In Defense of Rei Ayanami
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- Опубліковано 4 тра 2023
- Rei Ayanami is my favorite Evangelion character. Now I understand how contentious this opinion is, which is why today I'm going to explain the controversy behind Rei's misguided popularity and then explain why in my opinion, she is the best character in all of Evangelion. We'll talk about how Ganiax and Hideaki Anno's procrastination in fleshing her character out had profound ramifications on Rei's perception as a character. Then we'll explain the controversy behind the bandaged Fraulein Rei doll and how her sales highlighted a dark truth regarding Japan's objectification of moé characters. And of course, this wouldn't be a defense of Rei unless we talk about what truly makes her character more interesting than the likes of Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley Soryu, Misato Katsuragi, and everyone else!
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I admire Rei so, so much. More than anyone else, she’s been given no good reason to connect to her peers; she’s almost inwardly feral. And yet! She becomes human enough to discover what love feels like, and acts selflessly. She’s a very hopeful symbol, I think.
Me too! Her character teaches us that everybody seeks love no matter what their actions make us think and that strength is silent. Thank you for your comment!
@@tonyfunk of course! I’m excited to watch you other videos. There aren’t a ton of analysis videos about Evangelion available that feel very emotionally or empathetically informed. I feel that there’s a lot of theorists and creators who get interested in the technicalities of the *~psychology~* of Eva, yet not the more human element.
@@lolomcgrath231 Thank you again!!! And yes, I know what you mean. I'm going to be making a similar video on Kaworu so stay tuned for that!
@@lolomcgrath231So true! Tony's character analysis videos blow me away! I find myself agreeing with him time and time again! I had preconceived notions about Kaworu, and I was very happy to see someone else confirm my beliefs about the character! I remember expressing my ideas about Kaworu to a fellow Kawoshin shipper, but I got the strange feeling that they actively disliked my interpretation. I basically said that Kaworu's love confession was condescending, and I think my unique ideas make others feel uncomfortable. I don't subscribe to the widespread belief that Kaworu is homosexual. Like Rei, Kaworu appears to be asexual.
.. She's a clone, You dunce. She's at the mercy of an evil twisted-entity, Seele and also Nerv and was made to be disposable, To brutally die in combat but to be replaced by another one of her, Each one feeling more sorrow and loneliness than the last due to this.
.. Almost NONE of what youve said, Lolomc, Has anything to do with her. She exists because Yui and Gendo were using eachother, Using Nerv and mankind to risk everything to perform an unknown and dangerous complicated ritual and experiment through science.
It’s so creepy to see people reduce Rei into a submissive, naive, helpless, girl. It’s so goddamn creepy! It’s disgusting…
Rei is significant because as the author mentioned her stoic disposition shows her deep character and the burden she carries, silently, that could never be done by Shinji, Asuka or Misato.
Exactly!
I haven't even watched Evangelion so thank you for the analysis. Seem like as the show went on even the author lost sight of Rey and couldn't relate to her or see how she would develope as a human being, while she being so flawed and so human (or he was disgusted with the predatory reaction from the viewer which is totally justifiable). As the story goes on failing to solve that became a failure on the creative side, not the audience. I can see how a character being vulnerable allow the viewer become more proactive in their reaction and emotion - negative and positve. Still the introvert audience by nature has lots of emotional baggage so it's not pretty when it is openly shown. Still people talking down on people for liking a character I would reply with: "Show us your search history". Who doesn't have power fantasy over themselves and others.
Absolutely. It is one of the most interesting aspect about her : she have a lot of burden, her all existence being tricked from the start with only bad ending... and yet, she remains brave and even kind toward the others, even if she have difficulties to understand why would people care about her.
@@bluewings2What burden ? How do we know about that ? The girl barely talk on the whole show yet we have to feel a "burden" on her shoulder. We don't know who she is, neither why she is here. She is not even a competent fighter/pilot she just exist in the team. And at the end they come with "Oh she was cloned 4 times the whole time that's why you". We learn at some point she is a clone Shinji Mother but how do i feel interest in a character with so little expression let alone she just barely talk and just follow Gendo orders.
For me she is not good character she is just let alone cause as he said in the video the writer didn't even know what to do with her in first place.
@@alvinbonny1562 Her burden, some would call it her life itself, but I call it Gendo's will. She exists because he created her to do what he wants, she can't have a life on her own. She lived a big part of her life in NERV basement, used for the tests, not having friends, destined first to be a pilot, and even when that duty is done, she have to be sacrificed for Gendo's version of Human Instrumentality. The only kind of relationship she had for a very long time was with Gendo, and it's a poisonous one since it's not genuine from his part : he only shows her affection because she looks life his wife and because she is useful for his plan to see her again, nothing more. On top of that, if it's not already hard enough, the fact that she is a clone, and knowing it, makes her feel different from everybody else, and more a tool than a proper living being. So yeah, not very surprising if she is not a funny girl, don't you think ? And apparently, even Anno acknowledge her strong spirit, even if himself wasn't sure of what to do with her during the series. I can't really tell you what you are supposed to feel about her, but criticizing her piloting ability is mean XD But seriously, there is a reason to that. She is not at the same level than Shinji and Asuka because of how the EVA works : they need the soul of a mother to synchronize with the pilot. And Rei... don't even have one. A popular theory is that EVA 00 soul is a part of Rei's one, I'm not sure if it's confirmed but it's possible seeing at what happened when Shinji tried to synchronized with the EVA 00. And even like that, she managed to be an ok pilot, being useful and doing her job, even if I myself consider her to rank her last.
