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==Synopsis==
==Synopsis==
The Episode begins with Asuka and Kaji aboard the Aircraft Carrier on their way to Japan. Asuka talks to Kaji about Misato and tells him that he is the only person she loves, in what amounts to an excessively strong schoolgirl crush. Kaji rebuffs her, saying, "You're only a child."
The Episode begins with [[Asuka]] and [[Kaji]] aboard the Aircraft Carrier on their way to Japan. Asuka talks to Kaji about [[Misato]] and tells him that he is the only person she loves, in what amounts to an excessively strong schoolgirl crush. Kaji rebuffs her as gently as he possibly can, saying, "You're only a child." Asuka tries to prove him wrong, ripping open the top of her dress while insisting that she is grown-up enough, desperately begging him to look at her.


Other dark images of Asuka's past abound, including images of her mother lying in hospital and holding a doll. The real Asuka watches as her previously neglectful mother refuses to recognize her and treats the doll as her daughter, while her father (Langley), speaks to and then makes love with the lady doctor in the next room. Asuka refuses to cry at her mother's funeral after she commits suicide.
Other dark images of Asuka's past abound, including images of her mother lying in hospital and holding a doll. The real Asuka watches as her previously neglectful mother refuses to recognize her and treats the doll as her daughter, while her father (Langley), speaks to and then makes love with the lady doctor<ref>In a description of the flashback scene from the beginning of 22, the ''[[S² Works]]'' booklet designates the lady doctor as Langley's "mistress" ("''aijin''").</ref> in the next room. Asuka refuses to cry at her mother's funeral after she commits suicide.
 
Back in the present, Asuka's sync rate is on a downward trajectory. Ritsuko notices that it could be a major problem, with the Evas still in repair after [[Zeruel]]'s attack. She orders [[Maya Ibuki|Maya]] to see to it that Eva-00 get the most attention for now.
 
Meanwhile, Misato has a covert meeting with [[Makoto Hyuga|Hyuga]], who has learned from his sources in Shanghai that the other branches of Nerv have started production work on Evas all the way up to number 13. Misato notes that it is strange that they are starting mass production at this stage. Hyuga guesses that the reason is either to ensure they have enough reserve parts or it is a way to defend against multiple Angels attacking at once, but Misato points out that is still rather suspicious that the Committee is trying to keep the production a secret, and believes that they might have some other objective in mind.


Asuka ignores Shinji and there is visible tension between her and Misato at dinner. Soon afterwards, her stepmother (The doctor) calls up and both of them speak in German for a while before she hangs up , and tells Shinji the truth about her stepmother before getting angry and wondering why she is telling all this. She screams her hatred of Shinji, Misato, Rei and herself in the bath, and hates menstruating since she doesn't want to be a mother. At a train station, she tries to phone Kaji but doesn't get him, and is extremely annoyed to see Shinji there, talking to Rei.
[[Image:22 C316 asuka.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Asuka glares at Shinji at the train station.]]
[[Image:22 C316 asuka.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Asuka glares at Shinji at the train station.]]
Late in the afternoon, Asuka is on her way home from the sync test and waits for the train at a station. She tries calling Kaji on her phone, but an automated message tells her that the number is no longer in use. Frustrated, Asuka takes a look around the station and spots Rei and Shinji on another platform, with Shinji talking casually to Rei. Asuka is annoyed at this, feeling that she has lost to Rei.
Asuka ignores Shinji and there is visible tension between her and Misato at dinner. Soon afterwards, her stepmother (The doctor) calls up and both of them speak in German for a while before she hangs up, with a dark expression on her face.<ref>''In her phone conversation with her stepmother in Part A, Asuka speaks German. The contents of which are roughly as follows: "Hello? Mother? We just finished eating. What about you? You want me to introduce him? Please, of course not. He's not sociable. Uh-huh, uh-huh. Really, wow, I didn't know. That's great. I don't have anything to say, either. Talk to you again later. I'm hanging up, okay? Well, goodnight!" This dialogue was not written in the script, and was left up to Yuko Miyamura, who plays Asuka.'' - [http://www.evamonkey.com/platinum-booklets/episode-commentaries-21-26.php Platinum Episode Commentaries]</ref> Shinji fails to notice this, and tries asking her about the conversation, noting that it must nice to have some family to talk to. Asuka, in a rare unguarded moment, opens up to Shinji and tells him the truth about her stepmother, namely that she doesn't hate her, but only really talks to her to keep up appearances, before getting angry and wondering why she is telling all this.
Asuka's mood worsens as the night goes on, culminating in her screaming out her hatred of Shinji, Misato, Rei and herself in the bath. Misato notices this with some concern.
The next day, Asuka undergoes a new test, with her score even worse than the day before. Misato tells Risuko that Asuka is on her period, and that her bad results have something to do with that, but Ritsuko says that superficial physical conditions shouldn't normally affect the score, and guesses that the problem is of a psychological nature. Her and Ritsuko talk afterwards, with Misato noticing that things between Asuka and Shinji are close to the breaking point, that she is considering to have them live separately.
Elsewhere, an exhausted Asuka is rinsing herself off in a bathroom, asking why she has to go through menstruating when she doesn't want to be a mother. On her way back, she runs into Rei in the elevator, and after a long silence, Rei speaks, telling Asuka to treat the Eva like a person. Enraged at Rei trying to help her out, Asuka slaps Rei and storms out of the elevator. She talks to [[Eva-02]] for a while, telling it that it's her puppet and therefore should do as she tells it, before deciding, "This is stupid."<ref>''In “Episode 22 “At Least, Be Human,” “doll” is a motif, and the word and the figure of a doll appear many times. Asuka's mother thinks the doll is her child, and her father says there is a fine line between human and doll. [...] Asuka says that Rei is a mechanical doll, to which Rei replies that she is not a doll. Asuka also speaks to Unit 02, which she thinks is only a doll, as if she were talking to a human being. Then, her trauma is revealed. Asuka's mother once tried to take her to her death as a young girl. Because of that, Asuka tried to forget her mother, to no longer be her mother's puppet. She decided to become a person who thinks and lives by herself. It is this desire that has made her what she is today. She says that she has always hated Rei, but there is no way that she has always known her. It is not Rei that she has always hated, but people who live like dolls. She is also her past self.'' - [http://www.style.fm/as/05_column/animesama55.shtml Oguro Staff Commentary #55]</ref>


