Kaworu Nagisa
Kaworu Nagisa (渚 カヲル, Nagisa Kaworu?) is a fictional character created by Hideaki Anno and designed by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, belonging to the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. His first appearance corresponds to episode number 24, The Last Envoy, broadcast in Japan on March 13, 1996. The character has appeared in numerous works derived from the original animated series, these being several spin-off manga. off, video games, visual novels, in the web anime Petit Eva: Evangelion@School and in the cinematic tetralogy Rebuild of Evangelion.
Kaworu is actually the 17th Angel, Tabris, and the last one sent to carry out Seele's bidding. He was sent to Nerv as a replacement for pilot Asuka Langley Sōryū, after she failed her synchronization test. with Eva-02. Kaworu tampers with Eva-02 and enters the deepest area of the organization's headquarters, Terminal Dogma, in an attempt to make contact with the first angel, Adam. After discovering that it was not Adam, but Lilith, he chooses to die at Shinji's hands, being decapitated by Eva-01. Kaworu is analogous to Rei Ayanami, due to his human body containing Adam's soul, thus like Rei's contains Lilith's.
Despite his small appearance in the series (appearing in just two episodes before the series finale and with little or no presence in subsequent episodes), Kaworu became one of the most popular and recognizable characters in the series. franchise, mainly due to his sex appeal. A 2010 Newtype magazine poll ranked him as the second most popular anime character of the 1990s.
Conception
Kaworu was named after screenwriter Akio Satsukawa. His last name comes from the Japanese word nagisa (渚, 'nagisa'?), which means "shore" or "coast", in relation to the ocean. The surname also comes from the Japanese director Nagisa Ōshima, chosen by Satsukawa to pay homage to him. The character "渚", when divided, can also be read as shi-sha (シ者, 'shi-sha'?). The title of episode 24, in which Kaworu makes his first appearance, is Saigo no Shisha (最後のシ者, The Last Envoy?). "シ者" includes two Japanese words that can be read as "shisha" (the character "シ" only represents the sound "shi"). The first means "messenger" or "apostle", while the second "dead" (死者). According to Anno, the word Nagisa is linked to the kanji 波 (nami, "ola"?), which also appears in Rei Ayanami's name.
From the earliest stages of production, Kaworu was conceived in the guise of an "anthropomorphic" angel. Unlike all the other angels in the series, the director decided to have him speak through a human language. In the Kikakusho (企画書, 'Kikakusho'?), a document released two years before the series aired as a brief introduction to the series, it was planned to introduce an angel with anthropomorphic features in episode XXII. In the original proposal, Kaworu was described as a 'bishōnen [young] constantly accompanied by a house cat'. Nerv would have allowed the young man to enter their laboratories, and Shinji would find himself in "the dilemma of having to fight an anthropomorphic angel.” Finally, he would be revealed "the biggest secret of the institute. " According to Anno, "the basic idea was that the angel was the cat and the boy was a simple puppet." During production, a preliminary sketch of the character was drawn, according to which "after a metamorphosis [Kaworu] changes his appearance. Compared to Shinji, he is classier, more elegant, more refined, taller, but also thinner and his face is smaller." At Anno's request, his eyes were painted red to draw an analogy with Rei. Ayanami and give him "a distinguished impression". In Anno's original intention, the character of Kaworu should have been an "idealized version of Shinji". Like many other characters, conceived based on Anno's personality, Kaworu's personality was inspired by his Jungian shadow.
During the making of the opening theme song for Neon Genesis Evangelion, it was decided to include a sketch of the character, drawn by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, and his role remained essentially unchanged. During production, Anno and Satsukawa wrote some sketches for the script for episode XXIV, in which her relationship with Shinji, the series' male lead, would present less ambiguity. In one of the scripts, Kaworu and Shinji were scheduled to swim naked in a river, kiss, and play the cello and violin together. Confirming the romantic relationship between the two young men and commenting on the original script by his colleague, Anno stated that "Satsukawa hits the mark when it comes to homoeroticism. In fact, I haven't tried to stop it. The atmosphere created by Satsukawa remained in the final script of the episode." However, the Evangelion staff rejected some of the original script proposals.
