Anno's answer to Who's more attractive: Rei or Asuka?

[Sailor Star Dust]

I bet THIS will get some interesting discussion going!

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[Guy Nacks]

The worst part about this is Japanese.

[1731298478]

Kawakami asked Anno why Asuka seems to have more appeal now when Rei was overwhelmingly favored during the original TV series. Anno said that Rei's appeal was in her mystery, whereas people understand who she is now (so she loses her mystery).

[xPearse]

And why was there no Maya in this equation? Also, the bait is strong in this one. The article is "Why is Asuka more attractive than Rei in the 'Rebuild of Evangelion'", not Anno's answer to who's more hot. However, his answer was kinda vague which did disappoint me so I don't think we can say he agrees either is more attractive than the other. But he did say Asuka was "cute" before, so maybe there's something there, or just not.

[Monk Ed]

Interesting analysis from Anno, because for me, Rei became more attractive after her humanization and demystification, not before.

[Sachi]

Interesting analysis from Anno, because for me, Rei became more attractive after her humanization and demystification, not before.

You took the bait, but Q intended to swiftly pull that rug from beneath the viewers by being forward with her dark and creepy origins. Now that it's so blatant, her appeal among the audience, especially newer fans, is no longer as broad.

[Monk Ed]

You took the bait, but Q intended to swiftly pull that rug from beneath the viewers by being forward with her dark and creepy origins.

I was only thinking of NGE Rei when I wrote that, if you thought I was thinking otherwise. ENT Rei, I haven't thought about much.

[Chuckman]

Rebuild made Rei more sympathetic and relatable for me. I find her sinister death-seeking anti-stoicism as creepy as it was intended to be in the original.

[robersora]

anti-stoicism

Does anti-stoicism equal activism?

Maybe people just became more accepting with strong female roles, resulting in more love for Asuka. Also, kicks ass in Q, and is less spiteful in general.

[Anonymous_Evafan]

http://forum.evageeks.org/post/414209/Books-Shizo-Parano/#414209

Anno on NGE Rei. Quite harsh.

[Bagheera]

http://forum.evageeks.org/post/414209/Books-Shizo-Parano/#414209

Anno on NGE Rei. Quite harsh.

Ouch. Bad news for Reifags. Also, direct confirmation that Adam is a father figure, vs. another mother. With the name of Adam and Kaworu as an avatar this isn't particularly surprising, but it's nice to finally put a nail in that coffin for good. That's actually a really interesting interview; with all the Oedipal references it seems Lilith was violated on multiple levels (Adam destroyed, Lilith violated to create Eva; Kaworu destroyed, Rei violated to become Lilith; Gendo destroyed, Yui (Eve) used to violate and ultimately destroy Lilith.). Poor girl can't catch a break! What's really weird is that the main protagonist never does any of these violations (though he makes up for it with best girl, I guess, though she hardly counts since she's not a mother figure). Silly Anno, that's not how Oedipus works!

[Anonymous_Evafan]

It's not like that translation is new or anything. Simply forgotten. I rather ironically ran into an old post of mine today that contained it while lurking the Rebuild section.

I find it rather sad honestly. It's like someone should be asking Rei then why are you here or something.

[Chuckman]

If Anno wanted to retell Oedipus it clearly drifted away from him since the similarities are very superficial if they're there at all. Shinji doesn't steal shit. He doesn't have much agency to begin with.

[Bagheera]

Right, it was from 2011. Still, it's good to remember at times like these. I'd forgotten about the Oedipal angle as well, and it's weird how Rei connects to it on every level. Good food for thought ("I'm central to the story on multiple levels, and Anno-san doesn't even remember me?" ).

Chuck: Shinji didn't, but Katsuragi sure did. Gendo, too. And Yui . . . okay, I'll have to get back to you on that, but she sure did some violatin' so she figures into it somehow. There's plenty of Oedipus to go around. It just . . . doesn't involve the MC. Because, well, Anno.

[Chuckman]

Thing is, Shinji doesn't seduce Rei, his final overtures are directed towards Asuka, he never confronts or interacts with his father again in the last 2/3 of the series and Gendo is more worried about him than he is about Gendo in the finale, and so on.

