#give ikaris back i am begging here

[thekinglemingle]

Saying No to Yui

I've been sitting on an idea for an AU for a while now. I know how it starts and how it ends and some bits in the middle, but not much. I don't have much time for writing these days, but now I'm on tumblr and tumblr is full of sharp bursts of micro-fiction and AU's told in short achronological chunks. So what the hell. Let's give this a go. I won't add new snippets regularly, but hope to do so occasionally. This is part 1 of Saying No to Yui

Amongst the may subjects discussed in the Dead Sea Scrolls, is that of alternate timelines. The Old Men of SEELE had read such information, but it quickly became apparent that they were in a branch of the multiverse where interdimensional travel would remain out of reach for them. There was no Golgotha Object waiting for them in Antarctica and no Evangelion-i. No route to access the Book of Life, and to add their names to its pages. As knowledge of different timelines would not help them achieve their goal of Instrumentality, the information was forgotten and ignored, though some members of the Committee retained a quiet speculation that the complementation of mankind that awaited them would allow them to join with their own counterparts from the roads not taken.

The popular conception of branching timelines, is that they are formed every time a decision is made. This, the Dead Sea Scrolls explain, is not the case. Lilim, for the most part act in predictable ways, in accordance with the wealth of experience they have built up in their lifetime. To paraphrase the philosopher Lu Tse, while the laws of physics state that there should be a timeline in which Gendo Ikari woke up on the morning of the Contact Experiment and shot his wife dead, no such universe exists. While he was physically capable of doing so, his own soul would prevent him from doing so. This is but one example of the ways in which the Fruit of Knowledge can exert its influence on reality in ways far subtler and yet stronger than the brute force of the Fruit of Life.

And yet, in the immediate aftermath of the Contact Experiment Gendo Ikari was faced by a true decision. Where two warring facets of his personality vied for attention and where it was truly possible for him to go either way.

These then are the moments upon which the timeline turns.

Gendo stands at the train platform and looks down at the crying child, begging not to be sent away.

Gendo knows what he must do. The Scenario, or at least Gendo’s modifications to it, are still in their infancy, but he already knows that this is a path he must walk alone and the boy would be better off without a father as useless as him in his life. He opens his mouth to rebuke the child, to do what must be done, and the crying child opens his eyes.

Yui’s eyes.

Gendo has only just lost his wife. Only just started down the long road that leads of Instrumentality. His heart is not yet as hardened as it will be by the time the Angels come to Tokyo 3. And this is not just any child. Not even the fact that he is Gendo’s child will sway him to recent his decision.

But this is Yui’s child.

With Yui’s body dissolved into LCL, this child is the last physical remnant of her biological existence. And here, perhaps, is the only person in all the world who might miss Yui as much as he does. In a moment of weakness, he says something he shouldn’t, to comfort Yui’s child. In one timeline these words will be forgotten within a month, lost in a tide of grief and written off as an empty promise. In another, things go very differently.

 “I must. I am going to get your mother back.”

For a moment the child stops crying in shock and stares up at him. As he stares into the determined eyes of Yui’s son’s he is reminded again of how much he looks like his mother. The child speaks.

“Let me help you, father.”

Gendo pauses, the unstoppable force meets the immovable object and the timeline forks. On the one hand he needs to be without distractions if he is to work on his quest to retrieve his wife. On the other, when he stares into her eyes full of determination, he could never say no to Yui Ikari.

Where once there was a single timeline, there is now two. In two universes, two Gendo Ikaris walk back to their limo. Both are quietly confident that they made the only decision it was possible for him to make. They are both wrong. And in one universe Gendo tells the teary child sitting on the passenger seat,

“If you get in the way. You will have to leave.”

#Saying No to Yui #neon genesis evangelion #evangelion au #flash fic #fanfic #evangelion fanfic #Gendo cant love his own kid but maybe Yui's? #That seems emotionally healthy...

[tegami-kagami]

Ikaris: the Tragic Hero

Read Part 1 & part 2 first

Character Analysis Part 3

Protector vs Soldier: the flickering flame of a hero

By the events of the movie, Ikaris was a flickering flame on the verge of going out.

He puts on the mask of the soldier that had kept him sane during the last century. The soldier is who meets up with Sersi and Sprite in London. It is the soldier that is able to remain calm in seeing the cold face of his former leader, able to stay focus on the course of his self-impose last leg of the mission.

Yet slowly, the mask is melted by Sersi and the other Eternals enough so that a semblance of the old team protector could peak through.

Protector was able to smile, and act normal when amongst his old family. In those moments, the protector is able to joke and banter with those he had spent millenia with. To Ikaris, it must have felt like coming home.

