Shinji and "I'm home" (Tadaima)

[V]

I notice that in episode 2, Shinji struggles to say "tadaima!" to Misato ("I'm home") on entering Misato's apartment


Yet in episode 9, he just casually says "tadaima" before acknowledging that he's just doing it out of habit and (as he thinks) no one is home. You know, how you are I might say "Hi I'm home" out of habit even though we know the house is empty.

The question is this: is this a sign that Shinji is opening up more and is thinking of it as his actual "home" more.....or is this simply because he thinks no one is around, and if he had expected Misato to be in the apartment, he would have reacted differently?

[Ornette]

Japanese people say that all the time as if it's a tradition (same with leaving the house), I think it has nothing to do with whether Misato was at home or not, just that he's been living there long enough that he's used to it.

[V]

yeah the thing is that I wonder if he'd still do it if the house *weren't* empty

[Semisubtle]

Yes. He did it automatically. As in, he anticipated someone being there, only to remember someone was not. The end.

[Axell]

i learned about this last semester during Japanese 1, its customary to say i'm home when entering and i'm leaving when leaving even if you live alone. your speaking to your house in this case

[Gamer_2k4]

I would think that the initial "I'm home" is Shinji trying to convince himself that yes, here is where he belongs and is expected to live, so once he's come to that conclusion (that this truly is his home), saying it is going to be a heck of a lot easier in subsequent arrivals, no matter who's there. Both instances reflect his current attitude, regardless of whether he's alone or with someone.

[slothen]

The question is this: is this a sign that Shinji is opening up more and is thinking of it as his actual "home" more.....or is this simply because he thinks no one is around, and if he had expected Misato to be in the apartment, he would have reacted differently?

All of those are plausible. There is no way to know.

[thewayneiac]

I think you're probably making too much of this V. The reason Shinji seems to be struggling to say "tadaima" in ep. 02 is that he starts to say "ojamashimasu", "pardon the intrusion". This is what the Japanese say when entering someone else's home. Misato reminds him that this is also his home now, and he corrects it to "tadaima". There's nothing in the show to suggest that he had difficulty saying "I'm home" from that point on.

[V]

in that case, yes, I will take this as a sign that "he's more used to being there" now