Fanfic / Neon Metathesis Evangelion

Whatever the premise of a Neon Genesis Evangelion fic, whatever changes, the angels are usually very reliable stations of the canon. We nearly always know what angel will come next.

Not so in Neon Metathesis Evangelion. The basic premise is that the angels arrive in a different order. This of course has repercussions for SEELE's plans, Gendo's plans... and the relationships between the pilots. Breaking through the usual pattern of a v-shaped Love Triangle between Asuka, Shinji and Rei, the three slowly (very slowly) begin to care for each other and form a triad.

And what starts with slow romance gradually turns into a broader, more serious story, in which most topics of Neon Genesis Evangelion are covered: Ritsuko's issues, Misato's role with regard to the pilots, Misato's relationship to Kaji, Kaji's spy games... and of course also several things that are new.

One of several fics that were started in the wake of Advice and Trust, the story's home is at Sufficient Velocity, but can also be found on fanfiction.net and ao3. On SV, it also includes a canon sidestory, called Life During Wartime, featuring the adventures of yet another triad – Kaworu/Mana/Kensuke.

It has not been updated since 2017 due to author frustration and issues in his personal life.

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This Fic provides examples of:

• Adults Are Useless: Gendo, Fuyutsuki and Ritsuko are merely using the children as tools to be exploited. Misato may also care about them a bit, but her desire for revenge against the angels is stronger, and in any case she's unable to really show affection. Kaji may sympathize with the pilots a bit, but even as a U.N. inspector he can't do much, and he isn't there for Asuka when she would have needed him. The only adult who has some positive influence on the children is Maya.
  • Late chapters have Misato deciding to do her best for the children and accept whatever relationship they'll allow her to have with them.
• After-Action Healing Drama: During the Bardiel fight Rei sacrifices herself and EVA-00. She is resurrected in a new clone body, but doesn't remember anything. And what she does remember is fragmentary and contradictory, as the part of her soul that was in EVA-00 has also come back to her. And the new soul parts cause her to act impulsively and wildly. For a while, Rei is an almost catatonic person barely recognizing Shinji and Asuka, who have already fallen in love with her, which causes great distress to them both.
  • And once again after the Arael fight. Shinji had been hit with the Mind Rape, and now he thinks everyone will abandon him and he will end up lonely again. Only constant physical contact to Asuka or Rei reminds him they are still there and haven't and maybe won't leave him.
• Age Lift: Some birthdays were shifted around, as by American/European reckoning Asuka is actually 13, not 14, for most of the show, which the author deemed a bit too young for romantic hanky-panky.
• All There in the Manual: Some notes on the story, like the changed birthday and an incomplete chronology of events, as well as a canon sidestory involving another triad, can only be found on the Sufficient Velocity thread, not in the fanfiction.net or Archive Of Our Own versions of the fic.
• Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: While Misato's teasing is mostly played for laughs like in most fics, things come to a head when a drunk Misato talks too much about the planned nude synch test and teases the pilots about it. Asuka outright insults her and storms off.
• Battle Couple: Asuka and Rei. Not so much Shinji. Shinji never moves past his loathing for piloting and would prefer to just stay the Team Chef and the triad's moral support.
• Beta Couple: Beta Triad, rather: Kensuke/Mana/Kaworu. Their story is detailed in the canon sidestory to the fic, Life During Wartime. Misato and Kaji seem to have hit it off as well.
• Big Eater: Kaworu's S2 engine means he doesn't actually need to eat, but ever since coming to Japan he has discovered he likes to - No matter if it is big steaks or a large pile of hamburgers.
• Both Sides Have a Point: The Pilots are teenagers coerced into fighting because they're they only ones who can, and Asuka tends to argue how unfair and downright annoying NERV's attitude is, from treating them without proper respect to making shady actions to save face. However, the NERV command tend to make tactically sound commands, have no other means to fight off the Angels, and have more important things to worry about than moody teenagers.
• Bonding over Missing Parents: Asuka and Shinji in particular bond over the mutual loss of parents and how they cope with it.
• Bullying the Dragon: Attempting physical coercion against Rei when Rei's soul had been reunited and she was hence whole again was not Ritsuko's best idea. She gets double-whammed by an AT field for her troubles.
• Canon Immigrant: Mana Kirishima from the non-canon NGE video game Girlfriend of Steel.
