Why Evangelion’s Finale is so Difficult to Discuss

Neon Genesis Evangelion’s final episodes are notoriously difficult to discuss. Whether due to the density of the narrative at this point, or the infamously confusing releases following its original airing, many a commentator have found themselves tangled in the weeds of technicality when attempting to crack this series’ conclusion. And the problems all begin with Episode 21.

To avoid boring you with nearly thirty years of convoluted release history which even I can’t pretend to understand, all we need to know going forward is there are two principal versions of Neon Genesis Evangelion: the original air, or OA, and the Director’s Cut, or DC.

Aside from the technical upgrades, like improved audio and redrawn shots, Anno’s Director’s Cut boasts several previously unseen sequences between Episodes 21 and 24. These scenes primarily serve the worldbuilding and plot relevant aspects of the show, aiming to clarify if not outright conclude several narrative and conceptual elements. The Director’s Cut, however, doesn’t just extend the runtime or cleanup the script: it completely transforms the finale of the series into something wholly unique from what came before.

And that’s what we’re looking at today.

Intro

Evangelion is a show constantly reinventing itself. Regardless of how you parse the pacing of the series, be that the popular quartet method, the classic Kishotenketsu structure, or my personal five-act interpretation, it’s clear that Episode 21 is a marked departure from the narrative dynamic we’re used to. Setting us up for the four-episode descent of action that is most of act five, 21’s nosedive in tone and complete annihilation of episodic formula is immediately apparent, and admirably bold.

For the purposes of this retrospective going forward, we’ll be primarily analyzing the Director’s Cut version of these episodes, specifically cross referencing the ADV and VSI adaptations of the show, and we’ll get into the differences between versions later when necessary.

Also, when you see the apostrophes following the episode numerators, that’s how you know we’re watching the Director’s Cut: a quick visual cue cluing us into which version is before us.

With all that preface out of the way, what looms ahead of us now is one of the show’s strangest installments to date. Not because it opens new doors, but because it closes them. In answer to the numerous questions the series has, even recently, brought up, Episode 21 outlines what’s about to come by revealing all that’s occurred. We’ve witnessed the birth and rebirth of Shinji Ikari; now, it’s time to witness the birth of NERV.

Episode 21: The Birth of Nerv

The first and immediately glaring difference in DC Episode 21 is the opening. Instead of the flashy, catchy intro we’re well accustomed to at this point, a cold open timestamp, reminiscent of Episode 1, catapults us fifteen years earlier to Antarctica, the time and place we know from Episode 7 plays home to the apocalyptic Second Impact.

Shots framed as found footage from security cameras around the Antarctic base show nothing of particular note as Gendo and Keel Lorenz discuss the self-righteousness of scientists. Their voice over has no real bearing on the plot, acting as little more than thematic introspection; the real treat is the background dialogue as things begin tumbling downhill.

Looking over the transcript, many elements we’re already familiar with are mentioned almost immediately, including Doctor Katusragi, the Lance of Longinus, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Following the sound of shattering glass, however, and as First Angel Adam begins to awaken, we hear some notable novelties amidst the scientific jargon. For one, Adam’s AT Field is strong enough to dissolve components on a subatomic level, and the scientists are knowledgeable enough to attempt using the Lance to subdue him. Most importantly, though, we’re told a strain of human DNA has physically merged with Adam. While we don’t know who the human donor is, we’re led to believe, and outside sources will eventually confirm, this melding of Human and Angel species eventually becomes Kaworu Nagisa. The Door of Guf is also mentioned, an aspect borrowed from Judaic lore which we’ll talk about later regarding Rei.

Then, a camera seemingly on the base’s surface topples over, and a worried shout declares Adam is moving towards the surface as his massive supernatural hands reach up to drag himself out. And with that, the tape cuts out, a blue screen confirms its confidentiality, and our regularly scheduled opening plays as normal.

Cutting to a failed call to Misato, we see Kaji in the middle of nowhere hanging up a payphone and realizing he’s not likely to survive the day. Several details emphasize the unnaturalness of the situation, like the wide shot, with the payphone shoved so far to the right it breaks normal framing conventions, not to mention the remoteness of the setting. Additionally, the call counter is maxed out at 999, a theoretical limit no machine should ever reach. Ryoji remarks his card is red like blood, another dramatic statement from him driving us to believe the end is near.

We then get our first title, The Birth of NERV, only six shots and sixteen seconds after our opening. Remember, the Antarctic cold open—heh, “cold open”—is a Director’s Cut exclusive, so if you watched this when it aired, the trend of shrinking opening scenes is glaring, this episode determined to be done with formalities and moving forward.

