is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
in the ''
Neon Genesis Evangelion
, also known simply as ''Evangelion'' or ''Eva'', is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and animated by Tatsunoko, directed by Hideaki Anno and broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 1995 to March 1996. ''Evangelion' ...
'' franchise created by
Gainax
Gainax Co., Ltd. (stylized as GAINAX; ja, 株式会社ガイナックス, Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: ) is a Japanese anime studio famous for productions such as ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', ''Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise, Roya ...
. He is the franchise's
poster boy
A poster child (sometimes poster boy or poster girl) is, according to the original meaning of the term, a child afflicted by some disease or deformity whose picture is used on posters or other media as part of a campaign to raise money or enlist ...
and
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
. In the
anime series of the same name, Shinji is a young man who was abandoned by his father
Gendo. Gendo asks him to pilot a
mecha
In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the mean ...
called
Evangelion Unit 01 to protect the city of Tokyo-3 from creatures which threaten to destroy humanity, and are named
Angels
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
. Shinji appears in the franchise's animated feature films and related media,
video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
, the manga ''
Petit Eva: Evangelion@School'', the ''
Rebuild of Evangelion
''Rebuild of Evangelion'', known in Japan and on Amazon Prime Video as , is a Japanese animated film series and a retelling of the original ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' anime television series, produced by Studio Khara. Hideaki Anno served as ...
'' films, and the
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
adaptation by
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
is a Japanese character designer, manga artist, and one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio.
Personal life
Before Gainax was founded under the official name (it was originally called Daicon Film), Yoshiyuki served as animator o ...
.
Director
Hideaki Anno
is a Japanese animator, filmmaker and actor. He is best known for creating the anime series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' (1995)''.'' His style is defined by his postmodernist approach and the extensive portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotio ...
conceived Shinji as a representation of himself, reflecting his four-year
depression after the airing of his previous work, ''
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water''. Shinji's insecurity and torment are explored through
streams of consciousness and inner monologues, with episodes focusing on his introspection. Anno used
psychoanalytical
PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: + . is a set of theories and therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a body of knowledge. In what might be ...
theories for his characterization, including the
Freudian
Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts i ...
psychosexual development
In Freudian psychology, psychosexual development is a central element of the psychoanalytic sexual drive theory. Freud believed that personality developed through a series of childhood stages in which pleasure seeking energies from the child be ...
model. His design was created by Sadamoto. Shinji is voiced by
Megumi Ogata
is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer from the Greater Tokyo Area. As a singer, she goes by the name em:óu. She attended Tokai University, but left due to lack of interest. She is best known for voicing Shinji Ikari in ''Neon Genesis ...
in Japanese, and by
Spike Spencer
Charles Forrest "Spike" Spencer (born December 21, 1968) is an American voice actor and columnist best known for dubbing Japanese anime films. He is known for his roles in ADV Films dubs of ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' as Shinji Ikari, ''Martian ...
and
Casey Mongillo
Casey Mongillo is an American voice actor, who has played roles in animation and video games. Mongillo is best known for portraying lead character Shinji Ikari in the Netflix English dub of ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' in 2019, and has also pla ...
in English.
The character has had a mixed response from anime and manga publications. Although his complexity was praised and generally considered realistic, he was criticized for his insecurity and weakness. Shinji's characterization in the spin-offs and the ''Rebuild of Evangelion'' films, however, received more positive comments for his more courageous and self-confident personality, especially in the second instalment of the saga, ''
Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance''. Shinji has placed highly in popularity polls and has been the subject of scholarly study. Merchandise based on the character, including
action figure
An action figure is a poseable character (arts), character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are ...
s and perfumes, has been marketed.
Conception
Design
''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' character designer
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
is a Japanese character designer, manga artist, and one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio.
Personal life
Before Gainax was founded under the official name (it was originally called Daicon Film), Yoshiyuki served as animator o ...
drew Shinji in an ordinary summer school uniform with a white shirt, making him "an average character". He wanted a "realistic and ordinary" boy, a character "that'll be hard for others to make".
[Renewal bonus extras] Since Shinji lacks the enthusiasm and courage of other
robot-anime heroes, Sadamoto gave him a different heroic interpretation: "Rather than a reflection of a hero, sort of a refraction of a hero".
At first, he tried to create a character "that would tap into the consciousness of today's anime fans".
In one of Sadamoto's original proposals, he had long hair which would have covered his face or fluttered in the wind. Sadamoto changed his mind, finding his original design "too wild".
He tried for a look where one could see the forehead through the bangs, "the look of a boyish young girl", giving him girl's eyes. He thus modelled the character on Nadia Arwol from ''
The Secret of Blue Water''; his face was influenced by Nadia, with just a change in hairstyle.
Furthermore, writer Andrew C. McKevitt described Shinji's design, with his brown hair and blue eyes, as an example of , a deliberate lack of ethnic features included in the character design of Japanese fictional characters, which "allowed Japanese creations to be simultaneously Western and transnational".
Development
''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' director
Hideaki Anno
is a Japanese animator, filmmaker and actor. He is best known for creating the anime series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' (1995)''.'' His style is defined by his postmodernist approach and the extensive portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotio ...
was
depressed for four years before the series production.
After the failure of the ''
Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise'' sequel ''
Aoki Uru
, also known as ''Blue Uru'', is an unproduced Japanese animated science fiction film project by Gainax intended as a sequel to their 1987 film '' Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise''. ''Aoki Uru'' was originally planned to be direct ...
'',
Gainax
Gainax Co., Ltd. (stylized as GAINAX; ja, 株式会社ガイナックス, Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: ) is a Japanese anime studio famous for productions such as ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', ''Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise, Roya ...
began planning a new series. According to Gainax co-founder
Yasuhiro Takeda
:''The Gainax employee Yasuhiro Takeda should not be confused with the professor of the same name at National Defense Academy of Japan.''
is a Japanese anime director and founding member of Gainax; for most of his career, he was General Manager ...
, ideas from ''Aoki Uru'' were borrowed for the new project, including the concept of "not running away"; for Takeda the passage was "something more than just transposing one show's theme onto another... Anno inherited something from ''Aoki Uru'' — the determination not to run away from problems — and what we saw in ''Evangelion'' was maybe just a reflection of those feelings". Anno chose "It's ok to run away" as the main theme for the series,
with the idea that "it's perfectly fine" to run away sometimes and that "There are things that you gain and things that you lose running away, after all".
He reflected his depression in the series, conceiving a world "drenched in a vision of pessimism"; he began production "with the wish that once the production complete, the world and the heroes would change".
He originally proposed a character similar to
Asuka Langley Soryu
is a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion (franchise), ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' franchise created by Gainax. She first appears in the Neon Genesis Evangelion, original anime series, and also appears in the franchise's animate ...
as the protagonist, following the Gainax tradition of a female protagonist in ''
Gunbuster
''Gunbuster'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese OVA anime series produced by Bandai, Victor, and Gainax and released from 1988 to 1989. It was the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno, best known as the creator and director of ''Neon Genesis ...
'' and ''The Secret of Blue Water''. Sadamoto objected to a new female protagonist, saying that "a robot should be piloted by a trained person, and if that person just happens to be a girl then that is fine"; however, he did not understand why a young girl "would pilot a robot". He eventually suggested a boy as the main character; his relationship with Asuka, who became another primary character, was modelled after Nadia's relationship with Jean, her love interest and eventual husband in the series.
Accepting Sadamoto's proposals, Anno suggested a male protagonist after
Ryū Murakami
is a Japanese novelist, short story writer, essayist, and filmmaker. His novels explore human nature through themes of disillusionment, drug use, surrealism, murder, and war, set against the dark backdrop of Japan. His best known novels are ''Al ...
