The origin of Kaworu's piano

Discussion of the new series of Evangelion movies ( "Evangelion Shin Gekijōban", meaning "Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition"). The final instalment made its debut in Japan on March 8, 2021.

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The origin of Kaworu's piano

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Postby qwdc » Sun Jun 23, 2013 5:12 am

Something that caught my attention was the fact that Kaworu plays piano in 3.0 but not in any anime episode I recall. "Death" does prove that he has at least some background with musical instruments, but we never see him play the piano specifically. Kaworu does play piano the first time he meets Shinji in the manga, which makes me wonder if the piano scene of 3.0 was a nod the manga.

I am a bit new to the forums, so I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this topic. This is just something I wanted to bring up because I thought it was interesting.
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Postby Rena » Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:05 am

Kaworu only appeared for one episode in NGE, and nothing was mention of him being able to play piano in episode 24. The drafts said Kaworu could play piano, though.

I thought that for Rebuild he just learned over the 14 year time skip, and playing a duet with Shinji helped them sync so they could pilot Unit 13 together.

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Postby TheFriskyIan » Sun Jun 23, 2013 9:13 am

I can just imagine Kaworu, Rei Q, Fuyutsuki, and Gendo all working together to lug that Piano all the way to where it is.
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Postby TMBounty_Hunter » Sun Jun 23, 2013 10:04 am

View Original PostTheFriskyIan wrote:I can just imagine Kaworu, Rei Q, Fuyutsuki, and Gendo all working together to lug that Piano all the way to where it is.

Or Kaworu with a megaphone directing 20 Rei clones
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Postby driftking18594 » Sun Jun 23, 2013 1:17 pm

View Original PostRena wrote:I thought that for Rebuild he just learned over the 14 year time skip


Well, how else can you pass the time? :hahaha:

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Postby AuraTwilight » Sun Jun 23, 2013 2:35 pm

View Original PostTheFriskyIan wrote:I can just imagine Kaworu, Rei Q, Fuyutsuki, and Gendo all working together to lug that Piano all the way to where it is.


They accidentally drop Gendo's end on his foot. He immediately changes his plan from "Reunite with Yui" to "Fuck it, kill all humanity. And also rip Rei's soul out, bitch dropped it."
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Postby tzigi » Sun Jun 23, 2013 2:36 pm

View Original PostTMBounty_Hunter wrote:Or Kaworu with a megaphone directing 20 Rei clones

I'd love to see an artwork of that :)
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Postby ObsessiveMathsFreak » Sun Jun 23, 2013 3:27 pm

The existence of the piano, and the reconcreted floor of the cage, tells us a lot. At the very least, it tells us that Nerv HQ was being supplied and worked on before it reached its present condition. While Kaworu could have simply flown down to the surface and salvaged for a piano amidst the wreck of Tokyi-3, I tend to think Gendo or Seele got him one.
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Postby ElMariachi » Sun Jun 23, 2013 4:31 pm

Guys, remember that we're talking about the guy who in NGE could make two fucking Evangelions levitate with his hands in his pockets, putting that piano down the cage is like morning exercises for him! :D
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Postby TheFriskyIan » Sun Jun 23, 2013 4:44 pm

View Original PostElMariachi wrote:Guys, remember that we're talking about the guy who in NGE could make two fucking Evangelions levitate with his hands in his pockets, putting that piano down the cage is like morning exercises for him! :D

Yeah, but he wouldn't get the social satisfaction of having Gendo do something nice for once. All while Fuyutsuki drones on about how Pianos are a luxury now more than ever cause no one can play them with their enlarged Eva hands. All this going on while Rei Q is all like "What is sounds?" so when they finish moving the Piano, Kaworu plays some songs for them, Gendo critiquing it while Fuyutsuki falls asleep, and Rei Q just staring off into space.

Just can't have that experience if you levitate to where you want.
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Postby pwhodges » Sun Jun 23, 2013 5:26 pm

Kaworu wished a piano into existence when he felt he needed one - just like in the manga. There's no need for any other explanation.
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Postby Monk Ed » Sun Jun 23, 2013 5:30 pm

I hope this thread doesn't turn into all jokes.
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Postby ElMariachi » Sun Jun 23, 2013 5:54 pm

OK, more seriously, I recall a live interview of Okada Toshio, one of the co-founders of GAINAX and he said that Evangelion(both NGE and the Rebuild) are "a scene oriented work" instead of "scenario oriented", meaning that the "how" of a scene isn't really important compared of "what" it makes us feel.
He illustrated that with the example of neo-NERV HQ and Fuyutsuki in 3.0 :

Toshio Okada wrote:To me, Evangelion is a scene oriented work. It isn't a work which focuses on the scenario as its top priority. What I mean by that is that it's not a work that is meant to "show this certain story" but instead it's a work with a stockpile of "scenes to be shown" is pieced and ordered into a work. It's a dance song. You don't only have to listen to the song but see the dance moves. But the moves don't necessarily have to match with the lyrics. I believe Evangelion isn't a story where the concern went into making sure that what is shown matches the story itself, but more importantly glued well together with style and entertaining elements.

