I don't like her, don't dislike her. She just is. I do think she ads a stabilizing dynamic to the show. When everyone else is going all suicidal depressive, she's just staring at the wall. And the fact of the matter is that she is mysterious. The most terrible things in the world can happen and she won't bat an eye. Shinji disrespects his father and she slaps him.

Her lack of response can also make certain things more meaningful. When Shinji finally gets her to smile, it's meaningful and a payoff that can only be had with the patient character design and the writing Evangelion had.

She also inhabits a peculiar space in the world of hentai. Most hentai stories somehow exploit character traits to put them in otherwise unlikely situations, but in the case of Rei, she is never anything like her character because she is a very unsexual being, which leads to me to wonder why she is such a popular character to be put in hentai mangas. It might be, as Evamonkey pointed out, because "she is the ultimate submissive female" and submission is a big part of Japanese sexuality. But I have to question if she really is submissive, she didn't react much when Shinji was on top of her, but I get the feeling that if Shinji got any funny ideas, she would have gone Buckingham Palace guard on him and tore him a new one.

Dude Rei was no less suicidal than anyone else.

Rei 3:
No, it makes me happy.
Because I want to die.
What I desire is despair.
I want to return to nothingness.

Rei 2:
But I can't.
I cannot return to nothingness.
He won't let me return.

Rei 3:
He won't let me go back yet.

Rei 2 (OFF):
I existed because he needed me.

Rei 3:
But it's over now.
He's not going to need me anymore. He's going to abandon me.
I thought I had wished for that day to come, but...
Now, I am afraid.

Trigger's Elysium wrote:

Themaninblack wrote:

BobBQ wrote:- Rei isn't a borderline alcoholic.

- Rei isn't a self-loathing wimp.

- Rei isn't an arrogant self-centered bitch.

- Rei isn't a backstabbing double agent.

- Rei isn't a scheming bastard.

- Rei isn't an airheaded jock.

- Rei isn't an enemy in disguise.

vc

Wow Stereotypes galore.



but Eva and Anno MADE most of those archtypes

What stupidity. Eva didn't create jocks, enemies in disguise, of self loathing wimp, or double agents, or what the fuck ever. Get some sense, dude.

I don't even know what you're talking about in your other post.

Oh yeah, and 0rolando, I completely agree.

No Shit Sherlock, I Never belevied Anno made Jocks and the 'Western' Girl or cute animal Side kicks. Hell even Shinji is a typicial whinny14 yr old Ammuro Ray. But in the end they all had different motavitons whitch made them unqiue (spelling went to hell yet agian)Whitch where from that point on ripped off.

BobBQ wrote:

Themaninblack wrote:Wow Stereotypes galore.

Not my fault. It was just a roundabout way of saying that Rei isn't Misato, Shinji, Asuka, Kaji, Gendo, Toji or Kaworu.

but Eva and Anno MADE most of those archtypes

WONG.

Sorry I didn't make my self clear...or understandable

see previous post.

Haha, nope. By 1995, it's almost impossible to create an all new character stereotype. These things aren't exclusive to fiction, and neither are the final results of the characters original creations at all, they've been used before.

personally, i wouldnt like Rei if Asuka wasnt in the show. conversely, i wouldnt like Asuka if Rei werent in the show. my favorite aspect of the two characters is the contrast. they are opposite down to the fact that one has red hair and blue eyes and the other has blue hair and red eyes. so, as far as a preference goes, i go between the two character.

I think everyone has their reasons for liking Rei; though the fantasy thing could be the most common.

zephyr72 wrote:the fact that one has red hair and blue eyes and the other has blue hair and red eyes

Like this, you mean?

Rei, I found to be the most immediately accessible of the Children.

Mr. Tines wrote:Rei, I found to be the most immediately accessible of the Children.

Why? Cause she's a 10-year-old in a 14-year-olds body being used as the key to pretty much destroy humanity, with a soul billions of years old? Or maybe the way she has less people skills than Asuka? Kinda hard to relate to that don't ya think? Lets be honest here the only reason she is so popular is there are allot of perverts out there that would love to have a living doll to play with.

