NGE Timeline--the Year of EVA rewatch

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NGE Timeline--the Year of EVA rewatch

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Postby MoroNoKimi » Mon Jul 20, 2015 6:44 pm

Hello everyone! Wow, I haven’t been on here in a long time.
I’ve been doing a sort of personal project, but I thought you guys might actually be interested, so I decided to post it. This is just about the only place I can think of that would actually appreciate all the work I put into this.
We already know a very few dates for events in the original series (such as the date of the first episode.) But a real concrete timeline is quite hard to create.
I decided that this year I would attempt to create as accurate a timeline as possible (mostly using calculations derived from known dates, as well as simple educated guesses and making some choices based on what “felt right”) and then I would watch those episodes on the day they occur.
I spent about two weeks solid working on this and don't plan to make changes now; the exception is episodes 12-15. I welcome help on those if you have some good information that I missed. But in an overall sense, I consider this timeline finished and I'm not going to make large changes.

My sources of information are: EvaGeeks wiki and a handful of notes from some EvaGeeks forum threads, the Red Cross Book, scanning through actual episodes myself (double checking backgrounds, lines of dialogue, etc.), one or two notes from the Evangelion Chronicle first volume, and I also pestered a Japanese friend about a couple of things.

In order to save space, I will to start with only posting the list of episode titles with the dates. If you want to know reasoning and notes for individual episodes, tell me which ones and I’ll post the notes. I am happy to show how I reached the dates I chose so ask away!
We’re a few episodes in by now, so you’d have a little bit of catching up to do, but if anyone else likes my timeline and wants to do a rewatch like I’m doing, please do tell me! :3

(I hope this is the right subforum! Sorry if it's not.)

Episode 1 “Angel Attack” June 22
Episode 2 “The Beast” June 23
Episode 3 “A Transfer” July 11-14
Episode 4 “Hedgehog’s Dilemma” July 15-18
Episode 5 “Rei I” July 20-21
Episode 6 “Rei II” July 21
Episode 7 “A Human Work” August 2-4
Episode 8 “Asuka Strikes!” August 5-6
Episode 9 “Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win!” September 6-September 11
Episode 10 “Magma Diver” September 16
Episode 11 “The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still” September 28
Episode 12 “She said, ‘Don’t make others suffer for your personal hatred.’” October 1-2
Episode 13 “Lillitputian Hitcher” October 9
Episode 14 “Weaving a Story” October 12
Episode 15 “Those woman longed for the touch of others’ lips, and thus invited their kisses.” October 17-19
Episode 16 “Splitting of the Breast” October 26-27
Episode 17 “Fourth Children” October 28-31
Episode 18 “Ambivalence” November 1-4
Episode 19 “Introjection” November 4-8
Episode 20 “Weaving a Story 2: oral stage” November 8-December 11
Episode 21 “He was aware that he was still a child.” December 12-14
Episode 22 “Don’t Be.” December 15-17
Episode 23 “Rei III” December 20-22
Episode 24 “The Beginning and the End, or ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’” December 24-25
The End of Evangelion/Episode 25 “Do you love me?”/Episode 26 “Take Care of Yourself”: December 31--onward into 2016
Last edited by MoroNoKimi on Sun Dec 20, 2015 7:51 pm, edited 7 times in total.

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Postby endalchemist » Fri Jul 31, 2015 12:24 am

Hey there OP, if at all possible, could you send me a copy of all your notes (PM, reply to this thread for others to see, pastebin, etc). I've been working on a real-time watch schedule of my own and I'd be interested to see what sort of research you did on your own. Thanks!
~endalchemist

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Postby MoroNoKimi » Fri Jul 31, 2015 6:35 pm

Aaaaaahhh, someone actually saw this thread and replied!!!!
My full notes are 8 pages long. I'll post them in parts, starting now in this post with all the episodes that have happened so far. I warn you, they're a disorganized mess. So if something doesn't make sense, definitely ask, haha. Click the spoiler to open!

