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A Transfer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"A Transfer"
Neon Genesis Evangelion episode
Episode no.Episode 3
Directed byHirouiki Ishido
Written by
Original air dateOctober 18, 1995 (1995-10-18)
Running time22 minutes
Episode chronology
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"The Beast" 		Next →
"Hedgehog's Dilemma"
List of episodes

"A Transfer", known by the Japanese title "The Silent Phone",[a] is the third episode of the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, created by Gainax. Series director Hideaki Anno and writer Akio Satsukawa wrote the episode directed by Hiroyuki Ishido. It aired originally on TV Tokyo on October 18, 1995. The series is set fifteen years after a worldwide cataclysm, particularly in the futuristic fortified city of Tokyo-3. The protagonist is Shinji Ikari, a teenage boy whose father, Gendo, recruited him to the organization Nerv to pilot a giant bio-machine mecha named "Evangelion" into combat with beings called "Angels". In the episode, Shinji begins attending his new school in Tokyo-3 and has a difficult time dealing with the fame of being an Evangelion pilot. His classmate Toji Suzuhara, whose little sister was injured in Shinji's fight against the Angel Sachiel and appeared in the previous episode, is angry at him; a new Angel named Shamshel appears, and Shinji must once again pilot Eva-01 to defeat it.

Production for "A Transfer" began after the fifth and sixth episodes. The episode analyzes the characters' relationships and Shinji's psyche in particular. "A Transfer" scored a 7.1% rating of audience share on Japanese TV and received a divided reception. Critics praised the animation, sound, and character focus, while others criticized Toji's characterization and Shinji's actions.

Plot[]

Shinji Ikari tries to adjust to his new life in Tokyo-3. He is now the official pilot of the giant mecha Evangelion 01 for the special agency Nerv and lives with Nerv's captain Misato Katsuragi, though their relationship is still distant. As the episode opens, he is lethargically going through the motions of training. The next morning he departs for school; Nerv's Dr. Ritsuko Akagi calls Misato to check on Shinji and is told that Shinji seems to have made no friends at school. There, Shinji's classmates Kensuke Aida, Toji Suzuhara, and Hikari Horaki are first introduced. They begin to discuss the battle between a mecha and an enemy named Sachiel, the third of a series of beings called Angels, which took place in the previous episode. Toji has only just returned to class for the first time since the battle, explaining that he had to care for his sister, who was injured in the battle with Sachiel. When his classmates discover his identity as a pilot, Toji, who blames Shinji for his sister's injuries, gives Shinji a beating in retaliation, and Shinji's protestations that he was piloting involuntarily make Toji angrier.

The fourth Angel, Shamshel, attacks Tokyo-3 and Shinji is mobilized in Eva-01 to defend the city. Kensuke convinces Toji to sneak out of their shelter to watch the battle from nearby. Shinji loses his nerve to fight and is tossed into the air by Shamshel, almost killing Toji and Kensuke as he lands. This also severs Eva-01's Umbilical Cable, leaving her with just five minutes of reserve power. Shinji then begins fighting a defensive battle, attempting to protect Toji and Kensuke rather than defeat the Angel. To protect them from the battle, Misato orders Toji and Kensuke to take refuge in the Evangelion's cockpit. Inside, Toji sees Shinji's great anguish and pain as he fights the Angel, and is beset by remorse. Misato orders Shinji to retreat, but he loses his temper and charges Shamshel with his knife, defeating the Angel as his power runs out. Days later, Kensuke gives Toji the number of Shinji's phone so he can apologize; Toji attempts to call but stops.

Production[]

Neon Genesis Evangelion director Hideaki Anno and Akio Satsukawa wrote the script for "A Transfer". Assistant director Kazuya Tsurumaki and Hiroyuki Ishido composed the storyboards. Ishido also served as director, while Nobuhiro Hosoi took the role of chief animator, and Tsurumaki and Yoshitoh Asari served as assistant character designers.[1][2] Animator Yō Yoshinari contributed to the depiction of the battle against Eva-01 and the Angel Shamshel.[3] Initially, the staff called the episode "The first telephone call" (初めてのTEL, Hajimete no tel).[4][5] After the battle, Shinji would have become friends with Toji and Kensuke, receiving a call from them;[6] the staff, however, changed the planned scenario and moved the beginning of the friendship to the following episode, "Hedgehog's Dilemma".[7] The title was later changed to "The Silent Phone",[8] with the English title "A Transfer".[9] According to the schedule, Anno had already worked on the fifth and sixth episodes of the series and tried to focus on Shinji's psychology. He felt he had to go beyond regular anime in developing realistic characters for "A Transfer" and "Hedgehog's Dilemma".[10]