's works with two fellow female pilots by his side. He also gave Shinji two male friends,
Tōji Suzuhara and
Kensuke Aida
The Japanese anime television series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' has an extensive cast of characters that were created by Gainax. The show's protagonist is Shinji Ikari, a teenage boy whose father Gendo recruits him to the shadowy organizati ...
, whose names were borrowed from Murakami's novel ''Ai to gensō no fascism''. Anno named the new male character after two of his friends, one of whom was ''Evangelion'' animator
Shinji Higuchi
is a Japanese filmmaker and storyboard artist. He is one of the most successful Japanese filmmakers and the top ''tokusatsu'' film director.
Higuchi became known for his work on '' Gamera: Guardian of the Universe'', for which he won the Specia ...
. For the last name, he chose the Japanese word ''Ikari'' ("anchor"), borrowing the names of other characters in the series from nautical jargon or
Japanese Imperial Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
warships.
According to Hiroki Satō, head of the public relations office at Gainax, the staff decided that the series would focus on "how Shinji deals with things going on inside himself". Shinji's character was conceived to reflect Anno's personality "both in conscious and
unconscious
Unconscious may refer to:
Physiology
* Unconsciousness, the lack of consciousness or responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuli
Psychology
* Unconscious mind, the mind operating well outside the attention of the conscious mind a ...
part".
He was thus represented as "a melancholic oral-dependent type" caught "in
noral stage
In Freudian psychoanalysis, the term oral stage or hemitaxia denotes the first psychosexual development stage wherein the mouth of the infant is their primary erogenous zone. Spanning the life period from birth to the age of 18 months, the oral s ...
", as Anno considered himself. Seeing Shinji as a reflection of Anno, assistant director
Kazuya Tsurumaki
Kazuya Tsurumaki (鶴巻 和哉 ''Tsurumaki Kazuya'') is a Japanese anime director. He was born on February 2, 1966, in the city of Gosen, located in the Niigata Prefecture.
He is the protégé of Hideaki Anno, and a longtime animator at Gainax. ...
avoided depicting him as a brave character, since "Anno isn't that much of a hero". "Shinji was summoned by his father to ride a robot, Anno was summoned by Gainax to direct an animation", he said. Like other male protagonists in Gainax series, Shinji was conceived with a weak and insecure personality. Gainax wanted to reflect the psychological state of animation fans and the Japanese society, in which fathers are always at work and emotionally absent.
Anno fixed the protagonist at "age fourteen", when "independence of mind starts manifesting". Shinji was first conceived with slightly different features, which were changed by the main staff. In the original project he was more mature, robust and less introverted than the final version; he should also have been portrayed as a studious boy, a "quiet A-student". His scholastic conduct would not be seen in a positive light, but as a sign of passivity. According to Michael House, Gainax former member and translator, Anno tried to find a way to end the series with a smiling Shinji, but he realized in the process that "the characters he'd created weren't capable of whatever positive change" and reach the result that he had initially imagined, adjusting his plans. In the last episode, believing that human beings can not advance without hurting others, the director inserted the line "If something is truly hurtful it's okay to run away", avoiding suggesting that running away is always wrong, since: "If you don't pick something, then there are times when you get neither. That's the same as with dying".
Voice
In the original Japanese, Shinji is voiced by
Megumi Ogata
is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer from the Greater Tokyo Area. As a singer, she goes by the name em:óu. She attended Tokai University, but left due to lack of interest. She is best known for voicing Shinji Ikari in ''Neon Genesis ...
in all his appearances in the original series, as well as the later films, spin-offs, video games and the new ''
Rebuild of Evangelion
''Rebuild of Evangelion'', known in Japan and on Amazon Prime Video as , is a Japanese animated film series and a retelling of the original ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' anime television series, produced by Studio Khara. Hideaki Anno served as ...
'' film series. Ogata's agent initially refused her participation in ''Evangelion'', and she agreed due to her status as a newcomer, but Anno directly insisted with her.
She also described Shinji as one of the "most memorable" roles of her career. His characterization required considerable physical and psychological effort. In the eighteenth episode, for example, Shinji cries and gasps during a fight; Ogata felt like her "whole body
asaching". "Every time a new script arrived, every time I turned a new page I was torn apart by a new pain", she said. Dubbing the film ''
The End of Evangelion
is a 1997 Japanese anime science fiction film written by Hideaki Anno, directed by Anno and Kazuya Tsurumaki, and animated by Gainax and Production I.G. It serves as an alternate ending to the television series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', wh ...
'' (1997), moreover, she tried to achieve "a higher synchronization rate with the general director than the TV series".
The ''Rebuild of Evangelion'' dub also presented obstacles. On the last recording day for the film ''
Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance'' (2009), Ogata was forced to scream; she collapsed on the studio floor, and Anno sat on the floor with her. He praised her work and shook her hand, thanking her for "keeping the character's feelings unchanged" and for adding her thirteen years of experience "to the current Shinji". In the following film, ''
Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo'' (2012), in which Shinji is treated coldly by the rest of the cast, Ogata stated that she felt like him and experienced emotional pain. The voice actress first saw the scene in which
Kaworu Nagisa
, real name , is a fictional character from the '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'' franchise created by Gainax. In the series of the same name, he is the pilot of a giant mecha named Evangelion Unit 02 for the special agency Nerv. Kaworu is the s ...
reveals to Shinji the conditions of planet Earth in her home, when it was not yet animated. The recordings took place in March 2012, and she associated the destroyed landscape of the film with images of the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes ...
imagining that the catastrophe was her fault. During the pre-score the drawings for Kaworu's death scene were not clear in the animatic, and the staff animated the keyframes during the recording touch-ups. Ogata was shocked when she performed the scene and stated that her interpretation could reflect her emotional state, resulting "kind of traumatic".
For the final installment, ''
Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time'' (2021), Ogata was involved more heavily in the plot's development. Anno felt he could no longer understand Shinji and his current self was closer to Gendo, and needed Ogata's input on how Shinji recover. He also felt that the only people who could understand Shinji's feelings were Ogata herself and his assistant, Ikki Todoroki.
Ogata also recounted Anno had asked her what sort of ending she'd prefer "as Shinji". His adult self in the film is voiced by
Ryūnosuke Kamiki
is a Japanese actor. Regarded as a child prodigy across 25 years in the industry, he has garnered many awards for his performances.
Personal life
After he was born, he was in the intensive care unit for four months and remained in critical c ...
, while
Spike Spencer
Charles Forrest "Spike" Spencer (born December 21, 1968) is an American voice actor and columnist best known for dubbing Japanese anime films. He is known for his roles in ADV Films dubs of ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' as Shinji Ikari, ''Martian ...
and
Casey Mongillo
Casey Mongillo is an American voice actor, who has played roles in animation and video games. Mongillo is best known for portraying lead character Shinji Ikari in the Netflix English dub of ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' in 2019, and has also pla ...
voiced him in the ADV and Netflix English dub, respectively.
[
]
Appearances
''Neon Genesis Evangelion''
Shinji is the only child of Gendo Rokubungi and Yui Ikari
The Japanese anime television series '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'' has an extensive cast of characters that were created by Gainax. The show's protagonist is Shinji Ikari, a teenage boy whose father Gendo recruits him to the shadowy organiz ...
, a student at Kyoto University
, mottoeng = Freedom of academic culture
, established =
, type = National university, Public (National)
, endowment = ¥ 316 billion (2.4 1000000000 (number), billion USD)
, faculty = 3,480 (Teaching Staff)
, administrative_staff ...
who became a researcher. When he was three years old, Yui brought Shinji to the Gehirn research center in Hakone
is a town in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had a population of 11,293 and a population density of 122 persons per km². The total area of the town is . The town is a popular tourist destination due to its many hot springs and views of ...
to see Evangelion 01's first activation test. In an accident, his mother disappears before his eyes; after the accident, Gendo leaves Shinji with an acquaintance for about ten years. After becoming commander of the Nerv special agency, he invites Shinji to the city of Tokyo-3 to pilot Evangelion Unit-01, to protect the city from creatures known as Angels. Shinji reluctantly agrees, and fights against the Angel Sachiel
In kabbalistic and Christian angelology, Sachiel (Ge'ez ሳቁኤል) is an archangel of the order of cherubim. The name 'Sachiel' originally occurs in the late 1500s grimoire called ''The Heptameron''.