Her mental disturbance is noticed by Ritsuko, who has seen her synch scores deteriorate since her defeat to [[Zeruel]]. Asuka runs into Rei in the elevator, and after a long silence, Rei speaks, telling Asuka to treat the Eva like a person. Enraged at Rei trying to help her out, Asuka slaps Rei and storms out of the elevator. She talks to Eva-02 for a while, telling it that it's her puppet, before deciding, "This is stupid."
Right then, the Angel [[Arael]]<ref> Hyuga mentions that [[Arael]] "isn't budging from its satellite orbit", then Aoba says that "It's maintaining a set distance from" them. Although this should imply that Arael is in Geostationary Orbit, the shot of the lance heading for the Arael show that it is a lower orbit, since Geostationary Orbit(Which is 22,000 miles, or 36,000 kilometers above sea level) allows a full third of the Earth to be visible. Judging from the angle of the throw, the landmass under the Angel is probably Australia. While Geostationary Orbit can normally only be achieved by a satellite over the equator and at the previously mentioned altitude(36,000 kilometers), the raw power of the Angel's S<sup>2</sup> engine could allow it to simply hover in any position in orbit, something impossible for a normal satellite.</ref> arrives, holding its position in Low Earth Orbit very far from Tokyo-3.


Right then, the Angel [[Arael]] arrives, holding position in Low Earth Orbit very far from Tokyo-3. Rei is sent to shoot the Angel, with Asuka as a backup, but Asuka refuses to be her backup and takes point position instead. Ritsuko mentions to Maya that they need to think of a replacement pilot for Eva-02. Arael remains just out of range of Asuka's Positron Rifle, and generates a beam of visible light similar to an A.T. Field that penetrates the Eva's mind.
With [[Eva-01]] on freeze and Shinji placed on indefinite standby under orders from [[Gendo]], Misato plans for Rei and [[Eva-00]] to take point against the Angel, with Asuka and Eva-02 acting as her backup. Asuka, however, takes it as an insult to be relegated to Rei's backup and immediately launches her Eva on her own, and Misato reluctantly allows her. [[Maya]] is worried that it might be Asuka's last chance, and Ritsuko mentions to her that they need to think of a replacement pilot for Eva-02. Asuka attempts to attack the Angel with the Positron Rifle, but it remains too far out of range and the targeting computer is unable to get a lock on it. Suddenly, a beam of visible light shines down from the Angel upon the Eva. Asuka is caught off-guard and screams as she fires in blind panic causing damage all over Tokyo-3. Looking at the readings, Ritsuko realizes that the Angel's attack is similar to an [[A.T. Field]], and it is trying to penetrate the Eva's mind.<ref>Ritsuko comments about the Angel trying to understand a human mind, which implies that Arael was trying to understand humans or make contact with them. The beam of light functioned like an attack on Asuka's mind because it forced Asuka to expose and relive the terrible memories and fears that she had shut away deep inside her mind.</ref>


[[Image:ep22_arael_orbit.gif|right|thumb|A view of the Spear and Arael from Earth's orbit]]
Asuka screams in pain, as Eva-02 convulses in sympathy, as the Angel tries to enter her mind. Misato orders her to retreat, but Asuka stubbornly refuses despite the obvious pain she is in, declaring she would rather die than fail again. The Angel continues to chip away at Asuka's resolve, and soon succeeds, revealing even more of her inner trauma, her pathological fear of being replaced, her feelings of having lost Kaji to Misato and having been ignored and rejected by Shinji, and how she constantly desires for attention by being the best in everything.<ref>There was a curious description in the part of the film where her feelings for Shinji are portrayed in the inner universe. [...] She was regretting her treatment of Shinji by going to the next room in episode 9, and her playful kissing in episode 15. [...] In other words, she wanted Shinji to make an aggressive approach when they spent the night together in episode 9 and when they kissed. But he was always passive. He never embraced her, even when their lips met. That was another reason for her heartbreak.- ''[http://www.style.fm/as/05_column/animesama55.shtml Oguro Staff Commentary #55]'''</ref> With Asuka being sapped of the will to live, Eva-02 shuts down, as the Angel's attack continues to wither her mentally, now causing her body to slowly begin to give out too. Rei is ordered to shoot the Angel with a sniper version of the Positron Rifle (Similar in appearance to the one used against Ramiel), but the beam is too weak to penetrate the Angel's A.T. Field at that range.<ref>''Just as it holds true for the Fifteenth Angel that appears in this episode, non of the Angels that appear in the fourth part [Episodes 21-26] launch brute force attacks, but instead, try to shake the Eva pilots psychologically.'' - [http://www.evamonkey.com/platinum-booklets/episode-commentaries-21-26.php Platinum Episode Commentaries]</ref><ref>''In the fourth part [Episodes 21-26], the effectiveness of certain important scenes has been increased by the use of well-known classical pieces as BGM. The piece used in this episode is Handel's oratorio "Messiah." Messiah means savior and the lyrics have been taken from the Bible. The piece portays the prophecy of Christ's birth all the way to his resurrection in three parts.'' - [http://www.evamonkey.com/platinum-booklets/episode-commentaries-21-26.php Platinum Episode Commentaries]</ref>


