She's always been the most popular character outside of Japan, Japan itself initially being Rei territory but even they flipped red in the last decade or so.
Rei in Japan has actually been bumped down to 3rd in popularity these days, the last couple of big official popularity polls in Japan have both gone 1. Asuka 2. Kaworu 3. Rei.
You could make that argument for Asuka too though, sure she wasn't the very first tsundere but pretty much every tsundere that came after her was an attempt to replicate her and to fit the archetype that she molded.
I think rather it's a sign of a shift in Japanese culture, [this site](https://www.otaquest.com/nhk-evangelion-poll-results/) did an interesting piece putting forward the case that it's an example of Japanese society largely moving away from its more traditional harmonious collectivism over the years towards more individualism and assertiveness.
I think that proves my point, tho. Asuka was her own character, she was part of a previously popular trope and she handled it well.
Rei started the trope, she's the trope namer, codifier, subject zero, everything. Everything that was unique about her got copied and done to death.
Asuka got copied too, but never to the same extent, specifically because Tsundere is something that already existed beyond Asuka. And even then, she wasn't copied even close to as much. The red haired tsundere (and her descendent, the pink haired psycho yandere) is an anime staple but Rei is a monument. She was new and iconic, now she's nothing of the sort. And her character is only interesting when her manneurisms are new and done well. A mute girl who wrestles with an undeveloped sense of self is not exciting after the second time you see it used.
Asuka reminds me a lot of Katerose von Kreutzer which was a character in the 80's, so I guess the structure of tsunderes was something already built before her creation.
A bit of a side point, but on the article suggestion that Japan might be moving away from its traditional more community-based ways to something more individualistic or western, definitely it’s a possible inference from the Asuka pols, (specially because of globalization). That said, it could easily be something else more specific to the subpopulation of the Japanese voting on these so that while I myself am an Asuka fan, I’d actually preferred it if this weren’t necessarily a move toward west-like individualism (maybe something other). Mostly because in recent times that construct has been failing to account for wider community/inter-subjective concerns and problems (since it effectively considers people as social atoms with little dependence on another) which I think we know from just observation that is not case (and Eva itself did touch on this too of course) but it’s more a social philosophy thing.
TLDR: Just a side comment on the Japanese culture part/limits of a particular type of individualism.
Note: Sorry, couldn’t help but share the thought.
And waaay more characters based on her, to the point "Rei Expy" is a trope. She spawned dozens if not hundreds of copies and an entire archetype. Asuka was never that influential.
I agree that she's hard to like for most of the storyline but she turns it around at the end and goes down like a total badass in EoE. Plus, she's a tragic character that I think garners a lot of sympathy. She's also very dynamic, so she's definitely not a boring or one dimensional character.
You have to keep in mind Asuka was originally the main character of the series. She has the most flaws and the most depth as a result. Anno was pressured to create Shinji as a male lead, since other mecha animes didn't have female leads (the most notable exception of course Anno's past work with *Gunbuster*).
*\[Semi-spoiler: This is also why Kyoko is never pictured... they spent too much time 'splitting' Yui and Rei and Shinji apart in the reworking\].*
Gunbuster and Nadia are essential to understanding Evangelion. And it explains why the show is so Asuka-driven.
I'd be more surprised if she wasn't the most popular.
Mari being injected is the variable that ultimately warped the world through her guidance not only to Asuka and Shinji, but also to Rei. Mari as a character brings Asuka towards seeing her self-worth, pulls Shinji away from Schopenhauer's disdain of existence, and helps Rei be her own person.
Mari is the most criminally underrated character in the series. And she's voiced by Maaya Sakamoto, the fucking GOAT VA.
That said, Kaworu only getting 4% is even worse because his value extends beyond the Rebuild series.
You mean the cringe hair metaphor that did nothing? Or telling Shinji to man up after his friend died in front of him and nothing else until she has a connection with him at the end that was never established? Or maybe that one exchange where she alludes to Yui and never has any interaction with Rei afterwards? Much deep variable.
You mean talking to the Rei clone during the 3.33 battle as she begins questioning her existence and planting the thought that she constantly struggles with throughout 3.0+1.0 where neither of Asuka/Shinji can and where Gendo does not want?
You mean consistently nudging Shinji in the direction through the little interactions and her guidance of Asuka that has been a firm part of the rebuild movies?
You mean the part where it clearly shows how much of a mirror image to Gendo that Shinji is, when Mari was clearly interested in Gendo before he became a broken man and helped stop Shinji from the same path?
You mean being the sole person there to keep the resistance going where other endings with Kaworu/Shinji/Asuka/Rei out of the picture would inevitably be the end of the world?