In the early mentions of that angel, its n ...
. After the Angel attack, Shinji lives with Misato Katsuragi
is a fictional character from the Gainax-created media franchise ''Neon Genesis Evangelion''. In the eponymous anime television series, Misato is head of the operations department of the special agency Nerv, and is in charge of directing and ...
, a Nerv officer and now his guardian, and attends school in Tokyo-3; after his arrival he gradually changes and meets Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida, with whom he befriends. When the Angel Ramiel
Ramiel ( arc, רַעַמְאֵל, he, רַעַמְאֵל ''Raʿamʾēl''; gr, ‘Ραμιήλ), not to be confused with the holy angel "Remiel", is a fallen Watcher (angel) while the other is an Archangel in the apocryphal Book of Enoch. Rami ...
tries to destroy Nerv headquarters, Shinji and fellow pilot Rei Ayanami
is a fictional character from the anime ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', created by Gainax. She is the First Child and pilot of a giant mecha named Evangelion Unit 00. At the beginning of the series, Rei is an enigmatic figure whose unusual behav ...
work together to destroy him. After Ramiel's defeat, a nuclear-powered machine intended to fight the Angels called Jet Alone runs amok, and he and Misato stop it; during this time, Shinji gradually starts to change his attitude, trying to be more open and spontaneous. He also meets Asuka Langley Soryu
is a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion (franchise), ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' franchise created by Gainax. She first appears in the Neon Genesis Evangelion, original anime series, and also appears in the franchise's animate ...
, an Eva pilot from Germany, and they defeat the Angel Gaghiel together in the eighth episode.
In the second third of the series, Shinji, Rei and Asuka face Angels in quicker succession and Shinji begins bonding with his peers, especially Asuka, becoming more confident and assertive. When they are sent to fight the Angel Leliel
Lailah (Hebrew language, Heb. לַיְלָה, ''Laylāh;'' Meaning: "Night") is an angel in some interpretations in the Talmud and in some later Jewish mythology, associated with the night, as well as conception and pregnancy.
Etymology
"Lailah" ...
, Shinji, receiving praise from Gendo and improving his synchronization scores, is now accepting his role as an Evangelion pilot. He decides to attack on his own, and is sucked into a parallel universe by Leliel called a Dirac Sea. In the Dirac Sea, Shinji confronts the Angel and his inner self; he is freed from the Angel by Yui, whose soul is in the Eva.
After Shinji is forced to fight Eva-03, controlled by the Angel Bardiel, with classmate Toji Suzahara trapped inside, he decides to quit Nerv. Angel Zeruel mutilates the other Evangelion units, defeating Rei and Asuka. Shinji, and after talking with his mentor and Misato's lover, Ryoji Kaji, Shinji returns to Nerv to protect the city. He merges with its unit and frees the Evangelion; however, he is trapped in its core for a month. Although Rei sacrifices herself in the battle against the Angel Armisael
The are fictional entities in the anime television series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', which was produced by Gainax studio and directed by Hideaki Anno. Angels also appear in the manga adaptation of the same name, which was illustrated by Yos ...
to save Shinji, she is revived through one of her clones. Asuka runs away and falls into a coma; Toji and Kensuke flee Tokyo-3, and Shinji becomes depressed. In the twenty-fourth episode, he meets Kaworu Nagisa
, real name , is a fictional character from the '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'' franchise created by Gainax. In the series of the same name, he is the pilot of a giant mecha named Evangelion Unit 02 for the special agency Nerv. Kaworu is the s ...
, Asuka's substitute pilot, and they become friends. Kaworu turns out to be the final Angel, and Shinji is forced to kill him. During a process named Instrumentality, in which the souls of the entire humanity unite in a single collective consciousness, he confronts his traumas and why he acts the way he does; he believes himself worthless and undeserving of love. After talking with most of the ''Evangelion'' cast and seeing a version of himself in a world where he leads a normal life, Shinji becomes aware of his own potential and realizes the importance of his thoughts, and he is congratulated by the rest of the cast.
''The End of Evangelion''
The 1997 film ''The End of Evangelion
is a 1997 Japanese anime science fiction film written by Hideaki Anno, directed by Anno and Kazuya Tsurumaki, and animated by Gainax and Production I.G. It serves as an alternate ending to the television series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', wh ...
'' continues Shinji's story, portraying his downward spiral into depression and loss of the will to live. Shinji visits a comatose Asuka in the hospital; when his pleas for attention go unanswered, he exposes Asuka's breasts and masturbates. He remains catatonic while all Nerv personnel, including Misato, are killed during an attack. Shinji then decides to pilot the Eva to save those who are still alive, as Asuka is now on the surface fighting the Mass Production Evas. He is, however, unable to reach her in time, and when Shinji learns about Asuka's defeat, the Evangelion moves on its own to let him reenter it. After seeing the mutilated corpse of Asuka's Unit-02, Shinji's intense emotion summons a spear named Lance of Longinus (which had been on the Moon) to Earth[From the notes of the Red Cross Book.] and the Eva becomes a tree of life
The tree of life is a fundamental archetype in many of the world's mythological, religious, and philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree.Giovino, Mariana (2007). ''The Assyrian Sacred Tree: A History ...
. Shinji then has long dreamlike exchanges with Misato, Rei and Asuka about the pain of reality and his tensions with them. When he begs for Asuka's attention and she refuses him, arguing he only wants to use her as a crutch, Shinji begins Instrumentality and humanity's souls are reunited into one existence. After reevaluating his position, he decides that he wants to live in a world where other people exist and returns to Earth, allowing other humans to return. Shinji, having placed grave markers in memory of most of the other characters, wakes up some time later with Asuka lying next to him. He suddenly tries to strangle her, but stops and breaks down when Asuka regains consciousness and caresses his face.
''Rebuild of Evangelion''
In ''Rebuild of Evangelion
''Rebuild of Evangelion'', known in Japan and on Amazon Prime Video as , is a Japanese animated film series and a retelling of the original ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' anime television series, produced by Studio Khara. Hideaki Anno served as ...
'', Shinji returns as the central protagonist; in '' Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone'' (2007), first instalment of the saga, Shinji's role is similar to that of the anime series. He is assigned to be the pilot of Unit-01, and works with Rei to defeat the Angel Ramiel. In the second instalment, '' Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance'' (2009), Shinji reluctantly continues his duties as the pilot of Unit-01. After the battle with Angel Bardiel (when his father forced his Unit-01 to critically injure Asuka), Shinji retires from his duties and leaves Nerv. When Angel Zeruel consumes Rei, Shinji returns and defeats the Angel; his decisions, however, trigger a catastrophic event named Third Impact. Through this, Shinji apparently saves Rei by fusing with the Evangelion.
In the third film, '' Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo'' (2012), set fourteen years later, Shinji awakens to a world completely changed by the Third Impact and is treated with hostility by Misato and others. They place a DSS Choker on him: an explosive device on his neck which will be activated if he comes close to starting another Impact. After learning from Misato that they are part of Wille (a new organization fighting Nerv), Shinji leaves when Rei appears. At the remnants of Nerv, he is approached by Kaworu Nagisa, an Eva-13 designed pilot who befriends him. He becomes despondent after Kaworu tells him that humanity holds him responsible for initiating the Third Impact. After Shinji realizes that he failed to save Rei and the new Rei is a clone, Nagisa convinces him to pilot Eva-13 with him. Confronting Asuka and Mari, Shinji begins a Fourth Impact; Eva-13 eats the Twelfth Angel, and ascends to divinity. Kaworu is killed by the DSS Choker he took from Shinji to stop the Fourth Impact. Devastated, Shinji loses his will to live. Asuka rescues him from his Entry Plug, berating him for acting "like a baby". The Rei clone appears and follows them, as they head along the ruins of Tokyo-3 to again be rescued by Wille.
