Shinji and Asuka's Relationship
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"Verily, Shinji and Asuka become Adam and Eve at the end of EoE and the Rebuilds take place billions of years later! We'll get to know more as we translate the new movies into American." |
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"Baka-Shinji and his toothpick are forever MINE, bluehair bitch!!!" |
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"When Aoba called B Wing's construction sloppy he hadn't seen anything like THIS!" |
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"Disposing of the Angel on the surface is so expensive!" |
Despite not joining the cast until Episode 08, Asuka quickly becomes a pivotal figure in the narrative, both in her own right and in her interactions with Shinji. The complex dynamics of their relationship quickly become very prominent in the show.
This article does not exist to support the idea of pairing Asuka and Shinji together as a couple("LAS", "AsuShin") or proselytizing for treating them as an official couple. Such discussions are a matter of personal preference and have no place in this wiki.
That being said, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a show that thrives on ambiguity, and in examining the relationship between Asuka and Shinji - whether visually or through dialog and interpreting any unspoken feelings between the two depends as much on the viewer's perspective as anything else.
The Hedgehog's Dilemma
This section argues that the narrative consistently uses Asuka and Shinji's interactions to expose its themes, as the clashing of two characters that are superficially the opposite but in fact foils to one another, two sides of the same coin that allow the show to explore questions of individuality, intimacy, relationships, self-defense mechanisms, insecurity and many of the themes encompassed in the central metaphor of the show, the Hedgehog's Dilemma.
Although treating Asuka and Shinji's relationship as romantic is questionable, several of their interactions are indeed framed following the conventions of romantic comedy. For instance, they have an eventful first meeting, complete with instant dislike and mutual misunderstandings. Circumstances push them into continued proximity, with hinted sexual tension and slowly building mutual acceptance, as Asuka and Shinji both begin to impact one another's development as a character and as a person. Friends seem to see a relationship of which the characters themselves are blind, either teasing or offering advice, however their mutual insecurities keep them from attaining something deeper - or realizing that there is no point to having a relationship. Given Evangelion's brutal subversion and deconstruction of various tropes, it is worth noting that following that every convention set up is open to brutal subversion.
For example, this interaction in Episode 17 follows a romantic comedy convention:
| A married couple....and just as equally not. | ||
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The pause in the second image before they deny their relationship and the blush suggests that Toji's observation has embarrassed them. In a traditional romantic comedy, this would be treated as proof that they are indeed meant to be together. However, this scene equally sets up the brutal downhill spiral and physical violence in Episodes 21 to 24 and End of Evangelion. They may be quarreling like a married couple, but that may very well be the extent of it. | ||
Parallels with Misato and Kaji
Shinji and Asuka are often deliberately juxtaposed with Misato and Kaji, via clever use of cuts during important moments. Whether this is meant to establish a parallel between the Shinji/Asuka relationship and that of Misato and Kaji remains a matter of interpretation - it could just as easily be a method of showing the contrast between their relationships. In episode 11 both pairs end up in compromising positions. Shinji and Asuka kiss in Episode 15 but fail to reach out to one another. At the very same time Misato and Kaji are able to enjoy brief intimacy with Misato revealing why she left Kaji in the first place, bringing both adults somewhat closer to one another.
| Shinji/Asuka and Kaji/Misato | ||
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Comparison shots from Episodes 9, 11, and 15 | ||
Having lost their mothers at an early age and the subsequent neglect by their fathers, Asuka and Shinji experienced very similar trauma, although it is arguable that Asuka's discovery of Kyoko's "murder"-suicide was significantly more traumatic than a toddler Shinji witnessing Yui's disappearance into Eva-01. Whatever the case, both of them developed opposite defence mechanisms, as they are both too afraid of reaching out to others for fear of receiving the same abandonment they have in the past. Shinji runs away from people and isolates himself in order to avoid intimacy and the risk of rejection and to always stay in his comfort zone. Asuka tries to cultivate a false image of herself as being superior to others, which she uses to aggressively seek attention and acknowledgement from those whom she deems to be her equals or superiors (such as Kaji), while using her arrogance and abrasiveness to push away those whom she considers inferior to herself. Either way, both of them refuse to face the reality that both of them are lonely and seek human affection, Shinji through avoidance and Asuka through aggression.