The illusion however, breaks when another of his family dies again. This death is different from Ajak's. Gilgamesh did not deserve to die and the guilt ate at him inside. Ikaris had unwittingly caused harm to those he once swore to protect.

He had only meant to distract them, not kill them. Ikaris is again thrown into despair and the only way he knew to cope was to put on the mask of the soldier.

Ikaris became desperate to get the team back together because he must have felt that if they were all together, he could protect them. This is the theory I have to explain why Ikaris insisted Phastos came with them whereas before with Druig, He was fine leaving him behind.

(And No, it is likely not just because "it is Druig and he is Ikaris. They hate it each." Bottom line, Ikaris still considered Druig as family. )

Ikaris would have been fine if they had all stayed in the Domo, a flying fortress. It was the best position for them to prepare for a deviant attack.

However, there was a problem. The others are still attempting to stop the emergence. Whether they succeeded or failed, it didn't matter to Ikaris.

What did matter to him were the consequences if the team succeeded and Tiamut does not emerge. Ikaris feared for celestial retribution on his family. He worried that if ever the Celestials ever tried to strike down the other Eternals, He would be powerless to protect them.

It was Ikaris' concern that in choosing Sersi as the next Prime, Ajak had put her in danger. That is my theory on why he tried to deny it at first.

Maybe in any other situation, Ikaris would have been proud of her 'cause he loved her and was proud of her independence (He trusted her enough that he knew she could survive on her own). but in these last days, the position only put a target on her back. As leader, the mission became her responsibility. As Prime, she would have had to answer to the celestials if the mission failed (and it did 🙃, see last part of the movie).

Ikaris feared the Celestials which he had every right to be when he is told they are their creators and the gods of the universe.

Ikaris uses this same fear tactic when he tried to intimidate the others and to scare them away from taking action against the emergence.

Given Ikaris' true personality, the killing them part was an empty threat as evidence when Ikaris still held back during the final battle (and how he refused to answer when Sprite ask if he was really going to kill them) despite having numerous opportunities to end the other eternals permanently (see when Ikaris grab Makkari by the neck).

See the difference of how Ikaris fought against the deviants (deadly efficient) compared to the eternals (kept trying to throw them off).

The final battle was obviously a delaying tactic for both parties involved. Ikaris had no intention of ever killing any of them. How could he - when no less that 5 centuries ago, he lived to protect them.

The final test (or final nail to the coffin) for Ikaris was when he finally came face to face with Sersi - his wife, his love and once upon a time, his everything.

This moment is when it was shown that despite the mask, despite the exterior of being the devoted soldier, despite his statements of "existing only for Arishem", deep inside, Ikaris was a man loyal to his family, loyal to his love, loyal to Sersi.

At his core, Ikaris was a protector - not a soldier.

Thus, despite his efforts (he tried to shoot her 3 times - THREE TIMES!!), Ikaris could never hurt Sersi.

When Ikaris bowed his head, he proved that he wasn't truly the cold-blooded criminal his betrayal must have shown. In giving in to Sersi, Ikaris redeemed himself and in one final act, showed himself to be a hero in the eyes of the viewers (aka Me!) and Sersi.

He lets her complete the Uni-mind. He lets her destroy the main purpose for how he had survived up to that point. He lets her stop the emergence.

When it was finish, Ikaris was left empty. He had no more purpose. No more reason to live. He was crunch down crying. Ikaris must have realise then that everything he had done, the lies said, the secrets kept, the loneliness suffered - it all amounted to nothing. What a life he had lived!

On the other hand, Sersi now had a life that no longer needed him - "She has a good life now." - and despite his powers, he cannot save her from the incoming judgement from the Celestials. Even if he could, Ikaris had no more energy left to give.(😭).

If Sersi had only understood the magnitude of what Ikaris had went through, if only she saw how he no longer cared about his life, if only she saw how broken the man she loved truly was, maybe she could have saved him from his tragic fate but the truth was, she didn't notice. (The least she could have done was hug him, dammit)

Too distracted by Ajak's death, Too focus on filling the shoes of a fallen leader, too busy dealing with an event that could wipe out the race she loved and cared about, too busy reeling from new knowledge that put into question the worth of her entire existance.

Their final scene, Sersi tells him "I know." It was her acknowledging he was hurt and that he hurt them. They both needed time to heal the wounds.

By those words though, Sersi conveyed that she didn't really understood this version of Ikaris - the man slowly broken down throughout the millenia. Its because she didn't have the context - Ikaris never told her. She didn't realise this version of Ikaris had no more time left. This gap that had formed between Sersi and Ikaris is probably why Sersi just let him go.

