A girl standing alone in the middle of the street.
(Image of Rei.) From Shinji's POV.
MDWigs: Rei, a symbol of hope, that humanity can come to understand each other.
thewayneiac: This shot, together with C-025, establishes from the beginning that there is something unusual and mysterious about Rei.
OMF: Straight from Hamlet. The ghostly girl who appears from nowhere, and is gone. So ominous. It definitely gives a "Something is rotten in the state of Toyko-3!" impression.
Additional Commentary
Shin-seiki: The Episode Commentary for #01 that comes with Platinum Vol.01 (which is translated from the original that was included with Renewal) has this to say about this cut:
When Shinji comes to New Tokyo 3, he sees a girl that seems to be Rei Ayanami for just an instant. Considering how she is injured and wrapped up in bandages, when he later meets her in NERV Headquarters, the natural assumption would be that this was a phantom vision. But in Episode 26', "My True Heart For You," a different possibility is suggested. The girl that appeared for just one cut in this scene may be the Rei Ayanami who is "the existence that gazes upon man."
Hmm... I suppose they probably have this in mind, but does anyone have any idea what they're referring to with "the existence that gazes upon man"? The quote doesn't ring a bell with me at all...
Sailor Star Dust: We still haven't figured out where the Renewal/Platinum line "the existence that gazes upon man" comes from, have we? I personally agree with the Rei 3=Lilith theory (in the sense that Lilith post-EoE is God. Adam/Kaworu too??), existing on a higher plane/everywhere at once. Shinji just happened to catch a glimpse of her at those 2 moments: the beginning and the end of his personal journey in Tokyo-3. But as the symbol of hope for humanity, Lilith's probably silently watching over him and humanity throughout their lives.