| Two sides of the same coin | ||
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Having faced similar trauma in their childhood, Shinji and Asuka develop opposite defense mechanisms. | ||
Episode 08: Introductions
Asuka's initial reaction to Shinji is one of disappointment - she considers him "boring" and doesn't seem to consider him worth her time. She is visibly angry when Kaji mentions Shinji as the "famous pilot of Eva-01" in the presence of all the others in officer's mess, as if jealous that someone inferior to her should be treated so highly. However, when Kaji (whom Asuka looks up to) mentions Shinji's surprisingly high synchronization from the start, Asuka is visibly surprised. This revelation seems to have caused Asuka to accord Shinji grudging respect and seek affirmation from him. She is prompted to show off her superiority as a pilot: with words and showing off Eva-02 at first, and eventually by leaping into the battle against Gaghiel with Shinji in the cockpit. Asuka rushes into battle against the Angel without a plan and with her Eva unequipped to fight underwater, and when the fight predictably goes downhill she snaps at Shinji to provide a solution to their predicament. Significantly, both Asuka and Shinji work together and break their synch records with Eva-02 at the end of the battle.
Asuka's arrogant, aggressive, dominating and competitive personality - along with an incapacity to accept her mistakes and difficulty in simply asking Shinji for help in a difficult situation (snapping at him instead) - is depicted as clashing dramatically with Shinji's quiet, polite, generally passive personality. While this sets them up to be opposites in more ways than one, Asuka's behavior in this episode defines her manner of approaching Shinji throughout the rest of the series.
| Asuka is Not Impressed | ||
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Episode 09 continues Asuka's introduction and further develops the connections between Asuka and Shinji, further exploring the theme of synchronization that was introduced in the Gaghiel battle. Asuka, now at Shinji's school, seems to be at least superficially friendly with him as she greets him with a cheery "Guten Morgen!", in stark contrast to how she behaves with the other students (Rei in particular).
Asuka and Shinji are employed together against Israfel, but Asuka's decision to charge the Angel and show her superiority over Shinji leads to both of them being defeated. Shinji and Asuka later bicker about whom to blame, with Shinji being unusually assertive in talking back against Asuka. Misato decides to make them train to reach better synchronization with each other. Asuka moves in with Shinji and Misato and both of them train to move in synch. Asuka continues the pattern of blaming Shinji for her own missteps - during a dance session meant to bring them in synch with each other, it is Asuka who is out of synch although she blames Shinji for being too slow. After being prodded into continuing, Shinji and Asuka have a conversation where Asuka expresses to Shinji her determination to succeed as a pilot, while Shinji is shown to look up to her, expressing admiration for her confidence and strong personality.
The evening before the fight, Asuka and Shinji are left alone at home by Misato. Asuka proceeds to take her futon away from the living room bringing it to Misato's room and shutting the door. She then compares said door to the "unbreakable Walls of Jericho", ordering Shinji not to enter. The scene in question is referenced by the mind-violation sequence in ep.22 (Asuka vs Arael) and is discussed later in this article as showing Asuka's loneliness. During the night Asuka visits the bathroom while half-asleep and lands up lying down next to Shinji. Shinji stares stunned at her for a moment before trying to kiss her, only to then be interrupted by Asuka crying and calling for her mother in her sleep, something that causes Shinji to turn away with "You're a child, after all." which suggests that Shinji had an entirely different idea of Asuka in his mind. Although the next fight with Israfel is a victory, both Evas land up on top of each other and Shinji and Asuka get into mutual, public and very embarrassing bickering about the previous night. At this point, Shinji shows a romantic interest in Asuka in addition to being intimidated by her, but this appears less a deeper romantic attraction and more out of teenage sexual attraction and a possible tendency to look up to someone more mature than himself.
Episode 10: If at first you don't succeed...
The first relevant scene of the episode is Asuka's reaction when Misato lets her know that she won't be able to attend the school trip, as pilots have to be ready for emergencies. Asuka expresses her disappointment and tries to get Shinji to support her point of view but fails to do so, as Shinji seemed to have already accepted that scenario. This is an additional hint of Asuka's need for other people's support. Instead of going on the school trip Asuka, Shinji and Rei spend their time at the swimming pool. Asuka tries to make up for the inconvenience by looking for Shinji's attention, making fun of him for having issues at school (she has already completed university studies) and provoking him with her swimsuit, as she explains to him the basic concept of thermal expansion.
