The Sandbox Sequence, ep26'

[Ornette [ANF]]

Note: this thread has been summarized in this wiki page

This was brought up in another thread and I think discussion of this scene needs its own thread. I don't know WTF is going on in this scene, and maybe people are going to need to think about the bigger picture a little more before analysing it, but I'll try to describe what's happening and some notes.

Leading up to this, we have these few things:
1) Eva-01 merges with the spear, turns into the ToL

2) Fuyutsuki says this stuff:
Having obtained them both, EVA-01 has become like a God.
And now it has been restored to the propagule of souls... the Tree of Life.
Will it become the Ark to save humankind from the nothingness of Third Impact?
Or the demon that destroys us all?
Our future lies in the hands of Ikari's son. (<-- is this important?)

3) A bunch of eyes pop open all over the surface of the ToL

4) GNK changes into GNR

5) Yui's voice: This Rei is your heart... Your very hopes and dreams...
Rei's voice: What do you wish for?

6) Shinji's blissful face starts wavering (as if under water), we see boobs. The wave effect increases and it looks like there's light reflecting off of the waves (?).

7) The "drip" (usually indicating we're going from real-world, to imaginary-world or vice versa)


The Sandbox Sequence starts immediately after the "drip". Everything's a little grainy, which is a first time we see this effect (correct me if I'm wrong). We already know this isn't happening in the real world, so why this graininess?

There is lighting equipment, as if on a "set" of a movie. We see a swing set, swinging back and forth and the music starts, the music is almost carnivalish pipe organ sounding. In the background, there are 2 hills (kinda look like boobs) and a setting sun. The sun here reminds me of a core for some reason, maybe because the hills looks like a female's chest and the sun is where the core would be.

The dialog starts here.
Shinji's voice: I see... It's just like when I started the cello. I thought that if I came here, I could find something...

Then it cuts to a baby Shinji, staring at a mound of dirt, there are 2 lights in the background on either side. It looks like he's wondering about something as he stares at the mound of dirt (which looks a lot like a pyramid that's been destroyed).

Offscreen we hear: Come on, Shinji!, Let's build a castle! and instantly his mood seems to brighten, he think's he's not alone anymore. He starts to pat the dirt (which definitely looks like a pyramid), then cut to the swing set, hills, and setting sun.

Then we see the shot of the 2 other children. This one has short black hair and the other one has red hair, both of them eerily looking like dolls.

Dialog: Oh, here comes Mama!, We have to go home now!, Bye-bye!
and the scene changes to A mother (a striking resemblance to Misato) sitting on a folding chair amongst other scattered folding chairs on top of something that looks like a wooden stage. The other 2 children leave and Shinji is alone again.

Cut to Shinji looking at dirt in his hands, he's motionless. The other 2 children are now with their mother (Misato), hand in hand, and appears to be walking away. You can hear the children saying "Mama" and laughing, in contrast to what's going on in the foreground, a lonely Shinji, umm, staring at dirt.

Scene cuts to some scaffolding, you can hear a crow caw a few times. But notice on the edge of the left scaffolding we see a figure standing there. After a few seconds, this figure leaves. Is this Shinji, in an attempt to chase after his 2 friends but gets blocked by a void (the one separating the left and right scaffolding)??

Scene cuts to a sad Shinji, his eyes watery and eyebrows trembling as if he's going to cry. Then his eye's open wide as if he realizes something and his eyebrows stop trembling.

We then see Shinji patting the sand again, even without his friends he decides to continue building the pyramid, you can hear a little sobbing from him. The cut changes to the familiar swing, swinging back and forth, the boob hills, and the setting sun, with Shinji working on the pyramid in the foreground. As he continues to work with the sand, a street lamp comes on, probably indicating that it's getting "late".

Finally, Shinji is finished with the pyramid (Nerv) and he stares at it for a while with an apparently emotionless guise. The background dims considerably while he still stares, this could be indicative of his mood change, from sad to angry, as the very next thing he does is lifts his leg up in preparation for a kick, and he looks pretty angry too.

