16. “He Was Aware That He Was Still a Child.” (Episode 21)
“He Was Aware That He Was Still a Child” starts with Nerv’s Vice Commander, Kozo Fuyutsuki being interrogated by the mysterious organization known as Seele. Through his testimony, a young man by the name Gendo Rokubungi is introduced. Gendo is an ambitious man who marries a fellow student by the name of Yui Ikari, one whose family has political ties. Then, the Second Impact occurs. On September 13th, 2000, a massive explosion occurred in Antarctica, melting the polar ice cap and altering Earth’s axis, thereby triggering the events that would ultimately lead to the creation of Nerv.
There are a ton of plot reveals here, almost too much in the allotted time. If there were a little room for this information to breathe, the episode would be a lot more effective. That being said, it is a fascinating look into the lives of the many supporting characters in the series pre-Nerv, including the motivations of Gendo Ikari and why he so is cold and uncaring. It’s a look back at where the events of the story came from before the series goes tumbling towards the finale.
15. “Rei I” (Episode 5)
Shinji learns more about the 14-year-old Rei, pilot of EVA Unit 00. Rei is a quiet, almost emotionless girl. She doesn’t have much joy in her life outside of her interactions with Gendo, who has her respect and admiration. We are shown a flashback where Gendo rescues Rei from a failed EVA test, and it makes us believe this was the beginning of those feelings. Her problems piloting EVA Unit 00 continue because her mental state is unstable, and the team at Nerv cannot understand the specifics. This leaves Shinji to face the Fifth Angel, Ramiel. Ramiel is a diamond-shaped Angel that shoots a deadly beam attack capable of disabling an EVA. Shinji faces the full brunt of an attack from Ramiel, leaving him incapacitated as the episode ends. Evangelion had Rei in the background during the series-opening episodes; “Rei I” opens the door into her personality, while raising more questions about this mysterious girl.
14. “The Beast” (Episode 2)
Evangelion settles into a rhythm in this episode. A formula begins to take shape with action, comedy, and fan service aplenty. Shinji is struggling with his new roommate, Misato. For most of his life he was a loner, so living with someone else doesn’t suit him. Episode 01 ends before we learn the outcome of Shinji’s first battle with an Angel known as Sachiel. Sachiel is known as the Third Angel and the first to appear in the 15 years since Second Impact. It has lanky arms and the core (it’s heart if you will) right below its head. It proved too much for the military, and thus, Shinji had to step up to the challenge. “The Beast” makes us believe that Shinji failed to defeat the Angel because of his past trauma. It isn’t until the end of the episode that we learn what really happened.
13. “Lilliputian Hitcher” (Episode 13)
“Lilliputian Hitcher” gives a more in-depth look at Nerv’s Head Scientist Ritsuko Akagi and her life’s work. We are given detail on the three supercomputers that make up one of Nerv’s main defense forces, “The Magi.” This episode sees those computers hacked by a new Angel known as Ireul. The Eleventh Angel, Ireul, acts as a bio-weapon merging itself throughout Nerv HQ and hacking all the electronics including the EVA’s. If the Angel can gain control of The Magi, humanity might be finished. Despite the lack of action in this episode, it’s incredibly interesting given the focus on Ritsuko. Her character appears in a lot of episodes up to this point, but understanding her background fleshes her out a bit more. The audience suffers the inability to make out some of the scenes of this episode due to how dark it is. When Ritsuko is inside the computer for repairs or the screen showing details of the impending virus is a little tough to make out visually. Thankfully that isn’t too detrimental to this great episode.
12. “The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still” (Episode 11)
The power is out, and there is an Angel attack. Nerv must find a solution quickly while Shinji, Asuka, and Rei have to get to their EVAs during the blackout. This episode stands out because of the subtle character moments between the three children. Fear, jealousy, and neglect fuel the pilots differently. Even though the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, they still have the same emotions that all adolescents go through. The pilots navigate through the dark corridors and air ducts of Nerv and find their EVAs. They enter the units manually and fight the Ninth Angel, Matarael, that looks like a spider. It uses corrosive acid to disable the EVAs’ weaponry, but Asuka devises a plan that neutralizes the threat.
11. “She Said, ‘Don’t Make Others Suffer for Your Personal Hatred'” (Episode 12)
From its opening frames, this episode shows that it will give us the background of Misato Katsuragi. The audience learns how the Second Impact affected Misato’s life and that it leads to her joining Nerv. It is shown that Misato isn’t all that different than Shinji. She hated her father for a long time due to his obsession with work, not unlike Shinji’s relationship with Gendo. Misato is a character that acts as the conduit for most of the secretive Nerv plot-lines. It’s through her that the audience learns of the corruption and lies that lay buried deep underground. The Tenth Angel, Sahaquiel, provides an added threat to our heroes. The Angel works almost like a comet, first appearing in Earth’s orbit and planning to drop itself onto Tokyo-3. A coordinated effort from all three EVA Units proves successful, and Misato takes the pilots out to dinner. Any episode that turns the focus to Misato is generally a winner, and this one is no different. A successful fight against the Tenth Angel and some kind words from Gendo to Shinji make for one of the more uplifting endings in the series.
10. “Those Women Longed for the Touch of Others’ Lips, and Thus Invited Their Kisses” (Episode 15)
The relationships between multiple characters work as the focal point of this episode. Gendo and Shinji continue to be coworkers rather than father and son. They visit the grave of Shinji’s mother, and although Gendo appears to have offered an olive branch, they will likely be estranged forever. A triple agent working for Nerv, SEELE, and the Japanese government, Ryoji Kaji, is searching for the truth behind the Angels. He rekindles a romance with Misato, that leads to some forgotten feelings. Even Asuka decides to get romantic by “practicing” kissing with Shinji. But the main shock of this episode comes from Misato discovering Kaji trying to break into an unauthorized zone at Nerv.
The last ten episodes on this countdown are where Evangelion excels. All ten are high-quality episodes that prove why Evangelion was an evolution in the Japanese Anime industry. Outside the wonderful relationship drama, this episode features one of the best cliffhangers in the entire run. What Misato discovers in that unauthorized zone changes her feelings about Nerv forever.
9. “Rei III” (Episode 23)
The casualties are escalating as Evangelion reaches its conclusion. Rei battles the Sixteenth Angel, Armisael. It can be described as a ring-shaped Angel that can undertake a bio-fusion with its enemy, physically invading the other body with its own. Before the fusion is complete, Rei sacrifices herself in a massive explosion taking out most of Tokyo-3. Shockingly, she seems to have survived the encounter, but her reality is jumbled. There is something not right about her. Fed up with the lies that Nerv and Gendo have filled her head with, Ritsuko brings Shinji and Misato down to a mysterious chamber. The chamber in question holds clones of Rei. There are a lot of spectacular visuals in this episode, including Rei sacrificing herself. It’s a little creepy watching the dolls of Rei smile while they disintegrate. The climax is a massive payoff with the reveal of the Rei clones. We finally understand why Rei seemed so emotionless and uncaring; she’s only a doll holding the memories and feelings of another.
Related Topics: Anime, Hideaki Anno, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Netflix