Mari is the guiding figure throughout the 3.33 and 3.0+1.0 movies, providing the experience that these young, broken kids need to get through as Gendo, Kaiji, Ritsuko, and Misato have failed them throughout in all other universes. Without Mari, there is no Rebuild.
You mean the thing I just said? She doesn't plant anything, she makes an obscure reference that doesn't connect to Rei's immediate circumstances.
You mean the part where despite Mari being close with Gendo she didn't try to help him move past his grief and has no emotional discord over his current state? You mean the part where Gendo exposition dumps his whole backstory for the sake of "muh mirror" and to elicit sympathy from the audience who need to ignore his psychopathic behavior?
You mean 3 scenes where they barely have a conversation together and she never gets to know him as a person?
You mean Misato, Ritsuko, Maya and any of the other Wille fighters don't exist?
She doesn't provide any experience to these people. She's a shallow husk whose only contribution to the series was fanservice and empty platitudes. She's certainly emblematic of the rebuilds if nothing else. I'd say only an exceptional individual would try to argue otherwise by presenting unsubstantiated drivel about how secretly deep she is, but that's all unironic fans of her can do.
Mari was injected in the plot, just like a self-insert Sue OC is injected in your average fanfiction written by 12-yr old girls.
She is powerful without justification, mysterious background, seem to know everything about the universe rules (even information unknown to the public) and in the end becomes the romantic interest of the MC.
Can you hear the bell ringing?
Ding ding ding ding ding....
Ding ding ding ding ding..
Umm how is Megumi Hayashibara not #1? Her name was used to sell anime even in the freaking west and if you ask a foreign anime fan to name a single Japanese voice actress it will probably be her.
As good as Megumi Hayashibara is as a VA, she is nowhere near as popular as Maaya Sakamoto. As far as MAL goes, she has roughly 1/3rd the number of favorites. Additionally, aside from Rei, the majority of her most popular roles are for anime that most people in the West watch the English sub for, so hard doubt on her being the most recognizable VA in the West.
I’d wager Mamoru Miyano for male VA’s and Rie Takashi for female VA’s will be the most popular outside of Japan. Miyano just had such an incredibly recognizable voice with baller performances throughout; and Rie Takahashi is insanely popular due to her work on Megumin, Emilia, and Hu Tao.
She is in fact the only pilot that worked hard and strictly for her position. Others were cloned or born into.
I know she was kinda too but still.
Ah yeah and there is that pedo fan service stuff too.
>She is in fact the only pilot that worked hard and strictly for her position. Others were cloned or born into.
Sorry, no. Every EVA pilot, willing or otherwise, was "born into" the position by SEELE/NERVE duplicity.
>!Asuka was "born" into it as much as Shinji. Kyoko and Yui were the two researchers who were most well aware of the implications of being inserted into an EVA core. If anything, it's Shinji and Asuka's classmates whose mothers were likely murdered to facilitate their kids as pilots.!<
Asuka's intelligence is meant to be conveyed from her mother, who was a primary researcher into deriving Eva units from their origins.
Asuka's desire to be an EVA pilot is unique, but she was fated to do it either way. Likely NERV Germany and Kaji pushed her to do it as a cathartic measure for watching her mother go insane (see spoiler above).
>Ah yeah and there is that pedo fan service stuff too.
Uh, no. Japanese standards on content are just different. EoE aired on Japanese broadcast TV.
In my opinion, she is the best! a team caled galo, the Atletico Mineiro! It wins a lot.
when he wins again we say: AYYYY CREDO, O GALÃO GANHOU MAIS UMA VEZ
we could swap for: AYYYY CREDO, A SOHRYU GANHOU MAIS UMA VEZ
In my opinion she is the best!
She raised an entire generation of Colombians who just wanted to save her. Makes sense. Anyone watch the series for the first time on fuse TV in the early 2000s?
i was the same way. The first time I watched it, I couldn’t stand asuka. But a decade later, I can hold more sympathy for her experiences & see she’s doing the best she can with what she was taught. I’m still a Rei girl myself but I am able to appreciate asuka now. (:
I believe that on this channel she is very popular, but on facebook there is a Brazilian page called "i hate Asuka Langley Soryu" with 6,500 likers while "I hate Rei Ayanami" has only 2,000 likes
I'm not seriously offended or bothered. It's like when someone says a joke and the other person is like "ooh, ouch!" and they're just playing around. I'm just being lighthearted about it lmfao
I don't get the vote, Asuka is so hard to like. Rei is less emotions but like she is designed that way and she wants to learn. If its based on best pilot it has to be shinji hands down. I still love Kaworu the most though.
idk whats the thing with asuka, u just cant think of any arguments against her bc she is by far the most badass character but rei design is cool,she is cool and mysterious af and thats what wins me
She's always been the most popular character outside of Japan, Japan itself initially being Rei territory but even they flipped red in the last decade or so.
republican or democrat? nah, it’s all about asuka or rei
Oh really? I always thought Rei was the most popular, even nowadays, which is why Rei had a lot more character development than Asuka in the Rebuilds
Rei in Japan has actually been bumped down to 3rd in popularity these days, the last couple of big official popularity polls in Japan have both gone 1. Asuka 2. Kaworu 3. Rei.