In '' Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time'' (2021), the last installment of the saga, Shinji, still distraught over Kaworu's death, wanders without a will to live with Asuka and Rei. With the two companions, he reaches a protected citadel inhabited by survivors of the various Impacts and isolated from the outside world, the Village-3. Here Shinji meets his old classmates Toji, Kensuke, and Hikari Horaki
The Japanese anime television series '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'' has an extensive cast of characters that were created by Gainax. The show's protagonist is Shinji Ikari, a teenage boy whose father Gendo recruits him to the shadowy organi ...
, and, with the help of Asuka and Rei, he gradually regains the will to live. He then decides to leave with Asuka and the other members from the Wille for Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
, where Shinji on board the Eva-01 faces his father Gendo and his Eva-13. Not being able to defeat him with brute force, the boy decides to talk to him; at the end of the process, Gendo apologizes to Shinji and embraces him. Shinji finds himself in a reborn world, and on a beach he meets Mari Illustrious Makinami
or is a fictional character in the anime film tetralogy ''Rebuild of Evangelion'', based on the television series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' and introduced in the film ''Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance'' (2009). Mari is a pilot for the ...
, saying goodbye to all the Evangelions. Shortly after, a visibly grown Shinji can be seen in a station; Mari comes to meet him, and the two of them walk together into a new world, holding hands.
Manga
In Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
is a Japanese character designer, manga artist, and one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio.
Personal life
Before Gainax was founded under the official name (it was originally called Daicon Film), Yoshiyuki served as animator o ...
's ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' manga adaptation, Shinji's characterization differs. Sadamoto tried to portray him as more of a misfit, a young teenager more stubborn, rebellious, juvenile and apathetic than Hideaki Anno's insecure character. In the anime's fourth episode, "Hedgehog's Dilemma
The hedgehog's dilemma, or sometimes the porcupine dilemma, is a metaphor about the challenges of human intimacy. It describes a situation in which a group of hedgehogs seek to move close to one another to share heat during cold weather. They mus ...
", Shinji runs away from home because he is overwhelmed by responsibility; in the manga, he runs away because he realizes that Misato is spying on him and documenting his every move. After the battle against Bardiel (in which his friend Toji dies following an order from Commander Ikari), Shinji tries to punch his father. He has a close relationship with Rei in the manga and Kaji is more of a mentor to him.[ Shinji's relationship with Kaworu is difficult; he accuses Kaworu of being cynical and strange. Shinji's backstory is modified, with the introduction of an unnamed aunt, uncle and cousins and memories of his childhood away from Gendo. A different Instrumentality is shown, with Shinji saving Asuka during her fight against the Mass Production Evangelions. At the end, he is seen leading a normal life in a reformed world; he sees Asuka while waiting for a train, although they only have a faint recollection of one another.
Sadamoto decided to work on an ''Evangelion'' manga when he saw Shinji in the first episodes of the original series. He wondered "what the world looked like through Shinji's eyes". While in the anime Shinji's motto is "I must not run away", Sadamoto chose "being honest with themselves" as the main theme for the manga. This led Sadamoto to change Shinji's characterization and psychology. He wanted to reflect contemporary teenagers in the character and was influenced by the ]Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
, wondering how a 14-year-old would have behaved on a helicopter. Sadamoto also drew on his own experiences as an adolescent, saying that his characterization was "more like a flunk-out" than Anno's version.[ He conceived Shinji with a "clean image that a woman tends to project" in his mind, portraying him as a "cold, unambitious" character, "the type who would commit suicide, but can't bring himself to do it" and trying to design a character from the more stoic part of himself. "It was my intention to create a wistful character who had given up on life", he said.] According to Anno's thought process, a twisted person puts on a "cool face" hiding the crazy portion, while Sadamoto perceived his approach as the opposite; Sadamoto described his characters as stoic and earnest but with a twisted outside, "just like a child". He also described his Shinji as a character that refuses to listen but "still makes the right decision".
In other media
In a scene from the last episode of the animated series, an alternate universe is presented with a different story from the previous episodes; in this parallel reality, Shinji lives with both his parents and is a normal middle-school student. He is also a protagonist in '' Shinji Ikari Raising Project'' and '' Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days'', where he is portrayed in a different light than his anime counterpart: happier and more stable. The same characterization is found in '' Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel 2nd''. Some spin-offs and video games have the option of pairing Shinji romantically with Asuka Langley Soryu
is a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion (franchise), ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' franchise created by Gainax. She first appears in the Neon Genesis Evangelion, original anime series, and also appears in the franchise's animate ...
, Rei Ayanami
is a fictional character from the anime ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', created by Gainax. She is the First Child and pilot of a giant mecha named Evangelion Unit 00. At the beginning of the series, Rei is an enigmatic figure whose unusual behav ...
, Kaworu and other characters, including his classmate Hikari Horaki
The Japanese anime television series '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'' has an extensive cast of characters that were created by Gainax. The show's protagonist is Shinji Ikari, a teenage boy whose father Gendo recruits him to the shadowy organi ...
and original characters such as Mana Kirishima, an extrovert transfer student firstly introduced in the '' Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel'' videogame, and Mayumi Yamagishi, an introverted girl presented in the '' Neon Genesis Evangelion: 2nd Impression'' videogame. In ''Neon Genesis Evangelion: Shinji Ikari Raising Project'', he is presented as a childhood friend of Asuka and a distant cousin of Rei Ayanami. In '' Petit Eva: Evangelion@School'', Shinji is portrayed as a boy "frightened by the idea of growing up" but popular with the students of Tokyo-3's Municipal Nerv High School. In ''Evangelion: Detective Shinji Ikari'', Kaji and Kaworu are portrayed as private investigators whom Shinji asks for help and investigates a mysterious case.
In '' Neon Genesis Evangelion: Anima,'' set three years after ''The End of Evangelion'' with a different Instrumentality scenario, Shinji is 17 years old; he lets his hair grow and is a good friend of Rei and Asuka. He first pilots the Evangelion Unit-01 Type-F and, after the attack of Eva0.0 (Quatre) and the unification of his soul with Eva-01, pilots the mecha Super Evangelion and its upgrades. In addition to video games based on the original animated series, Shinji appears in media outside the ''Evangelion'' franchise, such as ''Monster Strike
is a Mobile game, mobile Japanese role-playing game, Japanese role-playing physics game with elements of Puzzle video game, puzzle, strategy game, strategy and Cooperative video game, cooperative multiplayer. It is developed by Mixi, XFLAG for i ...
'', ''Tales of Zestiria
is an action role-playing game. It is the fifteenth main entry in the ''Tales'' series, developed by Bandai Namco Studios and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It was released in January 2015 in Japan on the PlayStation 3. For Western re ...
'', ''Puzzle & Dragons
is a puzzle video game with role-playing and strategy elements, developed and published by GungHo Online Entertainment for the iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire platforms.
''Puzzle & Dragons'' is a match-three puzzle game, requiring players t ...
'', and a crossover episode of '' Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion'', in which he is voiced by Ogata and pilots a 500 Type Eva transformable train. For ''Shinkalion'', Ogata voiced him as a more "level-headed" character. He is a playable character
A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...
in the ''Super Robot Wars
''Super Robot Wars'', known in Japan as is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Banpresto. Starting out as a spinoff of the ''Compati Hero'' series, the main feature of the franchise is ...
