Have you ever noticed how men tend to act differently when they are around women? Compared to when they are not near or are influenced by them, men become gentler and/or may become crazier. In Neon Genesis Evangelion, one of anime/manga’s most memorable fathers, Gendo Ikari, falls right into this shell.
He treats his son, Shinji Ikari, like garbage while treating one of his soldiers, Rei Ayanami, like a goddess. In addition to that, Gendo’s actions throughout the series have been motivated by his dead wife. His story is quite a look at how men transform when a women is involved in their lives.
Gendo’s story revolves around his manipulation of a variety of people in order to wipe out humanity as an act of revenge on the God that took away his wife. A study was conducted about the impact of women in men’s lives. It noted that men are usually more extreme in how they act and are more egocentric. Yet women can nurture their behavior for the betterment of mankind. Men become more philanthropic when a woman is by their side.
Gendo may have found a positive purpose in life because of his wife and eventual mother to Shinji, Yui Ikari. Men do take a while to grow up emotionally. But when a woman comes and hits their heart at the right place and time, they can grow much faster. Whether they are children or adults, the power of the female sex places a gripping hold that’s hard to let go.
After Yui died in an experiment gone wrong, Gendo became warped because of his attachment to her. Yui once said that Gendo is a nice person when you get to know him. Does this mean that the most important thing men want from a woman is unconditional love? Perhaps. The warmth of a woman does remind a man of their closest female family members.
Gendo tells Shinji that he curses him for taking away Yui’s love. He treats Rei with greater respect than he does his own son. In essence, Rei is the daughter that Gendo wishes he had. He even rushes out to save her at one point when her EVA Unit went berserk. You tend to hear many cases of fathers being protective about their daughters. Why is that?
Some people will tell you that men are wired naturally to protect women. They know about the male psyche and how cruel it is. Seeing how crazy the world is at times makes a father wonder how safe it is to let his daughter out there. It’s also possible that fathers just want their daughters all to themselves, which is apparent in Gendo’s case since he tries to use Rei to further his agenda. He’s viewed Rei as an extension of Yui as well.
Here’s a personal story to share - I have a sister and she tends to be loved more by my father. She doesn’t get yelled at by him, while I get the brunt of his fury. They never really argued with each other either. In some ways, I have felt like Shinji while my sister was like Rei. I often wonder if it’s because of the maturity level she portrays, compared to someone like me. While my sister was rebellious in her own way while growing up in her young adult years, she was “serious” like Rei was.
My sister never showed her emotional side much to anyone. I, on the other hand, have shown how vulnerable I was. My dad and I are close regardless though. But what if I never was into mainstream interests (i.e. sports) that helped grow our bond? It was somewhat similar to how Gendo implores Shinji to walk on his own two feet like he has, which might lead him to develop some kind of meaningful bond with his son. What do you guys think?
Here’s an interesting quote from an article about why men love women so much to make you think about the joys of opposite-sex relationships.
“I love how they can counterbalance me and help me see things from a different angle. If they are wise, they can make me change my mind when I have become stove-piped in my thinking or actions.”
Now imagine if Yui was still alive in the story, how much would she have affected Gendo’s mentality regarding his plans for world domination? Of course, she may have had her own agenda.
More importantly, how do you not let love misguide you into creating your own “Third Impact” on everyone around you?
Read the rest of this entry
Entry meta
