Episode 20

Episode Information
Episode #20
Title 1: 心のかたち,人のかたち Kokoro no katachi, hito no katachi Form of the Mind, Form of the Man Title 2: Weaving a story 2: Oral Stage
Written By	Hideaki Anno,
Directed By	Masahiko Otsuka
First Aired	2-14-1996
Video Release Date	12-5-1996 (Japan-Video/LD), 4-17-2001 (US-DVD)
Angel Appearances	None
Eva Sorties	None
Episode chronology
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"Episode 19"	"Episode 21"

Overview

Shinji achieved an unprecedented 400% synchronization ratio with Eva-01 during the battle with Zeruel, to horrible effect. With the Eva having ascended to the status of a living God and Shinji absorbed inside it, Ritsuko unsuccessfully attempts to recover him. In the meantime, Shinji makes contact with the resident soul of the Eva- his mother, Yui Ikari.

Synopsis

The Episode begins with Eva-01 feasting on the mangled corpse of the Angel Zeruel, consuming the Angel's S² engine. The Instrumentality Committee is dismayed over the turn of events, the members complaining about the time and money lost because of all of Zeruel's destruction, and even worse, Eva-01 breaking free and acquiring God status. They consider Gendo Ikari as being responsible, and plan to give him a warning that such incidents cannot be tolerated.

Kaji is with Gendo and Fuyutsuki, talking about how Seele's reaction to the Eva, and Gendo's planned scenario. His last line is one of concern- he knows that Shinji is still trapped inside the Eva. Hyuga and Misato stand before a heavily damaged Eva-01, talking to each other. Misato is furious with Ritsuko, asking her what an Eva is, and even angrier when Ritsuko sounds like she is not taking responsibility for her work.

Inside the Eva, Shinji goes on a mental trip, talking to Rei in various locations- on an escalator, inside a train at dusk, and so on. He begins to question whether or not his father abandoned him or if he ran away, and why he piloted Eva in the first place. Images of Misato, Asuka and Rei appear to him, asking him to be one with them.

Ritsuko attempts the salvage operation in the meantime, but to no success. Shinji remains stuck inside the entry plug, refusing to come out. Finally, the entry plug bursts open and Shinji's plugsuit spills out, empty.

Shinji becomes aware of his mother inside the Eva, and hears a conversation between his father and her, talking about naming him after he was born. In the end, Shinji passes through an "Inner Universe" starfield and as the light turns from blue to red, passes out of the Evangelion. Misato is crying and holding Shinji's plugsuit outside, when there is a sudden splash and Shinji is seen lying on the floor, the Eva's core glowing.

Soon afterwards, Misato goes on a drive with Ritsuko. After a conversation about Eva, and listening to a background radio conversation of interesting importance to Shinji's situation, she drops off Ritsuko saying that she has a man to meet. Ritsuko takes a dim view of Misato going to sleep with Kaji straight after Shinji came out of the Eva, and Misato and Kaji discuss other matters while inside.

Notes

• The face of Evangelion Unit-01 is noticeably different from its appearance in Episode 02.
• What powers berserk Eva-01 is still a mystery, because Hyuga mentions that no physical, chemical, nuclear or biological processes have been detected inside. Eva-02 similarly goes berserk in Episode 25', so Eva-01 is not the only Eva that can move without a power source. Whether or not the soul alone generates the power necessary, or the Eva has other power-generating organs that can be activated in a state of extreme duress, is an open question.
• Shinji seems to be experiencing a "prelude" to instrumentality when the images of Misato, Asuka and Rei invite him to become one with them.

Episodes & Films
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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