Episode 12

Episode Information
Episode #12
Title 1: {{{japanese_title_k}}} {{{japanese_title_r}}} {{{japanese_title_e}}} Title 2: She Said, "Don't Make Others Suffer for Your Personal Hatred."
Written By	Hideaki Anno, Akio Satsukawa
Directed By	Hiroyuki Ishido
First Aired	12-20-1995
Video Release Date	{{{video_release}}}
Angel Appearances	Sahaquiel
Episode chronology
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"Episode 11"	"Episode 13"

Overview

Misato has been promoted to Major, but the celebration is cut short when the next Angel appears, in Earth orbit. Is there any way to stop a multi-ton enemy from hurling itself from space onto Tokyo-3?

Synopsis

The episode begins with a flashback, as Second Impact occurs at Antacrtica. Misato's father, Dr. Katsuragi, saves her life by shoving her into an escape capsule as Adam, in Giant of Light form briefly appears. Giant wings appear over the cloud vortex over Antarctica as the capsule floats to safety.

Back in the present in Tokyo 3, Toji and Kensuke drop into Misato's appartment to take shelter from the rain. Kensuke notices that Misato has been promoted to Major, (a fact which has completely escaped Shinji and Asuka), and he and Toji congratulate her. Misato thanks them and remindes Shinji and Asuka that they have a harmonics test that day.

Ritsuko reveals after the test that Shinji's Synch Rate is rapidly rising and he will soon catch up to Asuka. This doesn't seem to impress Asuka, who reacts angrily.

When they arrive home, they find that Kensuke has arranged a party to celebrate Misato's promotion. Toji wonders why Hikari, the Class Rep, is there, and Asuka replies that she has invited her. Asuka then begins to wonder why Kaji is late. Rei has turned down her invitation. Meanwhile, Shinji whispers to Misato that he's uncomfortable around that many people. When Shinji asks her why she joined Nerv, Misato claims to have forgotten. When Kaji finally arrives, he has Ritsuko with him, causing Misato and Asuka to both react jealously. Kaji comments that Commander Ikari and Vice Commander Fuyutsuki must have a lot of faith in Misato to go away and leave her in charge.

In Antarctica, Gendo and Fuyutsuki are onboard an aircraft carrier in a sea of orange. The surrounding area has become incapable of sustaining life; Fuyutsuki comments that it is the true Dead Sea. Also on board the deck is a mysterious long object in wrappings. Just then they receive a message that the next Angel has begun its attack.

The 10th Angel, Sahaquiel, is colossal in size and somewhat ridiculous in appearance, looking like a gigantic amoeba with a huge central eye. Its strategy is to zero in on Nerv, dropping pieces of itself onto the Earth to calibrate its aim. Each piece has its own A.T. Field, which, combined with very high kinetic energy, cause devastation wherever they strike. It is believed that once the Angel finds its target, the main body will plummet to Earth. Even a near miss will convert Tokyo-3 into an extension of the Pacific Ocean . Misato orders all civilians evacuated in a 50 KM radius, and concocts what seems to be an impossible plan. Using their A.T. Fields at full strength, the three Evas will catch the falling Angel with their hands and then destroy it. Ritsuko accuses Misato of putting her quest for revenge ahead of the mission.

Misato briefs the pilots on the mission. They all decline to write a will. She then promises them a steak dinner if they succeed. Rei passes on the steak because she dislikes meat. When Misato is asked how she determined where to station the Evas (the potential impact zone is miles across), she replies, "intuition." Shinji tells Asuka that Misato has never won the lottery.

On their way to their evas, Shinji asks Asuka why she pilots. She replies that she wants to prove something to the world. When she throws the question back at him, he doesn't have an answer.

We are then shown a flashback to a conversation Shinji and Misato must have had a short time before. She admits that she joined Nerv to avenge her father, even though she had hated him for neglecting her and her mother.

The time comes at last. The Evas race to the impact spot, Shinji arriving first. He struggles to hold up the Angel until Rei and Asuka join him. Rei cuts through Sahaquiel's A.T. Field with her Progressive Knife, and Asuka uses hers to destroy the Angel's core. Another mission has been successful against tremendous odds. Gendo calls, and when Misato tries to apologize for the damage done to Unit-01, he tells her she did well. He then specifically asks to speak with Shinji and tells him, "Good work." The pilots have mercy on Misato's pocketbook and go to a ramen place instead of a steakhouse. Even Rei goes along, ordering garlic ramen with no pork. Shinji tells Misato that he pilots because he wants to hear words of praise from his father.

End of episode.

