Maya Ibuki
| Maya Ibuki | |
| |
| 伊吹マヤ | |
| Age | 24 |
|---|---|
| Birthday | July 11, 1991 |
| Seiyū | Miki Nagasawa |
First Lieutenant Maya Ibuki is one of the three main computer technicians at Nerv HQ, along with Makoto Hyuga and Shigeru Aoba, and serves directly under Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. Maya frequently acts as Ritsuko's assistant, particularly with work on the Magi supercomputers that control the base, and computer readouts from the the Evangelion units.
Profile
Maya is a sensitive young woman who often hides her eyes or retches during the more violent Eva battles. When the JSSDF soldiers stormed Nerv headquarters in The End of Evangelion, she also refuses to fire on any of them, saying that she does not have the nerve to kill another human being.
Maya has also been shown to have a faithful, trusting nature. She is in awe of the technological advancements current society has achieved. In particular, that this advancement followed Second Impact 15 years ago: unlike the 14 year old Eva pilots, Maya is old enough that she was a child at the time of Second Impact and thus unlike them probably remembers having to grow up through the ensuing global chaos in which human civilization painfully rebuilt itself, in a society struggling to feed its people. It is possible that Maya idealizes human science and technology because it is what ultimately saved the world she grew up in from the brink of collapse.
Maya believes in the technological utopia that Tokyo-3 represents, remarking "This city really is built on science: we're so lucky to be living in such a wonderful time!", though Aoba dismisses her beliefs as the words of a "technophile". Notably she admires Commanders Gendo and Fuyutsuki for their coolness in the stifling headquarters during a power outage, not realizing that Gendo had his feet in a bucket of water (Episode 11).
Maya has some girlish affectations, including having a rabbit-face sticker on the side of her laptop screen, and a pink cat pillow which she sits on at her station. Maya is notably shorter than most of the other Nerv personnel (only halfway between the 5'4'' Misato and the 14 year old Eva pilots), so it appears she has to sit on a pillow so she'll be the proper height at her control terminal. Maya’s cat pillow might be related to Ritsuko Akagi’s affinity for cats, since Maya has a strong bond with Dr. Akagi. She enjoys reading romance novels during a slow day at Nerv.
At first Maya's attraction to Ritsuko only appears to be a professional admiration, enhanced by Maya frequently being seen working aside Ritsuko, and Maya always referring to the other woman as "Ritsuko-sempai" or merely "Sempai", an honorific directed towards a person of higher rank. However, Maya’s transition guide in Episode 26' takes the form of Ritsuko Akagi, who types "I need you" (literally: "INEEDYUO") on Maya’s laptop with her hands over Maya’s, and then embraces her. Before turning to LCL Maya cried "Sempai! Sempai! Sempai!" with a look of ecstasy, tears flowing from her eyes. This suggests that Maya was secretly in love with Ritsuko, though whether Ritsuko knew about this attraction or reacted to it is uncertain. Some have taken Maya’s appearing uncomfortable when Kaji flirted with her (Episode 17) to be further proof of her sexuality.
Notes
- Despite being a minor character, Maya is a popular subject for merchandising, either on her own or alongside the more significant female characters. Hyuga and Aoba do not receive this kind of attention.
- Maya is named after two warships- the canceled aircraft carrier Ibuki and the Takao-class heavy cruiser Maya.
This article bears the unpleasant designation of "Stub." This is a Bad Thing. Provide a great service to NGE fan-geeks everywhere by making it awesomer!
| Characters |
| Main characters: Shinji Ikari | Rei Ayanami | Asuka Langley Soryu |
| Nerv staff: Misato Katsuragi | Gendo Ikari | Ritsuko Akagi | Kozo Fuyutsuki | Ryoji Kaji | Maya Ibuki | Makoto Hyuga | Shigeru Aoba |
| Classmates: Toji Suzuhara | Kensuke Aida | Hikari Horaki |
| Other characters: Kaworu Nagisa | Yui Ikari | Naoko Akagi | Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu | Dr. Katsuragi | Mr. Langley | Keel Lorenz | Pen Pen |
| Rebuild of Evangelion: Asuka Shikinami Langley | Mari Makinami Illustrious | Sakura Suzuhara | Ryoji Kaji (Jr) |
| Miscellaneous: Minor Characters | Minor Characters (Rebuild) | Extracanonical Characters |
| Theory and Analysis: Name Origins (Warships) | Designs | Relationships | Profiles |
| Resources: 2015: The Last Year of Ryohji Kaji |
