Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Best Girl Thread

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Which is the best girl in Neon Genesis Evangelion

  • Asuka

    Votes: 2 40.0%
  • Asuka

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Asuka

    Votes: 2 40.0%
  • Asuka

    Votes: 1 20.0%

  • Total voters
    5

Bartholen

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If you consider all those redeeming qualities, that says a lot about you. Then you and Asuka are match made in hell. So giving her personality, I highly doubt she want to do anything with you. for the record, I'm talking about your 14-year-old self. Whatever age you are right now, she wouldn't want to deal with you either.

Don't bother with that guy. He's clearly just hungry for attention and trying to get a rise out of people.
 
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BrawlMan

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Don't bother with that guy. He's clearly just hungry for attention and trying to get a rise out of people.
Oh, I know. I was just throwing his crap right back at him in his face. I have nothing left to say to him.
 

09philj

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I do not understand how anyone could look at Eva's emotionally broken, underage female protagonists and somehow feel a single ounce of sexual attraction. Nor do I understand the similar levels of loathing some people have towards Asuka. She is a 15 (14?) year old girl who has suffered tremendous mistreatment and her acting out is not at all surprising. Her childhood was filled with misery and abuse, so it's no wonder she constantly wants to be treated like an adult, and the fact that she can't behave like one is not a mark against her since she's, you know, a child who's been raised in the opposite of a supportive environment.
 
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BrawlMan

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I do not understand how anyone could look at Eva's emotionally broken, underage female protagonists and somehow feel a single ounce of sexual attraction. Nor do I understand the similar levels of loathing some people have towards Asuka. She is a 15 (14?) year old girl who has suffered tremendous mistreatment and her acting out is not at all surprising. Her childhood was filled with misery and abuse, so it's no wonder she constantly wants to be treated like an adult, and the fact that she can't behave like one is not a mark against her since she's, you know, a child who's been raised in the opposite of a supportive environment.
The main problem with Asuka that she's been such a petulant and unsympathetic brat, that by the time we see her backstory, most of us are beyond caring nor sympathizing with her. I remember seeing evangelion on back when I was 16 on adult swim, and I hated it. With Asuka being part of the main issue. The other problem being that the show was not that good, and just used symbolism for the sake of it or to look cool, and was just so far up its own ass. I know Hideaki Anno was going through a mental breakdown and saw mental help after production, but I hate the show, plain and simple. Hell, go to the previous page and look at my post where I put up the two videos of Bennett explaining why he doesn't like her along with other problems with the show.
 
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Bedinsis

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I did read the manga back in the day. I related to the protagonist Shinji. I might have been projecting but my take-away was that he wasn't really interested in pursuing a romantic relationship. What with it being the first time in forever his father had actually made contact with him and only then because he wanted him to operate a weapon of mass destruction and the fate of the world resting on his shoulders and the father hardly being dad of the year material, I thought he had enough on his mind without getting involved in a relationship. Plus since when Kaji as a joke asked if Misato still looked funny when sleeping Asuka and Misato looked flustered whereas Shinji failed to catch what was wrong I think my interpretation is a valid one.

While reading the manga I think Rei was the female character I most appreciated. There was a scene where Shinji dared to open up about all of his qualms mentioned above to her and he mostly talked to get it out of his system, not really caring what Rei thought, where Rei in essence said that they must pilot the Evas. Which I read as her, despite being very withdrawn still realized that despite everything the fate of the world still rested on their shoulders and that was more important than their psychological issues. Back then I admired characters that had a cause they lived for, and were willing to sacrifice themselves for it, and the fate of the world is most certainly a worthwhile one. In the next scene she says that she will do what the commander(Shinji's dad) will tell her to do, which I read as additional commitment to the cause.

Since then I've found out that her dedication was meant to be off-putting and a commentary on how some otakus view women, and I've become very much more doubtful about self-sacrifice as a whole. But still, if I must pick I'm gonna go with Rei.
 