[Anonymous_Evafan]

Seems there is more to that specific conversation but for the life of me I can't remember how to directly link posts so I'll just quote it.

Oizumi: When I look at Rei Ayanami, I’m reminded of the girls in Aum. In short, they’re all dependent upon their Guru, Asahara.

Takekuma: [She devotes herself] wholeheartedly, with a heart like a hard shell.

Oizumi: Exactly. And, on the topic of substitutions, can we think of Rei Ayanami as being a person like your mother?

Anno: That’s not quite right.

Takekuma: There’s also nothing like the image of a girl you previously dated [in her], right?

Anno: No. Well, Rei is probably [the character] closest to my deep psyche. I don’t really understand her. … The truth is, I have no emotional attachment to her at all.

Takekuma: Huh? Is that right?

Anno: Yeah. I have no emotional attachment to her. Well, Nobita-san wrote [about her] as being a symbol of schizophrenia. There were parts where that was actually what I wanted to do [with her].

Takekuma: But she is the character best received by the fans in the outside world. Even I was drawn in by Rei at the beginning.

Oizumi: That’s right. Megumi Hayashibara’s voice was also incredible.

Anno: But Rei is [the character] I least understand. In addition, I’m not really that interested in her. There were parts where that’s what I was consciously doing, actively trying to put aside my presuppositions, trying to bring out the most primitive, the most core, the purest parts within me.

Oizumi: So Rei is perhaps [something] embedded in your unconscious [that] can’t be expressed in words.

Anno: Even in the midst of making Eva, I suddenly realized I had forgotten her. Her very existence. In episode seven, I remembered, and added a single shot with Rei. I had no emotional attachment to her at all. I think that was fine, because she didn’t appear in episode eight, not even for a single shot.

[Bagheera]

Thing is, Shinji doesn't seduce Rei, his final overtures are directed towards Asuka, he never confronts or interacts with his father again in the last 2/3 of the series and Gendo is more worried about him than he is about Gendo in the finale, and so on.

Right. As I said, the Oedipal bits don't involve the MC. That doesn't mean they aren't there, just that they involve other characters (including Rei, which is odd given her connection to Shinji. But being a SoL is suffering).

And I can relate to Anno's take on the character (as a part of him, not as a separate character). It's hard to connect with the most basic, primitive parts of yourself, because they largely operate on a subconscious level. They're hugely important, but difficult to understand.

[Reichu]

Also, direct confirmation that Adam is a father figure, vs. another mother. With the name of Adam and Kaworu as an avatar this isn't particularly surprising, but it's nice to finally put a nail in that coffin for good.

The interview doesn't address a certain rather glaring discrepancy: Adam's called a mother in the actual show, and typically things in the "text" take precedence over anything people might say that blatantly conflicts with the text. As things are, there is still a level of interpretation to be done, so the coffin remains -- oh so sadly -- open. (Yes, Anno would basically have to say, "Oh, well, yeah, Adam is a father figure, totally, but I called him a mother in episode 24 because ______________" before I'd be satisfied.)

[Bagheera]

The interview doesn't address a certain rather glaring discrepancy -- Adam's called a mother in the actual show, and typically things in the "text" take precedence over anything people might say that blatantly conflicts with the text. As things are, there is still interpretation to be done, so the coffin remains -- oh so sadly -- open.

Male creator deities have often been mother figures despite being male, so that's a minor issue IMO. The fact that Anno lays things out like this sews things up neatly for me, and as I've said before there's little reason to name the guy Adam and give him a male avatar if he's not a guy.

[Reichu]

Male creator deities have often been mother figures despite being male, so that's a minor issue IMO. The fact that Anno lays things out like this sews things up neatly for me, and as I've said before there's little reason to name the guy Adam and give him a male avatar if he's not a guy.

Well, that's your take on things, not everyone's. There's a definite lingual precedent to just come right out and say "father being" if that is the sole underlying intent. As things are, Adam seems to live up to its Kabbalistic namesake (Adam Kadmon... anyone remember THAT Adam?) in being weirdly androgynous.