The Eva fires but Arael is too far for the shots to contact, it convulses and shoots causing damage all over Tokyo-3. Asuka screams in pain as the Angel tries to enter her mind, and soon the Angel succeeds in breaking into her mind, revealing even more of her inner trauma, and how she constantly desires for attention by being the best in everything. As Eva-02 shuts down and the pilot continues to wither mentally, Rei is ordered to shoot the Angel with a sniper version of the Positron Rifle (Similar to but much less powerful than the one used against Ramiel), but beam is too weak to penetrate the Angel's A.T. Field at that range.
Shinji wants to be sent out in Eva-01 to rescue Asuka, but Gendo refuses his request, saying that he won't risk contamination, and orders the Eva to remain in lockdown. Gendo instead orders Rei to retrieve the [[Spear of Longinus]] from [[Terminal Dogma]] (where it lies driven into the crucified [[Lilith]]). Misato asks Gendo if an Eva making contact with "Adam" wouldn't risk trigging Third Impact. When Gendo only answers her question with silence, she realizes that it too was a lie, and wonders what really caused Second Impact. [[Fuyutsuki]], meanwhile, questions Gendo's reasoning for this action, asking if they are not getting ahead of themselves, and telling him that Seele will undoubtedly be upset by it. Gendo, however, insists that Eva-02 is still an asset Nerv cannot currently afford to lose, and with Seele having begun mass-producing the Eva series, they need to make countermove against them, and he believes the situation at hand represents the best opportunity to get rid of the Spear.


Gendo orders Rei to retrieve the Spear of Longinus from Terminal Dogma (where it lies driven into the crucified [[Lilith]]), which she uses to deadly effect on the Angel. The Spear, however, is lost. Shinji tries to console Asuka, who is even more upset after the mental attack and hates the idea that Rei saved her.
Meanwhile in Terminal Dogma, Rei pulls out of the spear from Lilith's chest. At this, the white giant's legs spontaneously regenerates, but otherwise it still appears as dead as ever. Returning to the surface, Rei uses the Spear to deadly effect on the Angel<ref>In the director's cut editions, either Eva-00 or the Spear lets out a bellow that sounds exactly like a berserk Eva-01 when the Spear breaks the clouds. Whether the Eva or the Spear itself makes that noise is unclear, but a very similar sound is heard in End of Evangelion when the Spear fuses with Eva-01's core. Once thrown, it appears that the Spear can propel itself. The replica Spears in [[End of Evangelion]] also move as though capable of self-propulsion, making it even more likely that the original Spear can propel itself.</ref>. The Spear, however, is lost into orbit, and can't be retrieved.


==On-Air Version==
In the aftermath, Asuka is placed in temporary quarantine on the roof of a nearby building as Eva-02 is extracted from the field. Shinji shows up and hesitantly tries offering her some consoling words, but even more upset after the mental attack making her relive her trauma and furious at the idea that Rei saved her, she angrily rebuffs him.
''For a detailed comparison of the redrawn scenes, see [[Guides:Episode_22_OA_vs._DC]]''
 
*The only scenes the audience sees of Asuka's mindrape in the original version is of her wondering why she's crying when little (Presumably at her mother's funeral after deciding she wouldn't cry anymore) up until her telling the 15th Angel to stop making her remember all that "bad stuff" since she'd "forgotten about it".
==On-Air Version Differences==
''For a detailed comparison of the redrawn scenes, see [[Guides:Episode 22 OA vs. DC]]''
*The only scenes the audience sees of Asuka's mind-rape in the original version is of her wondering why she's crying when little (Presumably at her mother's funeral after deciding she wouldn't cry anymore) up until her telling the 15th Angel to stop making her remember all that "bad stuff" since she'd "forgotten about it".
*Material absent from the On Air version:
*Material absent from the On Air version:
**The attempted seduction scene on the Aircraft carrier.
**The attempted seduction scene on the Aircraft carrier.
**The scene in the bathroom where Asuka declares her hatred for everyone including herself.
**The scene in the bathroom where Asuka declares her hatred for everyone including herself.
**The scene where Asuka sees Shinji talking to Rei and reacts with Jealousy.
**The scene where Asuka sees Shinji talking to Rei and reacts with jealousy.
**Most of the mind rape includes important flashbacks to [[Episode 09|Episodes 9]], [[Episode 10|10]], and [[Episode 15|15]].
**Most of the mind rape including important flashbacks to [[Episode 09]], [[Episode 10]], and [[Episode 15|15]].
**The last few seconds of the hospital scene where we hear Langley and the Lady Doctor thrashing around in the next room.
**The last few seconds of the hospital scene where we hear Langley and the Lady Doctor thrashing around in the next room.
**Lilith's legs regenerating once the Spear of Longinus is removed.
**The Spear of Longinus morphing as it penetrates the Angel's AT Field.
*The On Air version includes the opening credits; they are missing from the [[Director's Cut episodes|Director's Cut]].
*The On Air version includes the opening credits; they are missing from the [[Director's Cut episodes|Director's Cut]].


