In episodes 15 and 16, Neon Genesis Evangelion raises the bar on brutality, both emotionally and visually. The fight scene in this pair of episodes caused a minor scandal in Japan when they aired thanks to a literal river of blood. After a brief production note, Ian and Joseph go deeper than the gore, to talk about the long hinted-at Dummy Plug system, and the way that Eva makes big drama out of masculinity crises and generation gaps in its main cast. Is it a critique, or just cruelty? Why not both! No discussion of this part of the show is complete without paying tribute to tracksuit bae, Toji Suzahara. Ian takes point on unpacking his transformation from bully to bumbling oaf, to tragic figure.
Recap: 03:32
Analysis: 19:37