Meaningful fanservice in NME...

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

I will probably always be a little behind in the world of Evangelion. Most of you have seen 2.22 already and I am envious, but obviously not so much as to get my own copy before Funimation's release next year. So I cannot speak for that particular movie. (Yet...)

Now, I know there are already topics about Evangelion's fanservice, and this can be merged if needed. But I feel this deserves it's own topic as it digs deeper than the other topics do, rather than making a blanket complaint about NME's fanservice.

The subject of fanservice in the new series has come up often, and mostly in a way that seems as though it is either detestable, cheap, or even just without subtext. Granted, when I first saw 1.01 for the first time I was a little put off with the new shot of Rei suiting up in the last battle of the film. I generally can't stand fanservice unless it has some importance to the film other than "that's hawt" or "that's funny". The former just seems perverted to me, and the latter strikes me as synonymous to a cheap fart joke. I have outright dropped anime and even live action shows or films for this form of cheap fanservice, and I was a little saddened to see that NME may be following down that same road.

That is, until I realized that I subconsciously recognized Rei's bare-backed, suiting up shot from somewhere else in the Eva franchise.

The Squeamish Need A  SPOILER: Show

The NME shot, though not exact, appears to be a mirror shot of this EoE shot. Now I know you're thinking I just defiled EoE forever on the Rebuild sub-forum, but hear me out as I explain how these scenes even seem to hold similarities within the contexts of both films.

In the pictured scene of The End of Evangelion, Rei is explaining to Shinji the Sea of LCL. The camera pans down her back.

Rei: This place is the Sea of LCL, the primordial soup of life. A place with no A. T. Fields where individual forms do not exist. An ambiguous world where you cannot tell where you end and others begin. A world where you exist everywhere, and yet you exist no where all at once.

Shinji: So, this is death?

Rei: Not quite. This is a world where we are all one. This is the world you wished for. Your world.

Shinji: But this isn't right. This feels wrong.

Rei: If you wish for others to exist the walls of their hearts will separate them once again. And then they will all feel fear once more.

In the pictured scene in Evangelion: 1.11, Rei is explaining to Shinji that he will not die. This time the camera pans up her back.

Shinji: We might die on this mission.

Rei: No. You won't die. Because I'll be protecting you.

Shinji: (to himself) I am not worth protecting.

I've always believed these things should within context to it's surrounding scenes. Especially in cases like early NGE or NME where the episodes or movie wasn't written to spell out it's metaphors like EoE was written.

In a following scene Rei and Shinji have another discussion before the climatic battle.

Shinji: Ayanami, why do you pilot the Eva?

Rei: Because it's a bond.

Shinji: A bond?

Rei: Right, a bond.

Shinji: With my dad?

Rei: With everyone.

Shinji: I guess you're strong, Ayanami.

Rei: Because I have nothing else.

Later on Rei protects Shinji from an Angel's deadly particle beam with a makeshift shield instead of her A. T. Field, and literally feels pain on Shinji's behalf.

I am in no way trying to stick EoE as the link for NME to become a sequel to NGE. (No continuity link has been proven between the two, so I personally don't believe there is any.) I am just showing some interesting thing I've found within 1.11 that may prove that the fanservice in NME can build up to something more than just cheap eye-candy for it's own sake.

For whatever reason, Anno uses Rei's nude, leaning back when touching upon the subject of possible death, the fear of pain, the connectivity of mankind (or lack thereof), and presence of the A. T. field in these two films.

Does anyone else have any ideas on it? Perhaps even as to why?

[NAveryW]

The Rei shot in Jo serves the purpose of finally showing us how the plugsuits are put on. I was glad to see it.

We have a few threads about the fanservice in Ha, such as this one, and I still don't think much of any of it was necessary or defensible in any manner other than "hey let's show a lengthy crotch shot for no raisin".

[Xard]

[Nonoriri]

Even though we're talking about 1.0 here TMBounty_Hunter's 2.0 planning book thingy pic suggests a more obvious reason for fanservice

SPOILER: Show

[Great Genius Shinji-Sama]

I don't get it.

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

I don't get it.

I'm wondering if there is any connection between this form of fanservice in both EoE and 1.11 and the subjects within the scenes. They both are framed very similarly, have the same figure striking nearly the same pose, and the topics being discussed in the two sequences are the same.

and I still don't think much of any of it was necessary or defensible in any manner other than "hey let's show a lengthy crotch shot for no raisin".

