Reasonably than referring to some psychoanalytical idea or opaque descriptor of the drama to return, Neon Genesis Evangelion’s seventeenth episode is known as, fairly merely, “Fourth Youngster.” It’s a identify that refers to NERV’s conceptually imprecise but tonally particular designations for the Eva pilots – Rei is the primary little one, Asuka the second, and Shinji the third, implying a fourth pilot has lastly been secured. Like using “angel” because the designation for humanity’s enemies, explicitly referring to the pilots as kids carries a sure implication; it frames their battles as one thing like a gathering of innocents, the curious but inherently harmful angels reaching out in the direction of the untested, unmolded fruit of humanity. Because the earlier episode revealed, it’s unclear if these angels even imply direct hurt to their opponents, or in the event that they merely lack a vector for expressing their intent. If true, they’re little totally different from Shinji himself, who has a lot issue discovering a standard language even together with his fellow human beings.
Even in Evangelion’s exact allotment of those titles, it demonstrates a extra considerate, purpose-oriented method to worldbuilding than so a lot of its friends. From the second Shinji was known as the “Third Youngster,” an expectation was raised – an inherent query relating to the character of the first two kids, or whether or not “Third Youngster” even designated him because the third pilot in succession in any respect. By way of this, like so a lot of Evangelion’s subtler methods, an implication of a world past our understanding is evoked with out essentially being realized, a historical past no much less grounding for its lack of final explication. And naturally, there’s the non-public stinger implied in Shinji’s title; the quiet implication that Gendo counting on his personal son was really his third alternative, in any case different potentialities had been exhausted.
The episode opens on a highlight capturing Misato in silhouette, as she is interrogated by the previous males of SEELE for refusing to permit an interrogation of Shinji. Having challenged Ritsuko and misplaced management of her personal operation, Misato now appears absolutely devoted to defending her younger ward, understanding that proper now, Shinji wants a loving guardian excess of he wants a stern commander. The road between skilled candor and true household has all the time been blurred for them – and in reality, it was ceaselessly Misato herself who inspired Shinji to see her as a mom determine, and her house as a real residence. At the same time as NERV’s seeming authority and infallibility are dissolving, the lonely souls inside this decaying group cling to one another all of the tougher, expressing their mutual concern in no matter methods they will.
SEELE clearly has one curiosity in thoughts: whether or not the angel that Shinji “fought” was really searching for to speak with him, to doubtlessly perceive the human psyche. Even to us within the viewers, it’s unclear whether or not Shinji was merely partaking together with his personal fraying thoughts or really talking to an exterior actor – however what is true is that, if the consciousness he challenged got here from exterior himself, it was clearly completely able to understanding his ideas and feelings. If the angels are actually hoping to grasp human nature, then this was not merely an experimental probe – it was proof constructive that they already perceive our nature, and truly appear to be searching for some form of higher consciousness, a collective achievement of the interior self. Not simply to know us, however to enhance upon us, ushering us onward to no matter stage of sentience and collective understanding may come subsequent.
To this query, Misato can solely reply “I’ve no reply.” She shouldn’t be a collaborator in SEELE’s pursuit of higher angel-related information; she is aware of effectively that she is a pawn, and that any data she provides would possible be used towards her. Her objectives have shifted – from pursuing her father’s retreating again, she has come to as an alternative see her function as defending the younger pilots, providing the house and safety that they’ve been beforehand denied, and which was denied to her in flip. Is her taking part in at home any greater than a reprise of her first relationship with Kaji, a means of performing maturity fairly than grappling together with her real insecurities? Maybe that doesn’t really matter; no matter their basic inspiration, our actions have an effect on others in methods past our management or intent, and Misato’s actions have clearly had a constructive impact on the lives of her subordinates. Kindness all the time justifies itself, regardless of how a lot of an insincere efficiency it could really feel.
Whereas SEELE are left to mull over future plans, the next juxtaposition of the episode’s title card and Toji’s look function a transparent trace to the viewer, closely implying that our “Fourth Youngster” is definitely somebody we all know effectively. This instant defusal of the episode’s presumed “grand thriller” feels uniquely applicable for Evangelion, the place Eva battles by no means really feel like one thing to be celebrated or shared. Whereas one other present may draw out the reveal of the fourth pilot to be able to set up a higher sense of anticipation or pleasure, Eva does the alternative; it reveals the reality to us instantly, after which permits that sense of dramatic irony to hold over the drama that follows, like a guillotine simply ready to fall. On this means, the reveal of the fourth little one feels much less just like the triumphant addition of a brand new ally, and extra just like the horror-indebted debut of a brand new sufferer: Toji tiptoeing up these darkened stairs, unaware of the killer lurking simply past the touchdown.