Now, before we get into the episode proper, a little forewarning that Episode 21 plays with its editing and script to intentionally misdirect the audience. Like a spy thriller, several of the setups we witness are eventually subverted in their payoff, a multilayered game of Clue playing out not just across this episode, but up to the series finale, as players try desperately to keep their cards hidden until the endgame.

In that spirit, we see Misato interrogated by NERV’s Intelligence Department, Division 2, while learning of Vice Commander Fuyutsuki’s abduction. The establishing shot, panning from Misato to the agents, uses all the techniques we’ve seen before to convey the power dynamic here: Misato is seated, visually below them, as the pan from left to right sets the agents as a barrier to progress. Pair this with the head-on shot framing the agents flanking Katsuragi, a sort of “closing in,” and the table acting like a spotlight that separates her from the shadows the agents inhabit, and her cooperation is completely understandable as every element works to keep her on the backfoot.

Now, while Division 2 states Kaji is suspected for Fuyutsuki’s kidnapping, and the opening phonebooth shot might lead us to believe he’s on the run or distancing himself, we quickly see the vice Commander has been abducted, ultimately, by SEELE. Now, at first that doesn’t seem questionable: Kaji is a triple agent, SEELE could’ve just had him bring Fuyutsuki to them as part of that ploy, right? Except that SEELE outright concluded last episode that Ryoji is no longer trustworthy, given his inability to keep Gendo from ascending Shinji and Yui. The ruse is up, and Kaji is now forced to play around SEELE’s operations as Fuyutsuki begins his interrogation.

The reveal of the monoliths is startling and a little confusing, until Fuyutsuki recognizes for us that this isn’t the Human Instrumentality Committee, but SEELE itself, no longer posturing, but showing their true faces—ironically enough, by hiding them. The vice Commander’s use of humor and nonchalance to gain advantage of the conversation is admirable, but the camera tells us the truth in how it angles down to show him, from SEELE’s perspective, and up at the monoliths, a contrasting power dynamic exactly like Misato and the intelligence agents. Fuyutsuki, and NERV by extension, are having the noose tightened around them, and the vice Commander loses the power struggle as SEELE member nine addresses him as “professor,” an intentionally derogative title Fuyutsuki chooses to savor as it catapults us into simpler times back in 1999.

Here, sifting through suspiciously normal dialogue, we learn Fuyutsuki used to be a professor of metaphysical biology at Kyoto: that’s literally what the sign says. Meaning, he’s a world-leading expert in, oh I don’t know, transplanting and manipulating human souls and consciousnesses. Explains his expertise with the Eva and Magi systems, hinted at all the way back in Episode 11 [EP 11-2:50]. He gets connected to a student named Ikari, and plot twist that’s Yui’s maiden name, not Gendo’s. Now, even with only seven lines of dialogue, there’s a host of details to pick apart and speculate on, and maybe we will another day; for now, the biggest takeaway is Yui’s own expertise in metaphysical biology, and desire to be a mother.

Back in the—checks notes—nine years ago, SEELE continues interrogating. We get no further timestamps, but the deliberate 2015 title assures us we’ll be jumping strictly between now and the waning millennium—just in case you were confused. SEELE reaffirms their displeasure in Unit-01’s ascension and asks if Gendo can be trusted with control over it; an idea that ~Boom~ puts us back to ninety-nine with the reveal of his previous surname: Rokubungi. We see the fun twist that a young Gendo was quite the rabblerouser in all the ways his son isn’t, and allusions to the idea his recklessness is simply a front for his more calculated and conniving ambitions.

Mostly plot for a few minutes, not much to dissect here: just your classic flashback, with a classic Evangelion sketch-still of Gendo inserted. I will point out Yui’s blue and red collars mirroring the neckband of Shinji’s eventual plugsuit—nice touch, Gainax.

We jump to the year 2000, when Second Impact occurred, and for 2001 all we get is Fuyutsuki’s voice over and the single timecard, intoning that the year following the catastrophe was too horrifying to show on screen. By best year 2002, however, the professor, now disowning his title, is requested to journey to the newly moistened Antarctica. Who requested his attendance? Surprise—it’s Gendo. We learn Gendo returned to Japan from the Katsuragi expedition a day before the apocalypse, which is either really good timing, or guided by the Dead Sea Scrolls, which he probably has access to through Yui and SEELE at this point. Speaking of, he hands Fuyutsuki the wedding announcement card, a blue-haired angel embossed upon it. And if you think it looks like Rei, you’re not alone: a cute little visual hint that she’s not entirely human, given her casting as an angel and clutching of an S2 Drive-looking heart.

