{"id":134584,"date":"2024-06-24T15:44:28","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T14:44:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/?p=40443"},"modified":"2024-06-24T15:44:28","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T14:44:28","slug":"neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/24\/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23\/","title":{"rendered":"Neon Genesis Evangelion \u2013 Episode 23"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Darkness looms over Misato\u2019s apartment as we return to Shinji\u2019s caretaker, now cocooned in the repetition of a painful, desperate ritual. Instant ramen cups lie unattended and spoiling on the floor, beer cans stack up around her bed, and a familiar voice hangs in the air: Kaji\u2019s final message, Misato\u2019s last connection to the man she loved. His encouragement to \u201cgo forward without any hesitation\u201d rings bitterly hollow as Misato hunches over her desk, happier to hunch in this loop of familiar feedback rather than strike out into the cold, lonely world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-40443\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"40445\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/2024\/06\/24\/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23\/may08103757\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08103757.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Neon Genesis Evangelion\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08103757.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08103757.jpg?fit=584%2C329&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40445\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08103757.jpg?resize=584%2C329&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08103757.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08103757.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08103757.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08103757.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08103757.jpg?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08103757.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08103757.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even Kaji, who seemed so close to figuring out a fulfilling path through life, was ultimately unable to recognize his own value. It is a curse that has haunted all of Evangelion\u2019s lonely players; seeking hopelessly for validation and affection, yet unable to articulate how much the people around them mean to them in turn. Shinji, who is desperate for connection yet flees every possible confrontation. Asuka, who wants so badly to be loved, yet can only assert herself through anger and defiance. And Misato, whose pretensions of adulthood extended even to the hopes of being a surrogate parent to Shinji and Asuka, yet who now can only wait for a phone that will never ring.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The exhaustion is palpable in the dissolution of Misato\u2019s would-be family, a series of closed doors and defensive explanations that Shinji solemnly examines one by one. It would be funny if it weren\u2019t so sad &#8211; who would have guessed that Shinji, out of all of them, would be the only one still willing to bridge human connection? Shinji, whose sense of self was always fragmentary at best, has outlasted the ultimately brittle identities of his once-confident rival and caretaker. Perhaps that is the great strength hidden within Shinji\u2019s alleged weakness &#8211; that because of his lack of confidence, his essential absence of a meaningful AT field, he is always willing to reach out and try again. Yes, he has fled in the past, but his desire to do right by the people he cares about always drew him back. For the boy who never had anything to lose, there is nothing for it but to accept failure, gather your strength, and quietly try again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"40446\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/2024\/06\/24\/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23\/may08105226\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08105226.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Neon Genesis Evangelion\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08105226.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08105226.jpg?fit=584%2C329&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40446\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08105226.jpg?resize=584%2C329&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08105226.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08105226.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08105226.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08105226.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08105226.jpg?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08105226.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08105226.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Defeated again in battle and with her repressed memories cruelly exposed, Asuka\u2019s response is as relatable as Misato\u2019s: she hides out in Hikari\u2019s bedroom and plays videogames all day. In a game, you can never fail so badly that you disappoint the people you care about; you can simply start over and try again, repeating tasks until your proficiency matches the demanded skill level. Wouldn\u2019t that be nice? Wouldn\u2019t it be a comfort if life were similar, if we were always afforded the chance to stumble and try again, proceeding at our own preferred pace? And wouldn\u2019t it be special if we were always appreciated for that effort, if our eventual victory was always greeted by a \u201cknew we could count on you\u201d from characters that have no knowledge of our previous failures, or at least don\u2019t hold them against us?