For writer Dani Cavallaro, the first scene where Shinji engages in a simulation with a virtual image of the Angel Sachiel intended to refine his skills, is a "characteristic example of Evangelion's self-referential use of computer technology, insofar as the video game-style images of the Eva-01 of Sachiel employed by the Nerv personnel in the exercise are indeed computer-generated to a substantial extent".[11] Specific technical terminology was used for the simulated battle, including terms such as "gain" and "induction mode".[12] In the episode, an image of a crater generated by the battle in the previous episode, "The Beast", was introduced, in which a mountain named Mount Takanosu was depicted.[13][14] Tokyo-3 is shown in a battle for the first time in "A Transfer";[15] for the landscapes of the city, Anno took inspiration from Tracy Island from the Thunderbirds series and the headquarters of UFO's SHADO organization.[16] An imperfect three-dimensional representation of the Entry Plug was also added at the end of the episode, produced by Kensuke on his laptop according to his memories.[17] Several voice actors were used again to portray Shinji's classmates; the female companions, in particular, are voiced by Yūko Miyamura, Kotono Mitsuishi, and Megumi Hayashibara, who also voices the characters Asuka Langley Soryu, Misato Katsuragi, and Rei Ayanami.[18] At the beginning of the episode, a radio program with two female speakers talking about Matsuzaki city[19] was included, to reveal details of the geography of the world of Evangelion.[20] Eiji Maruyama (who worked on Mirai Keisatsu Urashiman and other anime series) also voiced Shinji's math teacher.[18]

Cultural references and themes[]

Angel Shamshel's design was informed by the Alien Bira from the Ultraseven series (1967)

The key theme of "A Transfer" and the following episode, "Hedgehog's Dilemma", is interpersonal communication.[21] "A Transfer" focuses on Shinji's communication difficulties and inability to make friends, rather than his battle with Shamshel. The assistant director of the series, Kazuya Tsurumaki, noticed that at the beginning of the episode Shinji talks to Misato without going into her room or them looking at each other, "Like they are looking through a slightly opened door, but not connecting".[22] Tsurumaki also pointed out how the same "distant, awkward communication" can be observed between Shinji and Rei and Shinji and his father.[22]

In the first scenes, Shinji struggles to make friends and has a cold, laconic, reserved attitude in the first episodes; Ritsuko mentions the hedgehog's dilemma, a psychoanalytic term.[1] Like the hedgehogs of Arthur Schopenhauer's Parerga and Paralipomena, Shinji is afraid to be hurt and withdraws from human contact.[23][24] Akio Satsukawa added the term while writing the script, and it would later become one of the show's main themes.[3] One of Shinji's classmates seen in "A Transfer" resembles Nadia Arwol, a character from Gainax's previous work, The Secret of Blue Water. The episode also mentions the date of the Second Impact, September 13, 2000, which is a tribute to the TV show Space 1999, in which an explosion of radioactive waste deposits on the Moon takes place on September 13, 1999, causing the satellite to change its orbit.[25] Mecha animes of the 1960s inspired the battle against Shamshel; the Angel's design is reminiscent of Alien Bira, an extraterrestrial species that appeared in the Ultraman franchise.[26]

Reception[]

"A Transfer" aired on October 18, 1995, and scored a 7.1% rating of audience share on Japanese TV.[27][28] The episode met with a divided reception. Screen Rant criticized Toji's aggression,[29] as did Ajay Aravind (Comic Book Resources) who wrote of his behavior it "has no rhyme nor reason to it, making him a classic bully".[30] Jack Cameron (Screen Rant) placed the battle against Shamshel among the lowest of Neon Genesis Evangelion fights,[31] while Max Covill (Film School Rejects) criticized Shinji's actions, and deemed them "frustrating".[32] The Anime Café's reviewer Akio Nagatomi praised Shinji's manner to cope with the pressures of his pilot role and the glimpse into what the civilians go during the battles. He also praised animation, soundtrack and directing, but criticized Shinj's revelation of being a pilot to his classmates as "some socially-inept writer's attempt to live out some adolescent fantasy". Jane Nagatomi similarly criticized the episode as "too predictable".[33] EX.org's Peter Cahill praised "the wanton destruction and desperate heroism" of the battle, also eulogizing the animation of "A Transfer" and "Hedgehog's Dilemma".[34] Anime News Network positively reviewed the first episodes collectively in the home video releases.[35][36] Noah Black praised the characters' development, as they have time to comprehend and begin to deal with the issues and duties forced upon them.[37] Polygon appreciated the mature tones and themes of the first episodes, as they showed the responsibility and consequences of Shinji's actions.[38] Supanova Expo's official website also ranked the scene in which Shinji rescues his classmates from Shamshel among the best moments of the character.[39]

References[]

  1. ^ Japanese: 鳴らない、電話, Hepburn: Naranai, Denwa

Citations[]

