[EVA] REI AYANAMI

[Ayanami^Rei]

At 08:26 AM 11/7/97 -0600, you wrote:
>
>>Question time, cast your minds back to ep.1. Shinji trying to use the phone
>>as the Angel makes an appearance. He turns round and sees a schoolgirl in
>>the mid distance, turns round, looks again and she's gone. The figure looks
>>like Rei and I'm bloody sure it's Rei, but she isn't injured. Does this
>>mean Gendou has 2 Rei's on the go at once ( lucky devil  ), is it Rei III,
>>or just one of those stunts Anno pulls to mess with your mind ?
>
>I always figured it to be a figment of Shinji's mind, or maybe a
>premonition.  I don't see why Rei would just appear on him, then suddenly
>disappear... but who knows?  I've been trying to figure out what relevence
>it might have, but I'm inclined to believe it's be left as an unexplained
>loose-end that no one (except me) really cares about.

Its an atmosphere thing, really.  It sets up the subdued, haunting aspect
that underlines the series as a whole but is suppressed, especially in the
early-mid segment of the series.  The scene could represent anything, but
like most of everything in Eva, could mean nothing.  Maybe Anno thought it
might look cool for Ayanami to appear and disappear like some spectre, or a
doppleganger.  Whatever the case, this isn't the first time this scene has
been brought up on this mailing list, and as far as I know, nobody has ever
come up with a sufficiently definite explanation for it all.