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Previously, it is certain that Asuka would have considered such pastimes a cowardly triviality, an escape from the intense pressure and profound thrill of testing yourself against another human being, of fighting with everything you\u2019ve ever cared for on the line. But failure has a way of tempering us; in the wake of failing to embody our highest ambitions, we come to appreciate that a world measured in winners and losers is a callous and lonely place. As such, it is a very different Asuka who inquires gently if Hikari wants to sleep, and who apologizes into the darkness, saying \u201cI\u2019m sorry. Am I a bother?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"40447\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/2024\/06\/24\/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23\/may08110525\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08110525.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Neon Genesis Evangelion\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08110525.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08110525.jpg?fit=584%2C329&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40447\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08110525.jpg?resize=584%2C329&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08110525.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08110525.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08110525.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08110525.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08110525.jpg?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08110525.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08110525.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, Asuka still possesses no alternative motivation, no sense of self beyond her will to be the best, and therefore not be ignored by &#8211; her mother? Her rivals? Her lover? Regardless, the system of value that was her only defense against her mother\u2019s rejection has now failed her, leaving her adrift and worthless, hating everyone and hating herself most of all. Her tragedy is all the greater because it is now of her own making; having found personal value only in excellence as an Eva pilot, she is now condemned by the system she herself created. As such, she cannot find solace in commiserating with Shinji, who has been equally abused via the chaining of his worth as a person to his efficacy as a pilot. Can you imagine how she might react to him sympathizing, to him seeing himself in her? Better to hide here, in the company of someone whose opinion could never have any bearing on her sense of self-worth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hikari tries, though. Responding to Asuka\u2019s alarming litany of failure and fury, she says \u201cI think it\u2019s okay to do whatever you want and I won\u2019t say anything, because I think you did your best, Asuka.\u201d Hikari cannot \u201cfix\u201d Asuka, cannot hope to make up for the scarring her past has inflicted on her. But she can say she cares, and hope that Asuka interprets that as a comfort. We cannot save the world, and can only hope to save ourselves &#8211; but we must tend to the watermelons when we can, and leave the world a little bit kinder than we found it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"40448\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/2024\/06\/24\/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23\/may08112147\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08112147.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Neon Genesis Evangelion\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08112147.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08112147.jpg?fit=584%2C329&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40448\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08112147.jpg?resize=584%2C329&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08112147.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08112147.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08112147.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08112147.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08112147.jpg?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08112147.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08112147.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the survivors of NERV take their uneasy rest, it is Ritsuko who stays awake through the night, her labors counted in lipstick-garnished cigarette butts. As it turns out, even Ritsuko had something left to lose: that cat Misato only just mentioned, who her grandmother informs her has passed away. She promises that \u201cI\u2019ll call next time,\u201d a quiet indication that if not for her grandmother\u2019s insistence, even this personal connection would have been severed years back. Is it better then to reject personal connection, lest you risk the despair into which Misato has now succumbed? If Ritsuko is any example to go by, it doesn\u2019t seem like a happy way to live.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the overall mood of NERV\u2019s operatives thus established, Evangelion offers a simple yet comprehensive title drop: \u201cTears.