Neon Genesis Evangelion Episode 9 Reaction

I just noticed the parallels and contrast in Asuka saying "I have no choice but to pilot the Eva". Back in episode 3 Shinji uses similar wording, that it's not by choice. But he had external forces pushing him into it whereas Asuka acts more internally driven. She even follows up with a decisive "I'll do it", showing that even though she ran off after feeling humiliated she wasn't ever considering not piloting. Being an Eva pilot comes off as more of a core part of her identity and something she already made a commitment to do. Both she and Rei are more firm in that sense, though they are polar opposite in personality, with Shinji landing somewhere in between.

Not a good episode for us Kyles 😂😂

It doesn't matter too much, but it's pronounced As-ka. Also his name is Kaji.

Yep, Asuka is in just that one shot in the intro. It's possible not much was known about her personality and she wasn't going to be a heavy focus. Clearly that changed once she showed up; these last two episodes are practically a double-feature for Asuka's debut! However that doesn't mean there isn't long-term stuff in the intro. A lot of it flashes by quick, but I would be interested to see what else you can notice in it. Others can weigh in.

I will say that following what is happening with the world building and all the angel stuff was difficult the first time watching this. Following the individual character arcs was the most rewarding and continues to be on rewatch.

This episode is so dense! I forgot how packed it is with little character moments. The Angel got introduced like 5 mins in and then doesn't get defeated until the final minute of the episode yet nothing feels off pace. Also that transition from the Angel splitting into two to the post-battle slideshow brief blew my mind the first time I saw it. Damn I love this show.

This series definitely isn't for plot-oriented people, since it gives you almost no information. It's a series about characters and relationships, a great case study on certain aspects of human nature. I think if you approach it from that angle, the experience gets less frustrating. Personally, I don't care much about plot as long as the characters are good, and Evangelion's characters are interesting enough, but anyone who needs to know everything is going to get pissed off, because the series doesn't score well on clarity and revelations. If you treat it like a sitcom that happens to include mechas and kaiju, it might go down easier.

It's kinda crazy that as a teenager you would find kyle cool but growing up you realize the red flags. I'm so glad I didn't grow up to be like him lol

Asuka, the U is silent. As anime fans we mostly pick and choose when to actually pronounce silent U's. Example Naruto the U is silent but most English people pronounce the U but in the same anime Sasuke English speakers drop the U like it's correct announced in Japanese. Moral of the story Aska not Asuka.

calling Kaji "Kyle" is hilarious

- We do see that the angels are being constantly monitored leading up to an attack. There is a shot of the angel literally surrounded by numerous aircraft. Even if we didn't see it that's what I assumed from the dialogue. They talk about it in previous episodes too. - In the first episode the angel is blowing up the city before they even deploy an Eva. I don't think they can afford to just let the angel do its thing and not assume it's an enemy. - If you go to 11:06 in Episode 3, and 20:06 in Episode 5, you can see the fourth and fifth angels approaching from a distance over the horizon. In the beginning of Episode 1 you can also see the third angel swimming around.

I loved this episode, my hope for the remake is to keep this energy minus the dated and creepy bits

This might be my favorite episode of the series. Love seeing the clash of personalities between asuka and shinji, and how they eventually work together and grow closer to eachother and eventually complete their mission. Also we get more details about kaji and misatos relationship this episode too. Also idk why exactly but there’s something that feels so real about shinji fake sleeping😂, like it feels very relatable. Combine that with the scene of him and asuka almost kissing, Giving us more insight into her character and that she isn’t just boastful and confident, she has another side to her character too. All of that makes this one of the best episodes in the series imo.

It’s ok if yall are still a bit lost regarding what’s exactly going on. We are still a bit early in the show… ;) also these episodes have been too wholesome lol but still the bar is in the floor regarding wholesomeness when it comes to this show.

Avatar movie!

You’re not really missing information. You do talk over it quite often however.

My comments about this episode This episode introduces the Seventh Angel, Israfel, whose name comes from Israfil, an angel in Islamic tradition associated with the Day of Resurrection. Although Israfil is not named directly in the Quran, later traditions identify him as the angel who will blow the trumpet announcing the end of the world and the resurrection of the dead. This connection with sound and resurrection fits an episode centered on music and synchronization. Israfel’s regeneration after being divided may also loosely evoke death and rebirth, although that interpretation is not explicit. However, as I have mentioned in previous comments, this symbolism has no direct relevance to the plot. As with many of Evangelion’s religious references, it mainly contributes to the series’ esoteric atmosphere. The episode also quietly reflects the consequences of Operation Yashima. Tokyo-3’s defensive systems are still only partially operational after the battle with Ramiel, the geometric Angel defeated with the positron rifle, so NERV has to intercept Israfel before it can reach the city rather than relying on Tokyo-3’s usual defensive infrastructure. During the opening report identifying the Angel, the ship Haruna is mentioned. Like many military names in Evangelion, it appears to be borrowed from Japanese naval history. The historical Haruna was originally constructed as a battlecruiser, later rebuilt as a battleship, and served during both World Wars. The name was later reused for the lead ship of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Haruna-class helicopter destroyers, continuing Evangelion’s habit of drawing military terminology from different eras of Japanese naval history. The final fight uses Shirō Sagisu’s original composition “Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win!” and is choreographed around its rhythm. The Japanese title, Shunkan, Kokoro, Kasanete, roughly means “Moment, Hearts Together,” emphasizing synchronization. Another easter egg is Asuka’s reference to the “impenetrable Wall of Jericho,” a biblical allusion to the Book of Joshua. According to the story, the walls of the fortified city of Jericho collapsed after the Israelites marched around them for seven days while priests blew trumpets. I think maybe the imaginary barrier Asuka creates between herself and Shinji also recalls the Hedgehog’s Dilemma introduced in Episode 3, representing the emotional distance people maintain to protect themselves from being hurt?

Avatar movie👀👀

-Suk- is almost universally pronounced as ‘SK’. U is “dropped”. Very funny example - you familiar with Nissan Skyline? One of the old models was dubbed Hakosuka - “hako” for box, and suka for “Sukairain”…. As in Skyline.