According to some enthusiasts, Kaworu was modeled after Kunihiko Ikuhara, director of the Sailor Moon series and a close friend of Anno's. Ikuhara, in an interview, denied the rumors, maintaining that he was in no way involved in the character's creation, but confessed to his close relationship with Anno. Both directors were on good terms from the early planning stages of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Ikuhara commented that “at that time, the Sailor Moon team went up to the spas and Anno was with us. On that occasion we ended up talking all night. Even after everyone had collapsed we continued to talk without abating." According to his colleague, that late-night conversation might have affected the dialogue between Shinji and Kaworu; Ikuhara, upon watching the episode, realized how the context and content of the dialogue was virtually identical.
Dubbing
In all of his appearances, Kaworu is played by Akira Ishida. In 1997, the year of the release of the film The End of Evangelion, the voice actor claimed to have encountered "numerous difficulties" in the role of Kaworu and that he felt "under a lot of pressure" for the dubbing of the film version. His emotional tension grew exponentially when he learned that there would be two final movies, but he was very pleased with his performance. Ishida played the character in numerous spin-offs of the original series or in some video games, such as Meitantei Evangelion and Neon Genesis Evangelion: the Iron Maiden 2nd i>. During the dubbing of Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, the first chapter of the tetralogy of Rebuild of Evangelion, Anno explained the role to Ishida of Kaworu and Shinji in the remake and gave him some confidential information, excluding the other Evangelion voice actors. Ishida admitted that even during the sessions for the dubbing of Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo he felt very tense, but he was accompanied and instructed step by step by the director.
Biography
Like all angels, Kaworu was "born" of Adam, although it is implied that he was created by Seele. He is the container for Adam's soul, similar to how Rei Ayanami contains Lilith's soul. Kaworu was born on September 13, 2000, the exact day of Second Impact, a huge disaster that occurred at the South Pole and was caused by the first of a series of enemies called Angels. His AT field is the most powerful ever. detected, strong enough to block "light, magnetism, subatomic particles, everything." He can control any Evangelion unit he wishes, as long as the soul that the Eva inhabits is inactive. Inside the Eva, he can set the level of synchronization that he wants. The nature or even the very existence of his core is not revealed. He was named after Tabris, the angel of free will and alternatives.
Appearances
Neon Genesis Evangelion
In Neon Genesis Evangelion, Kaworu is sent directly by Seele to Nerv as a pilot for unit Eva-02, replacing Asuka Langley Sōryū, who fell below the minimum synchronization threshold with the unit after the attack of the angel Arael. He is also named as the "Fifth Child", being the fifth pilot of an Eva. His first appearance occurs while he is singing a fragment from the 4th movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony on the remains of a statue in Lake Ashinoko near the NERV facility. This calls the attention of Shinji Ikari, who was near the site and was grieved by his situation and the loss of his NERV classmates, friends and his school. Surprisingly, Shinji socializes with him almost immediately and after their initial meeting, Kaworu and Shinji begin to develop a deep friendship, enjoying each other's company. previously seen in a pilot when synchronizing with the Eva unit without the need for a new core, and where it arouses Misato's suspicions, he receives directions from Seele's committee. Unlike all other angels, Kaworu is capable of developing feelings similar to those of humans and communicating with them. One of the few people who can understand the identity of the child is Ritsuko Akagi, director of the technology department at Nerv, who calls him "the last messenger".
Kaworu then goes before the Eva-02 and synchronizes with the unit using his mind at a distance, levitating followed by the Eva. Meanwhile, alerted by the confirmation of the appearance of a new angel at the NERV facilities, Misato manages to send unit Eva-01 with Shinji, who manages to reach unit 02 shortly before it manages to reach its objective and he fights the Eva, trying in desperation to understand that Kaworu was an angel and to avoid harming him, only to find that he possesses an AT shield as the Eva's blade deflected towards Kaworu. The fight does not stop Tabris and there is an encounter with the crucified angel found in the depths of Nerv, while Misato, realizing that an angel was finally able to reach his goal, gives the self-destruction order at the moment when the cessation of the vital impulses of Eva-01 occurs. Kaworu recognizes that the crucified angel is not Adam but Lilith, and awaits Shinji's arrival. Kaworu tells Shinji that contact with the angel would start the process of human complementation and implores him to end his existence, because for him, who was destined to live forever, it is the same to live or die; his death being "the only absolute freedom". He also decides to preserve the lineage of the Lilim, his descendants, instead of causing the extinction of humanity.After a tense wait where Shinji must decide the death of Kaworu, the Eva finally ends the life of the last messenger.