Sersi might have known Ikaris but she didn't understand him because this part of him was something he kept from her.

So she let him go, probably thinking he was going off to be on his own again just like last time when he flew away - 100 years before, not even realising of another possibility - this would be the last she would ever see her Ikaris, her husband of 1500 years and boyfriend / best friend of 3500 years.

Bottom line - to Ikaris, he had no more reason to live. The emergence is over, Sersi had move on and his family likely hated him.

As it was, there was no one able to save Ikaris from himself. His was a life that begun great but ultimately ended in tragedy.

> The flickering flame dies and a man meets his end.

"Icarus flies too high and burns in the sky."

Disclaimer: These are only my interpretations and impressions that attempted to explain the words and actions of the character "Ikaris" from the movie Eternal (2021).

You can hate Ikaris all you want but atleast try to understand his character before labeling him as evil.

For a marvel movie, Eternals manage to convey a very layered character which is impressive.

IKARIS, PLEASE COME BACK. You're story isn't over yet!

#ikaris #sersi #eternals #eternals spoilers #eternal character analysis #give my baby back #ajak i hate you #he was the definition of a cinnamon roll that could kill you and then you turned him into a squished sad cinnamon. #give ikaris back i am begging here #redemption arc incoming #ajak eternals #ajak

[jobean12-blog]

Sweet Thief

Pairing: Bucky x reader

Word Count: 707

Summary: You find yourself looking for snacks night after night and the only ones you seem to want are Buckys...

Author’s Note: This is for the continuation of the HBC’s @the-ss-horniest-book-club drunk drabbles and this awesome promot below sent in by @prunes-said-bucky :) I hope you like it! Thank you all for reading and much love ❤❤❤

Warnings: fluff, snack stealing, Bucky being sneaky, light dirty talk, metal hand kink, implied smut ;) 

No sooner had you sat down on the couch, remote in hand and blanket at the ready that you realized you didn’t have any snacks. With a disgruntled mumble you get back up and head to the kitchen, opening your cabinets in search of something yummy. “You can’t tell me I don’t have anything in here,” you say, scolding yourself quietly. “UGH!”

You grab your slippers and head to the door, shuffling down the hallway to the common room kitchen. All the lights are out except for the small one above the sink as you head toward the pantry, using your phone flashlight to search the shelves. You spot the caramel popcorn and outwardly moan, your mouth watering at the thought. Before you can worry about who it belongs to you grab the bag and run back to your room.

The next few days are busy, and you don’t have time to make it to the store so once again you find yourself moving quietly toward the pantry, scanning over all the goodies for a snack. Dark chocolate caramels catch your eye and you let out another moan for no one to hear, grabbing the package and running off.

By the time the weekend rolls around you haven’t gotten any errands done and your cabinets are still bare. Turning on the TV you contemplate going without snacks. Huffing and yelling, “who am I kidding?!” into the darkness, you stand up and make your usual trip down the hall to the pantry. For a moment you have a strange thought…why is no one ever around at this time? Shrugging your shoulders, you open the door to the pantry and realize you’ve forgotten your phone.

“Shit!” you whisper yell, reaching around blindly for the light. It isn’t until your hand lands on something cold and metal that you suck in a breath, ready to let out a scream. “Looking for a snack, doll?” Bucky’s smooth voice washes over you, instantly soothing your fear. He gently grabs your wrist, the glow of his eyes now visible after yours have adjusted.

“I uh...um, well, I just…yea, I want a snack.” You think you see a flash of white, his smile devious as he pulls you closer. “What did you have in mind?” The rapid rise and fall of your chest gives more away than you realize, Bucky’s smirk permanent as he smooths his hand down your arm. With an audible swallow you try to think of something other than Bucky’s hard body pressed to yours.

“Something sweet. Maybe salty too,” you manage to reply. His hot breath is right against your ear as he asks, “you mean something like those dark chocolate caramels you had the other night. Or maybe the caramel popcorn from last week, hmm? How does that sound?” You continue to stand there with your mouth opening and closing but nothing coming out.

Finally, you ask, “how do you know about that stuff?” His metal hand reaches up to trace along your jaw, delicately brushing over your lips, “I’ve been keeping an eye on you and you’ve been stealing my snacks.” His words come out free of inhibition and you’re once again momentarily silenced except for the sound of your heart about to beat out of your chest.

“Do you know what happens when you steal my snacks?” he asks, his metal fingers now trailing down your neck. You can’t help the moan that slips past your lips, the feel of his hands on you setting your skin on fire. Shaking your head, you bring your hand up to grasp his bicep only for him to push it away. “Oh no, doll. I don’t think so. I had to watch you waltz in here night after night wearing nothing but a tee shirt and then hear you make those pretty little moans…, he trails off as his fingers delicately close around your throat. “I’m gonna pull more moans past those pretty little lips.”

