×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
Rei Ayanami


Goto page 1, 2, 3  Next

Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> Series Discussion
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Kyle Smyth



Joined: 29 Sep 2005
Posts: 157
Location: Ontario, Canda
PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 8:35 pm Reply with quote
I was wondering what everyone's take on Rei Ayanami's belly button is. I personally wondered if it was a mistake on the part of the animators but Hideako Anno, the director of the show, is too smart for that. I mean she is a clone and she was not concieved naturally through a womb so why would she have a belly button?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message MSN Messenger
Emerje



Joined: 10 Aug 2002
Posts: 7328
Location: Maine
PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 9:32 pm Reply with quote
That really depends on ones thoughts on the umbilical cord. Does the fetus produce the umbilical cord or does the mother? If it's the fetus then wouldn't cloning still produce an umbilical cord of some form since it would be in their DNA to create one?

Emerje
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 9902
Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 10:19 pm Reply with quote
Emerje wrote:
Does the fetus produce the umbilical cord or does the mother?

Fetus. If you've been keeping an eye on scientific news, you'd see some people trying to collect and store umbilical blood, in which contains undifferentiated stem cells.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website AIM Address Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger ICQ Number My Anime My Manga
Gauss



Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 519
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 10:51 pm Reply with quote
I know it's a common plot device to indicate clones by their lack of navels. However, in reality it doesn't make much sense to get rid of the umbilical cord for cloned foetuses. The cord is a perfectly good way of providing nourishment for a foetus and an equally good way of letting the foetus rid itself of waste products. Far more cost-effective and less troublesome to use what's there than to get rid of it for something that might not even work as well.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Nani?



Joined: 20 Jul 2003
Posts: 632
PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 12:24 am Reply with quote
Well, I'd point out that in Jewish folklore of Lilith, Adam's first wife, who was banished for disobedience, became queen of unnatural things could be identified for not having a belly button because she was never "born". I think the parrallels with Rei are obvious, and considering we have an "Adam" already in the show.

All the best,

Nani?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail My Anime My Manga
jgreen



Joined: 14 Mar 2005
Posts: 1325
Location: St. Louis, MO
PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 11:31 am Reply with quote
Evangelion also has a Lilith.....
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
DJ Tricky



Joined: 03 Oct 2003
Posts: 18
Location: CA
PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 12:40 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Evangelion also has a Lilith.....


I think Nani? already knows this. He mentioned the background of Lilith because the show clearly demonstrates that Rei is spoiler[cloned from Yui Ikari and Lilith] and therefore we ought to see similarities of both in Rei.

-DJ Tricky


Last edited by DJ Tricky on Fri Sep 30, 2005 6:08 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
Coffeeman



Joined: 21 Jun 2005
Posts: 298
PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 5:45 pm Reply with quote
I think it was to make it clear that she was human, and moreso, to keep doubts in your mind about whether she truly was cloned;

I'm sure that an organisation that can produce clones, can produce clones with umbilical cords, or even just have cosmetic surgeons willing and able to produce a belly button.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Kyle Smyth



Joined: 29 Sep 2005
Posts: 157
Location: Ontario, Canda
PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 6:35 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
I'm sure that an organisation that can produce clones, can produce clones with umbilical cords, or even just have cosmetic surgeons willing and able to produce a belly button.


I am not saying that this may be untrue, however an organization such NERV does not have to the time to spend on things such as cosmetically incerting a belly button. Personally after reading these great imputs from all of you i think that another possibility is that Hideaki Anno is trying to show some sort of Mother-Child relationship through the belly button because Rie after all is a clone of Yui, Shinji's mother. I think that the umbilical cable is a representation of the strongest connection that is between mother and child, or in this case between Shinji and Rei as it is shown in the movie The End of Evangelion when they have sex and have a deep conversation about dreams and reality.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message MSN Messenger
Nani?



Joined: 20 Jul 2003
Posts: 632
PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 8:36 am Reply with quote
jgreen wrote:
Evangelion also has a Lilith.....