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next angel appears almost immediately, a glimmering ring hanging above the earth, like a halo in search of its destined brow. Unit 00 is launched to intercept, and Unit 02 follows, a choice Gendo callously acknowledges is simply for the sake of a decoy. His words echo NERV\u2019s exhaustion and desecration; from their initial framing as glorious saviors of humanity, the Eva units and their pilots are now understood to be sacrificial lambs, useful only so long as they can stave off one more battering from the heavens. For her part, Asuka feels ashamed to have so easily returned to the Eva unit, stating that \u201cI\u2019m so bad at letting things go.\u201d Yet even as she condemns herself, her words reflect both her intelligence and a promise of the future: for now she knows that Unit 02 is one more source of validation that she must ultimately grow beyond.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"40449\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/2024\/06\/24\/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23\/may08115102\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08115102.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Neon Genesis Evangelion\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08115102.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08115102.jpg?fit=584%2C329&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40449\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08115102.jpg?resize=584%2C329&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08115102.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08115102.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08115102.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08115102.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08115102.jpg?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08115102.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08115102.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, Rei holds in stoic position, rifle at the ready, having unexpectedly come to be the sole reliable pilot of our original trio. Her martial prowess serves as an echo of Shinji\u2019s psychological endurance: as the two who always had the least to lose, they have maintained their strength through all the cruelties of NERV\u2019s operations, forever fighting to take one inarguable step forward. Of course, Rei <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> changed since we met her: she\u2019s come to respect Shinji perhaps even more than Gendo, to feel shy in the presence of those she cares for, and to hope a better life might be possible, if only she continues to fight her hardest. It is precisely Rei\u2019s tentative, hard-fought personal growth, the humanity that she has found alongside her fellow pilots, that makes this angel\u2019s ensuing actions such an intolerable cruelty.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once again, the angels\u2019 primary interest seems to be not violence, but connection &#8211; an intimate union with the Eva pilots, whether through their minds or physical bodies. Of course, as human beings defined by the barriers we erect, such connection is bound to imply violence, as our fearsome, often self-defeating individuality rallies against this demand for total mutual awareness. Rei\u2019s counter against this angel\u2019s rapid attack embodies the awkward disconnect of these perspectives; as the glowing thread of the angel pierces and corrupts Unit 00, Rei grabs whatever segment of the beast she can, firing her rifle into a creature that seems to defy physical definition. There is an inherent thrill in watching powerful titans do battle, but this fight is something else entirely; assaulted by a force with no stable form, Rei\u2019s fight evokes more a nightmare of drowning, a constriction of the breath by a force too alien to understand it is hurting her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"40450\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/2024\/06\/24\/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23\/may08122128\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08122128.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Neon Genesis Evangelion\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08122128.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08122128.jpg?fit=584%2C329&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40450\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08122128.jpg?resize=584%2C329&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08122128.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08122128.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08122128.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08122128.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08122128.jpg?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08122128.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08122128.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And so Rei at last joins her fellow pilots in suffering a psychological intrusion by the unknowable other, a clumsy shuffling of memories like a lineup of potential criminals, the alien presence persistently asking \u201cdo you recognize this figure? Do you see this as yourself?\u201d As with Shinji\u2019s near-total dissolution, this foreign presence asks Rei to fuse with itself, to which she replies \u201cNo. I am me. I am not you.