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It's no secret that Evangelion as a series has set new grounds in levels of involvement and emotional depth, but both of these aspects reach dramatically new heights in this fifth installment. Nearly every character goes through some serious trials over the span of these three episodes and not all of them will emerge the same as they were. It is a real treat to see every character appearing in every episode now as the individual stories and plotlines of each major role re all starting to blend into a complex web of deceits and misdirections.
Shinji is forced by his father's hand to commit an unthinkable and atrocious act against someone close to him, and for this very reason decides to leave NERV for good and leave piloting an EVA unit in his past, like some sort of bad memory. This isn't the first time that Shinji has come to this determination, but this time there is something drastically different about the way he leaves NERV behind. Let's just say that Shinji and his father may never be able to salvage their already crumbled relationship. Nearly everyone in Shinji's life is forced to reexamine their relationships with the young man...that is how emotionally impactful Shinji's actions are. And in these three episodes, Shinji has more than one way to make himself disappear for good! You will have to see it to believe it.
Misato goes through some life altering changes in these episodes as well. For every emotion she has ever swallowed and for every question she has allowed to go unanswered, whether in her personal life or in the corporation of NERV, she is now demanding some serious repercussions. As she begins to doubt her superiors and their motives more and more, she also begins to believe in herself a little more with each moment. Her character, half-defeatist and half-determined is a very interesting one, and we have not seen Misato's finest hours to be sure.
Rei and Asuka both have plenty to deal with, as it seems that they are at a loss to stand up to the Angels any longer. As the Angels continue to grow in strength, it seems that the tactics that are required of the EVA pilots continues to surpass the abilities of the two girls. Shinji's ratio of sync up with his EVA unit is off the charts continuously, and as such, he is constantly thrown into the role of clean-up hitter. But what will happen to the girls when Shinji decides to call it quits? Rei will no doubtedly get herself killed trying to be her best an never questioning orders, but Asuka may not even make it that far as her pride has been so utterly destroyed by Shinji's heroics! Regardless, all three pilots have a lot to think about and even more expected of them by NERV.
Even Shinji's father and NERV as a whole are having a worse time of it during these episodes than ever before. Shinji's decision to leave the project is of course not making his father very happy, but the increased effectiveness of the Angel attacks is doing even more to wreak havoc with the director's nerves. The attacks of Angels 13 and 14 strike inside the level of comfort ability, and NERV itself is increasingly being singled out as a target, threatning the lives of everyone who works for the organization.
There is so much going on for all of these characters that it is almost hard to stay focused on the real questions at hand, such as what exactly ARE the Angels and the EVA units anyway...and what is the plan for he future of either? The great thing about the Evangelion series is that there are so many questions to be answered, yet we as the viewers still have no idea of what the mystery really is yet. I am placing bets that the next disc is just as frantic as this one, if not more so. And if I am right...get ready now, cause this series is really starting to rev up! Episode 18 – Ambivalence Rumors have been flying as to just who the new pilot of the newest Eva unit is, and it’s finally confirmed. Everyone seems to know, everyone but Shinji that is, and when Toji ends up having his Eva unit go wild during his first synch test, things go from bad to worse. The rogue Eva easily defeats Rei and Asuka, leaving just Shinji to take out the berserk unit. The problem is, he understands that there is another pilot in Eva, and he refuses to comply, leaving NERV to active the unit independently. Episode 19 – Introjection Having learned the truth behind who the pilot of the mad Eva really was, Shinji quits NERV and is determined to never pilot an Eva again. Unfortunately, Zeruel, the fourteenth Angel, attacks Tokyo 3, leaving only the battered Rei and Asuka to attempt to defeat it. Once again they are badly beaten and Shinji quickly realizes that he alone may be the only choice to save his friends. However, this battle will reveal something both startling and sinister about the Eva units. Episode 20 – Weaving A Story 2: oral stage During the battle with the fourteenth Angel, Shinji was absorbed into the Eva unit itself. The problem is that now that it has been awakened, not only can they not get the entry plug to eject, they can’t figure out how to retrieve Shinji either. Apparently however, this isn’t the first time this sort of instance has occurred, and Ritsuko believes she has a solution. Shinji in the meantime experiences life inside the Eva, unaware that his friends are desperately trying to rescue him on the outside. -aaron-
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