I believe it’s a recreation of a scene from one of the endings of Evangelion. My hazy guess is the movie “End of Evangelion.” Asuka (on the GPU) lies unconscious in a hospital bed. Shinji (incel protagonist) stands over her. He shuts the door to the hall and breathes heavily for a few seconds, then this shot with white instead of gray.
Evangelion is one of those anime where the author starts shitting on the fans towards the end because the 15 year old males in the audience see themselves in Shinichi. Those same fans started sending him death threats when the end of the main show points out he is not a good person, and the harem that wants to sleep with him actually don’t want to sleep with him because he’s going to save the world but because they require therapy.
Whatever. I collected and watched Evangelion on VHS back in the 90s. Maybe “incel” isn’t quite accurate, but Shinji really was quite a pathetic wimp of a protagonist.
If you’re wondering what narrative purpose this scene serves, you have to consider the whole series. It’s a mirror of a scene in episode one where Shinji also stands on top of a female character with a bodily fluid on his hand, but for a whole other reason: Shinji was told to pilote a giant robot he’d never seen before to fight a giant monster. He refused. The injured girl was brought on a strainer and he was told if he didn’t pilote the robot, she’d have to. The ground shook because of the robot, the girl (named Rei) fell from the strainer and Shinji rushed to see if she was okay. He looked at his hand and saw that he had her blood on it (obvious symbolism), then he accepts to pilote the robot.
That scene is what asserts Shinji as a protagonist. It’s the first showing him doing something for someone else, and he’s putting his life on the line to do so.
So mirroring this scene but having him do something cowardly and shameful, opposite of the bravery and kindness he showed in episode 1 makes him exit this role as a protagonist.
And I don’t even think it’s necessary to understand it for it to work: For most of the movie after that, Shinji isn’t the protagonist, you follow other characters as they conclude their respective narrative arcs and without the hospital scene, I think many would feel frustrated and wait for Shinji to do something. Instead, we’re more prone to watch the other characters because we don’t really want to see Shinji anymore.
Another thing is, there characters have all been through a lot and been repeatedly traumatised. Not that it’s an excuse, but the series is also a bit original in the way it rejects the trope that hardship builds character and makes one better, without going in the reverse cliche of it making them a villain either. Trauma makes them mentally ill. Mental illness sometimes cause them to do bad things to other, which they then regret.
God I don’t understand why people love this anime.
I know it’s a deconstruction of the super robot. I know that shinji has a plausibly realistic reaction to his situation, especially as an unwilling Eva pilot. That doesn’t make me wanna watch the psychological unravelling of a child until he becomes completely insufferable and wanks it over his comatose friend. Why does anyone wanna watch that, no matter how powerful?
It’s got deep-ish themes about identity, 6 frames of boobs and a memorable theme, everything the Otaku needs while saving up for that Fedora they have their eye on
Why do people engage with anything that makes them uncomfortable? Horror? Tragedy? It’s just morbid curiosity. It’s not a bad thing, really. Any exploration of the human condition is incomplete without a look at the darker side. Some need more light in their entertainment to help the medicine go down, and that’s OK too.
I know art is subjective, but like… 26 episodes devoted to watching an annoying little shit face become even more annoying and shittier?
I want to like the show so bad, but shinji is just so unpleasant to watch.
Generally I think there is value in engaging with media that makes you experience negative and uncomfortable emotions, but I think the exception to that is anger. If the predominant emotions is anger, then probably not a tremendous amount of value. Most other emotions evoked by media are either enjoyable themselves or produce enjoyable after effects (like the thrill of horror, or the catharsis of tragedy); but not anger.
As you say it’s subjective, but I don’t find Shinji that annoying for most of the series.
And it’s not just a downwards spiral, he and the other characters have ups and downs.
Even the conclusion of the End Of Evangelion is that something is better than nothing. A big part of Shinji’s character is hesitation of what is or isn’t worth doing, and the big final choice he’s offered when he’s at his lowest possible point is basically end the existence of humans as individuals and all the pain that goes with it or let humanity be reborn. It’s a metaphor for being on the fence about suicide, and he choses life. Which is pretty strong knowing how Hideaki Anno was himself struggles with depression when he wrote this.
I know it’s a bit stupid, but this series kinda feels like a depression toggle switch for me: It makes me feel depressed if I watch it while not depressed, but had the opposite effect if I’m already feeling depressed.
Good explanation. I think many people miss out the point of Shinji. Too many people assume that protagonists are always people that you should aspire to be, but Shinji’s messed up self and traumatic past is something that still resonates with many youth today.
well, that is some much needed context, otherwise I would’ve had a much different perspective on the narrative and the characters going on as i’ve never seen the show. I actually find it charming, oddly, that the writers worked this way. thanks!
Btw she was hospitalized after a savage defeat while piloting a mech where the pilot feels all the damage as if it’s happening to them. Her mech was ripped apart and devoured by a pack of hostile umanned mechs.
What DOES it mean??
The most unnecessary scene in anime
I believe it’s a recreation of a scene from one of the endings of Evangelion. My hazy guess is the movie “End of Evangelion.” Asuka (on the GPU) lies unconscious in a hospital bed. Shinji (incel protagonist) stands over her. He shuts the door to the hall and breathes heavily for a few seconds, then this shot with white instead of gray.
wtf I never saw evangelion, what the hell is going on in there? you said that’s the ending?