His flesh hand slips under your shirt and he gives you one last look for reassurance. “Bucky, please,” you whisper, your eyes closing as he runs his finger over the wet spot on your underwear. “And you’re gonna be begging me to let you cum.”

@aesthetical-bucky @book-dragon-13 @buckys-broody-muffin @devynsdiary @eurynome827 @hiddles-rose @hailmary-yramliah @itsunclebucky @ikaris-whore @jhangelface0523 @jewelofwinter @jewels2876 @loricameback @littledarlinhavefaithinme @littleredstarfish @marvelgirl7 @metal-armed-cuddly-dork​ @mushyjellybeans​ @marvelandotherfandomimagines​ @nano--raptor​ @randomfandompenguin​ @sallycanwait68​ @scarletsoldierrr​ @softpeachbarnes​ @the-wayward-robot​ @when-the-hell-is-bucky​

#bucky x reader #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader smut #bucky barnes fluff #bucky smut #bucky fluff #metal arm kink #bucky barnes x reader fluff #bucky barnes x reader smut #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x you #marvel #sebastian stan #hbc drunk drabbles

[angelofthequeers]

Damsel In (Need Of) Destress

Rating: T

Summary: Ladybug and Ryuuko have a little competition going on. The aim? To rescue Alya during akuma attacks. And naturally, Alya is Done with her girlfriends' shenanigans, while Chat Noir is just oblivious to the three-way tension.

Slot: 1-2.5k fic

Written for an anonymous donor for the @mlbforblm drive! Thank you so much for commissioning me and I hope you enjoy the sweet wlw disasters! The drive ends in just a few days so if you haven’t already, please consider coming over and commissioning me or another of the amazing contributors!

This assumes that Kagami didn’t reveal herself in ‘Ikari Gozen’ and that ‘Miracle Queen’ never happened, so none of the heroes had their identities outed.

AO3 link

“I got her!”

If anyone had told Alya that she’d be annoyed at a superhero rescue, she’d have looked at them funny and wondered if they’d hit their heads. But that was before…this.

“Don’t worry, Alya,” Ladybug says with a winning smile. “I’ll keep you safe. Ryuuko and Chat Noir can hold off Jess Tear –”

“Césaire!” howls the akuma as if on cue. With her snow-white face, jet-black lips and tear-streak eyeliner, and asymmetrically patterned black and purple jumpsuit and pigtails, she resembles a bargain bin version of Harley Quinn more than anything. Not that Alya would say that to her face…but Hawkmoth is a different story altogether. Is he drunk or something when he akumatises people?

“Why is she even mad at you?” Ladybug says as she deftly leaps and swings through the city, still holding Alya close.

“She tried to insult the Ladyblog, I told her to stop clowning, everyone laughed at her,” Alya says as though Ladybug doesn’t know exactly why Jess Tear is angry. If Alya could slap her oblivious fourteen-year-old self around the head, she so would, because how the hell hasn’t anyone else figured out that Ladybug is her dorky best friend slash girlfriend Marinette? Hmm. Maybe that’s why only Alya has figured it out. That and being Ladybug’s number one fan.

“You’re a good friend, Alya,” Ladybug says. “I – uh, you sound like a good friend!”

“Thanks,” Alya says dryly, wondering if facepalming will give the game away.

“Incoming!” Chat Noir cries from somewhere to the right, and that’s the only warning Alya and Ladybug have before a gigantic purple mass shoots up and snags both of them in its rubbery, shrieking coils. Jess Tear’s mad laughter provides the accompanying soundtrack as she perches on the purple head of a balloon snake nearby.

“You seem to be a little tied up, Césaire!” Jess Tear says. Alya rolls her eyes.

“Right, because I’ve never heard that one before,” she says. “I’ve been akuma bait for, like, three years and that’s the best you can come up with?”

“Who’s the clown now?” Jess Tear cries as though Alya hadn’t said anything. “Now I’ll strangle the life out of you and collect Ladybug’s Miraculous from her dead –”

With an explosive pop, Alya’s bonds vanish and she plummets towards the ground, screaming. But she’s caught in a pair of red arms before she can splatter like a cracked egg and whisked out of danger, held close to another scarlet-clad, black-haired superhero whose eyes are cinnamon brown instead of bubble-gum blue.

