Volume 9 (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
| Volume 9 | |||
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| Author: | Yoshiyuki Sadamoto | ||
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| Publish date: | JP: April 3, 2004
US: November 24, 2005 | ||
| Volume chronology | |||
| ← Previous | Next → | ||
| "Volume 8" | "Volume 10" | ||
The ninth volume of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's manga adaptation of Neon Genesis Evangelion. This ninth volume is subtitled The Fifth Child (フィフス・チルドレン / Fifusu Chirudoren) and is comprised of Stages 57 to 63.
Contents
Overview
Volume nine roughly corresponds to Episode 22 and Episode 23 of the anime series.
Summary
Stage 57: The Fifth Child (フィフス・チルドレン / Fifusu Chirudoren)
Asuka recounts the time she was officially assigned the title of “Second Children” and how her mother failed to recognize her even with this achievement. Asuka’s confidence sinks to an all-time low, and questions is she really is special enough to pilot as she takes account of her recent losses in the Eva which leads to difficulty in her synchronizing with Eva-02.
Shinji on the other hand has been avoiding school for months, mainly to avoid the awkwardness of facing his remaining friend after Toji's death, which he still blames himself for and assumes that his friends will feel the same way. Misato tells him that they all must face their jobs while still trying to retain some normalcy. Shinji relunctanty leaves and instead of heading to school, Shinji ruminates among the rubble of what was once a churchyard. He finds a hungry, lost kitten that he finds he can’t help. He begins to hear a piano playing, and out of curiosity searches for the source of the sound. As a result he comes into contact with Kaworu Nagisa, who later tells Shinji he is the Fifth Children.
The two start to leave for school after Shinji relinquishes the starved kitten. It follows them, and Shinji pleads with it to stop, feeling guilty that he cannot provide for it. In response to Shinji’s pleas, Kaworu takes the kitten up in his hands and kills it while Shinji begs him to stop. When Shinji, disturbed and panicked, fails to stop Kaworu, he asks why he did it. As Kaworu casually discards the kitten's corpse, he replies, “If it had a mother, it would be fed. If we both left, who else would come? He’d slowly starve to death on his own. And if that’s all there is, then what I do is kinder.” The chapter ends with Shinji drawing a parallel between when he and Rei first met to his encounter with Kaworu. Shinji thinks to himself, “…The feeling from him, I’ve felt it once before. It’s…like when I first met her (Rei).” Then Shinji, a cross between mystified and disturbed, asks Kaworu his name.
Stage 58: Rejection (拒絶 / Kyozetsu)
Kensuke sits in a mostly empty class, and thinks that Shinji, Asuka, and Rei have more important things to worry about than coming to school. He sees Hikari staring out the window wondering if she knows why Toji never returned. He goes over to talk to Hikari at the and they see Shinji and Kaworu arguing outside. Kensuke looks at Kaworu and has a feeling that Kaworu is something inhuman. Shinji sees the two of them and runs off. Hikari remarks that she's glad he left because things wouldn't be like they were before.
Kaworu follows Shinji as he runs off, much to Shinji’s frustration. Kaworu asks Shinji to take him to NERV, even though he hasn't officially been assigned yet. After arriving, Shinji loses track of Kaworu and goes searching for him.
Meanwhile at NERV, Asuka's synchronization rate continues to drop, with the score hovering just above the startup index. Misato suggests her period is the cause while Ritsuko discounts this theory and suggests a deeper psychological issue, and if her score drops any lower she will no longer be able to activate Eva-02. After she finishes testing she goes to the bathroom and laments her current condition and slipping sync score when Kaworu appears behind her. Asuka shouts for "the pervert" to leave where he tells Asuka Eva-02 won't move unless she opens her heart to it, Asuka retorts that Evangelions are nothing but dolls while Kaworu refutes her argument Shinji overhears them and intervenes, begging both of them to stop arguing. Misato overhears the arguing just as Asuka faints while confronting Shinji. Misato tells Shinji to escort Kaworu away while Misato takes Asuka to the infirmary.
While taking Asuka to the infirmary, Misato thinks about how Kaworu's birthrate coincides with Second Impact, and is worried about Kaworu becue he was sent directly to NERV by the committee. Asuka then tells Misato she doesn't need her help and feels fine as an alarm klaxon goes off. NERV has identified and confirmed the presence of the 10th Angel (Arael), who is in orbit above Earth.
Stage 59: Pride
The 15th Angel is sighted to be in orbit above Earth. Unit-00 is scheduled to head out into battle with Unit-02 as backup, but Asuka, stil feeling sick launches Unit-02 against Misato's orders. Shinji is put on backup (because of his suspension) and heads to Central Dogma with Kaworu.
The 15ht Angel is in orbit outside of the Eva's firing range, which renders conventional weapons useless. Nevertheless, Asuka attempts to fire at the Angel. In response the Angel projects a ray similar to an AT Field in compostion. The ray comes into contact with Unit-02, and has a profound effect on Asuka's pyschograph. It is erratic. Kaworu comments, "This is getting interesting," much to the chagrin of Shinji.
