chucklocker

It would have been much better if Asuka had died in the second rebuild movie. That’s right, I wish Asuka had bought the farm when she had her entry plug munched by Unit O1. Now, I know you’re thinking, “Chuck’s been on one too many law school benders,” but hear me out! I’m as big an Asuka fan as anyone, but there are several reasons why the Rebuild movies would be significantly better if the redheaded goddess were six feet under. While you’re going for your pitchforks, allow me to list them for you.

First, the Asuka of the Rebuild films isn’t the “real” Asuka. No, no, no, I’m not talking about the sequel/reincarnation/parallel universe theory, I mean she’s not the Asuka we all know and love. The Asuka of the TV series is a deeply conflicted, psychologically twisted, and ultimately self-destructive character. The Asuka of the Rebuild movies, on the other hand, is little more than your run-of-the-mill modern tsundere. Gone are the abandonment and self-worth issues that made her so dynamic in the TV series. Instead, we’re treated to cooking contests with Rei for Shinji’s affection. Blech. Sadly, this problem persists into the third Rebuild movie, where apparently even 14 years of fighting for her life and living in a hellish, post-apocalyptic wasteland as a fugitive isn’t enough to shake her nauseatingly one dimensional love-hate attraction to Shinji. Finally, even the writers seem to know she isn’t the same Asuka, seeing as they changed her name from Soryu to Shikinami. All in all, she lost everything that made her such an appealing character in the first place, which is a fate worse than death, so she may as well have died and preserved her dignity.

Second, her death would have improved the substance and content of the Rebuild films. Having Asuka’s death on his hands would have been a great boon to Shinji’s character (even if it really was the dummy plug that did the deed), and would have added an interesting new dimension to his antagonistic relationship with Gendo. “But wait,” you say, “Touji survived the same encounter in the TV series. Why is Asuka’s survival any different?” I’m very glad you asked. Touji’s survival is actually quite different in many ways, for example: in Touji’s case, Shinji doesn’t know who’s on the other end of the slaughter until after it’s all over, whereas in Rebuild he knows that it’s Asuka, who he’s lived and fought side by side with, making his mental anguish all that much greater. Also, in the TV series Shinji has to live with the guilt of Touji’s injuries up close and personal for quite a while, while in Rebuild Asuka is promptly swept aside as the plot moves along and the entire incident is basically forgotten (for now at least). Finally, in the manga version of the incident, Touji actually does die, emotionally crushing Shinji and radically changing his relationship with himself and his friends, and that was just Touji! Imagine what wonderful character building could have been accomplished had it been Asuka.

Finally, Asuka’s death would have solved many of Rebuild’s existential problems. The chief complaint levied against the Rebuild movies is that they have been heavy on style but lacking in the innovation and depth of the TV series, and that they haven’t really offered anything new to fans. Killing off the (arguably) most popular character so early on would have been an incredibly gutsy move, and would have gone a long way in negating the claims of unoriginality and accusations of shameless cash grabbing that have dogged Rebuild so far. Another frequent complaint with the Rebuild movies has been the enigmatic nature of the new character, Mari Illustrious Makinami. She really hasn’t done much so far other than steal screen time from Asuka, be the new “sexy” character, and be an excuse to sell more figures. When you get right down to it, the three pilot dynamic is a core element of the Eva experience, and a fourth full-time pilot dilutes it more than it adds to it. It’s clear that Anno (hopefully) has a great plan for Mari, but having to divide her time with Asuka is a drag on his ability to fully utilize her character. This plot ain’t big enough for the both of ’em and they’ve both suffered as a result of it. Killing Asuka would have cleared the way to fully incorporate Mari in a more meaningful way, which is exactly what the movies have struggled with so far.

So, am I all wet? Will I have to change my name and enter witness protection? Sound off with your thoughts below, and if you have any crazy/controversial opinions or theories of your own I would love to read them!