  1. ^ a b Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum Booklet. 1. ADV. 2004.
  2. ^ The Essential Evangelion Chronicle: Side A. Glénat Editions. 2009. p. 56. ISBN 978-2-7234-7120-6.
  3. ^ a b Oguro, Yūichirō. "第36回 エヴァ雑記「第参話 鳴らない、電話」". Style.fm (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  4. ^ Gainax (February 1998). Neon Genesis Evangelion Newtype 100% Collection (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. p. 88. ISBN 4-04-852700-2.
  5. ^ Neon Genesis Evangelion Theatralical VHS Box Booklet (in Japanese). King Amusement Creative. 1997.
  6. ^ Evangelion Chronicle (in Japanese). 18. Sony Magazines. p. 25.
  7. ^ Oguro, Yūichirō. "第37回 エヴァ雑記「第四話 雨、逃げ出した後」". Style.fm (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  8. ^ Cannarsi 1998, p. 20.
  9. ^ Cannarsi 1998, p. 16.
  10. ^ "庵野秀明 - Part II". 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン残酷な天使のように (in Japanese). Magazine Magazine. 1997. ISBN 4-906011-25-X.
  11. ^ Cavallaro, Dani (2009). The Art of Studio Gainax: Experimentation, Style and Innovation at the Leading Edge of Anime. McFarland & Co. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-7864-3376-6.
  12. ^ Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book (in Japanese). 2. Kadokawa Shoten. p. 6.
  13. ^ Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book (in Japanese). 2. Kadokawa Shoten. p. 9.
  14. ^ Evangelion Chronicle (in Japanese). 17. Sony Magazines. p. 23.
  15. ^ The Essential Evangelion Chronicle: Side A. Glénat Editions. 2009. p. 60. ISBN 978-2-7234-7120-6.
  16. ^ "Hideaki Anno Interview". Mangauk.com. Manga UK. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  17. ^ Cannarsi 1998, p. 23.
  18. ^ a b Eva Tomo no Kai (in Japanese). 2. Gainax. 1996.
  19. ^ Cannarsi 1998, p. 45.
  20. ^ Cannarsi 1998, p. 17.
  21. ^ Cannarsi 1998, p. 14.
  22. ^ a b Gainax, ed. (1997). "Kazuya Tsurumaki Interview". Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion Pamphlet (in Japanese).
  23. ^ Evangelion Chronicle (in Japanese). 2. Sony Magazines. p. 23.
  24. ^ Poggio, Alessandra (2008). Neon Genesis Evangelion Encyclopedia (in Italian). Dynit. p. 77.
  25. ^ Cannarsi 1998, pp. 38–39.
  26. ^ "誰も観たことのないイメージをCGで.". ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:序 全記録全集ビジュアルストーリー版・設定 資料版 (in Japanese). Khara. 2008.
  27. ^ "Anime Land". Newtype (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. January 1996. p. 74.
  28. ^ "新世紀エヴァンゲリオン テレビ本放送時 視聴率". Evangelionarchives.to (in Japanese). Archived from the original on July 6, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  29. ^ Mitra, Ritwik (16 January 2021). "Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Main Characters, Ranked From Worst To Best By Character Arc". Screenrant.com. Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  30. ^ Aravind, Ajay (December 2, 2020). "Neon Genesis Evangelion: Every Main Character, Ranked By Likability". Cbr.com. Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  31. ^ Cameron, Jack (July 7, 2019). "Every Battle in Neon Genesis Evangelion Ranked". Screenrant.com. Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  32. ^ Covill, Max (June 17, 2019). "Every Episode of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' Ranked". Filmschoolrejects.com. Film School Rejects. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  33. ^ "Shinseiki Evangelion Review Pages - Episode 3". Abcd.com. The Anime Café. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  34. ^ Cahill, Peter. "Neon Genesis Evangelion 0:2". Ex.org. EX. Archived from the original on February 8, 2000. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  35. ^ Crandol, Mike (4 August 2004). "DVD 1: Platinum Edition". Animenewsnetwork.com. Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  36. ^ Jong, Matt. "Neon Genesis Evangelion DVD 1 - Review". Animenewsnetwork.com. Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  37. ^ Black, Noah (January 21, 2020). "Get in the Robot". Mcccagora.com. MCC Agora. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  38. ^ "2019 was the perfect year for the emotional devastation of Evangelion". Polygon.com. Polygon. January 7, 2020. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  39. ^ Anderson, Kristy (June 4, 2020). "The Best Moments Of Shinji Ikari In 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'". Supanova.com.au. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2020.

Bibliography[]

  • Cannarsi, Gualtiero (1998). Evangelion Encyclopedia (in Italian). 2. Dynamic Italia.

External links[]

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