Now Shinji is kicking the sand pyramid, you see his foot connecting once, then the scene changes to the hills, setting sun, swing set again, and in the background you can hear Shinji violently kicking the Nerv Pyramid he had built. The swing slowly stops swinging (it was swinging by itself this ENTIRE time, why does it stop??), and note that the street lamp (the one from the screenshot a few back) is turned on. We now see Shinji's handiwork, a destroyed pyramid (which looks a lot like the destroyed or half built pyramid from before Shinji started playing with the dirt). Crows cawing in the background here also.

[Ornette [ANF]]

Cut to Shinji standing above the destroyed pyramid, 2 lights in the background and 2 hills (these lights look almost like eyes). Shinji seems to be contemplating what he had just done. A few seconds later, he squats down and starts rebuilding the pyramid, sobbing the whole time, once in a while wiping the tears from his eyes with his sleeves. We now end this Sandbox Sequence with a zoom-out of the playground, hills in the background, a sobbing Shinji rebuilding what he had destroyed, and the sun that has already set. Before the scene changes, we hear Asuka saying "Jeeez! I get so pissed off whenever I look at you!".

This leads RIGHT into the next quick sequence: an enraged Asuka, a passive Shinji (who appears to be underneath Asuka), a teary eyed baby Asuka crying out "Mama!", a sleeping Asuka whispering "ma... ma...", Shinji in Eva-01's cage, Shinji in the entry plug staring at Misato's cross saying "mama". Everything gets blurry now and off to the next sequence.

This next sequence, which is ALSO grainy, is about Misato. This is where's she's having sex with Kaji, while Shinji and Asuka (and Misato) are observing and commenting. I'll stop here.

A few observations:
1) Sandbox Sequence starts with Rei asking "What is it you wish for", then this sequence, then a lot of "mama". In this sequence, is Shinji sad about losing his friends or jealous that he doesn't have a "mama"? This all seems to me like it should be connected, but I can't think of anything atm.

2) This all seems to happen during the Pre-Instrumentality, the graininess is also happening during Misato's sex sequence. Could this mean that Shinji's playground sequence is also some flashback of some kind (with the children replaced with dolls and the "other" mother replaced with Misato)?

3) In Misato's sex flashback sequence (is it really a flashback? i.e. did it really happen the way it did in the sequence, sans Shinji of course), Misato, Shinji, and Asuka are actively observing and commenting on what's happening right before our eyes. In Shinji's sandbox sequence, there doesn't seem to be anyone observing and no comments being made, up until the very end when Asuka shouts "Jeeez! I get so pissed off whenever I look at you!". Could it be that Asuka was observing this pitiful display of Shinji this whole time? Or could it be that during this sequence, within Pre-Instrumentality, the specific souls that are to take place within Pre-Instrumentality are being drawn together as this sequence is being played out.

4) This whole Sandbox Sequence gives me the feeling that it's chock full of symbolism, much of which I'll either have to think more about or I'm just plain missing. What's the significance of the crow's caws? Desolation perhaps?

5) Are there any links to this in EoTV, particularly ep25?

6) What is the significance of the half built/half destroyed pyramid in the very beginning of this sequence? Seems like it starts with a half-build/half-destroyed pyramid, then he and children start rebuilding it, then Shinji (half) destroys it, then he starts rebuilding it again.

Originally posted on: 06.04.2006, 08:51 PM

[Hekym [ANF]]

Since 25/26 are in Shinji's mind while EoE explains what happens in the real world, maybe this serves to expound on Shinji's isolation/ long history of psychological trauma while showing an image corresponding to the destruction of NERV.

Originally posted on: 06.04.2006, 08:58 PM

[Ornette [ANF]]

Was thinking about what Shinji had meant when he said: "I see... It's just like when I started the cello. I thought that if I came here, I could find something..."

