Taek
Well-Known Member
Episode 21
Time to get back on the horse guys!
After a week out of the country and a week away from anime in general, this was a perfect return to the medium.
Time to get back on the horse guys!
A lot of backstory here, Fuyutsuki's abduction is used pretty much as a device for us to hear about the birth of NERV and how our characters have come to be a part of it, it mainly centres around Yui, Gendou, Fuyutsuki and Ritsuko, but we get some further background on Misato and see Naoko for the first (and only) time too.
It's no surprise really that Gendou was a troublemaker in his younger days, getting into fights and generally just being a douche, it makes you wonder exactly what Yui saw in him, though you suspect there is more to it than we see on the surface. I like how the episode builds up this almost contemptuous relationship between Gendou and Fuyutsuki, especially as we've seen a mutual respect between the two in the rest of the show, it would be interesting to see how that played out over the years too. I liked the correspondences between Ritsuko and Naoko, it highlights the relationship that we saw as strained earlier in the show, and shows that it probably wasn't as bad as Ritsuko made out, or it could be from seeing her make out with Gendou what seems to be days/weeks after Yui's disappearance, and her disappointment in her mother.
Two scenes here are tied for best of the episode, Naoko and child Rei calling her a hag, and the consequences of that, and Misato's reaction to Kaji's death at the end. Did I mention about Kaji? Well it turns out it was his plan to have Fuyutsuki kidnapped and questioned by SEELE, but also his plan as a double agent to rescue him, so he pretty much fucks off everyone all at the same time who is capable of killing him easily. Unfortunately for him, that's what happens here.
It's no surprise really that Gendou was a troublemaker in his younger days, getting into fights and generally just being a douche, it makes you wonder exactly what Yui saw in him, though you suspect there is more to it than we see on the surface. I like how the episode builds up this almost contemptuous relationship between Gendou and Fuyutsuki, especially as we've seen a mutual respect between the two in the rest of the show, it would be interesting to see how that played out over the years too. I liked the correspondences between Ritsuko and Naoko, it highlights the relationship that we saw as strained earlier in the show, and shows that it probably wasn't as bad as Ritsuko made out, or it could be from seeing her make out with Gendou what seems to be days/weeks after Yui's disappearance, and her disappointment in her mother.
Two scenes here are tied for best of the episode, Naoko and child Rei calling her a hag, and the consequences of that, and Misato's reaction to Kaji's death at the end. Did I mention about Kaji? Well it turns out it was his plan to have Fuyutsuki kidnapped and questioned by SEELE, but also his plan as a double agent to rescue him, so he pretty much fucks off everyone all at the same time who is capable of killing him easily. Unfortunately for him, that's what happens here.
After a week out of the country and a week away from anime in general, this was a perfect return to the medium.