Neon Genesis Evangelion: Decisive Battle in Tokyo-3 / Rei II First Watch

July 2, 2019 7:49 PM - Season 1, Episode 6

A new Angel invades, striking a critical blow against Shinji. Taking the enemy's abilities into account, Misato crafts a special strategy involving Units 00 and 01 as well as an enormous positron rifle. Shinji also discovers Rei's motive as a pilot.

Fly Me To The Moon - Episode 6 version

posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit (10 comments total)

Misato is in her element and just loving it. And crushing it. This may be my favourite episode so far.
posted by rodlymight at 8:38 PM on July 2, 2019 [2 favorites]

That they can pull all of that off in like 10 hours is wild. From the previous episode (I think) I really liked that the robot extension cord plug had retro-rockets to give it a soft landing when it gets yanked out. Nice touch when everything is so huge in scale.

Shinji moves in on his father's special girl getting a smile out of her.
posted by zengargoyle at 12:32 AM on July 3, 2019 [1 favorite]

Misato is, truly, the best. The scene where she shows up at the JSSDF facility with the proper forms filled out in triplicate to requisition the positron rifle is so perfect. Like, she definitely wants to follow procedure and chain of command and stuff, but you get the sense that she would have had no compunction about telling Rei to just take the damned thing anyway if they said no.
posted by tobascodagama at 8:40 AM on July 3, 2019 [4 favorites]

Indeed, Misato totally rules in this episode. "Here is the paperwork for your giant gun. It's our gun now. We'll try not to break it! Rei, tear off the roof and get it!"

Cut to later. "Now to power this sniper rifle? We need all the electricity in Japan. All of it!"

Also the low-key playing of 007 music throughout the episode adds and adds and adds to the tension. Though Shinji telling Rei to smile? Eww, just eewwwwww.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 11:30 AM on July 3, 2019 [1 favorite]

For those who are unaware:

"Decisive Battle", Neon Genesis Evangelion
"007 Takes the Lektor", From Russia With Love

Bonus:

"Decisive Battle", Shin Godzilla
posted by tobascodagama at 12:08 PM on July 3, 2019 [7 favorites]

Just a few spoilers in the comments on that second link. I love how it's basically an Eva discussion thread now.

I really need to see Shin Godzilla, don't I?

One of my favorite things in an episode full of them: Rei and Shinji sitting on the scaffold and watching the sunset before doing battle with the Angel. It's such a peaceful moment before the storm.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 1:43 PM on July 3, 2019 [1 favorite]

I really need to see Shin Godzilla, don't I?

Yes. Yes you do.

It is the best "bureaucracy vs kaiju" film ever made.
posted by happyroach at 2:07 PM on July 3, 2019 [3 favorites]

Shin Godzilla is basically this episode without the Evas. It's really good.
posted by tobascodagama at 2:08 PM on July 3, 2019 [1 favorite]

Another visual reference, courtesy of EVA Geeks (beware spoilers): The shot of the forest being set on fire from the blast resembles a shot from Nadia: Secret of the Blue Water episode "The Tower of Babel", an earlier anime series also directed by Anno.

Also from EVA Geeks: Misato codenames the plan she creates to defeat the Angel Ramiel as "Operation Yashima". This is named after the Battle of Yashima (Wikipedia) which occurred in 1185 in medieval Japan, which also included a feat of conspicuously talented archery.

Hey high school boys, don't you think it would be a good idea to maybe watch the EVA units from a bit farther away? You were almost crushed by one last time, and only saved from being destroyed because Shinji let you in.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:03 AM on July 9, 2019 [1 favorite]

There was a real-life Operation Yashima-like scenario in 2011, when a drastic conservation of power was necessary after an earthquake and tsunami. That people were making the connection to Evangelion more than a decade after its release shows the impact (heh) the show has had on Japanese culture.
posted by fiercecupcake at 7:56 AM on July 10, 2019 [1 favorite]