Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby FreakyFilmFan4ever » Wed Jul 19, 2017 5:25 pm

"Most people would argue" that Asuka is at least one of two "best girls," and that Shinji simply needs to "stop being a pussy" and "get in the damn robot." So I don't think many people have a clear consensus as to how frustrating Asuka could be as an individual.

However, I do think there is some weight to the argument that Asuka is frustrating. Even kind-hearted Hikari was having internal complaints about Asuka's behavior come Ep 22. (I say this as someone who adores Asuka. It's not like I'm blind to her faults.) I think it's also a reenactment of the Eva battle in Ep 2, and a thematic continuation of the AT Field that's established in Ep 2 and explained in Ep 24. Like Unit 01, Shinji is also sitting on top of the other body. Instead of cracking a core with a broken rib, he's trying to strangle her with his hands. Just like Sachiel in Ep 2, Asuka reaches up to the other body's face to eliminate the threat. But instead of tearing away AT Fields, EoE's strangelation scene is about maneuvering through AT Fields and coping with others who now have them after 3rd Impact. (This is a far more harsh example of Shinji and Rei redeveloping AT Fields a couple scenes prior.)

Another possibility is that, since it mirrors Rei I being strangled in Ep 23, and since EoE flashes the silhouette of Naoko strangling Rei I after Asuka's strangling in Instrumentality, it could be that strangulation in EoE is meant to thematically connect with Naoko strangling Rei I. It could be that both Rei I and Asuka separate in some way their respective strangelers from Gendo. (Rei I does this by calling Naoko an "Old Hag," while Asuka does this by calling Shinji "Daddy's Boy.") Naoko couldn't move on from her toxic relationship with Gendo as her lover, so she succeeds in killing in an attempt to maintain that relationship. But Shinji could move on from his toxic relationship with Gendo as his father, so he ceases fighting to maintain it when he feels a supporting touch from Asuka.
Last edited by FreakyFilmFan4ever on Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby C.T.1290 » Wed Jul 19, 2017 6:25 pm

View Original PostFreakyFilmFan4ever wrote:However, I do think there is some weight to the argument that Asuka is frustrating. Even kind-hearted Hikari was having internal complaints about Asuka's behavior come Ep 22. (I say this as someone who adores Asuka. It's not like I'm blind to her faults.)

It makes me wonder how Hikari can even put up with her. What does she possibly see in her?
But Shinji could move on from his toxic relationship with Gendo as his father, so he ceases fighting to maintain it when he feels a supporting touch from Asuka.

Supporting touch? Just how is that so?
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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby Sachi » Wed Jul 19, 2017 7:30 pm

View Original PostC.T.1290 wrote:Supporting touch? Just how is that so?

It was a gentle caress that purposefully mirrors Yui's farewell to Shinji. While Shinji feels he is only capable of hurting others with his hands, Asuka reminds him of the potential for connection.
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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby Josdavi/Armisrael » Fri Aug 04, 2017 11:24 am

Maybe he realized that he fuck up the world (when he denies the instrumentalization), Rei goes off, his mother says goodbye to him, that Rei/litith dead body over the planet , anyone in that situation would kill oneself to that.
But Shinji saw Asuka at the end, and he did not wanted to see Asuka suffer the rest of her life in the same situation that him. And thats the reason that he tries to kill her (after that, maybe he would try to kill himself), but, when he realize that she is alive and show some affection to him, he stopped and maybe thought that they could make their lifes togheter.
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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby C.T.1290 » Fri Aug 04, 2017 11:48 pm

View Original PostJosdavi/Armisrael wrote:But Shinji saw Asuka at the end, and he did not wanted to see Asuka suffer the rest of her life in the same situation that him. And thats the reason that he tries to kill her (after that, maybe he would try to kill himself), but, when he realize that she is alive and show some affection to him, he stopped and maybe thought that they could make their lifes togheter.

Mercy killing? Not really sure that was his intention. It's been said that he was strangling her to confirm her existence. While at the same time, he may still feel rage towards her for not accepting his plea for help during the pre-instrumentalty sequence.

It looks like these two are going to have a tough time together. Could end up one way or another, good or bad.
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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby FreakyFilmFan4ever » Sat Aug 05, 2017 9:05 pm

View Original PostC.T.1290 wrote:It makes me wonder how Hikari can even put up with her. What does she possibly see in her?