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Bartholen

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about the manga
Having both read the manga and seen the anime multiple times, I can say with absolute confidence that of the 2 versions of the character manga Rei is the one with an actual character. What in the anime remains merely hinted at and poorly explained at best is elaborated much more in the manga (though it still remains bizarre and confusing), and there's actual character depth to her. There's a moment towards the end where Rei and Shinji realize that the connection they might have had at some point has faded away, and it's genuinely touching.

In the anime Rei remains an emotionless husk, a total cypher all the way through. I talked to a guy who'd watched the series the whole way through for the very first time, and he thought Rei had been a robot. There's a few moments where further subplots or character exploration involving Rei might be coming, but it never leads anywhere.

Her childhood was filled with misery and abuse, so it's no wonder she constantly wants to be treated like an adult
This is hardly accurate. The defining moment of her childhood is traumatic, yes, but that's pretty much it. After that she's fostered in a wealthy, caring family, goes to the best schools and generally has everything set for her. Again, you could make an argument about her being neglected in her foster family (which is flimsy at best), but that's hardly having a childhood "filled with misery and abuse".
 
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09philj

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Having both read the manga and seen the anime multiple times, I can say with absolute confidence that of the 2 versions of the character manga Rei is the one with an actual character. What in the anime remains merely hinted at and poorly explained at best is elaborated much more in the manga (though it still remains bizarre and confusing), and there's actual character depth to her. There's a moment towards the end where Rei and Shinji realize that the connection they might have had at some point has faded away, and it's genuinely touching.

In the anime Rei remains an emotionless husk, a total cypher all the way through. I talked to a guy who'd watched the series the whole way through for the very first time, and he thought Rei had been a robot. There's a few moments where further subplots or character exploration involving Rei might be coming, but it never leads anywhere.


This is hardly accurate. The defining moment of her childhood is traumatic, yes, but that's pretty much it. After that she's fostered in a wealthy, caring family, goes to the best schools and generally has everything set for her. Again, you could make an argument about her being neglected in her foster family (which is flimsy at best), but that's hardly having a childhood "filled with misery and abuse".
Rei's definitely not as well realised as she could have been in the anime, although the overall effect of this frighteningly disengaged girl with no real regard identity beyond following Gendo's instructions is pleasingly unsettling IMO. (And, again, why do people think this is attractive?)
 

fOx

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ITT: Escapists crying over the anime that criticizes escapism.

Truly the last intelligent bastion of the internet.
You know, they deny it, but then they post bennet the sage, a fat naked mole rat who admitted to only watching Ghost in the Shell because he heard it had tits.

Also, I'm not sure how anyone can criticize asuka, when shinji is the wildly more toxic character. Him and his father are toxic masculinity personified.
 

Casual Shinji

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How DARE you...

Pen Pen was the glue that kept that entire household and you're just tossing that aside!!!!
He was an absentee father, and you know it! Always retreating to his fridge whenever there was an argument.
 

tippy2k2

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He was an absentee father, and you know it! Always retreating to his fridge whenever there was an argument.
He was going to go get food for everyone!

All I know is when I'm angry, I'm told to eat a Snickers and I'll be better. Pen Pen was just getting everyone a Snickers to help defuse the situation!!!!
 

bluegate

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I liked the second ( ? ) Rei character when she was coming out of her shell and making attempts to be more social, too bad she died and that soon after the anime ditched its "Monster of The Week" format and tried to have a complex story, or whatever that was.

Oh, and fuck this "best girl" shit, even as a joke. Yuck.
Also, this.
 

BrawlMan

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You know, they deny it, but then they post bennet the sage, a fat naked mole rat who admitted to only watching Ghost in the Shell because he heard it had tits.
Bennett actually became a better person and improved himself. I don't see that coming from you. If that's all you got on him, then you suck at insults.
 

fOx

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Bennett actually became a better person and improved himself. I don't see that coming from you. If that's all you got on him, then you suck at insults.
Hey, good for him for getting in shape. That's more then I expected from a man, uh, child.