A new interpretation:
Could "I came here" mean when he came to Nerv? (thus the pyramid)
This recount may not be exactly what's been happening in Tokyo-3, but more like what Shinji feels has been happening up to the point just prior to Pre-Instrumentality (remember the state of mind that he's in at this point).

Shinji shows up at Nerv during the 3rd Angel attack and Nerv HQ is being damaged (to some degree). He's a little angry about his Father calling him here just because he had a use for him, but soon he starts to open up a little. He first meets Rei, then later he meets Asuka, both of which he considers his friends and co-workers (they're helping him (re)build the pyramid). Misato, who helps him open up a little, but who always seems a little emotionally distant to him, is also there. As he continues his stay in Tokyo 3, this illusion starts to fall apart, he feels as if his his friends and guardian start distancing themselves from him and he feels unable to follow them. Shinji feels as if he's alone again, but this time he's a lot more upset than before he shows up in Tokyo-3. Shinji then decides to go to back to Nerv, but things don't get any better and he loses it (Let's say this is around the time after Kaworu's death and before the JSSDF invasion. The stopping of the swing indicating the end of Shinji's recap of his stay in Tokyo-3). At this point, Shinji is completely useless, just a sack of meat being dragged around by Misato. But finally, he concedes and reluctantly makes the decision to get back into Eva-01. And that's where it leaves him, completely alone, thinking that he has nothing. End Flashback.

I know it's a bit of a stretch in a few places, but remember this is Shinji's recount of his time in Tokyo-3 in the broken state of mind that he's currently in.

Also, I noticed all my screencaps got cropped a little on the right, my mplayer window must have been a little off the screen.

Originally posted on: 06.04.2006, 10:55 PM

[Reichu [ANF]]

EDIT: Curses, you posted while I was typing this thing! I'll have to roll your suggestion around a bit, but I think a bunch of flashing lights just went off... Damn, you went from "having no idea WTF this scene means" to putting forward what seems to be a rather plausible basis for interpretation helluva fast! Awesomeness. You can probably disregard a lot of the crap I say below.

*****

This was brought up in another thread and I think discussion of this scene needs its own thread. I don't know WTF is going on in this scene, and maybe people are going to need to think about the bigger picture a little more before analysing it

Big nod.

but I'll try to describe what's happening and some notes.

The script would probably be highly illuminating, but you catch me at a bad time.

2) Fuyutsuki says this stuff:
Having obtained them both, EVA-01 has become like a God.
And now it has been restored to the propagule of souls... the Tree of Life.

I should reiterate that I have no idea how the bloody hell bochan_bird got "progagule of souls"... It actually says [i]inochi no taiga: inochi = "life" ("my life will end today"; "your lives are meaningless") and taiga = embryo (like, you know... an embryo). It has nothing to do with souls, since "soul" in NGE is a distinct concept referred to as tamashii. I find his take to be heavily misleading, and it's not the only place.</rant>

"Embryo of lives" is the more accurate rendition, in any case.

3) A bunch of eyes pop open all over the surface of the ToL

According to the script, accompanied by "voices like people praying". Hmm...

5) Yui's voice: This Rei is your heart... Your very hopes and dreams...
Rei's voice: What do you wish for?

6) Shinji's blissful face starts wavering (as if under water), we see boobs. The wave effect increases and it looks like there's light reflecting off of the waves (?).

The first part is clearly (IMO) prognosticating what happens to the others during the Tangification sequence and providing some crucial info on what is happening there. The way the cut ends recalls the very beginning of the movie (before the pan-up onto the angel statue and Shinji with his soaking wet head) and the beginning of the Yui/Kozo flashback in #26' (right after Shinji asks, "But Mother, what will you do?").

7) The "drip" (usually indicating we're going from real-world, to imaginary-world or vice versa)

Monkey's suggestion about "creation" may also be rather relevant.

There is lighting equipment, as if on a "set" of a movie.

