EYECATCH

Incisivis: I happen to consider Angel Attack to be one of the better-constructed pilot episodes I've seen. Any moments of exposition fit naturally into the story, and the pace is fairly fast, with a suspenseful conclusion.

Reichu: If you remember, the same style of “writing” the title with flashing lights was used in the OP.

Misato (OFF) “That's so strange.”

Reichu: That weird-looking structure on the right is called the “Subterminal,” but I have no idea what it's for.

HeWhoPostsStuff: Maybe it's the broadcast tower for the mega-popular KNRV, Radio Nerv, playing the latest hits 24/7, to make sure that the populace doesn't notice all the gigantic rampaging critters wandering around!

Mr. Tines: In contrast to all known conspiracy literature, this pyramid does not have an eye near the crest on one side in any of the views we see.

Misato holding a map in her hand. The text in the upper-left says, “Nerv Headquarters: Central Dogma B20”. Misato has written, “This area!!”
Misato “I was sure this was the right way.”
She lowers the map and a door opens.
Woman “Central Dogma's

Reichu: “CAUNTION”! Engrish alert!

MDWigs: That's a nice transition there, with the shape of the floorplan being a hexagon and then the corridor they are in also being one.

Sharp-kun: Hexagons and octagons seem to be recurring themes.

Shin-seiki: It's a little amusing to note how this map, and the fact that she immediately gets lost anyway, indicate what a n00b Misato herself is to Nerv HQ. (BTW, WC = Water Closet, i.e., lavatory.)

Hexon.Arq: It'd be nice if that map had a compass on it, at least. Of course, this way, someone who finds it in a dumpster somewhere won't be able to make heads or tails of it, and that's good.

closed passages will remain in this condition.”
As it opens, a gust of wind sweeps over Misato and Shinji.
Man (OFF) “Keep the defense system up to the 2nd layer on level 4.“

MDWigs: They are inside, underground… Where is the wind coming from?

Reichu: Perhaps it's due to a difference in air pressure between the chambers?

MDWigs: That's likely it, as wind is only caused by changes in air pressure. Still, you would think they would have better environmental controls in the place (considering it can withstand an N² blast).

HeWhoPostsStuff: Is there a Law of Anime regarding Dramatic Wind and Windblown Stuff? If there isn't there definitely should be:

Law of Histrionic Atmospherics:
Whenever a dramatic moment calls for it, and there is something available which is lightweight enough to be moved by a breeze (a character's hair/clothes, curtains, leaves, etc.), wind WILL suddenly start blowing, even if the scene takes place in an enclosed room with no ventilation, windows, or other "usual" means for causing air to move.

Misato and Shinji on a moving walkway.
Misato “This is why I hate wearing skirts here.”
Woman “Please open Block B-26 in sequence.”

Shin-seiki: [sarcasm]Wow! A people-mover! How futuristic; it's just like the Jetsons![/sarcasm]

Reichu: These things are a common sight at current-day airports — although they tend not to hover above vast open shafts. Just what is this giant open shaft FOR, anyway, aside from giving male employees (and maybe a couple of female ones…) on lower levels an opportunity to engage in recreational panty-spotting?

Gundampilotspaz: One of the reasons I want to work at Nerv.

HeWhoPostsStuff: As much as she says she hates wearing skirts, that's pretty much the only thing she wears at Nerv… I would guess that her usual uniform is a requirement most of the time. Guess Nerv's architects were kinda perverse to build this part of it like they did and then require all female employees to wear skirts.

Reichu: Hmm, you're right… Nerv in general (and Gehirn before it) does seem to require that their female employees wear skirts by default! I shall have to formulate a relevant pseudo-feministic rant about this for later.

Hexon.Arq: There must be a sizeable amount of vomit down at the bottom of that shaft, not to mention corpses. Seriously, no rails? I wonder how many people have died on that thing.

Misato stares at the map.
Misato “I wonder where the heck Ritsuko is? Sorry. I'm not too familiar with this place yet.”
Shinji doesn't look away from the pamphlet.
Shinji “We went through here a while ago.”
Misato looks up defiantly.
Misato “Don't worry about it. These systems are here to be used, right?”
Man (OFF) “Reconfirming the security lock on every block.”
Woman (OFF) “The Sigma Unit is under complete lockout. Please use a detour.”

thewayneiac: He's doing a wonderful job of ignoring her here by pretending to read. I've done that myself.

OMF: Revealing little line from Shinji here. Despite his introverted nature, he is surprisingly observant. You can never take for granted that even the most trivial of details has passed him by.