In The End of Evangelion, a film that marks the new ending and continuation of the last episode of the original series, Kaworu and Rei guide Shinji in the process of human completion through a series of dream visions by exploring his mind and soul, in whose universe the vision of humanity is brewing that will lead to determine the outcome and end of the story of Evangelion
Rebuild of Evangelion
In the tetralogy Rebuild of Evangelion, a remake of the original series, the character plays a pivotal role and seems to be aware of the many details of Shinji's life. In the film Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, the first part of the tetralogy, summarizes the history of the series with some changes. This time, Kaworu awakens in Seele's base located on the Moon (called Tabga or Sea of Tranquility) where the Eva-06 unit is assembled. In the final moments of the film, Kaworu is seen contemplating the Earth while saying to himself: "It will be very interesting to meet you again, Shinji-kun".
The sequel is given in the second film, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, where the battle with the other angels continues. At a certain moment Gendo and Fuyutsuki are shown in a ship flying over the lunar base when they manage to see Kaworu resting on one of the Eva's phalanxes. The young man watches them and says "Nice to meet you, father", however, he does not refer to which of the two he is referring to. Towards the end of the film the prelude to Human Complementation begins. Shinji and Rei are inside Eva-01, which has reached the status of 'Being close to God'. and is about to start the process when he is pierced by Longinus's spear thrown by Eva-06, piloted by Kaworu. Already at the end of the film, Kaworu mentions: "The promised moment has arrived. Shinji Ikari, this time I swear I'll make you happy."
The third film, Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, develops the interrelationship between Kaworu and Shinji from a new perspective. Fourteen years have passed since the Human Complementation Project was stopped, the same one that almost caused the extinction of life on Earth. Shinji wakes up in the new Wunder ship, which is intervened by an Eva piloted by Rei to transfer him to the Nerv facilities. There he is introduced to his father, who tells him that he must pilot an Eva with Kaworu at a certain time, having to wait until then. From now on, the friendship between the two will develop as the days go by playing musical pieces on the piano. Later, when Shinji discovers the devastation of stopping Human Complementation, despair leads him to never want to pilot an Eva again. Kaworu mentions that there is a way to reverse what happened through the controlled process of Third Impact, having to pilot the Eva together. With this new premise they both set out, descending to the site where the human Complementation process began previously, accompanied by an Eva piloted by Rei. There they find the remains of the Mark 06 next to the angel, this pierced by two spears, but, to Kaworu's surprise, both merge into one. Despite Kaworu's refusal, Shinji manages to extract the spears causing the Eva to evolve to the category of God and Third Impact begins. Finally, Kaworu understands the meaning of what is about to begin and for this reason he sticks the two spears into Eva himself, whereupon he recovers his previous state and the process is reversed. He then apologizes to Shinji, as it was not the happiness he expected. With his last words and before his imminent death, he announces that they will see each other again.
Other media
Manga
In the manga written and illustrated by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Shinji meets Kaworu while he is playing the piano. Unlike the original series, Kaworu enlisted in NERV to replace pilot Toji Suzuhara and fights alongside Rei against the Angel Armisael. In this version of events, Shinji has strong suspicions of Kaworu. However, after Rei's death, he temporarily moved into her home, grieving the loss. Another notable difference from the series, where there remains a Some ambiguity about the true nature of the relationship between the two young people, leaving great freedom of interpretation to the audience, is that Sadamoto decided to change the characterization of Kaworu and leave less freedom to the reader. In the story, Kaworu shows a clear reflection of Rei's feelings towards Shinji, but Shinji rejects him "because he's not Rei". According to Sadamoto, at that particular time in his life, Shinji did not want to receive the affections of a girl., but the approval of another guy. Unlike Anno, who wanted to attach the image of an "ideal human being" to Kaworu, Sadamoto, believing that human beings are the final stage in the evolution of angels, has tried to present him as a "previous" character. -human" and more naive.
