The Asuka Langley Soryu in my mind

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Re: The Asuka Langley Soryu in my mind

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Postby Bagheera » Fri Aug 26, 2011 12:37 pm

View Original PostBornIn1142 wrote:Not surprising; it was somewhat neglected as a factor in the series itself.


Though note there wasn't much call for it; none of her issues really had anything to do with her intelligence, and the battles that ultimately destroyed her weren't those that could be won with quick thinking anyway.

Brain surgeon or nincompoop, the end result was the same for her regardless.
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Yes, I know. You thought it would be something about Asuka. You're such idiots.

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Postby Eric Blair » Fri Aug 26, 2011 1:27 pm

It's hard to express properly what so many people think or feel is the ultimate, honest-to-god true of what is the Asuka ethos. As a character, she is along with Shinji the most polarized character for anyone briefly seeing Evangelion; like Shinji, either you love her for all the tiny defects that make her who she is, or you hate her because of all those tiny defects that make her who she is.

Regardless of the intellectual capabilities, and of whether that would make her plunge deeper into being a socially retarded person, or not, I simply believe that she is very adept at being human, having a firm mask to show others a personality she tries to keep in check; of being liked, of being strong, of being flirty and being girly.

At her core, her trauma comes from parental abandonment issues; since this is just barely touched upon to show us her unravelment, we never see exactly how much did her parents have in making Asuka who she is; some think of Kyoko as being the worst mother ever, in stark contrast to the almost beatific feeling Yui gives. None really stop to think of the dad, or the step mom past a "how dare they" moment that is easily buried under "Oh, but she is still Asuka" even when we see that moment also shaped who she was.

The trickiest part is how everyone seems to simply focus on the "Asuka is an adult mind trapped in the body of a child" dichotome when in reality the aspect of Asuka being a girl is never touched, and when it is we get conflicting images; in the series she is outgoing and had her own share of friends and followers, and then suddenly she is alone, making some to believe she must have been to open and western and thus, her "friends" left her.

I chose to imagine the parts Asuka fights to keep secret; the child that needs her mom despite vowing never to cry, the girl that wants a father despite saying she doesn't need men or family. the young woman who is deathly afraid of intimacy, because letting someone in means they can break you apart, despite her trying to bed Kaji... or even the girl who wants to be closer to someone she despises because she can't understand where the hell those feelings come from.

Essentially, I wish to see Asuka as a regular 14 year old girl who is said to be a genius, and who still is interested in being a girl at the same time she demands attention and respect for saving the world.

Picturing her as an adult or as an stereotypical Asspie seems more of a refraction of what Asuka is meant to be to me; it's easier for me seeing her as a typical girl who on top of having to worry about her hair and clothes and if the guy she likes likes her back but who also has to worry about robots and angels and on top of that has to fight her own demons to keep them at bay than just focus on one specific part that seems more familiar to me and try to mold everything else around that idea.
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Postby Stryker » Fri Aug 26, 2011 1:34 pm

So, she's basically a girl that's trying to do everything at once?
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Postby Eric Blair » Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:00 pm

View Original PostStryker wrote:So, she's basically a girl that's trying to do everything at once?


Yep; that sounds like the Asuka Langley Soryu in my mind.
In this time of Rebuild, I'm proud to be one of the few fans of the original NGE, and one of the last proud fans of Asuka Langley Soryu.
Avatar: A fighting boy meets girl on a one night stand, walking into the blue, ending day by day as they dance in a very merry Christmas, continuing on my own as a burning one man force while you come and make my day approaching in the nick of time and always, stand by me.

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Asuka, - Child? Yes. Bl

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Postby Alaska Slim » Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:01 pm

View Original PostEric Blair wrote:everyone seems to simply focus on the "Asuka is an adult mind trapped in the body of a child".

Really? Perhaps it's just a sign that I'm getting older, but when I watch the series, I see Asuka for the young girl she is. She may say things an adult might, but they lack the conviction or really the understanding as one would expect an actual adult to convey.

The scene with Kaji from 22' for example, shows her talking of sex in way I at least cannot see an adult doing. Then there's her interactions with Shinji where she constantly calls him a "pervert" for frivolous reasons, along with her teasing him on things that, I'd like to think an actual adult would have a little more tact in approaching, and bite their tongue (like Misato).

This isn't to say I disagree with Tines, I do see her as having matured far ahead of her peers, but there are still signs of a general lack of maturity on her part.
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Re: Asuka, - Child? Yes. Bl

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Postby Eric Blair » Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:10 pm

View Original PostAlaska Slim wrote:This isn't to say I disagree with Tines, I do see her as having matured far ahead of her peers, but there are still signs of a general lack of maturity on her part.


I don't think it's the maturity so much as the general understanding; it's like someone talking about how a topic based on them reading a book about said subject; the reasoning and knowledge is there, the context and understanding isn't because those last two come from "field experience" to put it in some way.

