Below is the original script for my video discussing Neon Genesis Evangelion’s editing and presentation throughout the second half of its second act, titled “Understanding Asuka In Evangelion’s Second Act,” at the time of recording. This was a sequel to my previous video on the subject, “Understanding Rei (And Misato) In Evangelion’s Second Act“

Understanding Asuka in Evangelion’s Second Act

[Sits with a cup of coffee. Empties a bottle of Beck’s and can of Yebisu into it. Takes a sip]

Yeah, today we’re talking about Asuka.

[Intro]

In our previous video, we took a look at the first half of Evangelion’s second act, and all the intricacies and motifs included. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to introduce everyone’s favorite middle child and how she shakes everything up, and to be honest she deserves a video all to herself. The first half of the act focuses on Rei, but now that we’re familiar with her, we see her direct contrast in Asuka. The two were intentionally designed to be complete opposites in every way, and Shinji having gotten used to one enables him to be utterly blindsided by the other. Throw all three together, plus Misato and Kaji, and we get quite the dynamic.

So without further ado, idiots, let’s get into it.

Episode 8: Asuka Strikes!: Asuka’s Arrival in Japan

The importance of Asuka’s inclusion in Evangelion’s narrative really can’t be overstated. The redheaded firecracker who redefined the show needs no introduction, and the ever-charming Ryoji Kaji who accompanies her shakes things up in his own way. These second three episodes of Act II—eight, nine, and ten—alter the foundations of the thematic narrative in an unprecedented way. It’s basically the Empire Strikes Back of Evangelion.

Much like Episode 7, 8 opens with Gendo on the phone with Kaji about his current mission, indicating we might finally meet this mystery man.

The handful of shots we get as Misato and the boys descend upon the fleet are creative and energetic; I especially love this shot of them through the windshield with the copter blades causing a sky flicker—great way to add activity to an otherwise static shot. Asuka’s introductory shots are iconic and brilliant, and the triple slap punctuating the title card literally called Asuka Strikes is just…I have nothing to say, it’s fantastic all the way around.

(Yes, I know “Asuka Strikes” is technically the second title card, but give me this wordplay, please.)

Also, in the frames following Asuka’s name-calling of Shinji, his expression becomes irritated. It’s quick, but those few frames more than anything at this point show Shinji’s growth: he’s not afraid to stand up to opposing forces anymore, not even afraid to let it show on his face that “hey, I have a problem with you,” instead of just shying away.

Our characters get acquainted, and we see Misato’s ID card as she’s on the bridge, with all her personal information scrubbed because honestly who needs to—hold up she’s twenty-nine?!

…

Moving on.

You guys and gals realize the emergency plug Misato brought was probably ordered by Gendo because he knows having Adam onboard could lead to an Angel attack?

Speaking of which, the episode does a great job—as always—of establishing space: the Eva is behind them, the plug is on their deck, and the overhead shots earlier give us a sense of the distance and how much sea each ship is covering. Cheeky little teaser of the Angel waking up, and while there’s all this space out there, our cast gets cramped in the elevator in another frame in frame shot. Also please note everyone’s expression—Aida’s enthusiasm behind the camera I can relate to—and Shinji, ever in the role of the surrogate son, is squished against Misato’s chest. Not the first time either, mind you. Which makes it all the funnier that the touching defense comes from Ryoji and Toji, not Shinji.

Apparently Kaji figured it was okay to play footsies after that, and while he’s complimenting Shinji, the camera zooms in on Asuka, indicating she’s the one we should be paying attention to. Shinji is getting the praise, but Asuka is the one most affected.

Shocker.