Shinji's reaction isn't particularly amusing for Asuka, as he doesn't quite know what to say and blushes, prompting Asuka to call him a "boring little boy". Worth pointing out is that Asuka was met with indifference by Kaji, when she had tried to impress him, earlier in the episode, with her choice of swimsuit. She then proceeds to call for Shinji's attention again as she dives in the swimming pool. In a way she seems to be having fun. It should be pointed out that Shinji is scared of water and Asuka is likely showing off to him her diving knowledge, to further prove her superiority to him (playfully). In the last part of the episode Asuka volunteers to fight the angel (Sandalphon) in a volcano, winning the confrontation but losing the safety cables that kept her from falling deeper in the lava. It is at that point that Shinji, without hesitation, comes to her rescue in Eva-01, despite it not being fitted with protective equipment, and grabs Eva-02 before it can drift away. At first completely surprised at Shinji's rescue, Asuka quickly gathers herself enough to make a token attempt at keeping up appearances, quietly calling Shinji a "fool" and a "show-off", but her expression plainly shows her true feelings; in spite of herself, she cannot help but tenderly smile at his action, both impressed and grateful. The moment also proves to Asuka her importance to Shinji, making his future failures (to help her) even more frustrating. In the battle against Matarael in Episode 11, Asuka puts herself in danger to protect Shinji, returning the favor from the previous fight.
Episode 12: Rivals and friends
In this episode the rivalry between Asuka and Shinji once again finds its way into the story. Shinji is shown to have further made improvements in his sync score and, while still lacking behind than Asuka, he is given all the praise. Asuka sarcastically expresses her envy and resentment for the praise Shinji receives, only to then head home on her own. This, along with Shinji's improvement as a pilot, act as elements of foreshadowing for painful and negative experiences Asuka will go through in later stages of the story.
The fight of the episode offers the three pilots another opportunity, once again successful, to cooperate. Shortly before being employed Shinji asks Asuka the reason why she pilots. When she learns he had asked Rei the same question, she seems to show a hint of possessiveness, making a pointed comment about how close he and Rei seem to be. She then proceeds to inquire about his reasons to fight. But when Shinji just replies that he doesn't know, she expresses surprise and incredulity at his answer.
When Shinji muses to the group about the praise he received from Gendo upon completion of the operation and how it might be his reason for being a pilot, Asuka, again a bit incredulous, makes fun of him for it, believing it to be a stupid reason. In hindsight though, Asuka's reaction can easily be interpreted as her being defensive.
Episode 14: Jealously
Asuka once again expresses envy when Shinji is given more attention than her, as he is testing Rei's Evangelion. In the last scene she is shown to say (in relation to Rei's identity): "Misato and Kaji-san won't tell me anything. Shinji knows nothing". Implication being she had developed a certain curiosity about the First.
Episode 15: Is it just a kiss?
"It feels as if time has stopped."
When Asuka gets back home in the evening she walks in on Shinji playing the cello, and she applauds him after he plays the piece to finish, admitting that she is impressed with his performance and the fact he plays an instrument. In his usual self-deprecating manner, Shinji attempts to downplay her praise, telling her that he does not think he has any musical talents and only can do it so well because he has played since he was five years old. Asuka, still impressed, points out that perseverance is still a form of power. As the two are waiting for Misato's return, Asuka asks Shinji to kiss. She assumes a provocative/cold attitude, bringing boredom as the excuse for it.
expected, Shinji agrees to kiss her but, despite Asuka prolonging the exchange for as long as Shinji could breathe, he fails to understand its real meaning and to provide her with the support she needs.[1] As the kiss ends without the affection she was looking for, Asuka (frustrated with Shinji's passivity and cluelessness) runs to the bathroom to hide her pain. Noisily rinsing her mouth and letting him know how bad of an idea it was to kiss him.
Official commentary:
"Why does Asuka want to kiss Shinji? Even assuming she was spiteful of Kaji, one doesn't understand the real underlying motive. After the kiss, Asuka states: "I did it just to kill time." She yells, as if to make Shinji perceive it and to confirm it to herself, as if she wants to hide some embarrassment"[2]
An interesting detail about the events of the episode is that they follow a circular structure. The episode begins with Asuka feeling rejected by Kaji, then bored by the date, not feeling understood by Shinji and ends with her, once again, feeling rejected by Kaji.
| Misunderstood Intentions | |||
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Shinji believes Asuka's lie that her kiss was just to relieve boredom, but once again in Ep. 22 we find it meant a lot more. | |||
Episode 16: Asuka Surpassed
Starting off with Asuka attacking Shinji for being too quick to apologize, only to then express her jealousy and frustration at Misato when she tries to take Shinji in defense, accusing her of enabling Shinji's bad habits by being too soft on him and only being in a good mood due to being back together with Kaji. The key moment in the episode, concerning Asuka and Shinji's relationship, is her loss to the latter in the synchronization test. Strongly foreshadowed in previous episodes, the impact of said development on their relationship is truly destructive. Asuka starts to resent Shinji's success because, unlike Shinji, Asuka has not only deposited almost her entire self-worth into piloting, she has spent almost her entire life working for it, so Shinji surpassing her in so little time is unearned and unjust in her opinion, as if he did not deserve this success as he has not worked hard enough for it.