I would imagine that if she was with a group of girls the same age bracket, and they were talking about sex, Asuka would posture she knows about it if someone mentioned that given how she "seems so mature". That would be Asuka in a nutshell; if she's put in the spotlight she will make everyone assume she knows what she's talking about because she just has to come as the one who knows what's going on.
In this time of Rebuild, I'm proud to be one of the few fans of the original NGE, and one of the last proud fans of Asuka Langley Soryu.
Avatar: A fighting boy meets girl on a one night stand, walking into the blue, ending day by day as they dance in a very merry Christmas, continuing on my own as a burning one man force while you come and make my day approaching in the nick of time and always, stand by me.

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Re: Asuka, - Child? Yes. Bl

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Postby Bagheera » Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:25 pm

View Original PostAlaska Slim wrote:Really? Perhaps it's just a sign that I'm getting older, but when I watch the series, I see Asuka for the young girl she is. She may say things an adult might, but they lack the conviction or really the understanding as one would expect an actual adult to convey.


That matches my impression too. I've never even encountered the "adult mind trapped in the body of a child" viewpoint prior to today; I thought Asuka's "broken child nature putting on airs of adulthood" was the obvious intent of her portrayal.
For my post-3I fic, go here.
The law doesn't protect people. People protect the law. -- Akane Tsunemori, Psycho-Pass
People's deaths are to be mourned. The ability to save people should be celebrated. Life itself should be exalted. -- Volken Macmani, Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra
I hate myself. But maybe I can learn to love myself. Maybe it's okay for me to be here! That's right! I'm me, nothing more, nothing less! I'm me. I want to be me! I want to be here! And it's okay for me to be here! -- Shinji Ikari, Neon Genesis Evangelion
Yes, I know. You thought it would be something about Asuka. You're such idiots.

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Re: Asuka, - Child? Yes. Bl

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Postby Mr. Tines » Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:32 pm

View Original PostBagheera wrote:the "adult mind trapped in the body of a child" viewpoint
That could be what Asuka thinks she is; however she lacks the qualifications in the school of hard knocks to make the grade.
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Postby katastroff » Fri Aug 26, 2011 2:37 pm

That was a great analysis and it totally resonates with my own impression of Asuka. I like it especially for its insight onto the things we don't directly see in the series. Evangelion handles backstory very carefully, revealing a few disconnected but highly effective scenes in a character's past. Mr. Tines did a nice job filling in the gaps into a coherent narrative that brings us to Asuka as we first met her.

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Postby Gecko state » Sun Aug 28, 2011 9:16 am

Neglect can be is the most powerful Weapon of all.

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Re: Asuka, - Child? Yes. Bl

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Postby Eric Blair » Sun Aug 28, 2011 3:17 pm

View Original PostMr. Tines wrote:That could be what Asuka thinks she is; however she lacks the qualifications in the school of hard knocks to make the grade.


That's what I use as a departing point whenever I try to analyze her; it's not about Asuka being a super genious, pilot extraordinaire, and disenfranchised youth; it's about all that plus the usual thought process of a teenager, which some tend to gloss over or flanderize.
In this time of Rebuild, I'm proud to be one of the few fans of the original NGE, and one of the last proud fans of Asuka Langley Soryu.
Avatar: A fighting boy meets girl on a one night stand, walking into the blue, ending day by day as they dance in a very merry Christmas, continuing on my own as a burning one man force while you come and make my day approaching in the nick of time and always, stand by me.

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Re: The Asuka Langley Soryu in my mind

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Postby Hopelessromantic » Wed Aug 05, 2020 4:51 pm

In 10th grade, I was on the Deans list. I was under the impression that if I got good grades and met my expectations, my peers would admire that kind of talent. But they didn’t.

The only difference between me and Asuka was that I recognized I wasn’t blameless. I too had issues of my own which I reached out to others for help at Woodhall, including the staff and students. Even though the staff said they’d help, barely anything changed at all. I was taught if I took accountability for my actions everything would be okay. But it wasn’t.

I’m not gonna lie. I am unwell. Asuka berating Shinji often reminds me of how I was bullied. Despite that I made attempts to connect with them. But they turned me down. Asuka is...or reminds me...of every single time I was tormented there.
Throughout my life, I’ve tried to fit in with the norm. Now I’m embracing the fact that I am a full fledged bohemian. Who said standing out has to remain a bad thing?

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Re: The Asuka Langley Soryu in my mind

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Postby Reichu » Wed Aug 05, 2020 5:17 pm

Can you justify your opinion with an actual complete viewing of the anime in question?
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Re: The Asuka Langley Soryu in my mind

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Postby Hopelessromantic » Wed Aug 05, 2020 7:04 pm

No, I cannot. I know I am wrong, but that doesn’t exlude the fact that the movie triggered my PTSD.
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Re: The Asuka Langley Soryu in my mind

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Postby Reichu » Wed Aug 05, 2020 9:11 pm

View Original PostHopelessromantic wrote:No, I cannot. I know I am wrong, but that doesn’t exlude the fact that the movie triggered my PTSD.

If you aren't going to watch the show, STOP ARGUING WITH PEOPLE ABOUT IT. I've already given you a warning. Considering that a... warning.
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