Ask John: Did Shinji Do What I Think He Did?

Question:
Why exactly did Shinji…um…do that thing to Asuka in episode 1 of End of Evangelion? And why did Gainax animate that part? What’s going on? I’m confused.

Answer:
You may have forgotten what type of person Shinji really is. Shinji is a timid and introverted person. The entire Evangelion story is a character study of Shinji’s indecisiveness, emotional instability, and confused personality conflicted between a desire for acceptance and approval and a desire for independent happiness.

Throughout the Evangelion series Shinji struggles to be honest to himself and independent in his thoughts and actions, but is ashamed of himself because of his emotional dependence, moral weakness and inability to maintain any personal independence. Early in the End of Evangelion movie, when he sees Asuka partially naked, he simply does what comes natural, then immediately afterwards regrets this lack of willpower and betrayal of his dignity, integrity and moral respect for both Asuka and himself. He’s ashamed because he allowed his primal instincts to dominate his rational conscience. When he’s finished, he begs Asuka to wake up and again be his surrogate conscience. Shinji’s emotional side wants Asuka, or anyone, to make his decisions for him, but his rational mind recognizes, and is ashamed of this psychological weakness and fear of responsibility, which explains his disgust with himself.

This sequence was included because it’s a clear physical and psychological representation of Shinji’s conflicted personality that simply could not have been included in animation intended for public television broadcast.