In two instances in the episode we see Asuka addressing Shinji sarcastically as Shinji-sama; first, in a burst of anger as she is in the locker room (with Rei) and then during the fight against Leliel. In that instance Asuka provokes Shinji to charge the angel on his own, causing him to get trapped and nearly costing him his life. It's interesting to note that Shinji attacks the angel with the express intention to prove himself to Asuka, and even says "combat is a man's job", a rather offensive statement when all of his teammates and immediate superiors are women, as if he feels emboldened by kissing Asuka. Misato and Ritsuko even notice that Shinji is suddenly acting more manly. Shinji charges headfirst against Leliel and the Angel easily traps and absorbs him, as Asuka and Rei watch helplessly.
After Shinji is absorbed, Asuka tries to mask her concern for Shinji by saying he acted recklessly and deserved it, which angers Rei. Interestingly, Rei picks up on the fact Asuka is envious of Shinji attaining a higher synch score. After Shinji's safe return, she is shown to further express envy for the attention given to him, when Misato hugs him in tears, by saying to her: "Didn't you say you would scold him?".
In spite of that, the episode ends on a somewhat positive note, when Asuka is seen awkwardly lurking in the hallway of the hospital in an attempt to check on Shinji's well being without being noticed. Of course she gets caught, prompting Shinji to laugh for the first time in the series. The clear implication of the scene is that Asuka felt guilty for her over-reaction and that she still cares about Shinji, even though Shinji remains clueless at Asuka's growing frustrations.
Episode 17: Repression
Episode 18: Cluelessness
Asuka is shown to go out of her way to avoid Misato and Shinji, as she clearly has yet to accept having "lost" to them. It is hinted at that Shinji has yet to understand Asuka's jealousy for Kaji, as he is shown to ask Misato why Asuka is trying to avoid her. It is in fact his cluelessness that becomes the main theme of the episode. Though she usually goes home from school with Shinji, this time Asuka is avoiding him, something Hikari also notes as strange. When Hikari asks about him, the second pilot refers to Shinji by saying: "Actually, he's the most dense of them all. And he's an idiot to boot. He doesn't know how to relate to people." She also expresses her annoyance at Shinji having yet to learn the identity of the fourth pilot (Toji). It is interesting to see how, after the kiss, Asuka seems to be even more frustrated by Shinji's density. Further reminding us of the main issue in their relationship; he just doesn't get it and he is too passive to make up for it. When Kaji is in their apartment later, Asuka is surprised to realize that Shinji doesn't know who is the pilot of Unit 03, but stops herself from telling him when he asks. She essentially comes to the same conclusion that Misato made earlier; Shinji will likely be greatly upset from learning the news, and she doesn't feel up to the task of shouldering the ensuring emotional fallout.
Perhaps most pivotal, Asuka learns, while she and the other pilot lies in wait for Bardiel, that Shinji still does not know that Toji is the pilot of Eva-03. Asuka, for what it is worth, finally decides to bite the bullet and attempts to do the thing that everyone around Shinji, including herself, have been trying to avoid for the longest time, namely telling him the truth. But before Asuka can finally break the reveal out loud, Bardiel sneaks in on her while she is distracted, and incapacitate her and Eva-02. The underlying message is quite clear; Asuka and Shinji's inability to communicate openly and honestly with each other is now directly hampering their effectiveness as team members.
In Episode 19, Eva-01 defeats Zeruel while Asuka in Eva-02 fails miserably. Asuka appears far more absorbed by her defeat than concerned about Shinji being absorbed by Eva-01.