That interpretation which seems no more authoritative then anything typically in the forums. Nothing indicates it got anything from Gainax, therefore I take it as pure fan speculation wraped up as "offical" and nothing more. I always believed that spoiler[ 1) The Angel at the bottom of NERV headquarters was indeed Adam. Kaoru even refers to it as Adam.
2) The Angel Shinji fights in the first episode is refered to as the third Angel. Therefore where is the second Angel?
3) In one of the dreamscapes, Rei is tempted to become her true self, a form not human, and images of those forms resemble an Angel.
4) Rei resembles both Kaoru and Yui Ikari physically. Rei recognises the connection with Kaoru immediately on encoutering him but does not understand it. Kaoru also waits to be defeated until Rei is watching, thus setting an "example" for her fellow Angel.
5) When Rei rebels against Gendo and merges with Adam, third impact does indeed occur and leads to the death of most of humanity.
I therefore concluded that:
1) Rei is the "Second Angel" i.e. Lillith who has taken the physical form resembleing Yui Ikari and her original defeat is tied the "death" of Yui (even though Yui's spirit seems to be tied to unit 01).
2) Rei/Lillith has lost her knowledge that she is an Angel though gradually she becomes suspiscous of this fact, though it's not confirmed until the death of Kaoru.
3) The Rei clones are all Rei/Lillith biomaterial, therefore, all "Rei". However, each "Rei" may have the potential for individuation through human interaction, thus we have the second "Rei" gradually becomeing attached to Shinji and Gendo (and but lacking the social skills to share these feelings) and sacrificeing herself, essentially in a "human" fashion. Presumably a Rei who didn't die and raised by healthy human parents would resemble the "Rei" we encountered Shinji's "alternate world" in episode 26. ]


All the Best,

Nani?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail My Anime My Manga
Arkard



Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 677
Location: Poland
PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 10:50 am Reply with quote
spoiler[We, the humans, are Lilim, as Kaoru called us. Lilim are the offsprings of Lilith. It`s been said that all humanity comes from Lilith (or, as you dont believe sit is really lilith - from the nailed up angel). The nailed up angel produces LCL. The Third Impact is said to bring humanity to where they started their existence. People turned into LCL. So they came back to the source. So logically the nailed up Angel is Lilith.
Also, in one scene Kaoru THOUGHT that was Adam but when he saw it he said "Lilith!".]
So I think you are wrong Nani?.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
angel_lover



Joined: 22 Apr 2005
Posts: 645
Location: UK
PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 12:47 pm Reply with quote
The Angel in Terminal Dogma is spoiler[definitely not Adam. Adam was shrunk back to 'embryonic form' during the Second Impact, and was subsequently embedded into Gendo's hand - this is what all the business with Rei 'stealing' Gendo's hand in EOE is about.]
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
IchigoK90



Joined: 13 Aug 2005
Posts: 1634
Location: Scarborough, Ontario
PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 2:44 pm Reply with quote
Well if you watched End Of Evangelion then you know the angel below NERV is not adam. As stated before adam spoiler[was turned back in to an embriotic state in Gendo's hand] and that the angel is Lilith. Not to mention that spoiler[Rei and Lilith become one] (can't remember properly, haven't seen the movie in like 3 years). Also I didn't get the part spoiler[with whats his name (the last angel that Shinji killed by plucking off his head) and how he came out of Rei/Lilith]. Can anyone explain that too me properly? Also the last lines of the Movie were so............how do I put this................really really stupid.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website MSN Messenger My Anime My Manga
Kazuki-san



Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 2251
Location: Houston, TX
PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 4:05 pm Reply with quote
Nani? wrote:
I always believed that spoiler[ 1) The Angel at the bottom of NERV headquarters was indeed Adam. Kaoru even refers to it as Adam.]


