SUBTITLE: Episode #01   Angel Attack

BGM START: E-6 [ANGEL ATTACK]

Reichu: This song is so much fun! It's ominous in a really cheesy way, and it's catchy enough that one (okay... I) can't help but sing along like a complete idiot. Incidentally, ANGEL ATTACK is also the second most overused BGM in the entire show, used a grand total of 13 times.

Cruise missiles flying through the street

Shinji turning around

thewayneiac: Now he has the proper expression.

The missiles hit Sachiel one by one

Reichu: The way Sachiel is leaning forward here sort of gives an impression like, “I can take ya! BRING IT ON!!!” Rather odd, though, how the missiles seem to affect him more here than later; in the very least, they throw his torso backwards, while their subsequent effect is negligible.

Gundampilotspaz: He must not have had his A.T. Field fully unfolded at this point, which is why he reacts so much to these wuss missiles and yet seems unaffected when he catches the huge one (C-064).

Sharp-kun: Maybe he simply becomes used to them?

A mountain railway is blown away

Reichu: Does this shot really have any relevance to the battle whatsoever?

felineki: In a way, it does… You have to remember that every time an Angel shows up and stuff is blowing up, buildings and such are getting trashed. The damage is in the very least an inconvenience, as Fuyutsuki lets us know in an upcoming episode.

Reichu: The funny thing, of course, is that, most of the time, the property damage isn't even the Angel's fault.

Aviating fighters.
Pilot (radio - OFF) “All missiles hit the target, UWAA!”

Reichu: The full name of this aircraft is Heavy-Fighter (Jet VTOL), or Juusentouki. For the record, VTOL is an acronym for Vertical Take-Off and Landing.

Keisuke-kun: VTOLs can hover and fly like a plane due to the fact that the engines rotate 90 degrees: They either point up to hover or forward to fly faster. VTOLs do exist in real life, just they're not used much. They're mostly transports, and they usually go by prop power.

Sachiel's lance of light goes through the heavy fighter, then back into his arm.

Someone: Now Sachiel's annoyed.

Reichu: “Lance of light” (hikari no yari) is an interesting way to refer to Sachiel's attack here… In actuality, the “lance” is Sachiel's ulna (or a homologous structure, anyway). The end that is used to attack is normally withdrawn into his arm, with the “elbow” end protruding spike-like, but the entire bone can be shot forward through an orifice in his palm. (Sachiel doesn't have wrists, presumably because of the complications they'd pose to this system.) The range of the ulna, and the degree of damage it is capable of, is amplified by that pinkish energy — hence, “lance of light”. We'll see this attack up-close and personal later on.

The falling fighter crashes into a building and blows up smoke. Shinji cowers defensively.

Gundampilotspaz: “Oops, sorry, kid.”

Sachiel surrounded by fighters. He leaps, creating shock waves.

Dr. Nick: It seems as if Sachiel has a jet engine up his arse.

Reichu: One of the more profound Sachi-related observations I've read. ;;>

felineki: This seems to be a method of “A.T. Field Propulsion”. If you look, you can see that there is a lot of force being pressed down against the ground, which would then propel Sachi upwards (equal but opposite reaction, such and such…). This particular “move” is used at least twice more in the series.

Reichu: The script here seems to imply that Sachiel takes his giant leap because he is surrounded by fighters and, presumably, wants to get out of that situation. My overall impression is that Sachiel (prior to the N² mine later, anyway) isn't interested in a fight; his actions are either reciprocal or avoidatory. He didn't take out all of the VTOLs even though he easily could, as he is apparently more interested in avoiding them.

Gundampilotspaz: He doesn't get truly violent until he reaches Tokyo-3. I'm sure if he wanted to, he could unfold his AT-Field here and just take those fighters out.

Shinji looking up in alarm.

Sachiel crushes the fighter under his foot as he lands.

HeWhoPostsStuff: Sachiel's actions here make me wonder a bit. Though for most of the battle it seems that he's acting more in self-defense than anything else, just sort of swatting away whatever's trying to impede his path and then moving on, here he seems a tad more sadistic in crushing the plane with his foot after he's already shot it down… unless, of course, he just landed on it by chance. I tend to think that he was just made to do this to bring him dramatically close to the cowering Shinji, but others could probably suggest other reasons for his abrupt “Godzilla-esque” behavior…

Reichu: I agree that he's most likely just stepping on the plane by accident. In real life, the chances of him doing this would probably be fairly slim — it's obviously only happening to add another explosion and additional tension to an action scene (for dramatic effect, as you basically said).