It irks me so bad to see weebs reduce her into some submissive chick solely for fan service. She plays one of the biggest roles in the series to me, and without her Evangelion would simply lose the significance it holds. Her character added well needed depth and mystery to the series. Love this video, your analysis of moe culture is some of the best social commentary I’ve seen on this site. It’s very well fleshed out. Good job!
I feel people like too strawman "weebs" to blame someone. Plenty of people enjoy her for her character and thee people who just like her "because she's cute" do that with any anime girl. Asuka, Misato, all of them. Especially if talking about fan art and porn. I don't even know why people take that stuff so seriously. Obviously people will like a cute kind soft spoken anime girl just the surface level, that's true throughout all anime girls. (And given that fucking Asuka is the alternative, I'd rather then like the submissive blue girl than simp for the abusive red bitch)
I've met so many people who won't give NGE a chance because they see the fan base and assume it's your standard fan service anime. It's a shame, because it really tackles serious issues like trauma and making connections with people in a cruel world in a way that many anime can only aspire to.
interesting fact is the rei in japanese can mean spirit but it can also mean zero (midnight is usually said as rei-ji, zero hours). considering rei is made to kind of resemble a souless empty doll, that name is very fitting
And also how she is depicted with a moon in the background
I'm proud of Rei for standing against Gendo at the end.
And the fact it were Shinji and Asuka of all people who probably inspired her stand up to him... For two messed teens, they were really good shock therapists.
And she even allowed Kaworu in her heart so he could be part of the Impact and reunite with Shinji.
Yes, Rei standing against Gendo was such a great moment during The End. It was so frustrating during the last Rebuild movie that her rebellion was limited to a short sentence before being put aside for the rest of the movie^^; Rei 2 really deserved more screentime during the last movie.
It was not the same rei tho
@@user-jk5qi7xg8q She is. Rei 3 lost a part of Rei 2 memories but she have the very same soul, that why she remember the emotions she felt (like her sadness while crying, feeling that it is not the first time she does). When she fuse with Adam, all her memories come back, definitely cimenting that it s her.
gurl power
I loved how quietly competent she is, best character, most unique character
I find it interesting, that as soon as Rei (or her look alike) realizes her ego (as in what she wants for herself/tears as an emotional expression coming from her) she „dies“. It‘s a really harsh commentary on the otaku-waifu culture, showing that as soon as the (perceived) „yamato nadeshiko“ acts out of line she‘s discarded. The strongest Moment of Rei following her very own wishes is in End of Evangelion, when she refuses her role in Gendo‘s plan and becomes like god - yes, and then she dies….xD
I know it's truly tragic 😢 In a way there's something beautiful about feeling terrible for a character. In that regard, Hideaki Anno succeeded in creating a character worthy of peoples' sympathy.
Or maybe not so tragic: for example, I think we see Shinji die (figuratively AND literally) a number of times throughout the show, coming back from oblivion a little stronger and a little more human and mature every time. These aren't just physical deaths, they are symbolic deaths, killing the (symbolic) children so that the adults they should grow into may at last come into their own and flourish.
UA-camr Timberw0lf Studios put me onto that realization, probably by accident, in his series of videos analyzing the editing and presentation of Evangeleon, when he pointed to a puzzling scene shortly after Shinji's first fight against an Angel, where he awakens from a coma in a weirdly colourless hospital, and passes Rei in the hallway: there's an unearthly, surreal quality to the scene, and it kind of confused Timberw0lf, but the more I think of it, the more it looks like a sort of spirit world that Shinji passes through on his way back to conscious life, something we see a couple times in different forms in the series, especially those strange scenes of Shinji riding alone on weirdly-lit train cars, talking to characters who shouldn't really physically be there (including himself as a younger child!), at times when Shinji is dissolved into 400% synch with his Eva, or swallowed in a Sea of Diroc, or whatever.
Shinji basically dies in the Sea of Diroc as his life support runs out of power, only to be symbolically reborn stronger than ever shortly after as he bursts from the egg-like spherical angel in a shower of blood and pain and terror, for example, and comes back better and stronger than before. The symbolism is pretty much right on the nose with that one, but it's not Shinji's only symbolic death up to that point, and not even his first!
It kind of puts the more literal deaths of characters like Toji, Asuka, Rei, Misato, Kaji, Gendo, Ritsuko, and even some of the angels (including, but not limited to, Kawaru) into a different perspective: how many of these characters died after reaching a new milestone in their emotional growth, and what does that mean either for the character him/herself, or for some other character in a more symbolic sense, like Shinji?
In short, the Rei(?) we see in the last two episodes of the show and the 'End of Evangeleon' movie is a very different, far more complete, far more mature and real and well-rounded character than the Rei II we are introduced to in bandages at the beginning of the show, and certain the Rei I we see as a toddler in flashback - a more damaged, child-like Rei has "died" a couple times by the End, but the Rei that takes her place at the End has more adult agency to change the world for the better than more "grown up" characters like Gendo or Ritsuko, who never properly allowed their weaker selves to "die" until it was (almost?) too late.
Evangeleon is a strange sort of series where avoiding death is worse than dying, so it seems that it's actually fortunate that Rei died, and died multiple times!
The "otako", one can't help noticing, are kind of fixated on the most emotionally stunted, child-like, and damaged versions of the characters.... and the tragic irony of that wasn't lost on the show-runners and writers, as can be seen by the show's own in-universe "otaku", Kensuke Aida, who is shown a glimpse at all the pain and self-sacrifice that piloting an Eva demands, but never really seems to get the point, being the only character who WANTS to pilot an Eva, yet gets passed up for the opportunity - presumably for his lack of maturity - and apparently ends the series as a permanent child dissolved in a sea of Tang...
@@pietrayday9915 yes yes, but do we really see the *same* happening for Rei? I feel like she always has to start from „0“ and the whole point of cahracter is, that like, at „99,999_“ she gets cut, right before reaching the „100“ if you follow my numbers metaphor. I mean, the redo‘s are a bit kinder to Asuka tho
I've always loved Rei, not because of any kind of attraction to her, but because she is the only fictional character I've ever felt somewhat represented by.
This was a very nicely made video and analysis, but I have to disagree with some points of it. First, I dont think Rei is more mature than the others, she simply fails to grasp human feelings like happines, love, grief, or jealousy. Because of this she acts weird and like a stoic person would, but the difference is that where a stoic person refuses to show feelings, Rei simply fails to understand them. And throughout Eva we see her getting closer and closer to being a human, and in Rei III (ep 23) she finally understands her own desires, and thats why she sacrifices herself for Shinji. Before that, she would do it to serve NERV or because of her drive to not exist, but in ep23 she does it out of love, be it romantical or whatever. Second, I dont think Gendo didnt care about Rei. Rei was somewhat of a clone of Yui, and we know how much Gendo loves Yui, so it wouldnt make sense. We actually see a lot of instances of Gendo caring about Rei. The best example is imo in ep19, when Rei tries to blow herself up taking the angel with her, and Gendo shouts her name out of fear and protection. Little things like that really ad to their connection I think. Where you are right is that Gendo didnt really treat Rei well. She was originally made as an object for gendo and NERV, but as time went, Gendo became attached to her somewhat. He still controls her and sacrifices her when its needed, and thats why Rei doesnt feel Gendo comforting. Maybe im wrong in these points, but thats always how I felt about Rei. Shes my favorite character in Eva because she resembles being lost in the world, not understanding others and yourself. These are things that I think everyone goes through while growing up, and I always thought Rei represented this in a more exaggarated way, with autistic-like beahviour.
Hi I appreciate your well thought out and interesting response. It means a lot! I do disagree, but I 100% see your point of view regarding Rei's emotional intelligence/stoic appearance being a result of not understanding human behavior. Once again, a great comment! Take care!
Her design I believe was partially and I do mean partially inspired by the women (and particularly one character called Lt. Gay Ellis) on Moon Base in the British Science Fiction series UFO. Their uniform consisted of silver suits and purple wigs. Hideaki Anno was a huge fan of UFO’s creator Gerry Anderson.
I had no idea!!! I really appreciate this tidbit of information about a character I love so much!!! Thank you for your comment it means a lot!!!!
I just want her to be happy
Thanks to the Rebuild 3.0 + 1.0, she FINALLY have that. I like to imagine her life, growing up in the village, developing her relationships with Hikari and the others, as an adult being a successful writer. Maybe in a relationship with Kaworu since in the very last scene where we see her as an adult speaking with a smiling Kaworu. No matter what, seeing her as an adult and free made me so happy, I wish Rei the best, she deserves it.
19:19 By representing a character who silently suffers, but braves the reality of their existence proficiently, without seeking anything in return.
That is a very japanese of her. Maybe that is where her popularity stems from, if subconsciously. Silent suffering is the bread and butter of a corporate salaryman.
All the defense points you mention in the video are true and overall I like Rei for the same reasons. I want to include some clues you maybe missed or for some other reason didn't include in the video.