Tie-in to EoTV and DEATH, mayhaps?

We see a swing set, swinging back and forth and the music starts, the music is almost carnivalish pipe organ sounding.

It's the Japanese children's song "Te o hiraite". (Keisuke-kun identified it in some old thread.)

In the background, there are 2 hills (kinda look like boobs) and a setting sun. The sun here reminds me of a core for some reason, maybe because the hills looks like a female's chest and the sun is where the core would be.

Huh, never thought of it that way...

The dialog starts here.
Shinji's voice: I see... It's just like when I started the cello. I thought that if I came here, I could find something...

Figure that line out, and...

Then it cuts to a baby Shinji

3~5 years old, is all the script says.

Dialog: Oh, here comes Mama!, We have to go home now!, Bye-bye!
and the scene changes to [URL=http://buzzy.tesuji.org/images/sandbox_mother.jpg]A mother (a striking resemblance to Misato) sitting on a folding chair amongst other scattered folding chairs on top of something that looks like a wooden stage.

Heh heh, folding chairs -- where have we seen those before? And just FYI, the script says quite plainly that it IS Misato.

Cut to Shinji looking at dirt in his hands, he's motionless. The other 2 children are now with their mother (Misato), hand in hand, and appears to be walking away.

Dunno why, but the image makes me think of what Ritsuko said about Misato and her "pretend family".

But notice on the edge of the left scaffolding we see a figure standing there. After a few seconds, this figure leaves. Is this Shinji, in an attempt to chase after his 2 friends but gets blocked by a void (the one separating the left and right scaffolding)??

It's Shinji -- yes. I wonder if the fact that this void is separating him from "Mama" is the real point they're driving at?

Now Shinji is kicking the sand pyramid

Just to throw a perhaps bizarre suggestion out there, but is there maybe any connection between this and the kicked-down gravemarker? It popped into my head at some point for no apparent reason.

Cut to Shinji standing above the destroyed pyramid, 2 lights in the background and 2 hills (these lights look almost like eyes).

I always see this big Sachi-face. Might just be me imagining things.

This leads RIGHT into the next quick sequence: an enraged Asuka, a passive Shinji (who appears to be underneath Asuka)

Uh, huh huh huh. Those two are doin' it.

2) This all seems to happen during the Pre-Instrumentality, the graininess is also happening during Misato's sex sequence. Could this mean that Shinji's playground sequence is also some flashback of some kind (with the children replaced with dolls and the "other" mother replaced with Misato)?

His comment at the beginning certainly makes it sound like it represents an event from the past, but clearly distorted here. Yeah, that was more or less my own thought.

3) In Misato's sex flashback sequence (is it really a flashback? i.e. did it really happen the way it did in the sequence, sans Shinji of course)

I wouldn't see why not. It's directly referencing something Ritsuko mentioned in #21, that whole week Misato spent "having sex with her new boyfriend".

5) Are there any links to this in EoTV, particularly ep25?

Stages and folding chairs. </lame>

6) What is the significance of the half built/half destroyed pyramid in the very beginning of this sequence?

The image recalls the status of the real Nerv pyramid after Yui is through with it. That's all I got.

Originally posted on: 06.04.2006, 11:23 PM

[HeWhoPostsStuff [ANF]]

For starters, I have to say this is one of my favorite parts of EoE in a purely visual sense...the low lighting, the shapes created by the shadows which almost have a life of their own, the fuzzy/grainy outline on everything, a familiar/comforting setting being given a sense of bleakness and foreboding, plus the rather nonsensical background noise that seems to buzz in your ear, regardless...that's about the closest equivalent to a long-ago bad/traumatic experience or nightmare of some kind expressed in any visual medium that I've seen. I, at least, found it highly effective...

