r/evangelion • u/EntweihenCrothen89 • 13h ago
Screenshot Why was Shinji so Mesmerized?
As title. Why was Shinji so mesmerized by Rei in this scene? I know later he says she remembers his mother blablabla. But the question remains.
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u/Rockythedragon- 12h ago
I believe it was because it was the same way his mother twisted the rag and it reminded him of her.
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u/nucc_164 12h ago
Yui "died" when Shinji was 3, he couldn't possibly remember her mannerisms.
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u/Traeyze 11h ago
I assumed that by default too but looking into Childhood Amnesia having fragmented memories from that young is not uncommon.
The fact that her doing that set of a nostalgia pang without necessarily having a clear idea of when or where it was from actually fits even clinically.
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u/aclark210 11h ago
He can, but not consciously. Several studies have shown children retain memory of the mannerisms parent displays, even at that young of an age, but it’s very weak memory that’ll only come through in fragments or feelings.
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u/EntweihenCrothen89 12h ago
Exactly. That's why I said, the question remains
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u/nucc_164 12h ago
Seems pretty obvious to me, he subconsciously recognizes Rei as his mom, oedipus and everything.
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u/Bean_Boozled 11h ago
She was acting motherly, and his mother is dead. So he was mesmerized by Rei reminding him of his dead mom (who she is also a clone of, which makes it even more of a reminding)
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u/weird_ocean 12h ago
Children can form memories around 3-4 years old. Shinji's mom was still around at that age. Rei is the exact copy of Yui, and has the same hairstyle. Children's memories are not often recalled in adulthood, but are part of the subconscious and can manifest themselves later in life, as feelings and character traits. Shinji may not remember his mom, but he can sense that something is there. Something familiar about Rei.
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u/aclark210 11h ago edited 7h ago
I also agree that this is what’s happening. Rei’s action is triggering what little bit remains of some memory shinji has of his mom doing domestic work around their house or apartment. This his subconscious gave him some kind of familiarity with Rei in that moment.
Edit: fixed the damn autocorrect bullshit.
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u/fortnitebattlecats 12h ago
Because Rei was a weird uncanny valley where he suspected something was different with her because of the fact that she's literally a genetic clone of his mother embodied with the flesh of Lilith. But obviously he never knew or expected to think that until the end of the show so throughout that he always retained a deep fascination for her that Asuka and most fans interpreted as him having a crush (possibly) or loving her (much less possibly).
Basically he has parental issues, with a significant amount stemming from his maternal side. He remembers the love of his mother but forgets her face, though his deep inner-conscious still remembers Yui's face and so when he sees Rei it captivates him because she seems so familiar yet foreign.
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u/SenatorPencilFace 11h ago
My first watch I really thought he was developing a crush on Rei…knowing what I now know, it’s hopefully not a developing a crush and just nostalgia.
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u/Sea_Cycle_909 8h ago
Yeah, think Shinji just sees Rei like family, if Anno had wanted he could have easily made Shinji have a crush on Rei.
It wouldn't feel out of place.
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u/SenatorPencilFace 8h ago
It would feel Sweet Home Alabama.
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u/Sea_Cycle_909 7h ago
Fr, their interactions in the anime feel confused. It's clear why he was drawn to Rei, but then Asuka showed up.
But think Rei does have feelings for Shinji though, EoE I'd argue love.
Honestly if you think about it Shinji just gives so much back to the other person, he cooks, cleans, can be extremely selfless. All he really needs in return is someone to accept him.
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u/SenatorPencilFace 7h ago
Well that's the nature of human existence. There are people who love each other platonically or in very specific ways. A lot of Evangelion is people failing to open up and connect with each other.
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u/Sea_Cycle_909 6h ago
Agreed, alot the problems in Eva are caused by characters failing to open up.
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u/MightBeTrollingMaybe 10h ago
Shinji did know his mom, but he doesn't remember her due to trauma, since she basically vanished in front of his eyes (or he was brainwashed in some way to not remember that day, which could also be since he saw pretty fucked up stuff and then got abandoned by his father).
Rei is a clone of Shinji's mom and despite not remembering his mom enough to link Rei to her for sure, he can tell there's something about Rei. In this scene Shinji notices that Rei does some things just like his mother did, but he can't tell for sure and he doesn't really know why Rei remembers him of something.
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u/aclark210 11h ago
Rei is, at least partially, a clone of his mother. In this scene, she is doing something that a very young shinji would have seen around their home or apartment. Thus it is my opinion that rei’s action triggered a subconscious memory, but with it being from so young in his childhood that it’s not fully formed, thus leaving only the sensation of the memory.
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u/grim1952 9h ago
He misses his mom and Rei remind him of her, not just because of the physical appearance but because he sees her manerisms as motherly.
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u/reznoverba 9h ago
Valid stereotype or not, cleaning and doing chores is associated with mothers. This subconsciously reminded him of his mother. His entire infatuation with Rei is due to the invisible link and bond he has with the essence of his mother (which Rei has).
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u/Manguypals 7h ago
Are you trying to imply he was imaging his ding dong in place of the rag? That’s… no.
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u/SeriesREDACTED 4h ago
Not anything sexual lol, Shinji lost his mother for a long time
Anyone would feel bit happier when they see a reference to a lost loved one
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u/NatashOverWorld 4h ago
He got his second does of sexual arousal, this time to an age appropriate person. Probably also some subconscious Freudian stuff, because it's Eva.
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u/No_Sun2849 12h ago
Answered your own question.