\u201d Her words might seem obvious, but they are nonetheless a crucial act of defiance, rejecting not just fusion, but subservience to the will of others. If Shinji or Asuka believed they might be fully understood, might be able to return to the adoring arms of their absent mothers, it is difficult to imagine they would reject such a call. But Rei is not seeking a return to oblivion, at least not anymore. Rei is defiantly, proudly herself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The angel cannot understand such an instinct. Why would you want to be separate, when separation implies loneliness? Isn\u2019t loneliness painful? Why would you invite such pain? \u201cThat is your own heart, overflowing with sorrow,\u201d the foreign entity instructs. But the angel has miscalculated &#8211; for in considering her own sorrow, Rei\u2019s eyes fill with tears. This is <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">her<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> pain, no one else\u2019s. These are the tears she has learned to shed, in acknowledgment of her own precious feelings. This is the suffering that proves her humanity &#8211; and after so long being treated as a doll for the use of others, she will not let anyone strip her humanity again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"40451\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/2024\/06\/24\/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23\/may08123638\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123638.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Neon Genesis Evangelion\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123638.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123638.jpg?fit=584%2C329&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40451\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123638.jpg?resize=584%2C329&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123638.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123638.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123638.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123638.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123638.jpg?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123638.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123638.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Unit 00 blooms into an unspeakable angel-Eva hybrid, the ban on Unit 01\u2019s deployment is lifted, and Shinji takes the field. His AT field attracts the angel\u2019s attention, and it surges towards him, swiftly initiating a corruption of his own Eva unit. With so much of Rei\u2019s humanity now merged with the angel, its entreaties even take her form, thoughtlessly articulating her hidden wish to become one with Shinji. A desire so crucial that Evangelion\u2019s team actually returned to it after the show\u2019s initial release, bolstering her heart\u2019s intent with animation worthy of its expression &#8211; but not like this. Not within the cruel, implacable confines of the angel\u2019s powers. And so Rei decides there is only one thing she can still do, only one way to express her human will, her desire to live as an individual and die with an earnest love in her heart.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Eva unit offers a grotesque imitation of motherhood as the angel is drawn back into its AT field. Rei rises, hoping to the end that a hand might reach out to touch her own. Then, in a cataclysmic act of personal sacrifice, both angel and pilot are destroyed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"40452\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/2024\/06\/24\/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23\/may08123948\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123948.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Neon Genesis Evangelion\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123948.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123948.jpg?fit=584%2C329&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40452\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123948.jpg?resize=584%2C329&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123948.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123948.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123948.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123948.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123948.jpg?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123948.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May08123948.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before we\u2019ve even time to process this explosion, the second title card arrives, announcing this second half as \u201cRei III.