getting Shinji and Rei closer was instrumental in the awakening of Unit-1. What if the "data" Fuyutsuki mentions also included something like personality traits, after all Rei protects Shinji at the end of 1.0 and the reason she took the N2 mine to Zeruel was to protect Shinji, combined that with trying to bring Shinji and Gendo closer as a family and you get something interesting. Rei sought to protect Shinji from the physical and emotional pain of the world while also attempting to reconcile father and son. Food for thought eh. :wink:


@Gendo'sPapa
What exactly does Shinji have to self-accept though? Might need to rewatch but i don't recall NTE Shinji having the same inner demons NGE Shinji did, all his troubles spawn from being thrust into situations and making decisions when he doesn't have all the info. The big advice he gets in 3.0 is to stop being naive and get to know the world, but he has never really gotten an opportunity to do that.


Return to “Rebuild of Evangelion Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests