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Misato:“I wonder if I've been a little TOO cheery?”
Incisivis: This line is another of those "hints" that Misato is something different than what she appears to be, implying that her cheerful demeanor is a facade, and a monitored one at that. I enjoy how the characters' outer selves show cracks right from the start.
Reichu: In an interview with Kazuya Tsurumaki included in the EoE theatrical program, he touches upon one of NGE's major themes and how it applies to this scene in particular. (It also relates back my comments in C-036 somewhat.)
— In the end, Evangelion was a story about communication[…].
KT - That was the intent from the start of the TV series. That was what I tried to produce from episode 2 onward.
— Yes, that was the scene where Misato and Shinji talk while measuring distances from each other in Misato's apartment, right? Although they appeared to be getting along fine with each other, Shinji was thinking, "She seems okay, but…", while Misato was thinking "I wonder if he sees through me?"
KT - there were other scenes in episode 2 as well. For instance, when Misato talks to Shinji but doesn't enter his room. Even in episode 3, they are having a casual morning conversation, but are not looking at each other. Like they looking through a slightly opened door, but not connecting. This is the same between Shinji and Rei, and between Shinji and his father. It's no wonder there was a lot of distant, awkward communication.
— I see. So, the theme remained the same throughout the series?
KT - That's right.
Shin-seiki: There is a very interesting comment about this line in the Episode Commentaries included in Platinum (which are a translation of the original provided with Renewal):
Shinji was supposed to live by himself, but instead, Misato takes him in and the two of them begin their life together in her apartment. In order to try to close the gap between her and him, Misato acts silly around Shinji and as if in response to that, Shinji acts exaggeratedly surprised by the presence of Pen Pen, the hot springs penguin. Seeing Shinji's true intentions in his actions, Misato says to herself "Maybe I'm the one who's transparent." It is a most Eva-like depiction concerning "communication".
Well, I would say that puts quite an interesting perspective on that scene; it seems to indicate that Shinji realizes that Misato is condescending to him, in a way, by putting on an act for his benefit, so he lets her know he sees through her by putting on his own ridiculous performance over Pen².
thewayneiac: If that was their intent, it was so subtle that it got right past me.
HeWhoPostsStuff: If that's the case, then methinks Shinji demonstrates more backbone here than most give him credit for, seeing as he doesn't seem to have many hesitations about exposing himself in front of a woman for the sake of a joke… unless, of course, he only intended to overplay the yelling part and just sort of forgot his state of undress either way.
Hexon.Arq: That explanation does have a lot of merit over a situation that otherwise seems completely silly and unnecessary, especially in that it does a lot to clarify Misato's thought, but then this thing about Shinji's intentionally shameless display does kind of seem to counter its plausibility.
Reichu: It seems to be completely out of character, for one thing… I dunno, to me, Shinji's reaction to finding a penguin in the shower, while silly and overblown, felt "honest" to me, and not the sort of thing Shinji would just decide to do at the drop of a hat. Shinji never seemed big on pretense, to my mind, whereas Misato's infamous for it.
Shin-seiki: You have a point there, but, on the other hand, putting the scene (not just Shinji's reaction to Pen², but Misato's behavior the whole time) in that context does make Misato's line make perfect sense… Misato's behavior from the time they walk through the door is kinda weird, wouldn't you say? This explanation lets us know that her behavior was a little phony and affected, perhaps because she didn't quite know how to relate to a fourteen year old kid. (Note what she says later on the phone to Ritsuko, C-170 & 171.)
Also, this is the only the second episode, so Shinji's persona isn't quite set in stone yet. Besides, I think his 'acute penguin reaction syndrome' is primarily there as comic relief, and what this commentary is talking about is inputing a secondary, 'deeper' meaning to the scene, beyond its surface level meaning. It's somewhat analogous to the Kissing Scene in in #15 (another scene in which Pen² plays a role, btw), in that it is funny at first glance, but has a more serious meaning under the surface (in the case of #15, much more serious).
Keisuke-kun: On another note… Damn… ADV's original translation was really off… ("I guess I'm not being as nice as I ought to. Of course, he's probably already made up his mind about me.")
Hexon.Arq: I always found the ADV translation to be really funny. Of course, what Misato is actually thinking does put the scene in a much more helpful light.
