Analysis of the Evangelion Hospital scene. Because? (2023)

In "End of Evangelion" there is an infamous scene where Shinji masturbates Asuka. I've noticed that occasionally people assume this scene exists simply for surprise value and has no real purpose beyond that. For example, in this clip from a video review, theyoutuberexpresses a similar critique of the scene:

BenTheSage-“It has nothing to do with the plot. It's just a weird and sleazy character moment. “3:18https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6VCU_ol_wA

I've also seen people in a Facebook group cleverly asking "what's the point of this scene?":

I've seen these sentiments expressed many times over the years, so I think it would be worth at least trying to explain how the scene fits into the movie from a structural point of view and what it accomplishes. The masturbation scene is actually the second scene in the entire movie and to explain it properly we're going to have to put it in context to understand the masturbation scene we're going to have to talk about the opening of EoE that takes place. just before that.

These shots are from the opening scene of the movie, which lasts only a few seconds. There is no dialogue in this scene, so I want us to focus on the setting. We see Shinji alone on the same lake shore where he first met Kaworu. We know it's the same lake shore because of the angel statue. It's the same one that Kaworu was sitting on during episode 24. In total, this particular setup is used 3 times, and if we only count the beach footage, it's actually used four times; twice in episode 24 and twice in EoE. Since we're getting specific shots telling us it's the same set, we can safely assume Anno's intent is for us to think about how the shots work together.

Saying this for the first timewe are introducedThis setup is in the opening of episode 24. The scene begins with a monologue from Shinji.

Shinji, before meeting Kaworu, thinks to himself:

Shinji: “Everyone, including Touji and Kensuke, lost their homes and left. My friends…I have no one else I can call a friend.. No one. I can't go see Ayanami. I don't have the courage for that. I don't know how I should face it. Asuka, Misato-san, mother...What should I...? What should I do??”

From this monologue, we know that Shinji generally feels lonely and insecure about himself. Also, note that immediately after the dialogue sets up Shinji's feelings, Kaworu appears and manages to distract Shinji from this awkwardness. So, in the future, keep Shinji's thoughts and feelings in mind when he links them to this scenario.

The second time the setting is used is after Kaworu's death and we know it's the same place because, again, the creators go out of their way to make sure we know by giving us similar images and a shot of the angel statue.

Here Shinji is distraught again, but this time he's with Misato and they're talking, so let's take a look:

Shinji: “Kaworu said that he loved me. It was... It was the first time someone told me that he loved me. It was like me and Ayanami. He loved him.Kaworu was the one who should have survived. He was a much better person than me. Kaworu should have survived.

Misato: “You are wrong. Only those who have the will to live survive. Wanted to die. He abandoned the will to live, clinging to a false hope. You didn't do anything wrong, Shinji.

Shinji: "You are cruel, Miss Misato."

now because ofdialoguewe know that Shinji has negative opinions about his self-esteem, as he believes that he should have died instead of Kaworu. And unlike Kaworu, Misato fails to comfort Shinji.

Connecting the dots:

One thing all of these scenes have in common is that Shinji comes here when he's in distress. What is unique about the third time he goes to the lakeside is that he is alone, so there is no one to comfort him and, unlike the scenes in Episode 24, there is no dialogue or internal monologue. We only receive images. Since we only have images, it is up to us to rely on repetitive images to extract meaning from everything. By linking the three scenes together through visuals, the creators let us know that the opening scene of EOE is essentially a continuation of the thoughts and feelings that Shinji expressed when he first met Kaworu (loneliness and uncertainty) and after he killed Kaworu. (low level of self-esteem). esteem).

And to recap, those feelings are justified because his friends have left town, the King he knows is dead and he's afraid to be around the current one, and while it hasn't been mentioned yet at this point in the story, we'll learn that he he's also afraid of Misato and based on the last item he's been here with, she can't give him the comfort he seeks anyway, and finally and obviously Kawouru is dfurther. Shinji is looking for the same comfort that he received from Kaworu and Misato tried to give him during episode 24 and there is literally only one person left in the entire cast for Shinji to go to. That person is Asuka. The opening lake scene takes us/takes Shinji right into the hospital scene and sets the stage for everything that happens there. Now, with all the context in place, we can move on to talking about how the hospital scene works and what it accomplishes.

hospital scene:

*In no particular order

Purpose of Scene 1#: Help explain the negativeaspectsAsuka and Shinji's relationship to show Shinji's character flaws.

