Episode 22

Episode Information
Episode #22
Title 1: せめて、人間らしく Semete, ningen rashiku At least, be human Title 2: Don't be.
Written By	Hideaki Anno, Hiroshi Yamaguchi
Directed By	Akira Takamura
First Aired	2-28-1996
Video Release Date	2-5-1997 (Japan-Video/LD), 5-29-2001 (US-DVD)
Angel Appearances	Arael
Eva Sorties	Eva-00, Eva-02
Episode chronology
← Previous	Next →
"Episode 21"	"Episode 23"

Overview

Asuka's synch rate is on a downward spiral after her defeat at the hands of the Fourteenth Angel, Zeruel, and her frustration with Rei, Shinji, Misato and (unknown to her, dead) Kaji is on the rise. Angrier and more disturbed than ever, she is forced to relive her dark, traumatic past during the encounter with the Fifteenth Angel, Arael.

Synopsis

The Episode begins with Asuka and Kaji aboard the Aircraft Carrier on their way to Japan. Asuka talks to Kaji about Misato and tells him that he is the only person she loves, in what amounts to a drunken confession of a schoolgirl crush. Kaji rebuffs her, saying, "You're only a child."

Other dark images of Asuka's past abound, including images of her mother lying in hospital and holding a doll. The real Asuka watches as her previously neglectful mother refuses to recognize her and treats the doll as her daughter, with her father (Langley), speaking to the lady doctor and coming to like her as well. Asuka refuses to cry at her mother's funeral after she commits suicide.

Asuka ignores Shinji and there is visible tension between her and Misato at dinner. Soon afterwards, her stepmother (The doctor) calls up and both of them speak in German for a while before she hangs up , and tells Shinji the truth about her stepmother before getting angry and wondering why she is telling all this. She screams her hatred of Shinji, Misato, Rei and herself in the bath, and hates menstruating since she doesn't want to be a mother.

Her mental disturbance is noticed by Ritsuko, who has seen her synch scores deteriorate since her defeat to Zeruel. Asuka runs into Rei in the elevator, and after a long silence, Rei speaks, telling Asuka to treat the Eva like a person. Enraged at Rei trying to help her out, Asuka slaps Rei and storms out of the elevator. She talks to Eva-02 for a while, telling it that it's her puppet, before deciding, "This is stupid."

Right then, the Angel Arael arrives, holding position in Low Earth Orbit very far from Tokyo-3. Rei is sent to shoot the Angel, with Asuka as a backup, but Asuka refuses to be her backup and takes point position instead. Ritsuko mentions to Maya that they need to think of a replacement pilot for Eva-02. Arael remains just out of range of Asuka's Positron Rifle, and generates a beam of visible light similar to an A.T. Field that penetrates the Eva's mind.

The Eva fires but Arael is too far for the shots to contact, it convulses and shoots causing damage all over Tokyo-3. Asuka screams in pain as the Angel tries to enter her mind, and soon the Angel succeeds in breaking into her mind, revealing even more of her inner trauma, and how she constantly desires for attention by being the best in everything. As Eva-02 shuts down and the pilot continues to wither mentally, Rei is ordered to shoot the Angel with a sniper version of the Positron Rifle (Similar to but much less powerful than the one used against Ramiel), but beam is too weak to penetrate the Angel's A.T. Field at that range.

Gendo orders Rei to retrieve the Spear of Longinus from Terminal Dogma, which she uses to deadly effect on the Angel. The Spear, however, is lost. Shinji tries to console Asuka, who is even more upset after the mental attack and hates the idea that Rei saved her.

On-Air Version

• The only scenes the audience sees of Asuka's mindrape in the original version is of her wondering why she's crying when little (Presumably at her mother's funeral after deciding she wouldn't cry anymore) up until her telling the 15th Angel to stop making her remember all that "bad stuff" since she'd "forgotten about it".

Notes

A view of the Spear and Arael from Earth's orbit

• Hyuga mentions that Arael "isn't budging from its satellite orbit", then Aoba says that "It's maintaining a set distance from" them. This indicates that Arael is in a Geostationary Orbit, typically (depending on Arael's mass) about 22,000 miles (36,000 km) above sea level. In order for an orbit to be Geostationary, it must be directly above the equator, however, when we're shown the Angel in orbit, it appears to be in orbit over a large landmass. Based off of the shot of when the Spear was thrown, it was either thrown in the general direction of Australia or Alaska, neither of which are at the equator.

Quotes

• Asuka remembering her seducing Kaji before arriving in Japan: "Asuka, you're still a child. Those things can wait until you grow up a little." "What?! That's no fun! I'm already grown up enough! I'm already a grownup! I'm a grownup! I'm a grownup! So look at me!"

• Asuka, upon seeing Shinji in her mind: "Why are you there?! You won't do anything! You won't help me! You won't even hold me! No one! No one! No one!" Asuka crying when little: "So look at me!"

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!

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 | Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0