FGC:Episode 04 Scene 03

Duty and Disobedience

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Screenshots	Cut #	Description/Dialogue	Commentary
	092	Rei being monitored. The examination bed moves. Misato (OFF):“It seems so cruel, making him bear the burden of humanity's fate.”	Reichu: Okay, WTF? Why is Rei called "SAMPLE 0001"? Sounds awfully shady. Mr. Tines: Also note that they're keeping up the fiction that Rei is 14. Treize X: Why exactly are they analyzing Rei anyway? What do they need? Mr. Tines: To see if she's fit to pilot again, I would imagine. She's been out of action since before episode #01. thewayneiac: This must be some of that "SÂBISU" Misato's been promising us. Sharp-kun: Service! Service! Reichu: Hel-LO, bandage fetishism! Mr. Tines: And this is our first panty-shot of the series. Otherwise, her bandaging is "conveniently" placed. Reichu: Refreshingly, the undergarments are treated as simply being there, rather than dwelt upon by the camera like a TRUE fan service shot. Mr. Tines: Quite. Relating back to #01/C-074, Eva's "service" at least avoids being blatant — even if there are a lot of camera angles that seem to be composed while forgetting that the female characters have faces, it's not exaggerated. Reichu: They've had such opportunities for "pantsu" before (#01, C-074; #03, C-121~3, but not taken them… Just for contrast, take "Blue Seed"*, where a running gag is made out of a different animal appearing on the heroine's panties in each episode. * Reichu: BTW, if you haven't seen this, you probably shouldn't bother. I've only found one use thusfar for the DVD box-set I mysteriously spent $40 on.
	093	Rei being analyzed. Marks light up at the checkpoints. It scrolls and changes direction. Ritsuko (OFF):“But we have no choice but to entrust the piloting of the Evas to fourteen year old children.”	Sharp-kun: An early hint on the nature of the relationship between the Evas and their pilots. OMF: I don't think it's ever actually explicitly stated in the show exactly why only 14-year-old children are the only ones that can pilot Eva. I guess the anime-watching public have become so numb to the unbreakable law that only teenagers can pilot "giant battle machines" that the director didn't ever feel the need to give some hackneyed explanation. Reichu: Well, first off, it's not as if it's even a law in NGE. :cough:Rei:cough: There have been some theories as to the possible TECHNICAL significance of the children's ages, which we'll deal with later. There certainly is a thematic significance to it. Also, Nerv's optics here don't seem much more advanced that what Kensuke was using last episode. Mr. Tines: Much more detailed and we'd be into Ghost in the Shell-style service territory. Hexon.arq: Hmm, I never quite noticed the colors before. It brings to mind a description of the Angels' physical properties in the following episode. Reichu: Fufufu. All in good time…
	094	Another monitor. A cursor checks the vicinity of Rei's eye. Rei's eye is calm.	Mr.Tines: The red lines suggest some form of optical tomography, possibly to calibrate the other optical scanner.
	095	Across from Misato, apparently slouching against the wall, Ritsuko operates the machine; she speaks without looking at Misato. Misato (backside):“I know.” Ritsuko:“So? Any contact from Shinji-kun?” Misato (backside):“….” Ritsuko:“Nothing?”	Treize X: This strikes me as a little odd. Ritsuko is fairly cold and has little to any sociable interaction with Shinji. Why is she so concerned? Reichu: I think this just has more to do with Ritsuko and Misato consumating their surface-level "friendship". Incisivis: The difference between Ritsuko and Misato shows up again, as Ritsuko considers the need for pilots and Misato seems to be the more compassionate one. Though as we'll see later, emotions are not so simple for either of them. Hexon.arq: For a presumably serious examination, Ritsuko's setup has all the polish of an unsettled otaku's AMV studio.
	096	Misato UP, seeming to lose her bearings slightly. She turns her face away and speaks. Misato:“Nothing. I think he may never come back.”