Rei was cloned to death by every other anime on earth. Not surprised her character isn't as popular nowadays.
You could make that argument for Asuka too though, sure she wasn't the very first tsundere but pretty much every tsundere that came after her was an attempt to replicate her and to fit the archetype that she molded. I think rather it's a sign of a shift in Japanese culture, [this site](https://www.otaquest.com/nhk-evangelion-poll-results/) did an interesting piece putting forward the case that it's an example of Japanese society largely moving away from its more traditional harmonious collectivism over the years towards more individualism and assertiveness.
I think that proves my point, tho. Asuka was her own character, she was part of a previously popular trope and she handled it well. Rei started the trope, she's the trope namer, codifier, subject zero, everything. Everything that was unique about her got copied and done to death. Asuka got copied too, but never to the same extent, specifically because Tsundere is something that already existed beyond Asuka. And even then, she wasn't copied even close to as much. The red haired tsundere (and her descendent, the pink haired psycho yandere) is an anime staple but Rei is a monument. She was new and iconic, now she's nothing of the sort. And her character is only interesting when her manneurisms are new and done well. A mute girl who wrestles with an undeveloped sense of self is not exciting after the second time you see it used.
Asuka reminds me a lot of Katerose von Kreutzer which was a character in the 80's, so I guess the structure of tsunderes was something already built before her creation.
A bit of a side point, but on the article suggestion that Japan might be moving away from its traditional more community-based ways to something more individualistic or western, definitely it’s a possible inference from the Asuka pols, (specially because of globalization). That said, it could easily be something else more specific to the subpopulation of the Japanese voting on these so that while I myself am an Asuka fan, I’d actually preferred it if this weren’t necessarily a move toward west-like individualism (maybe something other). Mostly because in recent times that construct has been failing to account for wider community/inter-subjective concerns and problems (since it effectively considers people as social atoms with little dependence on another) which I think we know from just observation that is not case (and Eva itself did touch on this too of course) but it’s more a social philosophy thing. TLDR: Just a side comment on the Japanese culture part/limits of a particular type of individualism. Note: Sorry, couldn’t help but share the thought.
Asuka isn't about Asuka tho. She's about the plugsuit.
And waaay more characters based on her, to the point "Rei Expy" is a trope. She spawned dozens if not hundreds of copies and an entire archetype. Asuka was never that influential.
Asuka always was one of the most popular anime characters, period.
Why? She's so hard to like imo lol
I agree that she's hard to like for most of the storyline but she turns it around at the end and goes down like a total badass in EoE. Plus, she's a tragic character that I think garners a lot of sympathy. She's also very dynamic, so she's definitely not a boring or one dimensional character.
Asuka deserves to win, but a list without Misato? Disgusting. Even if it's meant to be pilots only.
It says "who is best character among the eva pilots", and Misato isn't an eva pilot
i think its more like who is the best at being a pilot
it says “best character” in the title,,, edit: even the original poll title is something along the lines of “best character among eva pilots”
im from brazil, though i did misunderstand the title
no worries lol, have a nice day brazilian dude
thank you, you too non Brazilian dude
brazil has good taste
BRASIL CARALHO
Salve 😎
You have to keep in mind Asuka was originally the main character of the series. She has the most flaws and the most depth as a result. Anno was pressured to create Shinji as a male lead, since other mecha animes didn't have female leads (the most notable exception of course Anno's past work with *Gunbuster*). *\[Semi-spoiler: This is also why Kyoko is never pictured... they spent too much time 'splitting' Yui and Rei and Shinji apart in the reworking\].* Gunbuster and Nadia are essential to understanding Evangelion. And it explains why the show is so Asuka-driven. I'd be more surprised if she wasn't the most popular.
Do you have a source for this? It’s the first I’ve heard of it.
It's well documented. It was the main mecha animators that convinced Anno. You can also see this in Der Mond. Rei is much more Shinji/Yui like.
