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==Synopsis==
==Synopsis==


Episode 02 continues where the last ended, with [[Shinji Ikari|Shinji]] preparing to face the Angel in [[Evangelion Unit-01]]. Shinji's first attempt to move his Eva results in a fall. Eva-01 is left helpless as [[Sachiel]] advances and proceeds to seriously damage the Evas left arm and right eye. The pilot's signal is lost, and the Eva is lifeless. The scene then cuts to Shinji suddenly waking up in an unfamiliar, empty hospital room.
Episode 02 continues where the last ended, with [[Shinji Ikari|Shinji]] preparing to face the Angel in [[Evangelion Unit-01]]. [[Ritsuko Akagi|Ritsuko]] calls in over the radio, and explains to Shinji that the Eva will respond to his thoughts, so he should concentrate on walking first. Shinji manages to move his Eva, making it take a trying, but successful first step. But as he attempt to take a second step, the Eva trips, resulting in it falling over and landing face first on the ground. Eva-01 is left helpless as [[Sachiel]] advances on it. [[Misato Katsuragi|Misato]] calls in, and attempts to talk Shinji through getting the Eva back on its feet, but he is completely frozen with fear, and fails to defend himself as the Angel proceeds to pick up the Eva by the face, and then damages its left arm and right eye<ref>Evangelion pilots seem to feel the damage inflicted upon their Evas. Go [[Evangelions#The Effect of Damage to the Evas upon their Pilots|Here]] for a full analysis.</ref>. The pilot's signal is lost, and the Eva is lifeless. The scene then cuts to Shinji suddenly waking up in an unfamiliar, empty hospital room.


[[Gendo Ikari|Gendo]] discusses the reappearance of the angels after 15 years with the [[Human Instrumentality Committee]], while [[Misato Katsuragi|Misato]] and [[Ritsuko Akagi|Ritsuko]] survey the aftermath of the battle. Gendo is instructed not to let the reappearance of the Angels allow the [[Human Instrumentality Project]] to fall behind schedule. Shinji sees [[Rei Ayanami|Rei]] at the hospital. Misato comes to pick Shinji up at the hospital and they meet Gendo by the elevator, but Shinji wordlessly refuses to enter.
[[Gendo Ikari|Gendo]] discusses the reappearance of the angels after 15 years with the [[Human Instrumentality Committee]],<ref>This marks the first appearance of the "[[Human Instrumentality Committee]]" of [[Seele]], and Seele's leader Chairman [[Keel Lorenz]].  The Human Instrumentality Project is incorrectly translated as "Human Complementation Project" in this episode by the English dub, though correctly translated in all subsequent appearances.</ref> while Misato and Ritsuko survey the aftermath of the battle. Gendo is instructed not to let the reappearance of the Angels allow the [[Human Instrumentality Project]]<ref>The translation of the file cover displayed during the meeting of the Instrumentality Committee is:  "Top Secret/Human Instrumentality Project/International Alliance Supreme Executive Council/17th Interim Report/Human Instrumentality Committee/2015 Business Plan Outline/Summary"</ref><ref>"Speaking of improvisation, when I added the ‘Human Complementation Project’ that appears in the second episode, and which was going to become the fulcrum/pivot of the plot, I still had no idea about what it was going to ‘complement’. It’s just a verbal bluff (laughs). - [https://www.gwern.net/docs/eva/1996-newtype-anno-interview Anno June 1996 Newtype Interview]</ref> to fall behind schedule. At the hospital, Shinji wanders around, still confused about yesterday's events. He sees [[Rei Ayanami|Rei]] being wheeled past him. Misato comes to check up on Shinji at the hospital and they meet Gendo by the elevator, but Shinji wordlessly refuses to enter.


Misato takes Shinji to be assigned accommodation, but discovers that he is to live on his own. She decides to take him to live with her instead. On the way home from shopping, Misato takes Shinji to an observation point overlooking [[Tokyo-3]] and they witness the city building emerge from underground.
Misato takes Shinji to be assigned accommodation, but discovers that he is to live on his own. Shinji assures her that it is okay with him, since he is already used to be alone. At this, she decides to take him to live with her instead, after jokingly promising Ritsuko not to "put the moves on" him, drawing Ritsuko's outspoken anger that she would even joke about it being a possibility in the first place.<ref>Misato's promise not to "put the moves" on Shinji foreshadows both the scene in ep. 23 where she tries (and fails) to "comfort" Shinji by seducing him, and the scene in [[The End of Evangelion]] where she gives him an "adult kiss"  (and promises to "do the rest" later) to encourage him to pilot Eva-01.</ref>.  On the way home from shopping<ref>The song playing in the background in the convenience store Misato and Shinji stop at is the song "[https://www.animesonglyrics.com/neon-genesis-evangelion/you-are-the-only-one You are the only one]" from "Lilia", an image album for the "Ys" RPG series. Not at all coincidentally, the vocalist is [[Kotono Mitsuishi]], Misato's [[seiyu|voice actress]].</ref>, Misato takes Shinji to an observation point overlooking [[Tokyo-3]] and they witness the city building emerge from underground.


