tr:6. Cilt (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

Volume 6
新世紀エヴァンゲリオン Shin Seiki Evangelion
Author:	Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
Publish date:	JP: December 15, 2000 US: August 31, 2004
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"Volume 5"	"Volume 7"

The sixth volume of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's manga adaptation of Neon Genesis Evangelion. This sixth volume is subtitled The Fourth Child (四人目の適格者 / Yoninme no Tekikakusha) and is comprised of Stages 34 to 40.

Overview

Volume 6 adapts Episode 17 and Episode 18 of the anime series.

Summary

Stage 34: The Fourth Child (四人目の適格者 / Yoninme no Tekikakusha)

Kaji in the aqaurium instructs Shinji to think for himself, and to not just take the easy road and do what people tell him to do. Shinji believes that it's easier to look away, since the truth is often such a large burden that it is unshoulderable. At Nerv, the personnel are discussing the vanishing of the Nerv-02 branch in Nevada. It was due to them trying to install an S² engine into an Evangelion. The U.S. sent Nerv Eva-03 to be tested in Japan, but the pilot has yet to be found.

Shinji, Kensuke, and Toji are walking home from school when Toji leaves them to see his sister in the hospital. Shinji asks Kensuke if he should go see Toji's sister just once. Kensuke tells him that Toji would have asked him to go, and that he hates it when people put sympathy on him. Shinji tells him that he understands Toji really well. Shinji then thinks that he doesn't understand anyone, not Rei, Misato, or Asuka, or his father. At Nerv, Ritsuko and Gendo are discussing the Dummy Plug System. Ritsuko tells him that Rei's thinking patterns were digitized, but a human soul is incapable of that treatment. Gendo says that the Dummy Plug just makes an Eva believe it has a pilot, and it syncs with that signal from the Dummy Plug. He orders the Dummy Plug System to be put into Eva-01 and Eva-02, despite what Ritsuko says about there being problems with the system. About Eva-03, there will be a sync test at the Matsushiro base, and the Fourth Child will be selected. Ritsuko says there is one person that can pilot if "physiologically enhanced."

Shinji thinks back to the time when his mother disapeared into the Eva. He says that the memories are slipping through into his consciousness, but in pieces too small to put together. He wonders what truth is to him. At school, Shinji and Toji are on cleanup duty. Toji hatches a plan to look up girl's skirts, but ends up being caught by Hikari, who causes Shinji and Toji to fall down the stairs. Hikari apologizes and takes Shinji to clean up his scrape. She asks him if Toji ever talks about her, and if he likes Asuka. Shinji replies that he'd like a more "old fashioned" girl, to which Hikari smiles cheerfully in response. Shinji tells Asuka later while they're at home that Hikari questioned him about Toji, and Asuka tells says to a surprised Shinji that that was because she likes Toji. Misato finds out that the Fourth Child is Toji Suzuhara. She also thinks Ritsuko is hiding things from her since she didn't get a report from the Marduk Institute.

Stage 35: Light, Then Shadow (光、そして影 / Hikari, Soshite Kage)

Toji is called to the principal's office where he meets Ritsuko, who gives him her card. Asuka brings Shinji along to confront Hikari. She says that Hikari should confess because she might lose the opportunity. Shinji says that Hikari should make Toji a bento, which would be a great icebreaker. Misato meets Kaji in a Nerv breakroom, and she questions him about the Marduk Institute. He tells her that it doesn't exist, and that Nerv is pulling the strings. Kensuke talks to Shinji about the Nerv branch in Nevada exploding, and about the startup test to take place in Matsushiro. Shinji is a little bothered that he was never told about these things, and then admits to having a bad feeling, that "...Something is stirring, somewhere...ominous..." Kensuke leaves to go home and Shinji meets Toji, who was waiting for him. Toji says to Shinji, "Wanna come...back ta my house? Sometin' I gotta ask."

Stage 36: Confession (告白 / Kokuhaku)

Asuka finds Kaji at Nerv working. She removes her shirt to prove she is not a child, and tells him her feelings for him. Kaji says that as an adult he cannot return her feelings, and that she only sees the exterior of him. Angered, Asuka questions him about his relationship with Misato. She accidentally sees the sync data for the pilots, and finds out that the Fourth Child is Toji. Shinji finished eating at Toji's house, and they start to clean the dishes. Shinji tells Toji that he's a good cook thinking that that was what Toji wanted to ask him. Toji says that he forgot what he wanted to ask him. He sees Shinji to the door, but stops him at the last minute.

Toji confesses to Shinji that he was chosen to pilot an Evangelion, and that he is afraid to do so. He only agreed to pilot so his sister could be transfered to the hospital at Nerv, where she'd recieve better care. Shinji tries to comfort him, saying you're safer in the Evangelion, but Toji breaks down and says, "I-I'm so sorry. I...I didn't even know how you felt...an' I hit you like I understood...anything." At home, Shinji shows anger to Misato that Toji was chosen as a pilot, saying, "Why...did it have to be Toji?" Misato says she'll be gone for four days. Also, it will just be the start-up test, so she says there will be no risk. The final frame shows Eva-03 being transported by plane to Japan.

