Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Shinji In Neon Genesis Evangelion

A lot of Shinji was either lost or tainted by unjust preconceived conceptions, from long-lasting memes to negative interpretations of his being.

It’s an understatement to say that Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most misunderstood anime characters of all time. He’s either the worst anime hero ever or a brilliant deconstruction of normal anime protagonists; there’s no middle ground with him.

As a result, Shinji has been subjected to a slew of misunderstandings. A lot about Shinji was either lost in the shuffle of Evangelion’s surreal craziness, or unjust preconceived beliefs colored them. From long-lasting memes to gloomy interpretations about his being, a lot about Shinji was either lost in the jumble of Evangelion’s surreal madness, or unfair preconceived preconceptions colored them.

Shinji Should Get In The Robot More Often

“Get in the f***ing robot, Shinji,” is one of the most famous Evangelion memes. This stems from Shinji’s conviction that if he merely flew Eva Unit-01 instead of grumbling about it, half of the anime’s problems would be fixed quickly. Shinji, on the other hand, has already gotten into the robot and either been horribly traumatized or made things apocalyptically worse.

The Eva Units are a mix of deceased Angels and the mothers of the pilots, thus “getting in the robot” isn’t as simple as other mecha anime make it seem. The worst-case situations were in the second and third Rebuild films, in which Shinji effectively ended the world twice by doing precisely what many people said they would do if they were in his position.

Shinji’s Self-Loathing Is Tiresome & Repetitive

Shinji’s self-pitying is one of the things that keeps him from doing anything. This did not endear him to those around him or the audience, who were both enraged by his emotional outbursts, which halted the plot and himself in their tracks. Disasters and tragedies could have been avoided if someone had tried to reach out to Shinji instead of scolding him.

Anno’s despair was reflected in Evangelion, which left the Earth and its inhabitants “soaked in a vision of gloom.” It’s no surprise Shinji and those around him are fatalistic, as evidenced by their emotional distance and a preference for survival above exhibiting humanity.However, the lack of communication or sympathy led to Shinji triggering a total of three Impacts.

Shinji’s Cowardice Is A Bad Thing

Shinji’s catchphrase, rather than a war cry, is a pitiful “I mustn’t go away,” which he repeats to himself anytime he is terrified or in danger. Shinji’s defining trait is cowardice, and this is simply a symptom of a greater problem. While many fans despised Shinji’s lack of a backbone, the Evangelion creators were unconcerned.

Hideaki Anno, the creator of the series, has stated that Shinji fleeing is not a sin. Rather than condemning this perceived cowardice, Anno attempted to explain it. In Shinji’s case, not fleeing is a pointless and self-destructive endeavor to win his father’s acceptance. Arguably, Shinji would’ve saved himself from a lot of pain if he just sat some things out.

Shinji Can’t Connect With Gendo & It’s His Fault

Shinji’s struggle to connect with his father, Gendo, is emblematic of Evangelion’s fundamentally damaged relationships. Gendo’s willful rejection of Shinji, which he excuses with self-aggrandizing motives, isn’t helping matters. Despite this, some fans blame Shinji for their tumultuous relationship because he was not better than his emotionally absent and violent father.

The anime’s creators might disagree, as Gendo was inspired by their own workaholic fathers who put their careers before their families. Gainax chose to depict this in Evangelion since it was a problem that Japanese children of the period and the animators themselves faced when they were growing up. Shinji was always at a disadvantage while interacting with Gendo as a result of this.

Shinji Is Emotionally Ineffective Because He’s A Blank Slate

Shinji is often regarded as the prototype for a typical harem anime protagonist. Shinji is as indecisive and meek as harem heroes come, save from attracting ladies despite his lack of personality. Shinji’s ineffective nature has been critiqued and derided, particularly in recent retrospective studies, although it isn’t as vacuous and wish-fulfilling as his modern successors.

Following the loss of his mother, Yui, Shinji seeks a mother figure among the ladies in his life. However, his longing for romantic love clashes with his need for paternal love. Shinji does nothing instead of acting on it, repeating the hedgehog’s dilemma that pervades every interaction throughout Evangelion.