Since episode 1 we can see Rei in bandages and pain, but even in that state she's ready to pilot Eva-01. It's like she knows it's more important that she at least tries to save humanity, than just let it die. Later on during an escalator talk with Shinji, she slaps him for questioning Gendo. For me it shows real dedication for the person she likes (at that time at least). Further on we can see Rei at school sitting alone on a bench, reading a book. I couldn't read the text but from the images I could see this was a scientific book. This really made an impression on me that she is prioritizing the important things. The most important part for me is though that we later on learn that she's a clone and is deeply disturbed by that, but despite that her depression remains functional. She always manages to do the her duty even when under existential pressure. (This is in spark contrast with Shinji or Asuka, who just crumble when under pressure and become non-functional, to the point where I start to question why they are even allowed to pilot, when it's humanity at stake.) Further on we see an elevator scene with Rei and Asuka. Asuka slaps Rei in the face, but Rei tries to defuse the situation, rather than hit back. As you said in the video, this shows how Rei is emotionally grown up and doesn't behave like a school kid. (That scene really made me angry. I felt like an injustice has been done that needs to be punished.) Later on we see Rei realizing Gendo was just using her for his own goals, so she decides to side with Shinji. This shows that she has good moral comas and is capable of recognizing and fixing her mistakes. Finally we see Rei establishing herself as person and having a will to live, not thinking of herself as just a replaceable clone, being afraid and crying. Despite all that she sacrifices her own life to save Shinji.
Most people criticize Rei because she don't talk much and doesn't express emotions too much. But her actions speak much louder than the voices of the rest of the cast in the TV series. I'd even say her character is so fictional to the point of flawless. That's beyond human, all humans have flaws, some many, others fewer.
The Rebuild movies I couldn't really enjoy and that's mainly because they changes Rei's character too much.
To conclude on a happier note, in the TV series at the end there is a scene of Rei running to school with a toast in her mouth. I think this is a glimpse of what her life would have been if there were no angel attacks. That scene always makes me smile. Hope it makes you too.
It's funny that you were offended by a girl hitting Rei but not for Rei wrongfully hitting a boy for not falling for his father's empty words. As if he wouldn't know the nature of his father better than her.
@@MALICEM12 at that point Shinji was already established as whiny little brat. Also for Rei, Gendo has proven himself as the good guy by saving her, while the empty words are coming out of Shinji, his own son. Yes it's a bit of an overreaction, but it's like somebody talking sh*t about your own father. So Rei had a good reason to slap Shinji and she did it in defense of someone else she thought highly about, not present at the time.
In contrast Asuka slapped Rei because she was jealous of her for doing the work she failed at and for Shinji giving more attention to Rei. At the same time Rei was trying to help by giving Asuka advice on how to improve the synchronization with her Eva. Asuka had no good reason to to take it out on Rei, especially when she was in a bad mood because of her own actions.
So you really shouldn't say both situations are equivalent, just because they both ended with a slap.
@@lamcho00 I'm not a big fan of the Rebuild series, but just one thing about Rei in them : they didn't change her that much. The important difference is in 2.0. She start the movie as usual, but what makes her change is simply the attitude of Shinji towards her. I always found it incredible watching the series that Shinji didn't act the way he did following episode 6 like he did in the Rebuild 2.0, as a friend carrying for her well being, and honestly, I just view what is happening as the natural development she was supposed to have if Anno didn't blame himself for her too fast evolution. During 3.0 and the last movie, we don't see Rei at all (it was especially frustrating during the last were she only have one very short scene before the final discussion during the climax), we see another version of her that begins as an empty state. The change of attitude is fully normal in that case, even if it was frustrating. Ironically, the other Rei finding meaning in life were the best part of the last movie for me, and I find her death was very emotional. No matter how and when, Rei always knows how to make me cry XD A part of me try to find ways were, at the conclusion of the movie, the two Rei are somewhat fused... I can never prove it but it's my way to cope XD
About the famous slap, I know you will not agree with me on that point but don't be too harsh on Asuka for it during the elevator scene. I understand what you feel, it wasn't a deserved slap but it was a necessary one for Rei. Asuka and Rei helped each other their own way during this scene.
The thing I will be thankful for the Rebuild movies is that it gives the characters a happy ending. Rei, at the end of Rebuild, is now free from anything related to Evangelion : she is not a clone destined to die one way or another, maybe she is with Kaworu as her boyfriend/husband (members of the staff wanted that, that's why we can see them speak at the train station), but more importantly, she is an adult woman living the way she wants to. That put a smile on my face.
The day i watched the chapter where she died, i couldn't sleep that night. After reading the manga and watched the remakes i always thought that Anno never wanted to give Rei a happy ending.
Yeah, her story is such a tragedy no matter which continuity you look at. Clearly Anno didn't feel her character deserved a happy ending narratively, but ultimately I think that's what makes her so compelling. I think her character symbolizes a sacrifice for others which is beautiful and consistent with how her character developed. So it's sad, but also fitting.
@@tonyfunk idk, is her ending in Shin not a happy ending? She's finally set free from her role as an Eva pilot and destiny as trigger for Instrumentality, which as previously noted she believed she never could be anything but those things, finally allowing her to truly choose what and who she wants to be. I get that both of her do get a bit of the short end of the stick diegetically speaking, with Rei Q being dead and Rei 2 not getting a whole lot of screen time in the end, but I don't think I'd necessarily call her conclusion in this continuity a tragedy.
Other than that though, really good video. I feel like all too often I see fans that either completely misinterpret or misunderstand Rei's character, reduce her to "emotionless doll" or waifu bait, and just generally shit on her and fans of her (and on the other side, see fans that only see her for the gross fetishization), so it's nice to see more genuine grounded and nuanced take by someone else who does 'get' Rei
Agreed it's a beautiful tragedy, but unfortunately in anime it's common for the "good girl" to get left behind or die and the annoying or bratty one be the one that sticks around. Perhaps even because of EVA's popularity
Yes, she wasn't ever meant to have a happy ending. The disposable clone nature was a foreshadow to that.
Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the Rebild movies, but one thing for sure, I'm happy that Rei had a happy ending at the end.
I legit didn’t realize original Rei had this much depth. I just liked to pretend Rebuild Rei was the true version but this was a good case for her original telling.
I'm glad I was able to shed some more light on Rei's depth. I appreciate the comment!
As far as I know, they both are, more or less like Rei ll and Rei lll, they are the "same person"
Fascinating analysis. I really loved the way they fully fleshed Rei out in Thrice Upon a Time, heartbreaking stuff. Hope to see this video with thousands of views someday.
Me too! I also enjoyed how they expanded her character in 2.2 as well. And thanks, I really appreciate it!!!!
Depending on how one interprets Rei and the other Children’s appearances on the train station after she’d made the choice to exit the Anti-Universe/Minus Space, Rei does still exist in some form and can now be completely independent of Shinji or Gendo, meaning she would be able to not just die, but also live purely on her own terms. If it were true, it would indeed be a happy ending for the character torn between her desire to escape her exploitative existence and her bonds to those that matter to her.
@@callmev3531 Oh absolutely. I'm not a big fan of the Rebuild series (I like and I don't at the same time XD), but one thing I'm grateful for is that at the end, without ambiguity, Rei finally have a happy ending. She finally can, and from what we see already live an adult life of her own. Apparently, some staff members wanted a romance between her and Kaworu and that why we can see them speak at the train station, detached from Shinji. No matter what, one thing for sure : as an old fan, I'm just happy for Rei, my favorite Evangelion and one of my favorite character in any media, and the others.
Weird to think so many weebs loved her while I just spent the whole time feeling sorry for her.
Although I haven't watched anime in years because they all seem to be about highschoolers. Are there any good animes about actual adults out at the moment? Might get back into it. Mainly because she seems to have such a bum deal.
Yeah, it's actually pretty alarming if you ask me. It's sad too tbh.
As for current anime you may like with adults...
Vinland Saga is a historical anime about the Viking sagas. It's pretty serious and violent if you're into that, but it's also quite good.
As for something more fun but with an interesting premise I'd check out Hell's Paradise. It's very shonen-like but it explores some interesting themes regarding self-belief, religion, and the mystification of science.
@Tony Funk Thanks man, I'm not a super fan or anything I just watched ghost in the shell years ago and thought it was awesome. Then every anime.i tried to watch after that got consistently worse. Phsyco pass was cool too. There was some american vampire anime style show I watched that was fun, the name escapes me. But 99% of them seem to be about highschool kids. I don't know, just seems very suspect when there essentially grown men watching cartoons about high school girls.
@@needbettername8583 Yeah, I feel ya. Well, I hope you find some new non-teen anime out there!
If you have not seen it yet, the old anime Monster is a ggod one too.
@@DanielDOleo I'll give it a go
Rei is my all time favorite character in the series, so it’s nice to see someone defend her. :)
At least Anno was able to reign in his hatred of her and her fanbase in 2.22. Shame he went all in on said hatred in the next two films.
Yeah, her character not only gets a rotten deal, but she is also forgotten up until the end. Such a tragedy to be honest. 😢
@@tonyfunk Anno isn’t even hiding his contempt and hatred for her and her fans is he?
@@ldragon2515 He really isn't
Or his fans in general, remember the jerk off scene? It's ironic that EVA was a decent show that got way too over hyped and got so popular even the creators kinda want the fans to hate it. Imagine if all that devotion went into a less flawed anime series
Yes, one big element that makes me not a fan of the Rebuild series is that they put Rei 2, the true Rei, completely aside after 2.0. The new Rei was touching, sure, I even cried when she died (not ashamed of it XD), but having the true Rei only appearing for one scene just to confirm that she was here the whole time and rebelling against Gendo in a very unimpactful way was so frustrating ! The true Rei deserved more scenes. At least, I'm glad that she had a happy ending.