“I’ve got you, Alya,” says Ryuuko, aka Kagami, aka Alya’s other girlfriend, aka the whole damn reason for Alya’s constant headache because she and Ladybug can’t seem to stop themselves from turning “rescue Alya” into a goddamn competition.

(Ryuuko’s winning seventeen to thirteen, but there’s no way Alya will admit that she actually keeps count of how many times her girlfriends rescue her).

“Hey! I was saving her!” Ladybug shouts as she untangles herself from the deflated corpse of the balloon snake with Chat Noir’s help. Kagami lands on top of a nearby blue car, turns back to Ladybug, and has the audacity to wink at her. Alya feels the sudden urge to yeet herself out of Ryuuko’s arms and beg Jess Tear to end her suffering already. She’s, like, ninety percent sure that Ladybug and Ryuuko know each other’s identities, which is so not fair because what is she? Chopped fox liver?

If she was Rena Rouge right now, none of this would even be happening in the first place. There’s no justice in this world, honestly.

“Strategically, I’m the better choice to save Alya, while you and Chat Noir close in on Jess Tear!” Ryuuko calls back.

“Like hell!” Jess Tear yanks a purple handkerchief out of her sleeve and keeps pulling, revealing hanky after hanky tied in a long chain. She hefts this chain and cracks it at Chat Noir, causing him to yelp and jump away from Ladybug, who only just manages to leap out of the tangled mess of deflated balloon before it collapses on her. “Who’s the clown now, huh?”

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug catches a tiny clothes peg. “Seriously? Why am I always the one getting trolled?”

“And that’s why I’m the better knight in red spandex.” Ryuuko unsheathes her sword and crouches in front of Alya. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

“At least you’re a cute damsel in distress!” Chat Noir calls from his hiding place behind a lamppost. Yeah. Alya doesn’t even know how that’s supposed to work, but Chat Noir’s always been two filaments short of a lightbulb. She rolls her eyes and flips him off.

“Just do your job and save me already!” she retorts.

“I believe that’s my job,” Ryuuko says. She throws herself at Alya and cradles her as they roll off the car and across the rocky road, just in time to avoid Jess Tear’s next hanky crack. “What’s the plan, Ladybug?”

A grumpy Ladybug swings over with Chat Noir in tow, who provides cover for the girls to dart behind the car. Once they’re safe and joined by Chat Noir, Ladybug frowns down at the peg and hums.

“I think it’s time for Jess Tear to find out what happens to clothes on a windy day,” she says, smiling slowly. Chat Noir and Ryuuko also grin. “Chat, give us some cover again?”

“But of course, milady. Cataclysm!” Chat Noir leaps out from behind the car. Alya peeks around just in time to witness a nearby building crumbling, dousing Jess Tear in dust and rubble, before Ladybug and Ryuuko pull her back.

“Stay here,” they say together, then narrow their eyes at each other.

“Oh my god, you can give it up already,” Alya mutters. “I know it’s you two. And I know you two know.”

“Uh…of course it’s us two!” Ladybug says quickly, while Ryuuko’s cheeks flush pink and her eyes dart away. “Who else would we be?”

Alya facepalms. “You know, a relationship is supposed to be nice. Happy. Beneficial. I’ve had more headaches since your silly little competition started than I’ve had my whole life. How the heck did you not expect me to notice after, like, the seventh time you two went at it to save me? I mean, sure, I love being the pretty damsel in distress, but honestly.”

Ladybug and Ryuuko just blink at her. It’s not until Chat Noir bellows, “Any day now!” that they’re snapped back into action.

“Um…Ryuuko!” Ladybug says in a higher voice than usual. Ryuuko jumps and almost drops her sword.

“Right! Wind Dragon!” Ryuuko dissipates into a burst of cool, fresh air that whooshes out towards Jess Tear. Right before the clown akuma can separate Chat Noir’s head from his body with one crack of her whip, Ryuuko hits her and howls around her in a whirlwind.

“Oh my god! Go away!” Jess Tear shrieks as she’s buffeted by wind on all sides. She tries to aim her hanky whip, but the chain of cloth seems to have a life of its own under Ryuuko’s guiding wind-hand, slapping Jess Tear around the head and coiling around her in a twisted imitation of her previous balloon snake. Once Jess Tear is nothing but a purple hanky mummy, Ryuuko lets her plummet and lands on the ground just in time to solidify and catch a wriggling Jess Tear, whose screams are muffled by her new face mask.

“Okay but how are we gonna find the akuma now?” Chat Noir says as he bounds over, followed by Ladybug, who pegs the ends of the hanky rope to hold Jess Tear’s bonds together.

“That’s your problem, not mine!” Alya calls from her car shelter. “I’m outta here now that she’s toast! I gotta have a good, long talk with my girls!”