Misato and Shinji arrive at [[Misato's Apartment]]. Shinji tries to enter as a guest, but Misato insists that the apartment is his home, and so Shinji says [[Tadaima|"Tadaima"]] as he crosses the Threshold.  Misato's apartment is in a state with empty beer cans everywhere, and only ice, condiments and more beer in the fridge. Misato changes and they set down to eat a meal of instant food.
Misato and Shinji arrive at [[Misato's Apartment]]. Shinji tries to enter as a guest, but Misato insists that the apartment is his home, and so Shinji says "Tadaima"(equivalent to "I'm home") as he crosses the Threshold, to which Misato replies with "Welcome home!"<ref>When Misato welcomes Shinji into her home, she says that he should feel free to "take advantage of anything here", which of course has several inappropriate implicationsADV's English dub added the extra line "...except of course me, that is!", probably to match the lip flaps, which hides the overt connotations of the original dialogue.</ref> Shinji, however, is in for a shock: Misato's apartment is in a messy state with empty beer cans everywhere, and only ice, condiments and more beer in the fridge. Misato changes and they set down to eat a meal of instant food<ref>Before Misato and Shinji begin eating (their meal of microwaveable insta-food and beer), in the original Japanese dub they say "itadakimasu".  This is a traditional prayer before beginning a meal, literally meaning "I will humbly receive"; this is done to show proper thankfulness to the preparer of the meal in particular, and more generally to all those living things that lost their lives to make the meal.</ref>. Misato then insists that they split the daily chores in the household through several rounds of rock paper scissors, with Shinji ending up losing more than winning.


While taking a bath, Shinji meets [[Pen Pen]] in the bathroom and is so startled that he runs naked back into the kitchen to tell Misato. Misato explains that Pen-Pen is their other "roommate", and advices Shinji to cover up, and he slinks embarrassingly back into the bathroom. Shinji reflects in the days events in the bath.
While taking a bath, Shinji meets [[Pen Pen]] in the bathroom and is so startled that he runs naked back into the kitchen to tell Misato. Misato explains that Pen-Pen is their other "roommate", and advises Shinji to cover up, and he slinks back into the bathroom in extreme embarrassment. Shinji reflects on the day's events in the bath. He considers that though Misato seems a bit strange in her behavior, she appears to be a good person. His thoughts then eventually drift to his father, and the mysterious girl, Rei Ayanami, as he wonders what the connection between them are.


We see [[Evangelion Unit-00]] frozen in [[Bakelite]] being observed by Gendo and Ritsuko. They discuss Rei's recovery in a ruined control room. Gendo reveals that despite their hardships he will continue to have the children pilot the Evangelions.
{{MontageBox
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|image2 = [[Image:02 C003 big.jpg|150px]]
|image3 = [[Image:02 C085 big.jpg|150px]]
|image4 = [[Image:02 C130 big.jpg|150px]]
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|image7 = [[Image:02 C308 big.jpg|150px]]
|image8 = [[Image:02 C340 big.jpg|150px]]
|caption =
''By row, from left to right, starting top left:''
{{Multi-column numbered list
|
|Sachiel looming over Eva-01
<li>Shinji wakes up in the hospital
<li>Shinji and Misato at a scenic view of Tokyo-3
<li>Misato and Shinji at the dinner table
|4
|<li>Penpen's first appearance
<li>Unit-01 Charging
<li>Sachiel Self Destructs
<li>Misato commending Shinji
}}


Shinji lies alone in his bedroom, listening to his [[SDAT]] player. Misato speaks with Ritsuko on the phone about their situation. Shinji lies awake reflecting on his presence in Tokyo-3. As he does so, sounds from the battle are heard and we begin a flashback to the events of the battle.
}}


Eva-01 was rendered inoperative by Sachiel's attack, with [[Nerv]] losing control of the Eva and contact with the pilot. Misato orders the ejection of the [[Entry Plug]], but the system is completely out of control. Eva-01 suddenly reactivates and begins to act on her own. She launches a vicious attack upon the Angel, succeeding in damaging its face. A second attack by the Eva is blocked by a powerful [[A.T. Field]] barrier. The Eva repairs her broken left arm and erodes the Angel's barrier with another A.T. Field.
We see [[Evangelion Unit-00]]<ref>This is the first full appearance of [[Evangelion Unit-00]], glimpsed briefly while frozen in [[bakelite]] when Gendo and Ritsuko are standing in the experiment room it wrecked when it went berserk.  (In [[Episode 01]], only its hand was seen.)  Flashbacks to this and a full introduction of Eva-00 will be given in [[Episode 05]].</ref> frozen in [[Bakelite]] being observed by Gendo and Ritsuko. They discuss Rei's recovery in a ruined control room. Gendo reveals that despite their hardships he will continue to have the children pilot the Evangelions<ref>There is a "[[Entry Plug#Signal Termination Plug|Signal Termination Plug]]", inserted into Eva 00, which resembles a crucifix.</ref>.
 