• Child Soldiers: While matters aren't worse for the pilots in that regard than in other fics, the issue is called out more. There is some discussion about the morality of using child soldiers, and a more in-depth background provided on how this all works.
  Kaji, after Ramiel boiled Asuka and Shinji alive: "That's why so far nobody has said a word. Asuka is right: Officially, she was at Berlin to help in researching EVA technology, rather than to get combat training as a six year old child. Officially, using the research objects as weapons is an emergency solution. Officially, the children have no military rank, are not part of any armed forces, and could walk away at any time. Hell, that's really why we're making them go to school, isn't? We're upholding an illusion of normalcy that just isn't there. No, those aren't child soldiers, why, they're just normal students who help out at NERV after school." He shook his head with an ironic grin on his face. "We've presented the world with a lie that's easy to swallow. And because the world is so dependent on those children to defeat the angels, nobody looks too closely and everyone just upholds the lie."
  "Of course, it's just three pilots. Just three children. In Africa there are several warlords with entire companies and battalions of child soldiers. But nobody cares about Africa. Half its territory is recognized as being stateless. But the U.N. ... they have become a pillar of stability since Second Impact. Maybe the pillar of global stability. The paragon of virtue that keeps the squabbling nation-states at bay. If people become aware, really aware, how a U.N. organization is using child soldiers..."
  • In fact, the pilots point out several times that officially they aren't part of a military hierarchy and that hence officially Misato, Gendo, Fuyutsuki aren't their military superiors. Especially Asuka does so, even though she, having been trained since the age of six, doesn't even fully recognize what is wrong with child soldiery. But sometimes using that argument just is convenient for her.
• Closet Key: While initially believing it to be a cause of If It's You, It's Okay, Rei eventually causes Asuka to realize she's bisexual when she checks out some other girls in the locker room and finds herself interested.
• Complaining About Rescues They Don't Like: Asuka and Rei have just saved the entire city once again! The angel is dead! They even managed to have it savely explode up a hill, away from the city! Everyone lives! People cheer... except, no. Instead, when the angel exploded it made the two Evangelions land in a less than graceful manner. And apparently that means the pilots did bad. Unlike in canon with Asuka and Shinji, here Asuka calls this out and rants about that nonsense in her "The Reason You Suck" Speech.
• Conditioned to Accept Horror: As in canon, Rei sees no problem whatsoever with how she's treated by NERV. Rei I's influence changes this after the reintegration of her soul; she will lash out violently if sufficiently provoked.
• Culture Clash: A decent portion of the fic is dedicated or relevant to Asuka's cultural integration (or lack thereof) into the Japanese culture of Tokyo-3.
• Don't Make Me Destroy You: Kaworu pleads with Arael to leave before he's forced to kill another sibling.
• Double Reverse Quadruple Agent: Kaji, like in canon. He works as inspector for the U.N., he works for Gendo, he works for the Japanese Ministry of the Interior, and at times also against all of those. Recently, he has even begun working for Kaworu in exchange for information. He already has pissed off or will piss off SEELE, Gendo and the JSSDF.
• Dramatic Drop : In a chapter of the sidestory Life During Wartime, Kaji let his coffee cup drop when he learns from Kaworu that SEELE had purposefully caused Second Impact. Naturally, the mug shatters upon hitting the ground.
• Dude, Where's My Respect?: Everybody seems to just take it for granted that the pilots will enter painful life and death battles for their sake. Nobody thanks them, nobody really respects them for it. They still have to be normal school kids living in a normal apartment. Once this is pointed out to her, Asuka begins to get annoyed by this and starts to aggressively 'demand' respect.
• Everyone Has Standards: Kaworu is furious over being forced to kill Lelliel while the latter is retreating. After doing so, he kills the man who ordered him to do so.
• Expendable Clone: Rei sees herself as replaceable, because after all she has clones to back her up (though she never names that reason). Already in chapter 2, Shinji vehemently disagrees. But later on, Rei's current body does die when she sacrifices herself against Bardiel, and she comes back in a new body. In that way, her clones are in fact expendable.
• Fist of Rage: Since this is Evangelion, all characters are varying levels of bad at communication. Hence, instead of them articulating their feelings, they often simply ball their hands to fists and say nothing. This happens very often, seemingly at least once per chapter.
• Foreign Cuss Word: Asuka is fond of those. Gottverdammt, Verfickt, Arschloch, zur Hölle, etc etc.
