Shinji's rejection of Misatos "sexual" invitation

[Leighton]

Now that we've looked heavily on Shinji's point of view in the situation, lets have a look a Misato's pov

Im guessing it was a mixture of both, but was she attempting to soothe, relieve, etc his trauma after Rei's suicide as a means of:
being motherlike and taking care of him or with
some sexual invitation to physically relieve him whilst possibly relieving him mentally?

We know that Shinji most likely had no intention of rooting Misato, but what was HER intention?

[Xard]

to have sex

[Leighton]

to have sex

Lol fuck yeah. Reminds me of that thump she makes when she sits on the bed haha

[Ritsuko]

Well during HIP when Misato remembers that part, everybody got disgusted with her.

I just rewatched that scene on friday.

[Mr. Tines]

It was clear that she needed a cuddle -- whether it would be an "adult cuddle" or something more innocent is really less important -- as her interaction with Pen-Pen showed. Being stuck there to keep looking after the kids meant that she couldn't then swan off and descend upon her favourite bridge bunny for solace.

[TehDonutKing]

It was clear that she needed a cuddle -- whether it would be an "adult cuddle" or something more innocent is really less important -- as her interaction with Pen-Pen showed. Being stuck there to keep looking after the kids meant that she couldn't then swan off and descend upon her favourite bridge bunny for solace.

Once again, Misato hit on a friggin' penguin.

[child of Lilith]

I think she wanted to give comfort but also to receive it.

[Xard]

Once again, Misato hit on a friggin' penguin.

I don't blame her. Pen Pen is one sexy beast

[Cody MacArthur Fett]

She says "All I can do is this . . ." and then puts her hand on Shinji's shoulder, only for him to flinch away. Call me crazy, but I think I she wanted to do was give him a frickin' hug. We do those all the time in my family. They're normal, and there's nothing sexual about them . . . doesn't stop me from coiling my muscles and flinching away sometimes, but that's a matter for another time and place.

[Azathoth]

Shinji pretty clearly interprets whatever she's offering him to be inappropriate to their relationship. At that stage of Misato's failures of course pretty much anything is inappropriate, but Misato being Misato and dickchair being dickchair, I'm inclined to think it's something sexual she was hoping for.

[Jayfive]

She says "All I can do is this . . ." and then puts her hand on Shinji's shoulder, only for him to flinch away. Call me crazy, but I think I she wanted to do was give him a frickin' hug.

I thought the same and was genuinely surprised when i found that the scene is interpreted as if shes about to jump his bones.

[Mr. Tines]

^
Ditto -- the primary source for the interpretation is extra-textual commentary. What she does looks more big sisterly than anything else.

[COACH]

There's also the dickchair, which wasn't even in the on-air version of the episode, right? I don't think any of the director's cut material was added for shits 'n giggles.

[Trajan]

Misato and Shinji have always been walking a fine line in regards to their relationship with each other: on one side the relationship is a maternal one, on the other side the relationship is a lusty one. Misato may not have been offering sex to Shinji, but that delicate balance that their relationship obtained was in danger of being broken by such an ambiguous action. Shinji, being who he is, was terrified of that prospect and Misato's shame, while not necessarily one of guilt, may be realizing how such actions could be interpreted by a scared teenage boy. There are many ways to interpret that scene and the whole Misato-Shinji dynamic which is what makes it so interesting.

Now I've done my fanwanking for the day.

[NemZ]

My understanding is that she was offering comfort but really seeking it. Though sex probably wasn't what she was consciously looking for I also don't doubt that it was a highly possible outcome had he not rejected her so coldly. Like everyone else in the series she doesn't know how to open up with others, and her coping methods seem to be 1) keep everyone at a safe distance through the adoption of a persona (much like Asuka does), and 2) to use sex as a shortcut to assumed intimacy without ever really being emotionally available.

I suspect he turned away out of shame for his earlier inability to offer her such sympathies, but that's just a guess. I don't buy for a second that he percieved the sexual tension and rejected her advance on that ground.

[BiQ]

I agree with the notion that Misato wasn't really (at least consciously) trying to bed Shinji... but is that the point? As far as I can see, they haven't shared many hugs and cuddles up to that point, so whatever physical intimacy they had shared without much emotional one... wouldn't it have just been, like, 'lite version' on Misato's "let's hide behind assumed intimacy" sex?

And I am 99% positive Shinji's rejection was because he intepreted it as an offer for sex (or other physical intimacy) and was mostly scared of being close to another, especially since it would have shaken one of his only relationships he didn't feel actually threatening at that point.

[toe mash]

She says "All I can do is this . . ." and then puts her hand on Shinji's shoulder

Actually on his hand :)

And if you flinch away I doubt your mom would walk away then whisper to herself "Is he afraid of women?". Or at least I really hope so.

There's also the dickchair, which wasn't even in the on-air version of the episode, right? I don't think any of the director's cut material was added for shits 'n giggles.

It looks even more like a penis in the on aired version

[Cody MacArthur Fett]

Actually on his hand :)

Holding hands then. Once again, it's a perfectly normal and non-sexual way to show support.

And if you flinch away I doubt your mom would walk away then whisper to himself "Is he afraid of women?". Or at least I really hope so.

I don't really hear her that much, so I can't be 100% certain, but I'm almost completely positive she doesn't say that. Mostly because it's common knowledge that I just do not like to be touched, so her asking if I was afraid of women would really just be for an entirely different reason that she already knows the answer to -- I don't date, because I'm asexual and wish to avoid romantic entanglements.

In addition, I have to ask, where does the commentary thing about the sexual advances come from in the first place?

[Xard]

"Is he afraid of women?" in my opinion practically confirms that Misato's aims were rather sexual. The statement doesn't make much sense otherwise

[toe mash]

"Is he afraid of women?" in my opinion practically confirms that Misato's aims were rather sexual. The statement doesn't make much sense otherwise

Exactly. They fucked up that scene a bit in the dub, though...

All the poor dubfags not realizing Misato's whoreness