Nurses converse in hushed tones over what a diligent brother Toji is, how he makes certain to go to his sister twice every week. Their phrases present a quiet acknowledgment of those angel assaults’ lingering penalties; although Toji’s sister was harmed all the best way again in Evangelion’s first episode, that has in reality been solely a quick interval in these characters’ lives, whereas the accidents, destruction, and deaths incurred by every conflict have solely stacked up over time, the innocents of Tokyo 3 far much less restorable than the embattled Eva models. Even the door of his sister’s hospital room speaks to the growing wreck of the town; she is marked down as the one affected person in a three-bedroom convalescence corridor, emphasizing the regular depopulation of this perpetual conflict zone.
Elsewhere, Gendo and Rei traverse the lengthy escalator walkways of NERV headquarters, with Gendo genuinely partaking Rei on the substance of her life, her experiences at college and elsewhere. Even on this uncommon second of tenderness, Gendo is offered as an unreachable monolith – he stands effectively in entrance of Rei, by no means addressing her straight, framed as a looming shadow with unreadable options. He can’t assist however distance himself; a private alternative that marvelously displays the twin nature of how Gendo sees himself versus how Gendo is perceived, as mentioned within the earlier episode. The Gendo that tasks outward, that we and Shinji can acknowledge, is an implacable, unreachable tyrant, a large with no sympathy or regret. The Gendo that exists internally, that’s how Gendo perceives and engages with the world, is probably going simply as frightened as Shinji to achieve out his hand.
After which it’s again to Toji, a juxtaposition that may proceed all through the episode, steadily and inexorably drawing our presumptive pilot in the direction of his grim future. Every mundane second feels all of the extra valuable for its temporal positioning, sandwiched between stories of the Eva venture’s horrific fallout. A quick snippet of Toji being chosen because the day’s class officer is thus straight following by an understated flash of sunshine as seen from house; a shot that appears nearly peaceable, however which means an act of destruction so vital it’s seen even from off the planet. This disaster feels distant from our expertise – and equally, Fuyutsuki stating that the “2nd department has disappeared” feels far-off from us, an alleged tragedy with little bearing on our personal lead characters. By way of this heralding of violence from an ideal distance, Evangelion continues to construct up this episode’s riveting sense of rigidity, its unspoken implication {that a} horrible tragedy will quickly befall our pilots.
The investigation of the 2nd department’s disappearance leans additional into distinctive horror imagery, embracing what trendy audiences may consult with as “analogue horror” in describing the medical playback, use of static, and flashing warning indicators illustrating the sudden destruction of the department. No matter occurred to that department, it’s clear that nothing an Evangelion can handle may have stopped it – the destruction got here from inside, a probable consequence of no matter experiments NERV’s varied appendages have been conducting. By way of its skillful utility of those distinctive, technology-centered horror instruments, Evangelion creates an implication of horrible violence and horrible uncertainty with out revealing a lot of something, once more emphasizing one of many present’s biggest strengths: its potential to grab on our pure inclination to fill in absent particulars, furnishing its implications with the starkest attainable private additions.
Within the wake of this catastrophe, the Individuals are transferring the finished Unit 03 to Japan, to which Misato gripes “after having insisted on having the fitting to construct Models 03 and 04 themselves!” Her phrases provide one other of these little splashes of worldbuilding coloration which have such an outsized dramatic impact, implying a whole realm of backroom dealing and angel-related grandstanding on the world political stage. The extra you possibly can suggest with out absolutely illustrating, the extra the viewers will really feel invested in finishing your sentence – and any good editor will inform you that your work is full solely when there’s nothing left you possibly can take away from the venture, whereas nonetheless sustaining its basic nature. Evangelion’s lingering footprint is partly a testomony to its mastery of leaving audiences asking for extra, filling within the blanks themselves, and thereby feeling all of the extra connected to the narrative.
