Neon Genesis Evangelion Forum

There’s an image in this episode that verges on modern art - - it's that striking. The x-ray image that NERV gets of the angel zygote (or fetus? Clarify for me, here, biologists) incubating in the heart of a volcano. That’s definitely NOT the kind of thing you see in other mecha/sentai; not VOLTRON, not GUNDAM and certainly not POWER RANGERS. This whole giant-sized fetal operation/giant monster C-section Asuka performs reminded me of the work of another of my favorite comics creators - - the Chilean writer, director, actor, tarot master, mime and psycho therapist, Alejandro Jodorosky. He’s similarly wont to transfigure biological processes into large scale fantasy spectacles, and I find it endless intriguing.

Speaking about Asuka (and why not?), the pool scene in this episode was a memorable demonstration of how good a foil she is for the awkward Shinji and the borderline-autistic Rei (as  hitsusatsu11 pointed out). I have to agree. I especially like the interplay of how Rei’s reticence makes Shinji  so uncomfortable, yet Asuka just finds it annoying. And it was a SPOT-ON, truthful character moment for her to only care about this dangerous mission after it became a matter of showing Rei up. There is NOTHING cattier than two girls in competition. 
 
Oh yeah, and I totally picked up on the whole “cold contracts, while heat expands” innuendo from the get-go, which made its callback at the end all the more funny. I did, indeed, laugh out loud.  I’m sure this is going to be the first of numerous times that Shinji has problems with his “heat expanding” around these girls (and OmegaChosen assures me that's the case). Also, making a call back of my own to my earlier mention of Jodorosky, I thought it was especially brilliant how that observation actually factored into the solution to this week’s monster fight. Brilliant. I say that sincerely. The eye brow and the low brow, and everything in between.

-- Tom Pinchuk is the writer of UNIMAGINABLE for Arcana Comics and HYBRID BASTARDS! for Archaia. Pre-order the HYBRID BASTARDS! hardcover now on Amazon.com.

Uh, I did? >_> I should remember saying that but I don't. T_T
 
Anyway, episode ten. What can I say? Shinji being...well, Shinji. 
 
Next Time: Episode 11 - The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still.

I love Jodorovsky, the man is awesome (I own the whole La Casta de Los Metabarones collection and other of his works); I thought I was alone thinking Eva has been influenced a bit by him.
 
Catfight? Wait for the infamous elevator scene.

I give you 'till Episode 14 or so before your brain starts to hurt. The second half of the series pretty much breaks everyone that watches it.

@constanzadellarosa: Oh yeah, METABARONS is one of my all time favorite comics.

@OmegaChosen: Didn't you say that the jerking off scene is actually in the anime?

@Tom_Pinchuk: Hmm, I believe I said it was in End of Evangelion but it's been like a week, more or less, since I wrote it so.... yeah.
 
In any case, I stand corrected. Though maybe being correct in this regard is less than ideal. >_>

Magma diver is generally a less popular episode, but i find it has merit.  The fact that the angel Sandalphon appears in an embryonic state serves to further the already heavy Freudian symbolism of mother and child, which is expanded on further when the nature of the Eva's themselves are more clearly revealed, as well as their relationships to the pilots. I find it interesting that such a traditionally "human" symbol is here applied to an angel, which up until now have been purely thought of as foreign, alien invaders and enemies.
 
This is also a good character episode for Asuka as it shows what she is willing to do to prove she is the best, which we start figuring is due to deep insecurities she has rooted within her. Again the way she interacts with shinji is key, but so is the almost subtle way she and Rei interact.