She takes a moment to revel in the way Ladybug and Ryuuko blanch, then she turns and heads off, whistling. Ha. And her girlfriends thought they had it over her. Now she’s got the upper hand. Let them sweat while they deakumatise Jess Tear and do the whole post-akuma comfort thing with Jessica Terrence, who’s more than likely going to cuss them out, considering what she’d said about the Ladyblog.

“Gami seventeen, Mari thirteen, and Alya one million,” Alya snickers to herself.

#miraculous ladybug #aotq fic #mlbforblm #alya cesaire #marinette dupain-cheng #kagami tsurugi #adrien agreste #alyanette #alyagami #kagaminette #alyagaminette #ml polyamory #humor #fluff #poor alya #she has not just one disaster girlfriend #but two #rip oblivious chat #alya loves being the damsel in distress #just #not like this

[neni-has-ascended]

You Can(Not) UnGay Kaworu Nagisa - An Essay

This is a text-version of my video-essay on the recent Netflix/Evangelion translation controversy. To see the video version, please click here!

I make no secret of the fact that the linguistics involved in Anime and Game translation are one of my primary fields of interest as a Japanologist. Compared to translation between Germanic and Romanic Languages, as the west is used to it, translating from Japanese to English is filled with a plethora of pitfalls, the likes of which can be very difficult to imagine unless you’re fluent in both languages.  

It’s because of this that my interest in any given AniManga controversy immediately skyrockets as soon as the matter of translation issues is brought up. Which brings us to June 21st’s release of Netflix’ Redub of Studio Gainax’ internationally infamous existential creator meltdown disguised as a Mecha Anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion.

1.)    Neon Genesis ADVangelion

For those among you who haven’t yet heard of this inherently controversial work – what rock do you live under and does it still have vacancies? In all seriousness though, enough videos attempting to summarize the plot of NGE exist on the internet to make giving the rundown here an exercise in redundancy. All you need to know is that the protagonist’ name is Shinji and that he’s a mental-wreck with Daddy Issues who pilots a giant cyborg infused with the soul of his dead Mom to fight surrealist alien abominations and gains an increasingly screwed up social life doing so, all while his already fragile psyche gradually declines to world-ending consequences. For far less fatalistic takes on some of these concepts, please see RahXephon and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Good? Good. Let’s move on.

The original ADV Films dub of Neon Genesis Evangelion and its sequels and spin-offs is… not really flawless, to say the least, but it did a good job in introducing the series to a western audience while staying entirely true to the themes and intentions of the original version. This is definitely at least partially thanks to the fact that director and auteur of the series, Hideaki Anno, personally oversaw the translation and dubbing process, and while the guy in all honesty doesn’t really know the first thing about voice acting – his performance as Jiro in The Wind Rises is one of the reasons it’s my least favorite Ghibli movie – what he does understand is his own work, and what it should convey to the audience in order to be authentic to his vision. So while I do have my issues with the ADV dub, such as poor audio-quality and hopeless cases of overacting caused by poor voice direction in certain parts, the translated script of the series was as stellar as could be expected from something created with the original author’s input, and to the very end of the original 26 episodes run, one can definitely feel the deep, emotional investment every single member of the English cast had in these characters and their journey. (I mean. Just listen to Spike Spencer’s secret rant in the end of the last episode. The dude clearly cares about what happens to Shinji.) In any case, this is probably one of the most influential, iconic dubs to all of the English-speaking Anime Fandom.

Then Netflix decided to license NGE. Not the ADV Dub. Just the show.

People were not happy.

2.)    The Rebuild of Netflixgelion

Please do not mistake what I’m saying for pedantic. The iconic nature of the original ADV dub of NGE cannot be understated, and plays a huge role in the current lack of acceptance for the Redub, even though previous similar redubbing efforts, such as in the case of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, where welcomed by the community wholeheartedly. The new dub cast is absolutely stellar, including voice acting veterans such as Carrie Keranen and Erica Lindbeck, and Casey Mongillo’s amazing vocal range goes a long way to replicate and convey the emotional depth of Shinji Ikari in a way previously only seen in Megumi Ogata’s original Japanese performance.However, while the Netflix dub has a wonderful cast and voice direction, what it does not have is the original dub’s Hideaki Anno-approved script.

…Aaaaand, this is where the real troubles start.