Misato swiftly provides us one other clean to fill in, refusing to explicitly point out Toji as she tells Ritsuko “of all of the folks, it’s that little one?” As soon as once more, her concern is extra centered on Shinji’s emotions than the success of the Eva program, as she displays that “nothing good comes of turning into concerned with us and the Evas. Shinji is aware of that greater than anybody. I don’t need him to endure any extra hardships.” Her fears ratchet up the stress all of the additional, whereas once more emphasizing her real concern for Shinji. Maybe she is certainly too infantile to be a correct guardian – or maybe it’s exactly her infantile nature, her “refusal to surrender her beliefs,” as she places it to Ritsuko, that enables her to attach with these kids, to grasp and respect the substance of their fears, even when she’s incapable of actually defending them from all of the horrors of the world.
Having simply been knowledgeable that “nothing good comes of turning into concerned with us and the Evas,” we’re then instantly confronted with the life that Toji is forsaking, the potential for happiness that’s so narrowly avoiding him. The category consultant Hikari informs him he should convey some paperwork to Rei’s house, and is swift to volunteer to accompany him, earlier than Toji as an alternative elects to have Shinji stroll with him. Even because the angel assaults proceed to stage the town, these kids cling to the fragments of their adolescence, striving to dwell freely and with pleasure regardless of the violence round them.
By way of sequences like Shinji and Toji delivering these types, Fourth Youngster at occasions appears like a callback to Evangelion’s early materials, to reminiscences like Shinji trying to make associates at college, or first visiting Ayanami’s house. There are sequences that clearly really feel meant as validations of how far our characters have come, how a lot they’ve grown – Shinji and Toji being snug associates, Asuka and Shinji communally blushing on the implication they’re a married couple, Shinji confidently strolling into the house he beforehand entered with such nervousness. Evangelion hasn’t been a gradual psychological descent for these characters; it’s really supplied them many alternatives for progress, and allowed them to foster relationships which might be significant and rewarding to them. All that validation makes this episode’s tonal counterpoints really feel all of the crueler, as if our heroes are having fun with a ultimate, carefree meal earlier than their execution.
A minimum of the adults appear to know that is solely a lull earlier than the storm, as revealed within the musings of Fuyutsuki and Gendo. “Town, a paradise made by man,” Fuyutsuki marvels, to which Gendo replies “as soon as pushed from Paradise, man had no alternative however to flee to this earthly existence, aspect by aspect with demise.” Fuyutsuki’s meditative, optimistic phrases are instantly reframed by Gendo, as a comfort for a greater life that was denied to them. It’s a framing that clearly weighs closely on his thoughts, echoing the lack of his spouse and the home bliss she represented. To Gendo, it appears all of the achievements of NERV will solely ever be a pale imitation, a way of sustaining closeness with the one one who ever made him comfortable. Shut, however aside; like so many unfortunates on this story, Gendo is separated from his family members by invisible strains, by AT fields that can not be crossed.
Their phrases are lent weight by way of the town’s self-evident magnificence, the attractive achievement of portray and coloration design that’s Tokyo-3. The inherently pale, textured look of cel animation was a profoundly impactful aesthetic instrument, one the medium remains to be struggling to correctly change. For scenes like this, of the town awash in a golden sundown, there may be nothing just like the irregular brush strokes of painted cels to evoke the correct sensation of fatigue and solace, the sense of a day ending with lingering regrets, but ending nonetheless. Looking on this unusual synthetic metropolis, we by now can really feel an analogous sense of familiarity, maybe even accountability – the identical sensation Misato instilled in Shinji all these episodes in the past, when she revealed to him the marvel he had saved together with his personal arms.
The 2 proceed to spar of their framing of Tokyo 3 – is it “a paradise, an armed metropolis made to guard us” or is it as Gendo says, “a metropolis of cowards, fleeing from the surface world, crammed with enemies.” Might these simply be the methods every of them see their very own work, or a minimum of try and? Now we have seen no indication that Gendo likes himself any greater than he likes his son – he too flees from confrontation every time attainable, and he too sees his personal habits as primarily an escape from ache. He won’t have something to show Shinji, however he may certainly share their frequent concern of abandonment, if solely he have been courageous sufficient. As an alternative, he sticks to his councils and machines, embracing the mechanical and the solvable over the immaterial and the non-public. Fuyutsuki can a minimum of see the enchantment; conceding the purpose, he admits that “cowards do dwell longer.”