All right, now things get interesting. Asuka shows Shinji Unit-02, and he specifically comments on its color, red. Asuka’s plug suit matches, as does her hair, her interface headsets, her shoes—pretty much everything. Previously we’ve talked about red as the color of pain, and at first that seems contradictory to the art direction of Asuka’s character; but pain isn’t always negative. We’ve established how the Angels as divine messengers prompt maturity by way of pain, pushing Shinji and others to better themselves through struggle. So Asuka, as the fully red character she is, could represent the ultimate obstacle Shinji has to overcome. Throughout the rest of the series, she’s arguably his biggest challenge, being the love interest to a boy who doesn’t understand love. In a manner of speaking, as the challenge that greatest develops him, she’s his personal Angel.

What’s more, the upper neck band of all plug suits sport a color, Asuka’s being blue, and Shinji’s being red. Visually, the two suits mirror each other, the color of one around the neck of the other. The female plug suits also sport a band of color on the upper chest, and Asuka’s is green, the color we’ve associated with connection. So her entire uniform is the color of pain, except for the section closest to her heart. Interpret that how you will.

Color theory is an incredible rabbit hole, in Evangelion especially, but since we’re already on the topic I’ll also mention that in traditional Japanese, the color red, called Aka, represents protection, strength, peace, power, and the sun. That’s right, while Rei is clearly connected to the moon, many comparisons can be drawn between Asuka and the sun—like her iconic intro shot, other scenes we’ll cover later, even the yellow sundress she sports throughout the episode. In ancient Japanese, Aka also meant light, which is why the sun on the Japanese flag is, you know, red. The Japanese believed red warded off evil spirits (insert Angel shot here), and strengthened good natured spirits, in the same way Asuka’s presence, irritable as it can be to others, is nonetheless a boon of courage and empowerment.

Visually, as well, Asuka is framed as insurmountable, always above everyone else. Whether that’s her first shot, her beckoning Shinji from atop the escalator, or standing on the shoulders of a giant to leer down at him while she flaunts her superiority. And here the destination of an open sea finally makes sense to me. In the great expanse of flat nothingness, what else is there to focus on but the girl who rises to demand your full attention.

Back to the action, the Angel Gaghiel, who I will refer to as Greg from now on, is circling the fleet, moving to the right. Now you might imagine this goes against the “left good, right bad” lateral direction we see in film—and you’re right.

Also Asuka’s famous “my chance” line has her turning to the left, reenforcing not only how her intentions are not for the best, but how she’s about to become the instigating force in this encounter.

Chaos ensues, Greg blows up some ships, Misato says he seems to be looking for something. What could that possibly be? Oh, oh you’re just going…probably that thing, huh? Say what you want about cuts of implication, it’s effective, and Evangelion knows it.

Unit-02 activates, and even in their first sortie together, Shinji and Asuka have some great moments of teamwork. Not just in the conclusion, but with Shinji keeping her spatially aware while Asuka deals with technicalities like plugging in. And for all of Misato’s bellyaching, when Kaji emerges during the battle, she’s genuinely happy to see him—thrilled, even…! Until, you know, he…leaves.

I have nothing more to say about the rest of the battle. It’s tense, it’s fun, the Second and Third Children have a fantastic moment when they both sync to win: it’s great. Love how as they’re offboarding, Suzuhara is still focused on Asuka, weary of her (and she’s not even looking at him) until he sees Shinji.

Aida: “Oh that rubs me the wrong way!”

Me too, Aida.

Cue cryptic cutscene, comedic sendoff scene, and Asuka’s theme comes in full force with that southern twang that reenforces everything: she is a wild cowgirl, and she will not be tamed.

All right, so, I wanna take a closer look at the plot threads this episode, because the main plot with Asuka and the subplot with Adam is offset, the subplot introduced earlier—and hinted at way beforehand in the previous episode—and wrapped up earlier as well, allowing us as viewers to put the matter to rest in our minds and fully focus on Asuka’s plot, which concludes in this final scene. Thing is, this scene doesn’t belong in this episode, as it’s technically the beginning of her next arc, her second introduction in Japan, which we’ll see fully fleshed out in Episode 9. This final scene isn’t an ending, it’s the start of the next episode, a tease and a hook to make sure we tune in next week to see all the shenanigans our cast gets into.