• Girl on Girl Is Hot: Shinji has had some... entertaining thoughts about Rei and Asuka kissing. Or Asuka atop a naked Rei, as happened in variance to canon in Rei's apartment. He feels rather bad and guilty about this.
• Glowing Eyes: Whenever an Evangelion starts going berserk.
• Green-Eyed Epiphany: Rei is "worried" when she sees "personal bonding" between Asuka and Shinji. She logically deduces that what she is feeling is jealousy, and that hence the "warmth" she has been feeling around Shinji must be love. Of course, as she later also begins to develop feelings for Asuka, that jealousy becomes a non-issue on her end.
• Gratuitous German: The author is German, and has a bit of fun letting Asuka speak and think in German. Most characters have some level of understanding of the language - Misato and Kaji have each lived in Germany as a guardian to Asuka, and Rei, Ritsuko, Fuyutsuki and Gendo know at least some German as it is a required language in Metaphysical Biology studies. Rei tries to approach Asuka by speaking German at one point, though she gets the grammar partly wrong.
• Gut Punch: After several chapters of romantic emotions, comparatively easy angel fights and only light conflicts... Rei sacrifices herself in the battle against Bardiel.
• Heroic BSoD: Misato is horrified to learn that Shinji tried to commit suicide before. It helps drive home for her that her true reason for having the Children fight the Angels wasn't to defend humanity, but for revenge.
• Ignored Epiphany: Ritsuko rants internally over how even Rei has more people who care about her than she does, with Shinji and Asuka being outright in love with Rei. Ritsuko realizes she's pushing everyone out of her life to be with Gendo who even she admits shows her no affection, but insists it's worth it because how obsessed she is with him. Even after Rei starts showing emotions and emotional attachments, she continues to think of her as a thing and blames Rei for all her problems. Eventually, she decides to make Rei pay for all her own pain despite knowing the girl had nothing to do with it beyond Gendo valuing her (as a connection to Yui) over Ritsuko.
• Insecure Love Interest: Shinji initially feels quite bad when he discovers he has feelings for both Asuka and Rei. He thinks that shows that he is just an immature pathetic boy who will latch to anyone showing him a bit of friendliness. He is proven wrong when Mana tries to kiss him. Even though she has been very nice to him, it feels all wrong to him because it isn't with Rei or Asuka.
• Inter-Service Rivalry: As part of her The Reason You Suck Speech, Asuka calls out NERV for refusing to call on conventional forces for assistance even when it would make battles far easier.
• Knight of Cerebus: Just like in canon, Bardiel. Whereas most angel battles before are relatively easy, Bardiel requires Rei to sacrifice herself. And afterwards, the tone is somewhat darker.
• It's All My Fault: Shinji blames himself for Rei sacrificing herself in the fight against Bardiel. In his mind, his inaction due to his fear of injuring Unit-03's pilot forced her take such extreme measures. When an equally grief-stricken Asuka confronts him on it, he breaks down.
• Jerkass Has a Point: The Yakuza attacking NERV employees for the "organization's arrogance" are shown to be doing so because Touji's father is a high ranking member and is furious that NERV didn't consult him over recruiting his son.
• Less Embarrassing Term: Touji calls what he wears over his plugsuit, when he's outside the entry-plug, a coat, whereas Asuka calls it a bath robe.
• Let Us Never Speak of This Again: During the Israfel training week, one night, Rei notices Asuka in a pretty shaken state, after the redhead just had a nightmare. Without comment, Rei cleans up for her, tells her to sit and prepares a tea for her. Then she promises she won't ever speak of this, not even to Asuka herself. When she in fact keeps her word, Asuka begins to reconsider her.
• Loss of Identity: Poor Rei. After she has sacrificed herself and EVA-00 against Bardiel, she is resurrected with her soul reunited, but not reintegrated, so to speak. Thus she questions who she is: Rei I? Rei I in the EVA? Rei II? A fully new Rei III? Though there is one thing certain for her: "I am not her." (Lilith)
• The Man in the Mirror Talks Back: After Rei has been swallowed by Leliel, her psychedelic visions begin by seeing herself in a mirror - and her mirror image, wearing a school uniform while she's wearing her plugsuit, talks back. The mirror image represents Rei II.
• Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: The only thing feminine about Rei is her girls' school uniform. And Asuka is loud, brash, enjoys fighting, enjoys rebelling against authority and antagonizing people... Meanwhile, Shinji would like nothing more to step away from fighting, is rather meek and shy, cooks well, can mediate between Asuka and Rei... Misato even calls that out.
  "You know, that really isn't what I expected when I took you in. I know you said you'd pilot if you could right now, and I believe you, but let's be honest... you never liked it. This, though... you were positively glowing at the meal. So... a boy who would rather cook than pilot. Yeah, I really wasn't expecting that. But screw that. You want to cook? You're right, it's something you can do. Honestly, without your influence I think the two girls would have clawed each other's eyes out by now. So don't think it's nothing. So, if you'd rather do that than piloting, you'd still be contributing."
• Military Maverick: The only reason Asuka hasn't been fired by NERV yet is that this would cost them the use of EVA-02, a fourth of their fight force.
• Mind Rape: Shinji gets hit by Arael. Arael shows him how lonely his life has been, and how this has been mostly his fault for having turned any advances or attempts to build relationships. Thus Shinji becomes convinced it will most likely always stay that way.
• Mind Screw: Rei's visions while inside Leliel. They help her to 're-integrate' her reunited soul parts.
• Minor Living Alone: First, only Rei as in canon. Then she and Asuka moved into an apartment of their own, though it is in the same apartment bloc as Misato's. Then Shinji moved in there as well. During her big apology, Misato even offered to leave them alone entirely, though the kids didn't want that.
• Mugging the Monster: In the canon sidestory, Life During Wartime, two thugs try to mug Kaworu, Kensuke and Mana at night, thinking them easy prey. However, Mana has been fully trained by the JSSDF in close quarter combat, and unlike the other sort of training she has received, that one has always come easily to her. The thugs have no chance.
• Must Make Amends: After her realization about how she has always treated the Pilots, Misato is determined to now make amends: To always be on their side, to show them the proper respect and gratitude, to shield them from unreasonable burdens by NERV, etc.
• My God, What Have I Done?: After first learning that Shinji had tried to commit suicide, and then thinking Asuka may leave, which would cut down NERV's forces for the defence of the world, Misato realized what she has done over the years: Raising child soldiers, sending them into battle after battle, never showing respect or gratitude or even only sympathy.
• Not a Date: Misato at first didn't think Asuka and Rei going to the cinema together was a date; she was just cracking a date after a question by Rei. But Asuka's vehement insistence that it wasn't a date gives Misato the idea there is more going on. Likewise, Rei and Shinji, and Shinji and Asuka, have also been on "not-dates" already.
• Not-So-Badass Longcoat: What Touji has taken to wearing over his plugsuit during synch-tests or even lead-ups to battle when he is outside the entry-plug. Asuka calls it his 'bathrobe'.
  • When the pilots all wear one as a sign of solidarity, Asuka's is the only one the looks somewhat good. Rei's is a dull grey, Shinji's is brown with far too many pockets, and Kaworu's has several patches.
• Not What I Signed on For: Upon learning of the upcoming nude sync test all of the pilots refuse, stating that their job is to pilot the Evas and kill Angels, not prance around naked for all of command to see. While there's some initial fear of punishment, Kaworu points out they'll be fine so long as they present a united front; NERV can't afford for its pilots to quit.
• Official Couple: Official Triad, rather. The whole story is about Rei, Asuka and Shinji coming together and eventually the aftermath of that.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: When Kaworu drops his perpetual cheer and enigmatic speech, people quickly notice and realize something's wrong. In this case, his girlfriend Mana being hunted by the JSSDF.
• Perpetual Smiler: It has been noted, even by Kaji himself, how he is constantly smirking. At one point, Kaji also complains how Kaworu is constantly smiling, something also noted by others.
• Polyamory: Asuka/Rei/Shinji, of course. Even if it takes a long time for them to come together. Meanwhile, the Beta Couple, Kensuke/Mana/Kaworu, is much quicker.
• Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: During the Bardiel fight.
  Rei: "You have always taken care of me. My turn".
• Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: In Chapter 32, Rei's reaction to Ritsuko grabbing her and not letting go.
  This had been the woman who had mistreated her for ten years. And now she'd. had. ENOUGH!
• Raging Stiffie: Shinji has a certain problem when in a dual-synch test, Rei is sitting in his lap.
