At 8 p.m., episode thirteen of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' aired smoothly.
"Finally, episode thirteen is here."
"By the way, is Asuka okay or not?!"
"From what we saw last time, she was in a coma due to severe injuries."
"Please don't make this episode too abstract—I really can't handle it!"
"This show is even more abstract than 'Rurouni Kenshin'! That one only used occasional symbolic visuals; 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' is basically symbolic the whole way through. I don't get any of it."
"Sigh, I'm still not over Kaworu Nagisa appearing in the last episode. He only showed up for half an episode, but he left such a deep impression."
"Don't even get me started. We, Rei Ayanami fans, are the ones who really got it bad. What the hell is that third-generation Rei? She's just Asuka's body with Rei's face. The Rei who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with Shinji Ikari, who actually smiled at him—that Rei is dead."
"And what the hell is an Angel, anyway? With all this Adam and Lilith stuff Jing Yu throws in, the religious vibes are just too much."
"Why do you think Jing Yu keeps setting his recent works in the virtual world of Blue Star? If this kind of plot were set in the Great Zhou, it would've caused major problems."
"Jing Yu really knows so much stuff. Even though it's a fictional world, the way he presents it makes it feel incredibly real."
"Obviously. Just look at the name of his company—Blue Star Media & Film Co. These Blue Star-based stories must've been in the works for a long time. He's just getting around to producing them now."
"Sigh, but Jing Yu is kind of going off the rails now. Yeah, we know he's insanely talented, but can he at least take our comprehension into account? You can't just cram what other shows do in three episodes into one. Watching this is exhausting—I keep feeling like I'm too dumb for it."
"Rei crushed her glasses with her own hands. Does this mean she's finally freed herself from Gendo Ikari's control, no longer blindly following him?"
"Damn, every character's had so much growth, but Jing Yu's pacing is too fast. These plot points could've easily been stretched over several episodes."
Just like episode twelve, episode thirteen was dense to the extreme. Every second had plot—no filler at all.
Within the first five minutes, the scene had already shifted four or five times: Gendo Ikari's break with his secret organization, parts of the truth behind the Human Instrumentality Project...
Shinji's collapse at a critical moment, and all the characters' psychological growth during this crisis.
Viewers were glued to the screen—there wasn't a single moment to even take a bathroom break. The plot was so thick, people had to pause constantly just to digest what was going on. Even fan group discussions died down compared to previous episodes.
But Yunteng TV's ratings told a different story—ten minutes into the broadcast, ratings had already surpassed 13%.
The viewers who understood the plot watched for the story. Those who didn't watch for the visuals.
Regardless of what people say online about 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' being overly abstract, it was hands-down the most talked-about drama in the Great Zhou's spring lineup. No question.
And the final battle in 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'? It shocked everyone—
It turned out to be a civil war.
Humans fighting humans.
Viewers were stunned.
What exactly is Gendo Ikari and the organization behind him trying to accomplish?
Once the rift between them became open, things devolved fast. What's the real purpose of the Human Instrumentality Project?
Why does Gendo Ikari disagree with the others ideologically? All these answers have actually been buried in the details of previous episodes.
Anyone who rewatches the show once or twice will gradually pick up on them. But for first-time viewers watching on TV in real time, it's totally disorienting.
That's exactly why Jing Yu didn't add any bonus content to the web release, unlike when he aired 'Fate/Zero.
There was no need. This show was never meant to be understood in one viewing. The confused TV viewers would naturally head online for replays.
Human civil war. Massacres.
And yet Shinji Ikari, who had been emotionally wrecked after killing Kaworu in the last episode, was completely indifferent. He shut himself in his room, apathetic and self-destructive. Even as enemies stormed in and put a gun to his head, he didn't react. While his comrades were slaughtered, he did nothing.
In the end, it was Misato Katsuragi who saved him.
The audience was furious.
"Are you kidding me? I just saved humanity, and now humanity wants to kill me?"
"But Shinji is way too pathetic. Can he grow a spine already?"
"Misato got shot—she better not die."
"This useless protagonist is infuriating. Still sulking in his own little world while people are dying. What a waste."
"Lamest male lead ever."
"If he weren't the main character, everyone around him would hate him."
"He still can't get it together? Misato already gave him two options: run, or get in the damn Eva. And he's just standing there? What the hell is wrong with him?"
"And then he says, 'Save me, Asuka!'—I'm so disgusted by this guy."
"Misato just chewed him out."
"Good! He deserved it!"
"Hell yeah, finally someone said what we were all thinking."
"Misato is a badass. Someone needed to yell at this loser."
---
"Get your act together already."
"I don't wanna. I want to die."
"What are you talking about? You're clearly still alive. Then get your act together already."
But when a person really wants to die, there's no stopping them. And when someone says they want to die, yet keeps on living, what they're really hoping is for someone—anyone—to save them.
That's who Shinji Ikari is: someone who always cracks at critical moments. He and 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' are made for each other.
The higher the artistic level of 'Evangelion', the more irritating his character becomes—because he's just an ordinary person. A person with ordinary talent, ordinary willpower, ordinary emotional resilience, thrust into the position of a hero. And this is the result.
The story then shifts to Misato's perspective, revealing that humanity is the 18th Angel, and that Gendo Ikari's group plans to trigger Third Impact and destroy all of humanity.
Governments around the world respond.
Mass-production EVA units are deployed to attack the base.
Asuka wakes up.
The final battle of the show is set.
No more Angels. The last war is between the shadowy organization SEELE, the world's governments, and Shinji's base.
It's full-on warfare. Missiles, planes, firearms—nonstop action.
And Asuka? She feels the presence of her mother's soul inside EVA Unit-02. Her deep emotional wounds, stemming from her lack of love, begin to heal. And with that, she comes back in full force.
This part of the plot is subtle, and many viewers were confused. But what followed was Asuka's solo EVA-02 battle showcase, so no one really dwelled on the previous scenes.
But that emotional healing was important. Because it's why, later in the Human Instrumentality Project, Asuka rejects merging with Shinji. It's a key piece of foreshadowing—only, most viewers didn't recognize it at the time. They were too busy hyping up Asuka's epic battle.
The audience, who had been emotionally crushed for half the episode, suddenly came back to life.
After watching Shinji's pathetic breakdown for half an episode while everyone else got slaughtered...
In the end, it had to be Asuka who stepped up.