Theory and Analysis:Asuka and the Bathtub
After running away from home in Episode 23, Asuka roams the streets of Tokyo-3 for a while, and is only found afterwards by Section Two personnel in an abandoned, run-down building in Episode 24. She is starving, skeletal and naked in a bathtub filled with an orange/reddish liquid, with her clothes neatly folded on a chair nearby. This seems to indicate that Asuka might have tried to kill herself by slitting her wrists, but other evidence contradicts this. Additionally, in End of Evangelion, she is seen with IV tubes inserted into her wrists in the hospital scene. Additionally, her school uniform is tidly folded in a chair nearby - a common sign of saying goodbye to own's life in multiple cultures. However, Asuka does not have any sort of bandages around her wrists, as they can be clearly seen when Shinji tries to wake her up. As Asuka stated, she has lost the will to live, but it does not seem she has the will to kill herself either, and has chosen to merely wait for death, up until the point NERV "rescues" her. She is later put into a drug-induced coma.
Interestingly, it seems this is one of the rare instances wherein Anno deliberately altered something present in an original episode to make his intent clearer - the On-Air version of Episode 24 features a bathtub of a much different coloration, which resembles blood much more strongly than the later Director's Cut (and Netflix) release, which looks more like rust.
This is, interestingly enough, paralleled with Shinji running away earlier in Episode 4 and later in End of Evangelion. Much like the case with Shinji, this seems to not make much sense, but in fact says a lot about her character. Asuka has projected so much of her own self-worth into piloting, that when she loses that, also feeling like nobody cares about her or values her as a person, Asuka feels she is utterly worthless, but her memory of her mother's suicide also means she is not willing to kill herself, as she has decided to aggressively affirm her independence and her her will to live through her piloting prowess, and, even when she is unable to pilot she is not willing to betray that promise either. In fact, the episode begins with Asuka remembering her mother's suicide, specifically, which was not shown completely in Episode 22. Nor does she believe she is capable of even doing such an act. Like Shinji, she thinks she isn't good enough for anything.
Please refer to this thread. http://www.evageeks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3093
See also
Theory and Analysis:List of Common Misconceptions
Theory and Analysis:Shinji and the Lake
Guides:Episode 24 OA vs. DC
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