Even the end credits are altered, tinted red to insinuate how much of a change—and how much pain—Asuka is about to bring.

It’s gonna be quite a dance.

Episode 9: Both of You, Dance like you want to Win!: Moment and Heart Together

Episode 9 is a personal favorite of mine, and one of the few episodes whose Japanese title I think clearly surpasses the English: Moment and Heart Together outlines not only the dynamic of the external conflict present with Israfel, but the bond Asuka and Shinji form as they begin to overcome their differences.

The opening is a sequence of still shots framed as photographs of Asuka. Not only does this majorly preserve budget and manhours for Gainax, but doubles as exposition on Asuka’s arrival and the stir she causes among the student body. Three separate groups emerge, one at a time: the male students fawning over her as heard in voice over, the female students who loathe her attention-grabbing nature, as shown in this one reaction shot, and our boys’ trio, caught somewhere in between, with respect for her piloting abilities but knowledge of her unpleasant demeanor. The scene is a much needed second introduction, as Asuka’s first appearance on the high seas, an empty expanse for her to shine in, focused solely on her character and impressions of our established cast—very similar to what Act I was for Shinji. Episode 8 is Asuka alone, and Episode 9 is Asuka and Others, showcasing how the landscape we’ve known for the previous eight episodes is shifting in her wake.

Of course, Asuka’s response to her new environment is made clear in the first animated shot, where she stomps on the love letters of every foolish sap. But hey! At least Aida and Suzuhara are making bank on her—wait is Toji actually wearing his uniform?! Oh my gosh, everything is upside down! Especially the negatives he’s holding up, which are all the previous shots.

I really can’t say enough about the following sequence, where Asuka displays her playful if not overbearingly aggressive affection and meets Rei.

The encounter we were all anticipating goes the only way it can, with immovable object Rei halting unstoppable force Asuka in her tracks. Asuka knows she can manipulate just about anyone, even adults like Misato, and she revels in disrupting the scenery of Japan with her very presence because she wants to feel wanted. Rei is the first and really only character who doesn’t so much as bat an eye at her, and this firmly establishes the dynamic of our piloting trio. Shinji affects Rei, Asuka affects Shinji, and Rei affects Asuka, a development cycle continually feeding into itself to produce change.

Also the framing here is just superb. Asuka is above Rei (like always), but not in front of her, like she was with Shinji. If she was, the framing would tell us these two are competitors, Asuka the dominant force Rei must overcome. Instead, the framing suggests Asuka isn’t even an obstacle for Rei to contemplate. She stands out, or up, but is otherwise indistinguishable from the misunderstanding crowds Rei is already surrounded by. Also, note Shinji’s absence, indicating Rei doesn’t lump him in with everyone else: he stands out in her mind.

Toji: “I’m starting to think only weirdos get chosen to be Eva pilots.”

Careful what you say, Toji.

This happens (Kaji and Ritsuko), outlining the adult trio as a foil to our Childrens: Kaji is Shinji, or what Shinji could be; Misato is Asuka, the abrasive romantic interest; and Ritsuko is Rei (another parallel between the two), the other love interest who’s more closed off but also more understanding.

Angel shows up! We get our first proper title, and get right into—oh my gosh, again with the autopsy?! Funny foreshadowing though, as Israfel is almost certain to end up the same way.

Prepping for battle, Shinji appears extremely small in Asuka’s HUD, allowing for this visual gag with her as the “bigger pilot” calling the shots. This is a consistent element throughout the series, although not exclusive to Asuka.

You know the rest: Asuka gets too eager, mission goes south, Misato throws an understandable hissy fit and we get…honestly a really weird cut using a film burn? I don’t know if that was intentional or not to visualize the situation going up in flames, but it happened. Shinji and Asuka contend in the post-op briefing, Misato cleans up, and Ritsuko delivers Ryoji’s combat plan, which earns a smile from Katsuragi. This is the second time we see Misato empathetic towards Kaji, inferring she doesn’t hate him as much as she pretends to. Again, like another female love interest I know (Asuka). The reaction shot after this also says something, though, as Ritsuko’s soft expression hints at…you know what, I’ll let you interpret it how you will.

