I don't remember in the actual scene in the high school AU, but I'm pretty sure he's a character in the (video games? comics?) that expand on that scene
as far as Gendo saving her, I really don't know, but it seems like he doesn't *have* to. But I don't really think it's manipulative either; why would he be willing to manipulate her that way, but not Shinji? I think, in that moment at least, he does genuinely think of her as a person and care about her, regardless of how those feelings shift before or later.
I sort of think there's a level of unconquerable disgust Gendo feels toward Shinji just because Shinji is his child and he can see himself in Shinji's face (and he can also see Yui, which is unbearable in a different way). I recently rewatched episode twelve (which is the one where Gendo and Fuyutsuki are off in Antarctica) and there's a moment where he tells Shinji "good job" over the phone—it's very weird because like, where did that come from? But I wonder if it was actually as simple as being unable to see him.
Small detail I noticed rewatching the opening again: there’s that part where in quick succession you get the facial close-ups of Gendo, Misato, Ritsuko… and Rei. Perhaps there’s a reason it makes sense to group her with the adults
I got intrigued by the child/children language thing (since Japanese doesn't do plurals very much), and looked it up. Apparently, in these episodes, it's viewed as intentional and not a mere mistranslation, since the Japanese script has things like 「ファーストチルドレン」– fāsuto chirudoren. Whether it's that way in the Japanese (katakana is like italics, they say) because it's a technical designation (perhaps intentionally implying plurality) or is just meant to sound cool seems kind of unclear.
I never questioned my gender until I saw Ramiel. I want to be an enormous impenetrable reflective geometric solid that hovers and has a hot pink laser that can slag down a mountainside. I didn’t know that was a bauplan and then suddenly I did and it was all over for me, I had experienced gender envy for the first time.
It changes absolutely nothing about my day-to-day life! But I can’t unknow it. If we ever get uploaded to the cloud sci-fi style it’s gonna be my avatar.
I often find myself wondering it's like in whatever realm the angels come from, how they communicate with each other, etc. Is Sachiel going "Ramiel, I just wish you'd learn to open up."
“I can never quite decide if his displayed affection for her is sincere or manipulative or both.”
Yep.
maybe Rei can't decide either lol
How much do you think it would matter to Rei either way?
Not sure… I sort of want to wait to answer this until I rewatch the last episodes.
I don't remember in the actual scene in the high school AU, but I'm pretty sure he's a character in the (video games? comics?) that expand on that scene
as far as Gendo saving her, I really don't know, but it seems like he doesn't *have* to. But I don't really think it's manipulative either; why would he be willing to manipulate her that way, but not Shinji? I think, in that moment at least, he does genuinely think of her as a person and care about her, regardless of how those feelings shift before or later.
I sort of think there's a level of unconquerable disgust Gendo feels toward Shinji just because Shinji is his child and he can see himself in Shinji's face (and he can also see Yui, which is unbearable in a different way). I recently rewatched episode twelve (which is the one where Gendo and Fuyutsuki are off in Antarctica) and there's a moment where he tells Shinji "good job" over the phone—it's very weird because like, where did that come from? But I wonder if it was actually as simple as being unable to see him.
Ahh, that would make a lot of sense
Small detail I noticed rewatching the opening again: there’s that part where in quick succession you get the facial close-ups of Gendo, Misato, Ritsuko… and Rei. Perhaps there’s a reason it makes sense to group her with the adults
oh that's a good catch
I got intrigued by the child/children language thing (since Japanese doesn't do plurals very much), and looked it up. Apparently, in these episodes, it's viewed as intentional and not a mere mistranslation, since the Japanese script has things like 「ファーストチルドレン」– fāsuto chirudoren. Whether it's that way in the Japanese (katakana is like italics, they say) because it's a technical designation (perhaps intentionally implying plurality) or is just meant to sound cool seems kind of unclear.
Yeah, I assumed it was intentional, it just drives me a little too crazy to keep repeating!
I never questioned my gender until I saw Ramiel. I want to be an enormous impenetrable reflective geometric solid that hovers and has a hot pink laser that can slag down a mountainside. I didn’t know that was a bauplan and then suddenly I did and it was all over for me, I had experienced gender envy for the first time.
It changes absolutely nothing about my day-to-day life! But I can’t unknow it. If we ever get uploaded to the cloud sci-fi style it’s gonna be my avatar.
I often find myself wondering it's like in whatever realm the angels come from, how they communicate with each other, etc. Is Sachiel going "Ramiel, I just wish you'd learn to open up."
Ramiel: *physically unfolds and shoots a hot pink laser at Sachiel* “I HAVE learned to open up”