This is the same girl who claims to see the kind side of Toji, and I don't think she's misguided in thinking that. She's the most optimistic character in the entire show, and perhaps the most mentally healthy and stable of any given character in the franchise.

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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby robersora » Sun Aug 06, 2017 12:34 am

^
She is, but given her expression in E22, we can see how fed up and overwhelmed she is with Asuka. I think she's just a very polite girl who tries to do the right thing, even if it is to her own detriment.
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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby Sachi » Sun Aug 06, 2017 12:58 am

Hikari's character flaw is she is the responsible one. She NEEDS to be. We know she takes care of both her sisters, even though one is older. Given that she's in Class 2-A, her mother is likely dead. I imagine it's too difficult for the father to juggle a job and care for three daughters, so Hikari was forced to step up and did what she felt was the responsible thing to do. She was forced to grow up quickly, more quickly than her elder sister. This quality of hers is likely what got her the role of Class Rep in the first place. However, I'd say this all probably happened at the expense of her childhood. Because of this, Kensuke wins the role of least damaged Eva character.

With Asuka, Hikari took on more responsibility than she was prepared for, and as a result enabled Asuka to continue being self destructive. Goes to show that even good intentions can be harmful.
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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby C.T.1290 » Sun Aug 06, 2017 11:38 pm

You have to admit, Hikari has an amazing level of tolerance when it comes to being around people such as Asuka. If it were me, I'd probably won't last that long. But I guess if Asuka could tone down her haughtiness and keep her temper in check, then I'd probably be fine.

Shinji probably had that same tolerance level too as Hikari, due to his pasive nature. He just doesn't have the ability to lash out at people, no matter how frustrating it can be, which is a total opposite from Asuka.
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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby VoidEater » Thu Aug 10, 2017 4:25 pm

Much of narrative surrounding identity of the individuals points to the self that is in the ego, and seen externally or superficially by others, versus the self that it is hidden behind the ego, and experienced subjectively only by the individual (becoming more accessible as everyone turns into orange soup).

I have always interpreted the choking scene to be part of the reintegration of individuality - we see how they act without their ego self as they reintegrate: Shinji finally expressing his anger and resentment towards the way Asuka has treated him throughout their relationship (choking her), and Asuka finally expressing her feelings of desire towards Shinji (stroking his cheek).

As integration continues and ego is finally reaffirmed, Shinji becomes newly aware of what he is doing and draws back, while Asuka's last line can be made to have sense (regardless of whether it was intended to make sense): her ego is disgusted by the gentle interaction and feelings she has for Shinji, trained as it has been to reject such.
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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby StrokeMeGoat » Sat Aug 12, 2017 1:03 pm

I wrote a post about my hypothesis here,

To be honest, I debate how much Shinji was actually trying to strangle her (at least in the sense that he was going to kill her) given that his hands are positioned in such a way that his thumbs both line up with her carotid arteries when every scene in the show previous to it had both hands clasping the neck with the thumbs wrapped around either side with one over the other (including the scene from the movie when Shinji strangles Asuka when deciding to initiate Instrumentality), suggesting intent to kill.

I almost feel like he was trying to feel her heart beat and to see if she reacted to test if she was even real. When she does nothing for what feels like several moments when he's doing something strange like straddling her and has his hands on her neck, he pressed down with his thumbs in a way that would cut off blood from those arteries and cause her to pass out before actually running out of air, suggesting he might be trying to do some kind of mercy killing because she's a vegetable or was desperate for a reaction of some kind. That, and the amount he trembles while doing makes me wonder if he was just desperate for some kind of response to make sure it was actually her and not an illusion or something (likely fully expecting her to reject him or react with anger like she normally would). Her caressing him was truly unexpected though, causing the break down (probably both from the shame of having initiated Instrumentality willingly once given the choice, their experience during it, and just having tried to choke her along with her actually accepting him and doing something nice). Her last line was excellent in regards to confirming she was still truly herself given the fact she just caressed his cheek, along with an appropriate reaction in general.