This shot with Shinji to the left and the DHL truck on the right is kinda hilarious to me, as Shinji on the left and the truck on the right suggests the moving truck is an enemy he has to face. Which isn’t incorrect! Movie moving trucks, delivering conflict since nineteen-whatever.

Did some quick German translating, just for you guys and gals, and almost every box is labeled with kleid, which means dresses; zerbrechlich means fragile; S.A.L. are Asuka’s initials in military or Japanese arrangement: Soryu, Asuka Langley; nicht sturzen means don’t fall; haushaltswaren, means household goods, obviously; buch means book or books; and vorsicht means caution—or should I say cauntion? Huh? Huh?!

Evangelion jokes, delivered by yours truly since two-thousand-whatever.

Misato introduces the attack plan, and those who watched the Netflix English dub probably missed the reference in Asuka’s original comeback:

(Netflix) Asuka: “Unrelated boys and girls of a certain age shouldn’t sleep together!”

As opposed to:

(OA) Asuka: “Unrelated boys and girls shouldn’t sleep together after the age of seven!”

This, of course, is a reference to a Confucian proverb, that being a boy and girl shouldn’t sit on the same mat after the age of seven, since sitting together on a straw mat in ancient China was reserved only for husbands and wives, implying that Asuka is rejecting any situation which could cause her or Shinji to fall for the other person romantically and guys I’m gonna be honest I’m just reading from the Wikipedia, I had no idea this was a reference to anything.

The more you know.

Second title—that’s a weird elevator—and Aida and Suzuhara meet up with class rep Hikari to pay a visit to Misato, and Suzuhara still isn’t wearing his usual jacket. Oh wait, yes he is! Oh I guess he took it off again.

Speaking of clothing—holy mother of Shinji what in the world. You two pilot futuristic robots to fight supernatural entities and you dress like this in your downtime?

You know how you can tell this is an anime from the nineties? Not because they use landlines and payphones, or are missing the internet; but because of outfits like this (Misato’s Act I command outfit), and this (Asuka’s apartment outfit), and that (Ritsuko’s dress), and especially this (Shinji and Asuka’s outfits)—you know what, actually, those don’t look too bad; I wouldn’t mind wearing that myself.

Misato shows up with Rei, and now that the whole gang’s here, I guess it’s time to party. Asuka gets her hubris checked when Rei demonstrates her compatibility with Shinji, signaling not only how the two of them have a closer relationship at this point, but this lively reaction shot of Asuka shows her struggling with the realization she’s not all that and a can of Yebisu.

When Shinji goes after her, the following four shots over 25 seconds are some of my favorites in the show. Shinji approaches her from the left, inferring his good nature, and Asuka finally addresses someone while she’s below them. Wide shot gives us spatial context. Shinji goes down to Asuka’s level to understand her, only to find she’s already wrestled with herself and overcome her pride for his sake and the sake of the mission. She believes all she has left is piloting the Eva—just like Rei, the girl she hates, and Shinji himself. All three pilots are reflections of each other in the same way Shinji is reflected in Asuka’s door. Asuka stands, ascending to the role she knows she must accept, and she’s framed facing the right from the left, arriving at a good-natured decision. Consider that if the camera was anywhere else as Asuka stood, we’d lose Shinji’s reaction shot, her expression, or the sense that they’re finally working as a team.

I mean compare this to a similar “at the vending machines in the mall while coming to an agreement” scene from Chainsaw Man, where even when they reach their agreement, Denji and Power are facing each other, not the same direction, implying there’s still a combativeness or competition between the two—am I reading too much into this? Probably.

