FGC:Episode 19 Scene 02

Commentary Navigation
<< Back to Scene 1	Episode #19 Scene List	Continue to Scene 3 >>

Screenshots	Cut #	Description/Dialogue	Commentary
	037	Closeup of the side of Touji sleeping; he slightly opens his eye, there is a sign of feeling in him and he turns his gaze. SE <<(sound of electro cardiogram) (breathing)>>	Zusuchan: I know I previously said I consider Toji's death a better decision than his survival, but this one nice small scene is still something I find quite endearing and interesting, especially in regards to how Toji and Hikari showcase Shinji and his two love interests in a more healthy, normal fashion.
	038	From Touji’s viewpoint. There’s a figure in the neighboring bed. TOJI (OFF):“…Shinji?”	Dr. Nick: Placing the two pilots in the same hospital room shows that Nerv clearly isn't worried about any lingering effects of psychological contamination, even though the Angel seemingly puppeted Unit-03 through Toji and presumably made some sort of mind contact in the process. However, if there's supposed to be any in-universe explanation for what we see in cut 043, my money would be on some undefined Angel-induced mind alteration.
	039	Looking at Shinji, Touji slowly turns his gaze to the ceiling. TOJI:“Why is Shinji sleeping in a bed beside me?”	dzzthink: When I first watched this scene as a kid, I got confused between who was Shinji and Toji in this scene. They are both look quite similar and the clinical whiteness offsets some of their features. However, they both undergo the 'unfamiliar ceiling' experience and react in different ways, with Shinji running away and Toji left in a state of calm reflection of the past events.
	040	Touji’s view. The hospital ceiling.
	041	Touji looks at the ceiling for a while. Touji’s condition seems to be taking a turn for the worst. TOJI:“I wonder where I am... My sister’s hospital...?”
	042	There’s a break of total darkness, a sound like a railroad crossing coming. As a red light blinks in and out, before long the railroad crossing sound goes far off. SE <<(railroad crossing sound) カンカンカン>>
	043	Touji hangs onto a strap, in a daze. From above inside the train. SE <<(train sound)>> Touji casually and slowly turns to his right. He gets the sense of something and looks further to the right.	SEELE-01: This scene always confused me. It's obviously some sort of dream, the interesting part was how it was a shared dream. Was it Eva-induced? Rei-induced? UrsusArctos: No kidding, it really is confusing. Toji sees Shinji and Rei talk, but neither of them seem to pay attention to him or know he was watching them. Perhaps being exposed to Bardiel somehow allowed Toji to sneak into the Rei-Shinji conversation? *confused shrug* Dr. Nick: The scene almost feels like an instrumentality (or pre-instrumentality) preview. And there are more of those to come.
	044	From Touji’s viewpoint. He looks at two people in the neighboring train. It is Rei and Shinji. TOJI (pre-emptive dialogue):“Hey, that’s”
	045	Touji’s shoulder, in front of his face. TOJI:“Shinji and Ayanami.”
	046	There is no one else in the train, just Rei and Shinji sitting. REI (echo):“Ikari. Why did you do that sort of thing?” SHINJI:“Because I couldn’t forgive him. My father. My father betrayed me. Even though I had a good talk with him! My father doesn’t understand my feelings at all!” REI (echo):“Ikari, have you tried to understand your father’s feelings?”
	047	Shinji closeup. He has a strong tone. SHINJI:“I did.”
	048	Rei’s silhouette (shadow) REI (echo):“Why don’t you try to understand him?”
	049	Shinji blocks his ears with both hands. SHINJI:“I said I did!”
	050	The light is behind Rei. REI (echo):“You’re running away from what you disagree with.”
	051	Closeup of Shinji holding his ears. We can’t see his face. SHINJI:“Why isn’t it okay?! What’s bad about running away from things you disagree with!? (bleeds into next cut)”
	052	Inside the car. Rei and Shinji confronting each other. (Shinji is very troubled). - Pause -
	053	Touji beyond his shoulder. He watches things and speaks. A blackout. TOJI:“What are they arguing about, those two?”	dzzthink: Toji's reaction to the surreal dream of the Hell Train is almost laughable. It does pose several questions on what reality and dreams are though. It seems that Rei is a bridge between these two realms since she remarked before that she uses the Evas to connect with others, serving as Shinji's inner conscience and psychological mediator. The fact that Toji does not seem to be entirely involved in this conversation, probably reflects his mentality to being an Eva pilot in general. To him, his role is only to help move his sister into a better hospital and he severs all other connections emotionally or psychologically with the Eva pilots/Gendo/Eva souls. This is shown by his practical and almost simplistic reaction when he wakes up, seemingly without any recollection of what happened and any mental trauma.
	054	The picture changes from black. A female nurse and Hikari’s voice can be heard (it is really from here). NURSE (right):“Because you have special permission, you can meet with him, for 5 minutes.” HIKARI (left):“Yes, thank you very much.” The screen fades in to the ceiling, which appears illuminated, before long the view clears up. The screen pans to Hikari’s face, she is looking with concern (morning hospital room). TOJI (OFF):“Hey, its”