==Notes==
==Notes==
[[Image:ep22_arael_orbit.gif|right|thumb|A view of the Spear and Arael from Earth's orbit]]
*The sequence where Asuka sees her introduction repeated five times has Asuka voiced by different voice actresses in the original Japanese, lending credence to Asuka's "This is not me!" reaction. The voice actresses, in order, are [[Kotono Mitsuishi]] (Misato), [[Megumi Hayashibara]] (Rei), [[Miki Nagasawa]] (Maya), [[Yuriko Yamaguchi]] (Ritsuko) and [[Junko Iwao]] (Hikari).
* Hyuga mentions that [[Arael]] "isn't budging from its satellite orbit", then Aoba says that "It's maintaining a set distance from" them. Although this should imply that Arael is in Geostationary Orbit, the shot of the lance heading for the Arael show that it is a lower orbit, since Geostationary Orbit(Which is 22,000 miles, or 36,000 kilometers above sea level) allows a full third of the Earth to be visible. Judging from the angle of the throw, the landmass under the Angel is probably Australia. While Geostationary Orbit can normally only be achieved by a satellite over the equator and at the previously mentioned altitude(36,000 kilometers), the raw power of the Angel's S<sup>2</sup> engine could allow it to simply hover in any position in orbit, something impossible for a normal satellite.
*In the expanded [[Director's Cut]] version of Episode 22, Anno also took inspiration from a 1996 doujin by author Nobi Nobita called ''Bridal Veil'', [https://forum.evageeks.org/post/425333/NGE-Ep24-Script-First-and-Second-Drafts/#425333 which depicted an expanded mindrape scene itself]. Curiously, while making his own scene, Anno made it clear that Asuka's feelings were directed at Shinji, having supplanted her crush for Kaji. It also adds more lines for Asuka bemoaning Shinji and makes this context even clearer by adding additional past scenes with Asuka and Shinji, like him rescuing her in [[Episode 10]].<ref>[https://forum.evageeks.org/post/425333/NGE-Ep24-Script-First-and-Second-Drafts/#425333 JUNE 2nd Interview with Nobita Nobi]</ref> This isn't made clear in the doujin, wherein it seems ambiguous if she's talking about Shinji or Kaji. [https://forum.evageeks.org/thread/17938/Nobi-Nobita-Bridal-Veil-Ep-22-DC-Source/ This doujin has been translated] on Evageeks and a full scanlation is also available on its thread.
* In Japanese, "to hold [someone]" [https://jisho.org/word/%E6%8A%B1%E3%81%8F-1 is a double entendre of "having sex with"]. In effect, Asuka is not only lamenting that Shinji won't support her and hold her during the kiss, but that he didn't even at least give her affection through sex. Incidentally, to amplify the Misato/Kaji and Ritsuko/Gendo parallels, in [[Episode 25]], during Misato's Instrumentality section, she is questioned by Ritsuko why she slept with Kaji. Ritsuko uses the same euphemism as Asuka: "Is that why you slept with him?" (itself an euphemism in English), in the Japanese literally "Is that why you held/embraced him?". Likewise, Misato replies, "No, I embraced him because I loved him.". Similarly, in [[Episode 24]], when Ritsuko is confronted by Gendo during her imprisonment, she tells him, [https://www.animanga.com/scripts/textesgb/eva22.html literally]: "Now that I ain't happy even if you hold me. You can do anything you like to my body, as you did at that time.". In the English dub, the context here is more obvious, so it's outright translated as "when you make love to me". Along with the accompanying screenshots to flashbacks of important scenes in Episodes [[Episode 09|09]], [[Episode 10|10]], and [[Episode 15|15]] respectively, it appears that Asuka has feelings for Shinji and has been trying to get him to notice her all this time. See [Shinji and Asuka's Relationship] for details.


*In a description of the flashback scene from the beginning of 22, the ''[[S² Works]]'' booklet designates the lady doctor as Langley's "mistress" ("''aijin''").
* See [[Theory and Analysis:Film Montage Theory in Evangelion]] for an analysis of the montage sequences in this episode.