'' crossover video-game franchise, where he and other ''Evangelion'' characters work with characters from other mecha
In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the mean ...
series. Shinji has crushes on other characters, such as Lynn Minmay
Lynn Minmay (Japanese: リン・ミンメイ ''Rin Minmei'', Chinese: 鈴明美 / 林明美 ''Líng Míngměi / Lín Míngměi'') is a fictional anime character from the ''Super Dimension Fortress Macross'' television series and '' Macross: Do Y ...
(sparking jealousy in Asuka, who tries to recapture his attention). In other games, Eva Unit-01 goes berserk after fighting the fourth angel and he fights Kouji Kabuto
, also written Kouji Kabuto, is a fictional character featuring introduced Go Nagai's manga ''Mazinger Z''. He is the main character and pilot of title super robot using its powers to defeat the forces from Dr. Hell. He makes a comeback in the seq ...
and Mazinger Z
is a Japanese super robot manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later was reissued in Kodansha ''TV Magazine ...
. He later rejoins the battle against the Angels with Rei Ayanami.
Characterization and themes
Shinji is a dependent and introverted boy with few friends, due to his reluctance and inability to communicate with other people. Due to this, Shinji is also frightened by contact with strangers. He tends to be apologetic and passive in his relationships. He also avoids choosing his clothes, wearing clothes provided by others. Unlike a stereotypical hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...
, particularly of the mecha genre, Shinji is more apathetic and reluctant than courageous. According to his voice actress, Megumi Ogata, "he didn't act like an anime character, but typically talked very quietly and sparingly, and it was like he was suddenly thrust into an anime world". Character designer Sadamoto conceived him as "the kind of character who would encase himself in a shell of his own making".[ Director Hideaki Anno similarly described him as a "cowardly young man" who has convinced himself that "he is a completely unnecessary person" after his father Gendo abandoned him.] His childhood trauma leads him to doubt the value of his existence, to be disheartened, and to seek a ''raison d'être''; he also wonders about why he pilots Eva-01 in the latter part of the series. The last two episodes also focus on Shinji's path and psyche; in a stream of consciousness, he admits being afraid of himself and of his father. Despite the tension between him and his father, however, Shinji yearns to trust him. According to writer Gerald Alva Miller, Shinji craves acceptance and is concerned about how others perceive him, but "he also remains incapable of accepting love from others". He also pilots Eva-01 for the approval of others, particularly Gendo, rather than out of heroism or idealism. According to a card game on the series, after being praised for the first time by his father, he realizes how much he needs him. Assistant director Kazuya Tsurumaki noted that Shinji acts in opposition to the conventional impression of him: "He is not cowardly and indecisive; he is obstinate and doesn't pay any mind to other people." Anno described him as "both an introvert and righteous" boy who tends to categorize things, the kind of character who tends to hide something, "like a way to escape from that closure".[ Furthermore, according to Sadamoto, he is not as dark as perceived by fans; with the exception of ''The End of Evangelion'', in which he is portrayed as "pretty dark and introspective", he stated that he never got the impression of a dark character in the original series. According to Ogata, at the end of the film Shinji grows up, naturally closing his path from childhood to adulthood.][
Writer Paul M. Malone compared him to the German jurist and writer ]Daniel Paul Schreber
Daniel Paul Schreber (; 25 July 1842 – 14 April 1911) was a German judge who was famous for his personal account of his own experience with schizophrenia. Schreber experienced three distinct periods of acute mental illness. The first of th ...
, noting "a surprising degree of intertextuality" with his ''Memoirs of My Nervous Illness'', although he did not consider ''Evangelion'' to be based directly on his ''Memoirs''. Malone, following Japanese critic and writer Kotani Mari, described Shinji as an effeminate and androgynous character. According to Mari, Shinji becomes effeminate in the course of the story, and she described him as a "female savior". Other critics described him as a messianic figure and likened to Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
, who in Japanese is known by the epithet of , " God-man". He has also been described as a tragic hero
A tragic hero is the protagonist of a tragedy. In his ''Poetics'', Aristotle records the descriptions of the tragic hero to the playwright and strictly defines the place that the tragic hero must play and the kind of man he must be. Aristotle ba ...
and likened to Oedipus
Oedipus (, ; grc-gre, Οἰδίπους "swollen foot") was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus accidentally fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby ...
. Writer and animation critic Patrick Drazen similarly compared the dilemma faced by Shinji in the twenty-fourth episode against the Angel Tabris to Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
, the protagonist of Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's tragedy of the same name.
For the Japanese sociologist Tsutomu Hashimoto, Shinji could be seen as an heir of the Japanese society of the seventies and eighties, engaged in the search for freedom from social constraints and the figures of authoritarian family fathers; the sociologist cited the musician Yutaka Ozaki
was a popular Japanese musician. He is ranked at No. 23 in a list of Japan's top 100 musicians by HMV.
Biography
He was born in Tokyo Setagaya Ward SDF Central Hospital to Kinue and Kenichi Ozaki. He has one older brother, Yasushi. Early in li ...
as a symbol of this search for freedom, since he tried to escape from the impositions of the school system and he eventually "returned" to the mother figure. Hashimoto compared Shinji's final choice, in which he rejects the Instrumentality Project desired by the authoritarian father Gendō, to the concept of liberalism
Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality before the law."political rationalism, hostility to autocracy, cultural distaste for c ...
, which prescribes respect for any individual identity. Other critics associated the character with the youth and climate of 1990s Japan, shaken by the Tokyo subway sarin attack
The was an act of domestic terrorism perpetrated on 20 March 1995, in Tokyo, Japan, by members of the cult movement Aum Shinrikyo. In five coordinated attacks, the perpetrators released sarin on three lines of the Tokyo Metro (then ''Teito Rapi ...
operated by the Japanese sect Aum Shinrikyō, the Great Hanshin earthquake
The , or Kobe earthquake, occurred on January 17, 1995, at 05:46:53 JST (January 16 at 20:46:53 UTC) in the southern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, including the region known as Hanshin. It measured 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale and had ...
, and the bursting of the Japanese asset price bubble
The was an economic bubble in Japan from 1986 to 1991 in which real estate and stock market prices were greatly inflated. In early 1992, this price bubble burst and Japan's economy stagnated. The bubble was characterized by rapid acceleration ...
. After his arrival on Tokyo-3, Shinji repeats "I mustn't run away" in an attempt to face his responsibilities, and the sentence becomes a typical mantra of the character. In the twentieth episode he remembers escaping from the experimental site where his mother died, an event that generated in him the idea of "not running away", which an official pamphlet describes as "compulsive
Compulsive behavior is defined as performing an action persistently and repetitively. Compulsive behaviors could be an attempt to make obsessions go away. The act is usually a small, restricted and repetitive behavior, yet not disturbing in a pa ...
". Hiroki Azuma
(born May 9, 1971) is a Japanese cultural critic, novelist, and philosopher. He is the co-founder and former director of Genron, an independent institute in Tokyo, Japan.
Biography
Azuma was born in Mitaka, Tokyo. Azuma received his PhD in ...
, a Japanese philosopher and cultural critic, speaking of his motto "I mustn't run away", described ''Evangelion'' as a story that depicts "anxiety without a cause", linking this feeling to the repercussions after the Aum Shinrikyō attack. Azuma also described Shinji and other characters in the series as "stereotypical characters" through which Anno succeeded to describe the nineties. Psychiatrist Kōji Mizobe indicated him as a dependent boy unable to communicate but also argued that the fundamental characteristic of Shinji is sociability, describing him as a "sympathetic person" who accepts and imitates others. Mizobe interpreted his synchronization with Asuka's movements on the ninth episode as proof of this ability. He also interpreted ''Evangelion'' as a story in which the main characters try to build their stable identity
Identity may refer to:
* Identity document
* Identity (philosophy)
* Identity (social science)
* Identity (mathematics)
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film
* ''Identity'' (2003 film), ...
