Rei and Asuka are sexualized throughout NGE and NGE Rebuild. Asuka's panties get flashed in her first appearance. There's dozens of times the camera view is pointing straight down her shirt. Both her and Rei are seen naked repeatedly. Sexualized merchandise has been sold of them for decades. They're the original waifus. They're both 14.
WTF do you mean what's weird?
Asuka's panties are not shown in the first episode she appears. Toji sees up her skirt in that episode. But we the audience don't see it. We do, however, see Toji's boxers.
The only time in the original anime you see her completely naked in an unobstructed image (that I can think of writing this) is her trying to kill herself, starved and bleeding, in a bathtub. And most of the scene is focused on her sunken-in face than anything else.
I will not be defending Rebuild, because that series I do feel is exploitative of its cast. Nor will I defend sexualized merch. These are also separate entities from the original series itself.
Evangelion is deliberately voyeuristic in order to play into the invasive perspective of the story.
Many of the scenes you described are from Shinji's perspective. It is meant to show what Shinji is looking at, and we later learn that many of these moments make Asuka deeply uncomfortable. Part of Asuka's arc is that she desperately wants to be perceived as an adult, and immaturely sees sex as a way to be seen as more mature. However, when actually in a position where she is sexualized, she is deeply disturbed by it. This is meant to show that the leering Shinji has done has objectified her without taking into account the whole of her person hood.
In effect, it is SUPPOSED to make you feel deeply uncomfortable.
When applied to Rei, it is evidence of her detachment how she has no reaction to them. In both cases, the intention is to make you uncomfortable.
I have actually gone into detail discussing these multiple times on my channel, so if you are familiar with my content, I don't understand why you are asking about it.
Also, they're not the original "waifus." You clearly have not seen Urusei Yatsura.
Anthony Gramuglia is fine with gooner shots like this of a 14 year old anime girl because it's totally for very deep reasons, trust him.