Stage 37: The Gift (ギフト / Gifuto)

Hikari is nervously waiting for Toji so she can give him a bento she ade specially for him. She had waited all day for him at school, but he never showed back up. As Toji turns t leave, he says they should try and be friends when he gets back. Abnormally gloomy and pensive, Toji heads to the Matsushiro base. At Matsushiro, the activation test for Eva-03 is being prepped.

At school, Hikari finds Shinji on the roof and gives him the bento she made for Toji, saying she couldn't give it to him but "something good happened anyway." As she leaves, Kensuke comes to the roof, and he and Shinji share the bento Hikari dropped off. They find the little charature of Toji in the bento that Hikari made, and both of them are puzzled by it. The activation test for Eva-03 has begun, however, just after Eva-03 comes online, an Angel is detected - Bardiel. Bardiel causes a massive explosion at Matsushiro, causing Nerv HQ to lose contact. Shinji is contacted by Maya and told something is wrong.

Stage 38: Ambush (迎撃 / Geigeki)

Shinji realizes what's wrong before Maya can tell him, and he is told that an Angel is moving away form the site, and that he needs to find Asuka and Rei and get to Nerv immediately. Gendo takes command of the Evas and launches Shinji, Asuka, and Rei to intercept the Angel. When Bardiel is spotted, and found to be Eva-03, all measures are taken to deactivate the rogue Evangelion. Gendo has Eva-03 marked as a hostile target, the Eighth Angel, and orders it destroyed. Shinji protests attacking Eva-03, knowing that Toji is inside. Asuka agrees they have to try and help him, but she and Eva-02 are defeated easily. Rei is ready to attack, but Shinji tells her not to because Toji is inside. Rei hesitates momentarily when she fins out Toji is piloting, and is then taken out by Bardiel in short order, with the Angel trying to infect Eva-00 as well. Eva-00's left arm is severed while the nerve connections are still active, causing Rei immense pain. With the others out of the fight, Shinji and Eva-01 are left to face Bardiel alone.

Stage 39: The Dummy System (ダミーシステム / Damī Shisutemu)

Shinji expresses fear, and is hesitant to fight, even as Gendo orders him to attack. Bardiel strikes while Shinji shouts to Toji, hoping he will respond. Bardiel sends his arm thought he ground and begins to strangle Eva-01, while Shinji refuses to fight his friend. When his father demands to know why he won't fight, Shinji replied: "I can't... can't do it... can't fight... m' friend... m' friend is n' there... won't hurt him...!" Gendo tells Shinji he will die and Shinji shouts back: "Better than... killing my friend!" Gendo then orders Maya, against her objections about the incomplete and untested system, to activate the Dummy System, to override Shinji's control of Eva-01. Shinji notices the system come online and doesn't understand what's going on.

Stage 40: Staining the Twilight Black (黄昏を黒に染めて… / Tasogare o Kuro ni Somete...)

Shinji and the Bridge bunnies watch in horror and disgust as they witness Eva-01 retaliate against Bardiel, by beginning to strangle him back. Eva-01 turns the tables and begins to brutally beat Bardiel. Once Eva-01 has the Angel on the ground, it begins to pummel Bardiel until blood is sprayed all over the surrounding area. Shinji begs his father to shut the system off, asking him what's he's done and is simply told to shut up. As Eva-01 begins ripping limbs off of Bardiel and tossing them aside, Shinji scrams for Eva-01 to stop. Eva-01 begins stomping the corpse of the defeated Bardiel, causing more unnecessary carnage until the Entry Plug is uncovered. Shinji screams in agony as Eva-01 crushes Toji's Entry Plug. Some time later,Kaji is at the remains of Matsushiro, as Misato is recovered and tells her what has transpired. Misato is horrified by what happened. Shinji watches as the medics pull Toji's corpse from what was left of his Entry Plug and pronounce him dead, leaving Shinji utterly devastated. Hikari, at home, is choosing what to make for Toji the following day, expecting his return, and imagines herself sharing a bento with him on the roof of the school.

Notes

• The events of Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 16, and the majority of Episode 15 are not adapted in the manga.
• The biggest change from the show is Toji dies from his injuries after Eva-01 crushes his Entry Plug.
• Unlike the anime, where Hikari tells Asuka about her feelings for Toji, here she confides in Shinji.

Analysis

• With Toji's death, this begins a tonal shift in Shinji (and the manga itself), who becomes increasingly despondent and angry, especially towards his father.
  • Toji's death also separates Shinji from Hikari and Kensuke, and Shinji no longer believes he should be friends with them.

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

Manga

Eva and Eva 2 Anthology | Girlfriend of Steel 2 (manga) | Neon Genesis Evangelion (manga) | Evangelion: Campus Apocalypse | Shinji Ikari Raising Project (Manga) | Shinji Ikari's Detective Journal | Petit Eva: Evangelion@School