The Angel's ray ends up acting as a link from the Angel to Asuka's mind, and it begins its mental probe.
Stage 60: Doll
The 15th Angel's mental probe persists. Its rays shine a pure light into the recesses of Asuka's mind, and uncover images and scenes that Asuka had worked to suppress.
Rei unsuccessfully tries to destroy the Angel with a beam from a positron rifle. All efforts come to nothing as the Angel is too far out of an Eva's range.
Asuka's childhod is examined and picked apart by the Angel. Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu, Asuka's mother, had recieved substantial pyschological damage from the contact experiment with Unit-02. Asuka would visit her mother in the hospital after the contact experiment, but her mother would cherish the doll she held as her real daughter while neglecting Asuka as a stranger. After a painful visit where Asuka's mother tried to strangle her, Asuka is reminded of the image forever implanted in her memory of her mother's death. The day Asuka was officially assigned the role of Second Children Asuka had gone to the hospital to tell her mother. When she reached her mother's room she witnessed the dead body of her mother hanging from the ceiling.
The visions progress to the most painful experience of Asuka's childhood, and cause her to fail physically and mentally as the 15 Angel continues to orbit the Earth.
Stage 61: The Spear of Longinus
Shinji appeals to his father to let him go out in Unit-01. Kaworu asks him why he is upset and tells him that the same thing that happened to Asuka would happen to him. Gendo agrees with Kaworu and denies Shinji's request. Gendo orders Rei to retrieve the Spear of Longinus from Lilith's body, which hangs in Terminal Dogma.
Kaworu questions what seems to him to be an audacious maneuver ("Do they truly dare use it"-Kaworu).
Misato believes that they shouldn't go through with the order because she thinks contact between an Evangelion and Adam would cause Third Impact. When Gendo does not react to her opinion, she knows the truth is being held from her.
Rei retrieves the lance and by Unit-00 throws it at the 15th Angel, destroying it.
Later, Shinji sees Asuka in the hospital. She is unresponsive and lies in a comatose-like state.
Kaworu is officially assigned to Unit-02 as the Fifth Children.
Stage 62: Distance
Gendo is reprimanded by Seele for using the Spear of Longinus too early, but he dismisses their anger.
Kaworu is called by Seele next, and they admonish him for not reporting Gendo's choice to use the Spear to them. Kaworu counters this by saying it would have been awkward for him to stop them, and to continue to report to them since he's been accepting into Nerv. Kaworu remarks that he's still keeping tabs on the Third (Shinji) adn he wonders out loud why humans show so much concern for the state of things outside themselves. After, Kaworu says somberly and pensively, "It's fascinating to watch." Seele says that that is what humans will be free from (emotions and interest in things outside oneself) when their plan is completed.
Shinji continues to see Asuka in the hospital and berates himself for being no help to her. Rei stands hidden outside the open door to the hospital room and listens in on the scene.
When Rei starts to leave the hospital she is stopped by Kaworu. He tells her that they are the same. Rei denies this and says that they may be very similar, but they are not the same.
During a sync test Kaworu is discovered to be able to sync with Unit-02 before its core has been reconfigured to accomodate him. This fact arouses Misato's suspicion.
After the sync test, Kaworu disturbs and angers Shinji by invading his shower cell in pursuit of soap. Shinji tells Kaworu to stay away from him, and Kaworu questions this seriously. He says, "...Whenever you get upset, you lay your hand upon me. It's weird." Shinij then says to him that if someone you don't like comes closer than necessary it's uncomfortable. Kaworu replies with "You don't like me?" and Shinji says "I'm sorry, but I don't think that I could ever like you." Kaworu looks solemn.
Shinji finishes up in the shower room quickly, and sees Rei on the escalator. He meets up with her. They both acknowledge that a wall has separated them. However, Shinji still seeks to connect with Rei and wonders if that connection they had will grow no further.
Misato has been trying to find information on Kaworu, but none besides his birthdate exists. The Marduk report on him doesn't exist. As she returns from her snooping she spots the 16th Angel.
Stage 63: Returning Fire
Unit-00 goes into battle with Unit-02 (Kaworu piloting) as back-up. Shinji is still on suspension, and as he sits ready in Unit-01 he wonders what he'll do it something happens to Rei and he isn't able to help her.
Kaworu shows off amazing piloting skills as Ritsuko says "Asuka was amazing, but he's better."
Kaworu says to himself in reference to the Angel that "The plan is against you."
Weapons are useless against the Angel and soon Unit-00 is invaded by it.
| Manga Volumes |
| Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3 | Volume 4 | Volume 5 | Volume 6 | Volume 7 | Volume 8 | Volume 9 | Volume 10 |
| Volume 11 | Volume 12 | Volume 13 | Volume 14 |