To be totally clear, the redub always meant trouble. The original voice cast were reportedly never given a real chance to reprise their roles- despite efforts made by the main trio, Spike Spencer, Amanda Winn Lee and Tifanny Grant to at least be given a chance to audition – which is a surefire recipe for upsetting a lot of fans. However, this is a problem that could have at least been partially smoothed over after allowing the performances of the new cast to shine in their own right. I mean, even if it is incredibly scummy to not even inform the old cast of the auditions for the redub, if the new version proves to contain superior performances and direction in comparison to the, honestly badly-aged ADV dub, then Netflix’s decision to make an entirely new dub is entirely understandable, right?

No such arguments can be applied to the retranslation of the show’s script.

3.)    The End of Authorial Intent

I haven’t rewatched the entire show in the new dub, just two key episodes. That said, I wouldn’t dream of calling the new script ‘bad’. It’s, for the most part, natural and faithful to the original Japanese source text in much the same way the ADV dub was, to the point that some stray lines received identical translation in both versions. What gives the new script away as entirely unrelated to that of the ADV dub, however, are some rather…  baffling localization choices. 

All of those decisions are rooted in the original Japanese script. They’re not incorrect translations. If the Japanese were to be your only point of reference, there would be no reason to complain about these choices.

But we do have a point of reference. The ADV script. Which was overseen and approved by Hideaki Anno. The original director.

In the making of this video, I have since learned that Anno’s animation company, Khara, was most likely involved in the translation of the script for the Redub. However, as I can’t find any evidence that he himself was involved, the point I am about to make still stands:

Back in the 90s, very shortly after the show concluded its original run, Anno personally signed off on every single choice the ADV dub made. The respective pronunciations of Nerv, Seele and Gehirn, calling the EVA pilots by the correct singular “Child”, rather than the awkward Engrish singular “Children” the original Japanese featured, and referring to the enemies consistently as Angels, even in parts where the original Japanese mixed up the terminology for the sake of a pun with Kaworu’s name. 

So, all of the ADV localization changes are within the intent of the original author. They are part of how the show is meant to be consumed by a western audience. Not carrying over this terminology, despite it being faithful to the Japanese script, thus ironically makes the Netflix script LESS faithful to Anno’s authorial intent than the ADV dub. But those are only terminology changes, right? They’re not a big deal. They don’t alter the context of the narrative itself.

…

Kaworu Nagisa.

4.)    Kaworu Nagisa

Remember how I mentioned that I only really watched two episodes of the Netflix dub all the way through so far? Well, one of those two episodes happens to be one of the series’ most infamous, right after the two-part finale: Episode 24. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, or “The Final Messenger” – Let’s not get hung up on which it is, Evangelion has ALWAYS been weird with titles.

This Episode introduces Kaworu Nagisa, the fifth of the EVA pilots and long-time fangirl-favorite for not-so-subtle reasons. Kaworu appears as Shinji is at his lowest point, our main protagonist’s already pretty much non-existent self-esteem in shambles. The two boys bond immediately over… the fact that Kaworu can sing ‘Ode to Joy’? Yeah, let’s go with that – And the majority of the episode consists of showcasing the growing relationship between Kaworu and Shinji, beginning with simple conversations, but quickly progressing into some more… serious territory.

I won’t sugarcoat things, in terms of narrative structure, the episode is a mess, rushing from scene to scene with reckless abandon, attempting to successfully tell a story in under 25 minutes, that some Disney Movies don’t tell right in 90+ minutes. This is doubtlessly due to the overall mess that NGE’s production process had become at this point in its original run for reasons too complicated to talk about in this video, but let me assure you that there’s pretty solid evidence that Kaworu was definitely originally meant to appear for much more than a single episode. As it stands, however, he dies in the same episode he is introduced, begging Shinji to assist him in his suicide after revealing himself to him as the final Angel. His effect on Shinji, however, is profound and comparable to the effect Nia Teppelin of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann has on that show’s protagonist, Simon Giha. In that way, just as with Nia later, it is plain as day that Kaworu is intended to be one of Shinji’s love interests. And the episode is NOT subtle at all in portraying him as such.

A lot can be said about the exact nature of Kaworu’s affection for Shinji, from Kaworu clearly seeing Shinji as some sort of avatar for humanity as a whole on which he projects his admiration for the species, to Shinji seemingly falling victim to an idealized Oedipus Complex in regards to his perception of Kaworu, the fact remains that their interactions with one another in Episode 24 are in places obviously romantic to even sexual in not only the dialogue, but also the visuals. Even with Hideaki Anno’s profession that Shinji’s romantic feelings for Kaworu aren’t “carnal”, they’re still obviously there. Projected and skewed by their unusual psyches as aspects of it may be, the relationship between them is clearly portrayed in a way that transcends the platonic and becomes intimate more quickly than your seafood friends can start singing ‘kiss the guy’ on a romantic boat ride – It’s not subtext, you guys. Towards Shinji Ikari, Kaworu Nagisa acts and speaks quite openly like one would speak to a lover. And even if Kaworu and his ambiguous humanity are somehow not gay enough for you, well, resident violently blushing and stuttering smitten wreck Shinji Ikari will put your doubts to rest. The visual homosexual (homoromantic?) tension in these scenes is so tangible, you can cut it with a knife. The dialogue, at certain points, doesn’t even really matter. Kaworu could quite literally be reading off the grocery list, and these scenes would STILL be gay.