\u201d Evangelion has consistently used its double-titling to fantastic dramatic effect, exploiting their in-episode presence much in the way great songwriters or storytellers might create a contrast in tone between a work\u2019s title and content. Such contrasts create an inherent conversation, perhaps even establishing a distinct mindset through which to view the following material. Here, the title card provides a silent answer to a question that was idly prompted by the long-ago \u201cRei II,\u201d now serving as a final affirmation of our worst fears. To call back to that title nearly twenty episodes on creates a sense of inevitability, a certainty of this story\u2019s scaffolding that neatly aligns with its current sense of inexorable deterioration. To answer that question in this particular way feels like a hand quietly squeezing our own, silently acknowledging our pain. Whatever might emerge from that hospital bed, the Rei we knew is gone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At least Seele seem pleased with themselves. Callous and preening as ever, they speak with pride of having defeated all but one of the prophesied angels, while lamenting the losses they\u2019ve suffered in the process. What do they know of the terror of facing these beasts, or of the damage they have inflicted? Even Ritsuko, once the bearer of an iron will that seemed only second to Gendo\u2019s, now seems shaken by her complicity in this butchery. Distracted from her work, she calls up a photo from her time at Gehirn, a candid shot of herself, her mother, and Gendo Ikari. Her mother killed herself in despair after destroying the first Rei, all for the want of Gendo\u2019s affection. With the second Rei lying cold on a slab, can she claim to be any different, see any brighter future awaiting her?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"40453\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/2024\/06\/24\/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23\/may09105839\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09105839.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Neon Genesis Evangelion\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09105839.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09105839.jpg?fit=584%2C329&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40453\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09105839.jpg?resize=584%2C329&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09105839.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09105839.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09105839.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09105839.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09105839.jpg?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09105839.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09105839.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can only hope that in the sharing of grief, once-broken bonds might be mended. Perhaps that is what the angels were attempting, though in their thoughtless discarding of our emotional barriers, they ultimately just conjure terror and grief. Many of us get through the day by compartmentalizing, editorializing, or simply forgetting; full, unmediated understanding of the self can be a horrifying thing, to say nothing of attempting to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">share<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that unvarnished self with another. And yet we must try, must learn to forgive ourselves, must attempt to reach out even for all the pain it might bring. For what use is our pain, if even for all we have suffered we cannot take comfort in the concern of another? Though the anonymity of stasis can be a comfort, whether embodied through Shinji\u2019s tape or Asuka\u2019s flight from the apartment, it is only through reaching out that we might hope to become whole.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As such, having swallowed her grief regarding Kaji\u2019s death, Misato at last reaches out to Shinji. As she joins him on his bed, Shinji confesses that \u201cI feel sad, but the tears just won\u2019t come.\u201d Shinji has not learned how to express his grief &#8211; and Misato, with no models of motherhood and only Kaji to simulate a \u201cfamily,\u201d can only offer sexual intimacy to comfort him. Asuka was half-right when she described Misato as a failure of an adult, but never for the reasons she believed. Misato has learned nothing <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">but<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the signifiers of adulthood Asuka mistook for the real thing; here, when what is demanded of her is a comforting maternal touch, she falters. In spite of their desperate loneliness and desire to connect, Shinji and Misato possess no common knowledge for expressing their sorrow. Misato quietly exits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"40454\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/2024\/06\/24\/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23\/may09114354\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09114354.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Neon Genesis Evangelion\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09114354.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09114354.jpg?fit=584%2C329&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40454\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09114354.jpg?resize=584%2C329&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09114354.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09114354.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09114354.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09114354.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09114354.jpg?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09114354.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09114354.