How does Shinji manage to lift Asuka off the ground?

[DocAzure]

So, I was doing a bunch of music based AMV stuff for End of Evangelion, and I was looking over the scene that starts everything, where Shinji starts strangling Asuka in his rage. One thing I noticed though is the strange amount of strength Shinji seems to posses here.

I mean, he manages to lift her almost completely off the ground, while standing straight, holding her only by her neck. Now, I know Asuka is a young girl, but still, she appears to go completely limp, which would just make her a dead weight, and also Shinji, from what we've seen, doesn't appear to the the most muscular. So, how exactly could he manage this?

Also, I know there's going to be the likely answer of "it's all in his head", but still, why would he see himself in his head as possessing enough strength to lift her? Surely someone with such awful self-esteem as Shinji had at that time wouldn't see themselves with any qualities such as strength in their mind.

I suppose you could also just chalk it up to dramatic effect without explanation, and I guess we have to, and leave the rest to fanwank.

Regardless, thanks for reading.

[ChaddyManPrime]

It's funny you should mention that, I was just wondering about it yesterday after watching an AMV as well.

He might just be that strong to be honest, I mean he does hit pretty hard for a guy that doesn't hit the gym. Also Asuka might be really light, plus Shinji was using both hands, if it were one hand I would definitely be questioning it.

[The Eva Monkey]

That scene was about emotion and catharsis. It was never about realism.

[Gob Hobblin]

I would argue that the adrenal rush from rage (not just anger, but the kind of rage that comes with a desire for violence) can factor into this. He didn't completely lift her off the ground, but what he did was certainly within the realm of possibility for someone who wanted to kill.

It's impressive what a truly pissed off person can do.

[Chuckman]

You answered your own question. It's not real. He believes he can, so he does. Or he forgets that he can't. Take your pick.

[Nuclear Lunchbox]

It's in his head. Also, assuming that Shinji isn't a total weakling, he could lift a girl with Asuka's build off the ground.

[Chuckman]

Correction: It's in her head. The kitchen is Asuka's personal hell.

Realistically, forcing her up onto her toes like that may be possible but lifting her is not. The muscles that lift the arms straight up are not capable of supporting that kind of weight. Not on a fourteen year old boy who hasn't finished puberty, anyway.

Lifting somebody straight up in the air by the neck requires extreme physical strength and is not as easy as it's often depicted to be in entertainment. Go grab an 80 lb dumbbell and do a front raise with it and you'll see what I mean.

[Mr. Tines]

Correction: It's in her head. The kitchen is Asuka's personal hell.

You could say it's Shinji's head -- it's just that everyone else is using it at the time.

Like all the twisted replays in complementation, that scene is metaphor made explicit. In the original, he made it clear to her that Kaji was dead, whereupon she wandered off to later be found in the process of suicide. Here the metaphorical slaying becomes actual and immediate.

[NemZ]

Asuka can't weigh much though, honestly. Short and scrawny as she is I'd be suprised if she was more than 80 lbs.

[Sgt. Griff]

I would assume with his legs and arms.

Nah but srs she's like 4"10' and skinny as bollocks.

[Chuckman]

Asuka can't weigh much though, honestly. Short and scrawny as she is I'd be suprised if she was more than 80 lbs.

That's a lot to lift that way. If Shinji were using his upper pectorals and shoulder musculature in a proper pressing motion, yes, maybe, but with his arms locked like that? Puts all the tension on the deltoids, mostly on the anterior. Those muscles are comparatively weak with working on their own. They're meant to be part of a compound movement.

[NemZ]

I'll agree that the posture makes it far less believable, but with a different stance I think it would be quite reasonable for Shinji to lift Asuka by the neck. And vice-versa.

[Chuckman]

I don't know that he has the grip strength to hold her up that long. How much does Shinji deadlift?

[Gob Hobblin]

Watched the scene again. Based on the way Shinji is standing (which can put more of the back muscles into use), and the fact that Asuka's toes never actually leave the floor (which still can take a lot of the weight off of the arms until she's actually cleared the floor), I would argue that what Shinji is doing is possible even for a scrawny fourteen year old. Combined, of course, with adrenaline. As I argue before, being that angry does make temporary feats of strength very plausible.

Then again, of course...this is a scene in the mindscape.

[Kendrix]

Headspace, or simply adrenaline.

There's a fraction of your streght that you only have acess to when you're really pissed - that is why electrocuted people are often flung across rooms from their own muscles concracting, and mothers can push cars off their babies.

Asuka isn't particularly heavy, either.


In any case, Shinji's pose is probably more designed to evoke a sense of feral vilence/creep out the audience than realistic physics.

[Gob Hobblin]

That's true, but a 'feral' pose is often one that is instinctive and reactive. As a result, it is one that tends to be better suited for physically strenuous 'fight or flight' activities.

Like strangling someone, for instance.

[C.A.P.]

Because of this.

[supershinjiasukashipper]

Shinji is a 14 year old boy. He is stronger than he looks. Posture aside, its totally possible for him to lift Asuka.

[Lorkhan]

Shinji is a 14 year old boy. He is stronger than he looks. Posture aside, its totally possible for him to lift Asuka.

He's not exactly a shining example of of strength either, though I suppose murderous rage could supplement those noodlely arms of his. Asuka weighing around 80lbs soaking wet would help matters. Probably.

[Nuclear Lunchbox]

Just as a note, it looks like piloting an Evangelion might be sort of strenuous. A lot of the time, it really looks like the pilots are using all of their strength to move those levers.