Evangelion is one of those anime where the author starts shitting on the fans towards the end because the 15 year old males in the audience see themselves in Shinichi. Those same fans started sending him death threats when the end of the main show points out he is not a good person, and the harem that wants to sleep with him actually don’t want to sleep with him because he’s going to save the world but because they require therapy.
god I hate you twitter zoomers
It’s probably the most accurate description I’ve ever heard of shinji
I don’t think you’re an incel as a teenager, dude is just horny
No, he is an insufferable whiney little shitfart. 100% incel energy.
Whatever. I collected and watched Evangelion on VHS back in the 90s. Maybe “incel” isn’t quite accurate, but Shinji really was quite a pathetic wimp of a protagonist.
I mean… It’s not wrong. The main character is a fucking creep.
I would like to return one mental image please
Chicken dinner right here boys. Gotta be it.
Wait
That’s What the fuck man what
Oh dear god…I thought you were joking.
Don’t do this to me
Lol wtf
If you’re wondering what narrative purpose this scene serves, you have to consider the whole series. It’s a mirror of a scene in episode one where Shinji also stands on top of a female character with a bodily fluid on his hand, but for a whole other reason: Shinji was told to pilote a giant robot he’d never seen before to fight a giant monster. He refused. The injured girl was brought on a strainer and he was told if he didn’t pilote the robot, she’d have to. The ground shook because of the robot, the girl (named Rei) fell from the strainer and Shinji rushed to see if she was okay. He looked at his hand and saw that he had her blood on it (obvious symbolism), then he accepts to pilote the robot.
That scene is what asserts Shinji as a protagonist. It’s the first showing him doing something for someone else, and he’s putting his life on the line to do so.
So mirroring this scene but having him do something cowardly and shameful, opposite of the bravery and kindness he showed in episode 1 makes him exit this role as a protagonist. And I don’t even think it’s necessary to understand it for it to work: For most of the movie after that, Shinji isn’t the protagonist, you follow other characters as they conclude their respective narrative arcs and without the hospital scene, I think many would feel frustrated and wait for Shinji to do something. Instead, we’re more prone to watch the other characters because we don’t really want to see Shinji anymore.
Another thing is, there characters have all been through a lot and been repeatedly traumatised. Not that it’s an excuse, but the series is also a bit original in the way it rejects the trope that hardship builds character and makes one better, without going in the reverse cliche of it making them a villain either. Trauma makes them mentally ill. Mental illness sometimes cause them to do bad things to other, which they then regret.
God I don’t understand why people love this anime.
I know it’s a deconstruction of the super robot. I know that shinji has a plausibly realistic reaction to his situation, especially as an unwilling Eva pilot. That doesn’t make me wanna watch the psychological unravelling of a child until he becomes completely insufferable and wanks it over his comatose friend. Why does anyone wanna watch that, no matter how powerful?
It’s got deep-ish themes about identity, 6 frames of boobs and a memorable theme, everything the Otaku needs while saving up for that Fedora they have their eye on
Why do people engage with anything that makes them uncomfortable? Horror? Tragedy? It’s just morbid curiosity. It’s not a bad thing, really. Any exploration of the human condition is incomplete without a look at the darker side. Some need more light in their entertainment to help the medicine go down, and that’s OK too.
I know art is subjective, but like… 26 episodes devoted to watching an annoying little shit face become even more annoying and shittier?
I want to like the show so bad, but shinji is just so unpleasant to watch.
Generally I think there is value in engaging with media that makes you experience negative and uncomfortable emotions, but I think the exception to that is anger. If the predominant emotions is anger, then probably not a tremendous amount of value. Most other emotions evoked by media are either enjoyable themselves or produce enjoyable after effects (like the thrill of horror, or the catharsis of tragedy); but not anger.
As you say it’s subjective, but I don’t find Shinji that annoying for most of the series. And it’s not just a downwards spiral, he and the other characters have ups and downs.
Even the conclusion of the End Of Evangelion is that something is better than nothing. A big part of Shinji’s character is hesitation of what is or isn’t worth doing, and the big final choice he’s offered when he’s at his lowest possible point is basically end the existence of humans as individuals and all the pain that goes with it or let humanity be reborn. It’s a metaphor for being on the fence about suicide, and he choses life. Which is pretty strong knowing how Hideaki Anno was himself struggles with depression when he wrote this.
I know it’s a bit stupid, but this series kinda feels like a depression toggle switch for me: It makes me feel depressed if I watch it while not depressed, but had the opposite effect if I’m already feeling depressed.
Good explanation. I think many people miss out the point of Shinji. Too many people assume that protagonists are always people that you should aspire to be, but Shinji’s messed up self and traumatic past is something that still resonates with many youth today.
Thanks for the explanation. Makes more sense that way
Thomas Manga: “No, I just wanted to make him jerk it.”
oh wow thanks, i never made the connection to ep1. it’s so obvious in hindsight!
well, that is some much needed context, otherwise I would’ve had a much different perspective on the narrative and the characters going on as i’ve never seen the show. I actually find it charming, oddly, that the writers worked this way. thanks!
The whole movie, even the whole series was pretty fucked up like this.
Hello? Yes, I’d like to have unread what I just read. Yes, I’ll hold.
The overall story about why the author did it is interesting, because it is part of his ongoing hatred of how the fans treat the property.
I sort of regret watching it myself and never rewatched
Now I’m curious!!
Btw she was hospitalized after a savage defeat while piloting a mech where the pilot feels all the damage as if it’s happening to them. Her mech was ripped apart and devoured by a pack of hostile umanned mechs.
It means he finished
If that’s what it looks like when he finishes, he needs to see a doctor.
You don’t want to know.