Thank you for your video. I enjoy re-watching Evangelion from time to time, especially the old series and The End, and each time I do so, I like to have a look on the net about what people think about the show and the characters, and I often disappointed by the point of views focusing too much on self centered meta. About Rei, I will never understand people despising her, insulting her, or just thinking about her on a meta level, and not as a narrative character like all the others. It's pretty ironic that the fact that she was neglected by her own creator she became one, if not, the most interesting character of the series. Since I was a teenager, Rei always was one of the most important factor in why I enjoy Evangelion to this day, and one of the most iconic anime figure. I still remember seeing her the first time, and thinking "she is very sad... what happened to her ?". That will always be the appeal to me about her, she was a mysterious figure for sure, but not for one second I thought she was emotionless. I wanted to know more, and I wanted her to be... happier. And to this day, each time I think about her, I see a sad little girl who, living a miserable existence as a clone and a child soldier destined to be sacrificed, herself only wanting to die because of that, focusing only on what her father figure wants from her. And yet, despite all that... doing her best, being brave even if life gave her only bad cards, being a genuinely kind person even. I agree with your point about her being the most emotional intelligent character, I always like to take the example when she is trying to help Asuka when she had troubles. For all that, I love her. If I have to be thankful for one thing about the movies Rebuild is that at the very least they gave her the opportunity to have what I always wanted for her : to fully live her life.
This was so well done. I always felt an attachment to Rei from the first few episodes on. I couldn't quite out my finger on it. But you hit the nail on the head so beautifully.
Waiting for a topic on kaworu, your takes are amazing to listen to thank you!
Thanks for the suggestion! I'm definitely doing a Kaworu analysis down the road now!
"in defense of rei ayanamy"
WHAT DID SHE DO
Vehicular manslaughter
@@laurimansikka-aho5819 oh shit!
grand theft auto
She groomed a mino... oh wait that was Misato
Burned our crops, poisoned our water supply and delivered a plague onto our village.
This was really good.
Thank you for this. I wish more people would watch this.
Thank you!!! Glad you enjoyed it!!!
Great video, she is also my favorite character from Evangelion, im sad that she got very little screentime and less development in the anime thus why i've enjoyed that they expanded her character more in 2.22 and 3.0+1.0, still bummed how they treat her in the last movie tho
Great analysis man. Even though I (and as I suppose, many) expected and wanted her character to develop further (and in an increasingly visible manner) once she smiled, it's this lukewarm approach that makes this character unique.
I’m speechless. I think this is my favorite UA-cam video now.
I'm speechless too, this is such an elite compliment. Thank You!!! I really appreciate your comment!!!
Keep on rocking Tony
Amazing video you are right
Thank you!!! I'm glad you enjoyed my analysis!
Nicely put 👍
Perfect video man
Amazing video bro 👏
The whole appeal of Rei is the fact that she learns to assert herself as her own person and seize control over her own life. The fact that she starts out totally submissive and not valuing her own life is the nadir that she starts at, not the appeal of the character. She has an arc. She was always a person, she just learns how to express her personhood. Rei has been my favourite character in Evangelion since the beginning, and finding out that people fetishized her obedience, submissiveness, and lack of self-worth baffled me.
You're the first to do justice to this character ever. Couldn't have said this better myself. Cheers.
this was such a good video bro keep it up!! :>
Thank you!!!
Great video ! Yes Rei is an amazing character. Funny enough, when I started the show, I was intrigued by Rei but nothing much. I was more interested by Asuka, Shinji and Misato. Rei was here but nothing much. As the show continued, I started to notice Rei reactions and somehow she managed to constantly surprise me. Not gonna lie, when I saw episode 23, I had tears in my eyes. Because of her death of course, but when Rei 3 appeared, the strange mix of relieve and mystery, followed by the big revelations had a great impact on me. Once I finished The End of Evangelion, I restarted from episode 1, this time from a Rei perspective, and this time, I enjoyed Evangelion even more, but also Rei became my favorite character because of her tragic role, her evolution, and her importance for the plot.
Its crazy how one character with not alot of screen time and lack emotion can still be iconic like rei, it just goes to show you how awesome evangelion is.
Bravo!
Well done sir.
Rei is such an interesting and deep character. I recently finally saw the last Rebuild movie, and my favorite sequence was Rei's acceptance and socialization by the village women. I hate it that she has sort of become a poster girl for the "Born Sexy Yesterday" trope.
It’s exactly like you said. I’ve always liked Rei in the same way I’ve liked Shinji and Asuka, like a happy medium. The very first episode we see her, she’s half dead but willing to still work, because it needs done. She doesn’t talk much but when she does it’s blunt and true. Someone who has no personal wants and does what is asked of her without complaint, but also who calls people on their shit and isn’t going to talk around the issues. It’s good parts of both of them without the faults. She certainly isn’t my favorite, I like seeing what’s wrong with Asuka and Shinji and why they are the way they are, I like seeing human insecurities, but I can see why her quiet self awareness and assuredness has a pull.
Amazing analysis, I like to see people expressing their love for Rei ❤ I always found some of the critics against her to be very strange and disproportionate. I like Asuka too, but growing up as a girl, to me, Rei always was my favorite, an amazing and inspiring character with incredible feminine strength. Without her emotional journey, I think Evangelion would not have been as beloved as it is.