The second half of the scene with Asuka and Shinji on the bench is wonderful: yes, Asuka is still above Shinji, refusing to sit at his level, but her pride is setting like the sun she aligns with. Shinji sees her normal, headstrong attitude about proving herself to Misato as inspiring and reassuring, and his elusive smile here means maybe he’s falling for her? Huh? Hmm?

With all that set up, we get this amazing montage where—they both have personalized mugs, are you kidding me? Anyway, they’re listening to the music track in their sleep, on the mats, and they’re finally in sync.

The night before the operation, Asuka moves her bed to another room and imposes a wall of Jericho, saying Shinji shouldn’t cross her. This is a twofold reference. First, to the film It Happened One Night where basically this same situation occurs between two characters: they need to share a bed and they use a blanket, dubbed the wall of Jericho, to separate the two. Despite the wall, they begin falling in love. And the more obvious reference is the namesake wall of Jericho from the Bible, which was prophesied to fall by an angel despite being reportedly infallible. In essence, by imposing not a wall of Asuka but a wall of Jericho, Asuka is daring Shinji to take the wall down, to approach her in some way: a hint that she’s falling for him? Huh? Hmm?

Of course, like most hints given to an adolescent…given to any guy, this is lost on Shinji, and he just goes to bed. You know what follows: Asuka “accidentally” ends up next to Shinji, and his SDAT, a signifier for his state of mind, begins burning through the tape at a million miles an hour, just like his brain at the sight of her. Her vulnerability disarms him, paralyzes him, leaves him open to make a choice: embrace her, which he obviously wants to, because yes, he has fallen for her, or—

Asuka: “Mommy…”

Like a child uttering her first word, Asuka’s errant murmur snaps Shinji back to reality. We snap back with him, the deafening click of his player disrupting all thoughts as it reaches the top of the track, inferring Shinji’s above Asuka in this instance as he takes the high road and cedes his bed to her.

He’s unwilling to take advantage of a girl’s vulnerability…unlike Kaji who just—!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, I…don’t think I can show that on YouTube. Who am I kidding, of course I can. It’s not lost on me the irony of the papers Kaji hands to Misato reading “For your eyes only,” implying the secretive nature of their relationship and how it allows Kaji to later slip information to her. More to the point, NERV has their own post office? And a second cafeteria? There’s more here to dissect than I thought.

The Angel is back, Evas are launching, and what more do I need say about this sequence other than it’s incredible? Sixty-two seconds of combat playing out in real time over a second montage, the only sound the music Asuka and Shinji listen to while obliterating the hostile and their disdain for each other? Superb.

Okay maybe not all their disdain.

Red tinted credits to again mark Asuka’s arrival this episode, the closing to the arc we saw introduced last episode, and the stage has been set for one heck of a third act.

Not before we spend just one more mission with Asuka and Shinji, though.

Episode 10: Magmadiver!

Yeah so this is kind of a one-off episode, similar to episode 7. I consider this the conclusion to Asuka’s introductory arc, the third of the three-parter, the last hoo- before the -rah.

We learn that Kaji and Misato’s generation were most affected by the second impact, which sets us up for more like discussion in Episode 12. Same thing with Misato’s sternum scar. The trio’s school trip is cancelled for them, which sucks, but at least we have BOA. Yeah apparently the television station didn’t want to keep giving Yebisu, the very real beer company, free publicity, so as the show became more popular, Misato conveniently found a new favorite beer brand.

The swimming pool scene is interesting, not just because flirting, or Ayanami’s supple calves, or because someone forgot to erase this ink splatter on Rei’s cell where she’s drifting to the top of frame; but this establishing shot with Rei underwater framed against the ceiling light is another callback to her framed against the moon. Coupled with her towel shot, it’s reminiscent of Episode 6, just before Unit-00 got absolutely blasted. Good news is now Unit-00 is now online, as it later stays in Tokyo-03 on standby during the mission.