Granted, not everyone seems to be feeling the stress of the approaching storm – or if they’re, they a minimum of know that revealing so will solely weaken their place. So it goes for the incorrigible Kaji, who we discover hitting on Maya earlier than he’s interrupted by Misato. Eva offers a simple visible metaphor for his versatile persona, as he feigns the affectation of a raveled girl’s man to be able to probe Maya for information, then instantly straightens his picture to be able to placate Misato – a transition articulated each by way of his posture, and thru the pointed transition of him bouncing a soda can off an overflowing bin, then silently returning to stack the cans in neat order. However Misato has bigger considerations on her thoughts, and as quickly as Maya exits, she instantly challenges Kaji on the true nature of Adam and the Marduk Institute.
“Asking for assist isn’t such as you,” he demurs, to which Misato flatly admits “I can’t afford to care proper now. I don’t have that luxurious.” Misato, whose life remains to be outlined by her father’s violent exit, has all the time prided herself on her independence. But she can’t assist nonetheless eager for the safety of dependence and parental steering that was stolen from her, or a minimum of some type of mutual belief and lodging. That’s the awkward, considerably contradictory function Kaji has performed in her life – he concurrently represents her need to mature into an grownup, impartial self and likewise to retreat again to her father’s love, and he can flicker between these roles immediately, and even signify each directly. Of their flailing in the direction of mutual reliance, Kaji and Misato reveal how even adults are nonetheless usually placing on costumes and taking part in roles, looking for identities that match extra snugly than no matter garb they’d beforehand adopted.
The awkward energy dynamics of their relationship are additional difficult by Misato’s new supply of urgency. She is determined to guard Shinji even to the purpose of jeopardizing her place inside NERV, which implies she’s prepared to take wild impartial actions, however these actions finally lead her to counting on Kaji once more. There’s a messiness to their relationship that feels achingly actual – neither of them can fairly overcome the unhealthy instincts that originally propelled their ardour, however each of them additionally actually, deeply look after one another, no matter whether or not they’re in a position to specific that love by way of wholesome channels. The 2 draw shut for a second, however Shinji’s method separates them; actually, they’ve develop into so good at hiding their intimacy that it’s merely misplaced within the shot transition, distance established earlier than we even in the reduction of from Shinji’s entrance. And thus Shinji finds himself in a man-to-man chat with NERV’s lackadaisical contractor.
“I assumed you’d be a extra severe individual, Kaji.” “When you’re snug round somebody, you actually don’t maintain again, do you Shinji?” Thus begins one in every of Shinji’s vanishingly few productive conversations, carried out with a type of uncommon people who doesn’t really need something from him. The straightforward confidence with which they converse solely makes Shinji’s scenario appear all of the extra tragic; although Shinji’s makes an attempt to attach with others usually finish in him screaming in agony whereas piloting the Eva unit, connection doesn’t have to be that troublesome. It might be as simple as this lighthearted dialog with Kaji, if solely Shinji have been afforded a correct neighborhood inside which to precise himself. Even for that gentle jab above, Kaji swiftly apologizes, working laborious to maintain issues snug and non-threatening. A lot of what we’d outline as productive, cordial dialog is right here supplied to Shinji for virtually the primary time, and someway with out strings connected.
Sensing the younger pilot’s unease, Kaji declares that “I’ll present you one thing cool,” and drags Shinji off to maybe the one uncontested sq. of happiness and good feeling in all of Tokyo-3: his beloved watermelon patch. One thing small, one thing easy, one thing his – the plain satisfaction of watching vegetation develop on account of your efforts, a tiny patch of the world the place issues make sense, the place your striving is clearly appreciated. It would look like a small, maybe inconsequential addition to the textual content, however Kaji and his watermelons have all the time struck me because the closest factor to a “answer” that Evangelion ever provides. We is not going to discover satisfaction and function by setting our sights on “revolutionizing everything of human interplay” – we should discover it within the little issues, within the duties we’ve chosen for ourselves, and the satisfaction we let ourselves take from them.
Kaji watering his melons is the closest factor Eva provides to a contented, wholesome grownup character making productive use of their time; it’s the quiet suggestion that has finally knowledgeable my motion past Evangelion’s anxieties maybe greater than some other single idea raised by the present, a mild and sympathetic instruction to go for a stroll, learn a e book, or in any other case discover one thing that preoccupies and ever-so-slightly fulfills you. For these as burdened by nervousness and self-hatred as Evangelion’s leads, “strive watering some vegetation” may look like a superficial or ridiculous suggestion – however in the long term, it could be the one factor that works. “Nurturing one thing is absolutely nice,” Kaji displays. “You may see and be taught so many issues from the method. Like what’s fulfilling.” Preposterous because it sounds, he’s completely proper.