, saying that Shinji and Asuka's communication problems are the reason why even years after the first airing younger Japanese viewers identify themselves with the characters.
Critics interpreted Shinji as an alter ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I", " doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differen ...
of the series director, Hideaki Anno, and as an ''otaku
is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in ''Manga Burikko''. may be used as a pejorativ ...
''.[ '']IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'''s Ramsey Isler interpreted his feelings as a reflection of his mood; according to him, Anno "went through a serious bout of depression while making the show and like a true artist he poured all of that emotion and despair into his work".[ Isler also interpreted his characterization and his battles against the Angels as a metaphor for Anno's attempts "to defeat his own personal demons".][ Assistant director Tsurumaki also gave a similar interpretation, working on the series with the idea that Shinji's emotions are a reflection of Anno's feelings: "That's why in the scenario planning sessions I was always saying something like, 'Isn't that a little too hero-like for Shinji to say? Hideaki Anno isn't that much of a hero'". Tsurumaki also thought that Shinji could only be understood by "Japanese fans of this generation".][ Critics analyzed the conflictual relationship between him and his father, comparing him with the protagonists of the works by director ]Yoshiyuki Tomino
is a Japanese mecha anime creator, animator, director, screenwriter, songwriter and novelist best known for creating the ''Gundam'' anime franchise. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art. ...
, especially to Amuro Ray
is a fictional character introduced in Sunrise's 1979 anime series ''Mobile Suit Gundam''. Amuro is a mechanic who becomes the pilot of the mecha known as RX-78-2 Gundam to protect himself from the Zeon forces invading his space colony during the ...
, the main character in ''Mobile Suit Gundam
, also known as ''First Gundam'', ''Gundam 0079'' or simply ''Gundam '79'', is an anime television series, produced and animated by Nippon Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting ...
''. Artist Takashi Murakami
is a Japanese contemporary artist. He works in fine arts media (such as painting and sculpture) as well as commercial (such as fashion, merchandise, and animation) and is known for blurring the line between high and low arts as well as co ae ...
interpreted Shinji's interior drama as "the endpoint of the postwar lineage of ''otaku'' favorites", such as ''Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film ''Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produc ...
'', the series of the ''Ultra
adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by breaking high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park. '' ...
'' franchise, ''Space Battleship Yamato
is a Japanese science fiction anime series produced and written by Yoshinobu Nishizaki, directed by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto, and produced by Academy Productions. The series aired in Yomiuri TV from October 6, 1974 to March 30, 1975, ...
'' or ''Gundam'', in which hero-figures increasingly question and agonize over their missions to defend Earth and humanity. According to Toshio Okada
is an anime producer, author, and lecturer. He is a co-founder and former president of the production company Gainax. He is portrayed by actor Gaku Hamada in the 2014 TV Drama ''Aoi Honō'' based on the autobiographical manga by his fellow Kazuh ...
, former president of Gainax and an acquaintance of Hideaki Anno, ''Evangelion'' and ''Gundam'' are completely different; for Okada, one thrust of the story of ''Gundam'' is "the main character's desire to be recognized by others", since in mecha anime the characters generally try to change the world, while in ''Evangelion'' "complicated the whole thing, raising issues", since no one can save the world. According to Italian researcher Fabio Bartoli, Shinji is a "perfect representative" of the ''otaku'' generation. He described him as "a young man with relationship difficulties, accustomed to spending a lot of time at home". Bartoli wrote that the last scene of the anime, in which the boy's glass prison shatters (ending his psychoanalytic session), may allude to the : the Japanese generation born in the 1970s, which is also known as . Writer Andrea Fontana agreed, seeing him as a representation of ''otaku'' and their inability to relate to others. Fontana also saw in Shinji's character "an exhortation" by Anno to ''otaku'', Japanese society, and young people "to break the crystal cage in which they locked themselves up, looking confidently at their neighbor".
Psychoanalysis
Shinji's personality traits have been linked to psychiatric conditions, such as depressive disorder
A mood disorder, also known as an affective disorder, is any of a group of conditions of mental and behavioral disorder where a disturbance in the person's mood is the main underlying feature. The classification is in the ''Diagnostic and Stat ...
, anxiety
Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...
, social phobia
Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also known as social phobia, is an anxiety disorder characterized by sentiments of fear and anxiety in social situations, causing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in at least some aspects ...
, avoidant
Avoidant personality disorder (AvPD) is a Cluster C personality disorder characterized by excessive social anxiety and inhibition, fear of intimacy (despite an intense desire for it), severe feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, and an overrelia ...
and borderline personality
Borderline personality disorder (BPD), also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), is a personality disorder characterized by a long-term pattern of unstable interpersonal relationships, distorted sense of self, and strong ...
. Walter Veit of ''Psychology Today
''Psychology Today'' is an American media organization with a focus on psychology and human behavior. It began as a bimonthly magazine, which first appeared in 1967. The ''Psychology Today'' website features therapy and health professionals direct ...
'' linked his passive attitude in the first episodes to Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and litera ...
's existentialist
Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...
concept of bad faith
Bad faith (Latin: ''mala fides'') is a sustained form of deception which consists of entertaining or pretending to entertain one set of feelings while acting as if influenced by another."of two hearts ... a sustained form of deception whic ...
and Albert Camus
Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...
's " philosophical suicide". Gualtiero Cannarsi, editor of the Italian adaptation of the series, noticed that Shinji struggles to make friends and has a cold, reserved attitude in the third episode, "A Transfer
"A Transfer", known by the Japanese title is the third episode of the anime ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', created by Gainax. Series director Hideaki Anno and writer Akio Satsukawa wrote the episode, directed by Hiroyuki Ishido. It aired originall ...
". Like the porcupines of Arthur Schopenhauer
Arthur Schopenhauer ( , ; 22 February 1788 – 21 September 1860) was a German philosopher. He is best known for his 1818 work ''The World as Will and Representation'' (expanded in 1844), which characterizes the phenomenal world as the prod ...
's ''Parerga and Paralipomena
''Parerga and Paralipomena'' (Greek for "Appendices" and "Omissions", respectively; german: Parerga und Paralipomena) is a collection of philosophical reflections by Arthur Schopenhauer published in 1851. The selection was compiled not as a summa ...
'', Shinji is afraid to be hurt and withdraws from human contact; he suffers, in fact, for the porcupine's dilemma. Although his relationship with Misato Katsuragi follows Schopenhauer's concept, Cannarsi also noticed that in the fourth episode ("Hedgehog's Dilemma
The hedgehog's dilemma, or sometimes the porcupine dilemma, is a metaphor about the challenges of human intimacy. It describes a situation in which a group of hedgehogs seek to move close to one another to share heat during cold weather. They mus ...
") the characters get closer without hurting each other.[ Schopenhauer originally named his concept after the ]porcupine
Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethizont ...
, or Hystricidae (''Stachelschweine'' in German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
), but staff chose an alternative translation for the title of the installment, since they wanted to portray Shinji as a hedgehog
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introducti ...
, an animal with smaller, blunter spines than a porcupine, suggesting more delicacy for the character.
Critics noticed that, since he lost his mother traumatically, Shinji seeks a substitute in the women around him and in Eva-01, which contains her soul. Academic Susan J. Napier
Susan Jolliffe Napier (born October 11, 1955) is a Professor of the Japanese Program at Tufts University. She was formerly the Mitsubishi Professor of Japanese Literature and Culture at the University of Texas at Austin. She also worked as a visi ...
also interpreted the Angels as "father figures, whom Shinji must annihilate". Anime News Network
Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
reviewer Mike Crandol noticed that Shinji depends on Unit 01 in the first part of the series, becoming negatively affected by the symbiotic
Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...
relationship. Crandol described his entry into Eva-01 as a Freudian
Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts i ...
"return to the womb" and his struggle to be free of the Eva as his "rite of passage
A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisation of ''rite ...