==Analysis==
==Analysis==
* Ritsuko comments about the Angel trying to understand a human mind, which implies that Arael was  trying to understand humans or make contact with them. The beam of light functioned like an attack on Asuka's mind because it forced Asuka to expose and relive the terrible memories and fears that she had shut away deep inside her mind.
*Based on Asuka's reaction at seeing Shinji in her mind during the attack ("What are you doing there?!  You won't do anything! You won't help me! You won't even hold me!") along with the accompanying screenshots to flashbacks of important scenes in Episodes [[Episode 09|09]], [[Episode 10|10]], and [[Episode 15|15]] respectively, it appears that Asuka has been seeking Shinji's attention all this time. See [[Theory and Analysis: Shinji and Asuka's Relationship]] for details.<ref>''Misato drops the heels in her hands as Kaji hugs her. The scene ends with the next long shot of the two of them, but in the storyboard, the cut is marked “At this point, does Misato's hand remain hanging down or is it behind Kaji's back? Which is it ......?” as [storyboard artist] Kiichi Hadame asks himself, to which director Anno adds the comment, “I will ponder this.” In other words, whether Misato accepts Kaji here or not. In the finished film, Misato's hand, which had been lowered, is raised once, but it is not placed behind Kaji's back; instead, it is lowered again at the end of the cut. Just as the creator was troubled, Misato hesitated as to whether or not to accept Kaji. While Misato and Kaji were exchanging adult kisses, Shinji and Asuka were kissing in a very childish manner in the apartment. I will talk about that in Episode 22 “At Least, Be Human”.''<br>''The subtitle of episode 15 is “Lies and Silence.” It is one of the most difficult subtitles of “Eva” to interpret. In this episode, many lies and concealments are described: the Mardock Agency, which was set up to select EVA pilots, was a dummy company without any substance; Gendo and Ritsuko concealed the existence of the underground Lilith; Misato once broke up with Kaji with a lie, and when he heard her confession about it, he told a gentle lie for her. However, Kaji was a spy for the Japanese government's Internal Affairs Agency. Perhaps Shinji's words to Gendo after visiting Yui's grave, “I was happy today."; or when Asuka told him the reason she kissed him was because she was "bored". And there is no one to explain these lies and secrets. There is only silence.'' - [http://www.style.fm/as/05_column/animesama48.shtml Oguro Staff Commentary #48]</ref>
*Based on Asuka's reaction at seeing Shinji in her mind during the attack ("What are you doing there?!  You won't do anything! You won't help me! You won't even hold me!") along with the accompanying screen shots to flashbacks of important scenes in Episodes [[Episode 09|09]], [[Episode 10|10]], and [[Episode 15|15]] respectively, it appears that Asuka has feelings for Shinji and has been trying to get him to notice her all this time.
*When Gendo orders the use of the Spear of Longinus, Fuyutsuki questions its use, being worried about the possible backlash from Seele. Their conversation makes it clear that Gendo was looking for a convenient pretext to get rid of the original Spear. Why Gendo wanted the Spear removed or how it could have interfered with his scenario for Third Impact is unclear.
[[Image:22 C391 asuka-alone.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Asuka behind her "Wall of Jericho", Episode 09.]]
** The Spear is depicted as having landed on the [[Moon]] in [[The End of Evangelion]]. Since the Spear is recalled in a matter of seconds and merges with Eva-01 during Third Impact, it is an open question whether its use against Arael fulfilled Gendo's original objective or ultimately proved futile.  
*Arael, along with succeeding Angels Armisael and Tabris, forms a triad of Angels that try to understand or communicate with humans. As such, Arael forms one of three parts of a classical Angel: Arael representing the wings, Armisael the Halo, and Tabris the body.
*Arael and the succeeding Angels, Armisael and Tabris (Kaworu), form a triad of Angels that try to understand or communicate with humans. However, [[Leliel]] in [[Episode 16]] was the first to attempt this, and, although it is never shown onscreen, it is even possible that something similar occurred with [[Bardiel]].
*In the director's cut editions, either Eva-00 or the Spear lets out a bellow that sounds exactly like a berserk Eva-01 when the Spear breaks the clouds. Whether the Eva or the Spear itself makes that noise is unclear, but a very similar sound is heard in End of Evangelion when the Spear fuses with Eva-01's core.  
* Arael and the next two Angels seem to form the three parts of a classical Angel: Arael representing the wings, Armisael the Halo, and Kaworu the body.
**Where the power for throwing the Spear comes from remains a mystery- either the Eva itself is using its A.T. Field energy to propel the Spear, or the Spear is capable of self-propulsion once thrown. How Rei aims the Spear at a target so far away and in orbit is also not explained, but Rei is no ordinary human, and she might have been able to synchronize with her Eva at a much higher rate under duress.


==Quotes==
==Quotes==
*'''Asuka remembering her seducing Kaji before arriving in Japan''': "Asuka, you're still a child. Those things can wait until you grow up a little." "What?! That's no fun! I'm already grown up enough! I'm already a grownup! I'm a grownup! I'm a grownup! So look at me!"
*'''Asuka remembering her seducing Kaji before arriving in Japan''': "Asuka, you're still a child. Those things can wait until you grow up a little." "What?! That's no fun! I'm already grown up enough! I'm already a grownup! I'm a grownup! I'm a grownup! So look at me!"


*'''Asuka thinking how Misato, Rei, Hikari, Ritsuko and Maya see her (In that order)''': "Soryu Asuka Langley, pleased to meet you! Are you stupid? (It's my) Chance! So look at me!" "No (it's different), this is not me!"
*'''Asuka thinking how Misato, Rei, Hikari, Ritsuko, and Maya see her (In that order)''': "Soryu Asuka Langley, pleased to meet you! Are you stupid? (It's my) Chance! So look at me!" "No (it's different), this is not me!"


*'''Asuka, upon seeing Shinji in her mind''': "Why are you there?! You won't do anything! You won't help me! You won't even hold me! No one! No one! No one!" ''Asuka crying when little:'' "So look at me!"
*'''Asuka, upon seeing Shinji in her mind''': "Why are you there?! You won't do anything! You won't help me! You won't even hold me! No one! No one! No one!" ''Asuka crying when little:'' "So look at me!"


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


 
==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20200215092934/http://www.evaotaku.com/html/dircut/eps22.html Bochan_bird translation of DC added scenes]


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Latest revision as of 22:20, 5 May 2024

Episode Information
Episode #22
Title 1: せめて、人間らしく
Semete, ningen rashiku
At least, be human
Title 2: Don't be.
Written By Hideaki Anno, Hiroshi Yamaguchi
Directed By Akira Takamura
First Aired 2-28-1996
Video Release Date 2-5-1997 (Japan-Video/LD), 5-29-2001 (US-DVD)
Angel Appearances Arael, Lilith(Crucified)
Eva Sorties Eva-00, Eva-02
Episode chronology
← Previous Next →
"Episode 21" "Episode 23"

Overview

Asuka's synch rate is on a downward spiral after her defeat at the hands of the Fourteenth Angel, Zeruel, and her frustration with Rei, Shinji, Misato and (unknown to her, dead) Kaji is on the rise. Angrier and more disturbed than ever, she is forced to relive her dark, traumatic past during the encounter with the Fifteenth Angel, Arael.

Synopsis

The Episode begins with Asuka and Kaji aboard the Aircraft Carrier on their way to Japan. Asuka talks to Kaji about Misato and tells him that he is the only person she loves, in what amounts to an excessively strong schoolgirl crush. Kaji rebuffs her as gently as he possibly can, saying, "You're only a child." Asuka tries to prove him wrong, ripping open the top of her dress while insisting that she is grown-up enough, desperately begging him to look at her.

Other dark images of Asuka's past abound, including images of her mother lying in hospital and holding a doll. The real Asuka watches as her previously neglectful mother refuses to recognize her and treats the doll as her daughter, while her father (Langley), speaks to and then makes love with the lady doctor[1] in the next room. Asuka refuses to cry at her mother's funeral after she commits suicide.

