Misato, who reveals the rumours to be true, finally confirms Shinji's suspicions concerning the second branch of NERV and EVA-04 along with its experimental S2 engine. Apparently Unit 03's scheduled for arrival at the Matsushiro test facility today and so Misato's off to over see the initial activation of the Eva, however, she assures Shinji that all will be ok, and that she'll be back in the afternoon. Again she can't bring herself to reveal the identity of the fourth child who will pilot the Eva during its first activation test.
Toji reluctantly accepts the responsibility of becoming the pilot for Unit 03, however, he only does so on the condition that his little sister be transferred to one of NERV's private hospitals where she'll receive specialist care and treatment. Although Toji attends school as usual, he spends most of the day out of class contemplating what he's let himself in for, his new behaviour also arouses suspicion in both Shinji and Kensuke who's desperate to be chosen as a future Eva pilot.
Unit 03 finally arrives at Matsushiro and the test gets immediately under way despite Misato's lack of enthusiasm, but what would normally be a routine test by now, turns into a nightmarish disaster when the thirteenth Angel, Bardiel, is detected within the Eva's body! With Unit 03 out of control and running amok Commander Ikari classifies the Eva as the thirteenth Angel and orders its destruction. Asuka takes a severe beating failing to stop the Eva, Rei also aborts the mission when the Angel merges with Unit 00's arm forcing NERV to cut it off, however, Shinji just can't bring himself to attack the Eva, he doesn't want to risk harming the pilot whoever he or she may be.
With Units 00 and 02 out of action and Shinji at the mercy of the Angel, Commander Ikari orders the activation of Unit 01's dummy plug. Despite having carried out no prior testing of the dummy plug system and vigorous objections from Maya, the order to initiate the system is carried out. With the dummy plug active Shinji can only scream and look on in horror as he is unable to prevent Unit 01 from literally ripping Unit 03 apart.
Genesis 0:10/Episode 19 - A Man's Fight
Seeing the wounded pilot being pulled from the Unit 03 wreckage to be Toji is too much for Shinji to cope with, as a result Shinji's mind finally lets go and almost snaps. He refuses to leave the cockpit of Unit 01, starts threatening to level NERV with the remaining battery power he has available to him and almost goes so far as to telling his father face to face that he hates him. In the end Shinji is forcedly removed from the cockpit as ordered by an impatient Commander Ikari who Shinji later finds himself answering to. Though instead of confronting his father and letting go of his anger, Shinji chooses again to run away and resigns as the pilot of Unit 01.
Fortunately Toji recovers and is visited by Hikari Horaki, supposedly the concerned class representative of class 2-A, but there's more to her visit than mere concern. Hikari has recently become extremely fond of Toji, however, she still can't seem to find the right time to express her feelings towards him.
The fourteenth Angel, Zeruel, arrives along with all its destructive power intent on reaching Adam in terminal Dogma. With one shot it's able to penetrate eighteen layers of the defensive armour plating surrounding the geo front. Due to the Angels awesome power, Misato has Asuka intercept the Angel directly in front of NERV HQ, however, despite Asuka's valiant effort in trying to stop the Angel, Unit 02 is completely ripped apart and its head sent crashing into the nearest shelter. Unable to synchronise with Unit 01, Rei goes out in Unit 00 minus one arm. She takes with her an N2 mine and attempts to penetrate the Angel's AT field blowing it to hell and back. Unfortunately Rei fails.
Having not yet left, Shinji witnesses the whole horrific battle. Unable to sit back and watch as his friends are mercilessly butchered, coupled with a few words from Kaji, who for some reason is out watering melons whilst everyone else is busy evacuating, Shinji races back to NERV demanding to pilot Unit 01. As the dummy plug fails to respond, NERV send out Shinji in Unit 01, but they couldn't have predicted the events to come as Shinji achieves a synchronisation ratio of four hundred percent finally awakening the savage Eva beast.