Well, it's hard to figure out reasons for elements in a series that remains unfinished. Even in the original NGE, the subtexts surrounding it's fanservice didn't become obvious until episodes 20-26. And then only when reviewing the earlier episodes a second time around does one really see a connection between the earlier fanservice and its subtexts.

The problem with trying to find some sort of subtext in Rebuild is that it isn't complete. Nothing is revealed to it's fullest yet, so we don't know if A) there is any subtext to it, and B) what that subtext would be, if any.

I don't think it's a mistake, though, that these two shots are almost mirror shots of one another. I also don't think that the similarities in the subject of the dialogue surrounding those scenes is a mistake either.

Even though we're talking about 1.0 here TMBounty_Hunter's 2.0 planning book thingy pic suggests a more obvious reason for fanservice

SPOILER: Show

Who in the creative team drew that? The signature is cut off, and it doesn't look like Sadamoto's artistic style.

Also, why were most of those ideas rejected? There's always a reason to a rejection. Could it be that it drew too much upon the fanservice? (Especially the ones with the finger bras.)

[Lonecow12]

Ah HA! The "finger bra" as you call it was used for Mari's green power ranger plug suit, and not Asuka, proving, that Asuka was in fact split into two characters after her initial design and that Mari + Shikinami = Soryu.

[Killer Bee]

Ah HA! The "finger bra" as you call it was used for Mari's green power ranger plug suit, and not Asuka, proving, that Asuka was in fact split into two characters after her initial design and that Mari + Shikinami = Soryu.

They were probably intended to be similar in design because they were both "test" suits. Mari's green one was a test suit for the "Provisional" Eva-05. Later, she gets a proper one which better matches the others.

Also, Asuka's crotch-shot in 2.0 was a very important part of the story: it confirms once and for all that she does not have a penis.

[IrkenEvangelion]

Later, she gets a proper one which better matches the others.

And her chest fits in it better!

[Killer Bee]

And her chest fits in it better!

I totally forgot about this important plot point! Thanks for reminding me.

[Mr. Tines]

And her chest fits in it better!

Which would also be consistent with the green one being designed for Asuka.

[Lonecow12]

Notice the 03 on Asuka's chest in the last shot.

She still has 02 in the movie doesn't she?

[Killer Bee]

Notice the 03 on Asuka's chest in the last shot.

She still has 02 in the movie doesn't she?

It just says "TEST" in the movie.

[esselfortium]

Some of the alternate designs around the upper right of that concept sketch page, though, seem to have "02T" or something similar (it's kind of hard to read it) written on them. Not sure if that tells us anything.

[Azathoth]

Some of the alternate designs around the upper right of that concept sketch page, though, seem to have "02T" or something similar (it's kind of hard to read it) written on them. Not sure if that tells us anything.

T for Test, I would assume...but why have an 02 on there at all, really? I never really noticed the 02 on the Test Suit but it doesn't make a lick of sense; the suit's entire purpose* is to be used once with Unit 03 and then presumably kicked.

*Besides money, I mean. Although, wouldn't it be fucking glorious if Anno came up with some super convoluted plot point to explain the Erosuit in Q, like it winds up giving her the ability to project her AT field or something

[Sachi]

T for Test, I would assume...but why have an 02 on there at all, really?

"02" for Second Child.

[Azathoth]

"02" for Second Child.

That doesn't work. Rei doesn't have an 01 on her plugsuit and Shinji doesn't have an 03 on his. Touji's plugsuit in NGE had an 03 on it, if I recall, and he was the Fourth Child. Kaworu is the Fifth and he doesn't have a number at all.

The number on the plugsuits goes with the Eva, not the pilot.

[Eva 04]

That doesn't work. Rei doesn't have an 01 on her plugsuit and Shinji doesn't have an 03 on his. Touji's plugsuit in NGE had an 03 on it, if I recall, and he was the Fourth Child. Kaworu is the Fifth and he doesn't have a number at all.

The number on the plugsuits goes with the Eva, not the pilot.

Actually,the 02 works in this case since Asuka is the second child and she also pilot's Eva unit 02.

[esselfortium]

She is, but the pilots aren't referred to as the 01st, 02nd, and 03rd Children anywhere that I'm aware of, so I doubt that was the intent :P

[Lonecow12]

The thing is Mari has 5 on her pink and green one. The odd one being the Pink suit because 05 is blown to bits by then.