More on-topic, I wonder if the "stage lights" are meant to correspond with the "stage" that he sits on during parts of TV episodes 25 and 26...the place where the mother is sitting, complete with folding chairs (which, unless I missed something, doesn't seem to appear in any of the "overview" shots of the general area, for example the spot where the dialogue starts), also reminds me of that. Along with the street lights, it gives me the sense of having been left someplace by yourself very late by someone who really just wants to get away from you, as you wait, still blindingly trustful, for that person to pick you up, but he never comes, even after averyone else has long left you alone...as such, I kind of equated the "leaving figure" as Gendo, who never bothered much with his young son, but of course that's just one of a million possibilities. As for the constantly destroyed/rebuilt pyramid, I guess it symbolizes some sort of endless cycle...maybe Shinji's constantly "running away" from everything (Nerv being the thing most focused on in the series, obviously), but eventually having to face it all over again, then to run again, etc.?

That's about all I can think to add...

EDIT: The Chu posted before I could, so ignore most of what I said, heh heh.

Originally posted on: 06.04.2006, 11:37 PM

[CanonRAP [ANF]]

Don't really feel like doing any thinking at the mo...so I'll just respond to one thing.

I find [bochan_bird's] take to be heavily misleading, and it's not the only place.

"Embryo of lives" is the more accurate rendition, in any case.

My friends and I have similar problem with his manga translations. Really off in...certain places. Not to insult his work or anything, I think it's great he's doing this stuff.

Originally posted on: 06.04.2006, 11:46 PM

[Ornette [ANF]]

Curses, you posted while I was typing this thing! I'll have to roll your suggestion around a bit, but I think a bunch of flashing lights just went off... Damn, you went from "having no idea WTF this scene means" to putting forward what seems to be a rather plausible basis for interpretation helluva fast! Awesomeness. You can probably disregard a lot of the crap I say below.

I was watching and rewatching the 10 or so minutes encompassing what happened before and after the Sandbox Sequence and the thing that struck me most was what Shinji said right when the scene changes to the playground. "I see... It's just like when I started the cello. I thought that if I came here, I could find something...", was thinking wtf all that had to do with him playing the cello, and then I remember him telling Asuka that he did it because nobody told him to stop, then thought about what exactly "here" meant. It doesn't seem to fit the context of the whole Pre-Instrumentality if the "here" was just some playground Shinji was at when he was 3-5 years old, the next thing that made more sense was that "here" was Tokyo-3, the pyramid was Nerv, then everything started to fall into place.

A lot of the comments you added are important IMO, my first post was pretty much a description of what was going on in the scene and tying it to screencaps of the sequence. Your comments should probably of been included in the description, as they're more accurate. I wrote the description partly because sometimes that helps me think (and this was one of the times that it actually did!) and partly so that there's a good foundation for discussion.

Edit: Also, I think the hints to EoTV (stage, lights, folding chairs) are also important. Could this be a mini-The Case of ... happening at the beginning of Pre-Instrumentality?

Originally posted on: 06.05.2006, 12:06 AM

[Reichu [ANF]]

My friends and I have similar problem with his manga translations.

You guys can read Japanese? </curious>

Really off in...certain places. Not to insult his work or anything, I think it's great he's doing this stuff.

I'm really appreciative of his work, as well; he's done a lot of good for the community, clearly. The translation botches and/or extremely misleading liberties do bother me, however, considering the guy is a professional and knows his stuff (in theory). NGE is very risky business, and, as I've reviewed the original material myself, it becomes clear that even his script has a number of items that need to be corrected in discussion every time they're cited... (Couple of other pet niggles so far, just from EoE: calling EVA-01 Lilith's "clone" rather than "alter ego", and saying that Adam was reduced to an "embryonic state" rather than an "egg".) Grumble grumble grumble.

I don't know as much about the manga, since I'll freely admit I barely look at it , but I think I recall some of the anomalies you're talking about.

Originally posted on: 06.05.2006, 12:19 AM

[Jabberwok [ANF]]

I am definitely reminded of a comment I made somewhere else about recycled imagery/dialogue from EoTV into EoE. I think the stage connection between the two is spot on.