	097	Ritsuko, calm, with the machine in front. Ritsuko:“What are you going to do?”
	098	Misato appears to be worrying about something. Misato:“Nothing, really. lf he doesn't come back, maybe that's for the best…”	Reichu: Wow. Misato's wearing pants to work for a whole two episodes in a row! Let's see how long she can keep this up. OMF: Misato has to be the most casually dressed person in Nerv. I'll bet it irritates Gendo no end. Reichu: Naw. He's not even around half the time; he could care less. The man can't even be bothered to button up his own uniform. OMF: You're right. Scratch the Gendo line. It would seem bad habit spread from the top down in Nerv.
	099	Ritsuko merely gazes at Misato. Ritsuko:“Why?”
	100	Both of them viewed from a top angle. Misato:“…After the battle the other day…”
	101	Flashback scene. Shinji in his plugsuit, hands UP. Misato (OFF):“Why did you ignore my orders?”	Sharp-kun: This was the first scene in which Shinji really got to me. I would quite happily have hit him several times for his attitude here. OMF: Shinji is very out of character in this scene. The reason is probably that he's realised what he still hadn't in #03/161: He's here because they need him to pilot Eva. He's probably feeling a lot of ambivalence about this, as he's both powerful and powerless at the same time. On the one hand, people need him — he's not useless and is, in fact, essential. But, on the other hand, he believes he's just a pilot to them now, doing something he hates for people who don't really care about him at all. He probably thinks everyone is laughing at him and he's finally gotten the joke. The following conversation will only reinforce that belief.
	102	Shinji has a semi-serious expression. Shinji:“I'm sorry.”	Mr. Tines: Shinji in his secret identity as "Mr. Gomen". This confrontation between Shinji and Misato has some interesting body language. Note that neither of them is making eye-contact to start with (102 et seq.).
	103	A command room within a motorized vehicle. Misato in the front, Shinji further in. Neither one moves. Misato:“I'm the one who's in charge of your operations, right?” Shinji:“Yes.” Misato:“You have a duty to obey my orders. Understood?” Shinji:“Yes.” Misato:“Don't do it again.” Shinji:“Yes.”	Sharp-kun: A very immature reaction. OMF: Misato's comments here are only confirming what Shinji already feels. She's his commander, and he's her subordinate. Nothing more.
	104	Misato is rubbed the wrong way. She glares at Shinji. Misato:“Do you really understand what I'm saying?”	Mr. Tines: (104 et seq.) Misato starts to act like she isn't totally sociopathic and actually looks at the person she's talking to, continuing to do so for the rest of the scene.
	105	Continuing to gaze in the opposite direction, Shinji turns only his face towards Misato, replying with a face upon which a faint smile can be seen. Shinji:“Yes.”	Reichu: Just smack him, Misato. Considering what he just went through, he's being remarkably sassy. Mr. Tines: In the army, that's called dumb insolence. Put him on KP for the next month. No, wait, Misato already did that when doling out the chores. Magami No ER: At least he only pulled this brat crap once… I seem to remember in the manga Shinji acting like this many more times. Incisivis: I actually find this scene funny, mostly because it's so out of character for Shinji. Though I agree if it happened often it would be annoying, because of the difference between being wanting to be annoying, and your reactions provoking annoyance in other people when you don't mean it. Shinji seems to like messing with Misato here. OMF: Shinji's not declaring understanding of her orders here. It his own distorted understanding of his current situation that he has reached. Misato's comments confirmed to him that his use is as a pilot only.
	106	Shinji's arm in front of Misato; she turns her entire body toward him. Misato:“Hey, you're not going to get out of this by just saying 'yes' to everything I say.”	Reichu: Notice that they remembered to put Misato in her outfit from episode #03.
	107	Shinji glances over at Misato when he speaks, then again removes his gaze. Shinji:“I understand, of course. That's enough, isn't it? We won, didn't we?”	Mr. Tines: Shinji makes fleeting and at best partial eye contact thewayneiac: ("We won, didn't we?") Shinji's got a good point here. Maybe she should trust the pilot's judgment. After all, he was in the battle; she was safe in a bunker. Sharp-kun: Not at all. The "as long as I win, it's okay" attitude is one that could cause serious problems. What if he ends up disobeying orders a second time believing he's right, and people are killed by mistake? thewayneiac: That's assuming that a "Washington General" has a better grasp of the situation than a "Field General". OMF: "The end justifies the means." Shinji thinks his only purpose now is to destroy angels, so what does it matter if he doesn't do it by the book. The only thing they can do is complain.