Genesis 0:10/Episode 20 - Form Of The Mind, Form Of The Man
With the savage Eva beast of Unit 01 now fully aware, it starts to mercilessly devour its fallen opponent; the fourteenth Angel, and in doing so takes the Angel's S2 engine into itself. It then starts tearing off its armour, which was installed by NERV purely to contain the Eva binding it to their will thus allowing them to control it. With these restraints now partially removed, NERV find themselves facing the possibility of their own creation, or rather their adapted copy, running wild in side the geo front.
Fortunately NERV are able to freeze the Eva allowing them to work on repairing it whilst in stasis. Also both Units 00 and 02 sustained serious damage during the Angel's onslaught and as for the pilots, whilst Asuka and Rei survived the incident, Shinji still remains trapped inside Unit 01. With NERV HQ partially destroyed and part of central Dogma exposed, NERV decide to temporarily move location to their secondary control centre where they can continue to operate. Of course none of this was in accordance with SEELE's, otherwise known as the UN committee, predictions and the committee becomes somewhat disturbed by the recent events.
Unable to get Shinji out of Unit 01's entry plug, Ritsuko's staff engage the plug's internal monitors allowing then to check on Shinji's status. But when the monitors reveal the plug to be empty, Ritsuko finds herself admitting to the truth behind the four hundred percent synchronisation ratio, and the fact that it's not the first time that an accident like this has occurred. She reveals that the first time this exact incident occurred was during her mother's era, and that the pilot underwent some form of change due to the LCL, Link Connection Liquid, in the plug.
Although the late Naoko Akagi, Ritsuko's mother, came up with a way to recompose the pilot with the MAGI's support, their rescue attempt was unsuccessful and the pilot's soul lost within the Eva, however, Misato isn't just about to give up on Shinji and so the operation goes ahead. But when all's said and done, Shinji can only return to his material existence if he wants to. Though considering what he's been through recently, this may well not be the case.
Genesis 0:11/Episode 21 - The Birth Of NERV
It would appear that Gendo has almost pushed NERV's fragile relationship with SEELE to the limit. The committee becomes outraged with NERV's latest unauthorised creation, a God, that is Unit 01 equipped with an S2 engine. In response to this the committee kidnap Kouzou in an attempt to learn of Gendo's true intentions. Meanwhile NERV's second intelligence section begins a thorough investigation into the vice commander's disappearance. With Kaji kicked off the combat roster after his true occupation became somewhat public knowledge and his present where a bouts unknown, Misato finds herself the prime target of NERV's investigation.
With the relationship between SEELE and their implementation organisation, NERV, now breaking down, the committee forcefully insist that Kouzou drag up the past thus allowing them to attempt to build a profile of the man they mistakenly put in charge of NERV, and the human instrumentality project.
Kaji manages to track down Kouzou and sets the vice commander free from SEELE's hold. This kind of action is not without its drastic consequences, but all that Kaji is interested in is uncovering the mysteries behind the second impact, Adam and the arrival of the Angels. He realises that distinguishing between the lies and the truths surrounding NERV is far too overwhelming for one man, and an almost impossibility in the little time remaining in SEELE's scenario. He therefore risks seeking information from Kouzou first hand. NERV intelligence finally catch up with Kaji, though not before he is able to pass on his knowledge. Kaji is killed.
With her artificial family falling apart around her and her lover dead, Misato breaks down in tears. Shinji is unable to comfort her, he still finds it hard to open up to others and to confront his emotions, all he can do is bury his feelings and run away from them, again.
Genesis 0:11/Episode 22 - At Least, Be Humane
Asuka's self confidence takes yet another beating as she comes under pressure from Ritsuko following her latest set of poor synchronisation results. What with yet another defeat under her belt, the latest being from the fifteenth Angel, and being saved again by Shinji, Asuka's mind sinks into a state of depression dragging up her troubled past, in particular her mother's, Kyoko Zeppelin Souryu, suicide.
Misato learns that the go ahead for the construction of Units 05 to 13 has just been approved by the committee, and that the immediate construction of the Evas is taking place at seven different locations around the world. Considering the committee's past reluctance in increasing the existing budget for the construction of Evas, Misato suspects SEELE's up to something without consulting NERV first.