On the staircase immediately after, the shot composition deliberately puts Gendo under Fuyutsuki; unlike other height differences we’ve seen this episode, however, Gendo, despite looking up, is clearly in control of the conversation, and, by extension, the direction that SEELE and soon-to-be Gehirn are taking. Gendo is purposefully putting himself down to keep his true motivations and threats a secret, which causes me to wonder if his identity as a drunken brawler wasn’t a façade from the start. We see throughout the series that Gendo keeping himself off the top of the pyramid is the only way he truly holds onto power, a tried-and-true strategy for him.

The cuts of Misato to the far of frame left emphasize her inability to move out of the past, trapping her on the side of non-progression as her memories take her back to 2002. It’s the position Shinji was in when she confronted him in Episode 4—now, she’s the one choosing between fear or advancement.

More flashback exposition, some shots of young Gendo and Lorenz, and this shot of terrain scanned data showing Adam’s Antarctic Geofront, codenamed White Moon. Oh yeah, you Eva lore junkies are going nuts over that, I’m sure. Anyway, then Fuyutsuki, despite his admiration for Yui, bypasses her to get straight to Gendo, confronting him about what really happened in Antarctica.

Here, our suspicions of Gendo’s timely escape from demise are confirmed as planned, and his efforts in aiding SEELE are unmasked as Fuyutski pulls evidence from his briefcase, even though, if I were him, I’d personally keep my documents safe in the Eva Unit-01 crossbody bag from today’s return sponsor, FX Creations. The numerous sealed compartments are perfect for protecting sensitive information and electronics, as the super lightweight, water repellant material can easily house a thirteen-inch monitor or tablet, and I even fit my gargantuan Lenovo Legion with no hassle. If there is hassle, though, you can use their robust Eva-themed phone straps for extra control, or to keep your cell within reach. They offer a variety of color themes for each Evangelion: the Unit-01 phone strap in particular sporting the iconic lime-lavender dynamic complete with all the NERV-inspired insignia you could hope for. I’ve seen y’all enjoying these at conventions, don’t lie to me—I know you want one.

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Now then, where were we? Ah that’s right: extortion.

Instead of getting rid of Fuyutski, though, Gendo decides to bring him into the fold, revealing the Geofront, Naoko, and the prototype Evangelion. Fans of classic sci-fi, unlike myself, might recognize this whole sequence bearing similarity to the 70’s British TV show UFO, which is completely intentional; in fact, character designer Sadamoto even confirmed Gendo and Fuyutsuki’s designs are based on Ed Straker and Alec Freeman. And in yet more references, the blinding backlight framing Gendo and Naoko in so-called “truth” is another homage to Ultraman director Jissoji.

We hit halfway and get our second title, “He was aware he was still a child,” which can be dually applied to Shinji, acknowledging his powerlessness in his ignorance, and NERV itself, an organization steadily realizing what they’re trifling with is beyond them. And see? There’s that Director’s Cut apostrophe I was telling you about.

More time shenanigans, and this time we’re in 2005, finally getting Ritsuko and Misato’s backstory, as told through narrated letters between the Akagis. We see Ritsuko smoking for the first time in the series and meet Kaji. Here, the show uses more of that sketch aesthetic, used almost exclusively to frame nostalgia and the past, in the same way a sketch itself is a past form of what a frame or image ultimately becomes.

Step back to 2003, Fuyutsuki and Yui are at the waterfront discussing their individual positions. Taking note of the location, we finally have our answer as to where Shinji recalled his mother’s photo, and the tree they sat under during the introspective of Episode 16. Shinji remembers this occasion as a happy one, and for good reason—although Fuyutsuki begins this discussion by recognizing he’s likely to, shall we say, get kicked from life if he reveals Gendo and SEELE’s plans, Yui reveals she has her own plans in place to reestablish world peace and undermine SEELE’s machinations, and she’s willing to bring the professor in on them. More specifically, Yui says she joined SEELE specifically for Shinji’s sake, and since we know she’s wanted to be a mother for years now, it’s not difficult to deduce she’s been playing her organization for the sake of her child for years now. The only reason she’s in the position she is, is because she’s aiming to bend SEELE to her own will—something she continues even after absorption into the Evangelion. This is punctuated with Fuyutsuki’s head turn, him realizing our boy hero is the reason Yui is dedicating every ounce of herself to this cause.

The cause, of course, which we immediately see take her life. We see Shinji waving to his mother as she speaks her last words, her fate, like the world’s, too horrifying to show the audience as we cut to her grave—which we know is empty.

