Shinji awakes in a sarcophagus.
He is chained to a gurney and guards dressed in unknown uniform with blue berets are unambiguously afraid of him(or maybe uneasy being near him). Unknown girl is asking him questions like does he remember who he is. Shinji recollects the last moments of 2.0
Gurney then taken to a facility, that remotely resembles the old Nerv center, but defenetly not the same. There, Shinji meets Misato, RItsuko and some other characters from the old Nerv staff. All of them look different, all grown up and aged. Shinji is trying to ask questions, most of them being ignored. Soon he notices a device on this neck, the remote controller for which is in Misato’s possession. He tries asking what is it, but he’s being ignored again. Misato presses button on the remote and some symbols appear on the necklace - the device confirms that Shinji is still a human being. Shinji receives a bit more freedom now, but at this very moment new angel appears.
We now see that the base is situated somewhere in Arctic(or Antarctic), where the great fleet is fighting new underwater angel. The fleet is led by a flying ship Wunder, that uses S2 engines and is able to generate AT-field(Eva-01 is being used as a core of the ship), and that’s where main characters are.
Shinji asks what he need to do. He is willing to help, but Ritsuko coldly answers that he has already done enough.
During the fight with an angel Mari and Asuka using underwater equipment for Evas turn on ship’s S2 engine and take all the fleet and the angel, that was clinging to a flagship, into the air. Wunder destroys the angels using it main cannons(the angel is similar to the one Asuka and Mari were fighting in space).
When everything quiets down, Shinji is taken to an interrogation room. There he meets a lieutenant girl he was accompanied by. This appeares to be Suzuhara Sakura - Toji’s little sister. Shinji is a bit disoriented by all this stuff, because he remembers her as a 7-year girl, and now she is in her early 20s. Shinji is shocked to learn that since the last moments of 2.0 fourteen years have passed. He also told that his current sync-level is zero and he won’t be able to pilot Eva anymore.
Shinji tries to found out what happend to Ayanami Rei, as he remembers he had saved her. But he is told that the only thing that was found in a plug capsule besides him was his cassette player. It isn’t of any interest, so it’s being returned to him.
Asuka enters the room, it seems she hasn’t changed one bit. And she is totally not amused by seeing Shinji. She soon breaks down and demonstrates an inhuman strength by almost breaking up bulletproof glass with a fist(not sure if exaggeration). She looks a bit dissatisfied with her own emotional break down and says she was going to hold back, but couldn’t when she saw Shinji. When she is asked why does she looks the same as 14 years ago - she answers that this is Eva’s curse.
No other info is given in a movie, but it is implied that eva pilots do not age. Shinji is still confused and upset. It feels that everybody hate him and deny that he save Rei. At this moment he hears Ayanami’s voice in his head, it seems she is searching for him. He answers to her and this very moment the wall near him breaks and Eva, that looks like Eva-00, sticks it’s hand inside, asking to join her.
All ships open fire on Eva. Shinji is shocked that Misato’s forces attacking Eva. Misato tells him they are not part of Nerv now, but a new organization Wille, hostile to Nerv. It becomes obvious that Misato is aware of Human Instrumentality Project and aims to destroy all Nerv’s Evas. Despite Sakura begging Shinji not to follow Rei, Shinji, offended by Misato’s and others treatment and convinced they were lying about Rei - takes a step onto the Eva’s steel hand. The last thing he hears before loosing his consciousness is Sakura, who is begging him not to pilot Eva ever.
And here is the second part:
Spoiler for Second part of the story:
Mari, who is still in Eva-04 seat, tries to stop enemy Eva and blows up it’s hear from a pistol, but this doesn’t even slow down Rei - unknown Eva grows(fucking grows!) rocket engines(showing that similarities with Eva-00 are only on the outside) and flies away. Misato is ready to activate a bomb in Shinji’s necklace, but, despite Ritsuko’s demands she hesitates and after a couple of seconds Shinji are out of device’s signal range.
Shinji comes to senses in Nerv headquarters, Rei-9 is by his side - she is the one who saved him. Shinji meets his father, who turned gray by this time and do always wears glasses, like Keel Lorenz from the original series. Gendo does not tell Shinji much, just says that when the time comes - Shinji is gonna take place in eva’s seat once more.
For the next 40 minutes everything slows down. Shinji wanders around the ruins of Nerv headquarters, learns about the past bit by bit. For example - he learns that Third Impact took place and Tokyo-3 was destroyed, most likely with all people. Shinji realizes, that he is the one most likely responsible for the death of Tokyo-3 population including his classmates and friends. Shinji tries to find solace in the thought that at least he managed to save Ayanami. He finds Rei-9 in central dogma.
