Last weekend in Japan, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time saw a 960.5% increase in ticket sales. This sudden jump in viewers is due to a special present given out to anyone who sees the movie from June 12th on: a 36-page magazine called “Eva-Extra-Extra.” While half of it is filled with new, full-page pieces of Evangelion artwork, the other half is a special edition manga that fans were rabid to get their hands on. Too bad it’s not what many hoped it would be.
A bit of backstory: The first Evangelion rebuild film, Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone is largely a shot-for-shot remake of the first few episodes of the TV anime. The second film, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, starts similarly but veers drastically away from the TV series’ plot in the back half of the film. The third movie, Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, picks up 15 years after the second and gives us very little explanation about what happened during the massive time skip. And while the final film, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, gives us a bit more general information, much of what happened between the second and third films remains a mystery.
So when it was announced that Eva-Extra-Extra would contain Evangelion:3.0 (-120min.), “a never before told prequel to You Can (Not) Redo,” fans flocked to the theater to get their hands on it. Many were hoping that this manga would shed some light on what happened during the 14-year time skip—perhaps expanding on the all-too-brief Third Impact flashback we see in Thrice Upon a Time. However, what we got instead was exactly what the title of the manga promised: the story of what was happening two hours before the start of Evangelion 3.0.
Evangelion:3.0 (-120min.) is the short tale of Mari and Asuka in the minutes before they launch into space to retrieve Eva 01—i.e., the opening scene of Evangelion: 3.0. This manga reveals that the original plan was for Mari to lead the operation with her less damaged Eva while Asuka would be in a supporting role. However, Mari wants them to both take point instead.
We also learn what happened to Shinji after the end of You Can (Not) Advance. Like what happened in the TV series, he was absorbed into the LCL and disappeared. Therefore, Asuka believes Shinji to be long dead. Meanwhile, Mari seems certain of the opposite, going so far as to dress in her old school uniform so Shinji will be able to recognize her (as they only met in person once).
This simple act forces Asuka to confront her feelings regarding Shinji—that, despite being forever 14 on the outside, she’s far from the girl she once was. And while she’s mad at him for his inaction when she was in trouble during the events of Evangelion 2.0, there is a part of her that loved him once. Therefore, she decides to head into space alongside Mari. And taking the cue from her friend, she decides to wear the plugsuit she wore back when she and Shinji were young together—even though she has to tape up the holes to wear it.
All in all, it’s a good little look into Asuka’s mindset that explains why she acts the way she does upon meeting Shinji once again in Evangelion 3.0. However, that said, it does nothing to expound upon the events of the Third Impact as fans had hoped. It seems that some things are destined to remain a mystery.
Top image source: エヴァンゲリオン公式 on Twitter.
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