Back in the present, Asuka's sync rate is on a downward trajectory. Ritsuko notices that it could be a major problem, with the Evas still in repair after Zeruel's attack. She orders Maya to see to it that Eva-00 get the most attention for now.

Meanwhile, Misato has a covert meeting with Hyuga, who has learned from his sources in Shanghai that the other branches of Nerv have started production work on Evas all the way up to number 13. Misato notes that it is strange that they are starting mass production at this stage. Hyuga guesses that the reason is either to ensure they have enough reserve parts or it is a way to defend against multiple Angels attacking at once, but Misato points out that is still rather suspicious that the Committee is trying to keep the production a secret, and believes that they might have some other objective in mind.

Asuka glares at Shinji at the train station.

Late in the afternoon, Asuka is on her way home from the sync test and waits for the train at a station. She tries calling Kaji on her phone, but an automated message tells her that the number is no longer in use. Frustrated, Asuka takes a look around the station and spots Rei and Shinji on another platform, with Shinji talking casually to Rei. Asuka is annoyed at this, feeling that she has lost to Rei.

Asuka ignores Shinji and there is visible tension between her and Misato at dinner. Soon afterwards, her stepmother (The doctor) calls up and both of them speak in German for a while before she hangs up, with a dark expression on her face.[2] Shinji fails to notice this, and tries asking her about the conversation, noting that it must nice to have some family to talk to. Asuka, in a rare unguarded moment, opens up to Shinji and tells him the truth about her stepmother, namely that she doesn't hate her, but only really talks to her to keep up appearances, before getting angry and wondering why she is telling all this.

Asuka's mood worsens as the night goes on, culminating in her screaming out her hatred of Shinji, Misato, Rei and herself in the bath. Misato notices this with some concern.

The next day, Asuka undergoes a new test, with her score even worse than the day before. Misato tells Risuko that Asuka is on her period, and that her bad results have something to do with that, but Ritsuko says that superficial physical conditions shouldn't normally affect the score, and guesses that the problem is of a psychological nature. Her and Ritsuko talk afterwards, with Misato noticing that things between Asuka and Shinji are close to the breaking point, that she is considering to have them live separately.

Elsewhere, an exhausted Asuka is rinsing herself off in a bathroom, asking why she has to go through menstruating when she doesn't want to be a mother. On her way back, she runs into Rei in the elevator, and after a long silence, Rei speaks, telling Asuka to treat the Eva like a person. Enraged at Rei trying to help her out, Asuka slaps Rei and storms out of the elevator. She talks to Eva-02 for a while, telling it that it's her puppet and therefore should do as she tells it, before deciding, "This is stupid."[3]

Right then, the Angel Arael[4] arrives, holding its position in Low Earth Orbit very far from Tokyo-3.

With Eva-01 on freeze and Shinji placed on indefinite standby under orders from Gendo, Misato plans for Rei and Eva-00 to take point against the Angel, with Asuka and Eva-02 acting as her backup. Asuka, however, takes it as an insult to be relegated to Rei's backup and immediately launches her Eva on her own, and Misato reluctantly allows her. Maya is worried that it might be Asuka's last chance, and Ritsuko mentions to her that they need to think of a replacement pilot for Eva-02. Asuka attempts to attack the Angel with the Positron Rifle, but it remains too far out of range and the targeting computer is unable to get a lock on it. Suddenly, a beam of visible light shines down from the Angel upon the Eva. Asuka is caught off-guard and screams as she fires in blind panic causing damage all over Tokyo-3. Looking at the readings, Ritsuko realizes that the Angel's attack is similar to an A.T. Field, and it is trying to penetrate the Eva's mind.[5]

A view of the Spear and Arael from Earth's orbit

Asuka screams in pain, as Eva-02 convulses in sympathy, as the Angel tries to enter her mind. Misato orders her to retreat, but Asuka stubbornly refuses despite the obvious pain she is in, declaring she would rather die than fail again. The Angel continues to chip away at Asuka's resolve, and soon succeeds, revealing even more of her inner trauma, her pathological fear of being replaced, her feelings of having lost Kaji to Misato and having been ignored and rejected by Shinji, and how she constantly desires for attention by being the best in everything.[6] With Asuka being sapped of the will to live, Eva-02 shuts down, as the Angel's attack continues to wither her mentally, now causing her body to slowly begin to give out too. Rei is ordered to shoot the Angel with a sniper version of the Positron Rifle (Similar in appearance to the one used against Ramiel), but the beam is too weak to penetrate the Angel's A.T. Field at that range.[7][8]

Shinji wants to be sent out in Eva-01 to rescue Asuka, but Gendo refuses his request, saying that he won't risk contamination, and orders the Eva to remain in lockdown. Gendo instead orders Rei to retrieve the Spear of Longinus from Terminal Dogma (where it lies driven into the crucified Lilith). Misato asks Gendo if an Eva making contact with "Adam" wouldn't risk trigging Third Impact. When Gendo only answers her question with silence, she realizes that it too was a lie, and wonders what really caused Second Impact. Fuyutsuki, meanwhile, questions Gendo's reasoning for this action, asking if they are not getting ahead of themselves, and telling him that Seele will undoubtedly be upset by it. Gendo, however, insists that Eva-02 is still an asset Nerv cannot currently afford to lose, and with Seele having begun mass-producing the Eva series, they need to make countermove against them, and he believes the situation at hand represents the best opportunity to get rid of the Spear.