This is the only time you see the three bumps on Sachiel's heel, BTW.

missing number

Shinji covering himself. Suddenly a shadow enters (a car in order to protect him). The sounds of emergency brakes, glass breaking, stones hitting the car frame, rubble striking concrete, etc. He lifts his head as a door can be heard opening.

Misato calling out from inside the car.
Misato “I'm sorry.”

Reichu: Misato's car pulling between Shinji and the explosion at the last possible second… I think this is one of those deus ex machinae Toasty Frog loves to rant about.

Misato “Didn't mean to keep you waiting.”

Reichu: Considering her charge was almost killed a moment ago, Misato's mien is alarmingly casual.

MDWigs: It's supposed to be! She's the cool older woman.

Gundampilotspaz: I'm sure she is just as scared as Shinji is even though she doesn't show it.

HeWhoPostsStuff: Seriously, when giant rampaging creatures are crushing things only feet away from you and blasting away entire armies without trying, what've you got to lose in spewing some cheesy action-hero lines? Heck, you're not gonna find a better opportunity than that to do so, not to mention you might not live long enough to get a second shot at it in that situation.

OMF: You know, the whole design of the car, and especially Misato's sunglasses, always remind me of Doc Brown in Back to the Future, away to whisk our clueless hero off on a whirlwind sci-fi adventure. "Shinji! You got to come back with me!", "Back where?!", "Back to your Father!", "... this is heavy."

Dr. Nick: I think her sunglasses look a lot like Captain Tylor's famous shades. Luckily for Nerv, she's a slightly more responsible character than him (but not by much).

thewayneiac: It's also possible that Tylor secretly knows exactly what he's doing; you can't really say that about Misato at this point.

Reichu: Well, at least I'm not the only one whose brain makes associations where none exist. ;) :wonders if Shinji wears "Calvin Klein" undies:

Fighter attacking with missiles.

Sachiel impassively taking direct hits.

Someone: I wonder why are they still trying.

tv33: He almost seems to be enjoying it…

Reichu: To an Angel, I would imagine that direct missile hits might tickle, if nothing else.

Incisivis: Is it weird to think Sachiel looks so cute here? :)

Sharp-kun: If only he went “Puchuuu~…” ^^;;;

Reichu: Adorable though he is, his design is WAYYYY off here. Technically, he also shouldn't even be able to blink, at least the way they draw it here. As I'll elaborate upon later, Sachiel's face is apparently comprised of ossified layers. Still, the bottom-most layer could possibly be fleshy and he really could have eyelids hidden in those dark orbits, although in that case they'd probably look more like this.

felineki: God, I love this shot. Sachiel does indeed look dodgy, but the sheer cuteness of the tilted head and impossible blinking of ossified eyes makes this one incredibly memorable for me. It is a bit wanton and silly, but it is one of the many touches that make the Angels so different from the typical “giant monster”-types.

DeepThought: I was always confused as to how Sachiel could actually maneuver his skull in this way, as he has no “neck” to speak of, thus limiting his flexibility immensely.

HeWhoPostsStuff: There's always the possibility that his “skull” is actually screwed onto the main part of his body like the top of a mayonnaise jar. :D

Reichu: I think it's just a matter of the animator of this cut taking considerable liberties (or simply screwing up). Sachiel should not be able to tilt his head or blink, but he is shown doing it anyway.

Fighter continuing to fire missiles.

The fleet of fighters surround the Angel at a distance while attacking.

Fighter shooting missiles.

Misato's car in proximity to the rounds

HeWhoPostsStuff: The UN's got some colorful missiles: The first batch of explosions on Sachiel are black/grey, the next are orange, and now they're a light yellow. Almost like they're trying to scare him off with a fireworks display or something… which, at this point, they might as well try, really.

