We all know Asuka's catchphrase "Anta baka?" (あんたバカァ?) but I think it would be more in character for her if she said "Omae baka?" (お前バカァ?) or "Temee baka?" (てめぇバカァ?) or "Kisama baka?" (貴様バカァ?) instead.

First, it wouldn't be as catchy.

And Asuka adding a more offensive connotation would miss the point of her character, specially after episode 9, she isn't really insulting Shinji but so much as expressing her frustration at his denseness overall - including related to her own, ahem, aspirations towards him. Asuka isn't as vitriolic as some people think, and I couldn't help but notice much of that was a consequence of ADV's take on her, which is far more agressive, and, well, bitchy than her original Japanese interpretation. You can see this very well in EoE, with Miyamura's voice being very hurt and resentful, on the verge on breaking down, whereas Grant's Asuka is just ANGERY.

Asuka never showed animosity towards Shinji, at least this is how I always see it. Instead, the tone of her voice and words is similar to an old sister or mother who is fond of him.

So, "Anta baka?" is the correct catchphrase.

On the other hand, I fully agree with Felipe's above post.

Add -- I always felt rage regarding the attitude of some EVA fans towards Asuka. I think some might have lost the point of why she behaves in that way or the other...

Merged; double post -- JoelcrNeto

FelipeFritschF wrote:And Asuka adding a more offensive connotation would miss the point of her character, specially after episode 9

It would actually be in character for her to at least use "Omae baka?" (お前バカァ?) towards Shinji though "Temee baka?" (てめぇバカァ?) or "Kisama baka?" (貴様バカァ?) would also work (it'd make more sense with her post-3rd movie Rebuild counterpart). Anyways why would it miss the point of her character?

Being not a Japanese fluent person in any way, I feel lost. What's the difference between those pronouns?

Personally, I always felt that it's the noun (or its Western translations) which is too harsh. Ty idioto fits some serious, 3.33-level fuckup. For schoolkid teasing, a better fit would be ty ośle - lit. you donkey. I guess Japanese language knows no such, uhm, diminutive.

ErgoProxy wrote:Being not a Japanese fluent person in any way, I feel lost. What's the difference between those pronouns?

Japanese has a variety of pronouns that reflect a speaker's gender, age, social status, relationship with the addressee, and how the speaker wants to present themselves.

In the case of second-person pronouns (the "you"), they're seldom used between strangers, instead using the subject's name. Omae is casual but is impolite. Temee and Kisama are even more impolite but also insulting, like calling someone "You bastard".

I see. Thanks! But I think you bastard would match Asuka's state of mind only towards the ending of 3.33. Eg. she could shout Shut up and die, bastard Shinji! when fighting him in - I don't remember, Terminal Dogma? But till then, baka Shinji was wired way too strong in her brain, so to say.

C. Smith wrote:Anyways why would it miss the point of her character?

She's hurt and seeking for some support. Why would she antagonize anyone for real?

Like they say, a turtle is so hard outside, because it is so soft inside. And it's not that easy to catch such thing in art; it's a lot easier to make your character a solid cannonball. Years ago I felt into that trap too, when I wrote some Eva material. I eventually kept it on my hard drive because, among other reasons, I couldn't lead my Asuka to behave in-character and royally messed her up.

ErgoProxy wrote:I see. Thanks! But I think you bastard would match Asuka's state of mind only towards the ending of 3.33. Eg. she could shout Shut up and die, bastard Shinji! when fighting him in - I don't remember, Terminal Dogma? But till then, baka Shinji was wired way too strong in her brain, so to say.

So "Temee baka?" (てめぇバカァ?) or "Kisama baka?" (貴様バカァ?) would make more sense with post-3.03 Asuka Shikinami. Still at the very least Asuka Souryuu should do "Omae baka?" (お前バカァ?) in place of "Anta baka?" (あんたバカァ?).

ErgoProxy wrote:

C. Smith wrote:Anyways why would it miss the point of her character?

She's hurt and seeking for some support. Why would she antagonize anyone for real?

I mean we see Asuka spend every opportunity belittle, mistreat, and insulting Shinji so "Temee baka?" (てめぇバカァ?) or "Kisama baka?" (貴様バカァ?) aren't that implausible. Though I guess when she's completely lost it (such as post-Arael) that would make more sense.

C. Smith wrote:I mean we see Asuka spend every opportunity belittle, mistreat, and insulting Shinji

Even if so, remember she's been openly instructed by Misato when in Rome, do like Romans do. Maybe she's trying to be polite, after all.

ErgoProxy wrote:

C. Smith wrote:I mean we see Asuka spend every opportunity belittle, mistreat, and insulting Shinji

Even if so, remember she's been openly instructed by Misato when in Rome, do like Romans do. Maybe she's trying to be polite, after all.

As I said earlier, maybe when she's just straight-up lost it after the Arael incident that's when it would be OK for her to use "Temee baka" or "Kisama baka"

I got some right here

ああ もう! 貴様見てるとイライラすんのよ！ (Ā mō! Kisama mi teruto iraira sun no yo!)
貴様 私のこと分かってるつもりなの? (Kisama watashinokoto wakatteru tsumorina no?)
貴様が全部私のものにならないにな私何もいらない (Kisama ga zenbu watashi no mono ni naranai ni na watashi nani mo iranai)
貴様私を傷つけるだけだもの (Kisama watashi o kizutsukeru dakeda mono)
貴様誰でもいいんでしょ(Kisama dare demo ī ndesho)

Too over the top & exaggerated.

In Japanese aesthetics subtlety & implication is a big thing; That's why they're so adamant about all the sukis being translated as "like", too. (indeed theres a famous poet raving about how "i love you" in an english book should be translated as "the moon is beautiful tonight")

Also, a lot of these swear words would be masculine in connotation, like they're things shonen protags say when they're fighting other tough guys. "anta" is as rude as you can get without sounding like a man (or a very crude & vulgar character, which probably wasn't quite the intention for Asuka. )
shes already shown as be a lot more blunt & direct than the other characters (in line with the stereotype of a westerner), but you wouldnt want her to be a carricature, since shes still a character whos supposed to evoke emotion & empathizing.

anta is also a dismissive kind of rude. (temee is more, its personal & im gonna murder you)

I actually agree with this:

I mean we see Asuka spend every opportunity belittle, mistreat, and insulting Shinji

(i mean... in episode 16 she outright laughts at the prospect of his death and never shows 1 single moment of concern for his feelings or perspective in all the franchise)

but there's a huge difference between someone being a bit of a bully in a lifelike, realistic fashion, and being as cartoonishly mean as linguistically possible.
That's the kind of cliched dialogue you get when your only intention is to paint a character as mean for meanness' sake/ make the audience hate them (or in some cases, the one they're condemning), rather than showing a character doing things because of motivations/internal reasons because thats what their character would do.

Asuka has a lot of reasons for why she acts like she does, (chiefly a kind of toxic hypercompetitive tough guy mentality born from how she internalized the fallout of her parents divorce. if she had a dick people would probably call it toxic masculinity) but none of them are "be as rude as possible to tell the audience they're supposed to hate you" or "being a flat cartoon villain"

C. Smith wrote:I mean we see Asuka spend every opportunity belittle, mistreat, and insulting Shinji.

Kendrix wrote:[Asuka] never shows 1 single moment of concern for his [Shinji's] feelings or perspective in all the franchise.

The cello.

Kendrix wrote:anta is also a dismissive kind of rude. (temee is more, its personal & im gonna murder you)

Maybe omae baka would be most appropriate, though I wouldn't rule out temee baka or kisama baka post-arael