  Ayanami wiggled slightly. Oh gods. She was wiggling again. Maybe she was sitting uncomfortably, which would be... ehem... EHEM... understandable. Though the wiggling did the exact opposite of helping with that problem. Damn it, are those suits thin!
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: After getting scolded over getting tossed around by Israfel's self-destruct, Asuka rips Fuyutsuki a new one over him criticizing their victory and NERV's deplorable tactics.
  Asuka: Would you rather an aesthetically pleasing defeat, Sir? Whose stupid idea was it anyway, to have us fight an active Angel? A further N2 mine drop would have it enter its passive, regenerative mode again, but nooo, some people were too embarrassed to request that from the conventional forces. Never mind how tactically sensible it would have been, but hey, can't "lose face"! Rather send out kids to fight! After all, you decision makers will be safe and cushy in your command center several dozen metres beneath the Earth. And the risks to the pilots, well, that's not worth "losing face", right? Better they be at life and death risk than you being maybe a tad embarrassed. Hah, Japanese nonsense. So Interservice Rivalry is more important than the safety of the city? Yes, surely it is better to let the angel come to a city with nearly a million inhabitants, rather than make a tactically sound request of another agency. Who do you even think you are? If you think you can do piloting better, than why don't you do it, gottverdammt noch einmal?
• Rebuilt Pedestal: For all their problems with the woman, Misato does her best in later chapters to rebuild her relationship with the pilots, such as calling out Ritsuko when she feels the woman is being unreasonable or allowing Shinji to move in with Rei and Asuka if he wants.
• The Reveal: In Chapter 39, Rei reveals to Asuka and Shinji that not only is she a clone created by NERV, but she's also part Angel. She also reveals the former part to Misato that same chapter.
• Shameful Strip: Exactly how the pilots see the upcoming nude synchtest - not as something to laugh about, but as something that would be deeply humiliating. Therefore they (successfully) refuse that test.
  • Even before, Gendo has sold Ritsuko out to SEELE in order to protect Rei from them. As in canon, SEELE interrogates her in the nude. Afterwards, Ritsuko feels humiliated and betrayed, and mentally vows revenge to Rei.
• Shell-Shocked Veteran: Piloting and fighting the angels has already taken its toll on Shinji, as Mana and Asuka acknowledge.
  There was a certain logic to what Mana was saying. In a way, despite only being fourteen, Shinji was a kind of... injured veteran. Who had done his duty heroically and saved everyone, but had the mental wounds to show for it. That idea fit very well to Asuka's notions of EVA pilots as an elite fighting troop. It wasn't that Shinji was weak; rather it was time that others took over for him. And Asuka was definitely up to the task.
• Shipper on Deck: For a time, Asuka was trying to push Shinji and Rei together, partially because all three have feelings for each other and she wants to solve her dilemma by pairing them up so she can bow out, and none of them had thought of Polyamory yet.
• Shipper with an Agenda: Asuka fears "losing" to Shinji and Rei in their romantic triangle. But ah, if she brings them together, that would then be no defeat, right? Also, it would leave her open to pursue Kaji! A master plan... that already crumbles in the very next episode because Shinji is just too damn cute.
• "Shut Up" Kiss: Rei decides that she will pilot EVA-01 against Leliel instead of Shinji. She has no problems with piloting and he has and EVA-00 has been destroyed, so she should be doing it. When Shinji starts feeling guilty about this and protests, Rei shuts down his protests with a kiss.
• Sincerity Mode: To Asuka's shock, Misato is completely sincere when the woman calls her Langley-Soryu-sama while making amends.
• Sleep Cute: During the Israfel training week, one night, Asuka stumbles into Rei's futon instead of her own. Unlike Shinji in canon, Rei doesn't vacate the futon. Instead the two end up hugging in their sleep. Later, after Rei's soul had been reunited, Rei comes to Asuka's room after having been frightened by a weird dream. Too tired to do anything else, Asuka offers her to come into her futon.
  "Hmmm. Teddy bear," Asuka commented. "Sleep now, Rei."
• Soldier vs. Warrior: Asuka sees herself as a warrior, and thus is not particularly happy to have to wear a school uniform, which she equates to soldiers.
• The Stations of the Canon: The entire basic premise of the fic is to change the chronological order of those around.
• Stupid Sexy Flanders: Rei is this for Asuka, causing her to mutter "Stupid cute Rei".
• Surprise Incest: Shinji and Rei are heading that way, of course.
