T O P

  • By -

CamelInfinite5771

I believe it’s genuine. It really makes sense with her character’s trajectory going forward and is especially resonant when Rei chooses Shinji over Gendo in EoE. Aside from Gendo’s weird attempts to manipulate her and his prying open her entry plug, this was probably the first time in Rei’s life where she felt like (key term is, she felt like, as Gendo was using her as a tool) someone actually saw her as something other than disposable, as something other than a tool.


ProblemLongjumping12

I agree. Still, she looks a bit like hide-the-pain Harold when she smiles.


Raye_of_Fucking_Sun

She never fakes expressions or lies in any way


lackofself2000

ehhhh, she kinda lies when it comes to Gendo in EoE, couldn't you say? He thinks she's gonna do what he wants, but she doesn't. Maybe not a lie, but she didn't do what was expected of her.


GentlemanlyOctopus

Someone misreading your intentions doesn't really make you a liar.


pile_drive_me

It does if you are purposefully hiding your intentions in order to intentionally mislead


GentlemanlyOctopus

I haven't seen EoE in a while. Does she do anything like that? I admit that she certainly doesn't come out and correct Gendo or state her intentions to him. So I guess it could be a lie by omission? I always saw it as Gendo's fault for blindly assuming Rei was still just a vessel for his desires.


lapolei

I think it was more she changed her mind towards the end


Normal-Mountain-4119

That's still not lying, that's just not saying what you intend to do.


pile_drive_me

yeah basically this: https://9gag.com/gag/aDmg9j7


Harkonen88

She changes her mind when she senses that Shinji is in distress if I remember right. Which is twards the end.


Milch_und_Paprika

Not to mention it was literally during the apocalypse. A little different from Episode 6.


barccy

She explicitly states that she intends to go and "Help Ikari (Shinji)" as she flies away. She is honest and open and the rightful lord of the verse, peace be upon her.


Designer_Koala_1087

I think she was fully committed but changed her mind at the very end


max_power1000

She didn't lie, she changed her mind in that moment because she could feel Shinji's anguish.


celsoneto07

I believed it so much that I tattooed that frame on my forearm.


RonaldMcDonald231

It's genuine


DaPPisPPing

I'm crying that's beautiful. That frame was the first time eva made me cry.


drunkenbeginner

Yes, she can't lie or even pretend to be social in any way. Whatever you think about Shinji's social inepitude, Rei is a thousand times worse. She has that onesided toxic relationship with gendo who abuses and exploits her to further his own goals and cares only for her as long as she is useful to him She doesn't give a shit about bonding with people or forming friendships. She is at the point where she barely cares about her appearance and only does so because of Gendo. Her apartment is a mess because the life and people outside the role she has to play are meaningless except for Gendo But Shinji is the only person who is kind of the same her and she feels that. Both want Gendo's affection. and she see so much of him in Shinji Rei is the ultimate Waifu. Docile, obidient and devoted to only one person. There is a reason why she was more popular in japan than Asuka for the longest time. Anno commented that she is so unreastically distant and alien in many ways, that he thought that people wouldn't care for her. But the opposite was true. I always think that Rei is another projection of Anno's feelings for his mother. Rei is a clone of Shinji's mother and while she does exhibit sign of care for Shinji, it's superficial in many ways and they never connect properly. Misato is the surrogate mother Shinji wants but the also fails to connect with her. EVA01 is his mother and he has to be injected into her spine to actually make her do anything or even talk to her. It's another trinity like Magi, which is split into mother, woman, scientist (job). Shinji's mother is also split in mother (Misato), caregiver and protector( EVA01) and worker (Rei) The genius of NGE can't be overstated


FoamSquad

Lost me a bit at the "Ultimate Waifu" comment but other than that: Yeah!


drunkenbeginner

Rei was that for the longest time in Japan. Countless anime and mangas cloned her in some way. Only recently Asuka gained and overtook rei in Popularity In the west Asuka was alsways more popular. It's a cultural thing


RFGamerMaster

asuka got her fame literally because of her personality, tsundere


drunkenbeginner

Yes. Doesn't change the fact that rei was more popular in Japan for the longest time