Reichu: Sachiel looks like he has a vestigial tail in this shot…

felineki: I didn't notice the tail stub… interesting. Some of those explosions are rather dodgy-looking… Hemisphere-shaped even when his body is not completely blocking it. Looks like they are hitting a pane of glass in front of him. I suppose this could be attributed to his A.T. Field, but if so, it's pretty inconsistent from how the battle's been depicted so far.

Misato's hand changing gears.

MDWigs: This is another example of where Misato's car has been modified. The original Alpine Renault A310's were clutch-type manual transmission cars, while this one is a clutchless auto.

The roof of the car sinks from debris.
Misato looks to the rear.

The car speeds backwards through a cloud of dust.

The car comes rushing backwards and races away from Sachiel's foot as it tramples down.

Keisuke-kun: Misato's a good driver… Hot women with cars is probably the coolest thing in anime besides women with robots. Just watch Ex-driver.

Reichu: Is Sachiel purposely trying to step on the car, or is it just in the way?

MDWigs: Just in the way, I think, as they are ignored the rest of the time.

Nerv Headquarters, Tactical Control Room
Aoba (OFF) “The target is still intact. Currently advancing towards Tokyo-3.”
Woman A (OFF) “The Air Self-Defense Force doesn't have the power to stop it.”

Reichu: As you can see, holographic technology has gotten quite impressive in the NGE universe. Not up to the indistinguishable-from-reality level of Star Trek, but 3D visual displays in midair are far beyond anything we have now.

Officer A “Hit it with everything we've got. Commit all the units from Atsugi and Iruma.“
Officer B “Don't hold anything back! Destroy the target at any cost!!“
Woman (OFF) "Yokosuka's second platoon currently being deployed to the left flank."
Man (OFF) "The primary land battery has made contact with the target. In the process of engaging. Damage unknown."

Reichu: These three nameless chaps are officers from the UN Army, but what they're doing in Nerv HQ is beyond me (being as they have their own headquarters in Fuchu).

HeWhoPostsStuff: Knowing Gendo, he probably invited them there so they could have a front-row seat to how useless their efforts are, so they wouldn't question him later, or something like that.

Reichu: Atsugi is the site of the U.S. Naval Air Facility; Iruma is the headquarters of the Central Air Defense Force; and Yokosuka is the Self Defense Fleet Headquarters and the U.S.'s most important naval facility in the Western Pacific. (I've conveniently marked these locales on the aforementioned Tokyo region map, BTW.) I wonder if, in the NGE continuity, the Americans are still there? This site on the Air Self Defense Force says “the nation relies on United States forces to provide interceptor capability.”

Dr. Nick: The cracking pencil is an amusing detail. I bet all those guys have ulcers.

Launchers shooting rockets at rapid-fire.

Sharp-kun: One of many reused shots. Doesn't get overused as much as some of Misato and the Operators do, though.

felineki: STOCK FOOTAGE!!! w00t!

Reichu: Well, if it's another chance to see Sachiel blink, I certainly don't mind.

Giant missile being launched from bomber.

Reichu: Meet the Missile Kougekiki, or Missile Attack Plane.

Keisuke-kun: Of all the weapons used in Evangelion, this giant missile is the most confusing (and the most useless). WTF do they have a missile this big for? Mounted on a plane, no less. They always bombard the Angel (or Eva) with any number of weapons, and if they get the chance they “bring out the giant missile”. And it never works.

Dr. Nick: Come on, it's a perfect weapon! It's big, expensive, and, most importantly, phallic.

Reichu: Curse you, Dr. Nick, you just made me have flashbacks of AWL's gawd-awful EoE commentary!

Dr. Nick: Well, even though the audio commentary is Evil, it does have its own comedic merits. It's the misinformation we should loathe.

The missile heads towards the angel.

Gundampilotspaz: I like how he prepares to stop the missile Neo-style. Very cool.

Reichu: But Sachiel did it first! Time to sue those Wachowski Brothers for Style Infringement!

Sachiel stops the missile single-handed. After it splits in three, he starts lowering his arm. Finally, the missile explodes.

felineki: Another one of my favorite shots from this episode… I love the way Sachi's claws rip the missile to shreds. The little “shock wave” when it comes into contact with his hand is cool, too.