In Q, Nerv, being the evil side and Wille of the justice is facing one another. But there are only two people at Nerv, Gendo and Fuyutsuki. So people wonder 'does Fuyutsuki do all the work?' But that doesn't really matter because of course it's scene oriented. It wants to show that Shinji is alone and that they don't want to show another soul, but Fuyutsuki is absolutely necessary to leave out. The writer knows this contradiction, but did it anyway. It showed the weight and style of the scenes but it isn't necessarily consistent.

Video here : http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/1354993191?via=thumb_watch
Whole translation here : http://forum.evageeks.org/post/632830/Fuyutsuki-in-30/#632830

And it's probable that Kaworu's piano mere existence follows the same rule : from where did it come? How it ended down there? It doesn't matter, what's important is that this piano, the symbol of Kaworu and Shinji's friendship and "work together" is inside EVA-01's cage, the place which was holding what previously so central in Shinji's existence as his reason for being in Tokyo-3 and needed by everyone, and thus represent a next step in Shinhi's life, although still tied to the previous one since one of the goal of these piano sessions with Shinji was to train him to "synchronize his tempo" with someone else for the moment he will co-pilot EVA-13.
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Postby iihieiii » Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:39 pm

View Original PostElMariachi wrote:And it's probable that Kaworu's piano mere existence follows the same rule : from where did it come? How it ended down there? It doesn't matter, what's important is that this piano, the symbol of Kaworu and Shinji's friendship and "work together"


Not only that...but i believe that is also a "concept" from what a Piano also represents...o good phrase for this should be: "Work hard and practice until you get better and achieve happiness"...and this phrase is exactly what we seen from Shinji on 3.0..

BTW...where i can find the others 3.0 interviews like this ?? :tongue:
Last edited by iihieiii on Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:56 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Postby ElMariachi » Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:51 pm

3.0 Interview are scattered left and right, there wasn't a place were most of them were gathered like the 1.0 and 2.0 CRC yet.
The biggest thing we have is an interview of the Voice Actors, which casts an interesting light on how they interpreted all the changes in the characters(especially an haunting interview of how Ogata(Shinji) used the then recent earthquake and tsunami which fell on Japan to convey Shinji's feels how endless guilt and despair), which some hindsights of Anno's interpretation of Q!Asuka(the comparison with an "embittered mercenary" actually comes from him) and some interesting informations about Mari(we learn that she's a very honest girl and don't have an hidden agenda : she really works for WILLE)

http://forum.evageeks.org/thread/13685/Evangelion-30-interviews-needs-translation/
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Seriously, that is the most fananked theory I've ever heard, more than Mari being Marty McFly travelling through time to keep her parents (Asushin) together. -- Jäeger

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Postby cloudxsolder » Sun Jun 23, 2013 7:16 pm

Why a piano? - It's the most fitting instrument for a duet in which the same instrument is shared, symbolising union.

But I like to think past the fact that it's a piano - and think it's just music being used as a symbol of Kawuro's willingness to embrace mankind. Many would argue that music is mankind's greatest accomplishment - and he is VERY impressed with it.

I would also like to think that Yamaha paid a pretty penny for it's part as well....

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Postby Rena » Sun Jun 23, 2013 7:40 pm

Episode 24's second draft (sorry for using non-canonical information to back my point) has Shinji mention there is a piano at Nerv. Maybe there was one onsite to begin with, and Kaworu just moved it?
Which poses the question as to why there is a piano in Nerv in the first place.

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Postby ElMariachi » Mon Jun 24, 2013 3:03 am

Maybe the piano was in the NERV recreation room(didn't they mention something like that in "Magma Diver" in NGE?), or in the restaurant where Gendo was eating with Rei(we see other tables, so it's not for Gendo's exclusive use), or maybe there is a reception hall and a piano is put there.

For a base as big as NERV HQ, which double as the Main Branch and "heart" of the whole organization, the existence of such facilities wouldn't be that far fetched.
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Kensuke is a military otaku who, at one point, is shown creepily taking pictures of girls to sell. He would clearly fit right in as an animator at Studio Gainax. -- Compiling_Autumn
EoTV is a therapist, EoE is a drill instructor. -- Chuckman
Seriously, that is the most fananked theory I've ever heard, more than Mari being Marty McFly travelling through time to keep her parents (Asushin) together. -- Jäeger

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Postby bobbyfischer's ghost » Mon Jun 24, 2013 3:20 am

I'm betting on the restaurant it's the only possibility that makes sense to me in Rebuild.
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Postby Monk Ed » Mon Jun 24, 2013 3:22 am

If that even is a restaurant... as I question here.
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