My first thought when I read about the fur thing was Werewolf!Asuka.
...Oh god, we're going to get Werewolf!Mari for Final.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about Beast-02. Those cylinder things really bug me and needle teeth (or are those stitches?) are kind of over doing it...
On the other hand, I do like the idea of an Eva "abandoning her humanity" and it did fit into the idea of Mari "destroying Eva".

I do wonder what a Harpy in Beast Mode would look like though...

Sanctus Scorpius wrote:My first thought when I read about the fur thing was Werewolf!Asuka.

Funnily enough, the first thought I had when I first read about Beast Mode was "Not Werewolf!Asuka, but Werewolf!Kyoko-sama".

Reichu wrote:You've always wanted to see something as specific as an Eva turning into a semi-quadrupedal, giant-mawed, pin-toothed, slobbering symbiote/hellhound thing?

Oh yeah~
Well, it wasn't what I had in mind but something bizarre or something similar to a berserk Unit-02.

Sachi wrote:The writers introduced a completely new feature of the Evangelion, one that sounds completely badass and amazing, yet it's utterly ineffective and does nothing for the plot as of this point.

I agree. I was disappointed that the conclusion wound up being the same as the original series.

I'm hoping the writers do something with it in the next installment.

I think besides being an intriguing departure from the original series and a plot element designed to make Zer that much more powerful looking (although admittedly, eating Zerogoki and transforming did that), it also gave opportunities to fic writers like our very own Gregg Landsman (Zwei is absolutely adorable). And of course, the usual troll factor (assuming he really doesn't go anywhere with that). Sort of like "lol you silly kids, discussing things that aren't there".

Warren Peace wrote:Other ideas included sprouting fur.

I'm... i'm speechless.

Mari's hax powers are likely to be dealt with in the next movie, but i think (hope) that Za Beasto made it's first and last appearance. The whole thing screams "one-time gimmick". Something you can use to create excitement once.

SaltyJoe wrote:Mari's hax powers are likely to be dealt with in the next movie, but i think (hope) that Za Beasto made it's first and last appearance. The whole thing screams "one-time gimmick". Something you can use to create excitement once.

Well, someone would have to fix Unit 02 in order for it to turn all over again. Or the European branch can retrieve it and experiment on it as it remains in Beast Mode.

I personally like the idea of Beast Mode. I agree that the design is a bit far fetched, but then again, I've already accepted the idea that Shinji might be piloting a form of his mother's giant body. So I can somehow deal with 02's Bestial design. Granted, those teeth are twice as high as the head, but still.

I don't think we can make ANY assumptions about the next film(s). That's part of the fun, it's wide open. But if they don't explain Beast Mode in some way, it will be a major failing. Much of Eva can remain mysterious... but to let that drop would be too much.

I don't know, i think the important bits about Beast Mode are: how did Mari knew of it, who told her of it, and how does using it fit into an overall agenda that she and Kaji seem to be following. The powerup itself? No need to further address it.

I think it was only right for it to look a bit surreal/non-realistic, I really loved the utterly inhuman way it moved. The "hair curler" things very loveably disturbed BECAUSE it would seriously hurt a human to have these inside their body the way they were placed. It shows how much effort it takes to restrain an EVA.

Also, it's not exactly a beserk, the power clock was still counting down and such. Mari was normally piloting the EVA, exept with the often-mentioned restraints to keep it controllable removed.

Also, I can't see anyone but Mari doing this - It's tailored to her, her odd-smell fixation and her inability to really rely on the sense most humans rely on (sight) already gave her something animalistic, as does her "normal" battle style - also, the "Miko chanelling the gods" motif, the "eathly" very human, very loud girl entering a deep connection with the divine elements (The EVA)
Actually, I found it fitting that it grew some turquoise accents/ lost some of the red, because, without the blue and with more red, it's Asuka's thing.
The redesign makes it Mari's own, in a way.
Note how the interior of the plug goes dark, probably because the interface isn't needed anymore because the pilot either a) sees directly through the EVAs eyes or b) relies on other senses here.

If Asuka had been in that scene, she woukd either have lost like in the anime, or tried to hack zeruel apart mit an axe or something. Asuka's the "badass normal" amongst the EVA pilots, more so in rebuild where she prides herself of being chosen because of her talent. - Weird transformations wouldn't suit her, Asuka has always picked her enemies apart in two ways: a) using fancy weaponry, showing her trained combat skills and the versatility of her "production models", in contrast to Shinji who sticks to basic knives or guns. or b) using the dirty, old-fashioned methods, i.e, bare hands and no tricks.