Episode 22: A subconscious need
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| Temptation | ||
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Asuka pretends to be fine, leaving Shinji alone in the living room. In truth she had been feeling lonely and in need of company. | ||
with the strong implication that Asuka was in need of Shinji's support and help due to feeling lonely and (potentially) anxious for the battle of the next day. Her inability to accept the idea of relying on others, which is at the foundation of Asuka's personality, was what pushed her to shut herself inside Misato's room instead of seeking Shinji's company. The reference to the "Walls of Jericho" (famously destroyed in the battle of Jericho), could be seen as a reference to Asuka needing someone to push through her barriers and truly understand her.
Episode 22 Flash-Sign Montages
See this page: Theory and Analysis:Film Montage Theory in Evangelion for a complete interpretation of this following piece.
Asuka, during the Episode 22 mindrape, is forced to come to terms with the nature of her relationship with others and society, trying to reject others but eventually having to come to terms with her inability to remain alone.
Episode 23
Shinji, clearly frustrated by his surrogate family rapidly falling apart at the seams, but also feeling powerless to do anything about it, is seen standing outside the door to Asuka's room, noticing that she once again is spending the night at Hikari's house, and quietly wishes that she would come back. It obvious that his wish for Asuka's return at this point is more about having some sense of normalcy restored to the household than anything else.
Episode 24
Asuka and Shinji have what may be one of their last conversations in Misato's apartment. Shinji has just informed Asuka that Kaji is dead and will not be coming back (offscreen), and Asuka audibly slapping Shinji and angrily accusing him of lying makes it clear that their relationship is at its lowest, and they are now completely unable to talk normally to each other. Shinji's equally angry and frustrated reply makes it clear that he has tried to explain the truth to Asuka who is by now in obvious denial about that fact. Asuka repeats her insistence that Shinji is just lying, but her despondent facial expression betrays that she knows what he is saying is true (Denial is considered the first of the five stages of grief).
This revelation may be what finally pushes Asuka over the edge; as the narrative cuts to a week later, Asuka is seen after having been on the run from home for seven days and seen lying in a bathtub in the ruins of a house, obviously physically weakened and completely sapped of the will to live as Section 2 finally finds her.
Later in the episode, as Shinji contemplates his loneliness and isolation from his friends, he lists Asuka amongst the persons he misses and wish he could talk to.
Episode 26
The alternate universe shown in this episode makes use of traditional anime school setting tropes, with Asuka presented as Shinji's childhood friend, a setting later recycled in spin-offs such as Angelic Days and Shinji Ikari Raising Project. Rei even reacts vehemently to Asuka getting defensive over Shinji, which in the old ADV dub gave birth to the (in)famous "are you riding his baloney pony?" line, one of the results of ADV's creative liberties.
This scene even features an easter egg echoing the old shoujo manga Anno likes: one of the desks features a drawing of an umbrella with Asuka and Shinji's names written on them. This "love umbrella" is an old reference to someone being paired up as a couple. It's similar to writing a heart shape with "Asuka+Ikari" inside it. Who wrote it isn't made obvious, though it also has "anta baka" written underneath, and the umbrella is not only "divided", but it's scribbled all over. There's another "how lewd!" comment, also scribbled over.
End of Evangelion
Shinji and Asuka's interactions in End of Evangelion are very significant for their development at the end of the movie. For more details, see Theory and Analysis: Shinji and Asuka's interactions in End of Evangelion.
Notes
For more information, less accepted alternatives and objections, see Shinji and Asuka forum thread.
Some fans believe that the Asuka in Episode 26' is not real, and is instead a fake or a creation of Shinji's mind. However, there is plenty of evidence pointing out that it is indeed her soul inside Instrumentality, much like Misato and Shinji herself. See: Theory and Analysis:List of Common Misconceptions#The Asuka in the Hell Kitchen scene wasn't real
As an interesting aside, Sadamoto also suggested during the conceptualization of Eva that the relationship between Asuka and Shinji would be similar to the relationship between Jean, Nadia's love interest and eventual husband in the earlier Nadia.[3]
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. 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 contrast to the simple "favourable feelings" Shinji has with most other characters, Evangelion Chronicle describes their relationship as "complex feelings" and "love and hate."[4][5]
Hideaki Anno has also written a song that seems to be about their relationship. It was fully produced, but ultimately unused in End of Evangelion, in favor of Komm, süsser Tod. See: Everything You've Ever Dreamed
References
- ↑ Shinji doesn't make any move to initiate the kiss (notice that Asuka pauses, expecting Shinji to lean in while he simply closes his eyes and waits). He doesn't hold or touch Asuka in any way during the kiss (which Asuka explicitly says she wanted him to do later on in the series), and Shinji makes no attempt to change this even though Asuka is deliberately prolonging the kiss.