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But then, a miracle! A call from the hospital, saying Rei is still alive! What a curious twist of fate, that it would be the seemingly inhuman Rei who provides this family\u2019s last hope of salvation, the one emotional tether still drawing them together. Their \u201creunion\u201d is boarded as a reprise of Evangelion\u2019s second episode, back when Ayanami\u2019s survival was one of the first things Shinji could take pride in, the first positive fruit of piloting the Eva unit. Back then, it was Shinji who saved Rei &#8211; now, after all the hard-fought understanding and concern they\u2019ve cultivated, he can thank her for returning the favor. But in response to his thanks, Rei can only acknowledge this feat as the gallantry of another. \u201cI just don\u2019t know,\u201d she admits. \u201cBecause I think I\u2019m probably the third one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rei III returns to a home that is foreign to her, an apartment laden with the memories of another self. Once, this room served as an affirmation of Rei\u2019s irresolvable personal distance, the strangeness which would presumably forever separate her from Shinji\u2019s attempts at connection. But time reshapes us in ways we can never predict, and this room would eventually come to reflect just how close the two of them had grown. Now, she stands equipped with only the felt experience of memories she cannot recall, tears falling on glasses that have lost their conscious significance. At least Rei II was ultimately able to live her life on her own terms, fighting and dying for the sake of the people she loved. Compared to the loneliness of standing in her predecessor\u2019s unfamiliar shadow, Rei II\u2019s fate seems almost a kindness.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"40455\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/2024\/06\/24\/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23\/may09115326\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09115326.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Neon Genesis Evangelion\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09115326.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09115326.jpg?fit=584%2C329&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40455\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09115326.jpg?resize=584%2C329&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09115326.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09115326.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09115326.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09115326.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09115326.jpg?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09115326.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09115326.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If Ritsuko had hoped to escape her mother\u2019s shadow, to be known as the fulfiller of her mother\u2019s promise rather than the inheritor of her mother\u2019s burden, she must surely be reconsidering those aspirations as she stands before Seele, a replacement sacrifice for Fuyutsuki, this time literally stripped naked. Gendo makes her status explicit in his description of this sacrifice, stating that in order to satisfy Seele\u2019s anger over Rei\u2019s reappearance, he \u201coffered the old men something else.\u201d The doctor that has realized his dreams is not even offered the courtesy of a name; and for their part, the men of Seele practically slaver over Ritsuko\u2019s body, insincerely mewling that they \u201cdo not wish to subject you to any more degradation and suffering.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI do not feel humiliated whatsoever,\u201d Ritsuko replies. What can they take from her that Gendo has not already stolen?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We meet her again after their interrogation has concluded, descending one of those interminable geofront escalators. Though the old men of Seele continue their self-satisfied commentary, it is Ritsuko\u2019s face that dominates the scene; a slow play of emotions made all the more significant by its presence here, in the fatigued final stretch of Evangelion\u2019s production. First, resigned consideration, her standard facade as she realizes her true worth in Gendo\u2019s mind. Her face tilts downward in defeat, then tightens, muscles clenching as she fights to keep the tears from flowing. She strains, brow and lip shuddering as she holds back, silently swallowing the realization of all her worst fears. Then her head rises again, her eyes half-lidded, the fatigue of knowing you are a tool, a replacement now etched into her default expression. Contrasted against the allegedly high-minded strategic discussions of Seele, this poignant progression feels like Evangelion\u2019s priorities distilled into their purest articulation: the world may be in jeopardy, but all that is significant in life is contained within the human heart.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"40456\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/2024\/06\/24\/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23\/may09122033\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09122033.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Neon Genesis Evangelion\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09122033.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09122033.jpg?fit=584%2C329&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40456\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09122033.jpg?resize=584%2C329&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09122033.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09122033.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09122033.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09122033.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09122033.jpg?