As for EVA 02, it has been hijacked before. Of course, being an angel, Kaworu did not have to get into its entry plug to do so, but still.

I don't think we'll see Beat Mode again, it worked mainly because of the surprise element, now, we need more surprises. I expect Mari to pull NEW crazy stunts. (Not as in another EVA mode, but as in crazy stunts in general. )

Why do people keep on saying that Mari "hijacked" Eva-02?

Reichu wrote:Why do people keep on saying that Mari "hijacked" Eva-02?

No idea. 02 is still under European control so she may have been ordered to take 02 and Fight the 10th.

Reichu wrote:Why do people keep on saying that Mari "hijacked" Eva-02?

Nerv believes she did, because it's composed of babbling idiots. One of the more bizarre things that I've encountered in my experiences of watching the series with others is the extent to which they continue to believe Nerv's cover stories - even after they're debunked in pretty much inarguable ways.

Wait, If you think about it, right before Asuka's un-timly(?) death in EoE, Asuka was actually manually going to go into Berzerk mode. I'm not quite sure that that should be considered going Bezerk, but maybe it's the thing that inspiered Beast Mode?

Oh, and my personal thoughts on Beast Mode: It was a cool concept and a nice surprise but I don't think it's coming back... I mean, there's really not anyone else that Mari can use for it (00 is fried/devoured, 01 is... well you know, 02 is messed up pretty badly, 03-05 is trash now, 06 is Kitten Killer's, so that leaves:...).

Reichu wrote:Why do people keep on saying that Mari "hijacked" Eva-02?

Unit-02 is just considered to be Asuka's exclusively, so its kind of a case of anyone else using it has to be for a bad reason.

But I figured they made a big point of telling Asuka that she was piloting unit 02 at the whim of Nerv Europe and they taketh away as easily as they giveth.

Azathoth wrote:Nerv believes she did, because it's composed of babbling idiots.

Hyuga just says that Nerv HQ didn't give the launch order, but "hijacking" isn't suggested.

To the OP:

Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man...

LoCooLaidman wrote:Wait, If you think about it, right before Asuka's un-timly(?) death in EoE, Asuka was actually manually going to go into Berzerk mode. I'm not quite sure that that should be considered going Bezerk, but maybe it's the thing that inspiered Beast Mode?

No, I think that's closer to Shinji's God Mode, as it that it works without external power (unlike Beast Mode) and that the pilot is still in control (unlike in a classic berserk).

Maybe what Asuka did in EoE is basically God Mode (The eyes of the EVA were glowing in a different color, weren't they, even if Asuka's weren't), except:
a) Her EVA was too badly damaged or the harpies didn't leave her enough time to fully deploy it, or
b) An Adam-Based EVA somehow doesn't do the trick as well - because they're less similar to humans?
c) God Mode is the EoE thing turned up to eleven/Shinji may be better at it, just like he has a higher synch ratio.


Another parallel that I'd draw is that the "Semi Berserk State" Mari did with EVA 05 (when it opened the mouth) is the same Asuka and Shinji did in episode 8 (the glowy eyes thing) and Asuka alone did when she fired the cross beam.

I really liked the "Beast Mode" it was kinda refreshing and I thought complemented Mari's envelope pushing all or nothing mentality. If I'm not mistaken its also the second time she shows empathy for an Eva so perhaps its merely a plot point Anno wanted to make (Albeit in a cool way).

That said I understand that Rebuild uses new rules, but how does Mari just jump in the Eva and go?

Never been a fan of Mari or the Beast mode Unit 02. For the reason that both were completely unnecessary to the plot and kept Asuka out of the climax of the film. Mari's ability to hop into an Evangelion and set off the Beast mode wasn't explained either. In my opinion all it did was add new questions that nobody was asking for and squandered movie time to a character that did not need to be there.

pablumatic wrote:In my opinion all it did was add new questions that nobody was asking for and squandered movie time to a character that did not need to be there.

I realize this is a bit OT, but I would have been willing to do without Mari and/or Beast Mode completely if such a trade off would have allowed for more than one frame of screentime devoted to Touji's younger sister.

A lot of fans have waited a very long time for the opportunity to see her leaving the hospital, fully recovered from her injuries. It would have been nice if we got a scene or two where Shinji and the rest of the Touji's friends got to meet her. Just sayin'