Reichu: Interesting that they decide to mention the Sigma Unit in the supplemental dialogue… We'll be seeing more of this place later.

An indoor pool full of pipe cords.
Local Announcement “Chief of Project E, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi of the Bureau of Technology's First Division. Dr. Ritsuko Akagi.”

Keisuke-kun: Where is she? Doesn't look like the Cage.

MDWigs: And why is Ritsuko swimming around in it?

Reichu: It doesn't look like any place we see elsewhere in the anime. If it means anything, Shinji and the others go past this location during the hovercraft ride in the manga.

TheAtomicWaffle: I always assumed that this was some sort of work-engine for the coolant that the Evas reside in, seeing as how this large machine is very much swimming in it. Maybe Ritsuko was preparing it to work later, for when they needed the coolant to be drained. Given her closeness to Gendo, she probably knew that they were definitely going to launch EVA-01.

Reichu: If your idea about these pipes is correct, why put Ritsuko in charge? There are plenty of grunts in scuba gear (see C-233) to do this kind of menial work.

TheAtomicWaffle: Probably just a way for the writers to introduce the character, perhaps?

Diving equipment by the poolside.
“Please contact Captain Misato Katsuragi

felineki: The katakana reads KUUKI, whichs translates as “air” — not “cookie”.

of the Bureau of Operations, First Division, immediately.”
Ritsuko in a wet suit.

thewayneiac: Ritsuko doesn't dress like this enough in the show.

Shin-seiki: Woohoo! SÂBISU, SÂBISU! :drool:

Hey, this is about the only Ritsuko FS we get in the series, so it deserves celebration…

She unzips the suit down her back.
Ritsuko “I'm amazed.”

tv33: (174~187) I think our first impressions of Ritsuko are very important. She is portrayed as being sexy, in control, and very influential; even the gung-ho Misato is slightly intimidated by her. And this is exactly what Ritsuko wants wants; this is the image she tries so hard to put out, despite the fact that she is just as messed up inside as the rest of the cast.

Incisivis: I agree with you, except for the “sexy” part. Even though Ritsuko usually wears lipstick and earrings, and wears very short skirts, I never get the impression that she was very outwardly sexual or sexually self-conscious. Until we heard about that thing with Gendo (:barf:), I thought that such things really didn't matter to Ritsuko. (Heck, I suspect that Ritsuko thought such things didn't matter to her until it happened).

tv33: I don't think she is either (probably because I want to go Naoko on her), but in this very first scene we see of her, she is seductively unzipping her wet suit. I think the animators show this for more than just fan service. It helps build her image, which is destroyed later in the series. At first glance it seems like she has it all — looks, power, intelligence — but we later find out she even she has problems.

Incisivis: I tend to think of this scene as fan service, myself, just because the idea of Ritsuko as “sexy” isn't really followed up on. I also wouldn't classify it as a “seductive” gesture, just something she was doing that the “camera” dwelt on

Ritsuko takes off her underwater mask.
Ritsuko “She got lost again, didn't she?”

Shin-seiki: Ritsuko is one of those blonde, green-eyed, fair-skinned Japanese you see all the time. :rolleyes:

A lot of people don't care much for Ritsuko, given her non-cuddly personality, and less-than-commendable behavior as the series progresses, but I actually like her, in no small part due to the work of her seiyuu, Yuriko Yamaguchi. She has a beautifully feminine voice and gives a remarkable performance, especially towards the end when everything falls apart, which is especially impressive given the fact that this was her first real role in anime.

Display plate inside the elevator.

Keisuke-kun: Japan seemingly has better elevator technology now than in 2015…

MDWigs: Does anyone know how these elevators work? What do the numbers designate?

Reichu: Perhaps we can get a relatively decent idea by putting what the production drawings [Fix this link --Tines] published in Newtype 100% Collection tell us together with various telling moments in the show itself. See more.

Misato standing in front of the elevator door. When it opens, Ritsuko is standing there with a rather unfriendly face.
Misato “!”

HeWhoPostsStuff: I wonder if the fact that Ritsuko appears right where Misato's reflection was means anything worth noting… Probably not, it likely was just there to emphasize Misato's surprise at seeing her, but in NGE it's tough to ignore little nothings like that.