We now know with some confidence that Shinij is in the hospital because he is seeking the same kind of comfort and guidance he received from Kaworu and Misato and because he has nowhere else to go. So, to clarify, he's not here because he's Asuka specifically, but because there's no one left. This is an important distinction to make so that we can understand what this scene is trying to communicate about Shinji and Asuka and what it's trying to establish. later in the movie. For example, later, during the coffee pot scene, when Shinji says, “Asuka, help me. You are the only one who can help me!” and Asuka replies, “Liar. Anyone will. You don't care who you are... So now you come running to me because that's the easiest way to avoid getting hurt! we can look at the masturbation scene and know exactly what kind of behavior she's criticizing Shinji for, even if the viewer didn't notice it during the show. Asuka doesn't like being used by Shinji and at the same time being his arbitrary choice. He hurts her deeply.

On a more literal level, I think it's pretty straightforward why Shinji did this. He was lonely, depressed and selfishly wanting to feel better, so in a moment of weakness he simply reacted to what he saw. With that said, let's see what the scene accomplishes within the context of the overall story and not just the movie. When Shinji masturbates with Asuka, it's direct proof to the viewer that Shinji is genuinely attracted to Asuka, at least on some level, and there's a part of him that wants her as more than just a friend of his. The reason this emphasis is needed is that, up until now, Shinji's attitude towards Asuka has been possibly platonic, specifically from Asuka's point of view. This platonism I'm referring to is highlighted when Asuka tries to kiss Shinji and he doesn't have any significant reaction and every time Asuka flirts with him he walks all over her and depending on your definition he indirectly or directly rejects her. This physical expression of Shinji's desire for Asuka's body is important because Asuka is frustrated with Shinji because this is exactly what she wants from Shinji, but he can't provide it when she's aware of her. The masturbation scene validates Asuka's frustration with Shinji. Asuka's frustration is made explicit during the EoE train scene when Asuka says:

I know all about your silly little fantasies about me. Go ahead, do it like you always do. I'll even stay here and watch you. If I can't have you all to myself, then I want nothing from you.

During this Shinji can't even look at her face which further corroborates his complaints and we get a flashback to the masturbation scene during this exchange which hints at the connections I'm now trying to explain. Fittingly, this train scene takes place right before the coffee shop scene, where her frustrations come into conflict with Shinji. So, Asuka wants Shinji's attention, but as I mentioned before, she doesn't want to be a secondary option, she wants to be the only option. And for those who think that Asuka's complaints areexaggerated,I would mention that the only time Shinji is honest about his attraction to Asuka is when she's sleeping, which ironically parallels the masturbation scene.

Thanks to this scene, we understand exactly why she's so frustrated with Shinji. Shinji is failing to do what Asuka needs and wants as he tries to use her for himself. The masturbation scene is a direct representation of her grievances and is an example of Shinji's one-sided way of relating to others. This scene isn't awkward, as it directly validates aspects of Auska and Shinji's relationship during the second half of the show, giving us an example of Shinji's character flaw that works on both a figurative and literal level. That being his habit of using people for his own gratification.

Purpose of Scene 2#: Advances the story (plot) and leads directly to the next scene.

• Character development through plot progression:
  1. Episode 24 (after Kaworu's death) -Shinji:"I should have died"
  2. Cena do EoE Hospital (Shinji se masturba para Asuka)-Shinji:"I'm so fucked up"
  3. MisatoxShinji EoE scene (Shinji criticizes/hates himself as a result):"I can't, I'm not good... I did something terrible with Asuka, I killed Kaworu, I'm a horrible person"

One of the functions of a plot in a story is to be the vehicle through which we explore the characters while tying together important events. So the masturbation scene is like a domino in an order of events that allows us to clearly follow Shinji's character development through the progression of the plot. The masturbation scene does this based on the self-esteem issues mentioned in episode 24 and sets up the self-hatred that leads directly to Shinji's complete shutdown when Misato finds him under the stairs. The masturbation scene is the last nail in the coffin that makes Shinji convince himself that he is a "horrible person". From Shinji's point of view, his actions at the hospital validate what he already began to think of himself after killing Kaworu, especially since it's a decision he made of his own free will, as opposed to his decision to pilot Eva and kill Kaworu. . He must accept full responsibility for what he did to Asuka and it is the only act up to this point in the show where Shinji knowingly did something without being "told" to do it, but he acted because he wanted to (desire, pain). and without a doubt. In a show about a boy who struggles to define himself because he can't make decisions for himself, a moment of personal responsibility like the masturbation scene is extremely powerful. The scene is not strange and, thinking about it, it is clear, at least to me, that it is necessary. Hypothetically, if this scene were to be removed, we would be forced to assume why Shinji is in the state he is in when Misato finds him, instead of knowing and understanding why. The way Shinji narratively progresses from the beach to the hospital and then down the stairs is an example of a good plot in action, as they all logically and naturally lead to the depressive stupor Shinji finds himself in during the EoE. The plot points themselves are connected by cause and effect and a good plot has these points logically connected.