SPOILER: Show

Episodes 1-6 are relatively easy to construct chronology for because characters mention actual numbers of days, spans of time etc (and the start date is known)--that said:
Episode 1 “Angel Attack” June 22
Episode takes 1 day.

Episode 2 “The Beast” June 23 (next day after Episode 1):
Episode takes 1 total of day (starts on the morning following the first activation of EVA-01, then the rest of the episode consumes that entire day; here the fight with Sachiel is technically a flashback.)

Episode 3 “A Transfer” July 11-14
Shinji has been in school for “2 weeks” after episode 1 (note from Evangelion Chronicle Side A). Shamshel attacks “3 weeks” after Episode 2 according to Hyuga. He was however most likely rounding up, see following notes.
Rei leaves the hospital no more than 20 days subsequent to Episode 2, which is already slightly less than 3 weeks and is seen in this episode out of the hospital but with her arm in a cast so it can be inferred that her release is recent, and slightly prior to Shamshel’s attack.
Shows Shinji training with the simulation which cannot be on this same day, but this can be thought to have taken place before the episode itself starts (i.e. we’re being shown this, but it has already happened by the time the other events in the episode start.)
Touji beating Shinji up occurs on the same day that Shamshel attacks. Prior to this same day, Touji had not been in school for 2 weeks because he was staying with his little sister at the hospital, so the minimum time between Episode 2 and Episode 3 is 14 days. For this purpose we have to assume Gendou’s assessment of Rei’s hospitalization time was correct, putting the upper limit at 20 days. Because we have to account for 3 more days for Episode 3 followed by an additional 8 days for Shinji’s attempt to run away in Episode 4, err on the side of caution and assume a slightly lower number. Thus, we arrive at a starting date of July 11, 18 days after Episode 2 (close enough to 3 weeks for Hyuga to round up, but lower by enough to allow for less than 30 days to pass between Episode 1 and Episode 5.) Then, “days later”, Touji calls Shinji. At the end of the episode, Touji notices that Shinji has not come to school in 3 days, so the phone call can be inferred as 3 days after Shamshel’s attack. This places the total time for Episode 3 at 4 days, from the Shamshel attack on the episode’s 1st day to Shinji’s observed subsequent 3-day absence at the end of the 4th day.

Episode 4 “Hedgehog’s Dilemma” July 15-18
Officially takes place 3 days after the battle with Shamshel.
At the beginning of the episode, Misato says that Shinji has not come to school in 5 days since the fight with Shamshel. Misato later states that Shinji ran away for 2 days, making the total time of his absence 5 days since he is retrieved on the 6th day.
The events of this episode may consequently be said to take place in total as part of that 5 day range (since at the end of Episode 3, Touji remarks that Shinji has not come to school in 3 days.) The math is thus--Episode 3: Shamshel battle occurs on the first day, Shinji then does not come to school for 3 days following that event. At the beginning of Episode 4: Shinji has thus been missing from school for 3 days. Subsequent to this, Shinji runs away for 2 days, and potentially prepares to leave on the train on a day after that. This means a total of 8 days should pass between Episode 3 and the end of Episode, with the final scene of Episode 4 occurring on the 8th day. Given the dates and time spans known: Episode 3 total time = 4 days, and time from beginning to end of Episode 4 = 4 days so the math adds up correctly.

