Neon Genesis Evangelion – Episodes 13 thru 18
Written by Hideaki Anno, Mitsuo Iso, Akio Satsukawa, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Shinji Higuchi
Directed by Tensai Okamura, Masahiko Ōtsuka, Ken Andō, Naoyasu Habu, Kazuya Tsurumaki, Minoru Ōhara
Neon Genesis Evangelion is finally unfolding its mystery with this batch of episodes. Of everything I have watched so far, these were the ones that grabbed me the most. I won’t say I understand every detail of what is going on, but the ideas presented here are both about how the Angels are evolving and what NERV’s true end goal is with the development of Evas. Some very anime-trope-y things are still going on, but they feel toned down in this section of the series. I think that was the right idea because now we’re starting to see who the real villain of this story is, and I don’t think it’s the Angels.
Episode 13 – “Angel Infiltration” continues the show’s evolution of Angels. This new Angel is a collection of millions of microscopic organisms registered as corrosion by NERV’s computers. They form a connection to behave as a living computer circuit and begin taking over the three Magi, the AI supercomputers NERV uses to make decisions. Once the show started playing with the forms Angels take, I expected they might go tiny at some point. I’m also beginning to wonder a lot more about how the Angels started, and I think their attacks might be artificial, a means to turn the Evas into superweapons through adaptation to different types of enemies.
The considerable lore revealed was Ritsuko’s mother being the architect of the Magi, and each one is based on a different aspect of herself: The Woman, The Mother, and The Scientist. Ritsuko has become a character I’m not too sure of anymore. She seems firmly in Gendo’s camp but also shows shock in certain moments about the true nature of the Evas. I can envision some arcs and their conclusions for many of the characters, but Ritsuko is one where I don’t know if she will live or die.
Episode 14 – “Seele, the Seat of the Soul” is odd. Its first half is a recap of everything up to this point, framed through a report by the secret group Seele about Gendo’s actions. While that is good at reminding us of the key points we’ll need going forward, what happens in the second half of the episode is much wilder. NERV is conducting experiments to see if pilots can be switched between units. At first glance, this seems like a safety protocol, being able to keep working Evas going with whatever pilots are available. It will be revealed as something more sinister at the end of this batch.
Episode 15 – “Lies and Silence” continues the espionage/conspiracy angle. Kaji is revealed to be working for an outside party to discover what is happening at NERV. Much of this episode feels like silly filler, with Asuka and Kenji having a lot of back-and-forth. Kaji and Misato rekindle their old romance, but she learns about his role as a double agent. He eventually brings Misato to the deepest depths of NERV, where he discovers Adam, the First Angel, nailed to a giant crucifix, and it’s implied the biological components of the Evas are derived from this creature’s DNA. The visual for Adam is so well done. It touches on creepy horror/supernatural areas while feeling consistent with the presentation of this strange future so far. I am starting to suspect the show will go over the edge near the end and get highly esoteric, and that’s exactly what I wanted. Weird, hard-to-comprehend endings are the best, in my opinion.
Episode 16 – “Splitting of the Breast,” is hands down my favorite of the 18 episodes I have watched so far. I didn’t think it would be because the animation is markedly different. It sounds like the master of the episode was lost, so when digitally converting it, the animation team had to do their best with what they had. It completely works, though. The ideas and the execution are absolute perfection.
The latest Angel arrives, Leliel, floating over Tokyo-3 as a black and white sphere. The three Evas are dispatched but discover the Angel is actually the black shadow on the ground; the Angel is a being existing on a higher dimensional plane, so the orb is actually his shadow projection in our three-dimensional world. The real Angel swallows up Kenji and sends him on a profound introspective journey, which the animation represents so beautifully, jumping between the abstract and the concrete.
Episode 16 concludes with one of the most effective notes in the show thus far. Kenji and his Eva seem to merge as one, and he overcomes the Angel in a brutal & horrific fashion. The animation used for the blood spray is stunning and creates such an exciting look for the moment. Mitsuko’s comment about what they made with these Evas from while Unit 01 screams in anguish, ripping through the Angel, is one of those tremendous cosmic horror moments. The more we learn about the Evas, the more twisted & evil Gendo and NERV become.
Episodes 17 and 18 – “Fourth Child” and “Ambivalence” are a single story spread over two episodes. NERV-02, the second branch in Nevada, vanishes in a flash of light. They experimented with an S2 engine, intended to give Evas an unlimited energy supply, and were using Unit 04, which had just recently finished construction. That unit is gone, but Unit 03 was untouched so it is brought across the world to Tokyo-3. On its journey, the unit and the plane pass through a strange cloud, which they don’t realize is the newest Angel. It infects Unit 03, which goes on a rampage upon activation. The newest pilot is inside.
This is the first time we see an actual conflict between Kenji and his father, Gendo. Gendo orders his son to kill the rogue Eva, but Kenji doesn’t because he knows someone is inside it. All those synchronization experiments from earlier are finally revealed for what they actually were – a means to copy brain patterns, digitize them, and then allow NERV to pilot the Evas without the intermediary of a pilot. When Kenji refuses, he learns that a device that overrides his control has been installed in his Eva. All he can do is sit there and watch & experience the horrific murder of Unit 03 and potentially its pilot while his father is in command.
Episode 18 felt like a real point of no return moment. I assume that from here on out, the show’s story starts clicking into place. We have spies within the ranks of NERV. The Angels are becoming more clever in their methods. Kenji went through a transformative experience that puts him at odds with his father. I would hate to see the show suddenly pump its brakes to delay inevitable plot beats from happening.
Our next installment will be the final one of this review series. We will be watching episodes 19 through 26 in May. I’m actually more excited than I was when I started this series.
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