Asuka's synchronisation ratio hits rock bottom and at the worst possible moment as the fifteenth Angel, Arael, shows up, that is in orbit. Despite Misato's orders Asuka takes up the point position in Unit 02, with Unit 00 as backup, determined not to fail yet again. Unit 01, however, is held back as ordered by Gendo without given reason. NERV's plan it to snipe the Angel with a positron rifle as soon as it enters Unit 02's range, but this is quickly amended as the Angel psychically attacks Asuka's mind crippling Unit 02. Direct hits from Unit 00 on the Angel's AT field have no effect from such long distance, therefore Gendo orders the use of the lance of Longinus held within NERV's LCL manufacturing plant.
Despite objections from both Kouzou and Misato, and without prior approval from the committee, Gendo's order stands and so Rei heads down to terminal Dogma in Unit 00 where she pulls the lance from the chest of, the so called, Adam. NERV claim the third impact to be the result of an Angel coming into contact with Adam, but then why risk the outcome of what NERV apparently were setup to avoid in obtaining the lance, and why risk setting Adam free along with the probable loss of the lance? These unanswered questions arouse Misato's suspicions further, but with Unit 00 now in possession of the most powerful projectile known to man, time is finally up for the sixteenth Angel.
Genesis 0:12/Episode 23 - Tear
With the latest Angel confrontation adding further to the extent of damage to Tokyo-3, all of Shinji's classmates leave, along with most of the city's inhabitants, for the fear of losing their lives. To add to Shinji's loneliness, Asuka goes missing, and Misato continues to shut her self off from the outside world. The only person that Shinji can still talk to is Rei, but this soon changes as the sixteenth Angel, Armisael, arrives.
NERV send in both Units 00 and 02, now having tracked down Asuka, again Unit 01 is held back as ordered by Gendo. The latest Angel has the ability to change its form at will, and as a result of this is able to outmanoeuvre and come into direct contact with Unit 00, where upon it starts to merge with the Eva. The Angel's invasion of Unit 00 proceeds at a frightening rate, and when NERV learn of Asuka's inability to synchronise with her Eva due to her current mental state, Gendo is left with no other choice but to sortie Unit 01, however, this action doesn't help at all as the Angel is just too agile for any Eva to combat. Unwilling to allow the Angel to merge with Unit 01, Rei initialises Unit 00's self destruct sequence whilst remaining in the Eva maintaining its AT field, that is its grasp on the Angel. The Angel is destroyed, the mission completed though at a price, Unit 00 is lost and Rei is killed.
It is later revealed that Rei was in fact not killed, however, she now seems like a completely different person. What with the loss of Unit 00 as well as the lance of Longinus and Gendo's newly found God, Unit 01, SEELE mark the beginning of the end of their fragile relationship with NERV by demanding the pilot of Unit 00 delivered to them, presumably to replace the loss of their last catspaw, Kouzou. Instead though, Gendo sends Ritsuko to be indecently interrogated by SEELE.
Like mother like daughter, Ritsuko learns of Gendo's betrayal of love towards her in that her secret lover saw fit to recreate Rei ultimately proving his ongoing love for Yui. Out of vengeance Ritsuko reveals the truth about Rei to Misato and Shinji, that Rei is in fact the core of the dummy plug system, that Gendo has created multiple copies of her body and how all of which are no more than empty husks. Revenge driven, Ritsuko destroys the entire dummy plug system.
Genesis 0:12/Episode 24 - The Final Messenger
Due to Asuka's inability to pilot Unit 02, NERV plan for the arrival of a new pilot, the fifth child, Kaoru Nagisa. Whilst at the same time Ritsuko finds her self subjected to interrogation whilst being detained for her actions by NERV.
The fifth child arrives and immediately takes a liking to Shinji, however, NERV, in particular Misato, are more than a little suspicious concerning the boy's arrival. Like Rei, all of his past records have been erased, except for one detailing his date of birth, and furthermore NERV determine the fact that he is capable of achieving any synchronisation ratio with Unit 02, even before they reconfigured the Eva for the child.