Originally posted on: 06.05.2006, 12:23 AM

[Shin-seiki [ANF]]

Damn, this is a bad time for me to give this topic the attention it deserves (I have to get to bed cuz it's Monday-morning-back-to-work). Here's a little something I posted on this topic a while back...
http://madboards.madman.com.au/view...p=312783#312783

...tho I need to digest what's been suggested here about "playing the cello", etc, before I add anything else.

Originally posted on: 06.05.2006, 12:54 AM

[Mr. Tines [ANF]]

One thing struck me when reading through this - remember who are the people that make up Misato's little family. The black haired doll-child must be some dissociated image of Shinji as well - the Shinji in Misato's mind in Shinji's mind, perhaps?

Originally posted on: 06.05.2006, 02:14 AM

[CanonRAP [ANF]]

You guys can read Japanese? .

8 years here in NA have not made me lose my touch on Chinese, so I can figure out (with a bit of dictionary help) most of the kanji, and according to BB's stuff, it's oddly correct most of the time. Several of my friends are currently taking Japanese course(s). I'll also be taking Japanese (in addition to continuing Spanish) for next year.

A while ago, we used HQ scans and BB's translations to have our own take on Volume 9. But we never got around to deciding whether or not to spread it, mostly because the import version came out, and secondly, we didn't follow any 'comic' rules; we stamped out the Japanese text, then just used a regular font (not all caps) and typed in the dialogue. What we got was basically a graphic novel, not a comic .

(...that was long, for a short question...)

One thing struck me when reading through this - remember who are the people that make up Misato's little family. The black haired doll-child must be some dissociated image of Shinji as well - the Shinji in Misato's mind in Shinji's mind, perhaps?

I guess Shinji could have that view...maybe he thinks that he should do as good as Misato expects him to (or what he thinks Misato wants him to do), but he feels that he isn't as good as his imaginary self, thus that 'image' is leaving him, and taking Misato (as a source of comfort) at the same time?

...did that make any sense whatsoever??? I'll elaborate, if anyone wants me to.

Originally posted on: 06.05.2006, 04:30 PM

[Ornette [ANF]]

I think Mr. Tines brings up a good point. That first doll is probably a "Shinji" more than a Rei. Not sure exactly how that fits into the whole "Shinji's recounting of his life in Tokyo-3/Nerv" thing that I was suggesting.

Also, more on the "cello"
ep26 (from LTP):
Misato: It's true that Eva Unit One is part of your mind.
Ritsuko: If you depend on Eva too much, Eva itself will be you.
Ryouji: Eva will be all of yourself.
Misato: The true yourself will be nowhere.
Shinji: It's OK. I've had nothing from the beginning. I've been learning cello, but it didn't go anywhere.
Asuka: I didn't try to do it from your side.
Shinji: But, now that I can pilot Eva.

During this scene in complementation (ep26), what exactly is the "Eva" they are referring to?

Recap of what Shinji said in the beginning of the sandbox sequence: I see... It's just like when I started the cello. I thought that if I came here, I could find something...

Originally posted on: 06.05.2006, 05:01 PM

[HeWhoPostsStuff [ANF]]

During this scene in complementation (ep26), what exactly is the "Eva" they are referring to?

Offhand, I'd guess that it's literally Eva-01...the "others" talking to him are warning him about centering his self-worth (and his value in the eyes of others, perhaps most critically his father) around one thing (in this case, his ability to pilot the Eva), seeing as if that thing ever somehow ceases to be, then you've got nothing left, something like the way Asuka all but self-destructs after she can't pilot Eva-02 anymore. I'd imagine that this hints that Shinji first started trying to play the cello, not because he really "wanted to" in the traditional sense, but solely because he thought it would give him "value," but after "it didn't go anywhere," he decided to accept the offer to pilot the Eva (when he "came here" to Tokyo-3) for the same reason, because he figured it was about his only chance of meaning much of anything to anyone, himself included.