- ↑ Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book vol 5, pp. 44–45.
- ↑ "An easily recognizable silhouette is also important, but I designed the characters so that their personalities could be more or less understood at a glance. For example, even the color and length of the hair expresses personality. I thought that Asuka would occupy the position of an "idol" in the Eva world, and that [Asuka and] Shinji should be just like the relationship between Nadia and Jean." -EVA If it weren't for Sadamoto – Redux Translation of interview with Yoshiyuki Sadamoto about designing the series.
- ↑ Shinji/Asuka: Colleague-Complicated Feelings;Colleague-Love/Hate
Rei/Shinji: Colleague-Favorable;
Kaworu/Shinji: Colleague-Favorable
"Proud and assertive, Asuka possessed many strong qualities but lacked the ability to truly control her feelings. [...]It was only after Kaji's death and the Fifteenth Angel's psychological attack that Asuka came to realize Shinji and Kaji both occupied a similar place in her heart. This realization was quite shocking to Asuka, as she had thus far gone out of her way to dismiss and mock Shinji whenever possible.
Asuka's default behaviour toward Shinji emphasized mockery and distaste, though she couldn't deny also feeling some semblance of romantic interest toward him. When their synchronicity levels "officially" indicated that Shinji was superior to Asuka in some way, she started suffering a kind of psychological instability and had a hard time dealing with the love/hate she felt for him"
By chance, Asuka observed Rei and Shinji sharing a conversation. Asuka felt a very dark emotion welling up inside of her as she watched Shinji enjoying himself in Rei's company.
During Instrumentality, Asuka encountered Shinji inside his inner world and told him she didn't need anything if she couldn't have all of him. Despite the significance of this statement, Shinji's response was vague at best and he only sought a place at her side because it was a "comfortable" place to be. Hurt by the notion that she was nothing more than an escape for Shinji, Asuka outright rejected him. As a result, the Human Instrumentality Project did not reach its intended result, and any changes to the relationship between Asuka and Shinji were left unclear.
"Though Shinji and Asuka are both EVA pilots and living under the same roof、they are polar opposites. Despite their differences、Shinji did feel an attraction to Asuka at certain moments throughout their time together. When Shinji expressed his feelings to Asuka and sought her help during his instrumentality、she outright rejected him. Shinji and Asuka in the new world where the Human Instrumentality Project was not fulfilled Shinji had chosen a world where others existed、and for him Asuka became the first "Other".
"Asuka Langley Soryu Piloting EVA-02 was Asuka's way of maintaining her self-respect, and it also served to deepen her confusing love/hate for Shinji. Her repeated failures in combat against the Angels during the war had forced Asuka to face her own weaknesses, and though she did make a comeback during SEELE's forced requisition of NERV headquarters, she fell in battle against the mass-production model EVA units. Immediately after Asuka's defeat, the Human Instrumentality Project was activated, Asuka was the first "other" to exist in the new world that was created when Shinji wished for a world where others existed, and she was found lyin next to Shinji."
- The Essential Evangelion Chronicle, Side B - ↑ "Shinji meets Rei in the sea of L.C.L. while Human Instrumentality with Unit 01 as a substitute is in progress. Shinji didn't want a world where his boundaries were gone and he was nowhere else. Shinji's eyes tell that he that he will accept the fear of others, the strength of life that moves forward while being frightened can be seen. When their consciousness returned to reality, Shinji and Asuka lie in a world where Human Instrumentality is incomplete.
In the world where Shinji wanted to have others, Asuka became the first stranger, and Shinji reaches out to her [for her neck]. It is difficult to understand Shinji's emotions as he wonders if Asuka is the one who will hurt him or the one who will complement him.
Shinji and Asuka stand alone in a space where no one else is around. In her mental world, Shinji was rejected while expressing her feelings to Asuka and asking her for her salvation, but the relationship between the two can/will* change in the new world." - Evangelion Chronicle Vol. 22, alternate translation from the Japanese
*Translator's notes: "The verb kawaru (変わる) means to change. In this passage, we have kawatte (変わって), which means changed. Add iku (いく) and it means changing. Add nodarou (のだろう) means probably. [The relationship] will probably change. The nature of such indefinite change means it is still likely unclear. So those two sentences basically say the same thing (unclear vs will change). The former wording is used in the English translation of the Essential digest version, while the latter is used in the French translation.
