Why are Rei and Asuka often portrayed together?

[C.T.1290]

About every merchandise and advertisements always have Rei and Asuka together, and sometimes a bit intimately. But cannonicaly in the series, these two never gotten​ along. And Asuka has seemingly despised Rei, often calling her a doll. And Rei also doesn't have much experience in being close to someone.

So what was the point of having these two together? It almost seems to be a bit of false advertising, such as Asuka appearing all cheerful when in the series she's rude. And Rei doesn't show a lot of emotion as it would seem at a first glance.

And also, Shinji doesn't get much of a spot in advertising. What's up with that?

[xanderkh]

Simple rule of male fanservice dude:

1+1=2: More is better. XD

And Shinji does get his share of advertising, such as modeling for the newest fashion which he does pull off, but apparently the "male gaze" sells more. Care to guess why? XD

[Reichu]

Money, dear boy. Plus the whole fire and ice thing.

apparently the "male gaze" sells more. Care to guess why? XD

Well, of course it's going to sell more if you cater to it more...

[Chuckman]

Advertising something with a bunch of hot girls in it by putting them all together is as old as things with hot girls in them.

[Kendrix]

Advertising something with a bunch of hot girls in it by putting them all together is as old as things with hot girls in them.

Yeah, I doubt there's anything more to it than "lets put the hotties together" or perhaps those specific ones because they're both pilots & can be given fun matching outfits. Hence while a lot of Rebuild mechandised added Mari, though there's the occasional pic that has the original 3+ Misato as well. And if you're gonna draw them all fanservicey you might as well pose them cutely.

I mean they do both have their good days.

[silvermoonlight]

About every merchandise and advertisements always have Rei and Asuka together, and sometimes a bit intimately. But cannonicaly in the series, these two never gotten​ along. And Asuka has seemingly despised Rei, often calling her a doll. And Rei also doesn't have much experience in being close to someone.

I would agree with the others in terms of fan service I would like to add that they are good friends in three of the spin off manga's and in one of these manga's even hints that they might be a couple, so even though they don't get on in the series and manga the advertising isn't completely false.

[Reichu]

Assuming you meant "ISN'T completely false" -- Rei and Asuka were being put together for titillating/money-grubbing purposes long before any of those spin-offs existed. The "false advertising", as you put it, was probably what planted the seed for any eventual pseudo-legitimization.

[silvermoonlight]

Assuming you meant "ISN'T completely false" -- Rei and Asuka were being put together for titillating/money-grubbing purposes long before any of those spin-offs existed. The "false advertising", as you put it, was probably what planted the seed for any eventual pseudo-legitimization.

Yeah I meant isn't

[TheCarkolum]

Because nobody cares (sexually) about Shinji... and for good reasons. Neither boys nor girls... right?

Also, sexualizing girls sells. There's no other reasons, I assure you.

[Kendrix]

Because nobody cares (sexually) about Shinji... and for good reasons. Neither boys nor girls... right?

AFAIK he has plenty of fangirls in Japan & fangirls are a thing in general especially with anime. See for example the amount of fangirl lust our very own Kaworu engenders.

Though Shinji strikes me as the sort of character that you appreciate more from a first or third person perspective (finding him relatable or an interesting character concept) rather than in the second person "They're so awesome I'd like to adopt/befriend/date them" sort. Not that he doesn't have potential at all.
See this artwork highlighting his butt:

SPOILER: Show

All things considered he's pretty nice, sensitive, vaguely artsy and technically a fearsome prodigy mecha pilot, especially in a day-to-day situation where he wasn't just put through the wringer, but if he evaded the wringer completely, where would the plot be?

I don't think it's just his being controversial. Asuka & Rei have plenty of haters too but that doesn't stop the fanbois/ the amounts more or less balance out.
When it comes to Shinji, the show itself gives us a lot of 1st person POV on him generally highlighting his maturity shortcomings, relative youth & showing some very... "unidealized" parts of his. By contrast we see Rei, Asuka & Kaworu through the PoV of someone who, though the overall matter is more complex, distinctly has the hots for them, though all of their characters (except possibly Kaworu) also have their "messy, hairy, ugly" parts to them.

[TheCarkolum]

Well, of course it's going to sell more if you cater to it more...

Idk if that's the real reason of why it sells more. In this fucking society women are treated like shit in porn, and in Japan that goes without saying. Women are hyper-sexualised to the point what really sells is humiliate, sexualise and dominate them. It's a totally mysogine behavior, not a healthy way to portray sexuality. So if in a show 2 of the 3 main characters are women, you bet the main goal to sell is to make them making out, or something stronger. Look at the EVA doujinshis. It's not like Shinji x Kaworu doesn't sell because there are no doujinshis about them, it's because you got Rei x Asuka being raped, humiliate, tortured... You got a whole variety of sick fantasies to sell, because women are not only hyper-sexualized, but deprived of all dignity in porn, and that's what sells.

[silvermoonlight]

Idk if that's the real reason of why it sells more. In this fucking society women are treated like shit in porn, and in Japan that goes without saying. Women are hyper-sexualised to the point what really sells is humiliate, sexualise and dominate them. It's a totally mysogine behavior, not a healthy way to portray sexuality. So if in a show 2 of the 3 main characters are women, you bet the main goal to sell is to make them making out, or something stronger. Look at the EVA doujinshis. It's not like Shinji x Kaworu doesn't sell because there are no doujinshis about them, it's because you got Rei x Asuka being raped, humiliate, tortured... You got a whole variety of sick fantasies to sell, because women are not only hyper-sexualized, but deprived of all dignity in porn, and that's what sells.

I'm not going to disagree with that there is a long standing issue with women and media portrayal and really needs to start being fixed as it causes problems out in the real world. (Looking at you Hollywood, violent porn and bad fan comics, fanfiction) As the idea of women as object, trophies and property needs to end period and rape needs to have a zero tolerance policy regardless of sexuality of gender. As I would prefer to see a lot more Dōjinshi were the characters are having enjoyable consenting sex and Rei and Asuka's sexual pleasure and sexuality matters just as much as Shinji and Kaworu's.

[Akko]

Because yuri baiting is the best form of pandering

[ShonHam]

Japanese advertising has a lot of time for moe and hot chicks, I wish the answer was a bit more than that but there's literally nothing else to it hahah