Shinji and Asuka's Relationship

Despite not joining the cast until Episode 08, Asuka quickly becomes a pivotal figure in the narrative, both in her own right and in her interactions with Shinji. The complex dynamics of their relationship are at the very heart of the show and thus deserve an in-depth analysis. Unfortunately most aspects of the relationship remained both unspoken and denied for nearly if not all of the narrative, and thus the two never come to a conclusive understanding. For this reason, as well as to properly illustrate the compounding nature of each teen's wrongful assessment of their situation, their perspectives will be analyzed separately.

Before reading further, it is important to first realize that what the characters say or do almost never directly corresponds to what they actually feel or desire. It is only by looking at the wider details of a scene, such as background conversations or the framing of a scene that these truths are revealed. In many cases the clues to unraveling a scene can only be found in conjunction with other scenes. Lastly, it is often the case that important information is transmitted visually rather than through dialog, so looking at screenshots is a necessity.

Shinji's POV

(coming soon)

Asuka's POV

(coming soon)

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For more information, less accepted alternatives and objections, see http://forum.evageeks.org/viewtopic.php?t=3758