After all, Shinji is way too wrapped up in his nervousness and melancholy to understand the escape Kaji has discovered, and thus instantly responds “…and like struggling.” To this, Kaji asks an odd query: “do you hate struggling?” He doesn’t attempt to deny struggling like Asuka would, and even guarantee Shinji it would abate like Misato may – he as an alternative asks how Shinji feels about struggling, and if he can perhaps be taught to dwell with it. All of us endure; existence is, to a higher or lesser extent, an expertise outlined by struggling. However fairly than flee from struggling, as Shinji has together with his precise operating away, or Gendo has together with his mechanical armor, Kaji suggests discovering a happier relationship with struggling. Struggling, nervousness, grief – all of those feelings will dwell inside us without end, all the time coloring our experiences with the outer world. We can’t escape them, so we should be taught to dwell with them – both by way of not seeing them as hated enemies, or by way of discovering our personal method to peace like Kaji together with his watermelons.
After which Kaji says one thing necessary, presumably an important factor of all: “information of struggling makes you all of the extra able to kindness to others.” Maybe it’s a lie, maybe it’s only a means of providing comfort to those that dwell in unhappiness. However whether or not or not it’s true, it’s a hope value believing in – that we will emerge kinder for having suffered, that we will harness our ache to keep away from unleashing ache on the folks round us. Struggling doesn’t inherently make you individual, it’s true – however struggling can be put to constructive use, can inform our need to make the world a gentler place, can encourage our ardour for displaying others the best way ahead. As an sad teen incapable of seeing any which means in his distress, Kaji’s phrases gave me hope the primary time I watched Evangelion, they usually encourage hope in me nonetheless. Struggling can harden us, however it will possibly additionally assist us be type.
After that transient glimmer of hope and understanding, the remainder of episode seventeen is a gradual, regular march in the direction of the executioner’s block. Whereas Kensuke gripes about his need to develop into a pilot, Toji is known as to the principal’s workplace and instructed of his grim future. His ideas are unstated, however no much less clear; later, we see him later staring on the incinerator, disposing of the burnable rubbish as he carries out his class duties. The sequence echoes each his quick and his future; on the one hand, that is ostensibly a continuation of his scholastic normalcy, the usual duties which have outlined his life in Tokyo-3. However staring into that fireside, he can see the long run as effectively – the cataclysmic violence of the Eva models, one thing he was all too comfortable to sentence as horrible and pointless, one thing he himself will quickly be instigating. Within the flames of the incinerator, Toji can see his previous self burning away.
“Faculty is now closing,” an announcer intones, Toji caught within the late-afternoon daylight as he says goodbye to his civilian life. The tragedy is made all of the extra acute by the arrival of Hikari, as soon as once more trying to breach the space between herself and Toji. As all the time, she begins by lecturing him on his class duties, the one means she will be able to justify opening a dialog to herself – the one route by way of his AT area, or maybe outward by way of her personal. However that dialog swiftly turns in a fortuitous route, permitting her to recommend making lunches for him, a real connection between them. The digital camera body illustrates the huge expanse dividing them from exterior the window, conveying them as distant poles. After which, the connection is made – she makes “an excessive amount of meals” for her sisters, he “can assist her out with the leftovers.” The gentlest attainable affirmation of a bond, of concern, of closeness, however it’s so valuable to them. A scene that might function an ideal victory in your typical romance or drama, right here lent a solemn formality and ominous import by way of its context throughout the episode correct, and the regular trilling of birds marking the day’s finish.
Episode seventeen concludes on a scattering of synapses, just a few final stabs at normalcy earlier than the horror arrives. Asuka makes an attempt to flirt with Kaji, Hikari hums to herself as she works on the subsequent day’s lunches, Toji sends a ultimate ball by way of the schoolyard hoop. There are occasions when there may be nothing to say, when no phrases can account for the pit in your abdomen, when no motion may result in a distinct, higher consequence. Amongst its many characterizations and interrogations of human emotion, Evangelion’s seventeenth episode stands as a harrowing encapsulation of that feeling, of dread personified. Because the ball hits the basket, silence reigns. Unit 03 has arrived.
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