Alas, serial(mass-production, whatever) Rei is but a soulless clone. Rei lives in a room, separated by a cloth, like in a hospital room. Not having it’s own will, naked Rei-9 similar to a machine is awaiting orders in the room. She even puts plugsuit - her only peace of clothes, on Shinji’s request. Still not knowing who or what Rei-9 is, Shinji thinks she is the same Rei, who he tried to save. Shinji tries to stir her up, brings Rei’s favourite books to her, talks to her, all futile. In the end Fuyutsuki, while playing Go tell Shinji who Rei-9 is and that Reis - are clones of his mother Yui, and are nothing but raw material for serial Evas.
In very depressed state Shinji is getting closer with Kaoru - another inhabitant of this strange place. Kaoru fixes broken cassette player for Shinji and teaches him playing the piano, which is standing in one of the half-destroyed geofront facilities. Their relationship is more platonic than in tv series. And still Shiji finds solace in a person he sees as a friend. Shinji lives in a constant fear - of the past, future, the bomb on his neck, which he can’t take off. Although Kaoru takess it off without any difficulties and puts it on himself. His motives are unclear, but he manages to get closer to Shinji at calm him down.
At last, some time later, Eva-13 is finished. Eva-13 - is a special Evangelion for two people to operate, made specially for the ritual. Despite his zero sync rate, Shiji can easily control Evangelion, he is even happy he can be useful again. Together with Rei-9, who is the pilot of Eva-09, Eva-13 with Shinji and Kaoru descend to the final dogma, where they find beheaded Lilith body, pierced by two spears.
Gendo orders Shinji and Kaoru to pull out the spears and to start fourth impact, that will change(like in “correct”) the world. After the last 14 years SEELE members do not exist as humans anymore, thier consciousness was moved to monoliths. As a part of the ritual, Fuyutsuki turnes monoliths off, killing SEELE members, or using them as a sacrifice. Shinji and Kaoru are almost ready to take the spears, when Wille forces invade the dogma with Asuka and Mari with their Eva’s. Eva’s battle(Rei+Shinji+Kaoru vs Asuka and Mari). Asuka almost manages to defeat Eva-13, but she runs out of energy. While Mari put a new battery in Eva-02, Shinji and Kaoru manage to disable Mari’s Eva and to approach Lilith again. Shinji is about to pull out the spears and finish the retual, but now Kaoru is full of doubts - something is not right here. Despite Kaoru’s hesitation, Shinji pulls out the spears and Lilith body turns into LCL.
Wille’s Wunder flagship enters the battle with Misato onboard. Rei is given an order in this kind of situation - she connects her Eva to ship’s systems, leaving Wunder to it’s demise. But Asuka strikes! She attacks Eva-09 and forcefully catapults Eva-09 entry-plug with Rei-09, trying to stop the intrudion in Wunder computer systems. Alas, it seems that even without a pilot Eva’s program continues it’s task. Asuka activates Eva’s-02 self-destruction mechanism and catapults. Eva’s-02 explosion destroys Eva-09, but miraculously does no harm to Wunder.
The Fourth Impact starts, but the Shinji’s bomb on Kaoru’s neck detects him being an angel, and even though Kaoru can easily take it off, he decides to be killed and prevent the fourth impact. Kaoru stab Eva-13 with both spears, bomb goes off, Shinji(with Kaoru’s insides on him) catapults from Eva-13.
Some time after Asuka finds Shinji’s capsule, where he is sitting in a state close to catatonia after Kaoru’s death. Asuka puts him on his feet and somehow manages to bring him to his senses. The start their jorney somewhere to the horizont over the red desert, that is left after the latest events, a bit later Rei, who also survived, joins them. Later we see mutilated frames of Mari’s and Asukas Evas, being brought back on a platform as a part of Wille fleet.
and
Spoiler for preview:
Preview for the next movie shows us battle between serial Evas vs ghibrid Evangelion made up from the remains of Asuka’s and Rei’s Evas.
^ I hope my english didn't make it even more confusing...
I'll be the first one to comment on this then... LOVING these spoilers, this is pretty much a completely fresh take on Evangelion, just what this franchise needed. No more Deja Vus, no more comparisons, just a completely new story with familiar, but changed characters. I'm hyped.
Thanks for the translation, Konart. It cleared up quite a few things for me. I've got to say this doesn't sound bad at all. I too am happy we're getting something completely new now.
Now it seems like they've gone completely off the deep end right now. I guess I'll enjoy it when I see it, but not as much as what I think of Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's Eva Manga right now.
Who designed Shinji's fashion this time? Mari Okada?
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At this point Urobuchi doesn't deserve to be with the other two.
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It doesn't sound like my love is getting to you.
I will not lose anymore; I will not give up.
More passion than hope, much deeper than despair.... Love! Avatar/Sig courtesy of TheEroKing
Guild Wars 2 SN: ArchonWing.9480 MyAnimeList || Reviews