[EVA] Concurrency tangent (WAS: Alternate Rei on DVD cover)

[Peter Svensson]

> Kaji is an issue for the acceptance ending, not the rejection. Why is
> Kaji there? He's dead. He died long before anything started. All
> that's left of Kaji is memories. If the sky scene is part of the
> complete Instrumentality entity, how can he be there?

How do we know that being dead prevents you from participating in Instrumentality? 

> Fuyutsuki:      And the things recorded in your memory will be your truth.

As long as he is remembered by others, he exists. The Kaji that exists in Kaji's mind is the same as the Kaji that exists in the minds of others. Being dead is irrelevant to Instrumentality.

> How exactly would they have to congratulate Shinji before you would think that
> it's evidence against your interpretation?

Differently. Look, when I see that scene it is so obviously a case for being inducted into a cult that I find your attempts to go "But they're all individuals! Look at their different phrasing and posture!" hard to swallow. 

Let's just pass on this one, since you can't help but see the individuality in that scene, and I can't help but see the conformity. 

> I suspect this is simply an example of someone not thinking things
> through.

Agreed. The Instrumentality of Bacteria while possibly amusing, leads to some really horrific possibilities. 

> That's the point.

Instrumentality Shinji can have PenPen congratulate him if he wants since reality is malleable and based on personal desire. 
 
> And as I've said before, Shinji has chosen to return but hasn't yet.

See, while I can understand that as an interpretation, would you honestly be able to come to that conclusion after only seeing the TV ending? Especially when they make a big deal about the limbo theatre shattering? It's a dramatic moment, and had the intent been to put Shinji back in reality, they had the transition necessary to make it happen. The limbo shattered. That to me doesn't feel appropriate for a "he's slowly drifting back to the real world" scenario.

The limbo shatters, and Shinji is adrift in a magical void where people who are dead and people who are not are. I can't really see that as Gainax trying to suggest that Shinji has chosen to live in the real world given how unreal the imagery is. When they could just have easily set that final scene on say, the grassy hill overlooking Tokyo-3, just as easily and established that he's back in the physical world.

I'm adamant that the TV ending has to stand on its own, and I can't see that anyone watching it without having seen the films would be able to make the assumption that Shinji ends it in a transitionary state and will eventually return to the physical world. Not when a simpler answer, that he's off in la-la land forever, exists.

> But the two terms are used in both. Your scheme confuses more than it
> enlightens.

As I said, it's probably detrimental. Meaning that after a single post I've abandoned it since it's just not helpful. 

I think that we'd have been better off had Anno never decided to foist the Instrumentality of Mankind injoke on ADV, but what can we do?

Peter Svensson