Gendo's and Fuyutsuki's Relationship

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NIkkolas
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Gendo's and Fuyutsuki's Relationship

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Postby NIkkolas » Sat Jul 26, 2014 12:32 am

So the episode "The Birth of NERV" gives us probably the best insight we ever got into the character of Kozo Fuyutsuki. Up to this point he was just that guy who stood next to Gendo and maybe disagreed with him or questioned him sometimes but then yielded to whatever Gendo wanted.

We learn that the two stony commanders had a rather combative and rocky beginning with both obviously caring for the same women. They were also in opposite positions of command insofar as Fuyutsuki was a professor and Gendo just some punk student. This wasn't all helped by Fuyutsuki being a rather clever and resourceful sort and going on to uncover the truth about SEELE, Second Impact and all that nasty stuff.

But then Gendo does "something", what exactly I was never sure during my one and only watch of the series, and their combative rivalry fades away, at least on the surface. After this they became apparent allies, intertwining the rest of their lives together.

But for what reason? Was it merely a case of two men using each other with Fuyutsuki just another Tool for Gendo while Fuyutsuki had his own agenda for staying at Gendo's side? Were they two men united by their devotion to Yui's objectives but still secretly resentful of one another? Or was there at last some mutual respect or trust between them? All of the above? (NGE can get weird like that)

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Postby Sachi » Sat Jul 26, 2014 6:22 am

It seemed Gendo wanted Fuyutski on his dream team from the start. In the aftermath of Second Impact, Fuyutsuki no longer had his job at the university, and since the demand was high he was instead working as an unlicensed doctor. At some point he gets invited to join in a UN investigation of Second Impact, and it's there that he meets Gendo again and is very surprised to see him alive; Gendo's explanation that he had left Antarctica the day before Second Impact only raised Fuyutsuki's suspicions. It is this reunion between the two of them that prompts Fuyutski's further investigation into the event, as well as into Gendo's affiliation with Seele. It could be said that Gendo planned this from the start, and that it was even him that arranged for Fuyutsuki to participate in the UN investigation in the first place.

When Fuyutsuki eventually confronts Gendo and threatens to take the truth behind Second Impact public, Gendo shows Fuyutsuki the Geofront, Gehirn, and Project-E, and then recruits him into creating a new future for mankind. Fuyutuski's degree in metaphysics suddenly becomes relevant again, and it keeps him from getting killed. Had he declined Gendo's offer he would have probably been killed by some faceless Seele thug not too long after for knowing too much.

That, and Fuyutsuki does ultimately share in Yui's vision in creating a new future for humanity, at the very least taking control of the future of humanity back from Seele. By remaining useful for the enemy, he avoids being killed off and he can participate in subverting their plains from within. Gendo happens is the primary driving force behind the subversion of Seele's plans, so it makes sense that Fuyu aligns himself so closely with Gendo/
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Postby NemZ » Sat Jul 26, 2014 2:46 pm

As to the interpersonal dynamic, it's pretty clear they both dislike the other for reasons related to Yui and otherwise, but since they both generally want the same things it makes sense to stick together while manipulate each other as needed to get to their particular part of the larger target. Gendo does this by basically forcing Fuyutsuki to obey him because it's only his support that protects the old man from Seele, and Fuyu by keeping the true nature of Yui's departure secret all these years so all of Gendo's plotting ultimately serves his purpose instead.

Over the years this seems to have developed into a familiar "my favorite enemy" sort of dynamic where they can plot or chat amiably enough but there's never any illusion that they both don't hate each other. That's why in their private conversations Gendo tries to add a bit of a barb to every line and Fuyutsuki disagrees while seeming barely interested at all. It's also why Fuyu is ultimately Gendo's most trusted agent but he still goes out of his way to make sure the old man gets stuck with all the most tedious and meaningless assignments to keep him in his place.
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Postby NIkkolas » Sat Jul 26, 2014 3:19 pm

Out of curiosity could you explain your reasoning for this post?
View Original PostNemZ wrote:Then you should point your ire at Fuyutsuki, who knew she was there by choice this whole time and let Gendo spin his wheels within wheels to accomplish a goal that was always impossible out of sheer vindictive pettiness.


I'm just not sure what you mean. Didn't Gendo know Yui was in Unit 01? And how was Gendo "spinning his wheels?" Wouldn't Instrumentality allow him to be with Yui again?