Video Games
Kaworu makes an appearance in the video game Neon Genesis Evangelion: the Iron Maiden 2nd. In this version of events, Kaworu has a very close relationship with Shinji. Among the various scenarios involving the two boys, there is a scene where they both play the cello and violin together, which is based on an idea proposal in one of the original scripts of the series. In another scenario, Kaworu kisses Shinji on the lips to show his affection. Other differences that are introduced in Neon Genesis Evangelion The Shinji Ikari Raising Project, is when Kaworu approaches Shinji under his will. by Ritsuko Akagi. In the tetralogy of Rebuild of Evangelion, a remake of the original series, the character plays a pivotal role and seems to be aware of many details about Shinji's life. In the first two films, he awakens on the lunar surface to communicate with the secret organization Seele. In the manga, Evangelion - Detective Shinji Ikari, the characters Ryōji Kaji and Kaworu are depicted as two investigators. privates that Shinji is forced to ask for help. In this alternate universe, Shinji finishes investigating a mysterious case with Kaworu, who is later introduced as his new classmate.
Personality and relationship with Shinji
Even though Kaworu speaks most certainly of himself, there are many things I don't understand. What is the meaning of Kaworu Nagisa, who seemed to fulfill the mission of "living," but died so quickly, almost like a dragonfly? If I wasn't looking forward to Kaworu Nagisa, I wouldn't have suffered this anguish.Akira Ishida, voice actor of Kaworu.
Kaworu is a young man with an open, sincere and distant personality, despite hiding his deepest feelings. Kaworu's interactions with the protagonist Shinji Ikari and his proclaimed love for him have been a persistent topic of debate among Evangelion fans since the days of the original series. He shows a deep bond with Shinji, and in episode XXIV of the series, he claims to have been born "just to meet him". Although Shinji tends to maintain a certain emotional distance in his relationships with other people, Kaworu is able to reach his heart and make him talk openly about his feelings. On one hand, Kaworu shows spontaneous and selfless sympathy for Shinji, to the point where he seems to harbor sincere and unconditional affection; By his side, Shinji, recognizing the sincerity of his actions, also approaches him. Despite the brief time they spend together, the two young men are attracted to each other and build a deep and sincere relationship of love. Kaworu is the first person to tell Shinji that he loved him, as well as the first and last person to whom Shinji opened his heart, even stating to Misato that "Kaworu said he loved me. I loved him too". After his death, Shinji falls into a deep state of depression and withdraws into himself again. According to Kunihiko Ikuhara, director, animator and Anno's friend, Shinji "is bullied by his father, slapped by Ayanami, called an idiot by Asuka and told by Misato to be a man; he doesn't get much sympathy from others, and I think that in this situation the only one who tells him that everything is fine is Kaworu." Shortly before his death, Kaworu maintains his own feeling of love for Shinji unchanged, giving thanks that was able to meet him.
Kaworu seduces Shinji with a mysterious charm and becomes the only person the young man has ever loved. In the film Evangelion 3.0, third installment of Rebuild of Evangelion, Kaworu and Shinji pilot the Eva-13 together. Akira Ishida, Kaworu's interpreter, was asked if the sequence can be interpreted as a "love scene." Ishida responded by saying that he is not "allowed" to do so. answering questions and wishes to leave the interpretation to die-hard fans, commenting that "but, in the end, the fact that they are in the same unit is 'different,' because they pursue the same goal together. It seems to represent the depth of their relationship." Even in other media, the strong emotional relationship between the characters is underlined. According to an official guide for the game Neon Genesis Evangelion 2: Another cases, "[Kaworu] feels a deep sense of love for Shinji, but has little romantic interest in Nerv members of the opposite sex, like Ritsuko and Maya. Is this because he is an angel? Under these circumstances, he prefers to be in a romantic relationship with Shinji. Because their relationship is satisfactory, they see no need to form other relationships." In the video game, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Ikari Shinji Ikusei Keikaku , the player, through Shinji's perspective, also has the opportunity to start a romantic relationship with Kaworu and not just with the female characters.
Some of the original cast voice actors also agree that Shinji and Kaworu are a 'couple'. During The Symphony of Evangelion event at Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Japan, voice actresses Megumi Hayashibara and Kotono Mitsuishi agreed that if Shinji was "Hikoboshi", then his " Orihime" it would be Kaworu. Orihime and Hikoboshi are Japanese deities, former lovers whose platonic meeting is celebrated every year during the Tanabata festival.