My best guess, anyhow...

Originally posted on: 06.05.2006, 05:23 PM

[Jabberwok [ANF]]

I believe the "Eva" they are refering to is Shinji's "sense of worth", if that means anything.

To expound...

Rei:[/b] Are others kind to you?
Shinji: Yes.
Rei: Why?
Shinji: Because I'm an Eva pilot. Because I pilot Eva, they treat me well. That's the reason why I'm allowed to be here. It's all that sustains me.
...
Shinji: When I pilot Eva, they all praise me.
...
Shinji: The father that abandoned me... I'll show him!

At this point, Shinji, much like Asuka, has linked his entire sense of self worth with being an Eva pilot; without Eva he is nothing.

The reference to the cello may be a parallel to being a pilot. We know he was instructed to start playing. Shinji may have done so eagerly, seeing this as a very "praiseworthy" thing. He primary drive at that time may have been to attract the attention and praise of his father.

But that's just my take on it.


[HeWhoPostsStuff came to similar conclusions, but beat me to the punch as I worked on the second half of this. Don't forget to read his post.]

Other elements of this scene...

I was thinking about what the swing set may represent and I had the notion that the motion of the swing may be tied to Shinji's emotional state throughout the narrative suggested by Ornette earlier. I was thinking it may represent a manic/depressive cycle or, at the very least, an emotional barometer or sorts. When I rewatched it, I found some neat correlations...


At the beginning, the swing is in motion, it's pace is steady. Shinji makes his remark about coming here and finding something. When the camera shifts, the rusty creaking can still be heard.

The swing at this point represents a neutral emotional state?

Then the two "dolls" ask to build a sand castle. The pyramid, as others have mentioned, must represent NERV. Does the act of building the castle represent protecting NERV? protecting the world? finding a purpose (within NERV [this is my fav, btw])? Don't know for sure. But in the background you can hear the rusty oscillation increasing, and when the camera snaps back to the swing set, it is now swinging quite vigorously.

Shinji has reached an emotional high point by finding a purpose at NERV, by earning the praise of his father?

The dolls need to leave. Curiously, the creak can no longer be heard. The music also stops. Cue the bird (abandonment?). Shinji begins to tear up, but then continues work on the pyramid. The swing strangely begins to move again. The street light turns on (approaching the end of the narrative?) and the castle is complete. All the while the swing has been getting quieter. As Shinji attacks the pyramid, the camera switches back to the swing which slowly comes to a stop as Shinji's task is finished.

Shinji has reached his emotional nadir after rejecting his father and watching all that he had build to this point crumble into ruin (by, as Shinji sees it, his own hand)?

So, that's my take on that, but as for other references...

You then see the two stage lights brooding over Shinji. The image of Unit 01, its body in shadow save it's brightly glowing eyes, towering over Shinji was used in EoTV if I recall. I think this may be a parellel.

Also, as the the scene ends, Asuka jumps in as if she has been observing the whole thing (which is safe to assume?). I think if anyone understands what is going on in during this depressive introspection riddled with self-pity, it is Asuka. She herself goes through a similar emotion shift throughout the show, and the sequences that follow ("Because you're just like me?", "Mama") seem to reinforce the similarities between the two Children.



I also thought the siren that's present in the swing shots may represent the Angels (the Angel alarms) but that could be stretching things, and it didn't feel that important.

Originally posted on: 06.05.2006, 06:22 PM

[mr_random [ANF]]

This very much seems to be a very meaningful scene. I think the stuff posted already is on the right track.

I just can't shake the feeling that there is something more here, the imagery seems very deliberate, especially in these two

http://buzzy.tesuji.org/images/sandbox_playground2.jpg
http://buzzy.tesuji.org/images/sandbox_shinji3.jpg

I havn't made up my mind about who I think the left doll is supposed to be, but if it is some version of Shinji, I believe he is wearing a dress (seen in the scene where they are leaving.)