Anonymous_Evafan wrote:Why? Cause she's a 10-year-old in a 14-year-olds body being used as the key to pretty much destroy humanity, with a soul billions of years old? Or maybe the way she has less people skills than Asuka? Kinda hard to relate to that don't ya think? Lets be honest here the only reason she is so popular is there are allot of perverts out there that would love to have a living doll to play with.

Too bad i'm living proof that you're wrong.

I didn't say it was always the case.

Yes, you did.

Lets be honest here the only reason she is so popular is there are allot of perverts out there that would love to have a living doll to play with.

LOL I'm not saying there aren't people that like her as a character. What I'm saying is if it wasn't for those perverted losers she wouldn't be anywhere near as popular as she is. Sometimes the thoughts in my head don't transfer that well onto the internet. Sadly I think a good chunk of Asuka's popularity is for perverted reasons aswell.

fixed typo

There, that's a better and more concise statement, and I agree. That applies to all women with any form of sex appeal, really.

Anonymous_Evafan wrote:Or maybe the way she has less people skills than Asuka? Kinda hard to relate to that don't ya think?

Actually it's because she has less people skills that I find her especially easy to relate to - it made her the obvious identification character for me (and possibly that is true for other fans, too). Her reactions in episode 11 acutely reminded me of my own reactions in some stupid management game I got sent on a few years earlier.

You just like going against the mold don't you? You've certainly had an interesting life.

Anonymous_Evafan wrote:You just like going against the mold don't you?

I gave up thinking I was a normal human being a long while ago; in off-duty places like this I just act as comes naturally to me (which is quite probably borderline autistic, even if I don't have any sort of official diagnosis).

Anonymous_Evafan wrote:You've certainly had an interesting life.

Time passes, and events just keep on piling up, even if you don't go looking for them. I don't think I've yet mentioned the only really interesting thing that ever happened to me, just over 40 years ago, now.

Mr. Tines wrote:Actually it's because she has less people skills that I find her especially easy to relate to - it made her the obvious identification character for me (and possibly that is true for other fans, too).

Definitely true for me.

I think Rei's an interesting character in terms of seeing her learn what emotions are, I also like the fact that she's an opposite to Asuka, and their opposite personalites are an interesting aspect to the show. I can also relate to Rei in terms of her being introverted (just not as exterme as her; I speak before spoken to, for instance!), though I think I'm more like Shinji in terms of any other personality quirks.

And in terms of why Rei's so popular, watch/listen to After the End. (Though I like all Three Children, Rei getting her revenge against Asuka is priceless! :mrgreen:)

I like her so much; she is a mysterious girl and in particular for me, that’s the thing I like the most in a woman. It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t speak so much. Also I gotta admit that Asuka is great, but you Rei are my favorite, and the one I could give my heart. :)

You know, it's just a little aside point I'd like to make.

Personally I am a Rei fan. Just am. I do adore all the other characters and Asuka is one of the greatest characters ever created (anime or otherwise)-except when she's speaking that horrendous German (I speak almost fluent Deutsch and that made my ears bleed).

Either way a point I'd like to make is how everyone's saying the real reason for Rei's adoration is the perv issue- the believe that in reality she'd do WHATEVER you wanted. That may be true. But you can't deny she's still a captivating character on her own.
Anywho, if Rei would be so submissive I'd have to believe that Asuka herself could be even more so. I mean her desire to be noticed and praised often asserts itself as a sexual issue too. I mean before the series starts F'ing with your head it's generally Asuka who supplying a lot of the fan service thrusting her chest out at Shinji and all (which is another point I'd like to make- fan service is a weird thing cause I'm so sure when they needed it from her Asuka went from like a B cup to a D cup REALLY QUICK).
Anywho, if Asuka grew up and still hadn't straightened herself out, I very well could see Asuka (in the bedroom at least) becoming very submissive. Her feelings of self-hate would grow and then represent themselves in sexual activity.

Basically EVA pilots HAVE to be messed in the head to pilot.



ONE MORE QUESTION:
Instead of examining why Rei is so popular, let's examine the anime/Gainax Lolita Complex because almost all hot female characters HAVE to be young teenagers? I so often mind myself watching an anime thinking- "That girl has to be at least 24" when nope, I find out later she's 14.

So how come Japan has such a Lolita Complex?
I mean if Rei and Asuka were real, I wouldn't be interested. I have morals.
I dont knwo how to phrase it but you get the idea.