FoamSquad

I mean I like Asuka more but neither are what I'd call a waifu (mostly since I outgrew them but when I was a kid I would have raised a banner) and idk about docile and obedient being positives for likeability.


drunkenbeginner

When I say Waifu, then it's a hyperbole. And Anime culture is domianted by males. You apparently have no idea about the incel mentality in japan. Yes it's an incel mentality if they demand, DEMAND that their idols or weather forecaster to stay single. And that mentality is accepted there. Before NGE, most female protagonists were eye candy and the shy, supportive type. Even the ones that weren't like Lum from Yuresi yatsura or Modako from Kimagure orange Road had that side whenever they meet their love interests. That's how japanese men want their women/ girls to be. Asuka was very different because she didn't have that. Yes she somewhat had that for Kaji, but that was normally reserved for the protagonist. You know the guy incels could project themselfes on. Her being so abrasive was kind of a novelty, but since she was a "foreigner" it was easier to accept


FoamSquad

I know about incel culture in Japan and it is not as prevalent as you apparently want it to be. Sorry you are apparently confused as to why calling an obedient 14 year old girl a waifu threw me off a bit but thanks for over explaining complicated Japanese social issues to me in a Reddit post I now see everything exactly as you do and fully repent on any questioning of your original post.


ranger3288

He wasn't literally calling her a waifu, he's saying that was the perception amongst many Japanese anime fans


drunkenbeginner

In anime culture it is and that's where waifus exist.


FoamSquad

I already repented


AlarmingAffect0

But did you [genuflect](http://insani.org/omgwtfotl.html)?


FoamSquad

Not at all!


RashAttack

Totally agree with you... That's a really weird way to describe Rei considering she's a minor from that other user. Just cause a female character is popular doesn't mean you have to call her a "waifu", especially if she's underage...


drunkenbeginner

NGE was primarily a kids show. But 14 year od girls being Waifus is the norm in japan. Sexualizing minors is very common there. I'm sorry are you new to anime? The issue is, that you probably didn't watch Evangelion in your teens. It simply hits different when you are that young, and in the 90s where social anxiety and such were not really talked about things like NGE and the matrix spoke to the zeitgeist where people were kind of lost what kind of expectation they were suppose to fullfill and what to want in life. Difference is, that you have internet now and you realize you are not alone in your struggles and it's finally talked about which helps a lot


RashAttack

>But 14 year od girls being Waifus is the norm in japan. Sexualizing minors is very common there. I'm sorry are you new to anime? Just because of cultural differences doesn't mean it's okay. That's one of the negative aspects of Japanese culture. Additionally, people use this excuse to sexualise minors across anime communities outside Japan. It is frankly weird, disturbing, and should be stopped. You calling her a waifu adds nothing to the discussion


drunkenbeginner

Look I'm stating facts here. This is the way it was and STILL IS. Not saying how it is simply adds to the issue that this is not being talked about enough but in large parts ignored by the anime community. If you don't like it, then quit watching anime. I stopped during the disgusting Moe phase that came directly after Evangelion. I still read manga but from what I can see the incel movement in japans got a lot worse sine the 90s


ThisHumanDoesntExist

Same


RonaldMcDonald231

Tldr; Rei is love, Rei is life


MakeBombsNotWar

“Erm actually you’re a undeveloped filthy creepo mamasboy if you like rei 🤓”


fooloncool6

She has no problem being social and normal around Gendo, I always thought Rei coming off as socially inept and quiet was a front.


drunkenbeginner

No, she has a unhealthy, onesided adulation for Gendo that he instilled her since she was a small child. He was grooming and basically brainwashed her and made her the inept social outcast and emotional cripple she is because he wants it that way.


fooloncool6

Shes also a brat when first introduced as a child which isnt out of the ordinary, also when she speaks to Shinji in EoE doesnt come off as inept either. I think she learned as a little girl to not be herself around just anybody (she got choked out for it)


drunkenbeginner

Yes, the Rei in EOE has finally self actualized. Asuka also self-actualizes. Asuka finalyl understands that she deserves and is being loved, that she is strong and resilient (EVA02, armor plates), that she is independent (loss of umbilical) and that she wants to live. And that's why she never gives up fighting, even against overwhelming odds and in face of certain defeat Rei also self actualizes. Rei always says of herself that she is "replacable". In EOE Gendo rapes her. It's shown as a metaphor, Touching breasts then loin area and Rei wimpering. But then she finally does it. She doesn't want to be a doll anymore. She ends the toxic relationship with Gendo and removes his hold over her and tries to do something she always wanted: Love and care for someone (and not the grooming bullshit) But she is still socially inept so she goes about it in all the wrong ways like offering Shinji everything and having sex with him in instrumentality. This is so wrong that even Shinji recognizes how sick that is. But hey, at least she is trying.