Purpose of Scene 3#: Connect and further enrich the themes of the show through the use of images and the ending of the book.

• EoE: King: "Then what is your hand for?"
• Symbolism of the hand: The symbolism of the hand is linked to ideas of personal identity and therefore self-esteem in Eva.

Throughout the series, there is a recurring use of hand images and dialogue. This leads us to wonder what the hands in Evangelion mean and therefore the hands become symbolic. This hand symbolism is used in a wide variety of contexts, so depending on the scene in question, hand symbolism can have many interpretations. This recurring theme of the hands ends up becoming a major philosophical question towards the end of the series, evidenced not only by its frequent use, but also by some of Rei's dialogue where she explicitly raises the question of "what are hands for?" for Shinji. . The way I interpret this is that the hands, through our actions and choices, are how people connect with each other. For example, holding hands, strangling people, helping people, hurting people, and even using people are all physical representations of our bonds with others. In the context of Evangelion, asking what the hands are for is almost like asking what is the purpose or meaning of life in terms of being human (a social being). Human existence basically equates to our relationships with others and our hands are the way we express those relationships. Obviously, this is open to many interpretations, so you may not agree with me specifically, but generally speaking, it's a safe bet to say that the hand symbolism in the masturbation scene is part of the overall thesis. wider than Evangelion. The masturbation scene gives us a purely self-indulgent example of what hands are for and invites us to ask ourselves "what does this say about humanity, relationships and Shinji". to comfort. The masturbation scene is one of many moments that directly support and develop this theme to help the viewer explore these ideas. The masturbation scene literally helps make sense of the show.

Ep 24 Bookends:

For those who don't know, the ending of a book is when the beginning of a story parallels or coincides with the ending. There are no concrete rules for how book endings should work, but they are generally used to show how things have changed or stayed the same, using parallelism to highlight similarities and differences. So, for example, the opening and closing beach scenes of episode 24 create a bookend thatshowhow Shinij started the episode depressed and ended it still feeling depressed.

EoE Reservation:

The use of book ending EoE is a bit more subtle than in Episode 24. As I mentioned above, the EoE opening scene is tied to the Beaches in Episode 24 by virtue of the visuals. Well, the same applies to your ending. We have a repeat of beach images. So even if we can't tell if the location is exactly the same, we can be pretty sure the director's intent is for us to realize there's a connection. Also, both the opening and closing of EoE involve Shinji and Asuka in very extreme moments, so this is another parallel. Note: Rei's appearance is also a bookend, but for the entire series.

Now, if we strictly follow the plot, these two scenes don't really seem like they have anything to do with each other, but thanks to the use of bookends, we know we need to dig deeper. We've established that the masturbation scene was the consequence of Shinji essentially seeking comfort, and we know that this is followed by the instrumental train scene and the coffee pot scene because they refer to that in the dialogue. During the "coffee pot" scene, Asuka's response to Shinji's plea for help is "no" and he strangles her; the final scene is thematically a continuation of that scene, so we have Shinji choking her again, but this time her response is a caress, implying that she is willing to help Shinji. By linking the opening to the final scene, the narration informs us that they continue the same conflict presented in the opening. Between those three scenes, we have Shinji and Asuka's entire story distilled beautifully, and since they're not directly connected by plot, the director must necessarily rely on things like visuals and the book's ending to convey that. At this point, I hope it's clear that masturbation doesn't hurt, as it's one of the key pieces in exploring Shinji and Asuka's relationship in this trio of scenes.

Masturbation scene: “Asuka, please help me” Shinji uses Asuka (masturbate) and the conflict is subtly introduced.

Coffee pot scene: “Asuka, help me, you're the only person who can help me.”……”No” They argue about their relationship and the conflict reaches its dramatic peak.

Final scene: No words (*disgust), but Asuka's affection is a sign that the "Help" conflict is resolved and we have some character development. Asuka and Shinji will likely help each other in the future.

-zlink64/johnny killer