Interpretations
In Western angelology, Tabris is the angel of free will and freedom. According to the Nuctemeron of Apollonius of Tyana, Tabris is a demon, one of the genes of the sixth time. By analogy, the Tabris from Neon Genesis Evangelion chooses to be killed by Shinji. Kaworu's character has some similarities to Lalah Sune from Mobile Suit Gundam. Even his relationship with the series' male lead creates a strong similarity between the two characters. Mike Crandol of Anime News Network, in an exegetical analysis of the series wrote that "Shinji's brief friendship with the enigmatic Kaworu Nagisa is acceptance, blind love, total and unconditional, but like these things, [Kaworu] proves not to be real." Even his colleague Zac Bertschy, in a review of the film Evangelion 3.0, gave a similar interpretation: “Kaworu is never given to think of as an antagonist, but unwittingly he is. His influence shows us how Shinji still has a long way to go before accepting himself. Kaworu is a caring and protective companion who cares about Shinji's happiness, who refuses to leave him behind and who takes Shinji's terrible burden on his shoulders." According to Elliot Gay, reviewer for Japanator.com website, Kaworu represents for Shinji "the hope of being able to correct his mistakes".
Reception
Chris Beveridge of Mania Entertainment has described Kaworu's death in the anime as an "extremely powerful moment" due to the fact that after a long minute without dialogue, only the shadow of his head appears touching the water. Despite his brief appearance, Kaworu's character became extremely popular, drawing comparisons even to Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley. Soryu, female protagonists of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The great popularity of the character is reflected in numerous surveys. In 1997 and 1998, Kaworu was ranked second and sixth among the most popular characters of the moment in two popularity polls conducted by the Japanese magazine Animage. >Newtype emphasized Kaworu's popularity. In the monthly charts of the most popular animated characters chosen by the magazine's readers, Kaworu has won the top positions several times. In August and September 2009, it ranked 6th and 3rd. Similar results were recorded for the same type of poll in October of that year, where it finished in 4th place. In March of the following year, Newtype placed him second among the "most popular male characters of the 1990s". In 2014, the site Charapedia asked ten thousand animation fans which death had the biggest impact on them., in which Kaworu's death reached the 19th place among the most valued. Two years later, the site Anime News Network asked its users who were the main pilots of Japanese animation; On the list of highest rated personalities, Kaworu Nagisa emerged in sixteenth place.
In January 2017, the Japanese newspaper Livedoor News asked its readers who was the best angel in Neon Genesis Evangelion, in which Kaworu finished third. Among the possible reasons for Kaworu's popularity, Livedoor News has cited the "fascinating" contrast between his anthropomorphic appearance and "the constant feeling that he is not truly human".
According to writer Patrick Drazen, during the first broadcast of the series many controversies arose about the relationship between Kaworu and Shinji and whether there was a homosexual relationship between the two. Drazen, in his book Anime Explosion!, expresses his own interpretations that exclude a possible emotional relationship between the two. an enigmatic figure who puts more meat on the fire and confusion. All he can do is raise even more unanswered questions. [...] The homosexual element is probably the most worrying, gratuitous and useless aspect of the twenty-fourth episode». According to Lee, Shinji's openness against him is totally unjustified and "irrational": "In conclusion, it seems that homosexuality is simply a mirage to attract generation X." A diametrically opposed opinion was given by his colleague Lyznee Loveridge., who added the two characters among the "alternate couples that will touch your hearts." "The fate of their relationship is tragic, but the little time the two spend together is a breath of fresh air compared to the selfishness that characterizes the relationships between all the other characters in the series." Carlo Santos, another reviewer of Anime News Network, praised Kaworu's character and her role in Yoshiyuki Sadamoto's manga: "The tension [between Kaworu and Shinji] becomes one of [the manga's] most intriguing subplots." Even the Japanese actress Chiaki Kuriyama stated that she was a big fan of the character. In an interview, Kuriyama has confessed that she approached the world of animation after seeing Neon Genesis Evangelion and that she became interested in dubbing thanks to the characters of Kaworu Nagisa and Rei Ayanami.
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