My opinion about Shinji's relationship with Kaworu (E24 and EoE)

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T. K. Simon
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My opinion about Shinji's relationship with Kaworu (E24 and EoE)

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Postby T. K. Simon » Fri Sep 10, 2021 9:58 am

Well, after watching 3.0 + 1.0, it was confirmed that Kaworu really wanted to make Shinji happy.
With this, I decide to write an opinion about their relationship, as well as about his moments.

When reaching E24, there are several factors to consider.

1-Shinji hasn't had social contact for a while, he feels very lonely.
2-Everything that he has been building throughout the series he has lost (relationships with people, in addition to leaving his shell)
3- He feels a despicable person, nobody would notice him, nobody would be kind to him, because according to him, he does not deserve it (because he is a weak and disgusting being, who has been abandoned by everyone.


These three points are very important (the context
In the moments is very important in evangelion) to my own understanding of his relationship.

Their interactions will be divided into 5 encounters.

In the first meeting of him, Kaworu knows about Shinji, says that he is very well known, as well as treating him extremely kind even without knowing him personally.
For Shinji (who thinks that everyone has left because they do not want him or he is not worthy of anything, and no one would be interested in him) it is strange, and that he shows him extreme kindness, makes him feel "flattered", which causes him to blush.

In their second meeting (in the elevator), Shinji is there waiting for a while before taking a bath (there is no evidence to indicate that he was waiting for Kaworu), plus he doesn't want to go home, because he feels uncomfortable living with Misato (someone who came to consider the closest thing to a mother figure, approaches him with sexual intentions is uncomfortable). After this, Kaworu enters the scene, in which he asks if he has been waiting for him (always showing kindness and concern for Shinji). True to his personality, Shinji responds by apologizing (that blush is generated by that, in addition to someone continuing to look at him, because who and why would they be interested in him? Someone weak and cowardly?), They both decide to take a shower after their exchange of words.

In his third meeting (in the bathroom), the physical closeness makes Shinji feel a bit uncomfortable (besides the closeness is something strange now for him, who would like to get close to him?)
After that, kaworu talks about the hedgehog's dilemma, in addition to during that, he grabs his hand (this confuses Shinji even more) and proceeds to tell him that he is "worthy of love" (Shinji in his mind thinks that nobody loves him ), causing his blush. and then kaworu's "confession" follows.
Shinji might not have said anything after this.

In their fourth meeting (as roommates), Shinji and Kaworu talk, Shinji believes that Kaworu's interest in him is genuine (something that was confirmed), which for Shinji feels good, Kaworu has filled the void of all people he cared about, as well as being very direct with his feelings (and his great kindness).
This for Shinji is an escapist happiness from reality (Unconditional love doing absolutely nothing) , that someone wants him, is an escape from his problems. That kaworu look at him genuinely (with that angelical smile), generates disbelief. After that, Kaworu's words follow ..

In the battle with Kaworu, Shinji feels betrayed by kaworu (because he is an angel) and believes that he has been using him, kaworu betrayed his feelings (someone he considered his friend and a good person ). When he has to kill him, Shinji does it for the sake of humanity (and a little for kaworu's wish)

After his death, Shinji is mentally destroyed, the person he trusted betrayed him (he feels like they used it), but he also thought that kaworu's feelings were genuine (that kaworu wanted and loved him unconditionally), killing him feels like the worst person, kaworu should have lived (because he was everything Shinji wasn't)
This brings Shinji to his mental state in EoE

He then says "I loved him", which many people take as a romantic confession.....

But after all, is their love genuine or just because of an act of loneliness?
Did he love him romantically?
Did he love him as an idealized person?
Do shinij love him just because Kaworu said he loved him?


Although the word suki is commonly used in Japan to describe romantic love. that does not mean that Shinji's statement is purely and exclusively romantic and if it is genuine, due to the context of the episode, as well as the mental health of this Shinji (the which is much lower than the one I had in the arc of action)

Anno left it ambiguous on purpose.

In The End of Evangelion , the effects of kaworu's death on Shinji are shown.

Shinji is very scared when he sees GNR, but he feels happy when he sees Kaworu. Why?

We know that Shinji in EoE was already afraid of Rei because of her origins (since E23), imagine how she would react at the moment of seeing her as a giant being.

We know that Shinji has just lost absolutely everything (in his mind, it no longer makes sense to live, besides that he did not fulfill Misato's promise, so her death was in vain), and the worst thing is that those people will never return (Misato And Asuka), and at that moment Kaworu appears (someone who Shinji thought was dead, that he himself had killed).