" into manhood. Anno also described Shinji as a boy with a strong Oedipus complex
The Oedipus complex (also spelled Œdipus complex) is an idea in psychoanalytic theory. The complex is an ostensibly universal phase in the life of a young boy in which, to try to immediately satisfy basic desires, he unconsciously wishes to have ...
for his father, Gendo. The Oedipal triangle is completed by their common interest in Rei Ayanami, a genetic clone of Yui Ikari. According to him, Shinji symbolically "kills" his father "and steals his mother from him".
Yūichirō Oguro, editor of supplemental materials included in the Japanese edition of the series, interpreted ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'''s plot as an Oedipal story. Eva-01 can be seen as a motherly breast and a source of ambivalence Ambivalence is a state of having simultaneous conflicting reactions, beliefs, or feelings towards some object. Stated another way, ambivalence is the experience of having an attitude towards someone or something that contains both positively and neg ...
for the character. To manage this ambivalence, Shinji " split the breast" into good and bad. Oguro described berserk Unit 01 as a "bad breast"; on the other part, he interpreted Yui as a "good breast" that eventually saves Shinji during the battles with the Angels. In the twentieth episode, "Weaving a story 2: Oral Stage", Shinji is trapped in Eva-01, dissolving into its cockpit; in a stream of consciousness
In literary criticism, stream of consciousness is a narrative mode or method that attempts "to depict the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind" of a narrator. The term was coined by Daniel Oliver (physician), Daniel Ol ...
, he has visions linked with the Freudian oral stage
In Freudian psychoanalysis, the term oral stage or hemitaxia denotes the first psychosexual development stage wherein the mouth of the infant is their primary erogenous zone. Spanning the life period from birth to the age of 18 months, the oral s ...
, which include breastfeeding by Yui. With his mother's help, Shinji is symbolically reborn, finding the will to live and regaining his body. He also displays features linked with oralism, a personality of dependent, weak individuals who see other people as tools to satisfy them. According to Freudian theory, oral personalities were not adequately fed during weaning. For Oguro, Shinji resolves his oral fixation with the vision of his mother's breast, becoming a more self-conscious individual. In the last two episodes, he also sees the good and bad sides of other people; Anno himself compared him to a child and his ambivalent relationship with the mother during the oral stage. Shinji's Oedipus complex then resolves in the final episode, which ends with the captions "To my father, thank you" and "To my mother, goodbye", indicating his entry into adulthood. In the film ''The End of Evangelion'', he also chooses to live with other human beings, rejecting the Instrumentality and accepting other people.
Cultural impact
Popularity
Shinji's character has been popular in Japan. The character's appreciation was also reflected in popularity polls, even years after the anime's first airing. After the series' first run, Shinji ranked second among "most popular male characters of the moment" in an ''Animage
is a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine which Tokuma Shoten began publishing in July 1978. Hayao Miyazaki's internationally renowned manga, ''Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'', was serialized in ''Animage'' from 1982 through 1994. Oth ...
'' magazine Grand Prix poll. In the following two years' rankings, he rose to first place. In the 1997 Anime Grand Prix, Shinji received about 1,200 votes, more than double those of the second character. Megumi Ogata finished second in the voice-actor rankings for three years. Shinji also appeared in the magazine's monthly surveys, remaining in the top 20 in 1996, 1997 and 1998. In 1998, ''Animage'' ranked him 21st among the 100 most popular anime characters and 55th in 1999.
In 1998, Shinji emerged in first place among the best "dark characters" in a survey by ''Animedia'' magazine, and the magazine itself praised its complexity. For several years he also appeared in the periodical's annual popularity rankings, usually among the top ten. He placed 77th in a 2002 TV Asahi
JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Compan ...
poll ranking the most popular anime characters of all time, and 25th in a 2007 list of most popular male heroes. Shinji also topped ''Newtype
is a monthly magazine publication originating from Japan, covering anime (and to a lesser extent, tokusatsu, manga, Japanese science fiction, seiyuu, and video games). It was launched by publishing company Kadokawa Shoten on March 8, 1985, with i ...
'' magazine's popularity charts, finishing third and first in August and September 2009. He finished third in October and was the most popular ''Evangelion'' male character. In March 2010, ''Newtype'' cited him the "most popular male character of the nineties". In 2014, foreigners living in Japan were asked: "Which character do you aspire to look like?". Amid a wide variety of answers, Shinji finished seventh. In 2012, Fuji TV asked about 14,000 fans to name the "best anime hero"; Shinji finished twentieth. In 2016, he finished thirteenth in an Anime News Network
Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
poll of the "strongest pilots" in Japanese animation. In April 2021, after release of the final ''Rebuild'' film, he finished second most popular male character in a ''Newtype'' poll, fifth place in May, and first place in June.
Critical reaction
The character evoked mixed opinions, dividing anime critics. Some criticized Shinji's insecurities, his vulnerability, and his lack of temper and resoluteness. Pete Harcoff, a reviewer for the Anime Critic website, praised ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' but criticized Shinji as ineffective and disappointing to watch. THEM Anime Reviews
THEM Anime Reviews, otherwise known as THEM or T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews, is an Anime, anime Review, review website that writes about current and past anime in any form, including Original video animation, OVAs and Original net animation, ONAs. The ...
noticed the character's constant angst in the television series as a negative trait. Raphael See found ''Evangelion'' "a little cliche, or just plain irritating at times" and criticized Shinji's pessimism. ''Japanator
''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017, and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022.
History
' ...
'' listed him among "characters with no chance in reality", saying that "he really sucks as an Eva pilot and he has the spine of a jellyfish". Comic Book Resources
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
also criticized Shinji as a stereotypical talented male protagonist with a harem
Harem (Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A hare ...
.
Other critics praised the character's realism. For Anime News Network
Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
's Nick Creamer, "every element of Shinji's emotional journey is conveyed with clear sympathy and brutal specificity". According to Susan J. Napier
Susan Jolliffe Napier (born October 11, 1955) is a Professor of the Japanese Program at Tufts University. She was formerly the Mitsubishi Professor of Japanese Literature and Culture at the University of Texas at Austin. She also worked as a visi ...
, Shinji "still wins the championship for most psychologically complex (or just plain neurotic) male character ever created". Critics also described him as one of the most relatable male anime characters. ''IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' editor Chris Mackenzie ranked him the 25th-best anime character of all time. In ''Anime Invasion'' magazine, Jen Contino praised Shinji's characterization and rated him the ninth-best anime character of all time.
In 2013, Anime News Network editor Lynzee Lam ranked him in first place of seven "crybaby heroes" in Japanese animation for his motivation and psychological realism. WatchMojo
WatchMojo is a private company in video producing, publishing and syndicator that is based in Canada. The company has created around 20,000 videos on YouTube, and 5,000 additional videos from other platforms. It primarily is known for their ...
ranked him first among the best reluctant anime heroes. ''IGN''s Ramsey Isler called him the "greatest anime character" of all time, praising his originality and realistic characterization. Isler concluded, "He's a character that challenges the audience by not giving them a superficial, vicarious power fantasy like you'd get from so many other anime. He is pathetic, but that is what makes him great. That is what makes him a genuine work of art".
Shinji's role in the ''Rebuild of Evangelion'' films was better received, with reviewers praising its more open character. Martin Theron of Anime News Network, reviewing '' Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone'', praised Shinji's realism. Theron called the scene in '' Evangelion: 2.22 You Can (Not) Advance'' where Shinji saves Rei the "Best Scene" in the website's "Best (and Most Notable) of 2011": "This is the first time in the entire franchise that he whole-heartedly goes after something because he ''wants'' it, rather than because he's expected to or has no choice." Examining the differences between ''Evangelion: 2.0'' film and the original animated series, Jitendar Canth posted on myReviewer.com: "To the relief of many, Shinji isn't as much of a whiner any more, and he shows that he has a backbone on more than one occasion in this film". Despite criticizing the third film, a number of reviewers praised Shinji's interactions with Kaworu. Nicoletta Christina Browne of THEM Anime Reviews criticized their relationship, finding it "rushed", artificial and unclear. Daniel Kurland (Comic Book Resources) also praised his role in the final installment, ''Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time'', writing: "Shinji deserves happiness, and it makes ''Thrice Upon A Time'' the more powerful conclusion that it finally allows Shinji to reach this point and not leave him in existential dread".