Shinji lies alone in his bedroom, listening to his [[SDAT]] player. Misato speaks with Ritsuko on the phone about their situation, admitting that she does feel a bit out of her depth with Shinji. Shinji lies awake reflecting on his presence in Tokyo-3. As he does so, sounds from the battle are heard and images of nerve cells as viewed through a microscope flash across the screen. We begin a flashback to the events of the battle. 
 
Eva-01 was rendered inoperative by Sachiel's attack, with [[Nerv]] losing control of the Eva and contact with the pilot. Misato orders the ejection of the [[Entry Plug]], but the system is completely out of control. Eva-01 suddenly reactivates and begins to act on her own. Upon seeing this, Fuyutsuki quietly exchanges an aside with Gendo, noting that "it looks like we've won." She launches a vicious attack upon the Angel, succeeding in damaging its face. A second attack by the Eva is blocked by a powerful [[A.T. Field]] barrier. The Eva repairs her broken left arm and erodes the Angel's barrier with another A.T. Field.


Once the barrier is down, Eva-01 soundly defeats Sachiel by shattering the downed Angel's [[Core]]. Sachiel in a last desperate attack, wraps itself around the Eva and self destructs in a massive [[cross shaped explosion]]. Eva-01 emerges from the explosion with little apparent damage.
Once the barrier is down, Eva-01 soundly defeats Sachiel by shattering the downed Angel's [[Core]]. Sachiel in a last desperate attack, wraps itself around the Eva and self destructs in a massive [[cross shaped explosion]]. Eva-01 emerges from the explosion with little apparent damage.


As Nerv regains control of the Evangelion, Shinji comes to in the entry plug. The damaged helmet sloughs off, and Shinji is able to glimpse the Eva's face reflected in the windows of a building. As he looks on, the Eva's eye regenerates and suddenly focuses straight at him. Shinji begins to scream and the flashback ends.
As Nerv regains control of the Evangelion, Shinji comes to in the entry plug. The damaged helmet sloughs off, and Shinji is able to glimpse the Eva's face reflected in the windows of a building<ref> Eva-01's face has no visible natural upper jaw or teeth, although they should be clearly visible with the entire helmet removed. The face will be seen again, in a more anatomically plausible form, in Episode 20.</ref> As he looks on, the Eva's eye<ref>Eva-01's Eye deliberately resembles female genitalia.</ref> regenerates and suddenly focuses straight at him. Shinji begins to scream and the flashback ends.


Shinji slowly curls up in bed after recalling the battle. Misato comes to his door and praises him for piloting the Eva and saving the city. The episode ends.
Shinji slowly curls up in bed after recalling the battle. Misato comes to his door and praises him for piloting the Eva and saving the city. The episode ends.
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|title = ''A Selection of Episode 02 Images''
|image1 = [[Image:02 C203 big.jpg|200px]]
|image2 = [[Image:02 C003 big.jpg|200px]]
|image3 = [[Image:02 C066 big.jpg|200px]]
|image4 = [[Image:02 C085 big.jpg|200px]]
|image5 = [[Image:02 C130 big.jpg|200px]]
|image6 = [[Image:02 C151b big.jpg|200px]]
|image7 = [[Image:02 C270B big.jpg|200px]]
|caption =
''From left to right, starting at the top left:''
*Sachiel looming over Eva-01
*Shinji wakes up in the hospital
*Shinji and Misato in front of the elevator after an encounter with Gendo
*Shinji and Misato at a scenic view of Tokyo-3
*Misato and Shinji at the dinner table
*Penpen's first appearance
*Sachiel's A.T. Field
}}
{{-}}


