[EVA]Hospital Bedside Antics

[Rachel K. Clark]

RJN wrote:

> @If you are referring to her sympathetic hand on the back of his hand,
> its not a sexual overture, but maybe she's offering a
> motherly/sisterly comfort hug. Nothing more. Misato is not sexually
> inclined towards Shinji, but does feel protective of him.

Filmbook 9 says,

"Misato reaches for Shinji's hand. Here, she may have intended to comfort 
Shinji by offering her body. However, it was nothing more than compensatory 
behavior to distract her from her own loneliness."



The "overture" to Shinji makes an appearance in The Case of Misato 
Katsuragi, where its true nature seems to be somewhat unambiguously 
revealed.



***

(Flashback)

SHINJI:
Stop it, Misato-san!



(Character Commentary)

MISATO:
Sometimes, I lose all hope for myself! I hate it!



IBUKI:
Filth, you're so dirty.



RITSUKO:
You're pathetic.

***



Misato follows up her failed manuever with the bloody "adult kiss" and an 
alarming promise ("we'll do the rest when you get back"). Later, she shows 
Shinji her sexual side in Instrumentality (her boinking marathon with Kaji 
in college) -- a bit suspect of her, and Shinji's reaction isn't especially 
positive.



This all seems to have been foreshadowed all the way back in #02, when 
Misato 'jokingly' commented to Ritsuko on the phone, "It's not like I'm 
going to pull the moves on him or anything."



That's just some of the main points off the top of my head. (The matter 
comes up a lot at the forums I go to.)



(Re: the filmbook comment -- oddly enough, taking Shinji under her wing in 
the first place might be considered a sort of "compensatory behavior" 
against loneliness.)


> I always wonder how Misato (& Ritsuko) would have changed things, or
> not, had they been present when Shinji was fighting Toji's
> Eva-turned-angel. Would Misato have been successful in coaxing Shinji
> to remain in control & destroy the Eva & so perhaps left the plug
> unharmed? Would she have got to, or been allowed to tell Shinji it was
> Toji?

There actually may not have been any avoiding the destruction of the plug 
either way. I can provide some links to the relevant posts if you're curious 
as to why.

> @If one thing has (always) made Shinji seem a little screwloose, its
> his wanting acceptance by Asuka beyond physical attraction, knowing
> how cruel, insensitive, self-centred she is, & how opposite in
> character to him.

Their "coping mechanisms" may be responsible for the polarization present in 
the two. Beneath it all, they seem to be the same basic creature. Asuka has 
a thing for Shinji, too, although dealing with those feelings, and seeing 
herself in him, elicits the usual volatile reactions.

> The other 2 boys have nothing to do with her & even
> seem turned-off - heads screwed on right. They know Misato is the real
> babe of NERV HQ.

Well, Misato's had a little more time to work through her personal issues. 
;;>

--Reichu