The other weird thing is this following shot with Shinji to the left of the pool. Yes, it’s a recurring framing choice to have Shinji to the left, but having the pool on the right infers it’s an obstacle or inconvenience somehow. If you felt the same way, apparently that’s intentional, as Shinji can’t swim. One of many reasons why he didn’t advance with Asuka into the ocean last episode, and why he doesn’t readily volunteer to go diving here. Asuka, on the other hand, loves swimming, which is why every one of these three episodes she stars in features water or its equivalent in some prominent way. Her introduction on the ocean; her first Tokyo sortie on the bay; and this upcoming mission, a dive into magma. Each following hazard gets smaller, though, implying a closing gap between the area she thrives in, and the place Shinji is willing to follow.

Asuka, of course, insists on operating the mission firstly because she genuinely enjoys diving and she wants to show off, as made clear by her giant step entry, and because there are men to impress. When faced with Rei taking over, Asuka doubles down on her resolve to compete with “the First,” ensuring she remains in the most desirous and respectful position.

Of course, when Kaji is absent, Asuka fears he won’t notice her heroinism, just like Shinji’s fear of Gendo failing to recognize him. I think you know the rest: plot, tension, success, failure, thermal expansion! Classic setup and payoff with that last one, and as Asuka is about to sink into the fiery depths of the mission her pride drove her to accept, Shinji dives in. Ignoring his fear and his Eva’s obvious lack of protective gear, he doesn’t hesitate to rescue Asuka. And she recognizes that.

Whereas Rei is more receptive to words, Asuka requires action, and Shinji’s learned to speak her language. The end of this episode, at the hot springs, is an obvious callback to the mission itself and provides a gag or two as a positive sendoff.

Shinji and Asuka’s relationship to Evangelion’s story is antithetical to conventional storytelling, in many ways. By all accounts, Asuka should be our main character. Her energy and liveliness, the clear outline of a specific goal—to be the best Evangelion pilot—sets her as the archetypal anime protagonist. She’s aiming to be the best there ever was and demands attention while doing so. In any other series, we’d fixate on her, not Shinji. The choice to focus on Shinji Ikari, even after Asuka’s introduction, tells us everything we need to know regarding the intended message of the story: Evangelion isn’t about people becoming superhumans, it’s about humans becoming people. Shinji’s passivity, his eagerness to be nothing to everyone, is designed to separate him from human contact, because his introduction to human contact—his family—was deeply flawed. He’s the reluctant king, the chosen one who refuses the call, because he’s too selfish to step into his role as a provider and protector to those around him. Asuka comes along as the complete opposite, the epitome of courage Shinji ought to strive to be, but her role as the toxic heroine is the perfect foil for Shinji to realize what aspects of her personality he needs to adopt, and which he needs to avoid. Prior to Episode 8, Asuka’s character was Shinji’s destination: the overconfident pilot with a hero complex. Now that he has that example in his life, though, he’s able to reevaluate how he’s going to reform himself. In that way, Evangelion is a character study of a boy doing a character study. The difference between Shinji studying Asuka and us studying Shinji is minimal—maybe even nonexistent.

Every major player is now on the board. The relationships have been established, the stage set, and what follows is the heart and soul of the series: evolution at its finest.

But that’s an analysis for another day.

Thank you so much for watching! I hope you all enjoyed, and that I was able to reveal something new to you guys and gals. I appreciate everyone’s patience in getting this video out; I know you’ve all been excited for Asuka, and I hope this lived up to the hype.

I’m starting my new day job soon, so future content will be released at a slower pace, but rest assured these essays continue to be a huge priority for me in my creative endeavors. If you want to lend a helping hand and ensure the content continues to flow, you can of course become a channel member and see new videos early, but in the meantime your viewership and support is more than enough. Seriously, thank you for all the kind feedback, the Etsy orders, and the well wishes—it’s meant the world.

I’m excited for what the future holds in store.

Until then, I’ve been Jir0, you’ve been amazing, and I wish you all only the best.

God bless you.