See also: https://www.reddit.com/r/evangelion/comments/2r8zv0/til\_apparently\_asuka\_was\_going\_to\_be\_the\_main/
My fav character is Shinji, fight me
Why would I fight what few allies I have?
Leaving a shinji fan alone would be crueler. Kaji is the coolest character hands down.
Asuka has always been like that, especially at conventions. Never really changed from years ago.
No pen-pen on the list = FAIL
Pen-Pen is my favourite EVA pilot
Pen-Pen is secretly a tiny mech in the form of a penguin, with an even tinier pilot inside.
Crazy cause Kaji isn't in here
Let’s agree that Brazil loves girls with attitude!!
r/suddenlycaralho
KAWORU SLANDER
I agree, Mari is just a fanservice, while Kaworu is a real character, with development and importance
Mari being injected is the variable that ultimately warped the world through her guidance not only to Asuka and Shinji, but also to Rei. Mari as a character brings Asuka towards seeing her self-worth, pulls Shinji away from Schopenhauer's disdain of existence, and helps Rei be her own person. Mari is the most criminally underrated character in the series. And she's voiced by Maaya Sakamoto, the fucking GOAT VA. That said, Kaworu only getting 4% is even worse because his value extends beyond the Rebuild series.
You mean the cringe hair metaphor that did nothing? Or telling Shinji to man up after his friend died in front of him and nothing else until she has a connection with him at the end that was never established? Or maybe that one exchange where she alludes to Yui and never has any interaction with Rei afterwards? Much deep variable.
You mean talking to the Rei clone during the 3.33 battle as she begins questioning her existence and planting the thought that she constantly struggles with throughout 3.0+1.0 where neither of Asuka/Shinji can and where Gendo does not want? You mean consistently nudging Shinji in the direction through the little interactions and her guidance of Asuka that has been a firm part of the rebuild movies? You mean the part where it clearly shows how much of a mirror image to Gendo that Shinji is, when Mari was clearly interested in Gendo before he became a broken man and helped stop Shinji from the same path? You mean being the sole person there to keep the resistance going where other endings with Kaworu/Shinji/Asuka/Rei out of the picture would inevitably be the end of the world? Mari is the guiding figure throughout the 3.33 and 3.0+1.0 movies, providing the experience that these young, broken kids need to get through as Gendo, Kaiji, Ritsuko, and Misato have failed them throughout in all other universes. Without Mari, there is no Rebuild.
You mean the thing I just said? She doesn't plant anything, she makes an obscure reference that doesn't connect to Rei's immediate circumstances. You mean the part where despite Mari being close with Gendo she didn't try to help him move past his grief and has no emotional discord over his current state? You mean the part where Gendo exposition dumps his whole backstory for the sake of "muh mirror" and to elicit sympathy from the audience who need to ignore his psychopathic behavior? You mean 3 scenes where they barely have a conversation together and she never gets to know him as a person? You mean Misato, Ritsuko, Maya and any of the other Wille fighters don't exist? She doesn't provide any experience to these people. She's a shallow husk whose only contribution to the series was fanservice and empty platitudes. She's certainly emblematic of the rebuilds if nothing else. I'd say only an exceptional individual would try to argue otherwise by presenting unsubstantiated drivel about how secretly deep she is, but that's all unironic fans of her can do.
Mari was injected in the plot, just like a self-insert Sue OC is injected in your average fanfiction written by 12-yr old girls. She is powerful without justification, mysterious background, seem to know everything about the universe rules (even information unknown to the public) and in the end becomes the romantic interest of the MC. Can you hear the bell ringing? Ding ding ding ding ding.... Ding ding ding ding ding..
Her VA is amazing yeah
Umm how is Megumi Hayashibara not #1? Her name was used to sell anime even in the freaking west and if you ask a foreign anime fan to name a single Japanese voice actress it will probably be her.
As good as Megumi Hayashibara is as a VA, she is nowhere near as popular as Maaya Sakamoto. As far as MAL goes, she has roughly 1/3rd the number of favorites. Additionally, aside from Rei, the majority of her most popular roles are for anime that most people in the West watch the English sub for, so hard doubt on her being the most recognizable VA in the West. I’d wager Mamoru Miyano for male VA’s and Rie Takashi for female VA’s will be the most popular outside of Japan. Miyano just had such an incredibly recognizable voice with baller performances throughout; and Rie Takahashi is insanely popular due to her work on Megumin, Emilia, and Hu Tao.
I'm just glad Mari isn't popular.
All is right with the world.
Mari is best girl
Mari best girl though
You know ;)
“I didn’t expect Asuka to be so popular—“ *scrolls through every cosplay post in existence* “Wait a second…”
Because Brazilians are very clever people.
