[EVA] Ritsuko mass murderess!

[Rachel K. Clark]

RJN wrote:

> What always..agitates me watching is the Rei clones' behaviour.
> Ritsuko appears to see them just as souless spare parts waiting to be
> cannabilised to patch up the "prime" Rei for Gendou.

They're never used as "spare parts" in that sense (otherwise I imagine Rei 2 
wouldn't have been incapacitated for so long). I always thought she just 
meant that they would act as new vessels for Rei's soul if one Rei died. 
(Although, DA-YAMN, they seem to have _far_ more clones than they could ever 
possibly need.)

> But watching the Reis in their tank, they each have different
> expressions, postures & each is moving independently .  They all react
> to Shinji's "Ayanami".
> Each has their own soul/personality, even if almost a blank
> template, otherwise they would be floating like lifeless mannequins.

The only cut in the anime where they seem to be really 'sentient' is the one 
where they rouse. After that, they all have these curious (creepy, even) 
vacant-eyed, gaping expressions. Sadamoto depicts them as sentient entities 
that react rather adversely to the "destrudo release", whereas the anime 
clones giggle with big, stupid grins on their faces to the very end. Ritsuko 
tells us that they don't have actual souls; I believe it.

Personally (and this is going by the anime version), I felt Ritsuko was more 
than justified. One detail I wonder about is the "destrudo release" -- did 
Ritsuko really destroy them, or did she allow them to destroy themselves?

-Reichu