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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby baka_unit_01 » Wed Jan 16, 2019 7:49 pm

I'm late to this discussion, but the interpretation that makes the most sense to me is the one based on Hegel's philosophy, which is something I have learned only recently from this analysis: https://forum.evageeks.org/thread/17500/EoE-Final-scene-explained-and-connected-to-EoTV-GWF-Hegel/

What we see in the end of the movie appears to be Shinji and Asuka emerged from the sea of LCL. The key word being 'appears'.
They are not back to being their respective characters just yet.

Look at how expressionless their faces are in the beginning, they even lay next to each other without a single word, like a pair of inanimate objects.
They are not the Shinji and Asuka we know until they 'awaken' thanks to each other, I won't go further into this, fearing that I would butcher what Hegel is trying to say.

So let's focus instead on the parallels that follow: last time Shinji was choking Asuka, she rejected him and he wasn't ready to accept a painful truth about himself. What's important is that now, after what they learned during instrumentality, Asuka's reaction changes.

In another parallel, Shinji burst into tears, revealed to see Asuka alive, just like he cried tears of joy when Rei turned out to be okay.

We know for a fact that the last words are referencing the hospital scene, through the directions Anno gave to Asuka's voice actress.
Remember how during instrumentality Asuka tells Shinji she knows what he did and since there are no barriers during instrumentality, she encourages his sexual attraction to her under the condition that he only belongs to her?

Back in the real world however, the barriers, the inhibitions that prevent people from being so truthful to each other are back, so Asuka reacts to the same hospital scene with disgust.

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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby Melkor » Wed Jan 16, 2019 8:09 pm

This may sound a little ridiculous, but then I first saw that scene, I assumed that it was because Shinji was disappointed by the fact that it was Asuka who got brought back and not someone else that he dislikes less, like Rei, or Misato, or Kaworu, the thoughts running through Shinji's mind being: "Of all the people to come back, it had to be you? Oh hell no! If I'm going to be stuck on this planet with only one other person, it sure as hell isn't going to be you!", but Shinji hesitated. Asuka's words of "how disgusting" could have a double meaning of both referring to what Shinji did in the hospital, and to the fact that he doesn't even have the guts to kill her.
Last edited by Melkor on Fri Jan 18, 2019 4:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby PenPen4life » Fri Jan 18, 2019 4:01 pm

Coz life's a bitch.

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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby Amalgam429 » Sat Feb 09, 2019 1:43 am

When people ask me this question, my gut response is always

"It's not about why he started strangling her, it's the fact that he stopped"

Reading this thread is actually super cool, but that's the interpretation I always stand by, as vague as it may be :D
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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby FreakyFilmFan4ever » Wed Feb 13, 2019 6:07 pm

The strangulation scene strangely mirrors the first Angel battle in Ep 2. Unit 01 sits atop the Angel, pinning it to the ground. The angel reaches up and literally embraces Unit 01. The AT field is destroyed. Similarly, Shinji sits atop Asuka in EoE, pinning her to the ground. Asuka reaches up and caresses Shinji’s cheek. His AT field is weakened.

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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby Reichu » Wed Feb 13, 2019 11:48 pm

Technically, Sachiel's ATF was neutralized earlier, when Eva-01 did her Goatse impression. I know you say "destroyed", but what the caress accomplishes is more akin to ATF neutralization than destruction, so comparisons must be made accordingly.

When Eva-01 is straddling somebody, she's doing it to kill. This happens with Sachiel, Eva-03, and Zeruel. I guess Shinji is mirroring his Eva, insofar as having an initially murderous intent, but unlike his mom it's possible to get him to back down.

(The 2.0 version of Eva-03's destruction has a callback to the last scene of EoE, incidentally.)
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Re: Why was Shinji strangling Asuka at the end of EoE?

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Postby PenPen4life » Mon Feb 18, 2019 11:49 pm

View Original PostFreakyFilmFan4ever wrote:The strangulation scene strangely mirrors the first Angel battle in Ep 2. Unit 01 sits atop the Angel, pinning it to the ground. The angel reaches up and literally embraces Unit 01. The AT field is destroyed. Similarly, Shinji sits atop Asuka in EoE, pinning her to the ground. Asuka reaches up and caresses Shinji’s cheek. His AT field is weakened.


AT fields being a representation of mental walls we hide our emotions with.


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