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Ah, one of the unsolved mysteries of NGE: Just what the hell ARE all those pictures that are superimposed over the Reiquarium in episode #23' (pre-Renewal)? Some have been ID'ed, but hardly all, and, dammit, I'm curious! After Magami and AA managed to decipher one of them over here, I figured I'd make a thread specifically for the purpose.
Let's start at the beginning and pay close attention to what Ritsuko is saying while the images go by -- because, hey, there's gotta be at least SOME connection, right? ...right?
Ritsuko: "Humanity found a god (kami-sama) and, in their joy, tried to make it theirs. And so they were punished."
- Image #1: Adam on Ice, Close-up
- Image #2: Adam on Ice
We know this one well: Adam being uncovered by the Katsuragi Expedition, found with the Spear of Longinus in ... ver back. C-234 of the FULL OP provides a clearer look.
Ritsuko: "That was fifteen years ago. The god they had gone to such lengths to find also vanished completely."
- Image #3: Giant of Light
Obviously based on the photograph from the 2I report, except somehow they managed to make Adam an even vaguer-looking fuzzy white blob. Where'd the black eyes and core go?
Aside: Just sharing this because I thought it was interesting. This is the storyboard for the cut in #12 where we briefly see Adam. Instead of pylons, as in the final, ve has what are apparently WINGS sticking out of ver back. Is it just me, or does this make more sense than the final product?
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- Image #4: Wings of Light
Adam's wings extending into the stratosphere. (No, I actually didn't make the "stratosphere" part up.
) Based on #12, but specifically the DEATH version, since we can see the souls floating around.- Image #5: Satellite Image of Second Impact
From the OP and #21. We see an "Adam wings" version in #12 and a "clean" version in DEATH.
Ritsuko: "But then they tried to resurrect the god on their own."
Uhhh, wait a second... Isn't "resurrecting the god" what caused all that "divine retribution" in the first place? Or is she talking about something else?
- Image #6: Newspaper on Second Impact
From #21. Here's a composite, lazily created in "Panorama Maker" (hence the warping). Are those real people in the photograph?
- Image #7: Newspaper photograph
According to the script, this fellow is apparently the head honcho of the United Nations. We see the less vague version in #21, where Gendo and Keel can be seen in the background.
- Image #8: UNIDENTIFIED
Looks like a bunch of old farts standing behind a table or something (checking out the Dead Sea Scrolls, maybe?). The one on the far right (who is plainly visible) reminds me of the American committeeman -- or maybe I'm just seeing things. Alternatively, this looks to me like it could be a photo of <gasp> real people!
- Image #9: UNIDENTIFIED
Bubbles? Molecules?
Ritsuko: "That was Adam. And, imitating God, humans were made from Adam. That was Eva."
- Image #10: Lilith Closeup
Lilith's head with the mask, upside-down. Clearer view in the FULL OP.
- Image #11: Lilith & EVA-01
And if you want to make heads or tails of what the hell is going on there, you can always try my wonky "Birth of EVA-01" theory. "When maternity goes wrong. Very, very, VERY wrong!" Also available sans Rei in the FULL OP although, oddly, it is easier to make out certain details here!
Rather confusing how Ritsuko is talking about Adam and Evas being made from ver, but they show you Lilith giving birth to EVA-01. (Oh well -- if I'm not totally full of crap, EVA-01 is still technically being made "from Adam", but through Lilith.)
Shinji: "People? They're humans?"
- Image #12: EVA-01 closeup
A tricky one to make out, but this is EVA-01 from the prior image, shown from a funky angle. The chest is covered by a large cloth, a square-shaped cut exposing the core. Her face is also covered by a cloth (strangely like the Adam from "Nadia"). Clean version in the FULL OP.
Ritsuko: "Yes, they're human."
- Image #13: "Secret" Dead Sea Scrolls
You may remember this as the final cut of the OP. I was able to confirm my pet theory that this represented the SDSS with "Eva tomo no kai".
I'll add more later.
Originally posted on: 06-Feb-2005, 14:19 GMT
), which I think that 
Just shows how hard these can be. What are the others?