==Notes==
==Notes==
*First appearance of the "[[Human Instrumentality Committee]]" of [[Seele]], and Seele's leader Chairman [[Keel Lorenz]] (incorrectly translated as "Human Complementation Project" in this episode by the English dub, though correctly translated in all subsequent appearances). 
**None of the other four members of the Instrumentality Committee are ever given proper names, but Gainax production sketches indicate which country from the [[United Nations]] (which is secretly controlled by Seele) each of its members officially represents. Besides Chairman Keel himself (who represents Germany), each of the Instrumentality Committee members is indicated only by what color their video conference hologram is tinted:  Chairman Keel ([[Germany]]), France (Yellow), Russia (Blue), [[United States of America|United States]] (Green), United Kingdom (Red).
***Four out of five of the countries represented on the Human Instrumentality Committee are also permanent members of the present-day UN Security Council.  [[China]], the remaining permanent Security Council member, is notably absent, with the fifth seat on the Instrumentality Committee going to Germany.
*The translation of the file cover displayed during the meeting of the Instrumentality Committee is:  "Top Secret/Human Instrumentality Project/International Alliance Supreme Executive Council/17th Interim Report/Human Instrumentality Committee/2015 Business Plan Outline/Summary"
*Whenever an Evangelion screams when it goes "berserk" in the series, it is part of the episode's dialogue track, not just the background effects sound track.  As a result, when episodes such as this one are translated into different languages (such as the ADV Films English dub), the Evangelion screams have to actually be re-produced by different voice actors.  The result is that Eva screams sound noticeably different between the original Japanese and English dub versions. 
*When Misato welcomes Shinji into her home, she says that he should feel free to "take advantage of anything here", which of course has several inappropriate implications.  ADV's English dub added the extra line "...except of course me, that is!", probably to match the lip flaps, which hides the overt connotations of the original dialogue.
*When Shinji's memories about the battle against Sachiel return to him, images of nerve cells as viewed through a microscope flash across the screen.
*The original Japanese title of this episode is "見知らぬ、天井 "Mishiranu, tenjō". Gainax made their own English titles, and the English title Gainax created for this episode is "The Beast". ADV Film's translation of the original Japanese title is "An Unfamiliar Ceiling".
''Go [[Episode 02 Supplemental Notes and Analysis|Here]] for more notes''
==Analysis==
*Evangelion pilots seem to feel the damage inflicted upon their Evas.  Go [[Evangelion Pilots and Damage to Their Evas|Here]] for a full analysis.
*Evangelion Unit-01 is seen without it's helmet on, revealing that [[Evangelions]] are clearly not robots, but more living organic creatures with cybernetic machine and computer components grafted onto them.
*Eva-01 can regenerate battle damage like an Angel, but even faster.  Although it is implied that other Evangelions are capable of doing the same, Eva-01 is the only Evangelion ever seen actually doing this on-screen.
*Misato's promise not to "put the moves" on Shinji foreshadows both the scene in ep. 23 where she tries (and fails) to "comfort" Shinji by seducing him, and  the scene in [[The End of Evangelion]] where she gives him an "adult kiss"  (and promises to "do the rest" later) to encourage him to pilot Eva-01.
*The shot of Misato grabbing Shinji's head from above while at her kitchen table visually parallels the shot when Sachiel grabs Eva-01's head from above.
{{MontageBox
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|title  = One of many visual parallels in NGE
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|image2  = [[Image:02_C205b.jpg]]  
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|caption =''OMG!!  She's after his cranium!!''
|caption =''OMG!!  She's after his cranium!!''
}}
}}
{{-}}
*When Misato is channel-surfing on TV while in the Nerv tent with Ritsuko, it is difficult to tell exactly what they are saying, however, the full lines of dialogue for the people on TV were actually included in the script:  (parts actually heard on-screen are italicized): 
 
:Woman on Channel 12: "...the government administration's announcement was carried out this morning in'' the official residence of the prime minister of Tokyo''-2."<br>Man on Channel 4: "As for the participation of the SSDF'' in this incident ''not being recognized, this was negated."<br>Woman on Channel 8: "They advocated that ''the U.N. forces' ''sortie into Japan ''was within the scope of the law.''"<br>Man on Channel 1: "When confronted with the claim, "Was this not ''an alien attack?''", they laughed, saying, "This isn't manga"."
*The outfit that Misato changes into when she brings Shinji back to her apartment (blue cutoff short shorts, a loose fitting yellow t-shirt, and apparently no bra) is exactly the same outfit that Asuka wears when she kisses Shinji in [[Episode 15]].
*Misato complains that it is hot out when they are in the truck transporting Eva Unit 01's helmet, and even with the air conditioning turned up, takes off several layers of clothing to be more comfortable. However, Ritsuko does not take off her heavy lab coat. This would seem to be emblematic of their personalities; Misato is casual and laid-back, while Ritsuko is very professional and concerned with appearances.
 