Notes

• Misato is promoted from Captain to Major as of this episode. For practical purposes, this doesn't really change any character dynamics in the series: she was already head of the Tactical Operations division of Nerv, and she doesn't now outrank anyone we know of that she didn't before.
• Adam is seen as a "giant of light", bearing an unmistakable resemblance to an Evangelion and glowing all over except for her core and eyes (Normally, only the core and eyes are bioluminescent in Angels and Evas).
• Although Second Impact has been referred to as a historical event since the second episode, in this episode an extended flashback is given of Misato's first hand experience during Second Impact while in Antarctica.
• Twin pillars of light are seen rising at the end of the flashback. These may or may not be the base of Adam's wings of light. In Renewal, the wings of light are also seen with red dots of light (Angel souls) flying around them. The imagery of twin pillars of light is seen during the battle against the angel Ramiel.
• The origin of Misato's scar, first seen in Episode 10, are now fully explained. Her sternum is wounded and bloodied over the region where the scar is later seen.
• Some of the injuries suffered by Dr. Katsuragi, such as his skin peeling away, are reminiscent of injuries suffered by victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings.
• Sahaquiel is the first Angel to appear in orbit. However, it seems unlikely that Second Impact simply blew Sahaquiel's egg into orbit- Sandalphon emerged from its egg in full adult size. Assuming Sahaquiel to be the same, it seems impossible that an object so huge could go in Earth orbit undetected for so long.
  • Since it is never revealed where any of the Angels come from (Except Sandalphon), Sahaquiel's egg was probably somewhere else on the Earth, perhaps in the desolate southern Indian Ocean near Antarctica, where it could simply have launched into orbit undetected.
• A.T. Fields can oppose each other and act as a barrier to each other as well- Eva-01's field blocks Sahaquiel's field and keeps the Angel suspended in the air(although demanding a lot of physical strength from the Eva itself) before the other two Evas arrive.
• The only time that Eva-00's prog knife is seen. It is visually identical to the knife used by Eva-01.

Analysis

• The scenes depicting Second Impact bear some parallels to the historical bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. In particular, the body damage suffered by Doctor Katsuragi (melting skin, burning clothes, etc.) strongly resembles actual accounts of nuclear bomb victims.
• The unusual darkness of the core might indicate that Adam's soul is no longer present inside, or it might be symbolic of extreme power, as seen in End of Evangelion. The Lilith superbeing in End of Evangelion first appears in Rei's form, with glowing skin and dark eyes while herself being in a state of extreme power.
• "Wings of light" are also symbolic of power. Unlike the Lilith superbeing's wings, Adam's wings do not appear to be physical. When Eva-01 first sprouts wings, they are eerily similar to Adam's own wings.
• Adam's shoulder pylons are artificial restraints, similar to those later seen on the Evangelions, and not part of her natural body. These may be related to the contact experiment mentioned in Episode 21.
• Another instance of Misato and Ritsuko clashing- Ritsuko is a highly logical thinker, and she strongly disagrees with Misato's placement of the Evas on pure guesswork.
• Misato's true motives for joining Nerv are explained. Her hatred of the angels seems to drive her to any length to destroy them, even though it may not be the most sensible of methods. Conversely, in both this episode and in Episode 5, Misato's determination has saved the situation in spite of extremely low odds.

Quotes

• (Shinji wonders why his improved performance Angers Asuka)
  Shinji: "I wonder why she got mad. What did I do wrong?"
  Misato: "That bothers you?"
  Shinji: "Yes."
  Misato: "That's because all you ever do is worry about what other people think."
• (Ritsuko confronts Misato about her plan)
  Ritsuko: "You're going to do this, seriously?"
  Misato: "Yes, I am."
  Ritsuko: "You're going to throw away all three Evas with your selfish decision? The chance of success is only 0.00001%. That's not even one in ten thousand!"
  Misato: "It's not zero; I'm just banking on the Evas."
  Ritsuko: "Major Katsuragi!"
  Misato: "I am currently in charge. I want to do whatever I can. Destroying Angels is my duty."
  Ritsuko: "Your duty! Don't make me laugh, This is for your own sake, isn't it? Your revenge against the Angels!
• (The pilots prepare for their mission.)
  Shinji: "Say."
  Asuka: "What?"
  Shinji: "Asuka, why do you pilot an Eva?"
  Asuka: "To exhibit my talent to the world, of course."
  Shinji: "You mean to prove that you exist?"
  Asuka: "Yeah, something like that." (Looks at Rei) "You're not going to ask her?"
  Shinji: "I've asked Ayanami before."
  Asuka: "Mmmm...My, how intimate the two of you are."
  Shinji: "It's not like that."
  Asuka: "Then what about you, Shinji?"
  Shinji: "I don't know."
  Asuka: "You don't know? What are you, stupid?"
  Shinji: "Maybe I am."
  Asuka: "You really are stupid."
• (The characters celebrate their victory over Ramen.)
  Shinji: "Say, miss Misato?"
  Misato: "What?"
  Shinji: "When I heard my father's words earlier, I think I finally understood what it's like to feel happy when you're praised and I also realized that maybe I pilot the Eva because I wanted to hear those words from him."
  Asuka: "You're piloting for something like that? You really are stupid."