That doesn’t mean the dialogue is not important, and that one shouldn’t really, really pay attention to what’s on screen when translating.

5.)    The Final Angel is in the Detail

The translation of Kaworu’s words to Shinji in the Netflix dub is not wrong. But it ignores the context of the scene, as well as authorial intent. And that’s why I understand why people are angry at it.

The lines in question are these : 

(Scene 1)

Kaworu: そう、好意に値することよ。

Shinji: 好意？

Kaworu:「好き」ってこと、さ

(Scene 2)

Shinji: カヲル君が「好きだ」って言ってくれたんだ。僕のこと。初めて…初めて人から「好きだ」って言われたんだ。

In the ADV dub, these lines were translated like this: 

(Scene 1)

Kaworu: This is worth earning my empathy.

Shinji: Empathy?

Kaworu: I’m saying “I love you.”  

(Scene 2)

Shinji: Kaworu said that he loved me. I’ve never... felt such kindness before.

In the Netflix dub, however, they were translated like this: 

(Scene 1)

Kaworu: Yes, you’re worthy of my grace.

Shinji: Your grace?

Kaworu: I’m saying “I like you.”  

(Scene 2)

Shinji: Kaworu said I was worthy of his grace. That was the first time... someone told me they liked me.

Which one of these is right? The fact is… both are.

The Japanese term “ 好き ” doesn’t really have a direct equivalent in English. It holds a connotation that is meant to convey very personal, but broadly defined affection. It doesn’t simply mean “to like something”. It means to feel a strong, positive, emotional connection to that person of thing. For that reason, this term can be used to profess affection to your friends, your family, your favorite item… Or as a love-confession. 

In Japan, love-confessions using “ 好き ” are a lot, lot more common than the much, much stronger term “愛する”, let alone the implicitly sexual term “恋する”. In most romance Manga, “ 好き ” will be the term of choice the heroine uses to confess her love to her object of affection. And though, via character analysis, a strong argument can be made that when Kaworu uses “ 好き ” to express his affection for Shinji, he means general affection towards Shinji’s humanity more than personal, romantic affection, this is clearly not how Shinji takes Kaworu’s words. To Shinji, what Kaworu said in that moment, definitely sounded like a confession of romantic devotion, which becomes very, very clear when Shinji later tells Misato: 

Shinji: 初めて人から「好きだ」って言われたんだ。

With the line being translates as “I like you”, this statement of Shinji sounds like pure delusion, which wouldn’t be out of character for him, of course, but isn’t at all what the episode is trying to get across. Of course people have told Shinji before they ‘like’ something about him! That’s a big part of the reason he started defining himself through his status as pilot of EVA Unit 01; his efforts earned him praise from those around him. He had friends for most of the series, at least implicitly, these people have definitely expressed a ‘liking’ for him. So by translating “好き” as “like” in this context, a whole layer of the statement is lost, and Shinji professing that this was the first time anybody has ever said that they “like” him sounds less like a serious revelation about his character, and more like his typical, delusional whining about how the world hates him.

And I think that’s why Anno signed off on the ADV dub translating the line as “I love you” rather than “I like you”. Because the point of this line is not Shinji thinking that Kaworu is the only person who’s ever tolerated his presence. It’s that Shinji feels like Kaworu was the first person to ever have a genuine, emotional connection to him. Something he’s never allowed himself to have, due to the series’ often cited theme of Hedgehog’s Dilemma.

And, as correct as translating “ 好き ” as “like” is,  a whole dimension of Episode 24 of NGE is entirely lost if you choose to translate Kaworu’s lines that way. As much sense as it technically makes.

The Netflix dub of NGE, by all measures known to me, is a very well-acted, well-directed, well-translated version of a classic piece of Animation History. I am not telling anyone that it is in any way bad or even inferior to the original, and I am not telling anyone to avoid it.

All I am saying is, that if you, as a translator, have access to references regarding authorial intent you should probably use them.

#netflix evangelion #neon genesis evangelion #shin seiki evangerion #Kaworu Nagisa #Neni Talks #Neni Theory #Lost in Context