*The outfit that Misato changes into when she brings Shinji back to her apartment (blue cutoff short shorts, a loose-fitting yellow t-shirt, and apparently no bra) is exactly the same outfit that Asuka wears when she kisses Shinji in [[Episode 15]].
''Go [[Episode 02 Supplemental Notes and Analysis|Here]] for more analysis''
*The shot of Misato grabbing Shinji's head from above while at her kitchen table visually parallels the shot when Sachiel grabs Eva-01's head from above.
* Unit-01 is seen without it's helmet on, revealing that [[Evangelions]] are clearly not robots, but more living organic creatures with cybernetic machine and computer components grafted onto them. Eva Unit 01 can apparently regenerate battle damage, just like an Angel. It doesn't do this very often in the series, but it's the only Evangelion ever seen actually doing this.
*First appearance of [[Pen Pen]], Misato's "warm water penguin".
* [[Neon Genesis Evangelion timeline|Timeline]]-wise, Gendo says that Rei will be out of the hospital in 20 days, at which time Eva 00 will be brought out of cryo-stasis.
* When Shinji is shocked by the appearance of Pen Pen and runs out of the shower naked, a strategically placed beer can hides his crotch from view, until Misato takes the large beer can away and a much smaller container still obscures his crotch from view.  In Japanese, the smaller container is labeled "toothpicks".
* Whenever an Evangelion screams when it goes "berserk" in the series, it is part of the episode's dialogue track, not just the background effects sound track.  As a result, when episodes such as this one are translated into different languages, the Evangelion screams have to actually be re-produced by different voice actors. The result is that Eva screams sound noticeably different between the original Japanese and English dub versions.
* When Misato stops with Shinji at a convenience store to pick up food, she illegally double-parks her car.  She doesn't simply go over the dividing line between lanes: Misato utterly ignores that the parking spaces are obviously arranged so that vehicles are supposed to park with their front facing the curb, and instead parks her car ''fully parallel'' to the curb, so that it takes up two full spaces.  Judging by the large amount of food that she and Shinji bought, she apparently wasn't just running in and out of the store, but must have left her car intentionally parked like that for a considerable amount of time.
* NERV apparently makes or contracts out for production its own merchandise and accessories for its employees (like many real world large organizations).  In this episode we see coffee mugs and even disposable paper cups that have the "NERV" logo on them.
* Misato's apartment is littered with several car magazines; Gainax character designer and animator [[Yoshiyuki Sadamoto]] is himself a car enthusiast.
* When Shinji's memories about the battle against Sachiel return to him, images of nerve cells as viewed through a microscope flash across the screen.
* The brand of beer that is Misato drinks is "[[Yebisu]]" which is actually a real-life brand of beer in Japan.  When the series was originally broadcast in Japan, the TV network the series was airing on complained that they didn't want to advertise for Yebisu for free like this, so by Episode 2 the name was changed to the fictional "Yebichu" (named as a direct homage to the manga series, "Oruchuban (Ebichu)").  However, when the series was released on video and DVD the name "Yebisu" was restored.
* When Shinji and Misato are dividing up household tasks between themselves, they are playing "Janken" to determine who gets a given task.  Janken is actually exactly the same as "Rock, Paper, Scissors", though the terminology is of course different.  Misato wins most of the matches, resulting in Shinji getting stuck with most of the chores.  The chart they make up says they divided up the chores so that Misato makes breakfast on Tuesday, dinner on Wednesday and Saturday, handles the garbage on Monday, and bath cleaning on Thursday.  Shinji handles these chores on all other days of the week.
* There is a brief shot of a construction schedule for some of Tokyo-3's defensive emplacements, soon before Misato picks up Shinji at the hospital, which reads that this particular construction began in November 2014 and was scheduled to end in August 2015. As the construction is still ongoing, this places the latest possible date for the [[Neon Genesis Evangelion timeline#2015|start of the series]] in August 2015


==Quotes==
==Quotes==
Line 134: Line 110:
*'''Misato''': "Air conditioning has just got to be humanity's greatest treasure. It's a real triumph of science."  
*'''Misato''': "Air conditioning has just got to be humanity's greatest treasure. It's a real triumph of science."  


==References==
{{reflist}}
{{-}}


{{Episode List}}
{{Episode List}}

Latest revision as of 11:25, 14 April 2022

Episode Information
Episode #02
Title 1: 見知らぬ、天井
Mishiranu Tenjou
Unfamiliar Ceiling
Title 2: The Beast
Episode 02
Written By Hideaki Anno, Yoji Enokido
Directed By Kazuya Tsurumaki
First Aired 10-11-1995
Video Release Date 2-3-1996 (Japan-Video/LD), 5-16-2000 (US-DVD)
Angel Appearances Sachiel
Eva Sorties Eva-01
Episode chronology
← Previous Next →
"Episode 01" "Episode 03"


Overview

Shinji wakes up in the hospital, with no memory of defeating the Angel the night before. Rejected by his father, Misato decides to take Shinji with her to live in her apartment. Later that night, memories of the battle against the Angel come flooding back to Shinji.