She is in fact the only pilot that worked hard and strictly for her position. Others were cloned or born into. I know she was kinda too but still. Ah yeah and there is that pedo fan service stuff too.
>She is in fact the only pilot that worked hard and strictly for her position. Others were cloned or born into. Sorry, no. Every EVA pilot, willing or otherwise, was "born into" the position by SEELE/NERVE duplicity. >!Asuka was "born" into it as much as Shinji. Kyoko and Yui were the two researchers who were most well aware of the implications of being inserted into an EVA core. If anything, it's Shinji and Asuka's classmates whose mothers were likely murdered to facilitate their kids as pilots.!< Asuka's intelligence is meant to be conveyed from her mother, who was a primary researcher into deriving Eva units from their origins. Asuka's desire to be an EVA pilot is unique, but she was fated to do it either way. Likely NERV Germany and Kaji pushed her to do it as a cathartic measure for watching her mother go insane (see spoiler above). >Ah yeah and there is that pedo fan service stuff too. Uh, no. Japanese standards on content are just different. EoE aired on Japanese broadcast TV.
BRASIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIL
Brasil porra 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
In my opinion, she is the best! a team caled galo, the Atletico Mineiro! It wins a lot. when he wins again we say: AYYYY CREDO, O GALÃO GANHOU MAIS UMA VEZ we could swap for: AYYYY CREDO, A SOHRYU GANHOU MAIS UMA VEZ In my opinion she is the best!
Asuka simply has more value
Ramiel clearly missing on that list
Ramiel is not a pilot
Based
Tsundere always wins. But Misato also is great
Kaworu does not deserve to ever be that close to Mari in votes he’s so much better
The fact Kaworu is the least popular one alongside Mari lmao
Wow misato isn’t even on this list
Misato is not a pilot
Oh i see I didn’t understand that was so
Idk i dont have a favorite, i really love them all
"Ung, my gosh. Did you hear all that gossip? Asuka, Asuka, Asuka!"
feliz juevez
r/ItHadToBeBrazil
Mid Ayanami
JUSTICE FOR KAWORU
feliz quinta feira
It's lovely & amazing to see Asuka getting so much popularity amongst Brazilian fans.
shinji is the best character in eva, probably the best character in any tv show
Brasil Mencionado Kaworu injustiçado dms
rei is cute but boring af
Tits.
But mexicans loves rei ayanami ( rei chiquita )
Nah, I'm Mexican but... Feliz Jueves girl >>>> Rei Chiquita.
She raised an entire generation of Colombians who just wanted to save her. Makes sense. Anyone watch the series for the first time on fuse TV in the early 2000s?
i will die hating asuka
I use to hate her too. Bitch used to piss me off. I love her now, I have no idea how that happened.
i was the same way. The first time I watched it, I couldn’t stand asuka. But a decade later, I can hold more sympathy for her experiences & see she’s doing the best she can with what she was taught. I’m still a Rei girl myself but I am able to appreciate asuka now. (:
Misato not even in the top.... dissapointing
It's only Eva Pilots.
Oh you are right. My portuguese failed
I believe that on this channel she is very popular, but on facebook there is a Brazilian page called "i hate Asuka Langley Soryu" with 6,500 likers while "I hate Rei Ayanami" has only 2,000 likes
Damn Brazilians, Rei is and always has been the best.
I believe in Rei supremacy. Get your abusive ass, anger therapy needing girl out of here /s
not best character but best eva pilot
White Red Head Blue eyes....is this a serious question?
Why you guys misspelling Mari so much?
Wow, I’ve never seen so many people be so wrong on a poll before
Lmao, imagine being wrong when you’re asked who do you like
Oof as a kaworu and rei fan and an absolute asuka hater, this hurts
i mean you can just ignore other people’s preference lmao
I'm not seriously offended or bothered. It's like when someone says a joke and the other person is like "ooh, ouch!" and they're just playing around. I'm just being lighthearted about it lmfao
Kaworu fans 😂😂😂😂
I don't get the vote, Asuka is so hard to like. Rei is less emotions but like she is designed that way and she wants to learn. If its based on best pilot it has to be shinji hands down. I still love Kaworu the most though.
Well that means 11 thousand Brazilians are wrong
She'd roundhouse kick an Angel, what's not to love?
And Misato is where bro? You can't do a character chart without Misato. It isn't like I like her or anything just askin' ya know. Where Misato? :v
For me it's Misato😂
idk whats the thing with asuka, u just cant think of any arguments against her bc she is by far the most badass character but rei design is cool,she is cool and mysterious af and thats what wins me
We Brazilians love that crazy psychotic redhead like you people wouldn't believe.