I wonder if the swing is symbolic of his sense of self-worth or happiness, it looks like that after he meets with his friends and they are working together on the pyramid (when Shinji gets happier,) the swing seems to speed up.

I also noticed that there is some pretty heavy emphasis placed on that streetlight coming on. It also happens after his "friends" leave and he attempts to follow but can't, so he just continues on with what he had been doing (building the pyramid.) Maybe the light is supposed to signify the artificial nature of his actions at that point. He keeps building the pyramid because no one told him to stop. And it could be that when he finished, he realized that even though he accomplished something, there is no one around that cares about him to recognize it, so he destroys it in frustration. So maybe the destroyed pyramid is supposed to signify his running away from problems, then ending up coming back because he has nothing else (so he starts to rebuild it.)

http://www.evageeks.org/images...26_C196_top.gif
I have always thought that scene was important but a bit vague (well, I guess that could describe nearly every scene...) I see that "sex" is written down near the bottom. Has any of that been translated? I'm just wondering if there is anything else that could give some clues or if it's just all drawing notes or something.

Originally posted on: 06.05.2006, 08:00 PM

[Ornette [ANF]]

I was think about what the swing set may represent and I had the notion that the motion of the swing may be tied to Shinji's emotional state throughout the narrative suggested by Ornette earlier. I was thinking it may represent a manic/depressive cycle or, at the very least, an emotional barometer or sorts.

That makes sense, it does speed up then slow down. And at the very least, it reflects the mood that little Shinji is in during the sequence.

I just can't shake the feeling that there is something more here, the imagery seems very deliberate, especially in these two

I agree. Everything seems to be a little to well placed and symmetric for it to be just a background. All the bits and peices in the scenes throughout the entire sequence seems a little out of place but at the same time not out of place, probably due to the whole surrealness of the sequence... (scaffolding in a playground, wooden stage but with folding chairs, a single swing with stage lighting)

I bet a lot of these, esp the 2 you pointed out, are warped versions of scenes/motifs throughout the series, but I have yet to do a thorough search.

Originally posted on: 06.05.2006, 10:08 PM

[drgenestarwind [ANF]]

well, is the cello a metaphor for the eva? i think it is. so by Shinji's lines, he just continues to pilot the eva because he does what he is told to do.

Originally posted on: 06.05.2006, 11:39 PM

[Polaryzed_123 [ANF]]

I agree with almost everything you stated in here so far. Here are my thoughts on the matter. I don't think that the 'doll' children are supposed to represent anyone Shinji has directly interacted with in the show, i.e. I don't think they are Mistao, Rei, Asuka, or even himslef (even if there is a slight resemblence to a character). I think that they represent the nameless, faceless, "normal" people (normal to Shinji at least ) that he has interacted with over his life. His interaction with them is about as long and meaningful as seeing someone on the subway, so its no wonder that they are just dolls.
I think that its really meant to emphasize how alone in the world he feels, because even when someone shows up and pays attention to him, and he starts feeling good (swing speeding up), they just leave anyway. And once again he is alone and depressed (swing slows down). Remember, he even stated in the second episode when he was going to live alone: "That's OK, I'm alone anyway." or "I prefer being alone. Every place is the same." So everywhere is the sandbox. His life is the sandbox. Whether the pyramid be leanring the cello or piloting Eva or anything, he always feels alone, and always feels like no one notices what he does. But he does it anyway.

He keeps building the pyramid because no one told him to stop. And it could be that when he finished, he realized that even though he accomplished something, there is no one around that cares about him to recognize it, so he destroys it in frustration.
So maybe the destroyed pyramid is supposed to signify his running away from problems, then ending up coming back because he has nothing else (so he starts to rebuild it.)

Bingo!
Although I wonder who told him to build the pyramid in the first place? His teacher recommended the cello. right? And his father/Misato told him to pilot Eva. Did one of the dolls sugest the pyramid? I forget.

Originally posted on: Yesterday, 08:35 AM