Reichu: This is another interesting one. The Japanese term for the Angels is shito — which means “apostle” or “disciple” rather than “angel” (tenshi). Why Anno opted for this dichotomy is still beyond me. The Angels of NGE aren't exactly the attendants of some divine being. On the other hand, they really aren't anyone's disciples, either. Although apparently, apostulos and angelos both mean “messenger”, so the interchangeability of “angel” and “shito” works on an etymological basis. That they both inherently mean "messenger" carries important implications for the true meaning of the term in NGE, which, AFAIK, eluded the English-speaking community until I serendipitously stumbled upon the answer... But that is something for a later time.
Speaking of apostulos, that is actually what the Angels were called in a preliminary NGE scenario (a booklet that was shipped around with the hopes of attracting sponsors).
