[EVA] Some stuff

[Robert Day]

Jonathan Gaters <katarnx2b at netzero.net> wrote
(Quoting Bochan_bird):
> > In Shinji's case, Ritsuko said that Shinji's genetic material was still
> > present inside the plug -- dissolved into the LCL -- the "soup of life".
> > In Yui/Rei's case all they would need is some of this genetic material.
> 
>     As I understand it the soup of life was a bunch of monomers and a few
> polymers. There was no DNA. At the most, all there would be left would be a
> few broken strands of RNA. Which leads me back to my thinking that the
> writers of the RCB were on crank when they wrote it. Either that or just
> wanted to make some money and didn't care about the fans.

I don't know about the RCB, but the literal translation project renders the 
relevant scene thus :

  Maya: Shinji-kun's body is supposed to be drifting in the entry plug
            in a quantum form, because it lost its ego-border.

  Misato: You mean that Shinji has become something which we
              can't identify visibly?

  Maya: Exactly. The LCL ingredients in the plug changed chemically
            are now similar to the sea water of the primitive earth.

  Misato: Primordial soup...

  Ritsuko: All of the materials which formed Shinji-kun are still in the
               plug. What could be called his soul exits there, too. In fact, 
               his ego image gives pseudosubstance to his plugsuit.

I know the LTP is not the best possible idiomatic translation, however, the 
use of the term "quantum" implies the smallest possible fragments.  Also, as 
Jonathan points out, the "primordial soup" is not usually supposed to contain 
DNA, or even large RNA fragments.  So no genetic material as we would 
normally understand the term.

Now, this could be dodgy translation, or a dodgy understanding by the 
original writers; or they really could mean that Shinji has been reduced to 
his component elements, which would give the scene added impact.  Again, 
Bochan_bird's access to the source text could help clarify this.

Note that all the efforts to recover Shinji revolve around metaphysical 
attempts to recover his soul, which would presumably then give form to his 
body (restoring his AT field in SeventhOne's terms ???).  Interestingly, at 
no time do they suggest extracting some DNA, creating and forcing a clone and 
then transferring his soul into that, in much the same way as we assume Rei 
was made.

That would not work dramatically, of course, but would it be a possible 
solution within the frame of reference of the Evaverse?  It would appear so.

Rob.



robday at cyllene.uwa.edu.au

Accept the possibility of all things,
and the certainty of none.