Sorry... but as has been said spoiler[Adam was shrunk to embryonic form by man, which caused the second impact. The embryo was later implanted into Gendou's hand. Karou does indeed refer to Lillith as Adam at first, but he later realizes it is actually Lillith. Kaji delivered Adam to Gendou.]
Nani? wrote:
spoiler[2) The Angel Shinji fights in the first episode is refered to as the third Angel. Therefore where is the second Angel?]

spoiler[ the 2nd Angel is Lillith. Just like in the myth of Lillith, she is the second human, who came before Eve. ]

Nani? wrote:
spoiler[4) Rei resembles both Kaoru and Yui Ikari physically. Rei recognises the connection with Kaoru immediately on encoutering him but does not understand it. Kaoru also waits to be defeated until Rei is watching, thus setting an "example" for her fellow Angel.]

spoiler[ Lillith and Adam are both angels, so Rei, who is made from Lillith, and Karou, who is made from Adam, are indeed similar. ]

Nani? wrote:
spoiler[5) When Rei rebels against Gendo and merges with Adam, third impact does indeed occur and leads to the death of most of humanity.]

spoiler[ Rei first merges with the embryonic form of Adam embedded in Gendou's hand. (This happens when Gendou shoves his hand into Rei's body) Rei then merges with Lillith. ]
Nani? wrote:
spoiler[I therefore concluded that:
1) Rei is the "Second Angel" i.e. Lillith who has taken the physical form resembleing Yui Ikari and her original defeat is tied the "death" of Yui (even though Yui's spirit seems to be tied to unit 01).
2) Rei/Lillith has lost her knowledge that she is an Angel though gradually she becomes suspiscous of this fact, though it's not confirmed until the death of Kaoru.
3) The Rei clones are all Rei/Lillith biomaterial, therefore, all "Rei". However, each "Rei" may have the potential for individuation through human interaction, thus we have the second "Rei" gradually becomeing attached to Shinji and Gendo (and but lacking the social skills to share these feelings) and sacrificeing herself, essentially in a "human" fashion. Presumably a Rei who didn't die and raised by healthy human parents would resemble the "Rei" we encountered Shinji's "alternate world" in episode 26. ]


spoiler[1) Rei is a clone of Lillith and the DNA that was left of Yui after she was absorbed into Eva 1.

2)Rei has not lost knowledge of herself, she simply does not fully understand what she is until close to the end.

3) The clones are all Yui/Lillith biomaterial, that is what makes up Rei. There is no such thing as Rei. She never existed save for the fusion of the Yui/Lillith DNA.

The name "Rei" itself is an interesting choice. It can mean zero (like non-existant), or spirit, or soul.
]
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address MSN Messenger My Anime
Kyle Smyth



Joined: 29 Sep 2005
Posts: 157
Location: Ontario, Canda
PostPosted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 8:30 pm Reply with quote
To all the people refering to the angel in the bottom of NERV HQ as Adam is wrong. Kaoru at first refers to her as Adam but then says "Adam, our mother being.
Those born from Adam must return to Adam?
even anihilating people?
No! Different.
This is Lilith.
I see. I've got it, Lilim."
He says this as he reconizes that Lilith is the mother of people when he is standing directly in front of the Angel is NERV HQ. Also earlier in the series Gendo fuses Adam in his hand. Even earlier than that in chronological order but not revealed until later in the show, that the Evas are copies of the first angel Adam and it even shows the shape of an Eva as Adam. The Adam was returned to the embryotic state and later infused in Gendo's hand. Gendo touches Rei's left breast with his the hand that Adam in it. Rei steals that arm thus taking in Adam. She did not create third impact as everyone states when she fused with Lilith. It was actually Adam, or inessence Eva, that fused with Lilith resulting in third impact.

Now onto the bibliotic reference from the book of Enoch. It states that at first God created Lilith as a sperate being from Adam. But he banished her from the garden of eden when she refused to be subservient to Adam. The God created Eve from Adams rib thus making Eve bound to Adam's will. Thus Kaoru's line of "I've got it, Lilim." refers to humans as Liliths children, hence Lilim.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message MSN Messenger
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> General -> Series Discussion All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page 1, 2, 3  Next
Page 1 of 3

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group