Evangelion(Rei)

Battousai_Killa · Post by **Battousai_Killa** » Sat Mar 19, 2005 2:52 pm

I know this has been discussed before, but I have a theory as to why in Episode 1, shinji saw a "ghost" of Rei. We all know that there were three Rei Ayanami's released to the world by the end of the series, right? And we also know that Rei was created using Angel DNA and DNA of Yui Ikari, Shinji's mom, right? Also, Ritsuko's mom killed the first Rei, right? So isnt it possible that someone with Yui's DNA (Shinj) being so close to Angel DNA (Sachiel) triggered the appearance of the Rei "ghost" we see? Her being a ghost also explains why she dissappears when Shinj looks away for a second. This is just a theory so please tell me what you think.

EvaXephon · Post by **EvaXephon** » Sat Mar 19, 2005 4:36 pm

...No. Nice theory, but no.

Rei says in the movie that she stands for hope.

It was a sign that, for the first time in his life, Shinji was going to have hope.

hanyou21 · Post by **hanyou21** » Sat Mar 19, 2005 7:58 pm

ya, Rei stands for hope and Kaworu for the words "i love u", right?

Org Profile · Post by **GloryQuestor** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 1:02 am

This is related to something I mentioned in another thread on the meaning of Evangelion and just what Rei really is:

Glory Questor wrote:
Spoiler: ( All of this is in Shinji's head. )

...

Spoiler: ( - Ego: one of the three divisions of the psyche in psychoanalytic theory that serves as the organized conscious mediator between the person and reality especially by functioning both in the perception of and adaptation to reality (Rei and/or Kaurou). )

Therefore, following that logic:

Spoiler:

Rei is not so much a force of "hope" as she is, throughout the series, the "organized conscious mediator between the person (Shinji) and reality especially by functioning both in the perception of and adaptation to reality".

That is the most logical explaination as to why Shinji sees Rei there: Because this entire experience is in his head, Rei's appearance in Episode 1 was merely to try and make Shinji doubt that where he was is "reality". The thread of Rei as Shinji's ego continues throughout the series. When Shinji has an "experience", she always listens to him, then continually teases him and always tries to make him doubt the "reality" of his world.

The perfect example is the train scene "dream" in Episode 19 - "Introjection", which has Rei and Shinji talking after Shinji is forced out of Eva Unit 01. Note I have put both the Sub and Dub versions of the conversation as reference:

(Subtitles)
R: Ikari, why did you do that?
S: Because I couldn't forgive my father. He betrayed me. I was finally able to have a comfortable converasation with my father, but he won't try to understand my feelings at all!
R: Did you try to understand your father's feelings?
S: I tried.
R: Why don't you try to understand him?
S: I said I tried!
R: And that's how you run away from unpleasantness.
S: What's wrong with that? What's wrong with running away from unpleasantness?

(English Dub)
R: Ikari, why did you do that?
S: Because I couldn't trust him. My father betrayed me, Rei. Even though I was ... finally able to talk to him, he still doesn't understand me ... at all.
R: Did you try to understand him ... his feelings?
S: I used to try.
R: Why don't you try to understand him?
S: I SAID I DID!
R: You're running away from the truth because it's ugly?
S: Why not? What's wrong with running away from reality if it sucks?

Another note: This time, Shinji is having this conversation with "Rei" not from his viewpoint ... but from the viewpoint of Toji! How can all of this be "reality" if Toji is able to see the dream -- unless Toji was also a part of Shinji's psyche ... perhaps the part of him that is the aggressive man.

rucka · Post by **rucka** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 10:29 am

Nope, it couldn't have been like that. Sachiel is closer to Adam then to Lilith anyways... Humans are Lilith based lifeforms and Angels are Adam based lifeforms. Get it?

Dissapearing of Rei was just an effect (flying birds and stuff...).
Speaking of Rei, have you ever wondered why she loved Shinji as a mother? I know she's a half Yui clone, but she hasn't got Yui's feelings or soul. That just doesn't make sense... Ok, this cloning stuff means that Rei has Yui's brain, but do you think Rei could've got Yui's memories? This could explain why Rei liked Gendo...

Org Profile · Post by **GloryQuestor** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 10:57 am

rucka, those are good points.

However, you should have encased them in a Spoiler block like I did above. That is a lot of story spoilers you are revealing to people who might not have seen Evangelion yet.

SS5_Majin_Bebi · Post by **SS5_Majin_Bebi** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 2:00 am

hanyou21 wrote:ya, Rei stands for hope and Kaworu for the words "i love u", right?

Well the word "Rei" is actually japanese for the number "zero". As for Kaworu, I'm not sure. But his last name (Nagisa) apparently means "(of the) Seashore".

In my interpretation, Rei is the "representative" of humans, and Kaworu is the "representative" of the Angels. Kaworu seems to recognise this, because he says to Rei "You and I are the same." but Rei is still confused about Kaworu until he takes command of Unit 02.

Oh and also, Kaworu's "real" name, his Angel name, is Taberis, and he is the angel of Alternatives - in other words, he represents choice.

bum · Post by **bum** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 12:12 pm

I'm a sick of evangelion. All these damn theories and philosophies about it. Its the same conversation thats bein going on for years. Seriosly, the thing is 12 years old.

Org Profile · Post by **GloryQuestor** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:33 pm

bum:

Ghost in the Shell and Evangelion are both 18+ years old. Akira is older than that. Cowboy Bebop is 8 years old.

Age really doesn't have anything to do with the impact of a story, no matter the medium.

Using your analogy, should we turn away from the many discourses on Shakespearean Literature just because it's centuries old?

Jnzk · Post by **Jnzk** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:37 pm

bum wrote:Seriosly, the thing is 12 years old.

GloryQuestor wrote:... and Evangelion are both 18+ years old.

Isn't it more like 10½ years?