As of October 2, 2001, I've re-watched the first six episodes. So what, you ask? Well, prior to now, I'd re-watched every other episode and updated these reasons accordingly. But due to some difficulties, I was unable to see the first six episodes until recently. Now, the reasons have been appropriately updated. Note: Some of these reasons may seem petty. I say that, considering this is "Ice Girl" Rei, any reaction whatsoever out of her is a big event. Therefore, I covered everything I saw, since for Rei even the little things are quite significant.
Of course, I also remind you that this list is composed of my OPINIONS, though I try to back them up with events from the series.
Also, if there is any reason, no matter how strange, you think should go in this list, mail me and we'll talk.
-Rei appears as a mirage early on; she’s the first person Shinji sees in Tokyo 3. This could mean a lot of things. For one, Deja vu has been known to be a sign of love at first sight. When he sees Rei in the flesh later on, he will feel as though he’s seen her before.
-Shinji holds Rei in his arms when she is injured, supporting her and trying to make her hurt less. For Shinji, who at this point is a very apathetic, removed person, physical contact with another human means a lot.
-Shinji grows a temporary spine, piloting this big purple THING against some huge monster, just so that Rei won’t pilot and die. This is significant, since again Shinji is very apathetic at this point; why should he care what happens to this odd girl? For whatever reason, he wants to save her.
-Shinji is gazing at Rei while he’s playing basketball and she’s swimming. He says himself that he wonders why she's always alone. Toji and Kensuke know who he's staring at, even with the distance separating them. How would they know this, unless they'd seen Shinji staring several times previously?
-Shinji gropes Rei, if only by accident. Sexual tension, big-time. In addition, it has been suggested that the lack of clothing on Rei's part suggests emotional intimacy.
-While on top of Rei in this scene, we see a rainbow curving over the two children. A lot of time is dedicated to this one moment; the creators were definitely emphasizing the significance of this scene.
-Rei is Shinji's first contact with another female his age. He doesn't have to tell us; we can see by his actions that he's thinking about what just happened after they've both gotten up.
-In addition, Shinji watches Rei get dressed, before he realizes what he's doing.
-Instead of running away from Rei, Shinji tries to have a conversation with her immediately after that embarassing incident. In addition to this, Rei makes a contribution to this conversation: "Aren't you Commander Ikari's son?"
-We get a good close-up of Rei watching as Unit-01 is launched into battle against Ramiel. Perhaps she's already starting to take an interest in Shinji.
-We now see Rei watching over Shinji as he sleeps off the anesthetic.
-Rei sees Shinji naked this time, in his hospital bed.
-Rei brings him food, saying he should eat something.
-Shinji has a conversation with Rei in the changing rooms, trying to tell her about his fears. Rei, for her part, actually makes a cursory effort at comforting him: "you won't die".
-Shinji fries his hands just like Gendo, in pulling Rei out of the entry plug after the Fifth Angel. Just try and name one time he did something like that for Asuka.
-Shinji cries when he sees Rei is still alive after the Fifth. Although he is a wuss, I didn’t see him crying over anyone else (that includes Kaworu, Touji, Asuka, Kaji, etc.).
-Rei smiles for him. Need I say more? On that happy note, the episode ends, and we get a shot of the moon, something frequently associated with Rei over the course of Eva.
Section 2 : Insider stuff. Episodes 7-26, plus the movies.
-Rei operates in perfect synch with Shinji during the synch training, even though she hadn’t been sealed in the apartment for days with him.
-Rei is walking with Shinji as the pilots are going to NERV. In a close-up shot of her, we see her eyes are on Shinji, instead of staring straight ahead like usual.
-Rei's eyes go to Shinji again while they're in one of the vents.
-Shinji says how he doesn't like being around other people. this is the very antithesis of Asuka's personality, since Asuka needs other people to verify her existence. However, it is very similar to Rei's personality.
-Rei answers Shinji's question, while ignoring Asuka.
-Rei's monologue: When Rei asks who is there other than her, Shinji is the first person she names. Although she's known many other, higher-ranking people, such as Ritsuko and Misato, for longer, she still mentions Shinji first.
-While synching with Unit-01, when asked how it feels, Rei says that "it smells of Ikari." Normally, we would have expected Rei to say something technical, such as "all is well." But instead, she said this.
-During the cross-synch training, Shinji gets Rei’s mind dumped into his head. Now THAT’S getting close to someone. Even if he doesn’t seem to remember it.
-Shinji actually STARTS a conversation with Rei. Not only does he overcome his introvertedness, he actually talks to the girl everyone else avoids. Not only that, but Rei responds, holding what passes for a conversation.