The establishing shot in Gendo’s office is bathed in orange, a twist from the blue of before, and a step towards the garish and unnatural magenta we know it’ll become. The construction sign is a barrier between Gendo and Fuyutsuki, a stand-in for Yui’s death as the object separating them. Gendo, going forward, assumes his usual steepled hands and glasses, both masks to keep him distant from the world.

But wait, I hear you saying—Gendo looked the same during Yui’s test, why appear closed off then when we’ve only seen him smug and in control up to this point? Well, there’s some evidence to suggest Yui’s contact experiment wasn’t the first—Kyoko’s was. If you don’t know that name, you will: it’s Asuka’s mother. If Kyoko Soryu was the first, and her resulting madness is well known, it makes sense why both Gendo and Fuyutsuki are so apprehensive. And, unfortunately, things went far worse than they possibly feared.

Which is why Gendo proposes the Human Instrumentality Project to SEELE as an organized means to their ends, and a way to reunite with Yui. The weight of pulling this project off is, of course, shown in the brilliantly iconic cross shot. An impossible shadow falling against the wall, as the camera zooms out, we see Gendo metaphorically bearing the burden of the world as he speaks about Instrumentality, the event that will pile humanity’s souls upon him in much the same way as Christ bore the sins of the world upon the cross.

In 2008, Ritsuko joins Gehirn and gets lost in Central Dogma—the very thing she’ll later badger Misato about in Episode 1. Having her ID verified, she’s able to—whoa! That’s awkward. This episode is just a rollercoaster of relationship dynamics.

Let’s skip to 2010 and Rei Ayanami, presumably Rei-I, who Naoko immediately recognizes as Yui, another sketch card to punch that revelation home. When she appears again, the types of shots used to frame the situation are reminiscent of horror film cinematography. Naoko looks over her shoulder, chair head drawing focus to her eyes, as she looks over to Rei. The next shot is from her perspective, the child far off, unnaturally still, and blocking the only way out, like a monster of yore. As their conversation intensifies, the shots close in, the background noticeably darkens, and Rei’s eyes narrow as she reveals the insulting title of “old hag” came from Gendo himself. The color scheme goes awol at this point, Naoko’s whole world thrown off kilter as she sees Yui in Rei’s place.

We see their kiss from Gendo’s perspective, feeling himself choking, the audience drawn closer, until the third shot supplants Gendo’s throat with Rei’s—Akagi’s hands around her throat. Naoko, in one action, aims to kill Rei, Yui, and Gendo all in one go, herself unable to accept a position of inferiority. As a scientist and a woman, she believes herself superior to Yui and Gendo; she might even be correct in those feelings. But once she realizes she’s killed a child, her identity as a mother is unable to accept what she’s just done.

Naoko kills herself at the foot of her own creation. Specifically, she dies atop second Magus Balthasar, the mother aspect, in penance for killing a child. I’ll point out the original script for this episode reportedly had Naoko die atop Caspar, the Magus containing her identity as a woman, the part of her that here rejected Yui and therefore strangled Rei—also the Magus that Ritsuko accesses in Episode 13 to destroy Iruel. Meaning the daughter would have utilized the aspect of her mother most capable of violence to annihilate the Angel the same way it annihilated Rei. In deciding instead to have Naoko die on the altar of motherhood with Balthasar, however, Gainax keeps more closely to the themes of maternity, turning Naoko’s self-sacrifice into a final plea for forgiveness instead of a tragic succumbing to her own humanity.

Back to 2015, and with a flash of Kaji’s crimson card, now representing mortality, we’re reminded of where we started and his forthcoming demise. As the door opens to Fuyutsuki, Kaji declares “it’s been a while;” if not sarcastic, his statement means Kaji did not in fact kidnap the vice commander earlier that day, and therefore Division 2 is hunting down or pretending to hunt down the wrong person. Division 2 might’ve kidnapped Fuyutsuki themselves, as the moment he’s freed, an intelligence agent returns Misato’s belongings and allows her to leave, saying “the issue has been resolved,” although the agent hastily says he knows nothing of Kaji’s condition.

By the setting sun, Kaji looks to camera and utters his final words. Followed by a gunshot.

A flickering streetlight reminds us of Episode 15, the walk home Misato and Kaji took, and the kiss they shared, during their most intimate moment. At home, Misato arrives as Shinji, for the first time since Episode 15, listens to his SDAT. It’s playing track 26.

The camera works its way forward, the constant cutting between Shinji and Misato implying, in my reading, that Shinji’s already heard Kaji’s final message. It’s why he’s buried in his SDAT. As Misato hears her lover’s final words, the conclusion of their relationship is played out through her reactions: fear confirmed and made into annoyance, annoyance to understanding, and understanding smoothed over into hope. He tells her not to look back as their university photo reminds us how far they’ve come. And then…he’s gone.