• Team Chef: Shinji cooks lunch boxes for Asuka and Rei every school day, and dinner for them and Misato every day. And he likes that role - that way he can contribute without needing to pilot.
• Tears of Joy: By Shinji, aplenty, when he and Asuka learn that Rei has "survived" the Bardiel fight (or rather, a new clone has been activated, of course).
• There Are No Therapists: After Ariel's Mind Rape of Shinji, Asuka fears he might become suicidal again and tells Misato as much. This is compounded by previous issues and a previous suicide attempt. However, neither of them even considers getting a therapist involved.
• They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!: Asuka tells Ritsuko that if she wants to give orders to her as a pilot, then she also has to treat her as such. And indeed address her as a professional pilot, not a child: Soryu, not Asuka. In fact, whether people are on First-Name Basis or Last-Name Basis is often focused on: Asuka, due to her German upbringing calls all classmates by their personal name, nevermind Japanese customs (which she knows about), and thus eventually gets the whole pilot corps to be on a First-Name Basis; when Ritsuko is angry at Asuka she deliberately reverts the address to "Asuka"; and a sign that their friendship has broken down is when Misato takes to calling Ritsuko "Akagi". Later on, the other pilots, even Rei, demand a Last-Name Basis from Ritsuko as well.
• Through His Stomach: Shinji starts making bentos for both Rei and Asuka, which is one way the three begin to come closer. Later, he even regularly makes their dinner, basically becoming the Team Chef.
• Thwarted Coup de Grâce: Plug Dummy-controlled EVA-01 is beating down on Bardiel-controlled EVA-03, clasping its hands over its head, ready to deliver a hammer strike that would kill the angel, the EVA and probably also Touji inside the EVA... when it suddenly stops. Rei, acting in unison with the 'her inside EVA-00', is using her powers as Lilith's soulbearer on the one Lilithian EVA unit.
• Took a Level in Kindness: A major part of Asuka's Character Development. Beyond no longer mocking Touji for his "bathrobe", she thinks to herself she'd happily lose out on first place if it meant Shinji was okay where previously being the best was all she cared about.
• Unable to Cry: Even though Asuka has opened up to Rei and Shinji, even though she has admited to herself and even to them that she loves them, even though she knows she is loved... one thing still hasn't changed about her: She hasn't cried in ten years, not even at the funeral of her mother. She won't cry now, no matter what.
• Weakness Turns Her On: Well, maybe not weakness. But as Asuka notes after having fallen in love with both Shinji and Rei:
  Asuka's palm went to her face. It really did seem like she had a thing for cute puppies.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Despite him apologizing after realizing what he said, Shinji still calls out Misato here for sending Rei into a volcano after a dormant Angel and sending her Eva not only several hundred meters past the maximum safe depth, but another three hundred meters past the maximum allowed depth, all to kill an Angel. Furthermore, she redeployed both him and Asuka while they were still unconscious after their first sortie with Ramiel.
• When You Coming Home, Dad?: While Kensuke is growing up under far better conditions than the pilots, matters aren't perfect. As the sidestory, Life During Wartime, indicates, his mother is dead, and his father is well off, but basically never around, always staying late at work.
• When She Smiles: Both Shinji and Asuka find Rei beautiful when she smiles and adorable when she shows actual interest in things.
• Who Needs Enemies?: The pilots and NERV command. The officers see the pilots as basically tools, and the pilots become resentful about that. After the successfully resisted nude synch-test idea and the Arael battle, it nearly dips into Divided We Fall territory, considering the angel threat to the whole world still exists.
• Yakuza: In an effort to teach NERV a lesson for their arrogance, Yakuza thugs begin to beat down whatever NERV employee they find in the seedier parts of Tokyo-3.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: When Mana confesses that she's an agent for the JSSDF and lied about everything, Kaworu and Kensuke insist she's a better person than she claims to be.
• You Are Not Alone: Besides the frequent reminders between Asuka, Rei, and Shinji, the say the same to Beta Triad Kensuke, Kaworu, and Mana about having a three-way relationship.
• You Are Not My Father: After learning about Rei's upbringing, Shinji declares that Gendo is not his father, merely a genetic donor.
• Yubitsume:
  • Touji's father is described as wearing a high collar and gloves...
  • And after NERV and the local Yakuza have come to blows, Misato shocks Mr Suzuhara and the oyabun by offering yubitsume as way of apology.

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