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| The giant dick was too much for Shinji so he ran away. Not blaming him though. Anyone would run away after seeing a roughly 100m long penis. |
 "Your sight, my delight. Will you marry me?" |
| Shinji there was pretty quiet.. |
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| I really like the reference the title makes to The Hedgehog's Dilemma concept. Even though Shinji is quite weak minded, it is important to verbally say that from time to time because if you admit your issues, it can turn into a turning point. I feel like the first couple episodes were more or less delving into how Shinji thinks and feels which, I think, might be vital to further developments. |
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| Sneaky Shinji? I dislike that they will randomly play background music. e.g., when he's saying his goodbyes at the train station. |
| Poor Shinji, I feel for the kid :( His dad's a jerk and who knows where is mom is. It's only fair that he is acting this way. I know he'll become stronger though, he has to. |
| I hope Shinji gets more likeable later on, cause right now he's not a very impressive main character. I do feel sorry for the kid though, but at least he's making friends now. |
| slowly sortin his shit out |
"Urushibara Ruka. The mannerisms and voice of a woman... No... More feminine than any woman. But he's a guy. Taller than Mayuri, but so very thin... But he's a guy. Looks great in a miko outfit... But he's a guy. It's already twilight And yet, it's so hot. The cicadas are crying. But... He's a guy." |
| I don't think Shinji's annoying or cowardly at all. If anything, he's acting like a normal person would given his circumstances. He's no "this is justice I'll save the world yarrr" type nor is he "I'll save everyone because you told me to, no reasons needed" kind of guy. He's 14. His dad is a giant ass who, after three years of of absence, just makes him come to town aka alien battlefield. Then suddenly everyone expects him to go pilot a robot and risk his life to fight the giant Angel thing running amok in town because apparently he's the only one who can do it -- without telling him anything. Nobody could or should blame him for running away. Sure he can choose not to do it but we've all been shown that consequences of not doing it weigh heavily on his mind. He's stuck between a rock and a hard place. |
"May those who accept their fate be granted happiness." "May those who defy their fate be granted glory." |
-Kurisuta- said: I hope Shinji gets more likeable later on, cause right now he's not a very impressive main character. I do feel sorry for the kid though, but at least he's making friends now. Yeah, he's wimpy, it makes sense that he would be, but he's still not very entertaining to watch. I feel sorry for him as well. He represents a pretty good deconstruction of the concept of teenaged mech pilots which seems pretty common. I wonder why they have to be so young in this series... I'm giving this show another chance, but I don't know if this high artsy drama is for me. anyway, boring episode. |
| Love and Peace!!! |
| This series continues to intrigue me, showing who the characters are rather than telling. That long silence at the end being interrupted by "I'm home" was perfect. |
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| According to the book that came with the R2 Ultimate Edition boxset, this episode was an afterthought. It wasn't originally scripted and Anno wasn't involved in it. I can see why they wanted to put this episode in, but it's frustrating given what happened with them running out of steam by the ending of the series. |
| What an amazing episode. The long silence at the end is what made it fantastic. A great atmosphere in this episode. I think Shinji is a great character. I really don't understand why people hate him, he's really not all that bad. Anywho, onto the next episode! |
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| I'm glad in the end at least they were reunited. |
My Candies:     |
| The ending scene between Shinji's classmates and the MIsato train scene was probably my favorite part of this episode. This anime is very cerebral and highly nuanced and it doesn't need to rely on a "monster of the week" or "new angel attack" ploy which I very much appreciate. Shinji is a much deeper character than people seem to be giving him credit for, but I don't want to delve into that issue once again. So far NGE does a great job of creating character depth without it being too obvious. The viewer is left to piece some aspects of the characters' psyche together which I think is quite cool. However, it does assume that the viewer will be intuitive enough to figure it out. So that could be off putting for some people. So far, I really enjoy the use of silence/music/noise in this anime. The cicadas don't bother me, and I found it interesting that the cicadas were even pulled into the story a little bit. |
| Weird. But the silence made it atmospheric and enjoyable. |
| Direction is real. It's an absolute pleasure experiencing thoughtful cinematography in anime, it's a rarity for me. Funny how they pile the weight of the world on his shoulders and force him to come back then they moan about his attitude and say he can go if he doesn't want to pilot. Fuck Nerv. His classmates are real bros. Shinji is a pretty great character so far, they've expressed a lot with him in four episodes. If he's supposed to be annoying at the moment as he's apparently known for, then I'm not getting those vibes. |
| the official MAL hall of fame/cursed comments is now open for business - you are welcome to PM me any potential quotes to include |
| Wow. This show is surprisingly really fucking good. I thought I'd hate Shinji, but I actually really like him. I feel like it's Shinji vs the world. Fuck all those other people for using him |
| This was a great episode. Wtf was that ending train scene where nothing happened for an entire minute but them staring at eachother...? |
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| best ep so far |
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then said: However I felt like the whole episode was superfluousnesses- I didn't feel like the plot was advanced or I learnt anything new about any of the charactos. Well basically I agree, it was a bit boring and I think that all of this episode could have been in like 5-10 minutes. It was trying to show how Shinji felt and the way he got to not being scared of fighting, but I think it wasn´t done well. |