Meanwhile in Terminal Dogma, Rei pulls out of the spear from Lilith's chest. At this, the white giant's legs spontaneously regenerates, but otherwise it still appears as dead as ever. Returning to the surface, Rei uses the Spear to deadly effect on the Angel[9]. The Spear, however, is lost into orbit, and can't be retrieved.

In the aftermath, Asuka is placed in temporary quarantine on the roof of a nearby building as Eva-02 is extracted from the field. Shinji shows up and hesitantly tries offering her some consoling words, but even more upset after the mental attack making her relive her trauma and furious at the idea that Rei saved her, she angrily rebuffs him.

On-Air Version Differences

For a detailed comparison of the redrawn scenes, see Guides:Episode 22 OA vs. DC

  • The only scenes the audience sees of Asuka's mind-rape in the original version is of her wondering why she's crying when little (Presumably at her mother's funeral after deciding she wouldn't cry anymore) up until her telling the 15th Angel to stop making her remember all that "bad stuff" since she'd "forgotten about it".
  • Material absent from the On Air version:
    • The attempted seduction scene on the Aircraft carrier.
    • The scene in the bathroom where Asuka declares her hatred for everyone including herself.
    • The scene where Asuka sees Shinji talking to Rei and reacts with jealousy.
    • Most of the mind rape including important flashbacks to Episode 09, Episode 10, and 15.
    • The last few seconds of the hospital scene where we hear Langley and the Lady Doctor thrashing around in the next room.
    • Lilith's legs regenerating once the Spear of Longinus is removed.
    • The Spear of Longinus morphing as it penetrates the Angel's AT Field.
  • The On Air version includes the opening credits; they are missing from the Director's Cut.

Notes

  • The sequence where Asuka sees her introduction repeated five times has Asuka voiced by different voice actresses in the original Japanese, lending credence to Asuka's "This is not me!" reaction. The voice actresses, in order, are Kotono Mitsuishi (Misato), Megumi Hayashibara (Rei), Miki Nagasawa (Maya), Yuriko Yamaguchi (Ritsuko) and Junko Iwao (Hikari).
  • In the expanded Director's Cut version of Episode 22, Anno also took inspiration from a 1996 doujin by author Nobi Nobita called Bridal Veil, which depicted an expanded mindrape scene itself. Curiously, while making his own scene, Anno made it clear that Asuka's feelings were directed at Shinji, having supplanted her crush for Kaji. It also adds more lines for Asuka bemoaning Shinji and makes this context even clearer by adding additional past scenes with Asuka and Shinji, like him rescuing her in Episode 10.[10] This isn't made clear in the doujin, wherein it seems ambiguous if she's talking about Shinji or Kaji. This doujin has been translated on Evageeks and a full scanlation is also available on its thread.
  • In Japanese, "to hold [someone]" is a double entendre of "having sex with". In effect, Asuka is not only lamenting that Shinji won't support her and hold her during the kiss, but that he didn't even at least give her affection through sex. Incidentally, to amplify the Misato/Kaji and Ritsuko/Gendo parallels, in Episode 25, during Misato's Instrumentality section, she is questioned by Ritsuko why she slept with Kaji. Ritsuko uses the same euphemism as Asuka: "Is that why you slept with him?" (itself an euphemism in English), in the Japanese literally "Is that why you held/embraced him?". Likewise, Misato replies, "No, I embraced him because I loved him.". Similarly, in Episode 24, when Ritsuko is confronted by Gendo during her imprisonment, she tells him, literally: "Now that I ain't happy even if you hold me. You can do anything you like to my body, as you did at that time.". In the English dub, the context here is more obvious, so it's outright translated as "when you make love to me". Along with the accompanying screenshots to flashbacks of important scenes in Episodes 09, 10, and 15 respectively, it appears that Asuka has feelings for Shinji and has been trying to get him to notice her all this time. See [Shinji and Asuka's Relationship] for details.

Analysis

  • Based on Asuka's reaction at seeing Shinji in her mind during the attack ("What are you doing there?! You won't do anything! You won't help me! You won't even hold me!") along with the accompanying screenshots to flashbacks of important scenes in Episodes 09, 10, and 15 respectively, it appears that Asuka has been seeking Shinji's attention all this time. See Theory and Analysis: Shinji and Asuka's Relationship for details.[11]
  • When Gendo orders the use of the Spear of Longinus, Fuyutsuki questions its use, being worried about the possible backlash from Seele. Their conversation makes it clear that Gendo was looking for a convenient pretext to get rid of the original Spear. Why Gendo wanted the Spear removed or how it could have interfered with his scenario for Third Impact is unclear.
    • The Spear is depicted as having landed on the Moon in The End of Evangelion. Since the Spear is recalled in a matter of seconds and merges with Eva-01 during Third Impact, it is an open question whether its use against Arael fulfilled Gendo's original objective or ultimately proved futile.
  • Arael and the succeeding Angels, Armisael and Tabris (Kaworu), form a triad of Angels that try to understand or communicate with humans. However, Leliel in Episode 16 was the first to attempt this, and, although it is never shown onscreen, it is even possible that something similar occurred with Bardiel.
  • Arael and the next two Angels seem to form the three parts of a classical Angel: Arael representing the wings, Armisael the Halo, and Kaworu the body.

Quotes

  • Asuka remembering her seducing Kaji before arriving in Japan: "Asuka, you're still a child. Those things can wait until you grow up a little." "What?! That's no fun! I'm already grown up enough! I'm already a grownup! I'm a grownup! I'm a grownup! So look at me!"
  • Asuka thinking how Misato, Rei, Hikari, Ritsuko, and Maya see her (In that order): "Soryu Asuka Langley, pleased to meet you! Are you stupid? (It's my) Chance! So look at me!" "No (it's different), this is not me!"
  • Asuka, upon seeing Shinji in her mind: "Why are you there?! You won't do anything! You won't help me! You won't even hold me! No one! No one! No one!" Asuka crying when little: "So look at me!"

