046 - Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 4

046 - Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 4

Author: We Appreciate Manga™ April 25, 2020 Duration: 50:05

Asuka comes to Japan! The definitive red haired tsundere shakes things up. We talk about the human genome, freudian stuff and the politics of a break up because of Misato x Kaji.

 

Skip synopsis @ 8:23

 

Neon Genesis Evangelion vol. 4

Chapters 20 to 26

 

By Yoshiyuki Sadamoto

Translation by Lillian Olsen

 

 

Topics

  • Differences from the anime and the Angels
  • Asuka talk and the Freudian dynamic (Eva even have umbilical cords/power lines)
  • Kaji x Misato romance, and the politics of a break-up.

 

 

Other References

  • Adam
  • Israfel's name
  • Sperm donation
  • Biorhythms

 

Synopsis

 

Asuka Langley Soryu makes her way to Tokyo 3, she is the second child to have piloted Eva before Shinji Ikari. On her way she is attacked by an Angel yet manages to defeat it. Shinji sees video of her fight and it becomes clear that she is extremely well trained and talented.

 

After School Shinji spots a red-haired girl with his friends, Kensuke Aida and Toji. She is loud and boisterous, and a sore loser when it comes to playing crane claw games seen in arcades.

The boys watch her until she starts accusing them of perving on her. The attention brings round a gang of thugs, the girl is ready to fight and does well defending herself but Shinji is weakest of the two and manages to get punched in the face. The police are called in and they all scatter.

 

On his way to NERV, the base of the Evas. Shinji spots the red-haired girl and discovers that she is Asuka, the 2nd child.

 

Misato Katsuragi's ex-boyfriend arrives. Acting as Asuka's supervisor he has secretly delivered a foetus like specimen known as ADAM, the first human, and the possible reason why the Angel attacked Asuka on her journey to Tokyo 3. ADAM now belongs to Gendo Ikari.

 

As Rei's Eva is being repaired it forces Asuka and Shinji to team up and fight the next angel. Their lack of team work results in their fight being a complete failure and the Angel duplicating itself into two. Misato puts the two of them into a room together and sets up a training regimen to hopefully sync both Asuka and Shinji's biorhythms. Asuka tells Shinji that she has no father, and was chosen from a donated sperm by her mother, her raison d'etre is to pilot Eva, defeat the angels and to be acknowledged for it. She says it doesn't matter if she hasn't got a father, however, at night, Shinji hears Asuka crying and calling out to her mother in her sleep. Eventually Asuka's jealous and competitive nature is enough to help inspire the sympathetic Shinji and the two succeed in defeating the angel.

 

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There's a particular kind of magic that happens when a friend hands you a book they love, especially when that book is a manga. We Appreciate Manga captures that exact feeling, beginning each conversation with a personal recommendation before letting the discussion wander into deeper territory. Hosted by the team at We Appreciate Manga™, this series is less a formal review and more like eavesdropping on a thoughtful, sometimes rambling, chat between enthusiasts. You’ll hear them explore how specific stories resonate, why certain artistic choices matter, and the very real comfort these illustrated narratives can provide during difficult periods. It’s a celebration of the medium that goes beyond plot summaries to appreciate manga as a unique and powerful form of visual storytelling. Think of it as your audio companion to a vibrant, anime-adjacent book club where the panels come to life through conversation. New episodes of this podcast have been available since August 2022, offering a consistent space to connect with the art and heart of these stories.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

We Appreciate Manga
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