He's still a bad critic, though. Neon Genesis isn't above criticism. But basing your entire analysis on an inaccurate 90's English dub, and then quitting half way through, isn't exactly the height of film criticism. Even by the woefully low standards of anime reviewers, bennet's uniquely terrible. He should stick to writing those cringey zone tan video's he works on. Music about jacking it to hentai monsters is more in line with his skills, and, frankly, his interests.
 
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Shadyside

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I really should read the manga. From what little I saw, it had a lot of good info on the world and lore of the story. And there was more interactions with the characters.
 

BrawlMan

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Hey, good for him for getting in shape. That's more then I expected from a man, uh, child.
Says the one acting like a child. He is man with standards and at least admits his mistakes. Instead of pretending to be a man by acting like bratty kid who wines for not getting something he can't have.

He's still a bad critic, though.
In your opinion. He had problems at first, but has definitely improved by a huge margin. He's not the best, but I do not care. I find him trustworthy for the most part. A lot of his old reviews from 2012-2013 he either regrets, does not look fondly on, or feels he could have done better. Bennett's stated this multiple times, but that's your fault for not listening. It's your choice. As far as I am concerned, he's more of a man or adult than you and a lot of critics on YouTube.


But basing your entire analysis on an inaccurate 90's English dub, and then quitting half way through, isn't exactly the height of film criticism
I get it and I understand to an extent, but you're going to act like a jerk because he had a bad review. Whoopdee-doo! There are episodes I don't like either. His Street Fighter II video review, and latter half of his Fist of the Northstar review. But I am not going to belittle or drop him altogether, because of a few missteps.

Even by the woefully low standards of anime reviewers, bennet's uniquely terrible. He should stick to writing those cringey zone tan video's he works on. Music about jacking it to hentai monsters is more in line with his skills, and, frankly, his interests.
Thank you for proving how immature you are with a "profound" statement like that. Ya done? Ya been doin' the same spiel whenever Bennett's brought up, cuz you ain't got nothin' worthwhile to say or add.
 

fOx

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Says the one acting like a child. He is man with standards and at least admits his mistakes. Instead of pretending to be a man by acting like bratty kid who wines for not getting something he can't have.


In your opinion. He had problems at first, but has definitely improved by a huge margin. He's not the best, but I do not care. I find him trustworthy for the most part. A lot of his old reviews from 2012-2013 he either regrets, does not look fondly on, or feels he could have done better. Bennett's stated this multiple times, but that's your fault for not listening. It's your choice. As far as I am concerned, he's more of a man or adult than you and a lot of critics on YouTube.



I get it and I understand to an extent, but you're going to act like a jerk because he had a bad review. Whoopdee-doo! There are episodes I don't like either. His Street Fighter II video review, and latter half of his Fist of the Northstar review. But I am not going to belittle or drop him altogether, because of a few missteps.


Thank you for proving how immature you are with a "profound" statement like that. Ya done? Ya been doin' the same spiel whenever Bennett's brought up, cuz you ain't got nothin' worthwhile to say or add.
Now, I may be a morbidly obese dwarf that picks cheeto's out of his chest hair, but even I have enough self respect not to work with Nostalgia Critic.

You defend him by saying that it's unfair to judge him based on his older reviews, but almost all of the video's I've criticized were the ones you yourself posted. If you acknowledge that the video's posted were of poor quality, and he apparently regrets them, then why did you post them at all? I assume you posted them because you thought they had something of value to say. I've poked fun at him, but even you had to admit that my actual criticism of his videos was valid. Or maybe you do think his NGE video's were good? In which case you're going to have to explain to me how reviewing half of a film based entirely on a faulty translation is good criticism. I have no doubt that good criticism of NGE exists, it just doesn't come from bennet the sage.