References

  1. ↑ In a description of the flashback scene from the beginning of 22, the S² Works booklet designates the lady doctor as Langley's "mistress" ("aijin").
  2. ↑ In her phone conversation with her stepmother in Part A, Asuka speaks German. The contents of which are roughly as follows: "Hello? Mother? We just finished eating. What about you? You want me to introduce him? Please, of course not. He's not sociable. Uh-huh, uh-huh. Really, wow, I didn't know. That's great. I don't have anything to say, either. Talk to you again later. I'm hanging up, okay? Well, goodnight!" This dialogue was not written in the script, and was left up to Yuko Miyamura, who plays Asuka. - Platinum Episode Commentaries
  3. ↑ In “Episode 22 “At Least, Be Human,” “doll” is a motif, and the word and the figure of a doll appear many times. Asuka's mother thinks the doll is her child, and her father says there is a fine line between human and doll. [...] Asuka says that Rei is a mechanical doll, to which Rei replies that she is not a doll. Asuka also speaks to Unit 02, which she thinks is only a doll, as if she were talking to a human being. Then, her trauma is revealed. Asuka's mother once tried to take her to her death as a young girl. Because of that, Asuka tried to forget her mother, to no longer be her mother's puppet. She decided to become a person who thinks and lives by herself. It is this desire that has made her what she is today. She says that she has always hated Rei, but there is no way that she has always known her. It is not Rei that she has always hated, but people who live like dolls. She is also her past self. - Oguro Staff Commentary #55
  4. ↑ Hyuga mentions that Arael "isn't budging from its satellite orbit", then Aoba says that "It's maintaining a set distance from" them. Although this should imply that Arael is in Geostationary Orbit, the shot of the lance heading for the Arael show that it is a lower orbit, since Geostationary Orbit(Which is 22,000 miles, or 36,000 kilometers above sea level) allows a full third of the Earth to be visible. Judging from the angle of the throw, the landmass under the Angel is probably Australia. While Geostationary Orbit can normally only be achieved by a satellite over the equator and at the previously mentioned altitude(36,000 kilometers), the raw power of the Angel's S2 engine could allow it to simply hover in any position in orbit, something impossible for a normal satellite.
  5. ↑ Ritsuko comments about the Angel trying to understand a human mind, which implies that Arael was trying to understand humans or make contact with them. The beam of light functioned like an attack on Asuka's mind because it forced Asuka to expose and relive the terrible memories and fears that she had shut away deep inside her mind.
  6. ↑ There was a curious description in the part of the film where her feelings for Shinji are portrayed in the inner universe. [...] She was regretting her treatment of Shinji by going to the next room in episode 9, and her playful kissing in episode 15. [...] In other words, she wanted Shinji to make an aggressive approach when they spent the night together in episode 9 and when they kissed. But he was always passive. He never embraced her, even when their lips met. That was another reason for her heartbreak.- Oguro Staff Commentary #55'
  7. ↑ Just as it holds true for the Fifteenth Angel that appears in this episode, non of the Angels that appear in the fourth part [Episodes 21-26] launch brute force attacks, but instead, try to shake the Eva pilots psychologically. - Platinum Episode Commentaries
  8. ↑ In the fourth part [Episodes 21-26], the effectiveness of certain important scenes has been increased by the use of well-known classical pieces as BGM. The piece used in this episode is Handel's oratorio "Messiah." Messiah means savior and the lyrics have been taken from the Bible. The piece portays the prophecy of Christ's birth all the way to his resurrection in three parts. - Platinum Episode Commentaries
  9. ↑ In the director's cut editions, either Eva-00 or the Spear lets out a bellow that sounds exactly like a berserk Eva-01 when the Spear breaks the clouds. Whether the Eva or the Spear itself makes that noise is unclear, but a very similar sound is heard in End of Evangelion when the Spear fuses with Eva-01's core. Once thrown, it appears that the Spear can propel itself. The replica Spears in End of Evangelion also move as though capable of self-propulsion, making it even more likely that the original Spear can propel itself.
  10. ↑ JUNE 2nd Interview with Nobita Nobi
  11. ↑ Misato drops the heels in her hands as Kaji hugs her. The scene ends with the next long shot of the two of them, but in the storyboard, the cut is marked “At this point, does Misato's hand remain hanging down or is it behind Kaji's back? Which is it ......?” as [storyboard artist] Kiichi Hadame asks himself, to which director Anno adds the comment, “I will ponder this.” In other words, whether Misato accepts Kaji here or not. In the finished film, Misato's hand, which had been lowered, is raised once, but it is not placed behind Kaji's back; instead, it is lowered again at the end of the cut. Just as the creator was troubled, Misato hesitated as to whether or not to accept Kaji. While Misato and Kaji were exchanging adult kisses, Shinji and Asuka were kissing in a very childish manner in the apartment. I will talk about that in Episode 22 “At Least, Be Human”.
    The subtitle of episode 15 is “Lies and Silence.” It is one of the most difficult subtitles of “Eva” to interpret. In this episode, many lies and concealments are described: the Mardock Agency, which was set up to select EVA pilots, was a dummy company without any substance; Gendo and Ritsuko concealed the existence of the underground Lilith; Misato once broke up with Kaji with a lie, and when he heard her confession about it, he told a gentle lie for her. However, Kaji was a spy for the Japanese government's Internal Affairs Agency. Perhaps Shinji's words to Gendo after visiting Yui's grave, “I was happy today."; or when Asuka told him the reason she kissed him was because she was "bored". And there is no one to explain these lies and secrets. There is only silence. - Oguro Staff Commentary #48



External links

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