Gundampilotspaz: Ritsuko come off as kind of a stern figure right from the beginning, and yet she and most other people who were working at Nerv were pretty calm during the Angel's attack. Might be because they were several thousand feet underground…

MDWigs: This sort of stuff, with the lines to indicate a shock, doesn't appear that often in Eva. Which I'm happy about, as it's usually the sign of much less serious anime designed for younger audiences.

Misato smiles insincerely.
Misato “Uh, hiya, Ritsuko.”

Ritsuko steps into the elevator. Misato takes a step backwards to let her in.

Reichu: That looks like a pretty interesting book Shinji's reading. ::p Its pages are blank, in case you didn't notice.

Hexon.Arq: This might sound silly, but the pages might be blank for a reason. I remember times when I'd pretend to be distracted with something just so I wouldn't have to interact with the world around me. Occasionally, I was caught looking at a few blank pages myself.

HeWhoPostsStuff: By the way, Misato seems to be hiding the map of Nerv HQ from Ritsuko here… wonder why.

Reichu: Well, if Ritsuko saw it, she'd obviously say, “You still need that thing? Hah-hah — n00b!!”

Ritsuko “What were you doing, Captain Katsuragi? We are short on both hands and time!”

Shin-seiki: (179~187) Interesting how, in this scene, Ritsuko is all business, and a bit intimidating, while Misato comes across as kind of ditzy. We find out later that they're actually old friends, and also that Ritsuko's authority as head of Project E supersedes that of Misato as head of Operations when necessary. But, then, Ritsuko actually knows what is going on, and besides, she's sleeping with the boss…

HeWhoPostsStuff: Is that confirmed to be happening at this point already, or is there evidence to suggest that this particular instance of hanky-panky didn't start until later on?

Reichu: I don't think there's any evidence either way. But consider that Ritsuko has been working under Gendo for some four years without any real competition. Since we know something does happen, I think it's fairly reasonable to guess that it could be happening by now.

Misato holds her hand up.
Misato “…Sorry.”

Keisuke-kun: In Japanese custom, you raise your hand like Misato does during an apology.

Ritsuko draws her breath out from her nose. She looks at Shinji.
Ritsuko “The boy in question, I presume.”

OMF: A young man, stuck in an elevator, with two grown women appraising him like a spare room they're intending to renovate. Things probably won't get this psychologically damaging for Shinji again until #26′! Speaking from personal experience, trauma like this stays with you. ;)

Misato “Right. According to the Marduk Report, he's the Third Children.”
A curt greeting.
Ritsuko “Nice to meet you.”

Reichu: Misato says SÂDO CHIRUDOREN サードチルドレン (“Third Children”) here, but the script also gives the term as san'ninme no tekininsha ３人目の適任者, or “third well-qualified person.”

MDWigs: This is similar to how koukyuu (literally “light sphere”) is oftentimes used in writing, but only KOA コア ("core") is used in speech.

thewayneiac: Does anyone know why they use “Children” instead of “Child”? I always thought that they just didn't speak English very well and didn't realize that even though there's more than one child, you still use the singular when referring to just one of them at a time.

Reichu: From time to time, Japanese actually will borrow the plural form of a foreign word and use it in all situations, as Japanese normally doesn't distinguish between singular and plural in the way that European languages do. Some examples are with SHATSU シャツ (“shirt”), GURĒPUFURŪTSU グレープフルーツ (“grapefruit”) -- or, heck, even EVA SHIRĪZU エヴァ・シリーズ (“Eva Series”, in reference to the harpies). Apparently, though, there is more to the “Children” case than this...

MDWigs: This was a very deliberate decision; Gainax didn't just make a mistake. In the book, 2015: The last year of Ryouji Kaji, the note is made: “Please think carefully on the meaning of the word CHILDREN.” It is clear that the title is important and that there is a reason behind it. In their translation, ADV changed it to “child,” which really ruins the entire meaning, in my opinion.

Dr. Nick: Actually, from a translator's point of view, choosing fluency over accuracy was a correct thing to do here. Although this whole “Children” thing is an interesting piece of foreshadowing, it’s not a crucially important plot element and leaving it in the translation would have severely interfered with the flow of the dialogue. Conveying the information content is not the only purpose of a translation: Especially with works of fiction, translations also need to be written with good target language style, and for that purpose sacrifices need to be made sometimes.

Of course, ADV could have created a “Translator’s Notes” section, where they could have explained that this odd use of plural is not an Engrish-error and that the mystery behind it would be revealed in the last episodes of the show (assuming they knew about this tidbit of
official info Wigs mentioned, which I kinda doubt).

Shinji “Huh? Sure.”