Why not trust someone who showed you kindness, even if it seems like they weren't genuine?
Shinji was very scared of GNR, seeing Kaworu makes Shinji think that he has not lost everything yet, someone who he came to love (ambiguously) comes back, holding on to the last thing he has left, even knowing if it is good or bad, total now he have nothing to lose.

Shinji trusted Kaworu much more than Rei in EoE, accepting what was coming (Shinji didn't want to live anymore anyway, after seeing Asuka's corpse)

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It is also true that there are homoerotic nuances in this chapter, left intentionally, although that does not mean that it is the correct answer for your blushes (as the one I propose is not)

In turn it is worth mentioning the drafts 1 and 2:

The first draft, possibly belonging to Evangelion Proposal, in which their attraction was very evident, in addition to sharing a kiss in a lake, in addition to swimming together (although in this one, Shinji is surrounded by his friends and is not depressed at all)

The second draft is very similar to the final episode we saw on television, with some differences (like kaworu kisses Shinji in the bedroom, which Shinji accepts),although this does not mean that it is canon for the episode that finally came out

These drafts were written by Akio Satsukawa, the first one was rejected by the production team and anno himself.
The second had the participation of Hideaki Anno, with several rewrites and closely resembles the final episode 24, this second draft was the original script for e24.
These drafts were refined until they reached the one we all know, so when analyzing the E24, they should not be taken into account.

This may sound very forced, but I tried to write it as well as possible, I would like to read your opinion
Last edited by T. K. Simon on Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:25 am, edited 4 times in total.

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Re: My own opinion about Shinji's relationship with Kaworu (E24)

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Postby walucigi » Sat Sep 11, 2021 6:30 pm

Great post, TK. I agree with everything you've stated, though I have a little different version about Kaworu's death and its effect on Shinji. I interpreted this as Kaworu wanting to be everything Shinji needed in a person (being nice, loving, and showing genuine care), and then traumatically taking that away so that Shinji would remember him forever. It's an obsessive, deliberate act. He wanted Shinji to feel betrayed because that memory would be with him permanently. That way Kaworu would be with Shinji always. I believe this is what Kaworu truly meant by his wish and saying that the best way to die was for him to choose how. In the manga, Shinji appears more reluctant to Kaworu's affection, which is where my idea mostly stems from, but it can be applied to the tv series as well.
We also see how traumatic experiences (involving Kaworu) affect Shinji in the Rebuild films. We see Shinji's flashbacks (in 3.0+1.0) from when Kaworu dies in 2.0. He has a very negative reaction, although Kaworu's reasons for dying were different from NGE. But even then, the effect is still there because Shinji is traumatised from both versions of Kaworu's death.
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Re: My own opinion about Shinji's relationship with Kaworu (E24)

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Postby T. K. Simon » Sat Sep 11, 2021 6:33 pm

View Original Postwalucigi wrote:Great post, TK. I agree with everything you've stated, though I have a little different version about Kaworu's death and its effect on Shinji. I interpreted this as Kaworu wanting to be everything Shinji needed in a person (being nice, loving, and showing genuine care), and then traumatically taking that away so that Shinji would remember him forever. It's an obsessive, deliberate act. He wanted Shinji to feel betrayed because that memory would be with him permanently. That way Kaworu would be with Shinji always. I believe this is what Kaworu truly meant by his wish and saying that the best way to die was for him to choose how. In the manga, Shinji appears more reluctant to Kaworu's affection, which is where my idea mostly stems from, but it can be applied to the tv series as well.
We also see how traumatic experiences (involving Kaworu) affect Shinji in the Rebuild films. We see Shinji's flashbacks (in 3.0+1.0) from when Kaworu dies in 2.0. He has a very negative reaction, although Kaworu's reasons for dying were different from NGE. But even then, the effect is still there because Shinji is traumatised from both versions of Kaworu's death.


Thank you very much for reading it.

Beyond that kaworu genuinely loved Shinji (confirmed in 3.0 + 1.0), that need to want to make him happy always had a somewhat selfish reason (or at least I interpreted it that way)

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Re: My opinion about Shinji's relationship with Kaworu (E24 and EoE)

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Postby Kendrix » Sat Sep 25, 2021 7:29 pm

that seems to be mixing the og & manga continuities too much.

manga kaworu certainly wanted "to be remembered", but the anime one is a different animal & it was the intention for him to be a somewhat idealized figure (so that Shinji would feel inferior by comparision & so that the eventual outcome would really push his feelings of being undeserving to the forefront)

Certainly Kaworu wasn't 100% altruistic in that he was desperate and lonely & longing for connection (which could be accomplished by showering someone with attention who obviously want it), but that's very far from, like, manipulation or game-playing, unless you want to postulate that any interaction that leads to you feeling good is manipulation.

It's just that even the greatest and noblest still have weaknesses and needs.
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