With Asuka now being treated for depression in NERV's hospital, and the third copy of Rei busy contemplating the reason for her existence, Shinji is now utterly alone. He can't even talk to Misato who has now immersed herself in investigating NERV aided by information from her late lover, and Ritsuko has disappeared too. Though his loneliness isn't to last as he becomes very close with Kaoru; Shinji inexplicably finds him self talking to Kaoru about his past and what he's been through. In fact Shinji takes an extreme risk, for him that is, in that he places his trust in Kaoru, however, his trust soon turns out to have been well and truely misplaced.
Unit 02 mysteriously activates and starts descending towards terminal Dogma. Asuka is still in hospital though, and the Eva unmanned! NERV soon identify the person in remote control of Unit 02 to be Kaoru, the seventeenth Angel! SEELE have sent the final messenger directly to NERV! Unit 01 is immediately rolled out to prevent the Angel from reaching terminal Dogma, but it's too late as Kaoru breaches the final security seal, thus opening heavens door.
Finally, an Angel reaches Adam, or so it would have been the case were the giant in terminal Dogma actually Adam, not in fact Lilith, that is humanity's mother. Realising this distracts Kaoru, giving Shinji enough time to defeat Unit 02 and restrain Kaoru. Now Shinji must carry out the last wish of his newest friend, an end to life eternal, else let humanity suffer the consequences.
Genesis 0:13/Episode 25 - The End Of The World
With the third Angel through to the sixteenth destroyed, SEELE took it upon themselves to instigate the third impact using the seventeenth Angel, Kaoru, created in humanity's image by the secret organisation its self, thus allowing it to realise and manipulate the outcome of the instrumentality of man. With the death of Kaoru, crushed to death at the hands of Unit 01 piloted by Shinji, however, came the death of SEELE's attempt to bring about their goal.
Now that the seventeenth Angel has been eliminated, there's no longer anything to prevent Gendo form achieving his own secret agenda. When Yui died whilst attempting to synchronise with Unit 01, Gendo made use of NERV's resources to contain his wife's soul within a body created in part from an Angel. That body and soul became what is known as Rei. Rei was not created solely for the purpose of acting as a dummy plug for the Eva series, or indeed to fill the emptiness in Gendo's life after his wife's death, Rei was in fact created primarily for the sole purpose of instigating the third impact.
With both the key elements required to initiate the artificial instrumentality of man, that is both Lilith and Rei, and with all seventeen Angels destroyed, Gendo get set to bring about his own vision of the third impact, that is the creation of a single perfect entity formed from the unity of all human souls. In this way Gendo intends to be reunited with his wife, Yui, once more, a selfish act, yet an act blinded by love.
And thus the instrumentality of man begins...
Genesis 0:13/Episode 26 - The Beast That Shouted "I" At The Heart Of The World
To successfully summarise what goes on in this particular episode, and to a large extent the previous one as well, without writting an essay is almost impossible. Both episodes 25 and 26 comprise of a selection of brief animated sequences, static images and text which are mostly pulled from the other previous episodes.
GAINAX has managed to successfully take a firm grasp of its audience's attention from the very beginning of the series, subjecting them to the experiences of each of the series' characters in great detail, in particular those of Shinji, and ultimately promise an ending to end all endings. But is this what you get? Well...sort of.
Writer/director Hideaki Anno twists and turns the plot around completely in the series' final hour delivering a finale with a chronic difference to anything you or I have likely to have seen before. To quote part of an interpretation of the series' finale from an article written by Jonathan Clements in Manga Max (formally known as Manga Mania) issue 3 on page 30, because I'm stuck for words on this one,
'And the evil, invading Angels? Oh, they've gone. This was never about them, it was about Shinji, the pilot sent to fight them. These episodes take place inside his head, as he thinks through his place in the universe.'
and there you go. I can't really sum up the goings on in this final installment of such a fantastic series, you'll just have to take a risk and go out and buy/rent it and make up your own mind about it. What I can say though, is that if you are expecting all the loose endings to be delt with and neatly tied up, along with a fight sequence to end all Anime giant robot genre fight sequences, a little romance, as well as the vital odd bit of death and destruction, then...you ain't gonna get it. That's what 'End of Evangelion' is for.