Synopsis

Episode 02 continues where the last ended, with Shinji preparing to face the Angel in Evangelion Unit-01. Ritsuko calls in over the radio, and explains to Shinji that the Eva will respond to his thoughts, so he should concentrate on walking first. Shinji manages to move his Eva, making it take a trying, but successful first step. But as he attempt to take a second step, the Eva trips, resulting in it falling over and landing face first on the ground. Eva-01 is left helpless as Sachiel advances on it. Misato calls in, and attempts to talk Shinji through getting the Eva back on its feet, but he is completely frozen with fear, and fails to defend himself as the Angel proceeds to pick up the Eva by the face, and then damages its left arm and right eye[1]. The pilot's signal is lost, and the Eva is lifeless. The scene then cuts to Shinji suddenly waking up in an unfamiliar, empty hospital room.

Gendo discusses the reappearance of the angels after 15 years with the Human Instrumentality Committee,[2] while Misato and Ritsuko survey the aftermath of the battle. Gendo is instructed not to let the reappearance of the Angels allow the Human Instrumentality Project[3][4] to fall behind schedule. At the hospital, Shinji wanders around, still confused about yesterday's events. He sees Rei being wheeled past him. Misato comes to check up on Shinji at the hospital and they meet Gendo by the elevator, but Shinji wordlessly refuses to enter.

Misato takes Shinji to be assigned accommodation, but discovers that he is to live on his own. Shinji assures her that it is okay with him, since he is already used to be alone. At this, she decides to take him to live with her instead, after jokingly promising Ritsuko not to "put the moves on" him, drawing Ritsuko's outspoken anger that she would even joke about it being a possibility in the first place.[5]. On the way home from shopping[6], Misato takes Shinji to an observation point overlooking Tokyo-3 and they witness the city building emerge from underground.

Misato and Shinji arrive at Misato's Apartment. Shinji tries to enter as a guest, but Misato insists that the apartment is his home, and so Shinji says "Tadaima"(equivalent to "I'm home") as he crosses the Threshold, to which Misato replies with "Welcome home!"[7] Shinji, however, is in for a shock: Misato's apartment is in a messy state with empty beer cans everywhere, and only ice, condiments and more beer in the fridge. Misato changes and they set down to eat a meal of instant food[8]. Misato then insists that they split the daily chores in the household through several rounds of rock paper scissors, with Shinji ending up losing more than winning.

While taking a bath, Shinji meets Pen Pen in the bathroom and is so startled that he runs naked back into the kitchen to tell Misato. Misato explains that Pen-Pen is their other "roommate", and advises Shinji to cover up, and he slinks back into the bathroom in extreme embarrassment. Shinji reflects on the day's events in the bath. He considers that though Misato seems a bit strange in her behavior, she appears to be a good person. His thoughts then eventually drift to his father, and the mysterious girl, Rei Ayanami, as he wonders what the connection between them are.

A Selection of Episode 02 Images

By row, from left to right, starting top left:

    1. Sachiel looming over Eva-01
    2. Shinji wakes up in the hospital
    3. Shinji and Misato at a scenic view of Tokyo-3
    4. Misato and Shinji at the dinner table
    1. Penpen's first appearance
    2. Unit-01 Charging
    3. Sachiel Self Destructs
    4. Misato commending Shinji

We see Evangelion Unit-00[9] frozen in Bakelite being observed by Gendo and Ritsuko. They discuss Rei's recovery in a ruined control room. Gendo reveals that despite their hardships he will continue to have the children pilot the Evangelions[10].

Shinji lies alone in his bedroom, listening to his SDAT player. Misato speaks with Ritsuko on the phone about their situation, admitting that she does feel a bit out of her depth with Shinji. Shinji lies awake reflecting on his presence in Tokyo-3. As he does so, sounds from the battle are heard and images of nerve cells as viewed through a microscope flash across the screen. We begin a flashback to the events of the battle.

Eva-01 was rendered inoperative by Sachiel's attack, with Nerv losing control of the Eva and contact with the pilot. Misato orders the ejection of the Entry Plug, but the system is completely out of control. Eva-01 suddenly reactivates and begins to act on her own. Upon seeing this, Fuyutsuki quietly exchanges an aside with Gendo, noting that "it looks like we've won." She launches a vicious attack upon the Angel, succeeding in damaging its face. A second attack by the Eva is blocked by a powerful A.T. Field barrier. The Eva repairs her broken left arm and erodes the Angel's barrier with another A.T. Field.

Once the barrier is down, Eva-01 soundly defeats Sachiel by shattering the downed Angel's Core. Sachiel in a last desperate attack, wraps itself around the Eva and self destructs in a massive cross shaped explosion. Eva-01 emerges from the explosion with little apparent damage.

