Theory and Analysis:Rei and the Moon

From EvaWiki
Revision as of 04:34, 11 February 2008 by V (talk | contribs) (reword this better than I can)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
From Episode 06
From the Closing Credits
From The End of Evangelion

Throughout the series, Rei Ayanami is associated with the recurring visual motif of the Moon. In fact, the Moon is rarely shown in Neon Genesis Evangelion without Rei in the foreground. Exceptions would be the shots of the Spear of Longinus heading towards the Moon, and the "Moon's eye view" of Second Impact from Episode 21.

From the Opening Credits

For example, in Episode 06 Rei stands silhouetted against the Moon before the mission starts. Later, in Episode 10, Rei is swimming in the Nerv gym's pool: the "camera" views her from below, passing in front of a ceiling light, visually similar to passing in front of the Moon.

Rei's left eye is specifically associated with the Moon. In Rei's monologue in Episode 14, this relation is brought up symbolically by a cut of Rei's eye blinking, followed by a cut to the moon.

In Rei's first scene in The End of Evangelion, she wakes up in the middle of the night with moonlight beaming across her, gazes at the Moon out the window, then apparently realizes the time for Third Impact is coming close and leaves for Terminal Dogma.

Rei is a "vessel" for the soul of Lilith, and during First Impact 4 billion years ago, the Black Moon transporting Lilith collided with Earth, and Earth's Moon formed from the resulting debris. Thus, in a sense, Rei (or the soul of Lilith she carries) actually created the Moon.

Lilith's mask resembles the Moon

The white giant in Terminal Dogma, who we later learn is, in fact, Lilith, wears a mask with crater-like markings. This serves to associate her with the Moon, and thus with Rei.

Notes

  • The visual motif pairing Rei and the Moon is very strong and frequently recurring throughout the series, and due to Rei's connection to Lilith it is actually thematically important. To a lesser extent there is also a visual motif pairing Asuka with the Sun: the first shot introducing Asuka has her silhouetted against the Sun, and in Eva-02's dying moments in The End of Evangelion, Asuka reaches upwards towards the MP Evas, with the Sun behind them. The "Asuka and the Sun" motif isn't used nearly as frequently as the pairing of Rei and the Moon, and also doesn't seem to have any major thematic relevance (beyond Asuka's "fiery" personality). It would appear that the "Asuka and the Sun" motif is used as just another case of showing how Asuka and Rei are polar opposites of each other (Rei is introverted, Asuka is extroverted, and the Sun and Moon are opposites).