Episode 5 “Rei I” July 20-21
Should in theory not take place any more than 22 days after Episode 1, but Hyuga was most likely rounding up with the “three weeks” time frame. 22 days-8 days (for Episode 4) is only 2 weeks, so we are forced to acknowledge that Hyuga’s estimate was off by several days in order for this to work with the other numbers.
EVA-00 is fully repaired at this point so its time of repair is actually at least 29 days and possibly longer (note, this is probably not entirely repair time and also accounts for deliberate leaving of EVA-00 in stasis for reasons of safety since it went berserk and injured Rei on its last activation.)
1st day of the episode contains some scenes at NERV, and “some time later” shows Shinji observing Rei at school. It’s difficult to say whether this is the same day or the following day (or even some days later) but it seems reasonable to assume it is no later than a day after. The evening of this day (whether it is the 1st day of the episode or the following day) has Misato ask Shinji to deliver Rei’s card, so the delivery of the card must occur the morning after that. Minimum time so far for the episode is 2 days including this day, or 3 days if we assume that the scene at NERV and the scenes at the school occur on different days. The rest of the episode’s events occur on this same day so I submit that the overall estimated time for this episode is 3 days (keeping in mind that Episode 5 ends on the same day as Episode 6 occurs--it is a direct transition.)

Episode 6 “Rei II” July 21 (immediately after Episode 5)
Begins immediately after Episode 5 (same day.) Operation Yashima is executed over 1 day which starts during the day and goes into the night. We can presume the scene at home is late that same night. In sum, while the episode itself does take a total of 1 day, it starts and its events occur on the same day that it picks up from Episode 5, I submit the actual date should be the same as the ending date of Episode 5. For all intents and purposes it is the same day.

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Postby MoroNoKimi » Sat Aug 01, 2015 1:03 pm

Next, the next 6 episodes! Episode 7 is imminent, so a good time to play catch-up if you are following this!
Under spoiler as before.

SPOILER: Show
Episode 7 “A Human Work” August 2-4
Takes a total of 3 days factoring in people’s numerous travels. Ramiel’s corpse is still being cleaned up and EVA-00 is still under repairs from the damage sustained during Operation Yashima so it is most likely not that long afterwards. We continue to see shots of Ramiel being disassembled for the next two episodes, so it can be inferred that it takes at least whatever span of time encompasses these episodes for the Angel to be completely cleaned up, but that it could be longer and we are simply not shown. It took about a month to repair EVA-00 before, but that almost certainly included time that was spent waiting for EVA-00 to be safe to use and not strictly to repair damage. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that a fair amount of time could pass between Episode 6 and Episode 7 based on repairs alone. Ramiel is massive so it can be suggested that cleanup takes quite some time, but the time between Episode 7 and Episode 8 necessarily cannot be much, because Asuka and EVA-02 are noted to be on their way from Germany. Episode takes a total of 3 days. Thus the total time between Episode 6 and Episode 8 should not be a large span but the gap between Episode 6 and Episode 7 can be larger than the gap between Episode 7 and Episode 8.
Other note--EVA-00 is not used in the following 3 episodes. It is still under repairs for Episode 8 and Episode 9 but is known to be repaired in Episode 10, but it is not used because it needs to guard Tokyo-3. Given that it took about a month (at minimum) to repair EVA-00 from its lesser damage before, it can be inferred that at LEAST a month total passes between Episode 6 and Episode 10.
Check to see if construction is referenced at any point or is still occurring--could indicate whether this is actually late July, or is early August.
A minimum of 59 days must pass between Episode 6 and the end of Episode 9. A repair time of roughly 2 months is fair for that level of damage. Thus, Episode 10 most likely takes place not long after Episode 9.

Episode 8 “Asuka Strikes!” August 5-6
Episode itself takes 2 days (one for most of its events, and ends on the 2nd day with Asuka having transferred to Tokyo-3.) Japanese new fall school term begins in August. Ramiel is still being disassembled. Later in this episode, Kaji delivers Adam to Gendou, and some time subsequent to this, Gendou fuses Adam to his hand.
Beginning of Episode 9 seems to indicate further time passes between Episode 8 and Episode 9; there has at least been enough time for Asuka to accrue some form of status at the school and for Touji and Kensuke to be taking and selling photos, which takes more than a couple of days. Since there cannot be a large span between Episode 6 and Episode 8, the gap must be between Episode 8 and Episode 9 instead. A little less than a month seems a fair amount of time for this to happen.