Quality content
Thanks, Seele. I appreciate it ;)
I can go on and on about what makes me like my favorite fictional characters and the art of them. However I think I will state my likeness towards Rei in an efficient manner. Rei Ayanami is not an easy character to figure out, they aren’t like Asuka where things are pushed to the surface for you to work on, no you’ve gotta work to solve the puzzle that is Rei and figure out her character. I like working towards that, because in real life not everything is laid out in plain sight for you to see, and being able to dig deeper is a very important skill.
thank you:)
No, thank YOU for this comment!
Never watched evangelion planning to soon but she’s my favorite purely because I thought her giant angel thing looked cool
Damn you are right, I will no longer call her an inanimate object.
She is quite humble introvert mysterious n devoted 2 her creator. Definitely 1 of d most enigmatic heroine in anime history 🌹
Recently I watched Evangelion for the first time
The character of Rei seemed weird to me at first and I in some way disliked her while also liking her
Later on in the series as I started to learn more about her my feelings were shifting slightly
At the end I was still left with many questions and didn't know what to fully think of the character.
This video changed my perspective on Rei a bit. Very well made!
i love rei so much !! definitely my fav Evangelion character. 😸
Rei was my favourite anime character 🖤. I related to her quietness & her existential desires.
I like rei because the plush is funny and she turn people to goo
True. I saw evangelion when I was 11 yo, and I two characters that resonated with me were Shinji and Rei.
Shinji to me seemed very relatable, as I myself felt unstable and weak.
Rei was like an ideal, a role model I wanted to embody in the future.
13 years later my current relationsips with friends and colleagues reflect to me, that I indeed succeeded in obtaining maturity I first saw in that goddamn movie ;D
Fantastic character analysis on one of my favorite characters in the series! Even though I love the original series and film more her character development in the rebuilds especially in the last one was heartbreaking and great! She truly is indeed a Gigachad Chan haha
rei analysis on 2023, what a time to be alive
Thank you for protecting Rei 🙏
holy rei, my entire perspective has been changed.
Oh ,Right.....New sub here . Good Eva stuff is very welcome ( that's you )
Back when I watched Eva for the first time I was surrounded by Asuka's fanboys who naturally disliked her competitor Rei, calling her doll with zero character, etc. That made me question if there's something wrong with me for liking Rei the most. Am I supposed to dislike her? Maybe so, still I can't help but admire her resolve in doing her duty, despite her receiving no gratitude, suffering all alone in silence, and being the least skilled pilot of all the children. I wouldn't call Rei a victim but her dying with no happy ending makes me sympathize strongly and wishing things went differently for her (more so han any other character in NGE). I wanted to see her finally doing OK in Evangelion 3.0+1.01 so bad. Well, the movie didn't do it for me in that department (but I sill liked it a lot).
She is a cool, neat and massively successful anime character with many op moments. For example when she launches the spear of Longinus into space or when she fearlessly tries to nuke Zereuel (but fails). In EoE when she tells Gendo that she is not his doll, that’s a cold af moment 🥶
I always liked Rei because she had a positive character arc, which wasn't something that many characters seemed to have in the original series.
I think Anno had some half-baked ideas about his own characters, so his judgement is still stuck there. But as their stories played out, they became something else. But this also gave Anno (and the rest of us) problems in tying it all together.
it hurts seeing no character development of rei in the OG series while asuka and shinji saw a lot
Rei acts a bit like Asuka and Shinji's pseudo-child in the fanfic I'm reading. It's kinda cute. I just hope she doesn't forget her Angel side in it though. That's why I loved her rebellion scene against Gendo so much. She recognized she wasn't human, and decided to own up to it. It was her way to prove she wasn't a doll.
rei best girl period
The other japanese guy watching the one with pink hair is INCREDIBILE 8:31
It’s irritating just to think that so many people only like characters like Rei for sexual reasons and fanservice. Rei is a character who can’t understand how and what to feel at first, but she eventually learns from Shinji and becomes socially aware. Rei stands on business and takes responsibility to get things done while avoiding unnecessary conflict. Her development as a character is a journey of awareness and selflessness. People treat her as a doll despite the whole point of her character being the fact that she is still a true soul.
gurl power
I never thought of Rei as a damsel, but I guess to some extent she is, especially in Rebuild
I like Rei the most out of the NGE cast purely becasue she is very philosophical in the way she interacts with other(mainly Shinji). Asking why are things the way they are. Trying to understand people who are broken. I somewhat relate to the issue of not understaning why people do things that are not logical or very personal to the person your speaking to,so its nice to feel like someone is like you even if they are fictional. Someone had to write Rei. Therefore know the struggel.
i wish we got to see her become more human overtime. Very few moments where she showed human emotions.
I love her
"she's not only a badass heroin" thats what i heard at 20:40
I like Rei the same reason I like most of Eva's characters. She makes me sad, and being sad is cathartic to me.
do one on elfen lied and we will be good
That was an edgy trash anime and you know it
.. Rei isnt ''Moe,'' And all of this is fantasy - It isnt 'Real' - You and others who've come down with the delusion that it ''Is'' real need to check yourselves into someplace, Before you hurt yourselves or somebody.
