that's just how he is

neon genesis evangelion, episode three ("the silent phone")

This episode was the one that cemented me as firmly in Shinji’s corner, ready to defend him against The Haters… who used to be legion but I’m so out of touch with anime fandom now that for all I know they all love Shinji these days. Maybe everybody hates Rei now. Who knows. In any case, episode two ended with Misato’s reassurance that people would thank him for defending the city against the Angel. The truth is more complicated. Yes, Shinji defeated the Angel. But he also made a big mess in the process and in that mess, people got hurt.

So when Shinji shows up in school as a mysterious “transfer student,” his classmates, or at least those whose families haven’t already left, have their suspicions. One of them texts him to ask if he’s the pilot, and after some hesitation, he says—yes. Most of the kids in Shinji’s class think it’s cool… but one of them, Toji, had a sister who was injured during the fight, so he and his very geeky friend Kensuke find Shinji after school. Toji punches him …