As Nerv regains control of the Evangelion, Shinji comes to in the entry plug. The damaged helmet sloughs off, and Shinji is able to glimpse the Eva's face reflected in the windows of a building[11] As he looks on, the Eva's eye[12] regenerates and suddenly focuses straight at him. Shinji begins to scream and the flashback ends.

Shinji slowly curls up in bed after recalling the battle. Misato comes to his door and praises him for piloting the Eva and saving the city. The episode ends.

Notes

One of many visual parallels in NGE

OMG!! She's after his cranium!!

  • When Misato is channel-surfing on TV while in the Nerv tent with Ritsuko, it is difficult to tell exactly what they are saying, however, the full lines of dialogue for the people on TV were actually included in the script: (parts actually heard on-screen are italicized):
Woman on Channel 12: "...the government administration's announcement was carried out this morning in the official residence of the prime minister of Tokyo-2."
Man on Channel 4: "As for the participation of the SSDF in this incident not being recognized, this was negated."
Woman on Channel 8: "They advocated that the U.N. forces' sortie into Japan was within the scope of the law."
Man on Channel 1: "When confronted with the claim, "Was this not an alien attack?", they laughed, saying, "This isn't manga"."
  • Misato complains that it is hot out when they are in the truck transporting Eva Unit 01's helmet, and even with the air conditioning turned up, takes off several layers of clothing to be more comfortable. However, Ritsuko does not take off her heavy lab coat. This would seem to be emblematic of their personalities; Misato is casual and laid-back, while Ritsuko is very professional and concerned with appearances.
  • The outfit that Misato changes into when she brings Shinji back to her apartment (blue cutoff short shorts, a loose-fitting yellow t-shirt, and apparently no bra) is exactly the same outfit that Asuka wears when she kisses Shinji in Episode 15.
  • The shot of Misato grabbing Shinji's head from above while at her kitchen table visually parallels the shot when Sachiel grabs Eva-01's head from above.
  • Unit-01 is seen without it's helmet on, revealing that Evangelions are clearly not robots, but more living organic creatures with cybernetic machine and computer components grafted onto them. Eva Unit 01 can apparently regenerate battle damage, just like an Angel. It doesn't do this very often in the series, but it's the only Evangelion ever seen actually doing this.
  • First appearance of Pen Pen, Misato's "warm water penguin".
  • Timeline-wise, Gendo says that Rei will be out of the hospital in 20 days, at which time Eva 00 will be brought out of cryo-stasis.
  • When Shinji is shocked by the appearance of Pen Pen and runs out of the shower naked, a strategically placed beer can hides his crotch from view, until Misato takes the large beer can away and a much smaller container still obscures his crotch from view. In Japanese, the smaller container is labeled "toothpicks".
  • Whenever an Evangelion screams when it goes "berserk" in the series, it is part of the episode's dialogue track, not just the background effects sound track. As a result, when episodes such as this one are translated into different languages, the Evangelion screams have to actually be re-produced by different voice actors. The result is that Eva screams sound noticeably different between the original Japanese and English dub versions.
  • When Misato stops with Shinji at a convenience store to pick up food, she illegally double-parks her car. She doesn't simply go over the dividing line between lanes: Misato utterly ignores that the parking spaces are obviously arranged so that vehicles are supposed to park with their front facing the curb, and instead parks her car fully parallel to the curb, so that it takes up two full spaces. Judging by the large amount of food that she and Shinji bought, she apparently wasn't just running in and out of the store, but must have left her car intentionally parked like that for a considerable amount of time.
  • NERV apparently makes or contracts out for production its own merchandise and accessories for its employees (like many real world large organizations). In this episode we see coffee mugs and even disposable paper cups that have the "NERV" logo on them.
  • Misato's apartment is littered with several car magazines; Gainax character designer and animator Yoshiyuki Sadamoto is himself a car enthusiast.
  • When Shinji's memories about the battle against Sachiel return to him, images of nerve cells as viewed through a microscope flash across the screen.
  • The brand of beer that is Misato drinks is "Yebisu" which is actually a real-life brand of beer in Japan. When the series was originally broadcast in Japan, the TV network the series was airing on complained that they didn't want to advertise for Yebisu for free like this, so by Episode 2 the name was changed to the fictional "Yebichu" (named as a direct homage to the manga series, "Oruchuban (Ebichu)"). However, when the series was released on video and DVD the name "Yebisu" was restored.
  • When Shinji and Misato are dividing up household tasks between themselves, they are playing "Janken" to determine who gets a given task. Janken is actually exactly the same as "Rock, Paper, Scissors", though the terminology is of course different. Misato wins most of the matches, resulting in Shinji getting stuck with most of the chores. The chart they make up says they divided up the chores so that Misato makes breakfast on Tuesday, dinner on Wednesday and Saturday, handles the garbage on Monday, and bath cleaning on Thursday. Shinji handles these chores on all other days of the week.
  • There is a brief shot of a construction schedule for some of Tokyo-3's defensive emplacements, soon before Misato picks up Shinji at the hospital, which reads that this particular construction began in November 2014 and was scheduled to end in August 2015. As the construction is still ongoing, this places the latest possible date for the start of the series in August 2015