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09122033.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09122033.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let them plot. Let these cold men of action scheme their schemes, oblivious to all that makes life worth living, that makes humanity worth saving. Misato is done with them; she is ready to follow in Kaji\u2019s footsteps, and unveil whatever secrets have \u201cnecessitated\u201d such unforgivable hardship. Ritsuko is done with them; she will free the pilots of their bindings, and descend with Misato and Shinji to the depths of hell. They pass first the room where Ayanami was truly born, an echo of her sterile apartment pointing to the odd quirks of subconscious, the sense of familiarity that endures even through death and reincarnation. Then the graveyard of the original Eva units, now dumped unceremoniously in a mass grave structured like a Tree of Sefirot, a grotesque sacrifice to human consciousness.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a spectacle of revelation embellishing the human core of Ritsuko\u2019s rebellion, but lord is it ever spectacular. The production team\u2019s talent for both coopting and independently envisioning apocalyptic spectacle cannot be understated; for all of Evangelion\u2019s success as an interrogation of human consciousness, it would not be the landmark it is save for its unceasing procession of stark, transcendent, and horrifying imagery. There is power beyond intellectual appreciation in a stunning image, as the revelation of the \u201cdummy plug system\u201d to be a vast sea of alternate Reis well demonstrates. As Ritsuko fills in the cracks regarding our understanding of NERV and Adam, it is those smiling Reis that occupy our attention, the faultless quasi-human creations of mankind\u2019s hubris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"40457\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/2024\/06\/24\/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23\/may09125348\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09125348.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1080\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Neon Genesis Evangelion\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09125348.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09125348.jpg?fit=584%2C329&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40457\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09125348.jpg?resize=584%2C329&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09125348.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09125348.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09125348.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09125348.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09125348.jpg?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09125348.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/May09125348.jpg?w=1752&amp;ssl=1 1752w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a grotesque recreation of her mother\u2019s final act, Ritsuko strikes back against the creatures that have supplanted her, destroying these duplicates for the crime of monopolizing Gendo\u2019s love. \u201cI only needed to think of him, and I could endure any humiliation,\u201d she bitterly reflects. There is something worse than being rejected, worse than being despised. It is to reach out to the one you love, and see them react like Gendo or Rei III, with complete and utter indifference.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>This\u00a0article\u00a0was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/current-projects\/\"  rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mad<\/a><\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/current-projects\/\"  rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">e possible by reader support<\/a>. Thank you all for\u00a0all that you do.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<h2><b>Commercials Cooperation Advertisements:<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p><br>(1) IT Teacher IT Freelance<br> <\/p>\r\n<a href=https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/wordpress><img src=http:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ITTeacherITFreelance-Website.png alt=IT\u96fb\u8166\u88dc\u7fd2 java\u88dc\u7fd2 \u70ba\u5927\u5bb6\u914d\u5c0d\u96fb\u8166\u88dc\u7fd2,IT freelance, \u79c1\u4eba\u8001\u5e2b, PHP\u88dc\u7fd2,CSS\u88dc\u7fd2,XML,Java\u88dc\u7fd2,MySQL\u88dc\u7fd2,graphic design\u88dc\u7fd2,\u4e2d\u5c0f\u5b78ICT\u88dc\u7fd2,\u4e00\u5c0d\u4e00\u79c1\u4eba\u88dc\u7fd2\u548cFreelance\u81ea\u7531\u5de5\u4f5c\u914d\u5c0d\u3002\/><\/a><p><a href=https:\/\/itteacheritfreelance.hk\/wordpress\/index.php\/findteacher>\u7acb\u523b\u8a3b\u518a\u53ca\u5831\u540d\u96fb\u8166\u88dc\u7fd2\u8ab2\u7a0b\u5427! <\/a><br>\r\n\r\n\u7535\u5b50\u8ba1\u7b97\u673a -\u6559\u80b2 -IT \u96fb\u8166\u73ed\u201d ( IT\u96fb\u8166\u88dc\u7fd2 ) \u63d0\u4f9b\u4e00\u500b\u65b9\u4fbf\u7684\u7535\u5b50\u8ba1\u7b97\u673a \u6559\u80b2\u5e73\u53f0, \u70ba\u5927\u5bb6\u914d\u5c0d\u4fe1\u606f\u6280\u672f, \u96fb\u8166 \u8001\u5e2b, IT freelance \u548c programming expert. \u8b93\u5927\u5bb6\u65b9\u4fbf\u5730\u5c31\u80fd\u627e\u5230\u5408\u9069\u7684\u96fb\u8166\u88dc\u7fd2, \u96fb\u8166\u73ed, \u5bb6\u6559, \u79c1\u4eba\u8001\u5e2b.  <br>\r\n\r\nWe are a education and information platform which you can find a IT private tutorial teacher or freelance. <br>\r\n\r\nAlso we provide different information about information technology, Computer, programming, mobile, Android, apple, game, movie, anime, animation\u2026 \r\n<\/p>\n<p><br>(2) ITSec<br> <\/p><a href=https:\/\/itsec.vip><img src=http:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ITSec-Main-Promotion-Image.png alt= https:\/\/itsec.vip\/\r\nSecure Your Computers from Cyber Threats and mitigate risks with professional services to defend Hackers.  \r\nITSec provide IT Security and Compliance Services, including IT Compliance Services, Risk Assessment, IT Audit, Security Assessment and Audit, ISO 27001 Consulting and Certification, GDPR Compliance Services, Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA), Penetration test, Ethical Hacking, Vulnerabilities scan, IT Consulting, Data Privacy Consulting, Data Protection Services, Information Security Consulting, Cyber Security Consulting, Network Security Audit, Security Awareness Training.\/><\/a> \r\n<br><br> \r\n<p><a href=https:\/\/itsec.vip>www.ITSec.vip<\/a> <br> <br> \r\n<p><a href=https:\/\/sraa.com.hk>www.Sraa.com.hk<\/a> <br> <br> \r\n<p><a href=https:\/\/itsec.hk>www.ITSec.hk<\/a> <br> <br> \r\n<p><a href=https:\/\/penetrationtest.hk>www.Penetrationtest.hk<\/a> <br> <br> \r\n<p><a href=https:\/\/itseceu.uk>www.ITSeceu.uk<\/a> <br> <br> \r\nSecure Your Computers from Cyber Threats and mitigate risks with professional services to defend Hackers. <br><br>\r\nITSec provide IT Security and Compliance Services, including IT Compliance Services, Risk Assessment, IT Audit, Security Assessment and Audit, ISO 27001 Consulting and Certification, GDPR Compliance Services, Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA), Penetration test, Ethical Hacking, Vulnerabilities scan, IT Consulting, Data Privacy Consulting, Data Protection Services, Information Security Consulting, Cyber Security Consulting, Network Security Audit, Security Awareness Training. \r\n<br><br>Contact us right away. <br><br>Email (Prefer using email to contact us): <br>SalesExecutive@ITSec.vip<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Darkness looms over Misato\u2019s apartment as we return to Shinji\u2019s caretaker, now cocooned in the repetition of a painful, desperate ritual. Instant ramen cups lie unattended and spoiling on the floor, beer cans stack up around her bed, and a \u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/wrongeverytime.com\/2024\/06\/24\/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-23\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-container-style":"default","site-container-layout":"default","site-sidebar-layout":"default","disable-article-header":"default","disable-site-header":"default","disable-site-footer":"default","disable-content-area-spacing":"default","footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[61,122,127,129,124,128,125,132,131,133,126,130,123,66,94,88,97,56,64,65,60,112,40,75,95,104,33,120,105,101,98,115,30,29,41,86,70,69,68,72,71,26,118,108,87,46,55,48,52,54,51,50,83,62,58,57,109,35,59,63,85,79,82,96,80,27,81,114,44,42,43,45,38,39,110,117,100,111,116,73,89,90,92,91,93,84,78,37,102,34,36,77,67,74,99,113,119,28,121,32,47,49,53,103,31,76],"class_list":["post-134584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-anime","tag-airpods","tag-anime","tag-anime-characters","tag-anime-cosplay","tag-anime-edits","tag-anime-merchandise","tag-anime-movies","tag-anime-news","tag-anime-recommendations","tag-anime-reviews","tag-anime-series","tag-anime-streaming","tag-animes","tag-app-store","tag-app-store-samsung","tag-appgallery","tag-appgallery-oneplus","tag-apple","tag-apple-music","tag-apple-tv","tag-apple-watch","tag-bbc-sport","tag-best-mobile-games","tag-bixby","tag-bixby-xiaomi","tag-champions-league","tag-cyberpunk","tag-cyberpunk-2077","tag-fantasy-football","tag-fifa","tag-football","tag-formula-1","tag-fortnite","tag-free-fire","tag-free-mobile-games","tag-freebuds-pro","tag-galaxy-a52","tag-galaxy-note-20","tag-galaxy-s21","tag-galaxy-watch-4","tag-galaxy-z-fold-3","tag-game","tag-games","tag-golf","tag-harmonyos","tag-how-to-backup-iphone","tag-how-to-factory-reset-iphone","tag-how-to-reset-iphone","tag-how-to-restore-iphone","tag-how-to-unlock-iphone","tag-how-to-unlock-iphone-5","tag-how-to-unlock-iphone-6","tag-huawei","tag-ios","tag-ipad","tag-iphone","tag-live-soccer","tag-lol","tag-macbook","tag-macos","tag-mate-40-pro","tag-mi-11-lite","tag-mi-home-security-camera-basic-1080p","tag-mi-home-security-camera-basic-1080p-huawei","tag-mi-smart-band-6","tag-minecraft","tag-miui","tag-mlb-scores","tag-mobile-game-design","tag-mobile-game-development","tag-mobile-game-marketing","tag-mobile-game-monetization","tag-mobile-games","tag-mobile-gaming","tag-nba-scores","tag-nba-standings","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-scores","tag-nhl-scores","tag-one-ui","tag-oneplus","tag-oneplus-9-pro","tag-oneplus-buds-pro","tag-oneplus-nord-ce-5g","tag-oxygenos","tag-p40-pro-plus","tag-poco-x3-pro","tag-pokemon","tag-premier-league","tag-pubg","tag-pubg-mobile","tag-redmi-note-10-pro","tag-samsung","tag-samsung-pay","tag-soccer","tag-sports","tag-steam","tag-steeam","tag-top-10-anime","tag-valorant","tag-when-do-the-iphone-7-come-out","tag-when-does-the-iphone-7-come-out","tag-when-is-the-iphone-7-coming-out","tag-world-cup","tag-xbox-series-x","tag-xiaomi"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134584"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":134585,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134584\/revisions\/134585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}