Legacy
Shinji-themed merchandise has been released, including clothing, action figures, collectible models, perfumes, and drinks. The character has been used for Japan Racing Association
The Japan Racing Association ( ja, 日本中央競馬会 Nippon Chūō Keiba Kai, or JRA) is a public company established to operate Chūō Keiba (中央競馬 Central horse racing) and to manage racecourses, betting facilities, and horse-training ...
advertising campaigns and for a culinary company specializing in ''miso
is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and ''kōji'' (the fungus ''Aspergillus oryzae'') and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. It is used for sauces and spread ...
'' soups; "Shijimi from Lake Shinji
is a lake in the northeast area of the Shimane Prefecture in Japan. The lake is the seventh largest in Japan, with a circumference of . It is enclosed by the Shimane Peninsula to the north, and the Izumo and Matsue plains to the west and east re ...
" campaign also proved successful. Movic
is a Japanese company which specializes in the publication of trading cards, figures, CDs, and other general media related to the anime industry. Movic is a part of the Animate group.
Anime involved in
*'' Ah! My Goddess: The Movie'': Producti ...
has also released a cassette
Cassette may refer to:
Technology
* Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback
** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in th ...
drama featuring him as part of its ''Animate'' series featuring other popular works.
With Shinji Ikari, according to Comic Book Resources, ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' had a significant influence on Japanese animation, showing a more realistic, insecure and fragile protagonist than other past mecha series. ''Guilty Crown
is a 2011 Japanese anime television series produced by Production I.G which aired on Fuji TV's noitamina program block from October 13, 2011. The story revolves around Shu Ouma, a high school boy who comes into possession of an ability ...
'' staff member Ryo Ōyama compared Shū Ōma, the series' main character, to Shinji, since: "They're both in their own world, and they don't come out from that world". According to Ōyama, Shū is "a 2011 version of Shinji", but Shinji has a "more passive", pessimistic attitude. Asa Butterfield
Asa Bopp Farr Butterfield (; born Asa Maxwell Thornton Farr Butterfield on 1 April 1997) is an English actor. He has received nominations for three British Independent Film Awards, two Critics' Choice Awards, two Saturn Awards, and three Young ...
similarly compared Shinji to Ender Wiggin
Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is a fictional character from Orson Scott Card's 1985 science fiction novel ''Ender's Game'' and its sequels (''Speaker for the Dead'', ''Xenocide'', ''Children of the Mind'', ''Ender in Exile''), as well as in the first p ...
in ''Ender's Game
''Ender's Game'' is a 1985 military science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. Set at an unspecified date in Earth's future, the novel presents an imperiled humankind after two conflicts with an insectoid alien species they dub ...
'', whom he played. According to Butterfield, both characters "withdraw from the world", face new experiences and fight against unknown enemies. His Japanese voice actress Ogata likened Makoto Naegi
is a Character (arts), fictional character introduced as the protagonist of the 2010 visual novel adventure game ''Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc'' by Spike Chunsoft. A fairly optimistic but otherwise average student who is selected in a raff ...
from the ''Danganronpa
is a Japanese video game franchise created by Kazutaka Kodaka and developed and owned by Spike Chunsoft (formerly Spike). The series primarily surrounds various groups of apparent high school students who are forced into murdering each other ...
'' franchise, which she played, to Shinji, because they're both ordinary boys "put in terrible situations".
Lain Iwakura from ''Serial Experiments Lain
''Serial Experiments Lain'' (stylized as ''serial experiments lain'') is a Japanese anime television series created and co-produced by Yasuyuki Ueda, written by Chiaki J. Konaka and directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura. Animated by Triangle Staff ...
'', Simon
Simon may refer to:
People
* Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon
* Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon
* Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...
from ''Gurren Lagann
''Gurren Lagann'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese mecha anime, mecha anime television series animated by Gainax and co-produced by Aniplex and Konami. It ran for 27 episodes on TV Tokyo between April and September 2007. It was directe ...
'', Daisuke Dojima from '' Revisions'', Kōji Aiba from ''Infinite Ryvius
is a 26 episode drama/sci-fi series produced by Sunrise.
The character and mecha designs in ''RYVIUS'' were created by Hisashi Hirai, who later went on to act as the character designer for ''Gundam SEED''.
The series is also noted for its ...
'', Cloud Strife
is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Square's (now Square Enix's) 1997 role-playing video game ''Final Fantasy VII'', its high-definition remake, and several of its sequels and spinoffs. In ''Final Fantasy VII'', Cloud is a m ...
from ''Final Fantasy VII
is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Square for the PlayStation console. It is the seventh main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Published in Japan by Square, it was released in other regions by Sony Computer Entertai ...
'' and the main character of ''Cyborg She
is a 2008 Japanese science fiction comedy-drama film directed by Kwak Jae-yong, starring Haruka Ayase and Keisuke Koide.
Plot
It is 22 November 2007. Jiro Kitamura (Keisuke Koide) is spending his 20th birthday alone. As he buys a birthday pr ...
'' were also compared with him by anime critics. In the fourth episode of the dorama
, also called , are television programs that are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, jidaigeki, thril ...
''Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu
is a Japanese romance ''josei'' manga series written and illustrated by Tsunami Umino. The original title is from a Hungarian proverb: "Running away is shameful, but useful" (, ). It was published by Kodansha, with serialization in ''Kiss'' ...
'', a character named Shinji (former boyfriend of female protagonist Mikuri) appears. Shinji is also referenced by Steven Universe
''Steven Universe'' is an American animated series, animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar for Cartoon Network. It tells the coming-of-age story of a young boy, Steven Universe (character), Steven Universe (Zach Callison), who li ...
in the show of the same name, which parodies the series' final scene. The British group Fightstar
Fightstar are a British rock band from London that formed in 2003. The band is composed of lead vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Charlie Simpson, guitarist and co-vocalist Alex Westaway, bassist Dan Haigh and drummer Omar Abidi. Generally c ...
included a track named "Shinji Ikari" on the deluxe-edition bonus disc of their album, ''One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours
''One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours'' is the second studio album by British post-hardcore band Fightstar, released on 24 September 2007 through Institute Recordings, itself a subsidiary of independent label Gut Records. Recorded in Los Angeles ...
'', while Open Mike Eagle
Michael W. Eagle II (born November 14, 1980), better known by his stage name Open Mike Eagle, is an American hip hop artist and comedian. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, he is now based in Los Angeles, California, where he is a member of the h ...
named a song from his album '' Anime, Trauma and Divorce'' "Headass (Idiot Shinji)". '' Kong: Skull Island'' director Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Jordan Charles Vogt-Roberts (born September 22, 1984) is an American film director, film producer, screenwriter, and television director. His feature directorial debut, ''The Kings of Summer'', screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. The film ...
also named the character Gunpei Ikari after him.
References
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Text was copied/adapted fro
Shinji Ikari
at Evageeks wiki, which is released under
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA 3.0) license
Bibliography
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ikari, Shinji
Television characters introduced in 1995
Animated characters introduced in 1995
Child characters in animated television series
Fictional cellists
Fictional child soldiers
Fictional Japanese people in anime and manga
Fictional private military members
Male characters in anime and manga
Neon Genesis Evangelion characters
Science fiction film characters
Male characters in film
Teenage characters in television
Teenage characters in anime and manga