You Can (Not) Live

Die Sterne

Part of the 5th anniversary campaign for the ‘Evangelion Store Tokyo-01′ in Ikebukuro.

Evangelion: Death and Rebirth movie article in the May 1997 issue of Animage.

This scene is pretty amazing. We know that a huge part of Misato’s inner turmoil is that she cannot face against her father’s killers head on – instead, she must exact her revenge on the Angels vicariously through Shinji, Asuka, and Rei. But in this one moment, framed in such a way that disturbs our sense of magnitude, Misato is forced into lethal proximity with what she hates the most and stares it down anyway. She doesn’t run like the others. Notice that grip on her cross – subconsciously protecting her father’s memory, his only essence, over her own life. In the tradition of ars moriendi, to die a good death is to die as you’ve lived: face death with resolution and maintain your deeply held convictions till the end. Shinji comes swooping in to fend off The End at the very last second, but it’s a good reminder that for Misato, killing Angels isn’t about saving lives or protecting the world - it’s personal. Not so noble – Evangelion being the kind of show that it is – but it is compelling. 

neon genesis evangelion episode 15 (1996)

It's not your fault, It's mine; It happened because I became the Thirteenth Angel.

I swear to god it is my mission in life to get my online store up before the year is out.