One thing I’ve found amusing while watching this series has been the recurring issues of size and scale. The Evas are supposed to collosusi, so he distance an Eva would need to snipe an angel (as Shinji did in an earlier episode) would be ABSURD. And, here, the crawl space an Eva would be able to sneak through would have to be ENORMOUS. I’m sure it fits into how absurdly enormous NERV’s facility must be, but still… I couldn’t but smirking over the fact that there were air ducts these giant robots could crawl through.
The scene in question where the three pilots are crawl out to sneak under the angel has to be one of my favorite scenes of the series, so far. I think it was the right mix of characterization and internal logic for me - - that is, the whole on-the-field plan made with Asuka taking the acid while Rei fetches the rifles for Shinji to then fire. I couldn’t have predicted it, and it made a lot of sense, making me feel almost like an active participant in the story - - making this (as so often say) feel very visceral. It actually reminded me of an obscure video game from the 90s called LOST VIKINGS. The whole gimmick was that you controlled these three Vikings through various environmental puzzles. One had a shield, the other had a bow and arrow and the last one could just run and jump. The whole solution to the acid spitting spider angel seemed like it’d fit right in to the gameplay.
Shinji finally asks the big question that’s taken 10 episodes to get to. Just why are these “angels” evil giant monsters. I realize that’s a thread that’s been intentionally left loose and, judging by the Kabalah-esque symbols in the intro, I’m sure the answer’s going to run a lot deeper than what’s apparent on the surface.
Also, I was going back through the log of these and realized that I never actually posted my thoughts on Episode #6. Mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa. I think I can got so swept in enjoying this show and watching episode after episode in quick succession, that I actually jumped ahead. So, for anybody who feels like they missed out… here’s what I thought. Coincidentally, it’s actually the episode with the giant-sized sniper range.
What the F@#$ Did I Just Watch?! EVANGELION Episode #6
Numbers and calculations have never been my strong suit, but I can’t help thinking about the figures implied by the climax of this episode. You’ve already got skyscraper-sized Eva suits, right? Then you’ve Shinji using a colossal sniper rifle that’s longer than his Eva is tall, right? And then he has to lay down at adequately-far distance from the angel he’s fighting here. I mean, that distance must at least be a hundred miles for him to be out of the angel’s field of vision. That is FAR. I’d figure the Earth would start noticeably curving over that distance. I suppose it’s a little ludicrous but, then again, I also suppose that’s the name of the game, here.
Distance quibbles aside, I’m honestly getting wrapped up in the story here. I can believe Shinji and Rei’s relationship, the team work they have to pull off to take out the monster and the panic Shinji experiences when he thinks Rei’s been injured. Given everything I’ve heard about the psychology underlying this story, I can’t help thinking that there’s something Fruedian being conveyed about their relationship. Shinji’s jealous that his father’s giving her the affection he holds off from him, yet he’s also holding back a pretty strong crush on her. Also, in this episode, Rei confuses Shinji with his father for a moment when he opens her escape pod. It doesn’t exactly correspond to the Oedipal archetype, but there’s definitely some odd identification issues going on, here. I’m sure they’re going to be explored in more detail throughout the series.
Actually, I also couldn’t help wondering about what the state of the world is after the whole incident with Nerv using all of Japan’s power to charge that sniper rifle. They sort of touch upon the backstory of the world being flooded, but I’m a little confused about exactly how declined the global society is supposed to be in here. Sometimes, Tokyo-3 seems like it’s a totally abandoned. Other times, it seems like life’s just going on like normal. Is it all simply a matter of the periodic evacuations into the subterranean shelters? Clarify for me, here.
-- 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.
