Final Impact-An Evangelion Gundam Anime Corner Special (Part 4)

Previously:

Shinji settled into Tokyo-3, had some awkward moments with the Evangelion Poster Girl and everyones favorite Waifu, Rei Ayanami, and got to fire the worlds biggest sniper rifle at a Fortress like Angel.  It looks like things are starting to stabilize for the kid…too bad he has no idea what’s about to rock his little world in this new installment of Final Impact: An Evangelion Gundam Anime Corner Special.

Volume 4 (Episodes 7-9)

In the Anime:

Shinji, Misato, Toji and Kensuke fly out to meet a United Nations Carrier Group transporting Evangelion Unit 02 and it’s pilot to Japan.  Shinji meets his newest teammate, the Half Japanese/Half German Asuka Langley Soryu.  Also present is Kaji Ryoji, Asuka’s Guardian and Misato’s Ex-Boyfriend.  When the Sixth Angel, Gaghiel, attacks the fleet, Asuka purses it in Unit 02 with Shinji riding with her.  Once the Angel is defeated, Asuka reaches Japan and is quickly enrolled in Shinji’s school and sent to live with Misato and Shinji.  The Seventh Angel, Israfel, attacks soon after and show the ability to split itself into multiple forms.  In order to defeat it, Shinji and Asuka train to work together in coordination while also working to tolerate each others radically different personalities.  In the end, Shinji and Asuka are able to defeat Israfel with an expertly choreographed dance sequence, earning NERV another victory in their war.

In the Manga:

·        The Jet Alone Episode is totally absent from the Manga.

·        Asuka defeats the Gaghiel, alone before she arrives in Japan.

·        Asuka gets a brand new introduction:  Having already arrived in Japan, Asuka is playing at an arcade when she meets Shinji, Toji and Kensuke.  The latter two try to sneak a peak of her panties and Asuka still charges them for their peeping.  During an argument, Asuka bumps another player, who attacks her and is swiftly defeated by Asuka in turn, impressing the others.  Afterwards, Asuka rushes to NERV, where she meets Shinji again and learns he is her teammate.

·        Kaji is first introduced in Japan as well, still having transported the Adam embryo to Gendo.  His reunion with Misato plays out similar to how it does in the Anime, with Toji and Kensuke absent since theyre at NERV HQ.

·        There’s a new scene where Asuka reveals to Shinji the truth about Second Impact and mankind’s first encounter with the Angels.  Rei appears, trying to get by and gets in a small fight with Asuka.  Shinji comes to Rei’s defense, causing Asuka to walk away jilted. 

·        Unlike the Anime, we get to see the first fight with Israfel in it’s entirety rather than cutting away once it splits into two forms.

·        Gendo is present for this operation rather than being away in the Anime.

·        To prep for the second round with Israfel, Shinji and Asuka are ordered by Misato to share a room together at NERV HQ.  At this point in the Anime, Asuka has already moved in with Shinji and Misato (this could still happen later though, probably in Volume 5).

·        While discussing his father with Asuka, Shinji learns that she is a test tube baby and has never had a father (unlike the Anime where her father provides her Japanese genes and her mother her German side).

Ladies and Gentlemen, and those who are bigger fans of Rei, the rival Queen of Eva has arrived and with her the longest list of substantial changes to the Eva story thus far.  That’s right, it’s Asuka: playing video games and kicking perverted ass left, right and center.  This is the kind of new stuff I hope I’ll see more of later in the story: same set up but different executions.  Case in point: Asuka is still the force of nature she always was and we do get to see her first sortie in Unit 02 albiet in a debriefing video.  Still, I can see how it robs a bit of her Eva debut spotlight when she and Shinji are sent in to battle Israfel and they lose the first round.  I don’t recall Asuka being a test tube baby in the Anime (in Rebuild there’s a whole other debate I wont go into here) but it does add a layer to how Asuka carries herself, believing she was bred to be the best of the best when it comes to Eva Piloting (guess she and Rei have something in common besides Shinji).  Asuka and Shinji still have their will they/wont they banter right out the gate, just as in the Anime.  However, we’ve shuffled some later series events til now including a minor physical altercation between Asuka and Rei from a legendary elevator scene.  Shinji stepping in adds to the apparent love triangle element Eva sort of set up until the truth of Rei put the kibosh on that.  Not much to say about Kaji just yet but I’m sure his major Manga exclusive moments will come in due time.  Also, the Jet Alone episode from the Anime has been removed from the Manga without even a mention which is good, that was Eva’s only real attempt at filler and it’s a black spot on an otherwise near perfect series for me.

All in all, Asuka’s arrival was just as fun in the Manga as it was in the Anime even with some reshuffling and reediting Anime events.  Our Eva Trio now complete, let’s see how they handle the Angels to come.  Join us Next Friday for more Final Impact: An Evangelion Gundam Anime Corner Special, and let us see what other changes lie in store for the young defenders of Tokyo-3, right here at the Gundam Anime Corner.