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.
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.
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.
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.
god I hate you twitter zoomers
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.
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.