	055	Hikari in front of a bed with Touji, below. TOJI (ON):“the class representative?” Hikari leans towards him slightly and speaks. HIKARI (behind):“Suzuhara! Are you alright?” Touji calmly looks to the side. TOJI:“Ah, well I’m alive.”
	056	There is no person remaining in the bed.
	057	The bed with no person in it is in front of Touji, lying down. Hikari sits there close to him. TOJI:“Hey, I had felt that Shinji was here, was that a dream?” HIKARI:“Ikari left the hospital yesterday.”
	058	Closeup of the upper part of Touji and the bed. HIKARI (OFF):“You had slept for three days, Suzuhara.” TOJI:“(His gaze changes to the ceiling) I did? 3 days?” TOJI:“(his gaze changes to Hikari) Class representative...”
	059	Touji in front of Hikari. Her interpretation of Touji’s words is confusion. HIKARI:“Ah! I came here on official business as the class representative. It’s just that.” Touji does not look surprised to her not hiding her being disturbed at his words. Shock is her feeling. TOJI:“(He looks out the window) Ah, I understand.”
	060	Hikari closeup. Touji’s words make her look lonely and desolate. HIKARI:“(mutters) No, you don’t understand.” Hikari is surprised. TOJI (OFF):“I’m sorry”	dzzthink: Toji again seems rather oblivious of Hikari's feelings toward him. Although he is often portrayed as brash and uncouth at times, he seems to project a sense of innocence or maturity after the battle. He does not engage in Shinji's rambling during the Hell train scene or even overreact to his injury or Hikari's visit. He instead focuses on his sister's wellbeing and calmly assures those around him that he is ok. UrsusArctos: I can't make up my mind whether Toji's aware of Hikari's feelings for him or not. His apology for not being able to eat her lunch did seem an indirect acknowledgement of her feelings, but when he entrusts her with something it's not a declaration of love/affection like Hikari seems to be expecting but rather a request to convey a message to his sister. That delicate request is a sign of his trust in her, but is that trust because he has feelings for her, or is it because he thinks of her as a friend he can trust?
	061	Toji remains looking out the window. TOJI (ON):“that I couldn’t eat your lunch.”	dzzthink: Such a simple statement shows the endearing quality of the 4th child. The fact he is still able to remember the kind gesture of Hikari's actions, whilst being ignorant of its hidden overtones, shows the sensitive side that Hikari commented on earlier. Unfortunately, this will the last scene for Toji, other than during instrumentality, but his overall presence in the episode is still very significant. I always wondered if it would have been better if he returned as the pilot of the black Eva, to save the day at some crucial point in battle or become the embodiment of a fiery male Asuka to support Shinji as a brother-in-arms. Alas, his piloting was put to rest very suddenly, with this episode serving as the official retirement of Shinji's school chums for the rest of the series.
	062	Hospital room. Bed from the angle of his feet. Hikari and Touji. HIKARI:“It’s okay. Don’t worry about that. But, I’m sorry. They said I cannot bring you a lunch here.” TOJI:“(looking at the window) Class representative.” Hikari shyly glances away while talking to Touji. HIKARI:“What?” TOJI:“Can I entrust you with something?” HIKARI:“Yes.” TOJI:“Can you tell my sister there’s nothing wrong with me?” HIKARI:“Yes.”	Pluto: The reveal of Touji without an arm and a leg. Another example of Anno's penchant for displaying broken characters without limbs due to the influence of his father's accident and amputation. UrsusArctos: Toji is the best elder brother a little sister could want, putting her needs above his even when he's missing a leg. Regarding Anno's penchant for displaying broken characters, Anno's father lost his left leg, which is the same leg that Toji loses, making it a very personal and very straight reference to his father's injury. At first we weren't clear if he was missing his left arm too, but a deleted scene from from End of Evangelion would have shown Toji playing wheelchair basketball with Kensuke, using both arms, so it would seem he has both arms intact (we see both arms when he's being extracted). Mr. Tines: Whereas Yamashita ran with the seeming, and put Toji, the ¥600 million man, in ANIMA; also goodbye to the school chums. Dr. Nick: Idle thoughts, but I wonder if Toji managed to receive a leg prosthetic before the whole world was tanged. Thanks to Kiel, we know advanced human cybernetics are a thing in Evangelion, and as an Eva pilot I'm sure Toji would be entitled to a state of the art replacement limb. I can just imagine Kensuke being red-in-the-face jealous at Toji's new thought-controlled mecha leg. But then again, considering how recent the injury is, Toji would likely return from the sea of LCL with his limbs intact again.

Commentary Navigation
<< Back to Scene 1	Episode #19 Scene List	Continue to Scene 3 >>