Reichu: “Go from a gangly green giant to a buff bulging brute in seconds!” And this isn't the only time Sachiel pulls his “Instant Muscles” trick. Just to nitpick: According to production drawings, Sachiel's shoulder carapace is supposed to be rigid, not flexible as it is here.

HeWhoPostsStuff: It always looked more to me like his arm was just sort of "squished in" by the missile, and thus looked thicker.

Reichu: Now that I look at it, his arm DOES look kind of “squished in”… Maybe it's a combination of compressive tension and his inflato-muscles.

HeWhoPostsStuff: I don't even want to ask how much discussion there's been amongst fans as to how incorrect that missile's explosion is. I'm no weapons expert, but I've always been under the impression that missiles are designed to explode on impact; heck, everything else that hits Sachiel explodes on contact. Going by that, then presumably this missile would have detonated as soon as it hit his hand, instead of needing his arm to penetrate through the thing… Probably just done for dramatic effect.

Dr. Nick: Well, some idiots who are not familiar with the term “artistic license” even consider it a blooper.

HeWhoPostsStuff: I also find it interesting that the explosion starts at the rear end of the missile, where the propulsion engine is; apparently there's nothing else explosive anyplace else in the missile, heh. “Eat high-velocity utterly empty capsule, villain!”

Reichu: Do we need to quote the 11th Law of Anime again?

Monitor screen. Sachiel appears out of the bomb blaze.

BGM END: E-6 [ANGEL ATTACK]

felineki: Is it just me, or did Sachi's eyes get bigger? Lends itself well to the “scary” look of this cut, at any rate.

Gundampilotspaz: He must be pissed. If a giant missile was launched at you, you'd be a little upset too, wouldn't you?

Reichu: I imagine he's just a little irritated. He'll have every reason to go into hard-core “PO'd Mode” momentarily.

Officer B strikes the desk with his fist.
Officer B (OFF) “Why!? That must have been a direct hit!!”
Officer A “The tank battalion's been annihilated. Guided missiles and artillery have no effect either.”
Woman (OFF) “No damage against the target discerned.”
Man (OFF) “No response from the primary troop. It appears to be completely annihilated.”
Woman (OFF) “Unable to confirm signs of the 6th aviation platoon.”

Reichu: One of the things I've noticed about NGE that sets it apart from many other anime (e.g., Cowboy Bebop) is the lack of emphasis on smoking. Sure, you see ash trays, you see somebody put a cigarette out (episode #11), you even hear some details about Misato's habit that you might not even want to know (#20) — but, aside from Ritchan in #21, you never actually have to see people smoking. Considering that smoking is far more prevalent in Japan than it is in America today, I find this trait of NGE odd, but nonetheless refreshing (being a nonsmoker with zero tolerance for the habit myself).

Interestingly, though, the anime is where this lack of emphasis stops. Sadamoto has a habit of depicting Kaji with cigs in the manga and elsewhere, and in bonus images from the various PC card games, Kaji, Ritsuko, and even Gendo can all be seen with smokes.

MDWigs: That's a really interesting point, Reichu. I hadn't noticed that before. I wonder if Anno and Co. are smokers?

Reichu: Well, I'd certainly like to think that Anno isn't… But even the great Miyazaki is a notorious chain-smoker, and his films are extraordinarily deprive of this favorite Japanese pastime. So who really knows.

Officer B “It's useless! With such limited firepower, we can't even touch it!”
Man (OFF) “Second artillery battalion currently firing. As yet, no effect.”

Sharp-kun: Given the amount of tanks and the “Big Missile of Doom”, I find it amusing they call this “limited firepower”.

Ikari and Fuyutsuki watch with composure.
Fuyutsuki “It's the A.T. Field, isn't it?”
Ikari “Indeed. Conventional weapons are useless against an Angel.”
Man (OFF) “Target is currently moving from Highway 83 onto 88.”
Woman (OFF) “The 4th aviation support unit is currently arriving. Now spreading from the direction of Odawara.”

felineki: Aside from the OP, the first mention of the A.T. Field.

Hot line ringing. A card key is swiped through the slit.
Man (OFF) “The target has penetrated the Tonosawa area. The tertiary self-defense line has been crossed.”

Reichu: Past Tonosawa — getting a little bit closer!

Officer C “Understood, Sir. We'll deploy it as planned.”