-Shinji tells Rei she’d make a good mother. Who the hell says that to a girl you’re not at least a little interested in? To top it all off, Rei blushes at the comment (a damn cute scene if I ever saw one).
-While blushing in aforementioned scene, Rei says that Shinji is embarrassing her. How often do you think an Ice Queen like her feels embarrassed?
-Rei's on the plane that comes to pick up Gendo. She knew Shinji was nervous about meeting his dad, and came to see how he was doing. In addition, the sight of Rei looking at him gave Shinji the courage to call out to Gendo.
-Shinji's looking at Rei's empty desk, apparently worried, when he sees Rei's absent again.
-Rei actually sounds worried when she hears Shinji being sucked into the Angel. It's a given that everyone else was afraid, but for Rei to show emotion like that really means something.
-Rei refuses to retreat, at least at first; she doesn't want to leave Shinji behind. Misato has to repeat her order to get Rei to leave.
-Rei takes takes it upon herself to stop Asuka while she's putting Shinji down. Remember the only time before this when Rei took independent action was when Shinji insulted Gendo, a person important to Rei. Asuka was insulting Shinji, and Rei again takes independent action. In addition, if you listen closely, you can hear just a hint of anger in Rei's voice.
-Rei is waiting by Shinji's bedside when he wakes up. She even compliments him.
-Rei blushes again, when Shinji cleans up her apartment. She also thanks Shinji, this being the first time in her fourteen years (or whatever age she is) she’s ever said “words of thanks? The first time anyone has helped her for the sole purpose of helping her (Gendo was trying to preserve his piloting pool when he saved Rei).
-The series shows that she's still thinking about Shinji and what he did long after he'd left her apartment.
-Rei approaches Touji, one of Shinji's friends. This is one of the few times she does anything nice for the sake of being nice. Perhaps Shinji's making an impression on her.
-Touji guesses that Rei is looking for Shinji when she comes up to him.
-Touji figures out that Rei cares for Shinji. She agrees. In contrast to his "husband/wife" comment about Shinji and Asuka, when he says this, he sounds completely serious.
-Rei tells Shinji what happened at the test facility, instead of letting someone else (and someone more qualified and informed) do it.
-Rei, the girl who will do anything to succeed, hesistates before firing on Unit-03. She knows one of Shinji's friends is the pilot, and that Shinji would be hurt if Touji were to be killed.
-Rei's first line is, "how is Ikari?" She's worried about him.
-During Shinji's train of thought, he is talking to Rei. She is a sight that calms him, and someone who he feels can help him.
-Whereas when Shinji sees Asuka in his dream, she just repeats something she's already said, when he sees Rei, she says something original. Again, he wants her to help him.
-After an exceptionally long pause, Rei tries talking to Asuka. This is truly significant, because we've seen that Asuka and Rei do not get along at all. But Rei still tries to be nice, knowing that Shinji is also nice to Asuka. The pause was just to emphasize that this is not an easy step for Rei. Yet she takes the step, anyway.
-Here we see the often-quoted line, "Does my soul wish to become one with Ikari's?"
-Rei blows herself up to protect Shinji during the 16th Angel’s attack. Please note she was not ordered to do so. In fact, she was ordered to pull back. How do I know she did it to protect Shinji? Easy: she didn't decide to self-destruct until after Shinji was in danger.
-The first person to appear to Shinji was Rei. She compares herself to Kaoru, saying "even though he was as human as me?" In associating herself with Kaoru, she could be saying that she, too, loved Shinji.
-Rei is the one who gets the line "and that is why we wish to become one," in talking to Shinji.
-Rei helps him, by resolving his dilemma, that no one sees the real Shinji.
-Rei of all people lectures Shinji on love: "If you truly hate yourself, you can never love, and can never place your trust in another."
-In the brief "alternate universe" scene, Rei is the one Shinji meets shojo manga style. Shinji looks instantly smitten when he gets a look at Rei.
-In the alternate universe, one of Rei asks Asuka if she and Shinji are involved. Perhaps she was interested in seeing if Shinji was available.
-Rei leaves Gendo, her master/creator/etc., in favor of Shinji.
-Rei was Shinji’s wish, in her own words. She was the thing that Shinji, on the razor edge of sanity, wanted to see.
-EoE : Geez, look at the position they’re in after 3rd Impact. Can you say, "sexual tension"
-Same scene : The one moment in a rather long time Shinji was anywhere close to being sane. Rei has reconstructed his mind, and we end up with a very tender scene, if you asked me.
-The look Shinji gives Rei when she sits down to play her viola. He’s amazed/entranced by her.
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