Shinji removes himself from his own mind, goes to connect with her, and turns back. He runs away, acknowledging his own ineptitude in handling the situation. He’s just a child, and he goes back to listening to track 26.

If we choose to equate the SDAT tracks to the show’s episodes, then track 26 is the end of the playlist. Yet another warning that the end is near.

Now, despite Episode 21’s status as a lore dump designed to sure up gaps, following its airing, a number of questions were left unanswered. None, however, garnered as much attention as trying to figure out who killed Kaji. We’re never given an answer, and to be clear, we never need one. Regardless of whether it was Division 2, or a SEELE operative, or Gendo Ikari himself, Ryoji meets death with confidence and peace. Understandable, given the most likely alternative was interrogation by SEELE to figure out if he really did smuggle the Adam embryo to Ikari.

The question of Kaji’s killer was intentionally left up to audience speculation by Gainax…what they did not intend, however, was for a not insignificant portion of the early fanbase to theorize that Kaji’s killer was Misato. Now in hindsight, and by watching the Director’s Cut, this seems dumb—like, really dumb—but if we take a closer look at precisely how the ending sequence of the episode is edited, it’s not difficult to see how so many leapt to this conclusion.

Firstly, we’ve got to know what the Original Airing actually showed: Kaji freeing Fuyutsuki, and us then seeing Misato released by Division 2. Specifically, Misato holsters her firearm while asking about Kaji’s condition. When the intelligence agent says Kaji’s condition is unknown, many thought the close up of Katsuragi’s neutral expression was her realizing she’d have to take care of him herself. Pair this with the original ADV English dub which mistranslated Misato’s line to “where is he,” as if she’s hunting him, when the correct translation is more akin to “how is he?” Kaji, of course, then greets his killer without surprise, as if knowing the person themselves, not the death they’re about to gift him. The real smoking barrel, however—pardon the pun—is that immediately after Kaji’s final words, when the audience is asking “whodunit?”, the Original Air cuts to the apartment door, emblazoned with the name Katsuragi. Cue the rest of the episode playing out as normal, Misato breaking down over the revelation that her lover is now and truly gone.

If editing is the art of implication, it’s not hard to understand why so many back in the nineties came to this conclusion. In an episode already fraught with subversive information, this little sequence led to viewers deducing an outcome Gainax never even thought of. To dispel this notion, Anno made sure in the Director’s Cut to insert three different shots between Kaji’s death and Misato’s arrival home and removed the shot of her placard entirely.

Now, while Anno himself has never verbally confirmed that Misato is not the killer, an official statement in a film-book did say no main character offed Ryoji, so you know, not her. Or Gendo, actually.

Consequently, all we’re left with is their tragedy, Misato having lost her lover, and Shinji unable to comfort her. Even the final credits pay their respects, the first 25 seconds of text played over darkness before our usual sequence fades in.

Episode 21 of Evangelion is departure of formula for a show already cutting against the grain of its medium. It is a dense, irregular look at all that came before, while heralding the end that’s soon to come. It is a demonstration of consequence and example of sacrifice, a warning to others that some secrets come to light only at someone’s expense. And that’s a pattern we’ll see repeated as we venture into the maelstrom that is Evangelion’s notoriously difficult finale.

Outro

Hey! How are y’all doing? Hope you’re well, genuinely. And I hope you enjoyed this continued retrospective. Thank you all so much for seeing it through to this point. If this is your first time joining me on this crazy journey through anime mayhem, feel free to check out our other videos breaking down the edit of Evangelion. And if you’ve been a longtime fan like I know many of you are, sound off in the comments.

A very special thank you to return sponsor FX Creations. They’ve been an absolute blessing to the channel, and I seriously recommend checking out their awesome apparel in the description. I can certainly vouch for it, and if you do grab something for yourself, don’t forget that code, TIMBERWOLF, to save yourself 5% and help support the studio.

We are officially knee deep in the densest and most controversial part of Evangelion, and there are so many different things I could talk about, and am trying to stay away from, honestly. Doing my best to focus strictly on the technical aspects of the series, with some neat plot details sprinkled in. There are so many things narratively that I never noticed before, though, and I’m almost tempted to do like a whole “guide to Evangelion’s story,” kind of video; let me know if you’re interested in that following the retrospective.

In the meantime, thank you all again for the incredible support and feedback on this project. I am constantly in awe of you guys and gals and your continued encouragement. It helps keep me going.

Well then, I’ve been Jir0, y’all have been amazing, and I’ll see you all on the bright side.

God Bless.