Episode 9 “Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win!” September 6—September 11
Ramiel is still being disassembled. Defeat of Israfel is known to be on the 11th--calendar cuts off the last row and we do not see the month, but the only months in which the 11th falls on the correct day are September and December. Given that the bulk of the series happens after Episode 9 for obvious reasons, and that the last episodes and End of Evangelion are known to occur at the very end of 2015, this means the date cannot be anything other than September 11th. Asuka and Shinji train together for 6 days, and they are informed of this in the afternoon after having lost to Israfel the first time, before their training begins the following day, but the episode ends on the last day during which they execute the operation in the first place. Thus, the Episode in total takes 6 days. The September 11 date is one of the few firm dates.

Episode 10 “Magma Diver” September 16
EVA-00 is usable by this point but is not used because it is being held on reserve at NERV in case of attack; EVA-00 being fully repaired can thus not be any less than 60 days after Episode 6. Indeterminate amount of time after Episode 9. In current-day Japan, trips to Okinawa typically occur in October, but pushing things into October this early makes October very crowded and makes fitting events prior to Episode 20 somewhat difficult. Class trip was to be 4 days and 3 nights (source, information sheet shown briefly in the episode). It can be assumed based on other information that the episode consumes a total of 1 day. The need for EVA-02 to have a new arm made or to have its arm healed means there should be more than 5 days (based on previous, very long, repair times.)

Episode 11 “The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still” September 28
EVA-00 is both fully repaired and has been modified--it has shoulder pylons now and a new paint job, which certainly must take some time. Would need to know the surface area of an EVA to make a real determination in how long it would take to repaint one. However, more importantly, it’s reasonable to assume it is a reasonable span of time after Episode 10--EVA-02 sustained some damage during the fight with Sandalphon and restoring a whole limb would take time to repair. If Fuyutsuki is meeting on that day (or supposed to meet) with the council it cannot be a weekend (state officials would only meet on a weekday.) Monday seems like a good enough day for a meeting, so it seems fair to place the episode on the 28th for the sake of convenience. The pilots arrive at NERV during the day, possibly they do not have school? But time of day is often disregarded. Takes place over 1 day.

Episode 12 “She said, ‘Don’t make others suffer for your personal hatred.’” October 1-2
Misato is promoted at the start of this episode but it seems to have happened between episodes. Some amount of time after Episode 11. It takes 16 hours to fly to Antarctica from Japan, let’s give several more hours for Gendou and Fuyutsuki to retrieve the Lance (hilariously, there’s only a time difference of one hour in most areas of Antarctica, so time zones as a factor can be safely discarded.) They have already left when the episode starts and do not return until the following episode. Touji and Kensuke drop by Misato’s apartment when it is raining, in the morning. Harmonics test is later in the day, then the party at Misato’s apartment.
Sahaquiel begins its attack the following day, and it is defeated on the same day. When Gendou transmits to Shinji, he is still on a ship, so he is probably en route back to Japan. Misato and the pilots go out for dinner at the end of the episode. In total, no more than 2 days elapse for the episode itself.

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Postby MoroNoKimi » Mon Oct 12, 2015 12:02 am

Nobody's watching this. But posting notes for next set of episodes anyway. October is a busy month.

SPOILER: Show
Episode 13 “Lillitputian Hitcher” October 9
The Lance of Longinus is retrieved from Antarctica prior to this episode. Some amount of time after Episode 12. Episode takes 1 day but there are essentially no useful other clues. The only thing we know is that it has to be at least 1 day after Episode 12. Placement as several days later largely for convenience.