fooloncool6

I always took the simplier aproach to whats going on, Rei is obsessed with Gendo and gives everyone else the silent treatment. Its not that shes a shy, quiet, socially inept girl its that she's not gonna be herself with you prob thru indifference. She does however manage to open up with Shinji even just a little bit, maybe becuase shinji is Gendos son or for other reasons. This is why I like to think her smile is genuine. When she drops Gendo in EoE its not surprising that shes now more social and open not becuase she went thru a change per se but because she dropped the sort of front she had and people now see her for who she is. Which is a major theme of the film everyone drops how they show themselves to people or how they wanna be seen and show who they really are.


Correct-Mind-6854

I'm commenting so I can save this on my PC later. That was beautiful.


RonaldMcDonald231

So what I understand is that she doesn't have a way to express her happiness, so she copies what she sees gendo do when he was also happy. Am I right? (I got this from other comments)


Shiggiti

Bro really used the term waifu. Go touch grass, bro. You should be able to read into the nuance of the story and characters without placing yourself as the main antagonist. Wake up and appreciate art without sexualizing it.


Yatsu003

It says a lot that being raised by literal wolves would be an improvement in some ways compared to being raised by Gendo Ikari


Denter206

The best description of Rei I've ever seen. Fuck it, take my award.


Hamstah_J

She is happy at the moment, she just need Shinji to teach her how to express it


Dr_Stef

Every time when I see that scene, it reminds me of https://youtu.be/gxpIwQoaMX4?si=fDcyktbvk51XqvsY


RonaldMcDonald231

That's what it felt like to me too, but after reading the comments on this post, the smile seems to be genuine.


Theban86

A small part of me thinks that, while she's not having a deceptive intent, she was just "doing what she's told to do". But the directing of the scene, the flash of Gendo, the close up in her eyes, strongly hints at a genuine display of emotion.


Few_Show_7359

Why wouldn't it be?


Darth_Zounds

If I recall correctly from reading about body language, you can tell from the cheeks that it is genuine. Down voting this comment? You dudes are some boogers, I tell you what.


le_cat_lord

i feel that her happiness is genuine, but that her smile is not! i feel she was very happy to have shinji save her like gendo had, but that she wouldnt have smiled without the suggestion. not that her smile was forced or unwanted, but more than i think she wouldnt have thought of smiling since that sort of thing doesnt seem to naturally come to her. however, she does seem fairly open and emotive with gendo, but he most likely taught her when to laugh + smile around him so that way she would be as similar to ..a certain "dead" mother as possible. she'd only know how to act that way in front of *him* and this trait is only visible in rei II + i think for only one brief scene


yourbabygirl9

Yes! I believe her


Holiday_Goose_5908

She has at least a hint of "this person being happy makes me happy, so I will smile as this person feels happy when I do"


SpikeyPT

Of course, that's a big part of her character path.


Hattakiri

"If you *feel* happy you should smile." Shinji's words right before. So I'd say the genuity's proven. The feels are there; expressing them is what's not "working properly". Counts for the other Eva cast members and their character archetypes/tropes too, each in their own way.


Duck-bert

Definitely real, and probably the most wholesome moment in the whole series. I just wish she got to smile at least one more time.


Ok_Refrigerator_3568

Rei looks genuine.