Shin-seiki: “Hey, Shinji! This is the woman who's being banged by your dad; pay attention!”

Keisuke-kun: “Who, me?”

Incisivis: I do enjoy the little human touches involved in Shinji and Misato's trip through Nerv, such as Misato getting lost and Shinji being so engrossed in the Nerv pamphlet that he doesn't notice Ritsuko at first (by the way, nice call on the book, Reichu). They're very minor things, but they make the series more “alive.” We'll see a lot more of such things in the coming episodes.

Misato “He's just like his dad.”

Shin-seiki: Evidence that there is no such thing as a throw-away line in NGE; that turns out, by the time all is said and done, to be a very profound observation about Shinji and Gendo.

Misato (OFF) “The unfriendly part, that is.”

Man (OFF) “Report from the 2nd Optical Measurement Station. Temperature inside the target's body is currently rising. It appears to have resumed activity.”
Ikari gets on a small lift.
Ikari “Handle the rest of this.”
The lift goes down.

Keisuke-kun: I want one of those…

Treize X: I'm guessing that leads to Gendo's little control center thing first seen in cut 201.

Reichu: The supplemental dialogue here helps affirm the information hierarchy going on in the command room. “Man” is certainly a nameless operator (Aoba, Ibuki, and Hyuga are the only ops whose names we are told) from either one of the five substations. The data these ops receive (apparently from the MAGI and various departments in Nerv HQ, such as the Optical Measurement Stations) is related to the three lieutenant-ops, who in turn communicate the important stuff to the higher-ups (Gendo, Fuyutsuki, Misato, Ritsuko).

Fuyutsuki sees him off. The hatch can be heard closing.
Fuyutsuki “Their first meeting in three years…?”
Hyuga (OFF) “Vice Commander, the target has started moving again.”
Fuyutsuki “Right. All personnel, assume battle stations, Level 1.”
Woman (OFF) “A change in the electric charge of the air above the vicinity of the hypocenter. There is a surge of positive ions.”
Man (OFF) “Reconnecting to the 6th satellite circuit. It is currently homing in on the target automatically.”

Gundampilotspaz: Fuyutsuki goes from soft to stern pretty quickly — unlike his boss, who seems to have only one facial expression.

OMF: Fuyutsuki is well aware of Gendo's poor relationship with Shinji. Even more so than Akagi, as we'll see in the next episode.

Misato, Shinji, and Ritsuko on a moving platform. A giant glass tank lies beyond them.
Announcement (Woman - OFF) “Repeating. All personnel, assume battle stations, Level 1. Prepare for ground interception.”
Misato “Hear that?”
Ritsuko “This is pretty serious.”

Misato and Ritsuko in front, with Shinji reading the pamphlet intently. A giant hand appears in the background.
Misato “So, how's EVA-01 doing?”
Ritsuko “It's currently being refridgerated with the B-Type Equipment.”
Misato “Will it really move? You haven't gotten it to work before, have you?”
Ritsuko “The probability of activation is 0.000000009%. 'O9 System' seems like a fitting thing to call it.”
Misato (mixed cynicism) “So you're saying it doesn't work?”
Ritsuko “Oh, don't be rude. It's not ‘0’.”
Misato “It's just a number. Anyway, it's a bit too late to be saying ‘it doesn't work at all’.”

Reichu: It cracks me up that Shinji is so absorbed by the manual that he somehow doesn't notice the giant hand.

felineki: I LOVE Zero's hand in this shot… beautifully drawn, but subtle. You can miss it if you're not paying attention — or maybe it's just the lousy image quality of the original DVDs…

Hexon.Arq: How can you possibly miss that hand?!!! There's nothing else going on in this shot!

Sharp-kun: You can miss it. I did the first time -o-;

Reichu: As we'll see later, the hand belongs to EVA-00, still frozen in place from when she punched through the wall of a testing facility. It's possible that the facility is contained within a larger glass tank that has been filled with the pink-red coolant used to “refrigerate” the Evas, which would explain the odd coloration here.

Shin-seiki: Hmm… Interesting how Ritsuko is saying “rei, rei, rei, rei…” (“zero, zero, zero, zero…”) right when the shot pans by Zerogouki's hand. ;)

This dialog, which makes a big deal about the infinitesimal likelihood of EVA-01's activation, is the first instance of an ongoing cliché of NGE: Namely, its habit of setting up overwhelming odds against the success of a plan (usually in connection with Misato's schemes to defeat the Angels), but then have it always work out anyway.