Episode 14 “Weaving a Story” October 12
Starting assumption is quite soon after Episode 13, and not with a large gap like some other episodes. Could take place over any number of days but probably only 1. However, there are essentially no clues. Most of the episode is devoted to the recap and to Rei’s monologue which could happen at any point. The cross-compatibility test takes place during the day, and the episode ends with Rei in EVA-00 placing the Lance in Terminal Dogma (but, Gendou and Fuyutsuki had returned from Antarctica prior to this, unsure why they waited until now to put it with Lilith.) There just isn’t enough information to be sure about this one. At this point, it’s fair to just place Episodes 12-15 in a range that seems right (evenly spaced) and call it done.

Episode 15 “Those woman longed for the touch of others’ lips, and thus invited their kisses.” October 17-19
First day is a school day, but the second day of the episode seems to be a weekend. Calculating this one requires some inherent assumptions--firstly, that schools in NGE operate on schedules much like your average school in modern-day Japan (classes on Monday-Saturday.) With these assumptions we can proceed to try and derive a date range. Episode takes 3 days total and the second day shows the pilots do not have school, but Asuka talks to Hikari at school at the beginning of the episode. School in Japan on Saturday takes less of the day, indicating that there would be more time afterwards for Asuka’s date. Even if her date is the day after she is at school, this would indicate a certain restricted time range because the last day of the episode might be a usual school day. This restricts time ranges based on previous and following dates (loosely interpreted) to Oct 9-12, or 16-19, or 23-26. Cannot be any later or it will intersect with later episodes (mostly, it can’t intersect with Nov 4, when Shinji is absorbed inside EVA-01 for 30 days, and moving Episode 15 any later than a range of 23-26 would cause said intersection by leaving not enough time for episodes 16, 17, and 18.) It seems unlikely that there is only a tiny gap between this episode and Episodes 16 and 17, so it should most likely be moved up to either the 9-12 or 16-19 range. Given that I chose to place Episode 14 on Oct 12, this places this episode in the 16-19 range. Having determined the Saturday as the starting date thus places the dates as Oct 17-19.

Episode 16 “Splitting of the Breast” October 26-27
Takes place any number of days after Episode 15 as needed, but time between Episode 15 and Episode 16 seems unlikely to be much. Takes a total of 2 days. There’s little information that is of use here other than that it has to correctly align with Episode 17 (which is thus bound to later episodes, solidifying the range of this one.)

Episode 17 “Fourth Children” October 28-31
No more than 1 day after Episode 16. Debriefing occurs, probably immediately after the incident with Leliel. OR, the debriefing scene is technically a flashback to the day of Episode 16, and the rest of this episode’s events occur several days later? Reasonable to assume that the scene at the school occurs the next day. The following day, the American NERV branch vanishes. Touji being called to see the principal could be assumed to happen the same day as NERV is informed they will be taking EVA-03 and needs to scramble and find a pilot. Total days 3.

Episode 18 “Ambivalence” November 1
Takes place 1 day after the end of Episode 17. All events occur over this 1 day.

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Postby Strypgia » Sun Oct 25, 2015 10:13 pm

I have to throw a wrench in your work. You missed one of the only other hard dates in the series: 21SEP15, Asuka's first day of school.

At the very end of Episode 8, she arrives at school to Shinji and the Stooges horror, and writes her name on the board to introduce herself. The date is written on the right hand side of the board.
Image
So Israfel and Sandalphon have to be some time after this date. I know that doesn't quite fit with the calendar page, but it is the only definite date we see for a while.
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Postby MoroNoKimi » Sun Nov 01, 2015 5:03 pm

You're correct. But I just flat out discarded that as an inconsistency. It horribly throws off every other date, including the known series start date (despite the series talking about quantities of days in the earlier episodes, some of it contradicts itself so you have to fudge it.)
I simply couldn't make it work with the earlier dates (and it was also causing problems for some later dates) so I threw it out.

Going ahead and posting the final set of dates because I might as well.

SPOILER: Show
Episode 19 “Introjection” November 4-8
Takes place immediately after Episode 18 (the same day as the last day, no time passes between.) Shinji attacks the Geofront. Three days later, Touji wakes up. The rest of the episode’s events occur this same day or at most a day after. Consequently, the entire episode takes 4 days.

