EVERYDAY EVA Episode 9: A Dance With Devils | Mecha March

Welcome back to EVERYDAY EVA, the blog series where I aim to cover one episode of Evangelion every single day for Mecha March 2022!

Asuka is determined to prove her worth, but her partner is less than enthusiastic.

Asuka’s popularity explodes at school, and shortly thereafter she demands to meet the First Child (or Children, depending on your translation). Kaji, Ritsuko, and Misato also share their first moment on screen together. The lounge/bar will soon become a habitual meeting place for the adult staff. Immediately, we see how Asuka and Kaji’s respective presences shake up the scene at NERV. Power duos that we’ve endured several battles with have now become trios. The chemistry is entirely different, but the changes aren’t unwelcome by any means.

This colorful episode pairs well with the one that came before it. Seeing EVA-01 and EVA-02 planted legs up into the ground/sea is just the tip of the humor iceberg for Episode 9. The time skip to the outcome of their first encounter with the 7th Angel is reminiscent of Shinji’s encounter with the 4th Angel way back. Back to domestic life for a bit, Asuka’s crash-landing Misato’s apartment is one of my favorite Asuka scenes. It’s hilarious how their classmates have also made themselves comfortable at Misato’s place.

Asuka’ shocking realization of Rei being a better partner for Shinji is a hard pill to swallow. (Particularly as an Asuka stan, you know?) She defines her worth by being an EVA pilot, which Fuyutsuki expressly points out that their first goal should be the termination of the Angels. This will be more important for later. As for humor, the impenetrable Walls of Jericho line is pretty top-tier, especially once you realize she couples the line with her chest practically exposed, which delivers a mixed message altogether. Asuka is complex, and her determination to prove herself will cyclically come back to haunt her.

Thankfully though, their paired training pays off for now—and with a 62-second battle, no less. I always thought it was cool how they played the whole thing out in real time. Episode 10: “Magma Diver” plunges Asuka into even deeper pressure. We’ll see if she can handle the heat. Thanks for reading, and ‘til then!

– Takuto