Episode 01

Episode Information
Episode #01
Title 1: 使徒、襲来 Shito Shuurai An Angel's Attack Title 2: Angel Attack
Written By	Hideaki Anno
Directed By	Kazuya Tsurumaki
First Aired	10-4-1995
Video Release Date	2-3-1996 (Japan-Video/LD), 5-16-2000 (US-DVD)
Angel Appearances	Sachiel
Eva Sorties	Eva-01
Episode chronology
← Previous	Next →
"(none)"	"Episode 02"

Overview

Shinji Ikari is summoned to Tokyo-3 by his estranged father Gendo, commander of the special agency Nerv, to defend the city from a giant Angel by piloting the only weapon capable of battling the monster: Evangelion Unit-01.

Synopsis

Sachiel approaches Tokyo-3

Misato rescues Shinji in the nick of time

The Angel Sachiel approaches underwater towards Tokyo-3, as a JSSDF tank battalion awaits it on the shoreline. A state of emergency has been declared and people have fled to shelters, leaving the region deserted. Ikari Shinji, recently arrived in a nearby town, has remained above ground waiting for Misato Katsuragi, who is due to pick him up.

During his wait he notices a teenage girl who seems to be observing him; who mysterious vanishes as quickly as she appeared. Shinji then feels the ground shake as Sachiel emerges from behind a nearby foothill. The JSSDF air force begins to attack the Angel with missiles and rockets. Shinji is nearly killed in the ensuing battle, but is rescued in the nick of time as Misato arrives in her car and rescues him.

The JSSDF detonate an N² Mine...

...but the Angel survives.

The JSSDF's conventional weapons prove useless against the Angel, and they detonate an N² Mine in an attempt to destroy it. Misato and Shinji, on their way to Tokyo-3, are caught in the shock waves of the blast, and their vehicle is overturned. The Angel survives the blast, but is temporarily halted as it begins to regenerate.

Misato and Shinji repair their vehicle and continue on to Tokyo-3. The JSSDF, admitting their ineffectiveness, transfer responsibility for the Angel's destruction to Gendo Ikari and Nerv. Shinji descends deep underground on a car train into the Geofront.

The Geofront

Shinji is brought before the Eva, and his father

Upon their arrival, Shinji and Misato meet with Ritsuko Akagi, who leads them further down. The recovered Angel begins to resume its journey towards Tokyo-3. Shinji is brought to the Evangelion hanger, where he is shown Eva-01 and where Gendo also appears. Shinji then learns that he has been summoned to pilot Evangelion Unit-01 into battle against the Angel.

Shinji confronts his father and protests at his treatment, but Gendo simply tells him to pilot or leave. The rejuvenated Angel discovers and begins to attack the Geofront, and the hanger is shaken by its blasts. Shinji finally refuses to pilot the Evangelion. Gendo then sends for his other pilot Rei Ayanami, despite her being seriously injured.

Eva-01 saves Shinji

Rei is wheeled into the room in a hospital bed, still covered with bandages. The violence of one the Angel's blasts causes a heavy ceiling lights in the hanger to to fall and Shinji is nearly killed, but is saved when Eva-01, supposedly unable to move, breaks its bonds and moves its arm to deflect the lights. Shinji runs over to help Rei who has been thrown to the floor by the blast. Confronted with the sight Rei's injuries, Shinji resolves himself and agrees to pilot the Evangelion.

Eva-01 is prepared for launch. The Entry Plug with Shinji inside, is inserted into the Evangelion where Shinji achieves synchronization with Eva-01. The Evangelion is then launched up from the Geofront to a road on the surface, into the path of the Angel. The two stand opposing each other and the episode ends.

Notes

• Tokyo-3 was built on the site of pre-Second Impact Hakone. Throughout the series stray dialogue about there are various stray references to geographic locations surrounding Tokyo-3 that also surround Hakone.
• Sachiel's energy blasts look like crucifixes.
• The original Japanese title of this episode is "使徒、襲来 "Shito, shūrai". Gainax made their own English titles, and the English title Gainax created for this episode is "Angel Attack". ADV Film's translation of the original Japanese title is "An Angel's Attack".

Go Here for more notes.

Analysis

• Several explanations have been proposed for Rei's appearance on the street when she is actually severely injured and hospitalized. Go HERE for an analysis of why we believe that it is Rei 3.
• Sachiel's design is remarkably similar to the Plug suit designs. For details, go here: Sachiel and the Plug suits.
• According to Misato it took seven months for Rei to synchronize with Eva-00. It is not clear if Rei's accident in which Eva-00 went berserk, which chronologically seems to happen right before this episode (and is seen in flashbacks in Episode 05, is what Misato is referring to as Rei's first synchronization, or if it happened sometime earlier.
• Shinji and his father Gendo have not met in three years.
• When Shinji says he doesn't get along with his father, Misato says he sounds just like her. The relationship between Misato and her father will be expounded upon in Episode 12.

  

  "Check these out!"

• Misato mailed Shinji a photo of herself to let him know what she looked like when she picked him up: it is a humorously inappropriate photo of her wearing cutoff jeans that reveal her thighs, leaning forward in a tank top revealing excessive cleavage, winking at Shinji and giving him the V-sign. She also left a lipstick kiss on it. The Japanese writing on it translates as "To Shinji: I'll be picking you up, so wait for me, okay?" (apparently written in creator Hideaki Anno's own handwriting). Misato also punctuated the photo with a highly inappropriate message, "Check these out!!" with an arrow pointing to her barely covered breasts. The Platinum Edition DVDs translate this into English as "Pay Attention!". This is an early indication of Misato's unusual personality, even before she appears on screen.
• The little green booklet that Misato hands to Shinji when they enter Nerv HQ says "Welcome to Nerv" on it. Apparently, Shinji has never even heard the name of "Nerv" before, and yet he is a matter of minutes away from being told to pilot Eva-01.

Go Here for more analysis

Quotes

• Fuyutsuki: "It's been 15 years, hasn't it."
  Gendo Ikari: "Yes, there can be no mistake. It's an Angel".
• Misato Katsuragi: (while standing on an elevated people mover transporting her through Nerv base, which is clearly visible from lower levels) "This is why I hate wearing skirts here".
• Ritsuko Akagi: "This is the Ultimate All-Purpose Humanoid Decisive Battle Weapon developed by humanity. The artificial human, Evangelion. That is Eva-01. Its construction carried out in complete secrecy, it is our — humanity's — final trump."
• Shinji Ikari: "I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away..."
• Gendo Ikari: "Go wake up Rei."
  Fuyutsuki: "Can we use her?"
  Gendo Ikari: "She isn't dead."
  Fuyutsuki: "Understood."

Credits

See "Episode 1/Credits"

Episodes & Films
Television Series	Episode 01 | Episode 02 | Episode 03 | Episode 04 | Episode 05 | Episode 06 Episode 07 | Episode 08 | Episode 09 | Episode 10 | Episode 11 | Episode 12 | Episode 13 Episode 14 | Episode 15 | Episode 16 | Episode 17 | Episode 18 | Episode 19 | Episode 20 Episode 21 | Episode 22 | Episode 23 | Episode 24 | Episode 25 | Episode 26
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