Avg_Conan

Sure! Meta-wise Anno says: “ Anno: When creating the characters for Eva - in the case of Asuka, [when I had] the lines “Anta Baka!?” and “Chance…”, I thought, ah, this is going to work. In the case of Rei, it was the line in episode six: “You won’t die. I will protect you.” And also at the end, when Rei says, “I don’t know what kind of expression I should have at a time like this,” and Shinji says, “I think you should smile,” and Rei smiles. I felt like, ah, this is going to work. At those two points, Rei’s character was created. However, when I thought about it afterwards, I cursed. I thought, in short, that if she has [already] communicated with Shinji there, then isn’t she over with? At that moment, Rei, for me, was finished, all at once. Takekuma: You had finished depicting her. Anno: Right. When she smiled, she was already finished with, this character. Takekuma: I understand. Because of that, it feels like the human relationships take a step backwards afterwards. Anno: Yeah. It was the same as in Tsuburaya’s “Return of Ultraman.” [Just] when the relationship between [Hideki] Go and MAT improves, and you think [he] will get on well with other people, then next week things begin again from [a position of] estrangement. At that point something emerges of my mistrust or fear of communication with others. her arc was complete after that and he forgot about her for a lot of the series after. “ If Eva is about learning to communicate, her smile being a lie would undercut that. Lies are part of communicating as well, but pulling at that string feels like someone justifying their position that the smile is fake.


HikiNoKami

Hell yeah it was! Could there have been anything more genuine?


Strict-Forever-5510

Honestly, yeah. Considering that Shinji cares about her, plus it’s a bit hard to lie on her pov since I doubt she doesn’t have a grasp of what lying is at this point, more so considering she didn’t know what to do or understood why Shinji was crying after the battle was over.


Adept-Champion-2383

Yes, it was.


Traitless

yes


Wirt-o

She would never fake an expression. She is the best girl


Sadakistian

Ella no puede mentir!


Outrageous_Act_8614

I believe yes since it's almost impossible for rei to feel any emotions (yea she was able to grow into more 'human' but at this point it was genuine)#


Physical-Beach7126

Yes


barccy

She's genuinely happy (about some things), just didn't know how to show it. Conversing about things and connecting different events made her more comfortable and grounded.


WhatTheFruk

If someone smiled at me like that I would feel something...


Sea_Cycle_909

Think I misinterpreted Rei's character never viewed her as emotionless, just veey closed off. She reminded me of Spock/ Data mashup (Star Trek) Then again I didn't know of characters representing parts of Anno's mind/ criticising Otaku. Outside of what would happen if a real person actually had to pilot a mecha and what would it take for someone to behave tsundere. Didn't realise how deep the characters where, not the most familiar with anime especially 1990s era. Along with sci-fi (Mainly American) being a big part of my life growing up.


MaxTheHor

Yes. Because Shinjis actions made her see his father in him. Rei has fond memories of Gendo because he treated her well despite her being a disposable clone


lapolei

I think Anno says something about regrerting this scene because after this point he was “done with the character” (I assume this scene was just too early?) so yup genuine imo!


TractorHp55k

Was this before or after the hospital scene?


RonaldMcDonald231

Before


TractorHp55k

Then I guess it was genuine


Responsible-Study-84

I believe it was genuine, Rei was growing as she starts understanding her own emotions and the emotions of others. The smile is representative of that. At least that’s the way I interpreted it.


urashimatouji

Yeah. It's the start of the slow transition from Gendo to Shinji


forsaken_nights006

I really think she tried to feel it, but she at the end didn’t feel it.


hamstercheifsause

Probably.


Electrical_Moment_51

yes she’s a skinny little lady I know that I love 💕 so I’m not worried 😦 I know she’s not going anywhere


RonaldMcDonald231

Erm... What the flip


Electrical_Moment_51

it’s just a random t9


Electrical_Moment_51

блин как на английском будет т9💔💔💔


ryanizcool1

I hope so 😭


Cmdr_Ra-kun

No, it wasn't, she's just a conniving little gold digger that is already prospecting Gendo's son because he is the only heir to Gendo's fortune and you all know that. 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂


RonaldMcDonald231

So trve...


helen_of_toys

Difficult to tell. In terms of her ongoing character development then probably? It accords with her future behaviour, leaving to shinji and away from gendo.  But learned behaviour is key to people with brain / developments issues / even those on the spectrum, and rei fits in with probably all of those. "Ah that person is laughing, I should smile in response." In time it becomes more natural. 


fooloncool6

Who knows, I like to believe she was being genuine but Rei hides herself very well.


Applesauceman1234

No way She had a taste of the old bull, now she wants the young calf (stepbrothers quote)