Quotes

  • (Misato is talking to Ritsuko on the phone)
    Ritsuko Akagi: "What did you say?!"
    Misato Katsuragi: "Like I said, I'll take care of Shinji. I've already got permission from the brass...(sarcastically)...And don't worry, It's not like I'm going to "put the moves" on a kid."
    Ritsuko: (Misato holds her phone away from her head as Ritsuko yells loudly) "OF COURSE YOU'RE NOT!! What the hell are you thinking? You're always like that. Honestly!"
    Misato:"She could never take a joke".
  • Misato: (to Shinji) "Starting today, this is your home. So you can take advantage of everything here."
  • Misato: "Air conditioning has just got to be humanity's greatest treasure. It's a real triumph of science."

References

  1. Evangelion pilots seem to feel the damage inflicted upon their Evas. Go Here for a full analysis.
  2. This marks the first appearance of the "Human Instrumentality Committee" of Seele, and Seele's leader Chairman Keel Lorenz. The Human Instrumentality Project is incorrectly translated as "Human Complementation Project" in this episode by the English dub, though correctly translated in all subsequent appearances.
  3. The translation of the file cover displayed during the meeting of the Instrumentality Committee is: "Top Secret/Human Instrumentality Project/International Alliance Supreme Executive Council/17th Interim Report/Human Instrumentality Committee/2015 Business Plan Outline/Summary"
  4. "Speaking of improvisation, when I added the ‘Human Complementation Project’ that appears in the second episode, and which was going to become the fulcrum/pivot of the plot, I still had no idea about what it was going to ‘complement’. It’s just a verbal bluff (laughs). - Anno June 1996 Newtype Interview
  5. Misato's promise not to "put the moves" on Shinji foreshadows both the scene in ep. 23 where she tries (and fails) to "comfort" Shinji by seducing him, and the scene in The End of Evangelion where she gives him an "adult kiss" (and promises to "do the rest" later) to encourage him to pilot Eva-01.
  6. The song playing in the background in the convenience store Misato and Shinji stop at is the song "You are the only one" from "Lilia", an image album for the "Ys" RPG series. Not at all coincidentally, the vocalist is Kotono Mitsuishi, Misato's voice actress.
  7. When Misato welcomes Shinji into her home, she says that he should feel free to "take advantage of anything here", which of course has several inappropriate implications. ADV's English dub added the extra line "...except of course me, that is!", probably to match the lip flaps, which hides the overt connotations of the original dialogue.
  8. Before Misato and Shinji begin eating (their meal of microwaveable insta-food and beer), in the original Japanese dub they say "itadakimasu". This is a traditional prayer before beginning a meal, literally meaning "I will humbly receive"; this is done to show proper thankfulness to the preparer of the meal in particular, and more generally to all those living things that lost their lives to make the meal.
  9. This is the first full appearance of Evangelion Unit-00, glimpsed briefly while frozen in bakelite when Gendo and Ritsuko are standing in the experiment room it wrecked when it went berserk. (In Episode 01, only its hand was seen.) Flashbacks to this and a full introduction of Eva-00 will be given in Episode 05.
  10. There is a "Signal Termination Plug", inserted into Eva 00, which resembles a crucifix.
  11. Eva-01's face has no visible natural upper jaw or teeth, although they should be clearly visible with the entire helmet removed. The face will be seen again, in a more anatomically plausible form, in Episode 20.
  12. Eva-01's Eye deliberately resembles female genitalia.



Episodes & Films
Television Series Episode 01 | Episode 02 | Episode 03 | Episode 04 | Episode 05 | Episode 06

Episode 07 | Episode 08 | Episode 09 | Episode 10 | Episode 11 | Episode 12 | Episode 13
Episode 14 | Episode 15 | Episode 16 | Episode 17 | Episode 18 | Episode 19 | Episode 20
Episode 21 | Episode 22 | Episode 23 | Episode 24 | Episode 25 | Episode 26

Movies Death | Rebirth

The End of Evangelion: Episode 25' | Episode 26'

Rebuild of Evangelion Evangelion 1.0 | Evangelion 2.0 | Evangelion 3.0 | (-46h) | (-120min) | Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0