	108	Misato UP, snapping. Misato:“!!”
	109	Misato approaches Shinji without hesitation. Misato:“You know, it may seem easy to go along with whatever anyone else wants, but if you get into the Eva with that attitude, you'll get killed!!” Shinji turns his face away slightly. Shinji:“That's okay with me.” Misato is irritated by Shinji's reply.	Mr. Tines: Now he's pretty much turning his back on her. Now, I know that being a 14-year-old male means that you're going to be a jerk whatever ("I Was a Teenage …"), but there are times and places. Nerv health insurance sure doesn't include counselling. He ought to be off down the MO* tout suite; as it is, he gets Catch 22'd. Reichu: The lack of counselling probably reflects common Japanese attitudes (at least, as I understand them) about such things around the time this was made. OMF: He doesn't seem to care if he lives or dies. Death would only release him from his purgatorial conscription. He still has no motivation for piloting, or indeed living. Reichu: Yet he is too much of a coward to actively provide that release for himself… He'll put himself into situations where death is possible, but not a guarantee. As much as he desires it, he fears it. *Medical Officer
	110	Misato slowly raises her body, hiding the anger within herself as she speaks. Misato:“It'd be nice if I could say you've got the right attitude, but if you expect to get any praise out of me, you're wrong, Shinji lkari.”
	111	Shinji speaks with a settled face. He is strangely benign. Shinji:“That's not the point. Anyway, I'm the only one who can pilot it, aren't I?”	thewayneiac: Another good point. Keep them coming. Of course the trouble is he doesn't mean it. He says "I'll pilot it", then he runs away. Treize X: Cocky little Shinji… Yeah, his behavior here always struck me as slightly ironic. Sharp-kun: ("I'm the only one who can pilot it, aren't I?") There's Rei… Reichu: (What's she going to do to the Angels? Bleed on them? ;;>) Mr. Tines: Send in the clones! (Well, if they didn't have to make do with one soul between the lot of them, that is.) Soluzar: May I be the one to speak with a dissenting voice? Isn't Shinji the one who is really indispensible? Forget army rules, soldiers can be replaced. Other than Rei and Asuka, Nerv never successfully sortie another Eva pilot. In that situation, you can get away with being a brat, because they need you. OMF: His indispensibility is his one and only source of consolation. Despite all their bossing, the worst Nerv can do is simply send him out to fight. Reichu: The whole situation is quite weird. Nerv is always bitching about not having enough pilots, but they have this giant collection of kids and dead mo—… Er, best to hold off on that. Soluzar: Having said all of that, I do agree that he is being rude and insolent. However, I don't recall any mention of him getting paid to do this job. Nor do I recall any real opportunity for him to turn it down. That means that he has some right to a little latitude. Reichu: "Here, Shin-chan. Your 5000 yen for the week. Now, quit your whining." "Misato-san… You're so cruel!" OMF: Shinji's first line here shows he's not interested in Misato's opinion of him, probably because, at this stage, he already thinks he knows what it is. Reichu: Still, quite out of character. For most of the series he agonizes over what people think about him.
	112	Side of Shinji's face UP. His bottom eyelid moves; his eye has a hint of a smile. Shinji:“I'll pilot it.”	tv33: Of course he will. I mean, after all, we still have 22 episodes and two movies left to go!
	113	The screen returns to the present-day Misato. Ritsuko (OFF):“I see…”
	114	Different types of monitors in front of Ritsuko. She looks serious, but she continues with the manual processing.
	115	Misato stares into space. Misato:“If getting into Eva only causes him pain, he shouldn't get into it again. (sigh) He'll surely get killed.”	OMF: Misato really hates the idea of Shinji piloting when he doesn't want to. Even more so because she's main person cattle prodding him into Eva every morning. Reichu: I dig that visual image… :D OMF: Misato: "Call ME a slob, will you!?!" *ZZZZAAAPP* Dr. Nick: Oh yeah, tasers and cattle prods! What an episode!
	116	Ritsuko tells it like it is. Ritsuko:“However, we need pilots.”
	117	Misato peers at Ritsuko. (Yes, training Shinji is Misato's duty.) Misato:“…”

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