[EVA] Eva Manga Stage 82

[EB]

It's a personal opinion, very much as with a lot of concepts embedded into
EoE; don't get me wrong; thematically, the scene is very powerful, even
using it to some extent, however my view there is that the kiss was put,
form a story telling perspective, as something to galvanize the viewer. Does
it work? yes, undoubtedly. but I suppose something like that could have also
worked (in EoE) with a simple "cupping of the cheek" like Asuka does in the
end, echoing of Yui/Rei/Lilith, whoever you want to say or call.

The kiss in itself, as a theme used in Evangelion as a whole (Series AND
EoE)  is a surrogate for unresolved emotional and sexual tension to show us
how the people giving it are actually just shouting silently for help, for
someone to hold them and tell them everything is going to be alright, while
externally, it tends to focus all that sexual energy that seems to vibrate
everytime a male and female character (Kaji-Misato and the parallels of
Asuka-Shinji) are on the screen.

Again, this is just my personal opinion; Anno's delivery of the
Misato/Shinji kiss was flawed in execution and delivery because it was
uncalled for, and unexpected, and paradoxically, that's the same reason why
it works; because you don't expect it, you don't see it coming and then
suddenly Misato is kissing Shinji for all that's worth without any kind of
emotional baggage behind (at least from her, Shinji's feelings are never
quite explained there IIRC).

It seems like any kisses Shinji receives through out the series end with his
discomfort or misfortune.

Here, even though I haven't seen it, it feels like the transition is less
forced, maybe because WE as readers already know what's going to happen, but
it doesn't feel like a "Ok, if you won't move and try to save the world,
I'll kiss you to dangle my carrot in front of you and make you move" move.

That's what I was referring to.


On the other hand, (and this is actually agreeing with Gwern's final point
on his reply mail about the Asuka mention) I never liked how Sadamoto began
this chapter, making Manga!Shinji follow EoE!Shinji's paths of asking for
Asuka to help him when there was never any real interaction to guarantee any
of that; Manga!Shinji sees Asuka, at best as a competent copilot who is
simply another casualty of Nerv, and at worst as a bickering, bratty little
spoiled brat who is better at being a two faced goody-two shoes throwing her
weight around and then following up with temper tantrums when she doesn't
get her way.

I guess Sadamoto DID suceeded in painting himself into a corner and had no
other way out but following EoE until the moment when we see Shinji with
Rei's severed hand, Asuka's corpseat his side, and Misato's cross firmly
cluthed in his hand stearing out the wasted, desolate space that was Tokyo-3
and the world.

In b4 Monkeys evolve as the sovereign life form, and Charlton Heston demands
them to get their stinking paws of his body.

On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 11:42 AM, Aaron Clark <aaronc1 at umbc.edu> wrote:

> It's my intention to launch into a debate, but I'm curious why you think
> Anno failed in delivering that scene.  I've always felt it was a strong
> scene, and haven't heard much to the contrary.
>
> --Aaron