8:37 Oh, And the full-on puddle-depth researched deeply entrenched racism - Mwua - Its the cherry ontop of talking out of your backside built atop the efforts of others who actually made things and will be remembered for actually creating things. That first-world modernity and the use of hollow prefabricated buzz-words though, After all..
literal Rei-cists🤭
@@chancegee7578 ;j Ikr.
Yeah like asuka is not a lovable tsundere, she is damaged, rei is not moe, or if she is gendos victim and really tragic.
That tragedy and her getting more expressivemake her more than that.
@@marocat4749 Asuka is just a self indulgent bitch, victim of herself. Rei is a tragic character and SHinji is just a punching bag for almost all of the cast to blame their issues on and nearly all of the fans are Asuka simps.
@@snintendog asuka is also a victim so what's the point?
I accept many things, but one thing that i really really hate it anf is the when people use a carachter to make sexual things, I just hate it truly hate it. Btw Rei is the most important carachter of Evangelion, just love the growth of it in the series, is just amazing how a carachter can be that intresting.
20:50 that’s my kind of waifu! Hell yeah!
20:50 Rei is a GigaChad. :)
Based
I like her because an emotionless character smiling is far more satisfying than any other other character smiling.
In my defense, Rei is older than me 😅
I've always crushed over Rei when I was like 12
Thats what I love about rei...she is innocent..but not dumb...she may not know a lot of things but she's relatively self sufficient. What solidified my love for this character was when she sacrificed herself. Going out in a blaze of glory to protect the world that is uncaring towards her.
Rei was my first ever experience with gender envy before I knew I was trans.
Ironically post transition I'm much more like Misato
Wow, thanks for sharing! if you don't mind me asking, what was it about Rei that you resonated the most with?
@@tonyfunk
I connected with her emotional isolation and the way she has difficulty understanding the emotions of other people but still seeks to connect with others.
And as you touched on in your video there’s a lot of sexuality directed towards Rei from the fandom and when I watched NGE as a young teen (14) I found myself attracted to her in a way I couldn’t articulate at the time. Other than it wasn’t sexual exactly.
It was a deep almost painful yearning, like an ache in my very soul when I saw her, that I only now understand was a mix of dysphoria with my own body/gender and an envious desire to want to be her.
13 years later (I’m 28) I rewatched NGE, now a year into hormone therapy and able to present how I want, I found Misato to be a mirror of what it’s like to be an absolute mess of a woman just trying to navigate your late 20s.
You are (not) a woman
@@ignatzbubis3610 ok 5 footer
Me dying is just character development
I like her quiet strength. She has, perhaps more than any other character in the show, a warrior's spirit. I relate to her isolated relationship with humanity. The average Rei "fan" deeply disgusts me and "should be fucked up with Weinstein in a cell for the rest they lives."
S A Y O N A R A
I love rei, Im a 14 years old boy. i honestly discovered evangelion by the spider man edits stuff. and i didnt even like spiderman that much. (peny edit) and when i started the show. i hated the feeling in my heart it was my first time actually liking a girl? and its not even close. i liked her and whenever i see shinji like when they first met i feel jealous. i dont know if i should go to therapy or not. i just love rei man.
Bro same
Oh so you share everything with me? like you knew evangelion from spiderman?
This is a real comment
Shes a cute demure anime girl. Thats why i like her, simple as
Rei is my favourite and ots not only because I like kuudere characters. Ofc my number 2 fave is Kaworu but out of all girls Rei win it over for me (and there was a strong competition with Misato ngl)
Though I get the perspective of attractiveness of this character from a physiological perspective. Growing up I liked Rey because she was... hot? Sometimes it ain't that deep ya know?
I felt she was a bit too doll like. I only started liking her when I realized she was indeed a doll trying to find her individuality.
I like Rei because I can understand the feeling of being replaceable and somewhat apathetic, as well as the kind of implication/representation of abuse by the hands of Gendo.
Alsoooo the social awkwardness because as an aspie I can relate.
Rei is gigachad so true she is the ruler of the new world
Can't argue with that 😤
In grained social misogyny? Are you kidding? That has to be one of the worst takes for people disliking Rei’s character I think I’ve ever heard.
Holy shit, I like Rei now.
I don't know how anybody could think rei is "innocent".
1:18 "pretty face and well-developed body".
Isn't that true for ALL Anime female characters?
Personally I watched Evangelion because I thought it has really cool mecha fights ohh boy I was so wrong it was so much cooler than that I literally loved how Anno dwells into each characters psyche
After episode 6 I really liked how he played with Rei's character arc I thought that now both rei and shinji would work together to escape or destroy nerv but it was very different (disappointed) after the series and rebuilds I came to understanding that this disappointment is what makes Eva what it really is, Eva is a compliment to life as life is often disappointing Eva too ends on a sad/disappointing note
calling rei a gigachad heroin might just be the most accurate thing i have ever heard
i always liked rei because she's like a blind dog to gendo, never questioning or thinking for herself and yet still feeling miserable doing it, which made her the most relatable character i've ever seen
I prefer Asuka but Rei is such a unique and great character
i love rei