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Postby Sorrow » Sat Jul 26, 2014 3:22 pm

Gendo didn't know Yui had her great plan; she confided in Fuyutsuki, not Gendo. As far as Gendo knew she was in Unit-01 as an accident from the contact experiment. It would appear--to me--that Fuyutsuki intentionally never revealed this to Gendo so he would keep playing his part to serve Yui's purpose. Perhaps he never told him out of spite, though.
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Postby NemZ » Sat Jul 26, 2014 3:51 pm

Sorrow has the right of it. Gendo's entire grand plot to be reunited with Yui was pointless from the start because she didn't want or need to be rescued. Of course he knew where she was but he had no idea she was there on purpose.

To be clear, however, this only holds true if you include DC & EoE retcons in the narrative. In the original version of the series it seems Yui was actually just a victim of accident as Gendo thought and was perfectly content to be back with him at the end.
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Postby NIkkolas » Sat Jul 26, 2014 4:19 pm

Well I've been told elsewhere that all of those "retcons" were the "real story". I absolutely did not enjoy End of Evangelion but apparently it was the intended ending and the anime's ending was just something they had to slap together because of budget or whatever.

Still doesn't make me enjoY EOE anymore . I prefer the anime's ending all the way.

Thanks for the clarification though, I understand what you meant now.

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Postby Sachi » Sat Jul 26, 2014 5:48 pm

View Original PostNIkkolas wrote:Well I've been told elsewhere that all of those "retcons" were the "real story". I absolutely did not enjoy End of Evangelion but apparently it was the intended ending and the anime's ending was just something they had to slap together because of budget or whatever.

This is debatable, if not outright false. There aren't many clear answers regarding this, as well as a lot of contradictory answers
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Postby NIkkolas » Sat Jul 26, 2014 5:55 pm

Well if it's false, so much the better. Either way though, I definitely prefer the anime's finale. It was a bit disappointing at the time but once you get that NGE is about the characters, and more specifically about Shinji's character, the anime's ending is perfectly satisfactory. EOE meanwhile was more about the plot and ...well, the plot isn't as good as the characters, putting it mildly.

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Postby Kendrix » Sat Jul 26, 2014 10:37 pm

I think Gendo genuinely liked/trusted someting about Fuyu (who really hated his guts and wanted Yui for himself...)... both of them are pathetic like hat....


It's all an extened part of Gendo's inability to grasp "the formless and intangible things" between people...


In any case, we hve situations of Gendo trsusting Fuyu "just before the end", although Gendo, as usual, doesn't expect to be defied at all/ trust that Yui has it all figured out, justified or otherwise...

Let's not forget that Yui... well, agency comes with responsibility. She used Gendo as an available pair of testicles to accomplish her games of playing house, and never told him shit about anything.

If Gendo's guilty of trying to "save her against her will", then so is she.
And poor Shinji was caught in the crossfire more than anyone... not that this completely absolves him, but it should, at least, put that which he faced into perspective.
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Postby Tumbling Down » Tue Aug 19, 2014 7:03 am

View Original PostNemZ wrote:and Fuyu by keeping the true nature of Yui's departure secret all these years so all of Gendo's plotting ultimately serves his purpose instead.


View Original PostSorrow wrote:Gendo didn't know Yui had her great plan


View Original PostNemZ wrote:Gendo's entire grand plot to be reunited with Yui was pointless from the start because she didn't want or need to be rescued.


Okay, I missed something. Yui put herself in Unit 01 on purpose? For what purpose? Do you guys mean the "enduring memory of humanity" thing? That seems to be what you're talking about.. but come to think of it, why wouldn't Yui tell Gendo? Didn't she, y'know, love him?

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Postby Sorrow » Tue Aug 19, 2014 8:36 am

View Original PostTumbling Down wrote:but come to think of it, why wouldn't Yui tell Gendo? Didn't she, y'know, love him?
Or she knew that he loved her enough to prevent her going through with it should he know what was going to occur. Lack of love on her part need not be the case.

It could be (very convincingly) argued that Yui is as sociopathic as Gendo and merely uses everyone--her son and Gendo included--with the sole purpose of achieving her goal. Though, why she should do this when it is meant to be for the betterment of humanity either paints her as deluded or genuinely compassionate but willing to make serious sacrifice. Does she love humanity more than her son? Probably. Though I think she loves him all the same.
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