Episode 20 “Weaving a Story 2: oral stage” November 8-December 11
Immediately follows Episode 19, beginning on the same day as the last day of Episode 19. Episode takes 33 days (card in episode marks 33rd day); on the 30th day when Shinji emerges from EVA-01. Thus end date is 33 total days after the end of episode 19.

Episode 21 “He was aware that he was still a child.” December 12
Takes place 1 day after the end of Episode 20 (at the end of Episode 20, Misato goes to see Kaji, and it is night. The events of Episode 21 cannot be that same night, but are certainly the following day--Seele wouldn’t wait to interrogate someone at NERV regarding EVA-01’s consumption of the S2 engine.) Most likely takes place over 2 days, could be 3 days--Misato is kept in isolation for an unspecified period of time before arriving home and finding out about Kaji’s death, Fuyutsuki mentions to Kaji that it’s been a few days. It is evening when she comes home.

Episode 22 “Don’t Be.” December 15-17
Must be at least a day after the end of Episode 21 but could be more (however, there isn’t enough time remaining before EoE for it to be very long.) Episode takes 2 days—begins with Asuka, Shinji, and Misato having dinner, and then Asuka takes a bath, so the remaining events of the episode must occur the following day. Cannot be a long span of time between Episode 21 and Episode 22. Some time is spent showing Misato researching what Kaji discovered, which would indicate a larger time span between this and the previous episode.

Episode 23 “Rei III” December 20-22
At the start of the episode, Asuka has been staying with Hikari for enough days for Hikari to comment on it—4 days is a reasonable figure. Thus (including the time for Episode 22 itself) there should be a couple of days gap between Episode 22 and the beginning of Episode 23, but it could be greater if there is a desire to place this episode earlier in the month. SEE NOTE Meeting with Seele might be at the same time as this, or it might be a little later. Armisael appears during the meeting with Seele so there cannot be a gap there and the fight occurs during the day. Rei II’s death occurs on the same day. Misato’s attempt to comfort Shinji is most likely on the following day, after which Rei III appears. Ritsuko’s interrogation is at an unspecified time after this--immediately following, Ritsuko destroys the Reis. Episode 23’s total time is thus most likely 2 days (edit afterthought, 3 days more likely, gives time for Reis to be destroyed in the evening (seems Shinji is informed of Rei 'still being alive' essentially the night after she dies.

Episode 24 “The Beginning and the End, or ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’” December 24-26
Can be assumed to happen very soon after Episode 23, Seele would be unlikely to delay very long in sending Kaworu to replace Asuka. First we see Asuka in the bathtub which is during the day, we then meet Kaworu at sunset. The events must take at least 2 days (Kaworu arriving on one day and being killed on the following day) but could be more—there is enough time for a synch test, Kaworu to talk to Seele, Misato to spy on him, and for him to spend time with Shinji (which includes a bath at night, followed by them spending the night together, and it is day when Kaworu descends to Terminal Dogma.) 2 or 3 days.
EoE cannot begin the day after Episode 24 because EVA-02 sustained damage during the descent into Terminal Dogma, which could not possibly have been repaired in less than 12 hours. Therefore, given this information as well as the timing of Episode 23 and the symbolic significance of having Kaworu appear on Christmas, this firmly places December 25 as Kaworu’s arrival date. If we assume a 2 day timeline then the episode takes another day; if we assume a 3 day timeline, it ends on the 27th instead.

The End of Evangelion/Episode 25 “Do you love me?”/Episode 26 “Take Care of Yourself”: December 31--onward
Original series Episodes 25 and 26 are considered as concurrent with End of Evangelion per general consensus (they occur during Instrumentality, after all). The events of End of Evangelion begin on December 31. Further day by day chronology is irrelevant for these purposes--number of days becomes impossible to determine after Instrumentality and is no longer particularly useful.


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