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| The episode felt somewhat unnecessary, almost like a filler. There were some interesting moments, but it was boring overall. I'm liking Shinji so far, and it's quite astonishing on how much we get a grasp of his character in only 4 episodes. Still, I feel that a lot of stuff could have been done in this particular episode. Not saying that it's bad, it just wasn't as good as the past 3. I'm looking forward to the next one. |
VoidlingJan 7, 2015 4:49 PM
| He SPEAKS(of his own accord)!!!!!!!! I hope this means Shinji will stop being introverted, at least to a certain margin. The girl character will be fleshed out next episode, let's see how it goes. Don't know about others but I'm dying to see another character other than Shinji. |
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| I'm too much of a fan of the show to try and convince others to like so I won't argue with anyone who doesn't like the episode. I'm here because of my 20th rewatch of the show. But, this episode wasn't my favorite. I think its not on par with the rest of the episodes, but well, that's whats great about Evangelion... when nothing makes sense, booom! comes along an small detail you saw back in episode 4 and then everything makes sense. I'll fanboy myself out of here. |
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| This was a slow episode, but it did create a good relationship between Shinji and his friends. |
| my goodness this was a slow episode... o_o it was good but damn. I don't really understand the purpose of it? It was like a plot break or filler or something... maybe its purpose will be made more clear in retrospect after advancing with the series. |
 ☩ Discord: the.path.to.pathos ☩ RateYourMusic ☩ last.fm |
| I just love Shinji's i don't care attitude. He is so messed up that he doesn't think about anything anymore. |
| There WAS character development, but the ep was too slow for me. Maybe cause I'm already used to the fast pace of the first 3 eps. |
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| Ep 4. Decisions, decisions, and make sure you want the Giant Robot. Pros: Characters: This show proves it does characterization and hidden depths. Kensuke's moment comes here and even Touji comes off good with his and Shinji's resolution. Shinji' and Misato's confrontation was the highlight and the long silences bring mystique and wonder to those choices. Ending note: The heck is up with the ED? Why does the VA keep changing? 4/5. |
 I go where I wanna go, even if its into Oppai. |
| Episode was kinda ... meh. Shinji clearly doesnt care anymore and just runs away from his issues, even admits his weaknesses. At the end (after 50 seconds of a still frame) he decides to come back anyway. |
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| Shinji fighting himself... Him turning on the stairs and then what he said to his two classmates seemed like a kind of a confession. And the end was also powerful with that long silence. |
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| The ending of this episode was the best part. Really felt the connection between Misato and Shinji and how they are practically family now. Other than the end, this episode was long and boring. I understand how Shinji is scared and suffering under the weight of what he is being asked to do, but wow... even I was starting for get sick of his attitude. I hope that's done now, and we can start moving on with the story and getting to know some of the other characters better. ★ 3/5 |
ZeroDragon said: Also regarding Rei, Ritsuko asking Gendo if he saw Rei in the hospital and him replying that she was essentially just another tool in the previous episode makes me really curious. I can't help but feel that (spoiling some thoughts just in case) Well I guess I was being too cautious when I added the spoiler tags. The preview at the end of this episode pretty much confirmed my speculation, but then again it wasn't really much of a speculation than it was just some vague thoughts. Misato really cares for him. The "Little Shin's Room" sign, her sadness when Shinji was gone, her tough love attitude with him, and her coming to the train station to confirm his alleged decision in person all lead me to believe that (speculation) When Shinji was saying goodbye to his two classmates, that was the moment when it finally occurred to him that there existed people who valued him and cared for him. Sure Misato already showed that to him, but the relationship between him and her was derived from a professional context. Now he finally appreciates her care for him. It was quite touching when he declared that he was home and Misato replying with a "Welcome home". Misato's tough attitude toward him was pretty much an ultimatum since she cared for him and didn't want to force him to do experience painful burdens against his wishes. In treating him coldly and saying with an undertone of rejection that he could just leave, she made it a win-win situation for herself. Either he takes it to heart by leaving and continues his desolate ("but at least he's still alive and should be away from immediate harm") existence not doing what he doesn't want to do, or he gains a fresh resolve and continues his duty to humanity with true willingness and determination. By opting for the latter, he has also shown a willingness to confront his inner demons, though the sarcastic broken attitude he took on earlier in the episode indicates that he may just be on the verge of losing it. This decision to stay will take him higher than he's been, but it also has the potential to take him even lower than what he has already experienced. |
ZeroDragonOct 9, 2015 11:44 PM
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| She is still wounded,when she is gonna recuperate. |
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| This was a great episode, I really enjoyed it. I'm especially loving the relationship between Misato and Shinji, this episode really showed how much they care for eachother. I have to wonder what's up with the girl though, the other pilot. Nobody seems to really acknowledge her, I wonder who she is? |
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Ratohnhaketon said: This series continues to intrigue me, showing who the characters are rather than telling. That long silence at the end being interrupted by "I'm home" was perfect. |
| I like silent anime scenes... done right. Steins;Gate did silent scenes extremely well but that long silence at the end of this episode literally made me laugh! It came off as lazy rather than artistic. |
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| (rewatching again) The emo-Shinji episode. I'm not sure if I ever took notice of the sunflower field he walked through before. ... ahh, pointless details. 5/5 |
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| I can understand people's frustrations with Shinji as a character, and I can without a doubt see how he can be an unlikable character, but I for one don't see him as a worthless waste of a character who could've been replaced by your typical shounen hero. He is not a 'wasted potential'. Shinji does not act in a way that satisfies one's burning desire for inspiration, sacrificing life for a greater cause with little hesitation, rapid character growth, and the birth of the idealized hero. Seemingly, it is only those kind of characters that are able to fill that gap and bring us excitement and rouse us. Instead, we are presented with a boy who drowns himself in self pity and is a spineless coward who runs away from his responsibilities. Shinji is without a doubt a coward, however Shinji is also human. And as a human, even as a fictional character, his emotions are very real and transcend past the, dare I say, recycled protagonist who has that one goal and works at any cost to reach it. Sure, there may be brief doubts or hesitations but they always resolve to stay strong and carry on. Shinji does not know what he is doing, he is lost and literally wanders around for this entire episode. What does running away do? It is pointless in our eyes, a waste of time, and does not achieve anything. Shinji, however is still a hero. A hero is also human, and his human qualities form a character that lets you see a glimpse of reality in anime. People have feelings, fears, shortcomings or weaknesses. They are not all hidden behind the screen, but for the most part they are not fully portrayed in many of the series we love so much. Here, Evangelion has painted a character that basically destroys our preconceived notions of what a protagonist should be. The hero is deconstructed and though he is weak we are able to see how he will be shaped through time. It is okay to get frustrated with his shortcomings as he does have plenty, but my main point is that I feel like if someone were to watch the show through complacent lens, you won't be unable to grasp all that the show has to offer. If you only watch for what you want to see, then of course you will be unsatisfied, so it's completely understandable in that respect. But if you perhaps see reality through Shinjis eyes, his actions would be more understandable. Granted, I do feel a bit sympathetic for him which influences how I see him as a character, however I simply cannot bring myself to hate him because not every character can be psychologically unaffected by their shortcomings and move on quickly. VanishingKira said: Ratohnhaketon said: This series continues to intrigue me, showing who the characters are rather than telling. That long silence at the end being interrupted by "I'm home" was perfect. This. I absolutely agree. As Shinji basically sat on the train for many, many frames and drowned in silence I could definitely see how I am being showed his character even though I cannot hear the thoughts in his head. This is also the case with the other characters as well and it's a beautiful way to show the story. |
| This episode was definitely stellar. This is the first episode of the series where I started to genuinely feel emotional invested. Prior to this, I liked the series quite a bit but it was more on an intellectual level. The direction, how the series framed scenes, & the ideas it was expressing through the story. & I certainly liked all the characters prior to this but this was the first time I felt moved by the series. The scene where Shinji is expressing his guilt & self-loathing towards Toji & Kensuke was A+ stuff, Ogata killed it & the scene was a great climax of sorts after how quiet Shinji had been in the episode. & while I'm praising Ogata, Mitsuishi is equally as good as Misato, who's easily my favorite character thus far. Her stuff with Shinji was top notch stuff. I love her line relating the hedgehogs dilemma to Shinji, probably the most purposeful way I've seen that applied. Admittedly, the show didn't really need to linger on that shot at the end for as long as it did but it didn't really damper the impact of the final lines, which were heartwarming & another scene that moved me (& I do think having a size-able gap from when they see each-other to Shinji's line aided the lines impact but most of that being centered on one shot was a rare miss imo). Aside from that relatively minor nitpick, this episode also totally worked on a intellectual level to. The direction here was great, I loved all the far-away shots of Shinji, it's a simple trick but it really helps capture his isolation. & I also liked the movie theater scene, where his eyes where the center window to his emotional state. But what really stood out to me was the color gradient & use of shadows. The series animation doesn't match up to the quality we've got today but so few series manage this kind cinematography in anime, & I think NGE wins in this trade-off. At least for the series it is. |
| So not only do they have to be young, they have to be 14 years old precisely to pilot those eva's i wonder why. I really liked the interactions between the characters this episode. 5/5 |
| damn this was boring |
| This is good stuff. |
| Thank god Toji stopped acting like a ass real fast, I didn't want to deal with that bs any longer. Pretty good episode, I really like the final scene with Shinji saying "I'm home" to Misato. |
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| I sure love cicadas...They are a perfect counterpart to a silent afternoon. I like to think they spurred Shinji's self reflection towards the end. He stayed not because what waits him back home would be worse, but because he saw something of worth in piloting that mech and living with Misato. Even if being bossed around and forced to fight horrendous monsters. That is kinda sad now that I think about. At least that's my take on it. The interaction with those two students as well, Shinji was struck with an honest request derived from remorse and that made him be honest with them too. Good episode. |
FragOutFire said: Why am I a Berserk fan? All I ever experience is pain. We are in the eclipse and Miura has sacrificed us |
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